Moving forward (when your company won’t)

I've got a guest poster today, Matt Stachoni. Thanks for sharing, Matt! 

I hope my readers enjoy his practical advice. 

Q: My company is refusing to move to Revit because they think… (there’s a huge learning curve)(training costs too much)(we’ve got too much work to have people out of the office for a decent amount of training)(BIM is a fad)(Autodesk sucks)(etc).

I feel like I’m being left behind everyone else in the industry by using outdated tools and methodology.

How do I keep myself educated/efficient/marketable when I don’t have the financial resources of my company behind me?

A: I very much sympathize with your situation, because falling behind the technology curve is a terrible feeling. Even working for a reseller, I often feel behind the cutting edge, especially reading some of the BIM and Revit blogs I scan on a daily basis. The stuff people are doing with the product is really crazy nowadays.

I’ve seen many instances where a few people were interested in it, but the attitudes of managers and principals made it all but impossible to be on any sort of cutting edge. In this economy, firms are faced with a real problem... Spend a ton of money to FINALLY get on Revit – and use it - or simply miss out on project work because you fail to move ahead. I've seen it happen in this area. Two years ago, no one used Revit. No one wanted to. No one felt they needed to. Now, it's a completely different story. Many of the subcontractors are using Revit and Navisworks just to make sure their designs work.

Everyone knows it's rolling over the area like a huge tidal wave. If you want to survive, you want to be out of the crashing surf, riding the waves up and down. And if you are still standing on the beach, you at least need to be looking in the right direction.

Yeah, it's expensive. But how expensive are cause delays and interoperability problems with your projects due to your current software? Using old, outdated CAD applications probably hurts your people more than anything else. This artificially limits your employees' progress and overall market worth, and it makes it harder to find quality new employees, because no one wants to work for someone who is still stuck in 1992.

Learning Revit? First get yourself a copy of the software. Download and install Revit Architecture 2012, then after 60 days, get Revit MEP, then Structure. After six months of diligent work, you’ll understand all three applications and be the most valuable person on the planet. If you can still get 2011, get that first; now you have a complete years’ worth of Revit fun.

Then download the Architecture, MEP and Structural tutorials for 2010 from the Autodesk support site. They really do help get you off the ground and understanding the program's thought pattern. The online videos, while helpful, only give a very cursory introduction to the software. YouTube is your best friend – there are lots of Revit videos full of tips and tricks.

Then get a copy of Navisworks Manage and learn that. Download a copy of my “Introduction to Navisworks Manage” class from last year's AU, 'cause it totally rocks, here: http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=class&session_id=6765.

Get two books: “Introducing Revit Architecture” by Patrick Davis, Charlie Busa, Steve Stafford, et al, and “Mastering Revit Architecture” by Eddy Krygiel, Phil Read, and James Vandezande. Read the Introducing book first, and do all of the exercises. Then read the Mastering book to reinforce how it all comes together, as well as learn valuable out of the box techniques.

For the first few weeks, build a project a day. Nothing special, but concentrate on one aspect, such as creating compound walls with articulation (regions, sweeps and reveals), roofs of various kinds with fascia, gutters and soffits, and stairs. Build lots and lots and lots of stairs.

Get Paul Aubin's DVDs series on Mastering the Family Editor and creating parametric families. These are really good instructional videos. http://paulaubin.com/blog/master-the-family-editor-series-available-on-dvd/ I also liked his Revit Essentials videos as well.

Download and read AUGIWorld Magazine, which has some of the bestup to date Revit/BIM Info anywhere.

Subscribe to all of the Revit blogs you can find. Here are just a few of the ones I like:

http://insidethefactory.typepad.com/

http://revitclinic.typepad.com/my_weblog/

http://revitclinic.typepad.com/my_weblog/

http://www.architecture-tech.com/

http://whatrevitwants.blogspot.com/

http://therevitkid.blogspot.com/

http://dorevit.blogspot.com/

http://www.revitzone.com/

http://autodesk-revit.blogspot.com/

http://buildz.blogspot.com/

http://revit-detail.blogspot.com/ (follow the details tutorials from day one)

