Knowing What You Don't Know About CAD

Point Cloud Extraction for Revit

2012-01-24T15:58:00.000-05:00

Check out the new Point Cloud Extraction for Revit tools.

http://www.appliedsoftwareblog.blogspot.com/

Embedded Schedules in Revit MEP

2011-11-14T13:44:00.001-05:00

Learn all about Embedded Schedules over at my most recent post on the Applied Software Blog.

Here is the link. Applied Software Blog

A Must Read for AU Attendees

2011-11-11T20:10:00.001-05:00

Here is a link to Shaan Hurley's Survival Tips for AU. It has some great tips that he has learned over the past 14 years that he as attended.

Autodesk University Survival Tips - The Whole Enchilada

Creating 3D Views for Levels

2011-11-08T11:50:00.002-05:00

Just posted a new post on about creating 3D Views for Levels. Check it out on the Applied Software Blog.

Duct and Pipe Systems in Revit MEP 2012

2011-11-03T12:05:00.000-04:00

One of the biggest changes in Revit MEP 2012 is the addition of Duct and Pipe System Families. Although it appears to be a small change, it actually creates a major improvement in how projects can be set up. Prior to 2012, MEP Engineers relied heavily on View Filters to control the graphics of different duct and pipe systems. For example, a View Filter would be created to distinguish the difference between Domestic Cold Water pipes and Domestic Hot Water pipes. Ducts and pipes were simply ducts and pipes, and not part of a system until they were connected to a connector. The connector contained all the information about the system.

In Revit MEP 2012, we have the ability to create duct and pipe systems before modeling and connecting to connectors with the addition of System Families. The new System Families can now be configured prior to the project start to indicate graphical differences in the systems. In addition to presetting up the System Families, as ducts and pipes are being modeled, the System is specified in the Properties palette before connecting to fixtures or equipment. This change will all but eliminate the need to rely on View Filters to control the graphics. System Families can now be configured in the Revit Templates so that all views will represent the correct graphics no matter if View Filters are used or not. If View Filters are still desired, they will override any graphical settings that are set in the System Family settings.

This new approach will also make it easier to switch if needed from one system to another. Although this is typically not the desired result, it is very useful when trying to switch from Sanitary piping to Vent piping. Prior to this release it was difficult to make this switch with in the same run of pipes.

Another plus to this added feature is that we can now create additional System types. In prior releases we were stuck with the out of the box system types. If we were trying to create a system for Gas, we had to use the 'Other' system. Now, with System Families, we can simply duplicate an existing System Family and name it anything we want. This allows us to have system names that actually match our systems.

I see this as a major improvement in how we create our systems. Now we are defining our systems as we model our pipes as opposed to first modeling everything and then having to go back and create our systems.

Applied Software's New Blog!

2011-11-02T12:41:00.001-04:00

I am excited to announce Applied Software has a new Blog! It will be updated by all of the technical gurus at Applied Software. It should be full of information on the vast array of Autodesk products. Here is the link to the blog.

http://appliedsoftwareblog.blogspot.com/

Bookmark it today! I will be posting to it regularly. For all of my loyal followers, my Knowing What You Don't Know blog will continue. I will try to duel post or at least make mention of when I make a new post on the Applied Software blog.

I just posted my first blog over on the new site. It is about cutting walls int walls. Check it out!

Revit 2012 SP2

2011-09-27T17:28:00.000-04:00

Revit 2012 Update 2 is now available. This update is required to install the add-in for Cloud Rendering. Here is the link to download. - Revit Architecture 2012 Update 2

Taking BIM to the Cloud

2011-09-27T09:35:00.002-04:00

Autodesk Cloud is now available to all Autodesk subscription customers. Autodesk Cloud is a collection of web-based features, products, and services that currently includes the following.

Autodesk Cloud Documents
Autodesk Design Review Mobile App
AutoCAD WS
Autodesk Seek
Autodesk Cloud Rendering
Autodesk Inventor Optimization
Autodesk Revit Conceptual Energy Analysis
Autodesk Green Building Studio
Autodesk Buzzsaw

Autodesk Cloud brings a new way of working and sharing documents to the BIM arena. Users can now create 2D or 3D dwf's and save them to the Cloud where they can be accessed through a web browser or by a mobile devices by anybody, anytime, at any place.

The Design Review Mobile App is available for the iPhone and iPad. Hopefully it will be available for the Android systems soon.

The Cloud Rendering will allow users to produce compelling, photorealistic visualizations in the cloud—without tying up the desktop or requiring specialized rendering hardware. The installation of the Revit add-in to render directly from within Revit, requires Update 2 to be installed. As of the time this is being written, update 2 is not available. I am assuming it will be available soon.

To get started customers, who do not have an Autodesk ID and password, can create an account by clicking the "Sign In" button (shown below) in their Autodesk product. After creating an account, customers can use their Autodesk ID and password to access the Autodesk Cloud services they're entitled to use.

For more information on subscription and Autodesk Cloud click here.

Navisworks 2012 SP1

2011-09-21T12:01:00.000-04:00

Navisworks 2012 service pack 1 is now available. Here is the link to download - Navisworks 2012 SP1

Beyond Design has more information about this service pack.

AU 2011 - Let the Frenzy Begin

2011-08-31T09:58:00.000-04:00

Autodesk University 2011 registration is now open! I am registered and ready to go. From what I hear classes are filling up fast. Lynn Allen twittered yesterday that over 1200 had signed up after the first few hours aftter registration had open. Here is the link to register for the event.

