Autodesk Construction Cloud is now part of Autodesk Forma: What’s next for your company?

by Gillian Tolentino | Mar 26, 2026 | Architecture, Autodesk, BIM

autodesk-construction-cloud-is-now-autodesk-forma

Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) is being brought under the Autodesk Forma umbrella as part of Autodesk’s new, single industry cloud for AECO, but your day‑to‑day workflows will largely remain the same.

Autodesk Construction Cloud is now part of Autodesk Forma: What Robotech customers need to know

Autodesk has announced a major evolution in its cloud strategy for the architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO) industry: Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) is now part of Autodesk Forma, Autodesk’s AI‑native, end‑to‑end industry cloud. This change is primarily about unifying branding and data under a single platform, not about disrupting how you work today.

At Robotech CAD Solutions, we want to clarify what this means for your projects, licenses, and daily workflows so you can move forward with confidence.

One connected industry cloud, not a new product

Forma is Autodesk’s industry cloud that connects teams, workflows, and data across planning, design, construction, and operations in a single environment. ACC’s construction management capabilities are being incorporated into this broader Forma platform so design and construction can operate on the same connected foundation instead of separate silos.

In practice, this means:

You will see the Forma name and branding where you previously saw Autodesk Construction Cloud.
Design and construction data are intended to live in one shared, cloud‑native environment, improving continuity from early design through handover.
AI‑powered capabilities in Forma can now act across the full lifecycle, from early‑stage site analysis to downstream construction and operations decisions.

What is not changing for your projects

The most important point for current Robotech customers: your existing ACC projects and workflows will continue to function as they do today. Subscriptions, permissions, folder structures, integrations, automations, and APIs will remain intact, and no data migration is required for current ACC or Forma customers.

Concretely:

Your current modules keep working: Build remains Build, Takeoff remains Takeoff, Estimate remains Estimate, with names gradually aligning to Forma.
The ACC mobile app will continue to function as before, with changes largely limited to branding and ongoing roadmap updates.
The user interface and layout you rely on will stay familiar, with incremental experience improvements over time and Forma branding layered in.

You should not need to relearn tools or reconfigure environments simply because ACC is now under the Forma brand.

New naming: how key products are being rebranded

As part of this transition, several Autodesk cloud products are being renamed to align under the Forma industry cloud. Functionality remains the same; the new names are meant to reflect a unified, connected platform:

Autodesk Docs → Forma Data Management
Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro → Forma Design Collaboration
Autodesk Build → Forma Build
Autodesk Takeoff → Forma Takeoff
Autodesk Estimate → Forma Estimate
Autodesk Construction Cloud Connect (ACC Connect) → Forma Construction Connect
Preconstruction Bundle → Forma for Preconstruction
Model Management Bundle → Forma for Model Management
Construction Operations Bundle → Forma for Construction Operations

You will start to see these new product names reflected in Autodesk websites, contracts, licensing, and Autodesk Account as the rollout progresses.

Forma Data Management as the new common data environment

A key part of this shift is the evolution of Autodesk Docs into Forma Data Management, which now serves as the common data environment at the core of Forma. Rather than just cloud file storage, Forma Data Management is designed as a centralized, cloud‑native project data environment that supports connected collaboration across planning, design, construction, and operations.

Notably for design and engineering teams:

Forma Data Management Essentials is now included with standalone subscriptions to tools like AutoCAD, Revit, Civil 3D, and the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection.
This gives many teams direct access to the same connected project environment from the desktop tools they already use, strengthening data continuity into construction.

Over time, this connected foundation should help reduce manual file transfers, version chasing, and data handoffs between design and construction teams.

What Robotech customers should do now

You do not need to overhaul anything on your side, but there are a few simple checks and actions that will help ensure a smooth transition:

Review Autodesk communications: Keep an eye on Autodesk emails, product announcements, and in‑product messages so you recognize the new Forma names as they appear in your environment.
Confirm access and roles: After the naming changes appear, verify that your users can still access their projects and that roles, permissions, and project memberships look correct in your existing hubs.
Update internal documentation: If you maintain internal guides, SOPs, or onboarding documents that mention “Autodesk Construction Cloud” or legacy product names (Docs, Build, BIM Collaborate Pro, etc.), plan to update them to the new Forma naming so your team is not confused.
Validate integrations and automations: If you use any integrations, connectors, or custom automations that reference ACC products, schedule a quick sanity check after the change to confirm everything continues to run as expected.
Communicate with your teams: Let project teams know that this is primarily a branding and platform‑unification change so they are not surprised by the Forma name and understand that their day‑to‑day workflows should remain familiar.

