In May 2025, HP plans to officially launch an AI vectorisation feature for its HP Build Workspace collaboration platform, first announced in September 2024.

According to HP, it will be the first solution to use AI for converting raster images into CAD-editable documents, saving hours of manual work per drawing. The system can detect lines, polylines, arcs, and text. Once text has been extracted and indexed, users can search on that data.

The conversion service comes with a simple editor, which allows users to change lines that were incorrectly converted from dashed into solid, connect lines that should have been snapped together, as well as clean, remove or add elements.

HP Build Workspace is also set to integrate more closely with the HP DesignJet family of large-format printers and scanners. According to HP, this enhanced connectivity will enable features such as scanning directly to HP Build Workspace for AI-powered vectorisation, improving communication and collaboration beyond traditional paper-based workflows.

HP is also targeting May 2025 for the launch of a Flatness Measurement Service for HP SitePrint, its autonomous three-wheeled robot that prints 2D plans directly onto the floors of construction sites.

The HP SitePrint Flatness Measurement Service will allow users to measure floor flatness and print elevation corrections directly onto the floor. HP says this eliminates the need for external elevation and flatness data processing, which is traditionally done in the back office before being communicated to field teams.

The service aims to consolidate four manual steps—marking information on the floor, capturing elevation data, processing the data, and relocating elevation details—into a single streamlined workflow.

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Trimble SketchUp 2025 features better interoperability with Revit and IFC, and new visualisation capabilities, including photorealistic materials and environment lighting options.

To improve interoperability the 3D modelling software now includes more predictable IFC roundtrips, greater control over which Revit elements and 3D views are imported, and improved support for photorealistic materials when exporting USD and glTF file formats.

“The IFC import feature is incredible,” said Lucas Grolla, architect and owner of Grolla Arquitetura. “It has greatly improved the coordination of different project models with the architectural design. Plus, the new material editor and HDRI styles open up countless possibilities for the visual representation of projects.”

According to Trimble, the new visualisation features enable designers to apply photorealistic materials, turn on environment lighting and see how they interact in real time without hitting a ‘render’ button or waiting to see changes.

For enhanced environments, 360-degree HDRI or EXR image files now act as a light source, reflecting off photoreal materials. Meanwhile, dynamic materials are said to more accurately convey texture and represent how real-world materials absorb and reflect light, with a view to producing richer, more realistic visuals within SketchUp. Finally, the introduction of ambient occlusion adds visual emphasis to corners and edges, adding perceived depth and realism with or without having materials applied.

“Accessing high-quality, realistic materials directly within the platform has made it so much easier to quickly present designs that resonate with clients,” said Kate Hatherell, director of The Interior Designers Hub. “This feature is a game changer for accelerating workflows, and I’m excited to see how it continues to evolve.”

Elsewhere, LayOut, a tool for creating documents from SketchUp models, has been updated to provide a user experience more consistent with SketchUp. 3D Warehouse, a vast repository of 3D models, also now offers curated photoreal materials, environments and configurable 3D assets in the SketchUp content library.

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Bentley Systems has announced the selection of James Lee as chief operating officer. Lee transitions from Google, where he held the position of General Manager overseeing startups and artificial intelligence operations at Google Cloud.

Before his tenure at Google, Lee dedicated 12 years at SAP, serving in roles including chief operating officer for SAP Ariba and Fieldglass, alongside chief operating officer and general manager of sales for SAP Greater China.

Lee will enhance Bentley’s cross-functional coordination across planning and implementation, will champion operations, and will supervise operations in China, Japan, and portfolio advancement including growth ventures such as Bentley Asset Analytics.

Bentley System’s CEO Nicholas Cumins remarked, ““I am excited to welcome James, a world-class operational leader, to Bentley. His energy and experience managing operations and investment initiatives at SAP and Google will be instrumental to Bentley as we continue to scale up and drive our ambitious growth agenda.”