Autodesk University 2011

I will be presenting again this year. This year I am co-presenting with Rabi Sidawi , a co-worker of mine at Applied Software. I am excited about the class we have put together. It will focus on working with Systems inside of Revit Architecture. We will look at how Revit has both the Uniformat and the Master-Format Assembly codes built into the program and how users can take advantage of using them in all phases of the project. Here are the details on our class:

Class ID: AB2485

Title: All Systems Go with Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2012

Description: Asking an architect to create systems inside of Revit is like asking him or her to speak a foreign language. BIM encompasses the whole building into the design process, so why do we still think about and process our designs one element at a time? Design intent, code constraints, functional requirements, and aesthetic proportions are some of the factors contributing to the building systems hierarchy integration and performance. Creating systems is an everyday task for MEP engineers when modeling inside of Revit MEP. Just like MEP systems, architectural and structural systems are now more interconnected than ever before. Curtain systems, beam systems, and furniture systems are few examples of building systems that capture design intent and streamline productivity. This class is an in-depth quest for order, systems hierarchy integration, and efficiency in a design environment. As BIM continues to evolve, we need to evolve our thinking process and begin designing with systems as opposed to single elements.

My New Toy.... umm I mean Tool!

2011-06-28T09:39:00.008-04:00

Emerging trends in the AEC world indicats that mobile devices are taking over. Well, I recently became part of the numbers and purchased my first iPad. I have to say that I am impressed with this device. I was not exactly sure how I would use the iPad, and I am still trying to figure it all out, but I have found some cool apps and thought I would wipe the dust off of my blog and share some of my favorite AEC related apps that I have found for the iPad.

Apps by Autodesk

Autocad WS - (FREE) View, Edit, and Share your AutoCAD files on your iPad.

SketchBook Express - (FREE) A fun and intuitive drawing application. Use professional-grade tools and brushes to create doodles, quick sketches or artwork on-the go.

Inventor Publisher Mobile Viewer - (FREE) Allows you to interactively view animated 3D assembly instructions created with Inventor Publisher.

Bluestreak - (FREE) Lets users of Project Bluestreak easily collaborate with their AEC project teams from anywhere.

Buzzsaw - (FREE) Lets Buzzsaw users securely access AEC project documents and designs from anywhere.

Fluid FX - ($0.99) A special effects photo editing application that brings the fun and excitement of Hollywood visual effects to your iPad.

Time FX - (FREE) An amazing sculptural fluid dynamic alarm clock.

TinkerBox - (FREE) A fun, free-to-play physics puzzle game. While it is full of interesting science facts and teaches basic engineering concepts, TinkerBox is more than just educational!

Non-Autodesk Apps

McDwiff - ($6.99) Lets you open and view DWF and DWFx files on your iPad.

goBIM - ($5.99) Allows you to view BIM models on your iPad. Using a goBIM exporter for your favorite BIM application, you can now create a .gbz file. Load the model through iTunes file sharing or post the file onto a web server and you have your models whenever, wherever you want them. Currently works with Revit 2011 not Revit 2012.

I am interested in what apps others have found that are AEC related. This list is by no means complete, so feel free to comment to add your favorite apps to the list.

Revit MEP Pipe Rise/Drop Symbols

2010-10-04T09:56:00.005-04:00

I recently had a support call asking about piping rise/drop symbols in Revit MEP. I thought I would share to help explain why Revit MEP shows a rise symbol versus the drop symbol.

First of all, users can change the desired symbol to be used in the Piping Setting dialog box. The defaults are set to a closed circle for rises and a 3/4 circle with a line for drops.

When drawing Pipe, Revit MEP looks at the View Range, the Level Heights, and the height of the pipe to know what to show. If the pipe is drawn between the bottom and the top of the view range, the pipe will show a drop symbol. If the pipe is drawn through the top range, the pipe will show a rise symbol.

You will need to verify what the height of the levels are and the height of the pipe, and then set your top range to be below the upper pipe to show the riser symbol.

A Plan Region can also be used to allow you to have a different View Range around a particular pipe.

Hope this helps clear up the rise versus drop debate.

Mike

Applied Software

2010-09-22T07:52:00.002-04:00

I am excited to announce that as of 9/23/2010 I will be employeed at Applied Software. The move to Applied Software will enable me to continue to serve my customers in the TN, GA, AL, and MS regions as well as expanding my area to cover NC and SC. Applied Software has been providing solutions to the Commercial marketplace for more than 25 years.

AU Registration - Decisions, Decisions...

2010-09-08T11:19:00.002-04:00

AU 2010 registration is open. Go get the good classes while you can!

I am all registered. It was difficult selecting my classes to attend. Three are a lot of great ones.

If you can not decide on a classes for the Wednesday 1:30 time slot, look for mine.

Here We Go Again... AU 2010!

2010-06-25T20:09:00.003-04:00

Just got my acceptance email notifying me that I will be presenting once again at AU 2010! My proposal was one of 747 that were selected out of 3,100 proposals. Looking forward to AU 2010!

Look for registration to begin in late August, and of course look for my class.

Webcast of my What's New in Revit MEP 2011

2010-05-20T11:41:00.006-04:00

Revit MEP 2011 is loaded with new features. Check it out by watching my recorded webcast.

Enjoy!

What's New in Revit MEP 2011

Using Filters to Hatch Duct in Revit MEP

2010-05-17T21:19:00.005-04:00

I was asked today by one of my customers, "What is the easiest way to hatch duct work in Revit MEP to indicate which duct work has been installed on a project." There are several ways this could be accomplished. You could simply use the Filled Region to manually hatch the duct work. This is simple, but is tedious and time consuming.

Method 2 would be to use Phases inside of Revit MEP. You could set up some phases and change the graphics of the phases to indicate the hatching. This is easy enough, but almost an over kill.

The method I ended up recommending is to just use View Filters. You can simply create a new filter and change the graphics of the filter to have the hatch pattern.

I created a short video to share with my customer and thought it might be helpful for others.

Enjoy!

