AUGI Browser Toolbar

http://www.augi.com/home/detail.asp?page=893
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The AUGI Connectivity Toolbar is a free search and navigation companion that accompanies you as you surf, providing instant connectivity, searchability, and information from AUGI without interrupting your Web browsing. Now you can sport your affiliation with AUGI wherever you browse.
Main Button and Menu Provides links to AUGI Programs and Channels
Search Combo Box is configurable to search AUGI Site, AUGI Forums, and other User Selected Web Search Engines
Links Directly into Community Channels, Programs, and Forums
MSN Messenger Tools can be Launched Directly from the Toolbar
Industrial Strength PopUp Blocker with User configurable "Whitelist"
Selectable WebForm autofill makes filling out webforms a snap.
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Newsgroup Guidelines for Newbies

Newsgroups for N00bs

Okay, maybe not just for newbies, but also for people that just don’t use them frequently… The below tips are just some advice from me to you that will make your newsgroup experience nicer and much more productive.
(I’m writing these guidelines with the assumption that you’re going to be in a quasi-professional newsgroup or forum such as Autodesk Discussion Groups, AUGI or similar.)

Signing up
Use a free email account (yahoo or hotmail) on groups where your contact information might be shown. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure against a stalker or flamer, but this is also a good precaution for switching employers (one less place you’ll have to update your contact information).

Try for an appropriate user name, if you’re given a choice. Show your individuality, but do it conservatively.
Men: nothing in your name should reference the perceived strength of your libido… Yuck!
Women: obviously casual names are fine, but if you want to be taken slightly more seriously try to avoid anything too cutesy.

For signature lines, this is a place to show your affiliations and a little personality. Some people put a link to their blog and a funny quote. Try to avoid politically offensive statements, or things that are sexually suggestive. The same goes for avatars, if a site allows them.

Know the rules
Some rules are stated, some are implied… get to know the ones that are stated right off the bat, you’ll slowly pick up on implied rules as you go along.

Stated rules:

One of the things that will cause reader irritation, a flame war, etc. faster than anything is advertising!
Do not reply to a question with ‘I can help you, contact me!’ as most of these forums prohibit advertisements.
Yes, networking is a great benefit of newsgroups. Provide good content and users will contact you if they need additional help that they’re willing to pay for.
However, do keep in mind that these are peer to peer support groups, and most people aren’t looking to pay someone to do their job, they just want to know how to do it better themselves.

This may go without saying (basic code of ethics here), but, don’t pose as ‘just another user’ and act like you’re a satisfied customer of your company or product… chances are the others on the website will see right through you and lose all respect for your company. Don’t risk your entire reputation for a little free advertising.

Politics and religion are a no-no. Basically keep this in mind… a statement that is negative about any group (gender, ethnic, religious, political, etc) is a bad idea, don’t post it.
Anything posed as inflammatory is generally prohibited.
(A personal example: on one site, someone made a negative generalization about female programmers… as a result, I flamed the gentleman who made the comment. Said gentleman then went to another forum that I post to, and repeated the comment in an attempt to antagonize me. Of course, as it was blatantly discriminatory, someone deleted it before I had a chance to reply... and that was probably a good thing for me.)
So, really, avoid chasing up people trying to get them riled up, and try to ignore people who are obviously trying to do that to you.

Make a clear subject line (thread title). AUGI has a feature that finds similar threads based on keywords in the subject of the thread, and Autodesk discussion groups have a lot of posts to read through, so titles like ‘Help!’ or ‘it’s broken!’ aren’t a good idea if you want people to pop into a thread and provide an answer.

Post a question only once on a website. This keeps the answers nice and organized and the information all in one place if you’re asked to clarify something.

Implied Rules:

Don’t be demanding. These are peer to peer support groups. Other professionals pop up to these sites during their breaks or spare time to try to help another user out. If a thread’s been dead a week with no answer, go ahead and bump it back up… but, don’t come back an hour later making demands as to why it hasn’t been answered. No one answering questions is getting paid to do it, so don’t complain or you’ll be branded an ingrate, and that will likely affect the answers you’ll get in the future.