To boost innovation and strengthen alignment between product execution and technology strategy, Bentley has also declared that product development responsibilities have been unified under chief technology officer Julien Moutte. Consequently, the chief product officer position has been removed, and through mutual understanding Mike Campbell will depart the organisation.

Cumins explained, “Streamlining our organisational reporting structure and consolidating product development under Julien puts us in a stronger position to capture the many growth opportunities that we have opened up with infrastructure AI and that are incremental to our core business and consistent momentum. Without a doubt, AI is our generation’s paradigm shift and has huge potential for improving infrastructure delivery and performance.”

Caption: James Lee, Bentley Systems COO

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AEC and CAD solution service provider Mervisoft GmbH and software development company AMC Bridge have formed a strategic partnership to expand the range of development services offered to AEC firms in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland).

Mervisoft GmbH, a BricsCAD distributor, will act as the central service provider, assume responsibility for project organisation and management, and conduct direct customer meetings and workflow analyses.

AMC Bridge will support Mervisoft as a technical development partner, enabling Mervisoft to offer its customers a broader range of services tailored to their specific requirements.

AMC Bridge has experience with APIs from a range of engineering software solutions and platforms, as well as knowledge in areas such as computational geometry, and 3D visualisation.

“By partnering with AMC Bridge, our customers now have the opportunity to take advantage of customised software integrations and developments that were previously difficult to access,” said Dirk Redmer, CEO Mervisoft GmbH. “This allows them to optimise workflows, seamlessly integrate BricsCAD with other systems and leverage modern technologies to significantly increase their efficiency and productivity.

“This collaboration opens up new opportunities, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence (AI),” added Redmer. “With AMC Bridge as our technological partner and our AI workshops for partners, we offer a comprehensive solution that future-proofs our customers.”

Caption: Dirk Redmer, CEO Mervisoft GmbH (left) and Igor Tsinman, president and co-founder, AMC Bridge (right)

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Rayon has released V2 of its cloud-based CAD tool that allows architects to draft together in real time. The software, which we first looked at last year, comes with redlining and single-click link sharing built in.

Rayon V2 features a brand-new UI, rebuilt from the ground up to ‘ensure speed of access’, plus a new rendering engine, which is multi-threaded for better performance and offers high quality linework through antialiasing.

Rayon’s block libraries have also grown ‘significantly’. They now include 4,500+ items to tackle more standards (EU, US, etc), add more choice to existing collections (doors, symbols, people, etc) and to address new use cases (items for stores, for page layouts, for gyms, etc).

There’s also a new block family feature where a single item can be published and used in different versions, such as top, side, front. Style libraries have also been expanded and now include 1,000+ hatches and textures.

Elsewhere, designers can now define, capture and reuse entire drawing standards by giving users the ability to save and publish drawings as templates.

Other new features include professional-grade layouts, model versioning, an improved drawing experience with new editing commands (align, boolean), plus enhanced DWG/DXF import/export and improved PDF export.

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Finch is an early-stage feasibility tool. It was originally developed by architects as a bespoke inhouse plug in for Rhino to deliver data-driven massing, storey design, space planning and floor layouts. One thing led to another, and Finch became a company, a product and a bit of a legend soon after its initial public showing.

Pamela Nunez Wallgren (CEO) and Jesper Wallgren (CPO) gave a presentation at AEC Magazine’s NXT DEV 2023 . Finch has so far raised $3.1 million for development and after what seemed like a lengthy time in stealth, working with a limited number of clients (Herzog & de Meuron and White Arkitekter), has now emerged, ready to expand.

Finch currently supports Rhino, Grasshopper and Revit, and there is an Autodesk Forma link in development. It uses two key underlying technologies, a graph-based rules engine and an AI learning system for analysing and generating optimal floorplans.

The software analyses room relationships – where vertices represent spaces and edges show adjacency – exploring multiple iterations by considering concerns such as spatial efficiency and daylight optimisation. Architects can modify these space relationships and requirements and dynamically optimise space usage.

Small is the new big

As far as AI is concerned, it’s fair to say the established AEC software developers have produced more words than useful code. Meanwhile, the innovation is coming from start-ups like Finch.

