Signing off...

For those who have been a loyal reader, thank you - whoever you might be. I've been mulling around the idea of a new blog and finally settled on a name - "Adventures in the World of BIM". For the very small percentage of you out there that don't know what BIM is, it's short for Building Information Modeling. Check out my first post!

This blog will stay as it is since there are a few good posts from over the years which I still reference from time to time.

3d Models in a Web Browser

Why should you care about loading 3d models into a web browser? Think about this scenario:

A property management company has invested the time and money to get all their buildings into a BIM and now want to manipulate that at each respective location for FM. We all know how big these files get and the hardware required to handle the data is expensive. What about the property owner running (or outsourcing) their own data center to house all the models with sufficient hardware to navigate and manipulate said models and then letting the FM person for each location access the BIM through a web browser at their site?

Or, you want to enable a client to review certain aspects of a project but they don't have the software/hardware to access the project you've developed in BIM? Simply have them navigate to a web page where they can see what you need them to.

Granted the technology is in it's infancy, but I for one would tend to agree with Tom's statement at Inside the Factory that this is a turning point for 3d on the web.

In an echo of a recent post from Inside the Factory, you should check out 3d in your web browser if you haven't yet. It will WOW you...

P.S. - you need firefox 4.x to see this easily, otherwise Tom lists other options for doing so. Now, If I can just help my co-worker print from Excel, we can say the future is here!

New Autodesk 2012 products are downloading at browser near you!

I found that the blog, "What Revit Wants" has posted the download links to get all 3 flavors of Revit, NOW.
Revit 2012 download via What Revit Wants

I also noticed in my subscription center that 3ds Max 2012 and 3ds MAX Design 2012 are available now...

For those excited about such things, AutoCAD products have been out for a while now. Meh.

Edit:
Apparently, people have been so excited to download their new software, the site has crashed both Subscription center and the download links - try again later today maybe...

What's new in Revit 2012 by Scott Davis of Autodesk

The What's new session for Revit 2012 that was presented at BUGIE was recorded and is in the process of uploading to Vimeo. When finished you can view the video here: Vimeo link

Which graphics card do I pick?

I've heard this so often (again last night at a Revit user group) that I think it finally got through to Autodesk. They have finally launched a new page which will help you find the right card for multiple scenarios!
http://www.autodesk.com/graphics-hardware

RTC 2011 Conference open for Registration

Echoing Steve Stafford's blog post, RTC 2011 registration is open! I plan to be there -are you planning to be there?

Autodesk Media Webcast Part II

3ds Max 2012 delivers a new accelerated graphics core, mRigids for dynamic rigid-body simulations in the viewport and sculpting and painting enhancements. Also added is a new viewport technology called Nitrous which adds real-time viewport shade modes that some would call "Sketchup-ish". The great thing about this new feature is it can also render out images with this shade mode active. Now you have have one more reason to convince your designers to move from Sketchup to 3ds Max.

Autodesk Media Webcast

Watching the Autodesk Media Webcast and they are showcasing the new 2012 Autodesk products. The biggest news is the Building Design Suites. The basae software included is AutoCAD 2012, AutoCAD Architecture 2012, AutoCAD MEP 2012, AutoCAD Structural Detailing 2012, Autodesk Showcase 2012 and Autodesk SketchBook Designer 2012. The Premium edition adds Autodesk Revit Architecture 2012, Autodesk Revit MEP 2012, Autodesk Revit Structure 2012 and Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2012. The Ultimate edition adds Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2012, Autodesk Quantity Takeoff 2012 and Autodesk Inventor 2012.

Additional AEC software-specific updates include:

• Autodesk Revit Architecture 2012 enables users to create material appearance libraries to help standardize materials across projects and improve collaboration within the project team. Visualization enhancements give users the ability to display edges with more realistic views and shadows in consistent colors mode.
• Autodesk Revit Structure 2012 offers analytical model enhancements to help users create and manage the structural analytical model, enabling greater control and better consistency with the structural physical model. Reinforcement enhancements help users more easily define and visualize concrete reinforcement.
• Autodesk Revit MEP 2012 now enables users create custom systems, assign systems to ducts/pipes without requiring them to be connected to equipment, assign color and linetype by system without filters, as well as see total electrical load, air flow or pipe flow at any point within the system. New placeholders give users the ability to create conceptual level single line ducts and pipes early in the design process, and later convert them to 3D geometry.
• Autodesk Navisworks 2012 accelerates BIM project review through integration, analysis, and communication enhancements. File interoperability improvements help boost productivity by supporting workflows between the latest enhancements in Autodesk Revit products and third-party applications. New user interface and API (application programming interface) for the Timeliner tool provide greater control and flexibility when working with 4D simulations. New multi-sheet 2D DWF support enables users to open, review and explore 2D data sets alongside 3D models.
• The 2012 AutoCAD Family adds a more robust set of 3D modeling tools that enable improved surfacing and conceptual design functionality, expanded point cloud support and direct access to the AutoCAD WS application via the AutoCAD user interface to enable users to view, edit and share DWG drawings through a web browser or mobile device. Other enhancements provide faster start times, faster commands and overall improved product performance, and a premium graphics and visual experience. Product specific updates include:
• AutoCAD Architecture 2012 now offers faster startup and drawing load times for more immediate access to tools and large drawing navigation. A new corner windows capability makes it easy to add a single window in the corner intersection of two walls.
• AutoCAD MEP 2012 offers enhanced native productivity and utilities tools that make it easier to access dynamic and interactive 3D modeling for building system design. New Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) support from within AutoCAD MEP helps users manage and share data with others throughout the design process.
• AutoCAD Structural Detailing 2012 now offers the ability to display solid objects on structural drawings that include items typically supported by a steel structure. Users now also have the ability to present reinforcement and reinforced concrete element geometry in 3D views.

