More and more of the work that happens in Revit today will happen directly in Forma
Autodesk has used AU to say more plainly than at any point since Forma launched where Revit is heading. Asked in its own press release FAQ whether Forma will replace Revit, the company’s answer is “over time, yes”.
Design, analysis, coordination, and documentation will move progressively into the Forma industry cloud, while Revit continues as a “Forma Connected Client” and a bridge to what comes next. Autodesk promises no sudden transition and says investment in Revit will continue, but the direction is now on the record rather than buried in a roadmap.
Amy Bunszel groups the announcements under the heading of “project intelligence”. The pitch is that commodity AI trained on the open internet cannot clear the high bar set by the built environment because it lacks the data and context needed to understand a project. Autodesk wants the project history, decisions, and current information connected inside Forma, where its AI can reach them. The practical result is that more of the AEC workflow passes through Autodesk’s cloud.
The biggest product moves are on the civil side. Civil 3D becomes a Forma Connected Client, with reference-based interoperability between Civil 3D, Forma, and Revit. Autodesk has also introduced Forma Street Design, an early-stage tool for civil engineers and transportation planners. Learn more in this news story.
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What AEC Magazine thinks
With this announcement, nothing changes immediately for firms delivering projects in Revit, but Autodesk has now told customers that its long-term development path leads elsewhere. Revit remains the production tool, while Forma has been named as its successor.
That changes how firms should consider their next decade of BIM investment. They can wait for Autodesk to build out Forma or start testing the BIM 2.0 alternatives already coming to market. By confirming that Revit will be replaced, Autodesk has also validated the argument on which those competitors were founded.
