Autodesk Brings ForceEffect to Android

First launched to iOS devices in November 2011, the app is designed to let engineers quickly and easily simulate design options during the conceptual phase. According to Autodesk, it provides an intuitive environment for drawing, constraining and simulating concepts using free body diagrams by simply tapping objects to select, move, rotate and scale. Real time solving capabilities have been implemented to provide immediate feedback on the performance of a design, enabling users to bring engineering to the point of the problem wherever they are. "Autodesk ForceEffect is a mobile conceptual simulation app that brings engineering to the point of the problem," said Robert Kross, senior vice president, Manufacturing Industry Group at Autodesk. "This user friendly app can greatly benefit engineers, students and technical DIYers who need to quickly and easily evaluate their designs upfront in the design process." ForceEffect is designed to solve static systems analysis using free-body diagrams. Users simply create diagrams by leveraging existing design images or create new systems from scratch. Using the scaled static image, users can create joints, supports and loads and compute reaction forces. They can then manipulate the geometry to iterate on the design and calculate new reaction forces to optimise it. The app is available for free from the Android app store now.