What this means for Robotech customers going forward

For Robotech CAD Solutions customers, the Forma transition brings three main benefits without disrupting your current setups:

Continuity: Your existing ACC‑based workflows, integrations, and project structures continue as‑is, with no required migrations.
Clarity: Product names and branding will update to Forma, but capabilities you depend on remain, and Autodesk’s investment in construction tools and roadmaps stays strong.
Connection: As Forma matures, you gain more value from connected data, AI‑driven insights, and smoother collaboration from early‑stage design through field execution and operations.

Robotech will continue to support you through this change, from explaining new naming and subscription implications to helping your teams take advantage of Forma’s connected, data‑driven capabilities as they expand. If you have any additional questions about this change or how it may impact your specific setup, please reach out to your Robotech representative for assistance.

Urban Office Makeovers: Inside the Rise of Downtown Apartment Conversions

by Gillian Tolentino | Mar 9, 2026 | Architecture

American cities are increasingly viewing vacant office suites as an untapped housing resource, especially in transit-rich neighborhoods where demand for homes far exceeds supply. In Washington, D.C., developers like Post Brothers are transforming underused office buildings into hundreds of apartments, recognizing that locations once marginal for corporate tenants can be ideal for residents. By working with existing structures instead of starting from scratch, they can move more quickly from concept to occupancy while preserving embedded urban infrastructure. At the same time, these projects respond to a larger cultural shift in how and where people work, as hybrid and remote models reduce the need for traditional office footprints. The result is a quiet but meaningful reshaping of downtown cores, from nine-to-five business districts into mixed-use communities that remain active around the clock.

The numbers driving this trend are stark: office vacancies have climbed nationwide in the wake of long-term remote work adoption, while the national housing shortage is now measured in the millions of units. In D.C., city leaders have embraced adaptive reuse as a policy priority, supporting office-to-residential projects through incentives such as multi-decade property tax abatements to make complex conversions financially viable. Since 2024, the city has completed multiple conversions that together have delivered thousands of new apartments, with more projects in the pipeline. Developers like Post Brothers have already completed several office transformations and are now undertaking the city’s largest conversion to date. These efforts are mirrored in other major metros—from New York to Dallas—suggesting that office reuse is becoming an important tool in urban housing strategies.

On the ground, conversions are both architectural and economic balancing acts. Structurally, many office towers offer solid foundations and cores that can be retained, saving time and cost, while facades and windows are reimagined to maximize natural light and residential appeal. Interiors that once housed cubicles and conference rooms are reorganized into smaller, efficient units, with new amenities like pools, dog parks, and shared lounges layered in to match contemporary expectations of urban living. Economically, developers must reconcile market realities with public goals: high construction and financing costs push many projects toward premium rents, while only a portion of units can be reserved as affordable housing under current capital constraints. Even when the share of below-market apartments is modest, these projects still add supply in high-demand central locations where building new ground-up housing can be especially difficult.

Industry experts caution that conversions, while useful, are not a silver bullet for the housing crisis. The scale of unmet housing need far exceeds what can realistically be delivered through office reuse alone, given that only a subset of office buildings have the right floor plates, window access, and structural layouts to become successful residences. Yet these projects do “kill two birds with one stone,” modestly reducing surplus office space while adding homes in walkable, transit-served neighborhoods that already benefit from public investment. They also represent a broader pattern of economic adaptation, analogous to how obsolete factories were once repurposed into lofts and live–work spaces as manufacturing declined. As companies reconfigure their space needs and workers’ relationships with the office continue to evolve, adaptive reuse allows cities to realign their built environments with contemporary patterns of life and work.

How BIM-enabled Workflow can support Adaptive Reuse

Throughout this transformation, Building Information Modeling (BIM) can play a pivotal role in making office-to-residential conversions more efficient, coordinated, and predictable. A robust BIM process allows project teams to capture existing conditions in rich 3D models, test multiple unit layouts against structural constraints, and simulate daylight, egress, and MEP routing before any demolition begins. Clash detection, phasing, and quantity takeoffs can be managed within a shared digital environment, helping owners, architects, engineers, and contractors make informed decisions about what to keep, what to remove, and where to invest. As cities push for more adaptive reuse, BIM-enabled workflows can reduce risk, compress schedules, and support better design outcomes, turning yesterday’s cubicle farms into tomorrow’s resilient neighborhoods with greater confidence and clarity.

