For Revit Building users a very useful tool, but often overlooked by those just getting started, is the use of schedule keys. When used this can help to automatically populate fields within your schedule, rather than manually entering these values line by line.
Here is a video example showing how this can be used.
happy BIM'ing...
Monday, January 23, 2006
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Intel based Mac, dual boot windows?
Microsoft and Apple ink a 5-year software deal, more here. This opens up a few possibilities for those who like the apple style, but rely on windows based software.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Autodesk 3ds Max 8 Service Pack 1
Autodesk 3ds Max 8 Service Pack 1 includes a number of fixes for Autodesk 3ds Max 8 across several functional areas, including Biped, Batch Render, Hair, Material Editor, Maxscript, Script Controller, SDK, Snaps, UV Unwrap and mental ray.
The readme and installation file can be found here.
happy rendering...
The readme and installation file can be found here.
happy rendering...
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Web Based Applications - Collaboration
I am not talking about Buzzsaw, believe it or not there is a whole technology world out there beyond cad and BIM. :) No, I am talking about a new software beta called Writely, that allows you to edit and publish documents online, privately or through a collaboration with multiple people and can be posted to the internet or blog quite easily.
I have been testing this for a short period of time and immediately took to using it a bit more heavily after a MS Word crash (be wary of updates, still tracking this one down) and immediately started using this to work on a multiple authored document in real-time. Though the software is not without a few minor issues (under dev) it is shaping up to be a great piece of software. What do I like about it? For starters I access it directly through Firefox (though IE would work equally as well) and the speed is beyond what I expected. The second thing is that the document is saved automatically for you as you work, though there is the option of selecting the save button if it makes you feel better. :)
In the Writely About Us section they refer to being called a "web word processor" and a "wiki with permissions" I will be calling it useful and think there is hope yet for additional web based applications. Give it a try, all you need is an e-mail address to get started and let the Writely team know your likes/dislikes. By the way this post was done entirely from within the Writely interface, including posting directly to the blog. :)
Saturday, December 31, 2005
History Of Revit - Wiki
Are you are curious about the history of Revit? Wondering about the release timeline, why the name Revit, what other names were candidates and more?
If so then you may find the recent contributions of users to the Triple D Design Wiki a good place to grab a coffee and do some reading. Of course if you would like to edit and add some additional material feel free.
happy editing...
If so then you may find the recent contributions of users to the Triple D Design Wiki a good place to grab a coffee and do some reading. Of course if you would like to edit and add some additional material feel free.
happy editing...
Take a break, are you an Einstein?
Sometime you need to take a break from work and with a little extra time on my hands during this vacation week I ran across the following 19th century riddle from Albert Einstein:
Are you in the top 2% of intelligent people in the world? Solve the riddle below to find out.
There are no tricks, just pure logic, so good luck and don't give up.
1. In a street there are five houses, painted five different colours.
2. In each house lives a person of different nationality
3. These five homeowners each drink a different kind of beverage, smoke different brand of cigar and keep a different pet.
The question for you to resolve: Who owns the fish?
Hints
1. The Brit lives in a red house.
2. The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
3. The Dane drinks tea.
4. The Green house is on the left of the White house.
5. The owner of the Green house drinks coffee.
6. The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
7. The owner of the Yellow house smokes Dunhill.
8. The man living in the centre house drinks milk.
9. The Norwegian lives in the first house.
10. The man who smokes Blends lives next to the one who keeps cats.
11. The man who keeps horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.
12. The man who smokes Blue Master drinks beer.
13. The German smokes Prince.
14. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
15. The man who smokes Blends has a neighbour who drinks water.
Albert Einstein said that 98% of the world population would not be able to solve it. Answer here.
Are you in the top 2% of intelligent people in the world? Solve the riddle below to find out.
There are no tricks, just pure logic, so good luck and don't give up.
1. In a street there are five houses, painted five different colours.
2. In each house lives a person of different nationality
3. These five homeowners each drink a different kind of beverage, smoke different brand of cigar and keep a different pet.
The question for you to resolve: Who owns the fish?
Hints
1. The Brit lives in a red house.
2. The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
3. The Dane drinks tea.
4. The Green house is on the left of the White house.
5. The owner of the Green house drinks coffee.
6. The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
7. The owner of the Yellow house smokes Dunhill.
8. The man living in the centre house drinks milk.
9. The Norwegian lives in the first house.
10. The man who smokes Blends lives next to the one who keeps cats.
11. The man who keeps horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.
12. The man who smokes Blue Master drinks beer.
13. The German smokes Prince.
14. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
15. The man who smokes Blends has a neighbour who drinks water.
Albert Einstein said that 98% of the world population would not be able to solve it. Answer here.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Wiki Upgrade
The Triple D Design Wiki has gone through an upgrade (to version 1.5.4). All data has been successfully migrated and the site is fully operational.
