20+ Years of Design, Technology & More
20+ Years of Design, Technology & More
Autodesk is pushing AEC toward connected cloud workflows and AI. The bigger opportunity isn't automation. It's software that cares more about the design than the commands. Reliability, data control, and firms that can't go all-in on the cloud are still open questions.
A day-by-day look at AU 2026 in Las Vegas - product team meetings, keynotes, a crashed live demo, my standing-room-only session on AI and the CAD manager role, Rebelution at Brooklyn Bowl, and the 36-hour crash afterward.
The session "The Stack Inversion is Real" addresses the evolving role of CAD managers, highlighting how AI transforms workflows. It emphasizes that traditional CAD knowledge is less critical, while decision-making responsibilities grow. The speaker invites participants to discuss crash data and reference loops, fostering a collaborative environment to improve CAD management.
Why cascading data references and circular loops degrade Civil 3D performance and stability, how to prevent them, and what Autodesk could build to kill the problem.
Shaan has developed a Civil 3D plugin in C#, functioning as an audit tool to analyze AutoCAD drawings efficiently. It captures essential data on references and project health, providing detailed reports and insights. The plugin can run in headless mode, enhancing performance for large batches of drawings. Future enhancements will address sheet set detection and layer audit calibration.
My session "The Stack Inversion Is Real" was accepted for Autodesk University 2026, focusing on AI's impact on CAD management. While I'm disappointed my favorite submissions were declined, this presentation will reflect my current role as a practitioner. Attendees will learn about AI's changes in CAD functions and strategies for evolving expertise.
Managing a Civil 3D shop can lead to complex issues with circular data shortcuts that obscure visibility and hinder performance. Many users unknowingly create tangled reference chains, resulting in file corruption and slow operations. The author seeks insights from other CAD managers on preventing and managing these challenges for better collaboration and efficiency.
Most CAD managers underestimate the significance of Autodesk crash data found in Customer Error Reports (CERs). Regularly analyzing these files reveals underlying issues affecting user environments, often overlooked by support tickets. Cer data can identify patterns leading to crashes and help implement fixes, thereby reducing user frustration and improving productivity.
If you have Autodesk Desktop Connector (ACC Docs – changing to Forma brand) installed – and in 2026 you almost certainly do – stop using the built-in AutoCAD and Civil 3D Reference Manager. Reference Explorer is sitting right there in…