2010-12-30

If Poe did CAD...

Recently I trotted out the old favorite poem "Abort, Retry, Ignore", based of course, upon the classic literary work, The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe (I find the rhythm of trochaic octameter quite engaging).

In response, a friend posted his own composition, and granted me permission to repost it here (although, you can find it on his own blog - http://antmansclone.wordpress.com/ )

Cad upon a midnight dreary, bloodshot eyes welled up and teary
Revising a project that had changed a thousand times before–
There I sat, not even blinking; into slumber I was sinking
Pots of coffee I was drinking, drinking to stay off the floor
“How long will this last?” I wondered, gazing at my office door–
Had been there since the night before

Though fuzzy now, I still remember the hour of which my comembers
Abandoned me to alone dismember these drawings — What an awful chore!
Against all hope to hold back sorrow, vainly trying time to borrow
To finish that job before the morrow, tomorrow when I would sleep once more
Bed with pillow, couch, chair or floor–
Tomorrow I would sleep once more

Where was my undo command? I thought I had them all at hand
I looked again, and there it was, where it had not been before
Decided then to abdicate some recent work, I undid eight
Aghast, I realized my fate — I only meant to undo four
Stupid mistakes like this I invariably deplore
Forced again to redraw more

To make that wall a little longer for to make the shearwall stronger
I had to change the roof slope and eliminate a door.
Architect would not allow for that, there for the moment I just sat
Waiting for him to come back with a design he could adore.
Nary a sound I heard as he entered, returning through my office door
Red ink upon the paper more

Upon my check plots peering, as I stood there, knowing, fearing,
Before he even gestured I knew he had changed the plan some more
Finally the silence broken, as he started to betoken
The words from his mouth hardly spoken uttered changes I knew to abhor.
“Flip the plan and change the elevation of the second floor.”
Merely this and nothing more

“Can’t you just a button press to make more sense out of this mess?”
I said OK to appease him and send him from my space once more
Back to my workstation turning, anger towards him stronger burning,
Sure my next paycheck I’d be earning not only just a little more–
This shock to my system must be worth not only just a little more–
Started coffee pot number four

Music streaming from my speakers, helping me from growing weaker
Screaming songs to match the feeling of the hairdo that I wore
Nodding off and half awake, suddenly a double take
I pinched myself for dreaming’s sake; what now do my eyes absorb?
Everything was in its place, it appeared I had to do no more
I stood and breathed; a pallid countenance I no longer wore
I felt as though on sunny shore

And as I felt it, a glint of light shone in to aid me from my plight
Dawn’s radiant hues had lifted my soul — I could feel it in my core
But to chagrin my heart’s elation {Unhandled Access Violation}
“NO!” I screamed, “Not my creation!” I paced around my office floor
In desperation tried to get my drawing back to where it was before
Audit or recover, ultimately my file I could not restore
My drawing file was no more

Though the morn was shining brilliant, and I thought myself to be resilient
My keyboard could not withstand the shock of my mouse hitting it with force
It was over, I conceded; by the deadline it was not completed
And I sat there, felling defeated, rejected and forlorn
I looked at my computer, letting sink in the horror of that wretched morn
I turned my back, went home to sleep; trudged out my office door
And there I pledged it, “Nevermore”

- Anthony Mason - 2002

2010-12-13

AutoCAD 2011 - List of Hotfixes, Updates, Service Packs et al

autodesk.com/autocad

Under Support > Data & Downloads > Updates & Services packs, you can check to see if you need to make any updates to your production software.

Oh, and, of course, don't forget to check out the Read Me files for all of these prior to install, to see if it applies to your product, to see if it's been superseded my something more recent, and to see the various options available for install (standalone, imaging, network installs, etc).

2010-11-25

AutoCAD 2011 Launch - Part 4 (photos & videos)

Part 1 - Tweet archive posted from event

Part 2 - notes from the webcasts

Part 3 - notes from the webcasts (continued)

Finally, part 4, photographs and videos from the event (<- link points to photos shown in the picasa slideshow embedded below).