What's New in Revit Architecture 2011 Webcast

2010-05-05T16:46:00.004-04:00

Here is a link to view the recording of my What's New in Revit Architecture 2011 webcast.

What's New in Revit Architecture 2011

Enjoy!

Release Day for Revit

2010-04-16T09:06:00.002-04:00

You can now download the 2011 version of Revit from your subscription site. Get it while it is hot.

Also, don't forget to look at the Subscription Product Enhancements that are available to download.

Inside the Revit Extensions are a couple of new tools. One for converting parameters to Shared Parameters, and one to work with Land XML files on roads and bridges. I have not had a chance to play with either, but they sound promising.

Have Fun!

Revised #1 New Feature in Revit 2011

2010-03-29T09:15:00.011-04:00

I know that I listed a tie between my favorite new features in Revit 2011, but I am bumping both of those for another new feature. This one is not that much of a 'wow factor,' but I think it will save time and make documenting your project so much easier.

What is this new found love?

It is the ability to locate tag placement while Tagging By Category. In previous releases, when tags were placed, you either could choose for it to draw a leader to the tag or accept the default location (which was usually right, smack in the middle of the item you were trying to tag). Then you had the tedious process of moving all the tags to a place where they were actually readable. With Revit 2011, when you choose to tag by category, Revit gives you the opportunity to move the tag right after placing the item, before picking the next item to tag. Revit does this without ending the command so you can continue placing tags on additional items.

I believe this will save time and allow users to place tags in the appropriate location so they are all readable. Even with this nice new feature, there is always room for improvement. It would have been nice for Revit to remember where you have place the tag in adjacency to the item being tagged, and automatically put the next tag in the same place for the next item. Oh well, maybe in 2012?

Below is a quick video showing how this works.

Revit Architecture 2011 - My Favorite New Features!

2010-03-25T16:56:00.010-04:00

Revit Architecture 2011 has many new features. Here are my favorite top 5 new features:

#5 - Sun Path Simulation
Autodesk Revit Architecture 2011 enables you to simulate the sun path, in order to better understand the impact of the sun in relation to your project and its surrounding context. The sun path is a visual representation of the sun's range of movement across the sky at the geographic location you specify for a project. The sun path displays in the context of your project and includes on-screen controls for positioning the sun at any point within its range of movement.

Along with this you can set the sun settings where changes have been made to how you select your project location. Included in the location dialog is a Google Map interface where you can search for your exact location.

#4 - Realistic View Style

Realistic is a shaded view with ‘live’ rendered materials and textures, including decals. It offers the ability to have a working view that looks almost like a rendering.

As part of the Graphic Display Options, Revit Architecture now offers an option to use Ambient Lighting (or Ambient Occlusion) in 3d views. Ambient occlusion approximates the way light radiates in real life, especially off what are normally considered non-reflective surfaces.

#3 - Sheet Place Holders

Sheets Lists can now include placeholder sheet rows for sheets that have not yet been created or will never be created in your project, for example, consultants’ sheets. Placeholder sheets can be converted to actual sheets in the project and this conversion can be done as a batch operation.

#2 - Temporary Dimension Improvements

You now have the ability to control temporary dimension font size and background display (transparent or opaque). Additionally, if temporary dimensions are moved to specific reference elements in the project, those references will be maintained throughout your working session.

And the #1 new feature...

A TIE between Floating Properties Palette and Custom Elevation Tags!

The new Properties Palette is “modeless,” so you have constant access to both view and element properties, without having to interrupt your design workflow. The new palette is dockable, resizable and supports multiple monitor configurations.

Elevation tags are now fully customizable and can be designed based on your company standards. They can contain any graphics you want and can align to any number of orientations necessary for your project.

What's New in Revit Architecture 2010 Recording

2009-05-14T15:35:00.002-04:00

If you missed my recent webcast of What's New in Revit Architecture 2010, here is a link to the recording of my webcast. The recording is a little over an hour long.

http://209.16.228.54/webcast/WhatsNewInRevitArchitecture2010.swf

Enjoy!

Space Enhancements in Revit MEP 2010

2009-04-17T10:41:00.006-04:00

Revit MEP 2010 has many new features. Here are just a couple when working with Spaces.

Spaces have been enhanced in two major areas. First the ability to create spaces has been improved with the addition of the Place Space Automatically tool. This will allow users to place all the spaces for the entire model with a single click. This is a huge time saver for creating spaces.

The new Place Space Automatically tool.

The second enhancement to spaces is found in the properties. The properties have been improved to give us the ability to further define the space type. The space type has been expanded to include Energy analysis settings. These include the ability to specify an Occupancy Schedule, Lighting Schedule, and Power Schedule. These schedules will dictate usage percentage factors. If the proposed building will be primarily used between the hours of 8:00-5:00, these can be specified and taken into account in analysis.

A custom Occupancy Schedule for a Space type with the hours set for the warehouse hours.

I will try to blog about more new features in Revit MEP 2010 soon.

Cool New Stuff in Revit Architecture 2010

2009-03-12T13:28:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year again! Time to gear up for the new release of the Autdesk products. Revit Architecture 2010 has some nice new features. Here are some of my favorites that have not gotten much publicity. Enjoy!

1. Export Building Site Tool - This is a great addition to allow you to export your building site and model to your Civil engineer. It grabs the site, model, building footprint, property lines, and UTILITY Connections and groups them into a new .adsk file format. I especially love the ability to show the Civil engineer where the utility connections are located. Not only that, if they are using Civil 3D 2010, they can actually connect their pipes to our connections.

2. The Press & Drag check box on the bottom right corner of the screen. I have always hated how easy it was to accidentally pick and move something inside of Revit without meaning to. Now you can uncheck this check box and you have to first pick the item you want to move before you can move it. This will make my life so much easier!

