Autodesk Forma
4 toolsFlask services built on the Autodesk Platform Services REST APIs. They browse hubs and projects, check designs against standards, and get field data into the right drawing.
Why I (& you) AI
The name is the argument.
Say the domain letters out loud: Y-I-N-U-AI. Why I, and you, AI. That is the conversation I keep having with colleagues and customers, so I built this site to address the topic, starting with what it produced.
We have stood here before
In March 2006 I was working for an Autodesk reseller, demonstrating Civil 3D to firms deciding whether to leave Land Desktop. Here is what I wrote on my blog at the time:
We are on the precipice of a new era for many engineering companies. The decisions made today, will change how we have traditionally done things. There are methods and mechanisms that need to be re-evaluated and redefined.
So I got to work. What follows is a sample of it: a few highlighted tools below, and more of the catalog on the Projects page.
- Civil 3D plugins that turn a multi-hour layout task into a single command
- Autodesk Forma integrations for file inventory, standards checking, and field photo placement
- Point cloud and BIM utilities for classification editing, model inventory, and browser-based IFC viewing
- Tools built
- 32
- Platforms
- 7
- Years in the industry
- 40+
Selected work
Ten projects that show the range, at least one from every platform I build on.
Project File Browser & Standards Checker
ProjACC01Browse Autodesk Forma, check designs against standards, and analyze terrain, all in the browser
PythonFlaskAPS REST API
Web app
Field Photo Placement
PicsOnDWG01Place GPS-tagged field photos onto the right spot in an Autodesk Forma drawing, automatically
PythonFlaskpyprojPillow
Web app
Civil 3D Command Palette
CAPalette01One dockable Civil 3D palette that fronts the entire toolkit
C#.NET 10WPFWinForms
Civil 3D plugin
Parking Lot Layout Generator
ParkLot02Generate a parking lot layout in Civil 3D with a live preview as you adjust the inputs
C#.NET 8WinForms
Civil 3D plugin
Traffic Signal Pole Placement
TrafSig01Place full traffic signal pole assemblies at intersections in a single command
C#.NET 8WPF
Civil 3D plugin
Drawing Inventory & Map
C3DSorter01Inventory every drawing across a project and explore it as a map and a filterable table
PythonFlaskezdxfODA File Converter
Web app
Point Cloud Classification Editor
ReCapClassEditor01Edit ReCap point cloud classification schemes and apply them across LAS files
C#WinForms.NET 10
Desktop app
Terrain Slope Analysis for Forma
FormaSlope01Slope analysis on Autodesk Forma terrain, as an embedded extension in the Forma UI
TypeScriptPreactViteTHREE.js
Web app
Browser IFC Model Viewer
IFCViewerOpen and inspect IFC and BIM models in the browser, with no install and no license
TypeScriptReactViteTHREE.js
Web app
Intersection Equipment Placement
AIW01Script InfraWorks to place intersection equipment at computed curb-return positions
JavaScriptInfraWorks Action Script
Script
Transportation Asset Generator
AssetGen01Generate MUTCD-accurate signs, poles, and signal equipment as ready-to-use InfraWorks 3D assets
PythonBlender 4.5 LTS
ScriptWhere the work lives
Every tool targets a specific Autodesk platform and a specific piece of repetitive work.
Civil 3D
16 toolsC#/.NET plugins loaded into Civil 3D. Layout generation, batch striping, cut/fill solids, reference management, and a palette that fronts all of it.
ReCap & Point Clouds
4 toolsPoint cloud inventory and classification tooling. Find every scan across an organization, then edit the schemes that give those scans meaning.
Autodesk Forma Design
1 toolEmbedded view extensions that run inside the Autodesk Forma Design UI. The terrain analysis happens client-side against the Forma geometry API.
IFC & BIM
1 toolOpen BIM tooling in the browser. Load an IFC model, walk the element tree, and read properties, with no desktop install.
InfraWorks
2 toolsAction Scripts for InfraWorks. They automate equipment placement and model inventory against an API that is largely undocumented.
Tooling & Utilities
4 toolsSupporting tools. A personal AI desktop assistant, and an AI-assisted research utility for profiling civil engineering firms.
Get in touch
I am happy to walk through how any of these work, or what it would take to adapt one to your workflow. Corrections and better ideas are welcome. That is how most of these got better.