2010-11-24

AutoCAD 2011 Launch - Part 3 (presentation notes cont'd)


Eddie Perlberg - design viz technical specialist

- viz helps win bids, improves communication, a smoother approval process, interoperability with adesk tools, advantages with BIM and digital prototyping
design - enhanced modeling
visualize-enhanced rendering, viewport feedback
share - leveraging design data, unified materials
--- working on interoperability - makes rendering a changing building design so much easier, prevents having to reassign every material on re-importing a changed model
-actually, it's more like a link than an import (from revit in example, will this work with AutoCAD too?)
materials are responding more 'real world'
rendering is the workhorse of 3ds max Design -
rendering with Mental Ray 1:18 to render on the CPU
rendering with quicksilver moves it to GPU and it only takes 0:18

Amar Hanspal - we've only covered 4 of 100 Autodesk products

Andrew Mackles -- AutoCAD product family

understand key enhancements, challenge assumptions, receive questions
POWER
3d conceptual design, and productivity tools to accelerate projects from concept through completion
CHOICE
customize your autocad software or select an industry-specific version tailored to your business
CONNECTIVITY
data compatibility to help you share work and connect with other design professionals

explore
document
communicate
customize

Point Clouds can effectively workwith2billion points but they did test up to 40gb of point data (although they didn’t count the number of individual points during those tests)
key new components-
--- inferred constraints
-- pediting improvements
-- hatch editing improvements
-- create ore select similar objects
-- hide or isolate objects

windows 7 optimization - take advantage of UI, etc
AutoCAD LT - hatch editing and pline editing improvements
object and layer transparency as well as finally support for gradient hatches

Heidi Hewett

showing us some enhancements to everyday productivity
selectsimilar, hideobjects
selection cycling - lists overlapping object
hatch transparency on ribbon tab, but, transparency is also in the properties palette and can also do transparency by layer, transparency toggle on the status bar
- how does this plot? page setup dialog box - plot transparency checkbox, but, this will rasterize the output
- if we plot DWF with transparency on, we couldn't use object snap because it would be raster file - ouch
in auto constrain settings, there's an "=" constraint
inferred constraints
- rectangles are actually closed polylines, so it doesn't scale uniformly, so turn on inferred constraints

how many acad customers actually use constraints?  (more popular newer users, slower adoption among older users. Mfg users are using it more than AEC)

Guillermo Melantoni
surface associativity (nurbs surfaces)
starting with splines
Spline CV's (create them with control vertices) (spline knot is the old fit version), now spline freehand (suggesting use with tablet works well)
- multifunctional grips with splines - click and pick to create surfaces - AutoCAD understand the surface edge - continuity (guides, path, cross sections only, settings, continuity, bulge magnitude)
- can project into the surface, easily loft between... conceptual design of shapes really quickly
he showed of some dimensional constraint parameters in a very complex 3d block (pic) - this model is 190k (would be bigger as a solid model),
talking about introducing materials and renderings into an industry that doesn't 'know the language'
-we as designers need to understand and manipulate some things, but, not others
-natively supported, without driver install needed for 3dmouse
- point cloud
-- index point cloud - las file to index- fls, fws, xyb (why not leico? the other company worked with them?)
pcg file is created - showed stadium with 35 million points    (Mandalay bay was 1.5biln points)
insert cloud and snap to elements to create geometry (expecting API to close gap for 3d party vendors to step in and manipulate)
-can we export these files with clouds in, so that they can be used by other products? - they weren't quite sure, they're going to check with others (suggestion that the subscription advantage pack for c3d might help, debate on quality of file from contractor doing the scanning)
-- merging of features across products is becoming more and more obvious (Jeff Agla?)