With this upgrade has come two changes:
1. Site change notification - The wiki is located in a folder on the Triple D Design server, but we have always used a sub-domain pointer to make the site easier to find. With this upgrade we will be pointing to the real folder on the network and no longer to the sub-domain. This will allow for future upgrades to be much easier. Please update your bookmarks to http://www.tripleddesign.com/wiki.
2. Spam fighting - Over the past 2 months the amount of spam we have been getting (non-related spam links posted on the site) has increased to a point where it was taking away from content development and forcing us to rollback these changes. For now we are requiring a user to login to be able to have full access to the site, a login is FREE. Once logged in you have full access to the wiki. Long term we are looking to relax these permissions to allow everyone, including anonymous users, access to the site.
With these changes we can now focus on expanding the content and growing the site. We are also looking to expand beyond Architectural Desktop and Revit Building to add other software products to the list. If you are a Revit Structure user please drop us an e-mail to let us know if you are interested in participating in Phase III of the wiki.
Please take a moment to spread the word about the wiki changes, update your bookmarks and share some of your own knowledge, to make this community resource even better, one edit at the time. :)
happy collaboration...
With this upgrade has come two changes:
1. Site change notification - The wiki is located in a folder on the Triple D Design server, but we have always used a sub-domain pointer to make the site easier to find. With this upgrade we will be pointing to the real folder on the network and no longer to the sub-domain. This will allow for future upgrades to be much easier. Please update your bookmarks to http://www.tripleddesign.com/wiki.
2. Spam fighting - Over the past 2 months the amount of spam we have been getting (non-related spam links posted on the site) has increased to a point where it was taking away from content development and forcing us to rollback these changes. For now we are requiring a user to login to be able to have full access to the site, a login is FREE. Once logged in you have full access to the wiki. Long term we are looking to relax these permissions to allow everyone, including anonymous users, access to the site.
With these changes we can now focus on expanding the content and growing the site. We are also looking to expand beyond Architectural Desktop and Revit Building to add other software products to the list. If you are a Revit Structure user please drop us an e-mail to let us know if you are interested in participating in Phase III of the wiki.
Please take a moment to spread the word about the wiki changes, update your bookmarks and share some of your own knowledge, to make this community resource even better, one edit at the time. :)
happy collaboration...
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Systems Blog
My friend Shack has now joined the blogging world with not one, but two new blogs:
http://cadshack.blogspot.com/ - Focused on Autodesk Building Systems, AutoCAD, and Revit Systems when available.
http://lazydrafter.blogspot.com/ - How to grow technically and professional for the lazy drafter .
Welcome to the blogging world Shack!
http://cadshack.blogspot.com/ - Focused on Autodesk Building Systems, AutoCAD, and Revit Systems when available.
http://lazydrafter.blogspot.com/ - How to grow technically and professional for the lazy drafter .
Welcome to the blogging world Shack!
Thursday, December 15, 2005
DWG and Google Earth
By now I am sure most of you have seen/tried Google Earth. If not, the idea behind Google Earth is simple: it’s a globe that sits inside your computer. You point and zoom to any place on the planet that you want to explore. Satellite images and local facts zoom into view. Google Earth puts a planet's worth of imagery and other geographic information right on your desktop.
If you are using Autodesk AutoCAD based software (AutoCAD, ADT, ABS) to create 3D designs digitally you can now take this to the next level and place these within Google Earth using ExtractKML from the Avatech Solutions DEV team.
How does it work? Here is a step-by-step rundown:
If you are using Autodesk AutoCAD based software (AutoCAD, ADT, ABS) to create 3D designs digitally you can now take this to the next level and place these within Google Earth using ExtractKML from the Avatech Solutions DEV team.
How does it work? Here is a step-by-step rundown:
- Simplify your model down to 3D faces by exploding and binding/inserting references.
- Run the add-in.
- Determine the location on the Earth to place your model (based on latitude/longitude – imported, if you wish, from a Google Earth placemark).
- Determine the orientation direction for your model (by a second placemark or compass heading).
- The add-in generates a KML file, which can be viewed inside of Google Earth.
I have been using this for a while and taking my own ADT and exported Revit models and placing/sharing them with other Google Earth users. If you create something unique drop me an e-mail with the KML file to import and view. :)
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Autodesk University - Wrap Up
As most of you know Autodesk University was last week and all I can say in retrospect is simply; WOW!