Nunez Wallgren agrees, “It’s exciting being in this space right now. It’s been really tough for the big companies to innovate. I think that is the strength of being a small startup, with a small agile team – you have a mission, you’re going out to change something, to disrupt something that is difficult to rally around in a big company.”

It’s not just software companies facing difficulty though, AEC firms are also under pressure on fees and there have been several layoffs in construction, as well as insolvencies. Firms will need to look towards adopting productivity tools to become more efficient and to do more with less. Here the new generation of products like Finch have a role to play.

“To us, Finch is where architects and AI design together, and the together part is key to us. We believe that what architects really need is a copilot, rather than autopilot.”, explains Nunez Wallgren.

“Our waiting list has now reached over 80,000 AEC professionals who want to access Finch. We are onboarding more and more leading global architecture firms who want to be part of the development but for all of those on the waiting list, who are Rhino / Revit users working with residential projects, we’re now inviting them to explore Finch Basic. Finch Basic includes all key figures and calculations in this generative solution to generate a proper mix and circulations, and customers can build their own plan library.”

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Finch Basic

Finch Basic costs €49 per month and is aimed at those looking to use AI to generate residential designs based on their specified mix, resulting in thousands of iterations meeting the apartment mix and circulation requirements. Users get auto-generated metrics: Gross Floor Area (GFA), Gross Internal Area (GIA), Net Internal Area (NIA), Usable Floor Area (UFA).

There is another tier, Finch Enterprise, aimed at larger firms focussed on residential who have their main workflow in Rhino, but this requires a more manual onboarding process, so is limited by Finch’s in-house resources and cannot be open to everyone.

Enterprise is also built for teams, as opposed to individuals, and will have all the graph rules which have been recently developed, and AI generated plans. Enterprise customers get to create shared custom plan libraries, furniture libraries, graph rules, and compliance checks.

The main feature in the Enterprise tier is that when generating plans, customers can build their own data sets, to generate results that adhere to local regulations and incorporate their practice’s style (design rules) in their Finch preferences – add custom objects, include accessibility bounds, lock constraints (like corridor / room width). Enterprise customers get two sets of results: one from the custom data set and generic Finch results. (see Enterprise demo video).

The process

Put simply, the architect creates massing in Rhino, Grasshopper or Revit (each mass will be interpreted as a building). Finch brings in that geometry (via a plugin). If the mass needs to be changed, it can seamlessly bring in those edits from the source conceptual tool.

Finch provides key metrics feedback to the designer: gross floor area and net internal area. It then slices up the building into different storey heights so the process of generating floor plates can happen. This is based on multiple scenarios – unit mix with stairwell variations, double corridors with stairs (US market), or cores connected to corridors (in development). Alternatively, you can generate around an existing corridor / core if you are doing a refurbishment. The user specifies the number of units to be generated per stairwell.

There are an array of side panel sliders with ‘weights’ which control the bias of the algorithm, daylight, area, grid lines, squareness. As the algorithm works you can see how well the unit mix fits the floor. Finch keeps iterating, and the longer you leave it, the more accurate it will get. This process is amazingly fast. All the time the user has control to impact the space designs which Finch outputs. Wallgren describes the Finch process as “a dance between generating and editing”, as the architect works with the Finch copilot. Once the floor plate is good, Finch displays all the different variations for unit mix that meet the criteria. Finch Basic can’t produce AI unit plans, so here users can assign a plan from their own library to be applied (watch this video).

Those on an Enterprise plan get AI created unit plans, including room load out (furniture etc.) and here Finch takes into account the façade and position of corridors, generating a proper architectural plan drawing, which can be streamed back to either Rhino or Revit, as a native Revit file.

Improved algorithms

As the software develops, the Finch team is constantly tweaking the algorithms and incorporating feedback from customers. The latest version of Generate Floor Plate allows architects to specify a range of stairwells, rather than specifically stating the number, allowing the algorithm to determine the most efficient configuration within these parameters. This flexibility extends to the distribution of units per stairwell.

