EastCoast CAD/CAM and Wendes Systems Inc. are the newest members of the Autodesk Building Systems alliance. The companies will integrate their software with Autodesk and join existing alliance members Trane, GeoPraxis and Elite Software.

The use of EastCoast and Wendes software with Autodesk will improve data transfer, and the design and fabrication process, according to Autodesk officials.

“Wendes Systems and EastCoast CAD/CAM are expanding opportunities for our building industry customers to take advantage of the data-rich environment provided by Autodesk Building Systems, and transform tasks such as fabrication and estimating,” said Phil Bernstein, vice president of Autodesk’s building-solutions division. “By more tightly integrating architecture and building-systems design, and adding the functionality of energy, heating and cooling load and sizing analyses, cost estimation, and fabrication, our alliance partners are playing a critical role in helping our users improve their productivity, accuracy and coordination.”

EastCoast officials say the partnership will “change the way in which engineering drawings are brought from design to fabrication,” according to a press release.

“Transmitting the drawings electronically will benefit our customers in two major ways,” said David Derocher, president of EastCoast. “First, the entire system does not have to be re-drawn for fabrication, and second, an actual cost estimate can be obtained without ever having to perform a manual takeoff of the system.”