Ask your question on the site by posting, don’t just pick someone and contact him or her in private expecting an answer. That’s not the way forums are intended to work. Chances are, you won’t pick the most qualified person this way anyhow. ;)

Add details that might be relevant. Such as your product and version, any installed add-ons, your operating system (and service packs), whether you’re pulling drawings from your hard drive or a network. Step by step instructions on how to reproduce your problem will get faster results than ‘my drawing doesn’t work anymore, how do I fix it?’ It might also be helpful to post a screenshot so other users can visualize complex problems more easily.

Don’t post in all CAPS… THAT’S CONSIDERED YELLING.

Take care with your words. Some people are bothered by grammar and spelling mistakes. Personally, they don’t bother me in a casual environment such as a peer to peer forum. But, I do find myself feeling really irritated when I see misused or misunderstood statements… such as declaring a mute point or asking for imput (for those that don’t see what I’m saying… that’s supposed to be moot point and input).
(This is akin to the irritation when I get a drawing and someone has included the name of a different health system. I can understand that someone would confuse two hospitals, and I can understand that someone would confuse two similar words, but I do tend to take that contractor less seriously because of a small careless mistake.)
Conversely, while a polite correction isn’t unrealistic, please refrain from hostile flaming of users over a simple spelling mistake.

Post your solution. Sometimes you’ll get a few suggestions on how to fix a particular problem. Help out the community by posting back, which one worked for you! Or, if you found an answer elsewhere, go back to your question and post your solution; guaranteed, someone will do a search and come across it later and be really grateful!

TIP:
FWIW an FYI: geeks love acronyms… NTTAWWT. Don’t want to keep asking what people mean? IMHO, you need to just keep the link to Acronym Finder handy - http://www.acronymfinder.com/

Newsgroups are a Good Thing!

I am the only full-time CAD person in my company, and we all know that things break. Out of necessity, I discovered professional design newsgroups within six months of starting my career, and have been grateful ever since. Sometimes you get the answer you need, sometimes you just get a workaround, other times you get exactly what you required in a fantabulous AHA! moment.

I can assure you that the good outweighs the bad when you adhere to the rules and guidelines.

These tips are just a place to get started, after a while, you can feel more confident to let the atmosphere of the CAD forum that you choose guide you.


Edit: Here is a nice succinct list of things to keep in mind... http://blogs.squidoo.com/squidblog/?p=276

&

Here is a non-CAD-specific, but, humorous video about proper forum etiquette. Enjoy.

Autodesk does a little more for FM and Collaboration

Autodesk has recently acquired a product called Constructware, that is a collaboration tool which has been used in Facilities Management (and other fields, I know, but, anything FM-geared from Autodesk, like their recent acquisition of FM Desktop just tickles me pink).

I can't help feeling a bit like the red-headed step child of the AEC industry. Facility managers seem to be viewed as sort of a necessary evil. We're difficult to work with, either too demanding, or too passive. Our contractors can use vertical products to streamline their work, but, in order to work with everyone the facility manager has to stick pretty much with autocad.

I've received drawings done not only by vanilla autocad, but, also by microstation, land desktop, adt, revit, visio, photoshop, and, silliest of all... MS Excel. I currently use Autodesk MAP for it's cleanup tools (and other forgotten reasons that probably had to do with a long-term goal of implementing a mapguide site) that make my life just that little bit easier.

But, it's always a struggle to get usable data from contractors... and then get faced with complaints about no CAD documents during the next renovation.

But, every step that Autodesk takes that makes my job easier is comforting. The teasers at AU2004, the wider assortment of *real* FM classes at AU2005, and the FM:Desktop and Constructware deals.
Take a look at this post in the FM forum on Autodesk Discussion Groups for commentary from some deskers on where Desktop will fit in at Autodesk.