Tatjana Dzambazova - Sr. product manager , creative 3d

digital concepts and emerging products
alias sketch and alias sketch for AutoCAD
-software is getting in the way of ability to explore ideas
- need to rely on too many packages to communicate and collaborate
- need basic image manipulations compositing and editing in AutoCAD
$500 for alias sketch, subs $70
mixed media workflows, color manipulation is powerful, dynamic transformation tools (vectors as well as images and fills) in a hybrid environment, embedded sketching, painting and image compositing
- instead of all of the customers taking things to Photoshop just to do cropping, add transparency and composite, the rest is overkill
vector layers, raster layers and canvas
sketching is vector, color fills are raster
shape recognition - you don’t have to sketch perfect circle, it sees
(Impression is 'in a holding pattern', for presentation only, not conceptual design
impression is still alive)

Kate Morrical - AutoCAD LT

top three beta site requests - best selling product
hide/isolate objects
transparency
gradient hatches
hatch background colors (effect of layering hatches) - can set hatch layer and forget about it
selectsimilar
spline enhancements
pline editing
join functionality
highlight xrefs
default scale list
ignore missing shx files
text in linetypes are always readable
quick dimension
layer previous
sketch
(no parametrics or 3dmodeling, customization (lsp,vba,.net) enterprise level features ?like network licenses?, express tools)
CANNOT*create* parametrics, but, CAN use them
web-based Help File (communities blogs etc) can use it without being online, no worries
only win 7 release not supported is home (home premium is supported)
recent files feature in win7

Jeff Agla - Sr. Business Manager - covering ACA2011

promote connectivity throughout features
workflow, usability, fit and finish
showing intelligent wall cleanup
constraints work on walls and use formulas (constraints on walls will also affect spaces without problem)
Renovation tools  (Manage > Renovation... magically adds 'new' 'existing' and 'demo')
can handle point clouds, but, no additional features
(revit can read an autocad drawing with a point cloud in its underlay, but, doesn't support them itself)

Adam Perry - Senior Business Manager - AutoCAD Mechanical

- they get all the AutoCAD features
fix , fit and finish (f3)
getting rid of the dialogs and give the canvas back to users - e.g. moved dim dialog into the ribbon and dims are updating live
- migration - 20,000 new mechanical users this year, they have legacy dwg data (smarter BOM tool introduced in 2010) - now balloons are imported and are associative
helps you clean up legacy drawings, easy excel list to help resolve conflicts (part numbers duplicated, etc)

Usability:
2010 gave us Part Publishing
standard content now smarter, you can drag on insert, custom content is easier now, can import standard sizes for parts from excel spreadsheets you already have
common saveas dialog
construction line *always* move to background
powerful international standards

2010-11-23

AutoCAD 2011 Launch - Part 2 (presentation notes)


Guri Stark
Introduces the AutoCAD family of products
(Displayed Google trends which clearly show AutoCAD’s popularity)
Autodesk has the broadest set of applications (ALL engineering disciplines, plus media)

This is AutoCAD’s 25th release
Recent releases have had these specific feature focuses:
2007-basic 3d
2008-productivity
2009-usability
2010- 3d design "DESIGN", parametric drawing
2011-power & productivity (surface modeling, points clouds -up to 2bln points-, realistic materials, surface modeling, doc productivity, drafting productivity, parametric drawing tools, inferred constraints, hatch enhancements, object and layer transparency

76, 000 man-hours in testing, 6,000 code reviews, 2,000 commands tested, 4,600 beta testers
1.4 million lines of code removed!!!

AutoCAD LT
document, hatch enhancements, pediting improvements, transparency

Add on - Alias Sketch (freehand markup directly on top of AutoCAD geometry
artsy photo type stuff from within autocad)

Freestyle on Labs
Who might use AutoCAD Freestyle?
Project managers, sales and marketing, fieldworkers, space planners, journeyman, small firms, DIY enthusiasts

Butterfly on Labs
AutoCAD on the Cloud butterfly.autodesk.com
online meetings for collaboration

Carl bass (during webcast)

airmax initiative - consistent user interface across all products since many users handle multiple products, plus trying to make the interface more appealing visually
photorealistic models (used an example of semiconductor, used inventor preview instead of 120 hours of animation in only an hour)
data interoperability - customers move things from one product to another