3. The ability to include sheet revisions in a Drawing List. We are no longer limited to just showing revisions on the titleblocks. We now have the ability to add the Current Revision and Current Revision Description to a Drawing List.

4. The ability to label slopes. This was high on my wish list. I now can call out the slopes on my roofs and floors.

Those are my top 4 non-publicized new features inside of Revit Architecture 2010. More to come soon!

Seeing Things Above

2009-01-08T12:52:00.007-05:00

Revit has some great tools to help us view a model from many different positions. We can have plans, ceiling plans, elevations, sections, 3d views or 3d sections. This enables us to view what we want when we want to see it.

I get lots of questions concerning the View Range in the View Properties. The View Range will allow you to change your Cut Plane and set your upper and lower limits. This is very helpful, but you need to understand one key rule: Revit will not actually show an item unless the view is cutting through that item.

A floor plan is typically a plan that is looking down and is cut by default 4'-6" above the level line. This means that a light fixture that is 8'-0" above the level line is not being cut by the cut line, which means that the light fixture will not be seen in the floor plan. One of the most common questions I get is "how do I get Revit to show the something on the ceiling on a floor plan?"

Here is a quick fix to be able to show light fixtures in your floor plan. Simply open the light fixture in the Family Editor, and draw a WHITE Model line from the fixture to the level line. This will cause the cutline to cut through the white model line and then show up on the floor plan. It should be white so it will not show up on the screen or on a plot.

To create the Model line, it works best to draw it in an elevation view. Once it is drawn you will need to create a new subcatagory in the Object Styles under Light Fixtures and assign that catagory to use a white line.

Then you will need to change the line to be assigned to the new sub catagory.

Load the light fixture back into your project and your light fixture now shows up in the floor plan. You may also want to override the graphics of the linework for the light fixture in the floor plan to be a hidden or dashed line.

This is a quick and easy way to show items above that are not being cut by the cut plane.

Using Schedule Keys in Revit

2009-01-06T12:10:00.011-05:00

I have found that one of the most unknown parts of Revit is creating schedule keys. I think creating schedule keys are a great way to promote standards, and provide the information you need on your schedules.

Schedule Keys are nothing more than a schedule of keys that you can use in other schedules. They are associated to a particular catagory and create a paramater for that catagory that can be used in schedules. There are many instances where these could be beneficial. I will give one example to show you how you can begin to use them in your projects.

Let's say you want to create a typical room finish schedule, but it is early on and you are not sure what the actual finishes will be. You do know what the finish material will be but not the actual color or manufacturer. For example, you want to call out CPT-1, or TILE-1 to call out the material as carpet or tile, but you do not know the particular carpet or tile. I am able to create a schedule key for the types of materials and apply them to my room finish schedule, and fill what the actual keys refer to when that information is known.

Let's begin by creating the schedule key.

I begin by starting a new Schedule by clicking on Schedule/Quanity from the View tab on the Design Bar. I select Rooms as my catagory since I am creating a key for the room finish. I then select to create a Schedule Key as opposed to a Building Component type of schedule. I also fill in the Key Name as Floor Finish. This is the name of the new parameter that will be added to rooms. I select OK to go to the next step.

In the Schedule Properties - Fields Tab, the Key Name is added automatically to the Scheduled Fields column. I need to add one additional field for the manufacturer of the finish. I do this by clicking on Add Parameter and fill in the name Floor Manufacturer.

The Key Name and the Floor Manufacturer are the only fields that are needed for the schedule key. Select OK to close the dialog box and to open the schedule key view.

In the schedule key view, you can add new Key Names by clicking the NEW icon on the Options Bar. Create the common finishes that you typically use. Others can be added later, and the manufacturer information can be added at a latter time.

Now when you either go to a Room properties or create a Room Finish Schedule, the Floor Finish key parameter will be listed. You can select what type of floor finish by using the drop down arrow to list the keys that were created in the Schedule Key.

The schedule key can be created in your standard Revit template file and the information can be filled in as it is known. This will create a standard list of finish names to be used in your office.

Schedule Keys are the key to creating consistancy and standards in Revit.

AU Customer Appreciation Mixer

2008-11-13T13:21:00.009-05:00

Autodesk University is almost here! I am gearing up for a jam packed week of classes and events. My schedule is crazy this year. I am not sure when I will have a chance to rest, but it will be worth it (I think.)

I will be teaching 3 classes, and assisting as a lab assistant for 2 labs plus attending sessions on Revit and Construction.

Looking at the schedule, it appears that my nights will be just as busy... and I am not the party animal if you do not know me very well.

If you are an Alacad customer, I want to personally invite you to attend a special Customer Appreciation Mixer. Alacad wants to say Thank You for being our customer by hosting a mixer on Monday night at the V Bar from 7:00-8:00. Shoot me an email to ensure that you have your ticket to join us. You must have a ticket to attend.

I am looking forward to meeting many of you that are attending. Find me if you can in the sea of 10,000 attendees. See ya in Vegas!

Enhancing Elevations in Revit

2008-10-10T11:38:00.015-04:00

Creating elevations in Revit are as simple as placing a callout. Enhancing the elevations once they are created is another task. Tools like the Linework, Split Face, and Paint help us enhance the elevations. The Linework tool will allow us to change the lineweight of any line in the view, or set it to be invisible if we do not want to see it.

The Split Face and the Paint tools allow us to split the surface of a wall and apply a different material to that portion of the wall.

These tools are great, but there is nothing built in the program to vary the lineweight automatically based on the depth of view. It would be nice for Revit to allow us to set some depth distances to automatically switch lines that are in the forground to be thick and the lines in the distance to be thin. Maybe some day we will have that.

