Autodesk Seek Frequently Asked Questions
General Information
Q: What is Autodesk Seek and how do designers find my products?
A: The Autodesk® Seek web service is free to architects, engineers and other design professionals and helps them quickly discover, preview and download branded and generic BIM models, drawings and specifications directly into their active Revit® or AutoCAD® design application session. For building product manufacturers (BPMs), Autodesk Seek offers a unique way to connect with the professional designers who will ultimately specify and recommend their products for purchase. *Free products and services are subject to the terms of use that accompany them.
Q: How does Seek benefit manufacturers?
A: Autodesk Seek is a scalable, high impact online marketing channel for home and building product manufacturers who want to get their products in front of targeted audiences at exactly the time they are looking for information on their products. Through Autodesk Seek, manufacturers can more efficiently reach, differentiate, and measure engagement with the design professionals using Autodesk's design applications. And because Autodesk Seek is delivered over the web, manufacturers can more easily ensure that their customers are finding the most up-to-date information on their products.
Q: What services are offered with Autodesk Seek?
A: Autodesk Seek offers manufacturers a variety of services, including the creation and syndication of BIM models to various online channels, services to enrich your website, such as options to embed the Autodesk Seek web service, and detailed and customizable analytics to gain insight into how designers engage with your products.
Q: Can I syndicate content on Seek if it is not "BIM-ready"?
A: Yes, but we have found that models of your products are more attractive to design pros when there are high-quality BIM versions available. BIM speeds the designers workflow and makes their design documents more accurate and of higher long-term value. Also, an increasing number of government agency and corporate building clients are mandating the use of BIM in design documents, which enhances the value of your BIM content even more to designers. For more information on the benefits of BIM, see Why BIM?
Q: How do I get started?
A: Based on standards and industry best practices, Autodesk Seek Syndication, Content Services, Analytics and Website Services are designed to get manufacturers up and running quickly with product models that can be easily found and selected by design professionals inside Autodesk's software applications. Our seamless combination of tools, services, and affordable pricing gives manufacturers a new avenue for dynamically marketing their products beyond simple, static directories. Learn more.
Usage Data Back to top
Q: Who is using Autodesk Seek?
A: The web service launched in 2008. Since then, nearly 1,000 manufacturers have chosen to market more than 37,000 products via the web service. Every month, architects, engineers, and design professionals conduct almost one million distinct searches via Autodesk Seek-resulting in approximately 300,000 file downloads every month.
Q: How are professionals using Autodesk Seek?
A: In early 2010, Autodesk conducted a survey of 2,000 professional users of Autodesk Seek and discovered that:
- Half of the users return on a weekly basis.
- Nearly two-thirds of users recommend or specify products they find in Autodesk Seek.
- More than three-quarters of users report that the products that they recommend or specify are likely to reach the purchase stage for use in their projects.
- Nearly 80 percent of the downloads are BIM-ready 3D models compatible with the Autodesk Revit family of products.
View full survey results.
Technical Requirements Back to top
Q: What types of file formats does Autodesk Seek support
A: The Autodesk Seek web service supports the following file types:
Documents
| Application | File Extension |
|---|---|
| Microsoft® Word | .doc, .docx |
| Adobe Acrobat | |
| WordPerfect | .wpd |
| Microsoft® Excel | .xls, .xlsx |
Design Files
| Application | File Extension |
|---|---|
| Autodesk 3ds Max Design | .3ds, .max |
| Autodesk Design Review | .dwf |
| AutoCAD | .dwg, .dxf |
| Autodesk Maya | .mb |
| Autodesk Revit | .rfa, .rvg, .rvt, .mlib, .txt, .csv |
| Bentley Microstation | .dgn |
| Graphisoft ArchiCAD | .gsm, .ies |
| Vectorworks | .mcd |
| Google SketchUp | .skp, .skm |
| Xfrog | .xfr |
Content Creation Back to top
Q: What resources do I need to create my own product models?
A: To create your own BIM-ready product models, download the three resources listed below. For a full description of how to create your own product models, visit the Autodesk Seek Content Services page.
- Revit Model Content Style Guide This resource provides useful guidance for the process of creating BIM-ready 3D product models.
- Metadata Style Guide The Autodesk Seek team has defined product information style and formatting guidelines-based on commonly used industry standards-that supports a richer user experience in Autodesk Seek.
- Product Workbook This workbook contains a 200-point inspection to help you determine whether or not you have properly formatted your BIM-ready files.