Interested in using Revit in your Office?

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New Archibus Release v.2025.02 Partner Preview (Beta release)

by Gillian Tolentino | Nov 18, 2025 | ARCHIBUS, Facilities Management

Eptura has just announced the v.2025.02 Partner Preview (Beta) release, with the official release slated for this December.

New enhancements

Fresh Look & Feel – New Archibus logo and modern UI styling across the platform.
Onsite Condition Assessments – New Condition Assessment module.
Workplace Team Day Bookings & Room Arrangements – Team managers can book for entire teams. Reserve any room arrangements and configurations.
Space Neighborhoods – Introducing neighborhoods
SmartClient Publishing Updates – SmartClient uses APIs to publish floorplans
Platform Updates – Upgraded to Spring Framework 6.1, Tomcat 10 support, and Outlook/Exchange integration via Graph API.

More details

WebCentral

Brand & User Experience

New Archibus Logo – Updated branding for a modern look.
UI Enhancements – Refreshed styling across the entire product for a cleaner, more intuitive experience and aligned with the Eptura styling.
Floorplan Viewer – Improved loading messages, updated icons, and enhanced usability.

WebCentral & System Administration

Login Activity Report – Administrators can now access reports of Web Central user login activity.

Government Solutions

SmartClient Integration – Floorplans are now published to the enterprise graphics folder via REST APIs (replacing SFTP).
Secure File Upload – System Administrators can upload files and documents directly to the in-boundary folder from the Web Central UI.

Platform Core

Framework Upgrade – Upgraded to Spring Framework 6.1.
Server Compatibility – Archibus v.2025.02 is upgraded to Tomcat 10. It’s does not support Tomcat 9 anymore.

Workplace

Team Day – Team managers can view team calendars, book for the entire team, and define ad-hoc teams.
Room Arrangements – Book meeting spaces with alternative room setups beyond the default configuration.

Outlook Plug-Ins

Graph API Migration – Outlook and Exchange integration now uses Microsoft Graph API.
Enhanced Room Arrangement Support – Multiple default arrangement types supported via the Outlook web add-in.

Space

Neighborhoods – Introduced the concept of neighborhoods in the Space Occupancy application.
Organizational Hierarchies – Improved drag-and-drop functionality, sorting, and interaction for defining organizational structures—paving the way for unlimited hierarchy support in future releases.

BIM Viewer

Platform Upgrade – Updated to Autodesk Platform Services v7.109.2 for improved stability and cache-clearing capabilities.
Trace BIM Systems – Enhanced filtering, highlighting, and user interaction for asset systems.

Maintenance

Service Desk Details – Questionnaire responses now displayed in work request details.
Bulk Operations – Streamlined bulk issuing and scheduling for large volumes of work requests.

Onsite

Condition Assessment Module – Field assessors can now complete assessment items directly.Equipment Enhancements – Search and display equipment descriptions; view previous measurement data via checklist questions.

SmartClient & Autodesk Integrations

REST API Publishing – SmartClient now publishes floorplans to the enterprise graphics folder via REST APIs (replacing SFTP).

Beta package and access

This Beta release is feature complete but is not tested nor considered stable nor for production use. It provides an early preview of features and database schema changes so Business Partners can plan their future sales and account management efforts.

Available for download from FTP are the following files:

WebCentral v.2025.02 Partner Preview (Beta) WAR file
SmartClient v.2025.02 Partner Preview (Beta) WAR file
v.2025.02 Beta HQ and Schema, and sample databases (MSSQL)
Demo license

You may access the Partner Preview (Beta) by downloading and deploying on your premises, or you may access the SaaS version at

https://bpdemo.archibus.cloud.

Next steps

The product and engineering teams continue to work on finalizing the v.2025.02 release for the next weeks, tentatively targeting December for the official release.

More Info & Pricing

Test Drive Archibus

Call now 201-792-6300

Building Effective Revit Content Libraries for Architectural Practices

by Gillian Tolentino | Oct 23, 2025 | Autodesk, BIM

A high-quality, well-organized content library is foundational to any productive Revit workflow. Reliable, parametric families and detailed components enable design teams to produce consistent, accurate, and visually coherent models across multiple projects.