Another tool that I find handy that few people know about is the Silhouette Edge setting. This setting will allow you to beef up the lineweight of the silhouette edge. This setting is found in the Advance Model Graphics Settings dialog box.

Inside the Advance Model Graphics Settings dialog box you can set the silhouette edges to any linetype you have in your project. This will automatically apply this linetype to the outside edges of your view.

Here is a before and after view with the Silhouette Edges changed to Medium Lines.

Silhouette Edge set to None

Silhouette Edges set to Medium

This should give you a head start on enhancing your elevations. You can still use the Linework tool with the Silhouette Edges turned on.

CADD Camp and AU

2008-09-15T09:49:00.003-04:00

For those that are in the Alabama area, do not miss out on this year's CADD Camp in Birmingham on September 30!

We will be hosting a full day of training on Revit. I will also be presenting the basics of NavisWorks during lunch.

Check out the course offerings and sign up at:

http://www.augievents.com/Birmingham/tabid/432/language/en-US/Default.aspx.

This will be like a mini-one-day Autodesk University.

If you are fortunate enough to attend this year's Autodesk Unversity, check out the three classes that I will be presenting.

AB110-6 AutoCAD® Architecture: Making Spaces Work For You!
CV310-4 From Dirt to Doors: Making AutoCAD® Civil 3D® and Revit® Architecture Work Together In Harmony
AB404-3 From the Existing to the Beyond with Revit® Design Options and Phases

These are both great opportunities, don't miss out!

Seek for Content

2008-05-07T13:47:00.007-04:00

There is a new Autodesk website available to search for Revit Content.

Go to http://seek.autodesk.com/. You can search by keyword, browse by CSI format, and filter it down by manufacturer. It appears to pull from multiple websites. It is a one stop shop for all your content searches.

There is also a built in search line inside of the Revit 2009 products that will launch this site.

AutoCAD Architecture 2009

2008-02-13T08:48:00.010-05:00

AutoCAD Architecture 2009 has some cool new features. I believe users will be excited to see the new enhancements. Here are a few of my favorites.

Wall Endcaps

Now AutoCAD Architecture 2009 makes it easier to create custom wall endcaps. While previous releases had this ability, enhancements to key “grip-edit” functionality makes the process more intuitive and streamlined.

Additionally, it’s easier than ever to modify endcaps using the “Auto-Calculate” feature and the integration of AEC Modify Tools.

Because of this, it’s now possible to extend, trim, and even merge wall components with AutoCAD linework, allowing you to create the endcap condition that you want… in fewer steps!

Match Properties Update

If you’re an AutoCAD user, you are probably aware of the Match Properties feature, commonly referred to as the “Paintbrush tool.”

Now, in AutoCAD Architecture, the “Paintbrush Tool” has been extended beyond AutoCAD entities to also work with AEC objects, such as walls, doors, and windows. The object matching paintbrush will allow users to match the style and graphic properties of one object to like objects in a drawing.

With this update, you’ll be able to quickly make design revisions to linework and objects, so that you don’t have to learn a separate set of revision commands!

Multiline Tags

Another feature around construction documentation is the ability to annotate with multi-line tags.

Now you can have more control over the way text appears in your construction documents by specifying text wrapping, rotation, and alignment in its tags with intuitive grips. With these tools, you’ll find it easier to communicate your design intent clearly.

These are just a few of the improvements. I believe the users will be happy with this release.

Welcome to Revit Architecture 2009

2008-02-12T08:34:00.000-05:00

It's that time again! Time get excited about what the new features are in the up coming release of Autodesk products. My favorite time of the year!

Revit Architecture 2009 will be here soon. Inside of it will be new features and enhancements that will make your work easier. Here is a sneak peek at a couple of my favorite enhancements.

Dimension Enhancements

Revit Architecture 2009 makes documenting your designs even easier. With new dimension capabilities, users can dimension to intersections and arc centers. New dimension text formatting enables users to apply common text effects, such as bold, italics, and underline, to their dimension text.

A second new addition to dimensions is the ability to override dimensions with text. While this feature enables users to override dimensions with text such as “Varies, See Stair Plans” or “11” MIN” and thereby achieve new flexibility in their documents, the feature helps to maintain model integrity by disallowing user overrides that misrepresent actual dimensions. For example, users cannot make a 14’ 4” dimension read 14’ 6”.

Revision Enhancements

The new revision enhancements allow architects and designers achieve the various revision styles that they demand. New flexibility enables revision tables to build from the bottom up or top down. Also, numbering sequences can include and be sorted by numbers or letters. A new field called “Issued By” helps revision tracking.

New flexibility for revision layouts includes an ability to rotate the schedule on a sheet and to set revision schedules to fixed or variable size.

The added control and flexibility over revisions makes the differing standards in various regions around the world easy to meet.

Pretty cool! More to come soon.

Adjusting Door Swings

2008-01-29T08:59:00.000-05:00

Revit comes with many types of doors that can be used in your projects. You can also download additional types from sites like Revit City and BIM World. Searching through these libraries, I relealized that none of them came with the ability to adjust the swing from 90 degrees to 45 degrees. This is a must in situations as shown below.

Modifying the plan swing of doors is a simple process, as long as you understand a few things. You will need to open the door family that you want to modify by highlighting the door in your project and then picking the Edit Family button on the Options bar.

This will open up the door family in a Family Editor mode. You will then need to navigate Project Browser to open the floor plan view of the door.

Revit uses Symbolic Lines to represent the swing and the door panel in plan views. The actual 3D door panel is not visible in the plan view because we typically want the door panel to be closed in a 3D view or elevation, and we want the door panel to be open in plan views.

To add additional swing angles, simply copy the existing door panel to the desired swing angle. I used the Rotate command with the Copy Option check so it would rotate and copy the panel in one step. Then you will need to copy the swing arc and trim it with the new door panel.