I also see the advent of products such as ABS and Revit Systems as a step in the right direction (discussions: Building Systems for FM, Anyone have clients interested in Revit Systems for FM, Revit for Facilities Management), but, assume it will be a few years down the road. I'm not an asset manager, but, a Facility Manager, and products that design more intelligent building models could only benefit me.

It promises to be an interested journey and I just wonder what Autodesk will come up with next


Oh, and for those who didn't know, Roopinder Tara of Tenlinks fame (a fantastic resource for the busy CADdie trying to keep up to date) has started a weblog, CAD Insider! I dig this post where we learn the varied things that CAD could stand for...

Revit Systems in Facilities Management (FM)/Who's Teaching BIM?

I've been speculating on the feasibility of something like this for quite a while.

I'd love to have all of the systems in my facility documented in a program like this... tired of all of the CAFM programs being about managing the assets... we need to be able to manage the facility as well.

*Could* one of these programs be used in this manner? Yes? No? Not yet?

I'd love to hear thoughts on this from people. I'm curious if any contractors/designers/engineers are using a program like ABS or Revit Systems (or planning to), and whether you have any clients who are aware and interested in using your construction documentation in order to maintain their infrastructure?

I'm reposting some comments from this thread on the Autodesk discussions groups, as a response to my question as to how soon schools will be able to produce designers and engineers that are familiar with this type of software.

The following colleges & high schools are either teaching Revit Building in a design studio, BIM course or are making it available to their students.
· Top 5 US Architectural Colleges/Universities (Design Intelligence 2005)
1. Yale University
2. Penn State
3. Texas A&M
4. Iowa State
5. Rice University (Spring 2006)
· 73 Universities/Colleges in North America
· 163 High Schools in North America

As BIM adoption grows in the building industry, so does the use of BIM in educational curricula. BIM is being leveraged within several universities around the world and students who have hands-on access and training to this way of working are not only accelerating their design thinking and studio work, but laying the foundation for dramatically advancing their future in the industry.
Steve

2006 can turn AEC Objects into basic entities!!!

It appears that I'm not quite the faithful Between the Lines reader that I should be.

Check out this post by Shaan Hurley on how to gain this functionality by loading the AecArchXOE.cui
I haven't tested it out yet, but I will definitely make use of it.

Look around and you'll see more useful stuff like and online New Feature's Workshop for 2007.

Check out Heidi Hewett's blog for some videos to see some new features in action.

Also be aware that a new object enabler for 2004-2006 products has been made available to ensure proper viewing of ADT 2007 objects.

AUGI and Autodesk have updated their peet to peer forums to include the new products, be sure to pop in and see what they're saying!

I would try to type more, but, I tried to cut off one of my fingers the other day and typing is a little painful for me. More soon.

Revit Users Group Kansas City, ACAD2007 in Denver, Revit Seattle

hey, look at the AUGI LUG forum!

I want to invite everyone in the new Kansas City Revit User Group. The second meeting will be April 20th at the Thornton-Tomasetti offices from 6pm to 8pm.From approx 6:15 to 7pm, Avatec will be giving a demo of the Revit interface. From 7:15 to 8pm there will be a presentation from JE DUNN on how that contractor is using Revit. Avatec will be providing pizza and beverages. All are welcome.

Mark your calendars! Denver's Local User Group, PAUG, is proud to present Heidi Hewett, Autodesk Technical Marketing Manager and Nate Bartley, Autodesk Beta Coordinator. You are invited to see a FREE presentation AutoCAD 2007. Don't miss this great opportunity to see the features of AutoCAD 2007. This event will give you the heads up you need and allow you to network with other Autodesk Enthusiasts in the Denver Metro Area. For more information on the location visit: www.paug.org/westwood.htm Pizza and refreshments will be provided, so bring your appetite for food and knowledge!

