Autodesk Forge

2016: There was Forge update

On July 5, 2016 the Autodesk company announced upgrade of a cloud platform of Forge and availability of tools and services for developers of cloud applicaions, the three first investments^[1].

We consider that the Forge platform will promote creation of objects of the future using applications for the most different needs, beginning from control of wear of parts to underwater geodesy, from supervision of mines using drones before achievement of competitive advantage using estimate calculations and also including Internet services in design and production and many other things. We know that there is demand on simple in use and the scalable platform for development of different types of machine-building and architectural and construction applications and also the opportunities arising thanks to a combination of our cloud services, API and entrepreneurial talent of developers. Amar Hanspal, senior vice president for development of software products of Autodesk

Ideology of Forge, (2016)

The Autodesk Forge platform represents a complex of cloud services which integrates design, engineering, visualization, joint work, production and operation of workflows. The application programming interfaces (API) and a software development kit (SDK) allow the small and large companies to develop intuitive applications and services for people who create the objects surrounding us.

As a part of the platform: Viewer, Model Derivative API, Design Automation API, Authentication, Data Management API, 3D Print API and Reality Capture API.

• Viewer displays graphic 2D - and 3D - objects and also data associated with them in 50+ different formats using mobile and online solutions for the presentations and joint work. Also allows to perform measurements, to create comments and to do marks.
• Model Derivative API transfers files of design from one format to another, prepares them for online viewing, takes data of objects from model. These data can be used by other applications for the message about structure and object properties.
• Design Automation API allows developers to start AutoCAD scripts in "cloud". Users of the platform use it as the instrument of creation of drawings for online applications. Also allows to transform sets from thousands of the DWG files to the PDF format.
• Authentication is the open standard used in the Forge platform for authentication and authorization. Authentication is the safe transmission method of "key" to the third party. It provides only limited access for accomplishment of certain functions which can be applied without use of credentials of the user.
• Data Management API provides data management in A360 Fusion 360, BIM 360 Docs and also in built in Forge Object Storage Service. This API gives to users the chance to unload on the server and to download from it the files created in software Autodesk via one serial and single interface.
• 3D Print API allows developers to create quickly the individual solutions 3D - printings, beginning from a preparation stage to 3D - printings and finishing with process control of printing. This API helps users to prepare model for 3D - printings, using all tool kit for correction and completion. It is possible to send files to 3D-printers using instruments of remote control and management of printing. Also there is an opportunity to use standard applications for recovery of a grid of model.
• Reality Capture API turns a series of photos into 3D-these. If the photo is geotagged as it usually happens in photos to the UAV, then data retrieveds will also have the geoattached orthographic appearance. Then the result becomes available to use in Autodesk Cloud services or on the platform of the developer partner by means of cloud and PCs-applications, explained in the company.

Integration and adaptation using Autodesk A360 is available to developers API, Fusion 360 API and BIM 360 API. Programmers can use these technologies for creation of new services and functionality which optimize design processes of objects and joint work in the construction and machine-building industries.

For motivation of developers to mastering of Forge, Autodesk offers unlimited free use of the platform in the countries where it is possible, till September 15, 2016.

2015: Announcement of Forge

On December 1, 2015 Autodesk announced opening of access to some technologies to third-party developers and start of fund for their support. This statement was made on organized by the American company of the Autodesk University conference in Las Vegas.

Within this initiative Autodesk started the cloud PaaS-platform under the name Forge which the developers who do not have relations to the company can apply to creation of the products by means of solutions of Autodesk.

The new service uses infrastructure of Amazon Web Services (AWS) and some other unnamed clouds. At the same time, as envisioned by founders of Forge, this service should become some kind of AWS for programmers – the uniform place where will well to a set of products and services, notes the Fortune edition.

Autodesk announced opening of access to some technologies to third-party developers and start of fund for their support

By means of the new project Autodesk expects to build the developed partner ecosystem. Third-party software developers will get access to technologies of visualization of Autodesk and the companies in the market of Internet of Things which appeared at it as a result of SeeControl firm takeover will be able to seize the opportunities, the vice president for cloud platforms of Autodesk Scott Reese said.

SeeControl services help to set connection with the objects which are at distance, to receive and analyze the data collected by them and also to manage remote objects. Autodesk implements SeeControl technologies in software products for industrial and architectural design. Within a complex of cloud services Forge old and new software products of Autodesk which will help third-party developers to create solutions in the field of design, engineering, a vizualitsaziya, production and joint work are integrated, Reese noted.

For support of developers Autodesk created new investment fund of $100 million in size which will help startups with new product development on the Forge platform. Also the vendor promises additional technical and consulting support to the developing companies which received financing.^[2]

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