http://blogs.rand.com/architectural/

http://revit.blogspot.com/

http://do-u-revit.blogspot.com/

http://bimtroublemaker.blogspot.com/

http://cad-notes.com/category/revit-architecture/revit-architecture-tutorial/

http://bimboom.blogspot.com/

http://allthingsbim.blogspot.com/

http://mep-cad.blogspot.com/

http://ductductpipe.blogspot.com/

http://inside-the-system.typepad.com/

http://doddsandends.typepad.com/blog/

http://jasongrant.squarespace.com/

http://www.goodrevit.com/viewforum.php?f=9

http://thesustainabledesigntoolbox.typepad.com/blog/

http://sites.google.com/site/revitblogdirectory/

http://www.revitup.co.za/_mgxroot/page_10937.php

Regards,
Matt Stachoni
Senior AEC Applications Technical Specialist
CADapult LTD

3 Mill Park Court, Suite A

Newark, DE 19713

(302) 733-0477

matt.stachoni@cadapult.net

http://www.cadapult.net

AEC Blog: http://www.cadapult.net/aecblog

Matt Stachoni is the senior AEC Applications Technical Specialist and BIM implementation consultant for CADapult LTD, an Authorized Autodesk Silver reseller in Northern Delaware, and has over 20 years’ experience working with Autodesk applications.

OT: School Update redux

In the Summer of 2009 I gave you an update on how my continuing education was progressing, and I thought it was time for another.

Returning to School
I started attending St. Louis University in the Spring of 2008 (coincidentally, we found out we were expecting our second child about two weeks before classes began... yikes! I decided to stick it out, though, as I'd already taken a brief ~cough~five year~cough~ break from my studies after my first son was born and didn't want to be deterred again).
I joined the School for Professional Studies (which has evening, weekend and online classes) because of a special program at work. They actually brought SLU teachers to one of our buildings on campus and the other students were all employees. I only stayed with this program for a year, after that, I started scheduling my own classes and attending on the University campus.

I wasn't sure what the demographic was going to be. It turns out that a majority of the students are female (yes, even in my Computer Science classes). Also, a majority were in their 40's and 50's (many of whom have children in high school and college). There were some folks in their 20's and 30's, but, not all that many.
Of course, we have all felt a certain kinship, despite any age gaps, because we had something pretty major in common... we were all balancing full time work in addition to school.

Declaring my major was somewhat difficult. In the summer of 2009, I made my decision and signed on for the new (at the time) Organizational Leadership and Technology program (it's a combination of two programs, the Computer Science and Organizational Studies coursework). I thought it would give me a more well-rounded education over a straight Computer Science degree.

Although, if they had offered the Informatics degree back then, I probably would have signed up for that instead (:sadpanda: seriously, when did they add that? Sneaky little so and so's.).

Fun Fact:
The AUGI Annual Salary Survey reveals that, in 2002 27% of responding members had a Bachelor's degree or higher. By 2010, this percentage had increased to 41%.

Handling the Coursework
The program I'm in operates on a compressed class schedule (a class only runs for nine weeks, allowing students to complete at least five classes in a year, one at a time), but, don't let that fool you into thinking it is easy. Almost all of these classes will still cover an entire textbook in that time. The class meetings are four hours long, we still have tests, papers to write, chapters to read in our books, as well as a host of multimedia supplements (darn the technology!!!). It is VERY intense and you have to stay on top of it.
But, it's doable. I have told myself so many times since I began, "you can do anything for nine weeks".

As an applied sciences type of girl, I thought that the core studies would be a boring waste of time, but, I've found that I actually really enjoyed them. I suppose maturity and perspective might have had something to do with that change of heart?
Something a few students don't care for is the fact that many instructors require us to get up and speak in front of our classmates...  
Seriously, don't spend time worrying about public speaking. Just pick a topic you're familiar with and trust that you know what you're talking about, it will get easier every time you have to do it, and an increased comfort level in front of an audience will benefit you at work, guaranteed.

I do most of my homework during my lunch hour at work. I am fortunate enough that I have an hour break, and my own office. So, I shut my door, eat at my desk, and catch up on class discussion group posts, read articles, listen to any online lectures and write my papers (I'm so sick of APA formatting guidelines).
Although, since the university upgraded their online classroom platform (Blackboard), I have been able to check into content and discussion posts from my iPhone, so I can use the time normally wasted waiting in line at the DMV, etc.
I might read textbook assignments while watching a movie with the family, or driving around on our weekend errands (obviously, I'm not the one driving, my husband is... I'm riding).
I tend to take my quizzes online after dinner or at some point during the weekend.
~looks around conspiratorially~ Okay, I confess, sometimes, I just can not get everything done in the time I have allotted... so, typically toward the end of the semester, I will schedule a day off of work, and spend it tucked away into the corner of our local library (which is much quieter than the university library). I use this time to finish up any major projects and study for my final exams.
I also try to take my notes in an electronic format as often as possible... when you're cramming for an exam, it's a lot easier to do a search for a specific term, than to have to flip through an entire notebook in a vain attempt to locate a single piece of data.