Amar Hanspal - Sr. VP, platform solutions and emerging business

introducing the 2011 product line
AutoCAD’s flexibility and pervasive... um-ness

Heidi Hewett - technical marketing manager

associative surfaces, point clouds
unified materials
using parametrics for the surfaces
there's a full API for the point cloud functionality for 3d party developers
autodesk materials library - acad, revit, inventor 3ds max - the materials will port across platform (assign in AutoCAD, they'll show up when imported into the other products

pedits are much more intuitive, rather than a nested menu
same with hatching
transparency - hatches, and any other entity

project butterfly quick tour and a brief mention of freestyle

Rob Cohee, mfg technical evangelist on digital prototyping

alias design is in inventor
dynamic input while sketching
direct manipulation with part modeling - no context menu or menu item selections needed (hey, didn't we just see some of these in AutoCAD)
form creation
simulation guide
dramatically enhanced previews
new assembly command (select entity and it predicts relationships between components?)
can inventor handle complex forms? - alias design for inventor, can modify in a mirror,
manufacturing marketplace is quite competitive, rob says it's the best in class with inventor 2011
inventor publisher - takes 3d models and creates technical publication documents (flash, pdf, websites, etc)
same with material library as AutoCAD
now the renderings are the inventor program, no need for a 'studio' program or rendering operation
(Anwar says we're democratizing the ability to show these impressive models)
digital prototyping is beyond 3d modeling - frame analysis tool, apply load, determine gravity, analyze, get feedback right away - make more informed decisions during engineering design

Arnab Ganguly - Sr. technical marketing manager AEC

revit - interactive sunpath tool , large team workflow enhancements, surface rationalization tools (conceptual modeling) ,adaptive components
sun manipulation to see effects more easily (pic)
- discussing 'campus' design -
if architect is working on shell, interior design working on fitout - visibility filters across buildings (can control visibility across linked projects) - using a single file to manage multiple projects as a workset
door tagging is an example of something modified across linked files as well as host file
productivity - adaptive components (using curtain wall system as example - more fluid granular control

AutoCAD civil 3d 2011 - scalability and performance (more memory)
model-based design (corridor improvements, point clouds and station locking)
production - (automated cross section sheet creation)
summarize the BIM portfolio - focus is on the "I" - information

2010-11-22

AutoCAD 2011 Launch - Part 1 (tweet archive)

Autodesk brought together some bloggers and journalists this spring for the AutoCAD 2011 Launch Webcast. We were flown to San Francisco and watched the webcast as it was being filmed, then we had the opportunity to sit down with product managers and other employees, who asked our opinions, and answered many questions for us (okay, that also includes, listened and took notes while we complained).

We had a good time at this event, it's always good to see new things, and network with other industry writers. But, there was also a huge exchange of data, not just during the product presentations, but, also during the gallery tours, the breaks, and the ‘speed-dating’ where we got to sit one-on-one with various Autodesk employees.

I haven’t yet  blogged about it, but, I’m going to be posting my notes and photos from the even over the next three days. They will be product highlights and brief observations.

Here Shaan Hurley lists some of the participants:
The AutoCAD History Page:
And a huge collection of great links from folks talking about the 2011 products:

Below, I’m pasting in my live commentary from the event (delivered via my twitter account), this commentary also contains links to some photos I posted at the time.

Any of these hyperlinks below could lead to twitter, or associated photo-hosting services, so, if your corporate policy blocks those, it’s probably best that you do not click on any of the links below.


