Autodesk Modifies Generative Design Extension Pricing

To promote wider adoption of its Generative Design (GD) technology, Autodesk this week introduces $200 per month or $1,600 per year subscription pricing for unlimited access to the Autodesk Fusion 360 Generative Design Extension. 

For users who want to pay per usage, the company is also revising its cloud credit payment system. The updated price is “33 cloud credits [per study] and includes access to create editable designs for all of the outcomes generated in the study at no additional cost. Even more exciting, editable designs can now be created for all your past outcomes at no cost, as well,” writes Autodesk blogger Mike Smell (”Generative Design is Now Available at a Game-Changing Price,” June 7, 2021).

Generally, a cloud credit costs $1 (with volume pricing at a lower cost). Therefore, 33 cloud credits is roughly $33. Previously, users had to spend cloud credits to download the GD outcomes. But the new per-study cloud credit pricing eliminates this barrier. 

Formerly dubbed Dream Catcher, Autodesk's Generative Design technology became commercially available in 2018. Since then, the technology has evolved, incorporating manufacturing constraints in its topology generation. 

Though the Autodesk GD extension is tightly integrated with Autodesk Fusion 360, it doesn't exclude those who work with data from other CAD packages, according to Brian Frank, Sr. Product Line Manager, Generative Design & Simulation, Autodesk.

“If you have a SOLIDWORKS model, for example, bringing that into Fusion 360 is seamless and painless. You can then set up your GD study using that model,” said Frank. 

The new pricing, Frank believes, makes it simpler for the design engineers to estimate the cost of the desired number of studies, thus increasing the chance of approval from project managers.

GD is available from design and simulation software vendors in various forms, with interfaces that target users with different levels of simulation expertise. Consequently, some requires a steep learning curve for average engineers. 

“Our GD technology is not a specialist tool. This is a tool for average engineers,” Frank emphasized.