Autodesk

Autodesk makes software for architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing and media. John Walker and a group of co-founders started it in 1982, and the company is now headquartered in San Francisco. Its first major product was AutoCAD, a drawing program for personal computers.

AutoCAD remains in wide use for 2D and 3D drafting. Revit supports building information modeling, which lets architects and engineers design buildings as data-rich models. Fusion is a combined design and manufacturing tool for product designers. Maya and 3ds Max are used for animation and visual effects in film and games.

Autodesk moved from selling licenses to subscriptions in the 2010s. Autodesk Construction Cloud and Forma serve project teams on building sites and in early planning. Students and educators can get free licenses. Andrew Anagnost is chief executive. The company has offices in many countries and a global partner network of resellers. Its software is used by architects, product designers, filmmakers and builders. Autodesk also acquired Aurigo and other firms to widen its reach in construction.