Previous iterations of architectural AI tools often operated as black boxes, providing solutions without explaining their methodology. Finch now provides feedback when unit combinations prove incompatible with the building’s defined framework, such as oversized units or excessive stairwell numbers. This immediate feedback removes the need for trial and error.

The previous algorithm would solve within a margin of tolerance, so maybe not all units were exactly the area as specified. The new floorplate algorithm delivers exact dimensional accuracy. The new algorithms now also better cater to spatial constraints for building depth and dual-aspect ratios.

Beyond massing

Sometimes a project may already be past the massing stage before Finch gets introduced, as Nunez Wallgren explains, “We have been opening the pipeline allowing users to upload walls from Rhino, Revit, Grasshopper, corridor and the stairwells too, and then just generate the floor plans. We are opening up the cases where they can use Finch, depending on what stage the design is at.”

Wallgren adds, “The only thing you can be sure of when you talk to creative people, like architects, is that they don’t always necessarily want to follow a straight-line workflow. Being able to jump in and out of the process is very crucial to us, but also very hard when you’re building a product! The openness and customisability of the software is key.”

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Finch uses a mixture of techniques to generate and analyse spaces. “Everything in our system is based on our Finch graph which is the logic of architecture,” explains Wallgren, “When we generate things, Finch doesn’t think it’s a good idea to go from the elevator into the toilet, into the bedroom. It’s more like understanding the composition of space, what makes sense, how we build architecture.

“These kinds of ‘soft’ problems are much more suitable for AI solutions, while, for example, when we generate a floor plate, when you want the core to be 1,400 mm, then a parametric and algorithmic approach is much better. But we are experimenting with other techniques as well. You can combine techniques, for example, playing chess on a computer. There are algorithms, there are rules, but you could also train the computer to play that game.”

The only thing you can be sure of when you talk to creative people, like architects, is that they don’t always necessarily want to follow a straight-line workflow. Being able to jump in and out of the process is very crucial to us, but also very hard when you’re building a product – Jesper Wallgren

Many firms are worried that AI software developers will steal their IP. With Finch giving design alternatives, Wallgren is keen to assuage any customer fears, “One thing that we’ve said now that has also been very important to our customers is that their plans are not part of the bigger model that we train. We collect a lot of data on built projects all over the world, to train our models, and then apply this to our customers’ results. But we’re not training on their data because that has been one hot potato!”

Conclusion

It’s great to see Finch finally getting out a release available for wider adoption, just for firms to see what is possible with algorithmic design in residential space planning. The advanced Enterprise features require a deeper onboarding, and obviously come at a higher cost, so access is limited but still worth talking to Finch about and registering your interest.

It’s interesting that speed really isn’t an issue for Finch; it’s being able to accommodate and understand users’ broad application areas. Finch needs not only deep space planning knowledge but also to be able to cater for an ever-increasing array of design variables. The Floor Plate V2 is a big improvement here and keeping the user updated on what’s happened is so much better than ‘computer says no’.

Finch will be joining us at NXT BLD and NXT DEV in London, 11-12 June 2025, along with all the best AEC software start-ups. Be sure to add the conference to your diary.

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Trimble gave attendees of its annual Trimble Dimensions user conference an inside look at the company’s latest initiatives to incorporate AI into AEC workflows, including visualisation, reality capture, project management and takeoff.

For visualisation, SketchUp Diffusion [Labs] is a generative AI-powered tool, available as part of the SketchUp Labs public beta program, that allows architects and designers to generate visualisations in seconds based on the active SketchUp viewport and a natural language text prompt or preset style.

Learn more about Diffusion models in this guide for AEC professionals).

For project management, ProjectSight includes a new drawing import feature that uses AI to read and extract critical drawing information for improved project visualisation.

For takeoff, Trimble LiveCount uses new AI functionality to automatically detect and count thousands of symbols on construction drawings with a view to saving contractors from hours of manual, repetitive and time-consuming tasks.