Edit: Autodesk also claims to have "One-click" install for these suites and will deliver the entire suite on a USB drive. Hmm... We'll have to wait and see on this one.

Finally - Confirmation on Revit usage of Video Memory

As I have suspected, Revit 2011 does indeed use the memory on the video card for realistic views.

Inside the Factory

3ds MAX Design 2012 new feature videos are out!

A press release from Autodesk today featured the new Digital Entertainment Creation products for their 2012 line of products!

Check out what we can do now with 3ds MAX 2012!

dendritic recursion rendered as a tree

Say What!?!? Try that 10x faster... I've been following with great interest Zach's exploration of using Revit to produce parametric patterns as established in the Elements of Parametric Design. So far he has been able to demonstrate 11 out of the 14 - pretty awesome so far. The latest post I found particularly fascinating.

Recursive Patterns

Vasari 1.1

So by now, I've seen close to a dozen different blog post saying hey Vasari 1.1 is out. Yup, we know its out...

So, confirming what I thought on the Friday prior to this post, I was correct in seeing Vasari include Nucleus technology in it.

Go. get. it. now.

Vasari 1.1

Physics Simulation in Revit

WOAH!

Looks like I caught this early! Labs just released a plugin that gives one the ability to run physics simulations right inside Revit.

Looks like this might be tied to an update on Vasari too. The pending update to vasari will include more than just physics sim - interactive wind rose and solar radiation studies now run live in the model!

AUGI forums

If you have been accustomed to the AUGI forums, you may have encountered a dissapointment back in December when the forum data was suddenly offline. I won't get into details of that as that has already been covered in depth. However, much to my delight, the original forums are now back online with the wealth of data that has accumulated over the past 5 plus years. Thank goodness!

www.augi.com

Design Review Workflow for Comparing Changes on Sheets

Ever receive an updated package of design files and wonder if there is an easy way to convey what changed? Using the compare tool in Design Review 2011 you can do just that. This video shows a process using Revit Architecture to create DWF files, then opening them in Design Review to compare what has changed.
Hosted on Vimeo:

Design Review Workflow for Comparing Changes on Sheets from Steve Bennett on Vimeo.

Hosted on YouTube:

Signing out from AU...

Until next time...

It gets longer every year...

I only saw one person with a longer list of ribbons, Mr. Bill Adams.

Autodesk Inventor Software Used to Design First 3D Printed Car

Autodesk, Inc. Helps Drive Sustainable Design for KOR EcoLogic’s Urbee;
Green Car Gets 200 MPG

LAS VEGAS, Autodesk University, Dec. 2, 2010 — Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) announced today that KOR EcoLogic used Autodesk’s software solution for Digital Prototyping to design the first prototype car with a body created using a 3D printer. The KOR EcoLogic Urbee car gets up to 200 miles per gallon (MPG) and uses a hybrid electric/gasoline engine.

The Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program — which provides design and engineering software for emerging clean tech companies in North America and Europe — enabled KOR EcoLogic to design and test the Urbee using Autodesk tools, including Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Showcase, and Autodesk Alias Design software.

“The Urbee was designed from the ground up to be as efficient as possible, and to run on renewable energy,” said Jim Kor, president and chief technology officer of KOR EcoLogic. “From concept through rendering, Autodesk software helped us not only build an efficient and sustainable car, but also communicate our designs to a broader audience, including potential investors.”

Using Autodesk partner Stratasys’ digital manufacturing service, Urbee is the first car to have its entire body 3D printed with an additive process.

Sustainability Central to Urbee’s Design

The KOR EcoLogic team began by developing a set of core principles and pinning them to their workshop wall. Among them, the Urbee was designed to use minimal energy and produce less pollution during its design, manufacturing, operation and recycling stages, while remaining affordable and visually appealing.

The Urbee can be charged through a standard home outlet, or through a home solar array, windmill or conventional energy source, running on as little as 1 cent of energy per mile travelled.

“Startup clean tech companies need technology enabling them to create professional, fully realized and tested designs, while benefiting from visually stunning imagery of their products,” said Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president, Autodesk Manufacturing Industry Group. “KOR EcoLogic is a great example of the combined power of Digital Prototyping and sustainable design.”

The Urbee team used Autodesk Inventor software to design a 3D digital prototype of the car’s body and subject it to simulated road and wind conditions, test different body designs to minimize drag and reduce overall weight by eliminating excess parts. More than 80 percent of a product’s environmental impact can be determined during the design phase, making Inventor a critical component in establishing the Urbee’s high level of environmental responsibility. KOR EcoLogic used Autodesk Showcase 3D visualization software to create photorealistic renderings of the Urbee for marketing to potential investors, partners and the general public.

The Urbee was a contender for the 2010 Automotive X Prize, which challenges teams to design, build and race super-efficient, low-emission vehicles that can be manufactured for the mass market.

About the Clean Tech Partner Program

The Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program supports early-stage clean technology companies by providing design and engineering software that accelerates their development of solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Clean tech companies in North America and Europe who can benefit from Autodesk solutions for Digital Prototyping are invited to apply to receive up to $150,000* worth of software for only $50. Access to a collection of Autodesk software applications includes up to five licenses of AutoCAD Inventor Professional Suite, Autodesk Showcase, Autodesk Vault Professional, Autodesk Revit Architecture, Autodesk Alias Design, Autodesk Algor Simulation and Autodesk Inventor Publisher software. For additional information, visit www.autodesk.com/cleantech.

AUGI Beer Bash

Apparently the blue man group was unavailable for this years entertainment...

dv327-2 Linear color workflow and gamma correction

A great class from Pierre on gamma correction, what it is and when you need to apply it in 3ds max.