All Things BIM / DC

AU Unplugged Welcome to AU’s “unconference” space, where session content is created and driven by participants. AU provides the venue and you provide the topics. AU Unplugged will help move some of the great hallway conversation that folks at AU have into a low-key classroom setting so attendees with similar interests can join in. Vote for Your Favorite Topics—Voting Ends November 5 What a lineup! Cast your vote for as many of the 50 excellent topics—submitted by AU 2008 registrants and speakers, and Autodesk employees—as you'd like. We will publish the "winning" sessions here and offer them in AU Unplugged. Guidelines for a Successful AU Unplugged Session Discussions only! No lectures. No product or service promotion or selling! The Law of Two Feet applies—if you’re not learning or contributing, leave. The perfect participants—the right people are the ones who show up.

From BIM and Beam The fall vintage of the Revit Extensions is now available This is time again for our new set of Extensions. We have 5 new pretty cool free of charge Extensions for our dear customers on subscription: Static Analysis of 2D frames Static Analysis of continuous beams Retaining wall reinforcement Slab corner reinforcement Automatic reinforcement for multiple elements together These Extensions plus all of the others are available in English, French, Italian, Polish, German and Chinese and you can learn more about them at http://www.extensions4revit.com/ In order to download these Extensions please go to our subscription portal at http://subscription.autodesk.com/ The Static analysis of 2D frames and continuous beams Extensions are in the spirit of the slab analysis and the truss analysis. We like to call them simulation analysis. They allow our users to do quick analysis inside Revit Structure instead of doing hand calcs or to reenter the info in other small analysis tools

From Shaan Hurley's Between the Lines blog 28 October 2008 Are you Attending AU 2008, Get Certified on Autodesk Products Free Are you certifiable? This year at AU 2008 the Autodesk Product Certification exams are FREE. Just pick up one or more vouchers at the Autodesk Education & Learning booth in the AU 2008 Exhibit Hall. It is first come, first served due to limited space so make a direct and fast line for the Autodesk Education & Learning booth when the Exhibit Hall first opens. AutoCAD AutoCAD Architecture AutoCAD Civil 3D Autodesk Inventor Revit Architecture Autodesk University 2008 Certification-related activities include the following: Onsite Testing – AutoCAD®, AutoCAD® Architecture, Autodesk® Inventor®, Revit® Architecture, and AutoCAD® Civil 3D® software. Exams available on a first-come, first-served basis. Certification Preparation Classes – Classes designed to help you pass the AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor 2009 Associate and Professional Certification exams.

From BIM and Beam ADAPT-Builder - integration link for Revit Structure is now available! Revit Structure 2009 meets ADAPT-Builder. The 3rd generation of the integration link is now available. The bi-directional integration offers ease-of-use by directly transferring model information from Revit Structure to ADAPT and back at the basic physical model level. Carry out your detailed slab and foundation system design using ADAPT's powerful 3D finite element analysis engines (ADAPT-Floor Pro and MAT) that automatically create analytical models from your imported Revit Structure model. Transfer potential geometry changes as well as reinforcement objects from ADAPT-Builder back into Revit Structure. This saves hours in redundant model manipulation, data entry and dramatically reduces coordination errors. View ADAPT-Revit integration video… For more information, please go visit ADAPT

From the AU 2008 website and Phil Read of HNTB Architecture. AU 2008 Buddy Pass: “Economic Stimulus” for New Registrants A tough economic climate demands the competitive edge only Autodesk University can deliver: In-depth product training on all the software you use every dayPowerful business strategies and industry insights from trusted expertsThe best networking opportunities you’ll find anywhere You don’t want to miss AU 2008—and we don’t want you to miss it either. To make it easier for you to attend, Autodesk has announced the AU 2008 Buddy Pass offer. The AU 2008 Buddy Pass Offer from Autodesk The Buddy Pass offer begins at 9:00 a.m. (PT) on November 5. The first 100 people to register and fully pay for a regular* AU 2008 pass can invite a “buddy” to register for free. When the 100 free Buddy Passes are gone, people who register and fully pay for a regular AU 2008 pass can invite a buddy to register for only US$595. In addition, anyone who registered and fully paid for a regular

Johnson County Community College will be offering another Revit Architecture class starting 02/14/09 and going until 05/09/09. This is a Saturday class from 9am to 12:30pm. This is a 2 credit hour class. The bad news is that the class will be using Revit Architecture 2008. I know, I know. Please don't get me started. I already tried to get them to upgrade, but I couldn't get any traction. If you are interested in the class, you can get a little more information at JCCC . I have been asked if JCCC will be teaching Structure or MEP but I do not believe this will happen. Contact JCCC though for more specific information.