Twitter Archive:

I'll be heading to an event in San Francisco next week and will be tweeting about it here. Join via webcast: http://tinyurl.com/ydomdao

What does it say about me I've got a suitcase for a 2 day trip? How about if I tell you it's 2/3 electronics? :-) Wednesday, March 24, 2010 9:22:39 AM

American Airlines $25 checked bag fee = ouch. Next time I'll forget the clothes... Wednesday, March 24, 2010 9:40:58 AM

@bcbenton I can live without wifi... but not my makeup and contact bag. :-) Wednesday, March 24, 2010 10:01:16 AM in reply to bcbenton

Despite rude people and clueless people, the staff made check-in and security go surprisingly smoothly. Never seen Lambert staff so friendly! Wednesday, March 24, 2010 10:02:35 AM

Hmm looked packed, and it seems the flight is overbooked... They're trying to bribe people now... Wednesday, March 24, 2010 11:19:56 AM

I understand not wanting to pay the fees, but, at this point, I think you on-board suitcase people are a pain because you're holding us up. :) I'd like to take off, please Wednesday, March 24, 2010 11:46:39 AM

Emailing with the boss's assistant about a meeting she is assisting in for me. Trying 2 remember each auditorium's layout, need more coffee. Wednesday, March 24, 2010 11:52:13 AM

Just experienced one of the smoothest landings ever. Waiting to get off, my knees are killing me... Wednesday, March 24, 2010 4:17:17 PM from San Francisco International Airport, South San Francisco  

@bcbenton yeah. I just got on the bart. How long is my ride from SFO going to be? :-D Wednesday, March 24, 2010 4:45:39 PM in reply to bcbenton

Just checked in... Nice view of the water & the Gallery. http://twitpic.com/1ap6gn Wednesday, March 24, 2010 5:45:21 PM from Downtown, San Francisco

Getting settled in now & recharging my batteries (iPhone & coffee). Wednesday, March 24, 2010 6:02:30 PM

Ah that's what that was. I recorded some of it out of curiosity RT @mrcadman: Checking out an Immigration March. http://tweetphoto.com/15669108 Wednesday, March 24, 2010 6:25:43 PM

@bcbenton lol it's cool. @thecadgeek and I were just commiserating about battery life (same thing @ AU last year, hmm wonder why?). Wednesday, March 24, 2010 6:46:01 PM

All necessary office components set up and operational! Now for my ironing (yay :-/ ) http://twitpic.com/1apm6c Wednesday, March 24, 2010 6:58:31 PM

@thecadgeek @haubert LOL not normally something I pack, but, @caddmanager and I are going to try recording a little at some point. Wednesday, March 24, 2010 7:40:05 PM in reply to thecadgeek

@C3D_RickGraham going to try to record a couple of podcasts in the relative silence... :-) Wednesday, March 24, 2010 7:41:02 PM

@haubert LOL I, for one, don't need to be on camera, but, they've got something cool like that over in the Gallery. I'll tweet it tomorrow. Wednesday, March 24, 2010 7:54:55 PM

Wow. I *just now* realized that I didn't bring a purse. Wednesday, March 24, 2010 8:01:12 PM

@katemorrical LOL Very true But, my AU bag is a bit bulky for a night on the town. Should've brought my other one http://tinyurl.com/7mmohc Wednesday, March 24, 2010 8:23:10 PM in reply to katemorrical


I know! It's terrible here! RT @caddmanager: Verizon users can connect at the restaurant - 4 bars but nothing for ATT. Wednesday, March 24, 2010 10:27:27 PM  

Enjoying dinner with CAD bloggers, great conversation... http://twitpic.com/1aqt27 Wednesday, March 24, 2010 10:29:05 PM

RT @revit3d: Revit MEP 2011...best new features...conduit, cable trays and slope piping fixes. More reason to invest in BIM #Revit


Woohoo! :-D RT @mflayler: RT @MistresDorkness Finally my ADSK from Inventor with conduit will actually connect to something in Revit! Thursday, March 25, 2010 9:02:01 AM


Listening to Guri Stark of Autodesk giving us a welcome talk (and asking who has the biggest camera and laptop). Thursday, March 25, 2010 10:43:09 AM

Alias Sketch is being offered as an add-on to Autocad 2011 to allow you to combine artistic tools with precise geometry. Neat. Thursday, March 25, 2010 10:50:50 AM