The thickness of the door panel is set to a thickness parameter that users can change. You will need to add a new dimension to the new door panel. Once this dimension is added, assign it to the thickness parameter by using the Label drop down bar on the Options bar.

The last step is to set the visibility parameters to allow one swing to be visible and the other swing to be hidden. To do this, you will need to highlight one panel and the corresponding swing arc. Once highlighted, go into the Properties and select the small box at the end of the Visible check box.

This will allow you to set the visibility to a parameter that users can control inside of their projects. Add a new parameter. Provide a name for the parameter that relates to the swing angle. Make the parameter an instant parameter so users can control this instantly as opposed to by type. Choose the group to place this parameter under. Repeat this process for the other door panel and swing arc. In the end, you should have one door panel and swing arc set to one visibility parameter, and the other door panel and swing arc set to another visibility parameter.

Load this door back into your project or save it to your library. Now when you select this door inside of your project, you will have the ability to check the box to show which swing you want to view. The end result is a plan that does not have doors swinging into each other.

Revit MEP Blog

2007-10-29T09:58:00.000-04:00

Kyle Bernhardt of Autodesk has started a new Revit MEP blog called Inside the System. Check it out. It already has 3 great videos on creating view filters, and creating systems inside of Revit MEP.

Gearing Up for Birmingham CAD Camp!

2007-10-17T20:10:00.000-04:00

Alacad will be hosting CAD Camp in Birmingham, AL on Thursday November 8th. I have just finished my courseware for this event and I think it will be an outstanding day of learning. Plan to attend if you are in the area.

Here is the line up for the Architecture and Building track.

AutoCAD Architecture 2008 - Making Spaces Work For You! (revised and improved from last year)
Revit Architecture 2008 - Design Options - Existing and Beyond
Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, Revit Structure 2008 - Completing the BIM Model - Collaboration Across Disciplines
Revit Architecture 2008 - Raising the Roof - Creating Roofs in Revit
Revit Architecture 2008 and AutoCAD Civil 3D - From Dirt to Doors – Making Civil 3D and Revit Work Together

Check out the complete course descriptions at www.cadcamp.com/birmingham.

Register TODAY!

Revit and Google Earth

2007-09-21T08:59:00.001-04:00

If you are a subscription customer using Revit, then listen up. Autodesk has finally posted their Google Earth extension that you can download to add your project to Google Earth or bring a Google Earth image into your project. Simply log into your subscription site and look for the Revit Globe - Link. You will find it on the "Autodesk Building Solutions Product Modules, Add-Ons, and Enhancement" page.

Once you have installed this, it will load some new commands to your Tools pulldown menu.

You must have Google Earth downloaded, installed, and running to use these tools. If you want to bring in an image from Google Earth, simple navigate to your site in Google Earth, then switch to Revit and use the Acquire from Google Earth tool. It works great for creating a site plan with the surrounding terrain.

If you want to publish your 3D model into Google Earth, you will need to switch to a 3D view in Revit and use the Publish to Google Earth tool. This will add a Temporary Place to your list inside of Google Earth. You can then zoom and orbit to see how your building fits within its context.

This is just a quick example of how you can begin to move your model to a site.

I will take this opportunity to advertise for one of the Autodesk University classes that I will be assisting with. It is not being advertised very well to the architectural community because it is listed in the Civil track. I am teaching "From Dirt to Doors" with my in-house Civil guru, Jason Hickey. Check it out the description below and sign up for it.

Revit Wall Library

2007-09-21T08:18:00.000-04:00

Are you trying to set up Revit Architecture for your company? If so, creating wall families can be a time consuming part of your task. I have a possible short cut for you. USG's web site has lots of walls, acoustical ceilings, and custom ceilings available for you to download. They have created just about their entire library of walls and ceilings in Revit format that you can download for free.

You can download the entire wall library, or search for a particular wall that meets your needs. Once downloaded, you will see that they are .rvt files (Revit Template files). You can start a new project, and browse to open the particular template that you are looking for. Here is a view of the available wall templates.

This brings up a good topic to discuss... How are you creating wall libraries? I have worked with several firms that are trying to tackle this issue. Your first thought might be to simply load them into your standard template. That is okay if you don't mind working in a large template with extra families that may never be used. Walls are project created families. You cannot have external files of walls like you do for other families (i.e. doors, windows, furniture.) I have found that the easiest way to have a library of walls is to create a separate project that is stored on your network that has nothing but wall families created in it. Users can open this project and find the wall they want to use and simply use the Copy/Paste command to copy the wall to their current project. I would create a view in this "wall project" that lists all the walls in an order that everybody understands. It could be similar to the way USG has created their files, as shown below.

I think manufacturers are finally realizing that Revit is here, and here to stay. I look forward to other companies making Revit content available in addition to the standard .dwg format. But until all manufacturers grasp this concept, you can continue to use my two favorite web sites to grab content for your project. If you have not already, check out Revit City and BIM World. They contain lots of information. Just be careful what you get for free, because sometimes what looks correct is not always the case. For example, I am working with my church to develop plans for a new multi-purpose building, and I downloaded a basketball court to use. Lo and behold, when I pulled down my nifty Graphic Standards, I found that the court was 10' too small.

Making Plans for AU 2007

2007-06-13T19:44:00.000-04:00

Yours truly will be presenting at Autodesk University 2007 in Las Vegas. That's right, I was informed this week that I will be presenting two classes.

The first will be a 1.5 hours class titled, "Using Spaces Effectively in AutoCAD Architecture. This will cover everything you need to know about getting information out of your project by using spaces.

The second class will be co-presented with my in-house Civil guru, Jason Hickey. It is titled, "From Dirt To Doors - Making Civil 3D and Revit Work Together in Harmony." We will focus on the workflow between the two products. Currently, this class will be offered under the Civil Track, but it is being considered for a second time slot under the Architectural track.

