Trevor English
InfoWorks ICM 2027.2 is here and it brings model-aware AI into the modeling workflow with new Autodesk Assistant capabilities that let engineers interact directly with their hydraulic model data using natural language. Alongside Autodesk Assistant, this release expands Network Design functionality even further, introducing new hydraulic modeling capabilities and updating Australian rainfall generation to ARR 2019 standards.
AI is becoming a part of nearly every engineering workflow, but there’s a big difference between an AI assistant that can answer general questions and one that can actually interact with the engineering data you’re working on. That’s the shift we’re beginning to make in InfoWorks ICM 2027.2: ask Autodesk Assistant for what you need in plain language instead of hunting through objects or writing SQL.
Model-aware AI comes to InfoWorks ICM
The big update in InfoWorks ICM 2027.2 is a model-aware Autodesk Assistant. Rather than just helping users find information about the software, Autodesk Assistant can now interact directly with data in an InfoWorks ICM network. You can ask it to search for model objects, query network properties, or perform basic edits using natural language, all without leaving your modeling workflow.
For anyone who has spent time working with large hydraulic models, the value here is pretty straightforward. Finding specific pipes, reviewing attributes across a network, or making changes to model data can involve a fair amount of manual work, particularly if you’re not comfortable writing SQL. Autodesk Assistant now provides a conversational way to accomplish those tasks, translating natural-language requests into SQL queries that interact with your model.
Just as importantly, the process remains transparent and engineering-led. You can ask Autodesk Assistant to show the SQL behind its queries, review proposed changes before committing them, and reverse edits when needed. This is model-aware AI: Autodesk Assistant can access the network and database information engineers work with, rather than simply answer questions about the software. It’s an early step that focuses on model data rather than interpreting simulation results, but it begins to change how engineers interact with complex networks.
📚 Learn more about Autodesk Assistant in InfoWorks ICM.
More control over network design in InfoWorks ICM
In our prior InfoWorks ICM 2027 release, we introduced Network Design to bring catchment-wide design and hydraulic analysis into the same environment. With 2027.2, we’re building on that functionality with two improvements that give engineers more control over how networks are sized and how design constraints are applied.
First, Network Design now supports multiple parallel pipe barrels when sizing conduits. Rather than limiting the design process to a single-pipe configuration, engineers can specify the number of barrels and evaluate candidate pipe sizes using that arrangement. The number of barrels stays fixed during the design process, meaning you retain control over the configuration while the software evaluates feasible sizes.
The second improvement gives engineers spatial control over where relaxed design constraints can be applied. You can enable relaxation on individual conduits, so Network Design first tries the standard constraints and only uses relaxed values for a particular pipe if no feasible solution is found and relaxation is enabled there. This lets you preserve preferred design limits across most of the network while allowing flexibility in specific locations. The Design report identifies where relaxed constraints were applied. For existing databases upgraded to this version, relaxation must be explicitly enabled on conduits where it is needed.
Air Release Vacuum Breaker nodes for force mains
InfoWorks ICM 2027.2 also introduces a dedicated Air Release Vacuum Breaker (ARVB) node type, sometimes referred to as an air release valve. These nodes let engineers represent air release vacuum breakers directly in force mains rather than relying on complex workarounds. ARVB nodes work with conduits using the ForceMain solution model, can have only one downstream link, and can be created directly or by changing an existing node’s type. They are also counted separately in Network Overview, making them easier to identify.
Abbott slots and ARR 2019 rainfall generation
Channels can now use base flow slots, also known as Abbott slots, to represent the narrow slot used for low flows at the base of a channel. This gives modelers an alternative to specifying a fixed base flow depth. In 2027.2 databases, the option is off by default, and selecting it means the Base flow depth value is no longer used for that channel.
For Australian users, the ARR Storm Generator now supports Australian Rainfall and Runoff 2019, including climate change factors, 5-minute storm durations, direct API access to Bureau of Meteorology data, and a choice between the Current and Legacy ARR Data Hubs. Updated ARR 2019 terminology also carries through the rainfall-generation workflow.
Get started with InfoWorks ICM 2027.2
Ready to explore the latest improvements?
Check out the full What’s New in InfoWorks ICM 2027.2 documentation for a detailed breakdown of the new capabilities, or review the Release Notes for additional information about the release.