BIM & BEAM

Autodesk Assistance Program Networking Event in Waltham, MA

 

 

 

Meet, greet, and learn.

 

Join Autodesk, the Boston Society of Architects, and Microdesk for a networking event at the Autodesk Gallery Boston on Trapelo Road.

Date: Thursday, July 23, 2009
Time: 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
Location: 1560 Trapelo Rd, Waltham

In partnership with the Boston Society of Architects and Microdesk, Autodesk is hosting a networking event for job-seeking architects, engineers, and designers in the Boston Area. Meet potential employers in your field, network with peers and learn more about how you can benefit from the Autodesk Assistance Program.

Please RSVP to autodeskAAP@fleishman.com by Friday, July 17, 2009.

Registration is limited.

Export a Dragonfly model to Revit

Hi All,

Back in March 2009, I wrote a blog post about Dragonfly which was available to download for testing at Autodesk Labs. The site has seen very brisk traffic since its launch in March.

I recently learn that Dragonfly has the ability to export a model to Revit using the Revit API.

What is Dragonfly?

Dragonfly is a web-based application for home improvement projects targeting entry level "designers" like the homeowner.   Dragonfly's intuitive design tools help you rapidly create and furnish a floor plan, experimenting in real time with your ideas in 2D and 3D before making it real!  Dragonfly also enables you to share any saved designs with others by simply clicking the "Share" icon in the upper left hand corner of the Designer window.

For professional designers who use Dragonfly, you can export the floor plan and furnishings as a Revit RVT file.

All you need to do is log onto Dragonfly:

http://dragonfly.autodesk.com

Below are some screen captures of how to export to Revit:

 

Select Export to Revit:

 

Then open the model in Revit:

 

Enjoy!

Wai

Share the Value of Autodesk University (Special AU Online Offer Ends Soon)

 

Hi All,

 

There is a special offer for you to share the value of AU content with your co-workers and friends who do not currently have full access to AU Online.

It's easy. Just forward this message to your co-workers and friends who might benefit from the thousands of hours of training screencasts and session materials on AU Online. When they click on the following link, they can register and get immediate access to all AU Online content. This offer is good until June 1, 2009.

http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=promo&code=5n1_116473_09

Thanks for helping us spread the word about the value of learning, sharing, and networking on AU Online.

Wai

Autodesk Lab - RDB Link Tool for Revit Family

 

Hi All,

The RDBLink tool is now available in the Autodesk Lab for you to test drive:

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/revit_rdb/

The RDBLink tool allows the user to export data from the elements in a Revit project and maintain relationships against data that exists outside of Revit. The tool allows for both import and export of the project data and will allow the user to make changes on the database side that affect the data within the project once imported. Also, during subsequent exports of the data to the same database, only data from the project will be affected, so any new fields or tables added to the database for your own purposes will remain intact along side the newly exported data. The RDBLink import tool provides a grid view of the data to allow the user to make any final edits before import. This grid control also allows the user to create Revit Shared Parameters which will add new fields for those parameters to the database in the related tables. Changes to these new fields within the database will update these Revit Shared Parameters upon future imports.

Supported Applications

§  Autodesk Revit Architecture 2010

§  Autodesk Revit Structure 2010

§  Autodesk Revit MEP 2010

 

Supported database platforms

§  Supported databases when running under 32 bit: MS Access 2003/2007 and SQL Server 2005/2008.

§  Supported databases when running under 64 bit: SQL Server 2005/2008.

 

Enjoy,

Wai

Autodesk University (AU) 2009 Call for Proposals

As you all know, Autodesk University (AU) is the premier annual event for Autodesk users from around world. Each year, this conference and exhibition offers outstanding training, exhibits, and networking opportunities that help design professionals advance their careers and gain a competitive advantage.

Attendees look to Autodesk University for Autodesk and partner solutions that can help their organizations achieve success in today's fast-changing industries. Each year, AU offers an excellent curriculum presented by outstanding speakers who are leaders in their industries.

