FlexSim is Autodesk’s 3D discrete event simulation software, and it can be used to model the operational processes in your proposed factory layout. You can run experiments to test your design under different conditions and find the optimal configuration of processes, staff, and resources. Use FlexSim to predict if your throughput will be on target before you build or re-tool your factory.

Factory Design Utilities runs on Microsoft® Windows® 11 and 10. See Factory Design Utilities system requirements for details.

Your Factory Design Utilities subscription gives you access to install and use the 3 previous versions. Available downloads are listed in your Autodesk Account after subscribing. See also previous releases available for subscribers.

With a subscription to Factory Design Utilities software, you can install it on up to 3 computers or other devices. However, only the named user can sign in and use that software on a single computer at any given time. Please refer to the Software License Agreement.

Launch your trial software and click Subscribe Now on the trial screen. Note that Factory Design Utilities is exclusively available through the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection, so that is the price and product name you will see. When buying your subscription, enter the same email address and password combination you used to sign in to your trial. Learn more about converting a trial to a paid subscription.

Factory Design Utilities is available through the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection. The price of the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection subscription is {{price.PDCOLL.month}} monthly, {{price.PDCOLL.1year}} annually, or {{price.PDCOLL.3years}} for 3 years. Please visit www.autodesk.com/collections/product-design-manufacturing/overview to learn more about the Product, Design, and Manufacturing Collection. If some of your users only occasionally use Factory Design Utilities, consider buying tokens to access it for 24 hours at a time. Visit www.autodesk.com/flex to learn more.

Yes, Factory Design Utilities is only available with a subscription to the Autodesk Product Design and Manufacturing Collection.

Factory Design Utilities is most commonly installed alongside Autodesk Inventor, as part of the Product Design and Manufacturing Collection. Once installed, it appears inside Inventor as a “Factory” ribbon, and you can start by opening the StandardFactoryLayout.iam template. There’s no separate application. If you see the Factory ribbon in Inventor, you have access.

You will also see a Factory ribbon or tab in other applications that support Factory Design Utilities, including FlexSim and Navisworks.

Factory Design Utilities integrates directly into both AutoCAD and Inventor to support a connected 2D‑to‑3D factory layout workflow. In AutoCAD, you create or modify 2D factory layouts using factory assets; those layouts are then synchronized one‑to‑one with Inventor, where they become 3D factory assemblies. Changes made in AutoCAD automatically update the Inventor model, and changes made in Inventor can flow back to the 2D layout, keeping both views in sync. This bidirectional integration lets teams plan in 2D, validate and visualize in 3D, and work in whichever environment they’re most comfortable with, without rework.

Factory Design Utilities provides a connected toolkit for planning, designing, and validating factory layouts across 2D and 3D environments:

• 2D and 3D factory layout design  Create and edit factory layouts in AutoCAD (2D) and Inventor (3D), with support for planning facilities, equipment placement, and production lines.

• Bidirectional 2D–to–3D synchronization  Maintain a one‑to‑one, bi‑directional sync between AutoCAD drawings and Inventor factory assemblies, so changes made in one environment automatically update the other.

• Factory asset libraries with metadata  Access and manage libraries of factory equipment and layout assets, including attached parameters and metadata to support consistent planning and reuse.

• Automatic 3D model generation from DWG  Quickly generate 3D factory models from 2D DWG layouts, reducing rework and accelerating concept‑to‑detail workflows.

• Clash detection and design validation  Visualize buildings, equipment, and layouts together to identify clashes and layout issues early in the design process.

• Factory visualization and review  Review and communicate designs using 3D visualizations to support design reviews and stakeholder alignment.

• Installation and commissioning planning  Support equipment installation and commissioning planning, helping teams anticipate sequencing and layout constraints.

Factory Design Utilities supports manufacturing facilities by enabling teams to plan, visualize, and validate factory layouts in both 2D and 3D, combining building and equipment data into a single digital factory model. It helps manufacturers optimize equipment placement, identify clashes early, and plan installation and commissioning before anything is built on the shop floor. By synchronizing AutoCAD and Inventor layouts, it reduces rework and improves confidence in layout decisions across the facility lifecycle.

Factory Design Utilities supports digital factory planning by creating a single, data‑connected digital model of the facility, combining building layouts, equipment, and production assets in both 2D and 3D. It enables teams to visualize, review, and validate factory layouts early, synchronize AutoCAD and Inventor designs, and identify clashes or layout issues before construction or installation begins. This approach helps manufacturers make more confident planning decisions, reduce rework, and move from concept to commissioning with fewer surprises.