When we use a computer program, we are well acquainted with entering information and clicking on buttons/dialog boxes. It's all part of what is considered the User Interface (UI) of such programs; however, computer programs also have Application Program Interfaces (APIs) where information from one program can be fed into another. APIs makes it possible to develop automation routines or extend the functionality to accomplish things that the original application could not do. AutoCAD has been very successful in this regard in that its API has allowed 3^rd parties to be able to extend its functionality. In fact, this API is one of the things that separates AutoCAD from AutoCAD LT.

Autodesk offers a variety of web-based services such as cloud-based rendering or building performance analysis. We want to do the same thing for these services that we did for AutoCAD - have a robust API that allows these services to be extended to provide more functionality than originally provided. Forge is our initiative that gives access to a platform of Autodesk’s web service components, APIs, and Software Development Kits (SDKs). Check out the recently revamped Forge site:

Visit the Forge site.

Collaborative development is alive in the lab.