Each year offers more and more, despite a few snafus and issues with event staff and transportation, this AU was a great event. From early mornings to late nights it was great to spend time with so many great and knowledgable users. Next year will continue to offer even more so start making plans for AU 2006 at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas for November 28 - December 1, 2006.
Each year offers more and more, despite a few snafus and issues with event staff and transportation, this AU was a great event. From early mornings to late nights it was great to spend time with so many great and knowledgable users. Next year will continue to offer even more so start making plans for AU 2006 at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas for November 28 - December 1, 2006.
Friday, November 25, 2005
AEC Dimensions and Grids
When working with structural grids, differentiating between the grid line itself and other geometry within the drawing through different linetypes is done to make the drawings easier to read. Using the default OOTB setup the grid extension lines use the following linetype: CENTER2
I am sure most, if not all, of you are aware of the AEC dimensions and how simple this can be to dimension your grid lines. When using the default setup within ADT the AEC dimension lines get drawn on top of your grid extension lines. In the image below you will find two AEC dimensions; one displaying with the dimensions covering the grid extension line, the other displaying without the dimension extension:
(Click image above for larger image preview)
One method to address this issue is to modify the AutoCAD dimension style that the AEC Dimension style references, or a simpler way is to just modify the AEC Dimension Style and give this an override. The following streaming video example will show you how to accomplish this.
I am sure most, if not all, of you are aware of the AEC dimensions and how simple this can be to dimension your grid lines. When using the default setup within ADT the AEC dimension lines get drawn on top of your grid extension lines. In the image below you will find two AEC dimensions; one displaying with the dimensions covering the grid extension line, the other displaying without the dimension extension:
(Click image above for larger image preview)
One method to address this issue is to modify the AutoCAD dimension style that the AEC Dimension style references, or a simpler way is to just modify the AEC Dimension Style and give this an override. The following streaming video example will show you how to accomplish this.
Happy Thanksgiving
Wow has time been flying by... Thanksgiving this year was great, but came and went all too soon and I am still feeling full. :) Like many of you we are getting ready to head off for Autodesk University in Orlando, FL in a few short hours.
This year looks to be great with over 5,000 people in attendance and at last count I heard 399 classes and lots of great planned fun. Stop by at the conference to say hello and we are looking forward to seeing you there.
We will be blogging live, posting pictures and maybe a few video clips during this years AU for those who are unable to attend that will give you a small idea of items you are missing.
happy traveling...
This year looks to be great with over 5,000 people in attendance and at last count I heard 399 classes and lots of great planned fun. Stop by at the conference to say hello and we are looking forward to seeing you there.
We will be blogging live, posting pictures and maybe a few video clips during this years AU for those who are unable to attend that will give you a small idea of items you are missing.
happy traveling...
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Tampa - ADT & Revit AUGI Class
AUGI has done it again... bringing you another great opportunity for learning and networking called the cad matinee. For those in the Tampa area you will find the following building design and construction classes offered on November 01, 2005:
Autodesk Revit 8
Creating Custom Wall Components
Walls are more than parallel lines. When you work in Revit, you’re actually creating a 3D model of your building using Revit components. Although Revit comes with a number of pre-designed walls, what do you do when you need something new? This class will explain how to modify existing wall components and create your own custom walls, including combinations of materials such as brick, masonry, and siding. We’ll also look at compound walls, reveals, and sweeps. It’s a lot easier than you might think.
Autodesk Architectural Desktop and Autodesk Building Systems
Project and Data Management Made Easy
In today’s world of building design and construction we are continuously hearing the words data management, document management, drawing management and even building lifecycle management. The question is how this applies to the everyday use of CAD. In the past this was simply done by the use of subdirectories and file-naming conventions. Today Autodesk has embedded tools into Autodesk Architectural Desktop and Autodesk Building Systems that manage this for you. In this session we will cover Building Level Management, Constructs, Elements, Views and Sheet Sets in the Project Navigator. Now you can manage your data with a new level of control.
There are also two great AutoCAD and Civil 3D classes that will be offered for those interested!
Hope to see you there,
b
Autodesk Revit 8
Creating Custom Wall Components
Walls are more than parallel lines. When you work in Revit, you’re actually creating a 3D model of your building using Revit components. Although Revit comes with a number of pre-designed walls, what do you do when you need something new? This class will explain how to modify existing wall components and create your own custom walls, including combinations of materials such as brick, masonry, and siding. We’ll also look at compound walls, reveals, and sweeps. It’s a lot easier than you might think.
