AUTODESK App Store
MOST DOWNLOADS
For the last 13 years, Autodesk App Store (formerly named "Autodesk Exchange Apps") has accumulated an large number of Apps (~ 4000 Apps are live on store), of which ~ 1321 Apps are free; ~906 Apps are trial and ~1623 Apps are paid. (Numbers are collected on June 26th, 2024).
The Apps cover a wide range of Autodesk software: AutoCAD, AutoCAD verticals (Civil 3D, MEP, Architecture, Electrical...), Revit, Inventor, 3ds Max....
In previous series All about Autodesk App Store, we have briefly introduced the Store. Today, we will learn more about some "flagship" Apps in more details.
1. Lumion® LiveSync® for Autodesk® Revit®
Author: Act-3D B.V
Rank: 1st most download App (downloads counted from every supported platform)
Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/RVT/en/Detail/Index?id=1257010617153832891&appLang=en&os=Win64
Platform: Revit 2020 to 2023 for Windows 64 bit
Price: Free
Feature brief description: The free Lumion LiveSync plugin lets you set up a simultaneous, real-time connection between your 3D model in Revit and Lumion. Change the model’s shape in Revit to test a modified design, and you’ll instantly see the model updated in Lumion so you can view it with accurate lighting and shadow, surrounding contexts such as urban neighborhoods or rural settings, and beautiful, realistic materials.
Pros: Free. Support multi versions: Revit 2015 - 2025 and Lumion 8.3 - 2024+
Cons: Lumion is required.
2. 3ds Max Scene Security Tools
Author: Autodesk, Inc.
Rank: 2nd most download App (downloads counted from every supported platform)
Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/3DSMAX/en/Detail/Index?id=7342616782204846316&appLang=en&os=Win64
Platform: Autodesk 3ds Max 2019 to 2025 for Windows 64 bit
Price: Free
Feature brief description: The 3ds Max Scene Security Tools is Autodesk's recommended way to detect and remove known 3rd party malicious scripts identified as CRP\ADSL, ALC, ALC2, PhysXPluginMfx, MSCPROP, and their variants. The malicious scripts can corrupt the Autodesk® 3ds Max® environment, cause data loss and instability, as well as spread to other systems through sharing of 3ds Max scene files.
Pros: Free
Cons: New plug-in version may drop support for older 3ds Max releases.
3. Autodesk FBX Review
Author: Autodesk, Inc.
Rank: 2nd most download App (downloads counted from every supported platform)
Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/MAYA/en/Detail/Index?id=6979630331069053932&appLang=en&os=Win64
Platform: Autodesk Maya 2019-2023 for Windows 64 bit
Price: Free
Feature brief description: Autodesk® FBX® Review is a lightweight, standalone software tool for reviewing 3D assets and animations quickly and efficiently. FBX Review enables users to view 3D content without using a 3D authoring tool, to help speed up asset sharing and iteration.
Pros: Free. A good alternative for quickly Viewing 3D Models
Cons: Some times it crashes or not display the model as expected
4. Autodesk Maya Bonus Tools 2020-2024
Author: Autodesk, Inc.
Rank: 3rd most download App (downloads counted from every supported platform)
Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/MAYA/en/Detail/Index?id=8115150172702393827&os=Win64&appLang=en
Platform: Autodesk Maya 2020-2024 for Windows 64 bit / MacOS / Linux
Price: Free
Feature brief description: A free collection of useful Autodesk® Maya® scripts and plug-ins. After installing Bonus Tools, an additional pull-down menu will be added to the end of the main Maya menu providing easy access to a variety of tools and utilities for daily use. Maya Bonus Tools has been organized to mimic the layout of the standard Maya menu sets with each sub-menu containing a number of related tools.
Pros: Free.
Cons: New plug-in version may drop support for older Maya releases.
5. Helical Gear Generator
Author: Hobbyist: Ross Korsky
Rank: 5th most download App (downloads counted from every supported platform)
Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/FUSION/en/Detail/Index?id=9029586664984391977&os=Win64&appLang=en
Platform: Autodesk Fusion for Windows 64 bit / MacOS
Price: Free
Feature brief description: Using this add-in, proper Herringbone gears (such as the gears used for this add-in's thumbnail) can be created by using a Sunderland profile then mirroring the gear about one of its faces. In the case of Herringbone or other double-helix gears, the handedness of the base gear is not as significant as it is for single helix gears - to effectively change the handedness of a Herringbone / double helix gear all you need to do is flip it over - whereas for a single helix gear it must be mirrored to change its handedness.
Finally, by setting a helix angle of 0 degrees, Spur gears can be created and defined in the metric system (as opposed to the sample Spur Gear script which defines gears in the American system) with this add-in.
Pros: Free. Detailed instruction.
