LAS VEGAS, NV - Autodesk, Inc., a leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, announced that it is expanding the Autodesk Seek web service to include additional targeted marketing channels for building product manufacturers (BPMs) that will help them reach and engage commercial and residential design professionals as well as homeowners. Autodesk is connecting Autodesk Seek to two Autodesk technology previews, Project Dragonfly, a home design application, and Project Showroom, an interactive web service that enables users to mix and match products in lifelike room settings.
"Through technology and economic shifts, the building industry is in the midst of a rapid evolution that is requiring changes from building product manufactures to reach their customers," said Jeff Wright, senior director, Autodesk Content Network. "Overall marketing budgets are down, yet designers are demanding richer information packaged for their specific needs from manufacturers. Having recognized this need, Autodesk is expanding the Seek web service to offer building product marketers a scalable, high-impact channel to connect with their target customers and measure their engagement."
Autodesk Seek is a web service that provides building designers with branded and generic building product models and associated design content via a web browser or directly from AutoCAD and Revit-based software applications. Designers can use Seek to quickly search and embed building products – including 3D models, 2D drawings and performance data – in their projects, which can greatly facilitate the building information modeling (BIM) process. First launched in 2008, Autodesk Seek has grown to encompass more than 36,000 products from nearly 1,200 manufacturers.
The integration of Autodesk Seek with Project Dragonfly and Project Showroom offers new opportunities for BPMs to connect directly with homeowners and to provide a personalized experience for their customers. Dacor, a leading luxury kitchen appliance design, manufacturing and distribution company, is now offering customers the ability to design, visualize and experiment with their products using Project Dragonfly, an intuitive and highly engaging, free** web application that homeowners can use to configure room designs and layouts on the fly from any computer or browser.
"Technology offers new ways to engage with customers and provide a more personalized experience. As we evolve our marketing plans to take advantage of this, it made sense to partner with Autodesk given their strong customer base of professional designers and history of innovation in the manufacturing and AEC industries," said Steve Joseph, vice president of marketing at Dacor. "The combination of Autodesk Seek, Project Dragonfly and Project Showroom will help Dacor reach and connect with designers, give our customers the opportunity to directly participate in the design process, and help our company realize significant cost savings on set construction and product photography."
Dacor plans to take advantage of the new integration between Autodesk Seek and Project Showroom, a hosted service for delivery of "synthetic photography" that building product manufacturers can provide via their websites. Using Project Showroom, Dacor will offer a branded version of Showroom on its website that will enable visitors to mix and match products and create photorealistic room settings that show how the combined design, products, colors and lighting will look.
Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software to help customers experience their ideas digitally before they are built. Fortune 100 companies - as well as the last 14 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects - use Autodesk software tools to design, visualize and simulate their ideas to save time and money, enhance quality, and foster innovation for competitive advantage.
Source: Autodesk