CEO Carl Bass talking about the Autodesk portfolio http://twitpic.com/1au3aj Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:02:30 AM

autodesk has been trying to improve user interface consistency across products, visual appearance of entities in the program & interoperability Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:06:26 AM

Amar Hanspal Sr VP introduces the 2011 Product Line, starting with #Acad2011 Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:08:23 AM

Watching Heidi Hewett talking about using Point Clouds in #acad2011 http://twitpic.com/1au51d Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:10:53 AM

There has been a lot in the recent releases of Autocad that reminds me a lot of 3ds Max, I think I like that. Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:14:19 AM

The addition of point clouds is a HUGE feature for me as a facility owner. Best big feature ever. #acad2011 Supports up to 2 billion points. Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:15:32 AM

Materials in #acad2011 WILL port across when imported into Inventor, Revit and 3ds Max Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:16:55 AM

#acad2011 now has transparency for objects. They used hatching as an example, but, it will work with any other entity type. Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:19:04 AM

They're talking CAD collaboration on the web now http://butterfly.autodesk.com (if I'm recalling the URL correctly) Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:20:07 AM

Rob Cohee (Mfg Tech Evangelist) is talking about Inventor and digital prototyping (dynip & direct manipulation) http://twitpic.com/1au7lg Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:23:45 AM

Inventor Publisher sounds like neat feature, assists in creating technical documentation for the models (flash, pdf, websites, etc) Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:29:44 AM

Arnab Ganguly (Sr Technical Marketing Manager) is discussing AEC product enhancements http://twitpic.com/1aua5p Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:36:27 AM

It sounds like the Revit family enhancements could make it easier for we facility owners to manage info from multiple projects via linked Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:42:02 AM

Now he's covering Civil3d 2011 - scalability and performance (more memory) Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:44:10 AM

Eddie Perlberg ( Technical Specialist) covering Design Visualization http://twitpic.com/1aucsr Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:49:45 AM

Hmm, rendering in 3ds Max Design with Mental Ray took almost a minute and a half, but with Quicksilver only took 18 seconds. Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:58:38 AM

Many virtual events coming up to talk about various Autodesk products http://autodesk.com/seizetheopportunity Thursday, March 25, 2010 12:01:20 PM


In a more detailed session about the AutoCAD Family.The focus is on Power, Choice and Connectivity. #acad2011 Thursday, March 25, 2010 12:24:00 PM

Specific to #acad2011 - explore * document * communicate * customize (yeah, I like bulletpoints) Thursday, March 25, 2010 12:26:40 PM

Item I'll use the most in #acad2011 - SelectSimilar Thursday, March 25, 2010 12:29:33 PM

#acad2011 now has ability to hide and isolate objects (rather than just layers, more features individuals has customized themselves yrs ago) Thursday, March 25, 2010 12:30:33 PM

Selection Cycling in #acad2011 is pretty cool, give you a list of overlapping objects, can be way easier than shifting-through. Thursday, March 25, 2010 12:38:42 PM

Whoa... who let this non-dork in? Michael Beall is taking notes on paper instead of laptop or smartphone. #timewarp Thursday, March 25, 2010 12:47:49 PM

Guillermo Melantoni is going into more detail on 3d (nurbs surfaces, etc) http://twitpic.com/1aup6a Thursday, March 25, 2010 12:51:12 PM



Point cloud of a stadium - 35 million points. Panning wasn't sluggish, cool. http://twitpic.com/1auvrt Thursday, March 25, 2010 1:25:22 PM

Tatiana Dzambazova (Sr Product Mgr) is showing us Alias Sketch & it's AutoCAD plugin. http://twitpic.com/1av0j1 Thursday, March 25, 2010 1:50:02 PM

We've just been reassured that presentation graphic tool Impression is *not* dead (alias sketch is meant more for conceptual design). Thursday, March 25, 2010 2:03:07 PM

Kate Morrical talks about Autodesk's best-selling product - AutoCAD LT http://twitpic.com/1av447 Thursday, March 25, 2010 2:08:39 PM