Mark your calendars for November 27-30 for AU 2007. Registration begins in August. Check out the AU website for more information.

Sloped Floors and Roofs in Revit - A Great Addition

2007-04-25T09:45:00.000-04:00

The Revit Development Team put in a last minute addition to Revit Architecture 2008. It did not show up in any of the Beta’s, nor has it been mentioned in any of the marketing, but it is one of the better enhancements to the program. Have you ever tried to create a sloped floor or a flat roof with slopes? What a pain it used to be. Now in 2008 it is a breeze. This works both on floors and roofs (with no defining edges.)

Place a floor or roof as you normally do. Once the floor or roof is drawn, if you reselect it, you will see a new set of tools on the Option Bar. These tools were taken from the Revit Structure program. In Revit Structure they use these tools on slabs. Now thanks to this last minute add, we can use them on floors and roofs.

When selecting the first one, Modify Sub-Elements, you will see a green line outlining your floor or roof, and green grips on each corner. You can move the entire edge or individual corners up or down. You can also create warped slabs by moving corners in opposite directions.

The second button, Draw Points, will allow you to assign a spot grade at any point. You also use the Draw Split Lines button to split the surface of your floor or roof into multiple surfaces. This does not make your floor or roof into two elements, it just divides the surface.

These tools are great, but I can already think of two additions that would make it even better. I would like a way to type in a slope angle or percentage. I would also want to be able to label the spot points with a tag that would call out the elevation. Currently these options are not available. Put these on your wish list. I guess they have to leave something for the next release.

Happy Anniversary

2007-04-13T11:48:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that it has been a year. It was one year ago, that I was convinced by my co-worker, Jason Hickey, to start a blog. Looking back, I feel that it has been successful. I never thought it would take off, but here we are a year later getting 200-500 hits a day. I hope to continue to provide useful information to my AEC readers.

Thank You for reading!

A Dashboard that Might Get Used in 2008

2007-04-13T10:13:00.000-04:00

The Dashboard was introduced in AutoCAD 2007. It was a new palette that few people found a use for. It had all kinds of 3D rendering/visualization tools on it, but unless you were working on a rendering, you probably turned it off. I would even go as far as to say that most people probably turned it off the first time they launched 2007 and never turned it back on. I mean, why would you when you already have your favorite toolbars and tool palettes? It was just something that took up valuable screen space.

Let me introduce you to the new and improved 2008 Dashboard. This one might make the cut when users launch 2008 for the first time, if they understand that it is now CUSTOMIZABLE! That's right, it is totally customizable. You can add or delete what you want. You can put all your favorite commands in one spot and completely turn off all those toolbar buttons.

The out of the box dashboard comes with several predefined Control Panels that have various tools on them. If you right click, you can select which ones you want by picking Control Panel and then checking the ones you want on. You can also right click on a panel that is currently on, and select Hide to turn it off.

I would start by browsing through these, turning off the ones you do not like, and leaving the ones you do like. Here is a sample of my favorite ones.

You can also go into the CUI by right clicking on the dashboard and selecting Customize Commands. Once inside the CUI, there is a new category for the Dashboard. Here you can add new panels and simply drag and drop your favorite commands onto the newly created panel.

With these added enhancements to the Dashboard, I can visualize everyone dashing off to customize their dashboard ( I know it's corny, but it could happen!)

Hiding Elements in Revit 2008

2007-04-11T09:22:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was asked by one of my customers how to hide individual elements or families in a view. I told him that until he installs Revit 2008, he would have to create a view filter in Visual Graphics and turn the visibility off for that filter. He asked what was different in 2008, so I am going to describe one of the new features here.

Hiding elements in Revit Architecture 2008 has some new features. The temporary hide feature in previous releases was just that-- temporary. When an element was hidden using the Temporary Hide tool, it would only be for that session. So, when a view with hidden elements was printed, all elements (whether hidden or not) would plot.

Let me introduce you to the new Persistent Hide tool. This will allow you to hide either individual elements or categories that will remain hidden and not plot. Prior to this tool, we would have to create some sort of view filter to hide elements.

This tool works by selecting the element that you want to hide in the view, right clicking and picking Hide In View. You can select either Elements or Category.

Once the element is hidden, you can select on the new Reveal Hidden Elements icon (the light bulb) on the View Control Bar at the bottom of the screen. When this is selected, all non-hidden elements will turn gray and you will get a bold magenta outline around your view to indicate that you are in a view hidden elements mode. Your hidden elements will be magenta as well. If you right click on a hidden element, you can select Unhide In View to unhide the element.

You can also turn temporary hidden elements into persistent hidden elements by selecting the element and picking on the Temporary Hide/Isolate icon (the sunglasses) on the View Control Bar. You will see a new option on the menu to Apply Hide/Isolate to View.

With the new Persistent Hide feature you can see what you want, and hide what you don't want to see and plot it that way. Hmmm... it actually works the way you want it to.

Vista Patch for AutoCAD 2007

2007-04-11T08:25:00.000-04:00

If you are trying to run AutoCAD 2007 on Windows Vista then listen up. We have been asked this question more times in the past several months than any other-- "How can I get it to work on Vista?"

Autodesk has released SP2 for AutoCAD 2007. Here is the link to download SP2. The only hiccup in the service patch is if you have already installed SP1. Due to a limitation in Service Pack 1, Service Pack 2 cannot be installed on Windows Vista with SP1 already installed. To install SP2, first uninstall and reinstall AutoCAD and then apply SP2 (without installing SP1.)

Reader's Choice - Submit YOUR AU topic

2007-03-21T00:14:00.000-04:00

AU 2007 will be here before you know it. Mark your calendars-- it will be held November 27-30 in Las Vegas. If you missed last year's event you will not want to miss this one.