From MasterGraphics I’ve been asked many times about the differences are between Revit Architecture, Revit Structure and Revit MEP? Are they the same with different tool sets? Is Structure the same as Arch with expanded tool set? Is MEP Arch with an expanded tool set? Can I get all 3 in one? Well, you can’t get all 3 in one (man, I sure hope Autodesk can do something about this!!). As for the other questions about the differences between the 3 apps, there are a few things that are different. One of those is being the families that come with each product. I hope to soon look at the main differences and will post and update when I do. Another is the External Tools that are available to each product. For example, Arch and MEP will not allow you to tie your model to a Structural Analysis program like Structure can. MEP, will allow you to tie into Trane Trace, but Arch and Structural cannot. Just take a look at the Extensions provided by Autodesk…there is a separate set for each p

I have been meaning to post this for awhile, just not enough hours in the day. I have been asked numerous questions about Large Project Management, so I thought I would put together several posts on that topic. I am sure that my boss Phil Read of HNTB Architecture and and my friend Daniel Hurtubise of RevitIt (update your blog you crazy Canadian) will also have some comments on this very subject as well. One important topic that I think gets overlooked from time to time is Saving to Central, so here are my comments on the matter. Save to Central: • Some will say that there is no clear rule for the best practice on how frequently users should save to central. Because a Save to Central can utilize substantial amounts of time to process and utilizing a great deal of network bandwidth, you are probably not going to Save to Central too often. That being said, you don't want to go too often without saving, because the local file(s) will be way out of sync with the Central file. • We gen

October 23, 2008 Dear Autodesk/Softimage Customer, We are pleased to announce that Autodesk and Avid Technology have signed a definitive agreement for Autodesk to acquire substantially all of the assets of Softimage, a Canadian subsidiary of Avid Technology. We are excited by this opportunity to join forces, combining two strong teams into a world-class center for computer graphics software research and development. Both Softimage and Autodesk Media & Entertainment are headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Softimage has been developing state-of-the-art 3D technology for more than 20 years. Its products are recognized as best-ofbreed in the entertainment industry. With nine million users, Autodesk is a world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the media and entertainment, manufacturing, building and construction markets. Softimage's technology complements Autodesk's entertainment products. Many film, television and game pipelines include products from both companies. Adding

SI Tools for Revit® Structure is a Revit Structure add-in that provides advanced selection capabilities for structural members. Use the toolbar buttons to quickly select all beams, columns, or walls on a single level or in the entire model, regardless of type or material. Or use the Advanced Selection options to select a custom combination of beams, columns and walls. Want to identify all 8X10 members, both beams and columns? Or select all concrete members, regardless of size? Or do you need to quickly find all members designated “not for analysis”? It is easy with SI Tools for Revit Structure. I have not had the time to install or use this tool, but would be interested to here some comments from those who have.

Kansas City Revit User Group Members, Mark W. Kiker, Chief Information Officer - Assoc. AIA of HMC is looking for your input. Mark is conducting a survey for a class that I am putting together on the BIM Manager position to be presented at Autodesk University 2008. Here is the class outline… BIM Manager - The Newest Position - BIM Manager, BIM Leader, BIM Coach, BIM Coordinator. Just some of the titles being handed out to those forward thinking BIM leaders. There is a new position that is developing as BIM progresses. It is one dedicated to overseeing BIM projects. Is it different that CAD Manager? Is it the same? What duties should a BIM Manager be doing? What are the same? Is this a short term evolution or is the CAD Manager being replaced? Discover what it takes to be a BIM Manager. Please take 5 minutes to complete the two surveys below. If you are not the “hands on” person managing BIM at your firm, please forward this on to them for participation. I will be sharing the results