Paying for Classes and Textbooks
Obviously, cost was a major consideration in my education. I'd only pursued an Associate's degree as a youngster because it was all that I could afford at the time (although, I was pleased at finishing that without owing anyone any money). I wanted to obtain a Bachelor's degree, but, I just wasn't sure how I could pay for tuition and books and fees, etc.

My employer will agree to reimburse a set amount of tuition (and fees and books) per year, once a degree program has been approved by our educational benefits department. That is something for which I am extremely grateful, of course.

I wanted to take more classes than they were able to pay for, though, so I completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is the first step for obtaining grants and loans to help with the expenses. The financial aid office also links to resources to find specialty scholarships.
Unfortunately, I will have some student loans when I graduate, but, I wanted to complete my degree in four years, rather than eight, so I bit the bullet.

I don't buy my books from the school bookstore, I buy them from Amazon. You have to keep an eye on the class information and try to purchase your books as soon as possible... if you wait until two weeks before the semester starts, you'll notice the prices jump as the book sellers realize certain books are in demand. Sometimes, you just cannot find used books at a reasonable price, so, I've actually rented them.

In order to pay for the books, I've done some work through Amazon's crowd-sourcing program, Mechanical Turk. Most of the gigs (hits) don't pay diddly, but, you can sift through and find some that are easy enough to do while you're watching TV, and, if you get fast enough, the earnings can add up.
Also, I like to do some usability studies with Autodesk. Some of their longer studies provide an Amazon gift card as a 'thank you'.
While my employer finally added the benefit of reimbursing for textbooks (last year?), I'm the one purchasing them up front, and I'm not going to be wasting funds.

What Now? 
Last night... ~pausing for dramatic effect~ last night I received written confirmation of my application to graduate. It is official, I will be completing my coursework (with all classes already scheduled) in 2011.
~waits for applause to die down~
I'm happy to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm sure my family is, too.

I really think that, given my tendency to do most of my work during my lunch hour, I've minimized the impact on my family as much as humanly possible (although that effort may not have been as noticeable, as I was still freelancing a bit during this time)... but, we will all appreciate my extra energy, when I no longer have to get up early, stay up late and come home from work worn out because I didn't have a single break during the day.

No. I'm not entirely sure how I will put this degree to work. Over the past couple of years, I have become more involved in Project Management roles for our department's technology initiatives, which enables me to use my experience with 'that computer stuff', as well as my experiences with the details (scope, specifications, bidding, budgeting), so expanding on that might be the logical way to get some use out of my education. I obviously love my coworkers and believe in the work that we've been doing together for over a decade, and it will be nice if we are able to put our heads together and find something for me to do. ;-)

I will also be continuing my education and pursuing a Master's (MS) in Informatics. Thanks to an accelerated program at SLU, to kick start things, I've already taken one class toward this degree and will have another this Fall.


I hope that, in recounting my experience here, I can give others an idea of what it has taken to complete a goal like this (answer summary: stubbornness, time and having superman for a spouse).

Tips and Tricks Contest - Win a great book!

Thanks to the generosity of James Wedding, Ellen Finkelstein and Rick Graham, I have some very sweet prizes for three lucky readers!

• Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011
• AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011
• Mastering AutoCAD for the Mac

I've linked to the table of contents of each of these wonderful texts, check out everything these authors cover. I haven't read Mastering Civil 3D, as that's not my industry, and I don't own a Mac but, I'm sure those books are just as chock full of tasty tips and will serve as a handy reference just like the AutoCAD Bible (which I have read in the past and do highly recommend).


Contest Rules: 

1. Post a tip about any Autodesk product using the comments area below.
2. Tell me which book you'd like to win.
3. Provide your email, so I may contact you for your mailing address if you've been selected.
4. Contest is open until March 18th, 2011. 

The winner will be chosen at random by my two-year-old.

I apologize, but, the winner needs to be in the United States (these are pretty heavy books and I'll be footing the bill for shipping), unless you're willing to wait for a hand-delivery at Autodesk University 2011?