Jeff Agla showing intelligent wall cleanup in AutoCAD Architecture 2011 http://twitpic.com/1av5m1 Thursday, March 25, 2010 2:15:56 PM

Adam Perry (no relation) is showing us AutoCAD Mechanical interface changes (dims shown) http://twitpic.com/1av6qv Thursday, March 25, 2010 2:21:44 PM

RT @caddmanager: Renovation Mode in ACA 2011 will automatically create renovation and remodel entities when making adjustments to a model. Thursday, March 25, 2010 2:22:12 PM




@kcflatlander hmm looks like twitpic had an error. I reposted. Thursday, March 25, 2010 3:32:35 PM

Had a few great conversations with both Autodesk folks and bloggers. Chatted with really great geek girls. Heading to Perry's. Thursday, March 25, 2010 9:49:31 PM

Oh, and, because I know I'll be asked: Yes, the screen menu is still there in #acad2011 Friday, March 26, 2010 7:58:37 AM

@wkfd It was really good meeting you, thanks for the laughs. :-) Friday, March 26, 2010 8:59:25 AM


Enjoyed breakfast with @caddmanager , now we're going to talk job hunting tips. Friday, March 26, 2010 11:09:38 AM


Finishing up some recording, then I'll be packing up and heading back home. Love geek time, but, miss the family. :-) Friday, March 26, 2010 2:32:50 PM

2010-11-20

Autodesk University 2010 - Survival Guide


I’ve posted Tips and Tricks for surviving (and making the most of) Autodesk University before:

But, this year, I shared a few (some old, some new) via my twitter account, so, I’d like to compile them all here:

#AU2010 Tip #1: Wear comfortable shoes.

Tip #2: see Tip 1.

Tip #3: see Tip 2.

Tip #4. see Tip 3.

Tip #5: see Tip 4.

Tip #6: see Tip 5.

Tip #7: see Tip 6.

Tip #8: see Tip 7.

Tip #9: see Tip 8.

Tip #10: see Tip 9.

#AU2010 Tip #11. Travel light during the conference (Keep your hands free for shaking. Also, flexibility is key for unexpected networking invites), don't carry anything you don't really have to.

#AU2010 Tip #12: Take A LOT of notes. Don't assume you'll remember any of it, because it's a lot of information to consume in a very short period of time. Trust me. I mean it. You’ll take it for granted that a fabulous tidbit will be stuck in your brain forever because it’s so mind-wobblingly useful, but, trust me… WRITE IT DOWN.

#AU2010 Tip #13: Bring plenty of business cards. Sure, there are prize drawings in the exhibit hall, and vendors you’ll want to keep in contact with, but, you'll also be meeting new and interesting people. (When you exchange business cards, have a pen to scribble a note on the back of their card; just a reminder about why your conversation was interesting, or what feature/project you discussed together. Don’t assume you’ll remember, after all of the information you take in at an event like AU, it’s better safe than sorry… take notes.)

#AU2010 Tip #14: Being shy is a waste of time. 
Right, many of us are... socially awkward (myself included, believe me). Just choke down the fear & strike up some conversations, sit at a mostly full table, offer to get someone a drink while you’re up, ask about current projects they’re involved in, and whether they’ve learned anything they can’t wait to get back home and try. No matter how shy you are, once you find something in common with someone interesting, you won't be able to shut up. 
And, I guarantee, you've got tons in common with the other attendees.

#AU2010 Tip #15: Ladies, If a ‘new friend’ is being a little too friendly, find the nearest female & pretend you know her, and simply must hear her opinions on X Autodesk product. I’m sure she’ll understand and will keep you from having to be alone with anyone making you uncomfortable.

#AU2010 Tip #16: Never pass a beverage station! It is DRY there, grab water all day & bring some lip balm!!! (Trust me, take at least two drinks off a beverage table, one for now, one for 30 minutes from now once all the new moisture has evaporated.)
The Raster Design Queen, Jane Smith, has been kind enough to hand out gifts of hand lotion and lip balm to some of the AUGI Volunteers a couple years ago, which was the best gift ever, I must say.