A few weeks ago Phil Read, Todd Williams and myself traveled to Exton, PA to the Bentley Headquarters to get an overview of some of the technology that they are developing and how that might fit into HNTB Architecture's workflow. Now for the record, HNTB Architecture is primarily an Autodesk shop and we are transitioning from using AutoCAD/ADT to Revit. We have Architecture and Structure in house. I should mention this as well. I don't really care for ADT/AutoCAD Architecture that Revit is available. I think ADT is a powerful tool, but it has a very steep learning curve and there are way too many options to complete a task manage some kind of setting. As I mentioned, it is a great tool and HNTB is incredible fortunate to have Todd Williams on staff to manage that beast. But ADT is a beast that has to be managed. Admittedly I have not used MicroStation in a very long time. But when I see a demo or someone using it, I see essentially ADT with a different interface. So, just like

Autodesk has released the new Web Updates, Service Packs, or Builds (wish they would stick with a name) for the Revit 2009 platform. What is new for this release is that you are now able to install just the "update" to an existing installation. Here are the links of note. Revit Architecture 2009 downloads Revit Structure 2009 downloads Revit MEP 2009 dowloads There is of course a very LONG list of fixes / improvements that you can find from the links above. For subscription customers, you can now download the 64-bit version of Revit. I used the beta of Revit Architecture 64-bit on a couple different Dell workstations with either 4GB or 16GB of RAM running XP 64-bit and saw noticeable stability and performance improvements. You can download the 64-bit versions of Revit from the Autodesk Subscription site. On the left side of the screen you will see "Product Downloads". Click on that link and you will then be able to download the 64-bit versions from the list. Keep in

Revit is a great tool and a major improvement over 2D or 3D CAD Systems, but sometimes don't you just wish there was something better. Enter Lego Digital Designer . We can argue all day long whether it is BIM or not, but in the end, who care. It has some features that may make an interesting addition to your toolset. Lego Digital Designer is aimed at users who just want to play around a little before actual construction. All kiddy aside, I was pretty amoazed with this graphics-intensive program that works. You can zoom in and out, rotate your point-of-view 360 degrees, connect bricks to each other, rotate them, and move any hinges that they might have to explore just how your various pieces fit together. It also feature a build in cost modeling tool, blast simulation and the inability to create situations where building compoents will clash. (above) Accurate Cost Detailed Cost Estimates (above) Blast Simulation

Revit Technician Responsibility: Job duties include developing and preparing plans and detail drawings per Architectural Graphic Standards for projects using construction materials such as steel, concrete, masonry and wood. Create drawings from sketches, field notes, self knowledge or direct instruction. Modifying drawings from engineers redlines. Requirement: The successful candidate must have a minimum of 2 years experience in structural drafting and an Associate’s Degree in Drafting, or 4 years experience in structural drafting. Candidate must be proficient in Revit Structure, Autocad 2008 or 2009 and Microsoft Office. CAD Technician/Field Technician Responsibility: The candidate will perform approximately 50% CAD Tech operations and 50% Field Technician services. The design responsibilities will pertain to building and parking lot structures. Field service responsibility will include surveys and measurements. Requirement: The candidate must have a minimum of three years experience

Last Chance to Save US$500 You cannot put a price on the expert knowledge and business contacts you'll gain at AU 2008—but you can put a price on claiming your Early Bird discount: US$500. So visit the AU conference website—and save US$500 when you register by October 10. Get the Experience You Need AU 2008 features more than 600 in-depth technical, business, and industry sessions—including special Keynotes, a forward-thinking Design Leadership program, PowerTrack immersion courses, and a Sustainability track that goes beyond the “green” hype. Here are just a few of the sessions that will interest architects, designers, and visualization specialists: Autodesk® 3ds Max® Animation Concepts for Architectural Animation Daylight and Lighting Analysis with Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2009 From 3D to 4D: Using Autodesk® 3ds Max® and NavisWorks® to Take America’s Largest Infrastructure Project into the Fourth Dimension Parametric Design Modeling with Autodesk® 3ds Max® Creative Animation Techniques