Since I now have moderated comments (due to having far more SPAM comments than real ones), I will be collecting the information posted there, but, will not be publishing the comments themselves.

The tips and tricks submitted by the contest entrants will be shared in a blog post the last week of March.

Use the following as a guide to submit your tip:

Name: Melanie Perry

Email address: mistressofthedorkness@gmail.com
Book Preference:  AutoCAD Bible
*Attribution*: Melanie "Mistress of the Dorkness" Perry

*Product*: AutoCAD

*Tip*: Use the Express Tool "SYSVDLG" to access your system variables, and even save them as an SVF file to preserve or share your current settings.

I'll only be posting those fields marked with an asterisk, and of course, I'll only be using the email address you provide to contact you if you're the winner.

I am asking that you share a tip with me, in exchange for your chance to win a free book, but, it does not have to be restricted to AutoCAD or Civil3D, if you have a great Revit or AutoCAD MEP tip etc, feel free to share it.

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

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).

• AutoCAD 2011 Update 1.1 
• Makes a few general fixes, also updates the CER
• AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Layer Manager Hotfix
• You don't need this if you've installed update 1.1, above. Resolves Layer Manager instability experienced during certain tasks.
• Certified Hardware XML Database Update
• Hardware certification database (driver info).
• SAMReport-lite for Windows 7
• Allows installation of SAMReport on Windows 7
• Autodesk InfoCenter Hot Fix
• From site: "searches in InfoCenter may encounter not getting any search results when searching for double-byte characters (Japanese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean)."
• AutoCAD 2011 CHM-Based Help
• There are performance issues with the online Help files, so you can download this to keep locally. 
• Asian Character Command Line Input Hotfix For AutoCAD 2011
• Liveupdate HotFix for French/Italian/Spanish AutoCAD 2011 64-bit versions
• PublishToWeb HotFix for French/Italian/Spanish AutoCAD 2011 64-bit versions
• Autodesk Materials Library 2011 Update 1
• From site: "This update resolves an issue with some of the default materials in the Autodesk Materials Library not being usable in certain non-English products."

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).

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

more virtual events http://autodesk.com/seizetheopportunity

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

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

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:

http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2010/03/special-event-next-week.html

The AutoCAD History Page:

http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2010/03/another-autocad-release-autocad-2011.html

And a huge collection of great links from folks talking about the 2011 products:

http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2010/03/autodesk-2011-product-news-blog-post-link-feast-something-for-everyone.html

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

GORGEOUS weather in San Fran! http://twitpic.com/1ap6qx Wednesday, March 24, 2010 5:46:42 PM

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 see cad geeks http://twitpic.com/1aqa1a Wednesday, March 24, 2010 8:54:08 PM

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

RT @katemorrical: Announcing AutoCAD LT 2011! http://bit.ly/cI9IYz Thursday, March 25, 2010 8:05:01 AM

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

Checking into the Gallery http://twitpic.com/1atsx3 Thursday, March 25, 2010 10:12:21 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

Getting ready for the webcast http://twitpic.com/1au2ip Thursday, March 25, 2010 10:58:48 AM

#acad2011 RT @thecadgeek: Interesting stats about AutoCAD 2011 http://tweetphoto.com/15741998 Thursday, March 25, 2010 10:59:17 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

Post-webcast Q&A http://twitpic.com/1aufum Thursday, March 25, 2010 12:04:32 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

Improvement focus from autocad 07 -#acad2011 http://twitpic.com/1aurw3 Thursday, March 25, 2010 1:04:59 PM

In session, Dean, Lynn, Heidi, Mark http://twitpic.com/1auujf Thursday, March 25, 2010 1:18:47 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

Cool models in the @autodeskgallery http://twitpic.com/1av8ze Thursday, March 25, 2010 2:32:43 PM

Thinking GREEN with @mrcadman and @thecadgeek http://twitpic.com/1aviuc Thursday, March 25, 2010 3:21:57 PM

Cool models in the @autodeskgallery http://twitpic.com/1avksq Thursday, March 25, 2010 3:31:41 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

First things first, coffee... http://twitpic.com/1b1qmg Friday, March 26, 2010 11:07:56 AM

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

RT @Binrock: #Revit 2011 - Revit Video stream for 2011 - www.youtube.com/AutodeskBuilding Friday, March 26, 2010 1:52:59 PM

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

On the BART, heading to SFO. http://twitpic.com/1b3cgq Friday, March 26, 2010 3:41:10 PM