Cons: Not support Imperial measurement system
6. Mesh Enabler
Author: Autodesk, Inc.
Rank: 6th most download App (downloads counted from every supported platform)
Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/INVNTOR/en/Detail/Index?id=6950391119076900441&appLang=en&os=Win64
Platform: Autodesk Inventor for Windows 64 bit
Price: Free for Subscription and Students, Educators, Educational Institutions
Feature brief description: The Mesh Enabler application converts mesh features to solid base features or surface features. This function can be applied to individual or multi-selected mesh features or mesh feature folders.
After installing Mesh Enabler, right click on one or more imported mesh features of interest, and convert them into Base features (solids, surfaces, or composites) through a new context menu command.
The graphical mesh data is converted into B-Rep Model data that can be used similar to imported solids and surfaces.
Pros: Free for Educational account
Cons: Some release may work unstable or cause Inventor crashes.
7. GF Gear Generator
Author: Gras Solutions
Rank: 7th most download App (downloads counted from every supported platform)
Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/FUSION/en/Detail/Index?id=1236778940008086660&appLang=en&os=Win64
Platform: Autodesk Fusion for Windows 64 bit / MacOS
Price: Free
Feature brief description: a minimalistic gear design application. As such, its designs are made following the metric module DIN standard series. Regardless, it is made for everyone, no matter your amount of knowledge or if you have an engineering background. It includes 11 different types of gears (7 standards, 2 non-standard and 2 experimental) for every project you might want to implement them in:
Spur Gear.
Simple/Double Helical Gear.
90° Bevel Gears.
Gear Rack.
Worm Gear Drive (helical and straight hobbed face).
Standard Internal Spur Gear.
Non-Standard Internal Spur Gear (tooth profile is inverted; it’s better for less trimming interference).
Standard Internal Helical Gear.
Non-Standard Internal Helical Gear (tooth profile is inverted; it’s better for less trimming interference).
Profile Shifted Spur Gear (Experimental method).
Profile Shifted Helical Gear (Experimental method).
Pros: Free. Detailed instruction.
Cons: The application might be awfully slow or crash making gears with a considerable number of teeth and a module between the 7- and 14-mm mark if the option of fast computing is not selected.
8. COINS Auto-Section Box
Author: COINS
Rank: 8th most download App (downloads counted from every supported platform)
Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/RVT/en/Detail/Index?id=8920075109543819118&appLang=en&os=Win64
Platform: Autodesk Revit for Windows 64 bit
Price: Free
Feature brief description: The COINS Auto-Section Box tool gives you tremendous speed and agility over managing three-dimensional views when analyzing model areas of particular interest. It allows you to quickly create temporary and permanent views to be used for immediate interrogation of the model or for construction document deliverables. This works by allowing you to focus on the model instead of managing views or a view’s properties.
Although Autodesk® Revit® has built-in support for creating section boxes from elements, the COINS Auto-Section Box improves on this with the following time-saving features:
Works with elements in linked files.
Special handling of grids, section lines, elevation markers, levels, scope boxes, dimensions, and tags.
Option to create new views.
Toggle the section box on and off to gain a better understanding of the selection within the context of the whole model.
Option to arrange the original selection view and the 3d view side-by-side.
Align section box to walls, members, or other line-based geometry.
Pros: Free. Detailed instruction. Frequent update
Cons: Not found yet.
9. threadModeler
Author: COOLORANGE
Rank: 9th most download App (downloads counted from every supported platform)
Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/INVNTOR/en/Detail/Index?id=2540506896683021779&appLang=en&os=Win64
Platform: Autodesk Inventor for Windows 64 bit
Price: Free
Feature brief description: The threadModeler tool has been developed to allow Autodesk® Inventor® users to generate a realistic modeled equivalent thread based on an existing Inventor thread feature. Users are able to select an existing thread feature in the model, which the threadModeler then converts to a realistic 3D modeled thread based on the underlying thread feature properties.
Modeled threads are generated saving a lot of time and effort for the user when compared with a manual approach, bringing a higher degree of realism to your models.
Pros: Free
Cons: Not support Inventor 2023 and onward. User should use the online version at: https://threadmodeler.com/
10. Drawing Purge
Author: /\/apps
Rank: 10th most download App (downloads counted from every supported platform)
Link download: https://apps.autodesk.com/ACD/en/Detail/Index?id=3773138176974634673&appLang=en&os=Win32_64
Platform: AutoCAD and vertical products for Windows 32 and 64 bit
Price: Free
Feature brief description: This plug-in helps to remove the unused DGN LineTypes, TextStyles, RegApps, and Annotation Scales, and other Purgeable items from the current drawing or multiple drawings in batch processing.
Pros: Free. Multi drawing processing support. Frequent update.
Cons: Not found yet.
Next time, we will discover the