Autodesk Forma
AI-powered early-stage site planning with real-time environmental analysis for architects.
About
Autodesk Forma is a cloud-based platform for early-stage architectural site planning and feasibility, built from Spacemaker, the Norwegian AI startup Autodesk acquired in 2020 for $240 million and retired in May 2023. Users pull in real site context, sketch massing volumes in the browser, and get trained predictive models that return environmental analyses in seconds: sun hours, wind comfort, noise, microclimate, daylight, embodied carbon and operational energy.
It integrates with Revit and Rhino, supports IFC/OBJ import, and a 2026 Building Design update extends it into schematic design. Standalone monthly pricing is published (third-party reviews cite roughly $85/month as of late 2026), it is included in the AEC Collection, and a 30-day full-functionality trial plus free student access are offered. Reviewers note the AI is strongest as fast predictive analysis rather than generative form-making.
What it can do
- AI-assisted generative site design
- Real-time environmental analyses (sun, wind, noise, microclimate)
- Embodied carbon and energy modeling
- Conceptual 3D massing in the browser
- Revit and Rhino integration
- IFC/OBJ import and export
- Cloud collaboration with project teams
Setup
- Get an Autodesk account and start the 30-day Forma trial.
- Create a project and import site context (terrain, buildings, roads).
- Sketch massing proposals or import from Revit/Rhino.
- Run environmental analyses: sun, wind, noise, carbon, energy.
- Compare scenarios and hand off to Revit for detailed design.
Prerequisites
Autodesk account; site location and basic project parameters; Revit or Rhino for downstream BIM handoff.
Use cases
Works with
Trust score — 8/10
Scored 8/10 (TIER metrics, metrics-v1). Evidence: Spacemaker acquisition ($240M, 2020) and Forma rebrand (2023) documented by ArchPaper and multiple 2026 reviews; public pricing, 30-day trial and AEC Collection bundling verified across review sources; Revit/Rhino integration confirmed. Strengths: Autodesk's scale and distribution, transparent pricing, genuine product lineage in AI site analysis. Docked for: (1) the 'AI' is largely predictive analysis rather than the generative design the marketing implies; (2) Autodesk's site bot-blocks automated checks, so official pricing was verified via third-party reviews. License: proprietary commercial.
How the trust score is built
Full methodology →- Adoption · stars/downloads, log-scaled vs peers
- 9.0/10
- Maintenance · recency, releases, issue load
- 8.0/10
- Openness · license + docs
- 8.0/10
- Manual review · sanity read + red-flag check
- 8.0/10
- · Spacemaker acquired for $240M (2020), retired May 2023, rebranded Forma
- · Public pricing, 30-day trial, AEC Collection bundling verified via reviews
- · Revit/Rhino integration confirmed
- · AI is largely predictive analysis, not generative form-making
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these sources. Where a claim comes from the provider and couldn't be independently verified, the text says so.