Trimble LiveCount includes the ability to automatically detect and count different types of receptacles and switches — the most common electrical items on drawings, helping electrical contractors create estimates faster, easier and more accurately.

Trimble LiveCount AI functionality is available in the Trimble Accubid Anywhere (named user) and Hosted Accubid Classic Estimating Essentials subscriptions.

Meanwhile, Trimble has announced that SketchUp has surpassed one million active subscribers.

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The defining CAD system of the 1980s was DOS-based AutoCAD and its proprietary DWG file format, which has dominated the market ever since. However, the secrets of the DWG file format are now common knowledge and there are tens of drawing tools which all speak the same interchangeable language of lines, circles, arcs, and text etc.

Several tools are owned by long-standing CAD software companies, including Hexagon (BricsCAD), Gräbert (Ares) and Dassault Systèmes (DraftSight).

DraftSight offers a lot more than basic 2D CAD functionality. It supports LISP APIs, point clouds, drawing compare, and shortcuts. The software comes in Professional,

Premium and Network (licence) versions. Premium includes a sheet set manager, PDF import and batch printing, advanced 2D tools with 3D modelling, meshing and 2D parametric constraints. The Network version allows enterprise deployment with simultaneous usage and built in compliance, enabling cost savings.

The latest release – DraftSight 2025 – provides a range of new and updated capabilities that cover all the drawing and output bases, such as PDF export settings, Batch and Print settings and a Lasso Selection. It offers both menu and ribbon bar interfaces simultaneously. Below are some of the other highlights.

Dimensioning: a new auto dimension feature makes complex dimensioning tasks simple with minimal input. In addition to manual dimensioning, DraftSight’s Smart Dimensioning tools figure out the best dimension type based on the entity selected.

Table management: Tabular information can now organise data better, automating formulas, adding consistent formatting, grips for manipulating tables, and support for breaks and block insertion.

File formats: A new STEP file import feature integrates externally created 3D models into 2D drawings. The IMPORTSTEP command can bring in complex mechanical parts. The new EXPORTDGN command lets users convert DWG drawings to Bentley Systems’ DGN format to aid those working in infrastructure.

Flatten: For those with drawings that have entities spread over the Z depth, the flatten command brings everything down to zero. This enables the easy clean-up of files which may have artifacts in 3D space.

Block management: The new Block Structure Palette helps designers see nested blocks and complex hierarchies more clearly (preview, isolate). The palette also organises design elements better and reduces time spent looking through complex block relationships.

Visual style options: The Visual Style Manager offers multiple viewing choices – wireframe and realistic rendering, conceptual and sketch appearances, X-ray visualisation. Using custom presentation styles, users can select how and which entities appear within a single block. There is also more visual control with a fill visibility for various entities including polylines, solids, traces, hatches, and gradients.

Conclusion

DraftSight 2025 provides practical workflow improvements with overall better performance on loading, views and stability with big drawings. There are also usable upgrades to file management, block structure control, and dimensioning systems, together with expanded file support with STEP (for MCAD models) and DGN export (useful for AEC).

As DS licenses its core technology from Gräbert, it also has access to Gräbert evolving auto drawing capabilities, which were demonstrated at NXT DEV.

In the next release of DraftSight, if not sooner, we imagine we will see some particularly useful assistance in batch autogenerating drawings from MCAD and BIM models, as DS turns its focus to additionally cater more for AEC users.

Why does AutoCAD still cost so much?

With software budgets being squeezed, many AEC firms are questioning why AutoCAD still costs so much — especially when it’s no longer cutting-edge technology.

At time of writing, AutoCAD costs £1,986 / year. Meanwhile, BricsCAD Pro (Mac or PC) is £484 / year, DraftSight Professional £249 / year, DraftSight Premium (Mac or PC) £499 / year, and Gräbert Ares Commander (web, mobile or desktop) £300 / year. Of course, there’s also the cut-down version – AutoCAD LT – which costs £486 per year. But AutoCAD LT has limited API, 3D, automation and collaboration capabilities.

