Autodesk Collections
Which collection is right for you?
Autodesk bundles its software into three industry collections — usually a better value than buying apps individually. The right one comes down to one question: what do you design?
AEC Collection
Architecture, Engineering & Construction
Best for: Civil engineers, surveyors, architects, structural & MEP engineers, and infrastructure teams.
Key apps
AutoCAD (+ specialized toolsets)
Civil 3D
Revit
InfraWorks
Navisworks
ReCap Pro
PD&M Collection
Product Design & Manufacturing
Best for: Mechanical, product, and manufacturing engineers designing parts, assemblies, and machinery.
Key apps
Inventor Professional
Fusion- AutoCAD (+ Mechanical/Electrical)
- Navisworks
Vault- •Factory Design Utilities
M&E Collection
Media & Entertainment
Best for: Film, television, game, VFX, and visualization artists creating 3D animation and effects.
Key apps
Maya
3ds Max
Arnold
MotionBuilder
Mudbox- ReCap Pro
A closer look at each collection
The AEC Collection is built for the people who design the built environment — civil engineers, surveyors, architects, and structural and MEP engineers. It pairs Civil 3D and AutoCAD for civil and drafting work with Revit for full building information modeling, then adds planning, coordination, and reality-capture tools so a project can move from concept to construction documents in one connected toolkit. If you touch more than one of these disciplines, it is almost always a better value than buying the apps individually.
What you can do
- Design surfaces, corridors, grading, and pipe networks in Civil 3D
- Model architecture, structure, and MEP in Revit (BIM)
- Draft and detail in AutoCAD with industry toolsets
- Plan infrastructure early with InfraWorks
- Coordinate models and run clash detection in Navisworks
- Bring point clouds and reality capture into your designs with ReCap
The Product Design & Manufacturing Collection is for teams that design products, parts, and the machines and factories that make them. Inventor drives parametric mechanical design and large assemblies, Fusion brings CAD, CAM, and simulation together in one place, and AutoCAD with its Mechanical and Electrical toolsets covers detailing and schematics — with Vault to manage versions and releases across the team.
What you can do
- Design parts and large assemblies parametrically in Inventor
- Move from CAD to CAM to simulation in Fusion
- Create mechanical and electrical drawings with AutoCAD toolsets
- Manage versions, releases, and BOMs with Vault
- Lay out production lines with Factory Design Utilities
- Coordinate and review designs in Navisworks
The Media & Entertainment Collection is for artists creating film, television, games, and visualizations. Maya and 3ds Max anchor modeling, animation, and rendering, Arnold delivers high-end ray-traced output, and tools like MotionBuilder and Mudbox round out motion capture and digital sculpting — an end-to-end pipeline for 3D content.
What you can do
- Model, rig, and animate in Maya and 3ds Max
- Render photoreal images with Arnold
- Capture and refine motion in MotionBuilder
- Sculpt high-detail assets in Mudbox
- Build visual effects and look development
- Bring real-world scenes in with ReCap
Still not sure?
Many teams mix disciplines, or only need a single product rather than a full collection. We'll help you compare a collection against individual subscriptions and pick the most cost-effective fit — no pressure.