Autodesk Architectural Desktop and Autodesk Building Systems
Project and Data Management Made Easy
In today’s world of building design and construction we are continuously hearing the words data management, document management, drawing management and even building lifecycle management. The question is how this applies to the everyday use of CAD. In the past this was simply done by the use of subdirectories and file-naming conventions. Today Autodesk has embedded tools into Autodesk Architectural Desktop and Autodesk Building Systems that manage this for you. In this session we will cover Building Level Management, Constructs, Elements, Views and Sheet Sets in the Project Navigator. Now you can manage your data with a new level of control.
There are also two great AutoCAD and Civil 3D classes that will be offered for those interested!
Hope to see you there,
b
Recharging
The past few weeks have been full of many fun travels with the chance to meet and work with many great BIM and visualization users from Pennsylvania, Vegas, St. Louis and more...
With all that and more the past week was a chance to take a short vacation and recharge. We headed to upstate New York (near the canadian border) and spent some time with friends and family. Great trip but way too short, the topper was the final night it snowed 12".
Now back to your regularly scheduled blog postings... oh and 3 new pet projects are inline to start debuting within the next month. If you missed the most recent pet project debut (project wiki) it has been taking off with the help of many users like you, one edit at the time!
your refreshed neighborhood blogman,
b
With all that and more the past week was a chance to take a short vacation and recharge. We headed to upstate New York (near the canadian border) and spent some time with friends and family. Great trip but way too short, the topper was the final night it snowed 12".
Now back to your regularly scheduled blog postings... oh and 3 new pet projects are inline to start debuting within the next month. If you missed the most recent pet project debut (project wiki) it has been taking off with the help of many users like you, one edit at the time!
your refreshed neighborhood blogman,
b
Monday, October 17, 2005
Revit Building - Wiki Phase II now live
The Triple D Design Wiki is continuing to grow and develop thanks to the participation of users like you, one edit at the time. With that growth it is my pleasure to announce that the phase II project, or Revit Building, is now live and active. The Revit Building section can be found here or follow the link from the main page of the wiki.
Many thanks to my buddy Steve Stafford for helping get the timeline for this phase moved up, and to the many others who have offered their support, edits and knowledge. With this section of the site now live and active we are looking forward to the continued growth and evolution of the site and pages.
For those out there who have not yet participated in the site it is a unique experience in that you can edit the content when a change needs to occur (new release, feature set changes/additions, better explanation, etc...). For more information on how to get started you may find this getting started post helpful.
Stay tuned for more and happy editing...
Many thanks to my buddy Steve Stafford for helping get the timeline for this phase moved up, and to the many others who have offered their support, edits and knowledge. With this section of the site now live and active we are looking forward to the continued growth and evolution of the site and pages.
For those out there who have not yet participated in the site it is a unique experience in that you can edit the content when a change needs to occur (new release, feature set changes/additions, better explanation, etc...). For more information on how to get started you may find this getting started post helpful.
Stay tuned for more and happy editing...
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
ADT - Applying Materials
When migrating older legacy styles and drawings forward, one of the more time consuming tasks is dealing with any program changes and/or new features. A good example of this would be migrating an existing wall style library from ADT 3.3 and lower to ADT 2006.
One of the best improvements for walls was the addition of materials to ADT 2004, giving us more "global" display control over the linework, plan, surface and section hatch as well as the sectioned body and boundary control. Unfortunately you may find that updating your existing library by going through each wall style and adding/editing the material definition to be time consuming. The good news is you can use the "Apply Material" tool to apply a particular material at the style level or object level quickly and easily.
You will find this tool on the Design tab of the tool palettes in ADT 2006, called "Material". To get a better idea of how this works, you may wish to review the Applying Materials video example.
happy BIM'ing...
One of the best improvements for walls was the addition of materials to ADT 2004, giving us more "global" display control over the linework, plan, surface and section hatch as well as the sectioned body and boundary control. Unfortunately you may find that updating your existing library by going through each wall style and adding/editing the material definition to be time consuming. The good news is you can use the "Apply Material" tool to apply a particular material at the style level or object level quickly and easily.
You will find this tool on the Design tab of the tool palettes in ADT 2006, called "Material". To get a better idea of how this works, you may wish to review the Applying Materials video example.
happy BIM'ing...
Monday, October 10, 2005
Triple D Design Wiki - Getting Started
This past week has brought about some good comments and feedback from numerous users who are embracing the idea of the Triple D Design Wiki. Here is a short video clip explaining how to get started.