Seattle Revit User Group meeting on March 23rd 11:30am to 1:30pm at Miller Hull's office, 71 Columbia Sixth Floor. There will be a demo of Revit 9 by an autodesk rep

Not Just for CAD Managers

I'd recommend a browse of this page on Mark Kiker's CAD Management website for some fantastic topics. Don't be put off by the fact that this is a CADManager-geared website, everyone will be able to benefit from the varied topics. From Time Management, Home Use Licensing & Diagnosing problems, there's a little something for everyone here.

Then, pop over and check out Robert Green's articles. Topics range from lsp to Document Management.

That also goes for the CAD Management forum on AUGI. There are a lot of helpful topics in there that the average CADdie can benefit from .

On a totally unrelated topic, if you or someone you know has an autoimmune disorder, and aren't sure where to find resources and information, check out the Autoimmune Information Network. A.I.N. is a non-profit organization (Charities Regisration Number CH2627600 and 501(c)3 number 010830256 ) that was specifically formed to help patients and family members with any of the over 145+ known autoimmune diseases. A.I.N. helps direct patients and families to medication assistance programs, support groups, help with paperwork and applications, even find monetary resources if the need arises. We can help you find doctors that specialize in these diseases, and act as patient advocates, if the need arises.

Best Architectural Site EVER!

My friend Daron just gave me this link... follow it... and be ready to be stunned... this is fantastic...

http://www.architectsassociates.net/

EXPERT in Autocad

nope... I'm not talking about a person... I'm talking about a system variable!

the below is from AutoCAD help files:


Initial value: 0

EXPERT - Controls whether certain prompts are issued.
0 Issues all prompts normally.

1 Suppresses “About to regen, proceed?” and “Really want to turn the current layer off?”

2 Suppresses the preceding prompts and “Block already defined. Redefine it?” (BLOCK) and “A drawing with this name already exists. Overwrite it?” (SAVE or WBLOCK).

3 Suppresses the preceding prompts and those issued by the LINETYPE command if you try to load a linetype that’s already loaded or create a new linetype in a file that already defines that linetype.

4 Suppresses the preceding prompts and those issued by UCS Save and VPORTS Save if the name you supply already exists.

5 Suppresses the prompt, “That name is already in Use, redefine it?” issued by the -DIMSTYLE Save option when you supply the name of an existing dimension style.

When a prompt is suppressed by EXPERT, the operation in question is performed as though you entered y at the prompt. Setting EXPERT can affect scripts, menu macros, AutoLISP, and the command functions.

Be sure to check out Lynn Allen's blog for some of the new features and improvements we can expect in 2007. She's got some screenshots and steps to follow. Also, it's not all about 3d, she mentions some other features as well (such as the improved x-ref palette, fields, tables, model/layout tabs, dynamic input, palette improvements, dwf underlay, printing to pdf, etc)

What to expect with Autocad 2007 + My Favorites

Well... yesterday we were free to talk about the upcoming release of autocad, but, I didn't post anything up here because I had to work through lunch. Sorry to any faithful readers. ;)

Well, Shaan Hurley, as usual, is the best resource, since he's compiled all of the links I was going to post and more to other beta testers' blogs and tutorials and screenshots.

I haven't been as active this year as I'd like to be in learning about the new product, but, I'll tell you the three things that I will use most in my job...

internal pdf creation (I believe that's only 2D for now)
Flatshot (and additional flatten-type command, I say flatten type, because, unlike flatten, it won't have any effect on 2d linework, just 3D solids)
and my very favorite...
AECTOACAD (from help: You can create a new version of a drawing file with all proxy AEC objects exploded into basic AutoCAD objects. The new version of the drawing loses the intelligence of the custom AEC objects, but the resulting basic objects can be displayed and accessed in earlier versions of AutoCAD when object enablers are not available for those versions.)
I get so many drawings from outside contractors that were created in adt or something, and this will just help to relieve a lot of aggravation with aec objects, since only about 2% of those contractors have ever heard of their option 'export to autocad' ;)

And for those who are wondering, yes, the Screen Menu will still be there in autoCAD 2007.

Happy Cadding.