Autodesk Inventor gets its name in lights

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the Chronicles of Narnia are among the latest to benefit from 3D CAD with Autodesk Inventor – the best selling 3D mechanical design software for the fifth consecutive year – following Sugg Lighting’s adoption of the software. Not a starring role, but Sugg’s traditional lampposts in both films were designed using the system. “We do a lot of work for films,” says Mark Jones, technical manager at Sugg Lighting. “And the thing that all the commissions have in common is that they are needed quickly. Autodesk Inventor enables us to respond within the tight deadlines.” Sugg Lighting uses Inventor and Inventor Professional for its FEA functionality. “Not all our work is as glamorous as contributing to film sets,” explains Jones. “With the increase in demand for heritage and reproduction lighting and for restoration of existing lighting, we’re kept busy working for local authorities and other customers such as London Underground where we are doing a major refurbishment project. “A lighting column needs just the right combination of strength and flexibility and there are extensive safety standards to comply with. Inventor’s stress analysis means that rather than pay a consultant, the technology does all the work for us. Inventor Professional has saved us so much money… In my view, [it’s] the best money we’ve ever spent.”