AU 2009 will be held from December 1-4 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, NV—one of the world's finest meeting and convention facilities.

To be considered as an AU 2009 speaker, we invite you to submit a proposal online. We welcome multiple submissions from experienced presenters and also offer several different class types, such as classes, lectures, hands-on labs, and discussion panels, to suit whatever your speaking style is. Also, new this year is the addition of a 60-minute Virtual session.

We're definitely in need of intermediate and advanced classes that speak to traditional course offerings for general, architectural, MEP, structural, construction, civil design and geospatial, but we're also very interested in knowing how professionals like you are successfully using Autodesk tools collectively to solve critical challenges in the following industries:

• Building – How are you using a model based design and construction approach, with BIM at the core, to capture opportunities in retrofit and renovation, and to meet building energy and sustainable design requirements? How is the Autodesk BIM portfolio enabling you to improve your existing construction management process and streamline communication with stakeholders ensuring projects stay within budget and time schedules? 

• Civil Engineering – How are you using the Autodesk family of products for civil to address key issues within transportation, environmental and land development projects such as; road and intersection design, sustainable design, infrastructure renewal, and bridge design?

• Utility/Telco – How are you using the Autodesk family of products to address key issues such as smart grids and sustainable design, aging infrastructure renewal, substation design, plant design, and network design and management,  in the electric & gas, water / wastewater, and telco industry segments?

• Process and Power - How are you using Autodesk products to deliver plant design and upgrade projects, meet environmental regulations and increase plant efficiency?  

The deadline for submissions is April 30th, 2009, so there's still time to join us in making this year's AU the best ever!

Click here (http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=call_for_papers_home) to submit your proposal.

Thanks

Wai

Autodesk Assistance Program Offers Help to Displaced Workers

Hi All,

 

There is a press release announced this morning about the Autodesk Assistance Program being launched in North America for unemployed architects, engineers and designers.  You can learn more about this program at http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Autodesk-Assistance-Program-prnews-14855503.html

 

You can also listen to an interview/discussion with Mr. Steve Blum (our senior vice president of Autodesk Americas sales) about this Autodesk Assistance Program. It can be viewed here at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2soQzmRqY1I

 

 

Thank you

 

Wai

Autodesk Design Review 2010

Hi All,

As some of you might know already, Autodesk Design Review 2010 officially released last week and is available to download from the web  (www.autodesk.com/designreview-download)!

Major improvements in Autodesk Design Review 2010 include:

-          enhancing the usability of the product,

-          opening PDF directly in Autodesk Design Review,

-          adding commonly requested markup enhancements,

-          adding and verifying digital signatures,

-          and enhancing DWG viewing.

 

Autodesk Labs - Project Dragonfly

There is a very cool and interesting technology that Autodesk has recently put in the Labs that you might want to give a try - Dragonfly.

Quote: "Project Dragonfly is ideal for anyone who’s ever wanted an easy, intuitive floor planning tool to dream, organize, and envision changes in their living space."

Please feel free to take a look and download it here:

http://labs.autodesk.com/technologies/dragonfly/

Have fun.

Wai

Many countrification .rfa family contents are now available in Subscription Center!

Hi All,

Our structural product team has just released the latest Subscription Structural Library for Revit Structure 2009 in the Autodesk Subscription Center. The latest library provides additional metric structural content including Type Catalogs (.txt), and/or fully parametric Families (.rfa) such as structural columns, framings, detail components, etc. for the following countries: Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, UK, Canada, Italy, China, Russia and India.

After you download and extract the .zip file, for more detailed information please refer to the “Countrification Content List - 20090206.xlsx”.

Enjoy!

Wai

Revit Family Contest by TurboSquid

TurboSquid is having a Revit Contest with a first prize of $2,500 USD. The deadline is March 31, 2009. For more information, please visit the below URL:

Marketplace: http://www.turbosquid.com/Revit

Contest: http://www.turbosquid.com/Revit-Contest

Thanks and good luck in the contest!

Wai