On a pure like for like basis, at today’s prices it’s possible to get four seats of DWG equivalent drafting to one full AutoCAD seat. That even goes up to eight to one on yearly subscriptions. Some vendors also offer the design director’s favourite – network licensing – where users can share a pool of licences.

Of course, it’s important to point out that users of Autodesk’s Suite / Collection bundles for vertical markets deliver better value, where AutoCAD is one of many commonly used Autodesk industry tools (Revit, Navisworks, 3ds Max).

However, the cost of these bundles will be going up in the near future and there will an end to the 2 for 1 perpetual to subscription 8-year deal.

All of this is giving AEC firms plenty of food for thought, as they re-evaluate their software estates.

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AEC Magazine: How would you define the overarching theme for the 2025 release? (there seem to be a lot of features aimed at simplification of tasks)

Biplab Sarkar: Vectorworks 2025 unleashes a new world of visual understanding and communication for designers. This latest release introduces new workflows and tools that empower designers to bring their visions to life easily, saving time and enhancing efficiency throughout every design phase. Top features like Onscreen View Control provide easy, instant access to all views of a model, along with a click-dragging functionality that simplifies the process of orbiting models, making design adjustments more fluid and intuitive. The Two-Point Perspective feature allows users to create traditional architectural compositions and professional photography perspectives with a single click. Additionally, the Object Level Visibility feature gives users the power to manage the visibility of specific objects within a design, offering options to show, ghost, hide, or isolate individual objects, thus providing greater control over complex projects. The Vectorworks Cloud Document Reviewer further enhances collaboration by allowing customers to view and comment on documents from anywhere, streamlining the review and design process.

Overall, Vectorworks 2025 redefines the design software experience by simplifying tasks and fostering better collaboration. While tasks are simplified, this release also adds significant depth to existing functionality, such as the management of room finishes and countertops, as well as to new features like persistent Two-Point Perspective and data visualisation that supports object visibility. These enhancements enable designers to work more efficiently and creatively in a way that truly mirrors their needs and expectations.

AEC Magazine: Collaboration comes in for a major update, easing working with Revit data, DWG/ DXF and project share capabilities. Could you outline these advances?

Biplab Sarkar: Vectorworks 2025 includes improved Revit and DXF/DWG collaboration. With these improvements, users can conveniently process Revit file exports in Vectorworks Cloud, including support for older Revit formats, without interrupting their workflow. Additionally, you can save time with continuously high-quality DXF/DWG collaboration, offering detailed and flexible control of incoming and outgoing file structure and graphics to achieve accurate delivery the first time.

Project Sharing enhancements allow for better convenience and efficiency. With direct setup options, you can choose whether to use cloud-, network-, or server-based sharing and begin your work. Shared project files can be worked on and stored on any cloud service, and backups are automatically saved as offline files.

These collaboration advances enhance the overall efficiency of working within multidisciplinary teams, supporting a more integrated and cohesive design process, saving time, and improving project outcomes.

AEC Magazine: The AEC industry is still working in traditional file-based workflows, but there are now moves to cloudbased granular workflows. Could you enlighten us on how you think this could be done better / when we can expect to see something from Vectorworks?

Biplab Sarkar: The shift from traditional file-based workflows to cloud-based granular workflows is a pivotal change in the design industry. It is driven by the need for real-time collaboration, better data accessibility, and streamlined project management across teams.

Vectorworks embraces this transition by developing advanced cloud-based solutions that facilitate more interconnected and accessible project environments. Enhancing these workflows involves enabling real-time, multi-user collaboration with instant updates, implementing granular access controls for secure role-based interactions, and ensuring seamless integration with existing tools and processes.

Many BIM platforms promote openness but can still restrict data exchange and favour their own ecosystems, leading to partial interoperability

We are already making strides with cloud offerings, such as Vectorworks Cloud Services, the Vectorworks Nomad mobile app, and the newly released Cloud Document Reviewer, which lay the groundwork for more robust cloud capabilities. We have also been focused on processing different file formats in Vectorworks Cloud Services. In Vectorworks 2025, we introduced the ability to process all RVT exports via Vectorworks Cloud Services. We will be working to expand this capability to other file formats such as DWG, IFC, USD, etc. Supporting file formats for both import and export will lay the foundation for a cloud-based collaboration workflow.