The premise is quite simple, if you find a section you either wish to add/edit for further clarification all you need to do is select the edit button right next to the page sub-section. After adding/editing your text, add a small summary and choose the save option. Instantly your changes will be shown on the page.
If you have been troubled by the help files in the past or just wanted to participate in a unique community resource this is your chance. Why do I like this? Good question I will give you a three simple answers (ok #3 has multiple sub-items but I could not stop there):
Over the past two years I have used the wiki engine in a number of ways; from personal and project related notes to cad manuals and more. This truly is a living document, spend a few moments running through the site to expand your knowledge and if you find a section that peaks your interest or particular skill set, take a moment to give back and help to make this community resource even better.
Phase II - Revit Building will be released within the next week, thanks to all those who have sent e-mails offering support and especially to Steve Stafford for helping to get the shell outlined and setup (not to mention moving the launch date up). :)
happy editing...
The premise is quite simple, if you find a section you either wish to add/edit for further clarification all you need to do is select the edit button right next to the page sub-section. After adding/editing your text, add a small summary and choose the save option. Instantly your changes will be shown on the page.
If you have been troubled by the help files in the past or just wanted to participate in a unique community resource this is your chance. Why do I like this? Good question I will give you a three simple answers (ok #3 has multiple sub-items but I could not stop there):
- No knowledge of HTML needed for anyone to work with the site.
- Simplicity of the interface, if you need to edit a section choose the edit link.
- It is different than other resources out there, in that you get a true "living document" as a community resource.
- E-mail is a form of communication from person to person. While good it does not reach everyone and can be hard to search and way too easy to delete.
- A mailing list is a form of communication from one person to a group, but like the e-mail issues there a few unfortunate drawbacks.
- Discussion forums are a form of communication from one person giving another person a chance to respond. While this is great in that the search feature can help find information, there is a lot of extra "junk" that one must wade through.
Over the past two years I have used the wiki engine in a number of ways; from personal and project related notes to cad manuals and more. This truly is a living document, spend a few moments running through the site to expand your knowledge and if you find a section that peaks your interest or particular skill set, take a moment to give back and help to make this community resource even better.
Phase II - Revit Building will be released within the next week, thanks to all those who have sent e-mails offering support and especially to Steve Stafford for helping to get the shell outlined and setup (not to mention moving the launch date up). :)
happy editing...
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Autodesk Maya???
The rumors are true, Autodesk to aquire Alias for $182 million in cash.
Press Release: http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/Autodesk_Alias_Press_Release.pdf
Fact Sheet: http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/Autodesk_Alias_Fact_Sheet.pdf
General FAQ: http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/Autodesk_Alias_External_FAQ.pdf
Courtesy of Shaan
happy rendering...
Press Release: http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/Autodesk_Alias_Press_Release.pdf
Fact Sheet: http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/Autodesk_Alias_Fact_Sheet.pdf
General FAQ: http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/Autodesk_Alias_External_FAQ.pdf
Courtesy of Shaan
happy rendering...
Monday, October 03, 2005
Comment Punks
Well unfortunately over the past few days I have been getting a number of bogus comments (new form of spam) and have now had to turn on a new blogger feature that will enable a user to enter the alphanumeric character shown on the screen before comments can be posted.
Wiki - New ADT Resource
Well the time has come to get this pet project off the ground and out to the public for use, may I introduce to you a new community resource: Triple D Design Wiki.
The first question you may be asking is what is a wiki? In short this is a website that allows users to add content. What makes this different and unique is that anyone can also edit the content when a change needs to occur (new release, features set changes/additions, better explanation, etc...).
The second question you may be asking is if anyone can edit this what about malicous users? The wiki is based on a SQL database and gives us the ability to track who made what changes and should an incident occur we can "rollback" the malicous changes in a matter of seconds.
The software we have chosen to run our wiki platform is MediaWiki which is the same platform as the popular wikipedia. We have instituted a phased implementation to cover muliple software platforms. Phase I includes Architectural Desktop while Phase II includes plans for Revit Building. Phase I currently has a rough shell of topics and some areas are filled in as a starting point while a few others a more finished out. If you see an area that interests you or notice an item that has not been added yet, take a moment to edit/add this section.
We are looking forward to the growth of this wiki, one edit at the time. If you are interested in getting started please see the User's Guide for usage and configuration help. I will be posting a video showing how to use this later in the week for anyone having trouble.
All the Triple D Design Wiki content will be distributed under the Creative Commons License.
happy Wiki'ing...
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