#AU2010 Tip #17: Fill out your course surveys, so Autodesk knows what we like. Be fair, be specific but be honest. They WANT to know who the good and bad instructors are, so they can retain the good ones for the next year, or find replacement for the ones that missed the mark.
(A note to presenters: If you're curious, the things I'm most likely to complain about are those who advertise one class, but, never hit the topics I came in for. Next, I expect you to teach the product you're signed up for, not teach your add-on-software (available for purchase) cause that's a wee bit spammy and a waste of my time since I don't use your software. Finally, know your audience! E.g., if you're speaking in a Facility Management class and you start talking about how clueless Owners are... you probably missed the vital step of asking who is in your audience and wrongly assumed they were all consultants... I saw a few offended and irritated owners last year, including myself.)

#AU2010 Tip #18: Check out the #AUGI Annual Meeting even if you're not an @AUGI member. Good user stories & product Wishlist handovers (AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, AutoCAD Architecture, MEP products, etc).

#AU2010 Tip #19: The #AUGI Beer Bust serves non-alchoholic drinks, too, so, grab your free mug & mingle! There are plenty of non-beer drinkers there. Take the Top DAUG Contest at the AUGI booth and you'll be sure to see plenty of faces from the forums or AUGI publications you'd like to say 'hi' to.

#AU2010 Tip #20: Try to find some Usability studies to participate in. They're a great way to share your experience. ( @AutoCADResearch )

#AU2010 Tip #21: Make a sticker to wear with your Twitter handle, @AUGIForums UserName, etc, so your online friends can positively ID you.
I go by Wanderer on most discussion groups, and my avatar may be too small for folks to recognize me for sure (especially if I change my hairstyle and wear glasses instead of contacts like I did last year).

Brian H responded to my Tip #15 about inappropriate ‘personal mingling’, so I stated a hypocritical #AU2010 Tip #22: if a guy does NOT talk to you, forge ahead and talk to him anyway... In all seriousness, don't let shyness stop you from connecting with people, just be sure to pay attention to body signals. 
If someone is crossing their arms and repeatedly looking for the nearest door to escape... let them. 
However, if they're staring at their shoes and mumbling their replies to you, they're probably just shy, be friendly and let them proceed at their own pace.

#AU2010 Tip #23: For coffee drinkers (or any beverage, really). 
Bring a travel mug, your coffee will stay warm & you won't have to worry setting it down. I keep my empty mug in the 'water bottle' mesh pocket of my handy-dandy AU2001 backpack (still going strong), and fill it up in the morning at the beverage station. 
When I sit in a classroom, I can put it under my chair, without any worry that it will tip over... if someone bumps it, it has a sturdy lid and won't make much of a mess.
Last year was the first year I thought to do this, and I only wish I'd thought of it sooner.

#AU2010 Tip #24: Seriously, follow the #AU2010 Hashtag on Twitter (even if you don’t tweet, if you’ve got a web-enabled device, check it out), it's how I kept up with events last year.

#AU2010 Tip #25: You might want to carry your phone charger with you. 
Taking photos, google searches, email, jotting down notes (or, if you're Shaan Hurley, you might feel compelled to drain your battery making mooooooo sounds)... you, or someone nearby, will drain.
(Thanks again to Richard Binning and Peter Jamtgaard, who loaned me their chargers during last year's event, I appreciate it. 
I’m currently trying to figure out how to turn my charger into jewelry, so I can just wear it all day.)

#AU2010 Tip #26: Try to eat a lot at lunch. 
There is so much talking during the evening mixers, you might not have time to take many bites.
This may sound silly or farfetched, but, I'm serious.

#AU2010 Tip #27: Sleep is for wimps, save it for the flight back home. ;-)

It’s is a compressed week made up of very long days. Try to get to as many mixers as you can after classes, but, obviously, you can’t be everywhere at once (darn you folks for scheduling everything cool at the same times, I think AU needs to be at least 7 days long to fit everything in).