As cloud adoption grows, users can expect Vectorworks to expand its cloud capabilities further, providing comprehensive solutions that enable more granular, accessible, and collaborative workflows.

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AEC Magazine: There’s a lot of talk about auto-drawings, with firms like Graphisoft, Graebert, Autodesk, Bentley and SWAPP all now trying to apply AI to deliver productivity enhancements. Is Vectorworks looking at this area and what other applications of AI can users expect to see?

Biplab Sarkar: We are keenly aware of the growing interest and advancements in auto drawings and the application of AI to enhance productivity within the design and construction industries. We are actively exploring this area and evaluating how AI-driven technologies can be integrated into our software to streamline workflows and improve efficiency. The potential of AI to automate drawing tasks, predict design outcomes, and facilitate more intuitive interactions holds great promise for enhancing our users’ experience.

In addition to the AI Visualizer, we are looking to expand AI capabilities in our software to allow users to search Vectorworks learning resources using natural language for faster support.

AEC Magazine: There has recently been an uptick in the promotion of Vectorworks Landmark. it’s an area in which Vectorworks has little specialised competition. As Vectorworks expands collaboration capabilities with other BIM tools like Revit, how is landscape industry adoption changing and what capabilities enable this?

Biplab Sarkar: Vectorworks Landmark is uniquely positioned in the industry as the preferred BIM solution for landscape architecture and design professionals. Specifically created for landscape professionals, Landmark’s adoption is growing as Vectorworks expands its collaboration capabilities with other BIM tools like Revit. Landmark’s robust site planning, terrain modeling, and planting design tools allow landscape professionals to seamlessly manage complex 2D and 3D workflows from pre-design to documentation, enhancing their participation in multidisciplinary BIM projects.

Key capabilities driving this adoption include enhanced interoperability through IFC support, direct file exchange, and referencing with Revit, facilitating smoother collaboration with architects and engineers. Landmark 2025 introduces a precise 3D tool for curbs, edging, and borders and the Survey Point tool to cater specifically to landscape needs. We’re also expanding on our sustainable site design offerings with new permeability and sustainability settings for objects like the hardscape and landscape areas. As Landmark continues to integrate with other BIM platforms, its specialized tools and streamlined workflows make it increasingly attractive to landscape professionals looking to enhance their role in collaborative design projects.

AEC Magazine: Cloud is an increasingly important platform, especially for collaboration. With many start-ups now promoting the Figma pure-cloud play (in browser or thin client), how do you see the future of desktop applications and are there advantages to desktop apps vs cloud-based ones?

Biplab Sarkar: As cloud technology continues to evolve, its role in fostering collaboration and enabling remote work has become increasingly significant. The rise of cloud-based platforms, such as Figma, underscores the growing preference for flexible and accessible solutions. However, the future of desktop applications remains relevant and valuable. Desktop applications offer certain advantages that cloud-based solutions may only partially replicate. They often provide more robust performance, enhanced security, and the ability to work offline, which can be crucial for users in environments with limited or unreliable internet access.

Desktop apps also typically offer more comprehensive features and customisations that can be tailored to specific workflows and user preferences.

In the coming years, a hybrid approach will likely become the norm, where the strengths of both desktop and cloud-based applications are leveraged to meet diverse user needs. This approach allows cloud collaboration flexibility while retaining desktop software’s robust capabilities and offline reliability. Integrating both platforms will enable users to benefit from a seamless and efficient workflow that maximises productivity and collaboration.

AEC Magazine: AI and ML promises much but needs to be trained. In developing these tools, what kind of data will you train on? Customer data obviously has IP issues, as well as possibility of errors. Do you think there will be generic AI and ML tools, individual customercentric AIs, or both?