Effective content libraries go beyond basic blocks or symbols. They contain intelligent objects embedded with metadata—such as fire ratings, material properties, or manufacturer information—supporting both documentation and downstream analysis.

Establishing standards for naming, parameter assignment, and organization ensures that teams can easily locate, evaluate, and reuse content. Consistency across the office minimizes errors and duplication, especially as firms scale or take on larger projects.

The process of auditing, curating, and updating libraries is ongoing. Autodesk tools streamline this process with batch editing, automated quality checks, and integration with external product databases. Regular library reviews keep content relevant as industry standards, regulations, and product options evolve.

Custom content creation is another key advantage. Tailoring families to unique project requirements—whether special doors, fixtures, or assemblies—enhances both speed and accuracy in model development.

Interoperability is crucial. Structuring content for compatibility with consultants’ or clients’ systems reduces friction and enhances collaboration on multi-disciplinary projects.

Staff training is essential to help teams make full use of advanced library features and ensure best practices are adopted throughout the project lifecycle.

Well-managed content libraries directly support office productivity, documentation speed, and project quality, making their development a strategic investment.

How Robotech CAD Solutions Can Help

Robotech CAD Solutions helps architecture firms build, audit, and standardize their Revit content libraries. Robotech services include custom family creation, library structuring workshops, and ongoing maintenance support—to ensure that your practice has the assets needed for efficient, consistent, and future-proof BIM workflows.

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How AI Is Transforming Everyday Facilities Management Workflows

by Gillian Tolentino | Oct 20, 2025 | ARCHIBUS, Facilities Management

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming the facilities management sector from a manual, reactive approach to a proactive and insight-driven discipline. The increasing adoption of AI—especially within platforms like Archibus and Eptura—means managers can automate everything from work order creation to energy management, freeing their teams for higher-value strategic tasks. Instead of spending hours on administrative routines, facility professionals can now interact with AI tools through simple voice commands or chatbots, simplifying scheduling, task management, and service requests. This change is driving remarkable gains in workforce efficiency.

AI’s integration into everyday workflows not only reduces repetitive labor but also unlocks new capabilities in decision-making and workplace personalization. Leveraging facility data from sensors, digital twins, and real-time analytics allows managers to identify trends, optimize resource allocation, and plan for both short-term fixes and long-term upgrades. Staff can let AI handle complex desk bookings and suggest collaboration spaces based on proximity and recent usage, strengthening both productivity and employee experience while reducing friction.

AI-driven platforms are also enhancing the quality of service delivery and responsiveness throughout facilities. Predictive insights can forecast equipment failures or alert teams before problems escalate, allowing maintenance interventions well ahead of disruptions. Employees benefit from intuitive chat-based assistance for booking, check-in, navigation, and accessing services—reducing delays and making the workplace feel seamless and welcoming.

As AI becomes more deeply embedded in facilities management systems, customization and workplace personalization take front and center. Facility users can express what they need—whether it’s adjusting climate, reserving rooms, or making requests—without navigating traditional system menus, fundamentally shifting the relationship between people and their physical environment to one that is responsive and user-centric.

Harnessing big data through AI means facility managers can support sustainability goals, reduce operational costs, and continuously benchmark performance against industry standards. Machine learning can process and surface insights from millions of data points, guiding actionable strategies for energy savings, asset utilization, and regulatory compliance. Organizations are finding new ways to target resources where they deliver the greatest impact.

Despite the benefits, data privacy and security remain critical considerations. FM teams must evaluate how AI handles sensitive building and personnel data; clear governance protocols and ongoing system monitoring are essential to maintain trust while realizing technology’s potential.

Successful AI adoption also relies on staff training and change management. Managers should communicate value, address employee concerns, and pilot new tools in phases to maximize engagement and minimize disruption. Overcoming resistance is possible when benefits are obvious, support is available, and confidence grows from early wins.

For organizations seeking to achieve real-world impact with AI, Robotech CAD Solutions specializes in configuring and optimizing Archibus modules to align with specific goals. Our team can assist with workflow automation, data integration, and user training, ensuring seamless adoption of AI technologies that improve operational performance and deliver measurable results for facility teams.