Biplab Sarkar: We envision a dual approach regarding the future of AI and ML in our field. On the one hand, generic AI and ML tools will provide broad capabilities applicable across various use cases, offering solutions that can be widely implemented and adapted. On the other hand, we recognise the value of developing customer-centric AI solutions tailored to individual clients’ unique needs and challenges. Additionally, with customer consent, Vectorworks can leverage anonymous session log files containing usage data to predict customer usage patterns, enabling a predictive design system. By balancing both generic and bespoke AI tools, we aim to deliver comprehensive and practical solutions catering to diverse requirements, ultimately enhancing overall user experience and satisfaction.

AEC Magazine: Vectorworks has been very advanced in working with intelligent reality capture tools, like Apple’s AR Toolkit. How well do you think adoption of this technology has gone and where do you think it will be going with rapidly evolving ‘meta’ tookits?

Biplab Sarkar: Vectorworks has been at the forefront of integrating advanced reality capture tools, including Apple’s AR Toolkit. Our commitment to leveraging these technologies has enhanced how our users interact with and visualise their projects.

The adoption of these tools has been quite promising. They have significantly improved data capture and integration accuracy and efficiency, providing our users with more immersive and precise project experiences. As a result, we’ve seen more professionals embracing AR to streamline workflows and make more informed design decisions.

The evolution of ‘meta’ toolkits and augmented reality technologies presents exciting opportunities. These technologies will transform how projects are conceptualized, designed, and executed as they advance. Integrating advanced AR capabilities with BIM and other intelligent technologies, along with support for platforms like Nvidia Omniverse, will likely lead to even greater levels of interaction and visualisation, driving innovation in the AEC industries.

AEC Magazine: Openness is something that is talked about a lot today. With your extensive experience in the market, on a technology level, are today’s leading BIM developers truly open with their data, toolkits and APIs? The days of reverse engineering file formats may be coming to an end, but will we have interoperability without dumbing data down to lowest common denominator industry formats?

Biplab Sarkar: Despite progress toward better data exchange and interoperability, openness remains a significant challenge in the industry. Although industry standards like IFC and BCF are becoming more common, achieving seamless integration with compromising data quality remains challenging.

Many BIM platforms promote openness but can still restrict data exchange and favour their own ecosystems, leading to partial interoperability. This often results in data being simplified to the lowest common denominator, which can reduce the richness and detail of the information shared across platforms. For true interoperability, developers must fully embrace open data standards and interoperable APIs, allowing for more accurate and integrated workflows without losing critical data. The industry must move towards this level of openness to enable more efficient and effective multi-platform collaboration.

Vectorworks supports international openBIM standards, enabling seamless collaboration across BIM software products. It has been certified by buildingSMART International (bSI) for its IFC4 import capabilities, ensuring high-quality IFC models for accurate and credible work throughout the project lifecycle. This is crucial for multi-disciplinary projects using different software tools, as Vectorworks maintains data exchange standards, reducing errors and misunderstandings.

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Laiout has added several new features to its ‘fully automated’ floor planning solution, which uses proprietary algorithms and generative design to produce hundreds of different and regulation-compliant floor plan designs for office spaces.

The latest release includes over 100+ high-detail furniture blocks and typologies, AI-powered rendering and integrated engineering tools.

For AI-powered rendering, select customers will be given access to new feature, which generates text-to-render, high-quality images of generated floor plans ‘in seconds’.

For integrated engineering, new tools include image overlay capabilities that allow users to check ceiling designs and engineering elements ‘seamlessly’ while generating new test fits. According to the company, users have full control over every aspect of their design.

Laiout offers a simple workflow that can populate architectural floor plans in as little as four clicks. Users upload a simple building outline for input and the software will generate hundreds of possible floor plans, complete with detailed statistics.

The user can then select areas they want to keep and regenerate everything else. Once the zones have been finalised the software can turn them into furnished offices. The chosen floor plan can then be exported to CAD or PDF.

According to the Norwegian company, one of its customers recently completed a floor plan for an 800-person office space in under 10 minutes—a task that traditionally would have taken several days/weeks.

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