I am opening up my blog for your suggestions. Let me know what topics you would like yours truly to cover. I will submit a course submittal on the top response. So here is your chance to make sure your topic is covered. It could be a topic in ADT or Revit. Just list your most desired topics in the comment section of this blog entry. What could be better than attending the world's best conference and attending a class that you personally suggested? Feel free to email me your suggestions with your contact information, and if AU selects the course I submit, I will contact you and recognize you at the event.

Beefing Up for AutoCAD Architecture 2008!

2007-03-07T08:57:00.000-05:00

Wow-- it just keeps asking for more and more. RAM that is. The new AutoCAD Architecture 2008 recommended system requirements are listed below. The one requirement that stands out is the 3 GB RAM or greater. Lets review for a moment. The 2006 version recommended 1 GB, the 2007 version recommended 2 GB, and now we are up to 3 GB. Where will it end?

CAD Managers better beef up those systems.

Recommended System Requirements
The following system requirements are recommended
for effective use of AutoCAD Architecture 2008:

• Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon® processor,
3 GHz or greater
• Microsoft® Windows Vista™ or Windows® XP
(SP2)
• 3 GB RAM or greater
• 3.1 GB free disk space
• 1280 x 1024 monitor and display adapter capable
of 32-bit color
• 128 MB or greater, OpenGL®-capable workstationclass
graphics card

Snooping Under the Tree for Revit Architecure 2008

2007-02-14T13:43:00.000-05:00

The presents under the Christmas tree continue to grow. It's Christmas for Revit users too! Here are some of the new features in Revit Architecture 2008.

Color Fills
Color Fill enhancements provide better control over the creation, management and display of color fill patterns. Because the software offers more options for conveying design ideas in plan, Revit families such as furniture, equipment, and floors no longer hide behind color fills. Maximizing valuable drawing real estate, the color fill legend reports only those color fills represented in the active view.

Revit Groups
Revit Groups, also known as repeating units, provide a modular design technique ideal for building types comprising of many rooms of similar size, shape, or configuration; such as, hospitals, hotels and apartment buildings. New workflow enhancements include the ability to load an RVT file as a group, save a group as an RVT, or change a group to a linked file. Additional enhancements include a new Group Edit Mode, which provides for the creation of elements while editing a group, numerous user interaction improvements, and the ability to exclude elements on an instance basis to accommodate special conditions.

Dependent Views
Addressing the needs of firms managing large projects, dependent views provide a robust mechanism for segmenting projects across multiple sheet views. Coordination across sheets is automatically maintained between parent and dependant views helping to ensure model fidelity. All building information, including annotations, is kept accurate and up-to-date throughout the design process.

Match Lines & View References
The addition of Dependent views bring about the creation of new tools in order to support that documentation technique. An additional crop region called the Annotation Crop provides the ability to crop annotations in the view and is accessible from the view properties; Match Lines have been introduced to denote the boundary between two (or more) dependent views; View Reference is a new annotation that provides an associative connection from a parent view to a dependent view. Similar to section heads, the View Reference will automatically display a view’s number and sheet number once the dependent view is placed onto a sheet.

Masking Regions
History of Project: Prior to Revit Architecture 2008, Filled Regions were used, not only as intended, but also as a tool for obscuring or masking model geometry while detailing. The creation of a new Masking Region provides a tool with explicit masking functionality.

Benefit to User: The Masking Region tool provides a new method that is tailored for obscuring other elements. Masking Regions can be used in 2D model views as well as any 2D or 3D Revit Family (including detail elements and annotations).

With the new Masking Regions comes enhanced collaboration between Revit Architecture and AutoCAD. When viewed in DWG format, visual fidelity is maintained as Masking Regions obscure geometry beyond and appear opaque.

Autodesk VIZ and Autodesk 3ds Max Interoperability
Autodesk® VIZ or Autodesk® 3ds Max® software products can import or link 3D DWG™ files produced with Revit Architecture. Maximize your workflow by sharing model geometry, materials, and camera positions throughout the iterative design process. Create stunning photorealistic interior and exterior renderings to help sell your design ideas.

Graphical Overrides
Graphic overrides provide an ability to modify the graphic representation for a single element, thereby offering additional options for how elements appear in views. Graphic overrides also provide a visual method for hiding or revealing single elements or groups of elements by view. Settings are visually retained from session to session, reducing setup time in anticipation of plotting and printing.

File Linking
Offering more flexibility and easier management of linked model information, Revit links are organized within the project browser to provide new drag-and-drop management, together with quick and easy access to the Link Manager. Project visibility is significantly improved for the project team by displaying nested links within host files. The functionality of color fills is also enhanced as fills within host files are applied in linked views.

Tis the Season - AutoCAD Architecture 2008 New Features

2007-02-14T12:54:00.000-05:00

It's my favorite time of year... right up there with Christmas! Here are some of the features that will be available in the upcoming AutoCAD Architecture 2008 release.

Area Documentation

Space Layout Productivity

In AutoCAD Architecture, the ability to generate spaces automatically from objects & linework has been integrated directly into Palettes. This also provides the advantage of pre-specifying various options, such as style, to help streamline space creation.

Automatic Update during design

Spaces in AutoCAD Architecture now are capable of being associative to the objects (walls, slabs, curtain walls, etc) which surround them, eliminating tedious steps of updating space objects when boundaries change. This interaction with bounding objects is also supported through xrefs.

Detail Documentation

Master Format 2004 Support

Many users are beginning to use the updated MasterFormat 2004 edition on their building design and construction projects. AutoCAD Architecture now provides content, detail components and keynote databases that are configured for The Construction Specifications InstituteÂs MasterFormat 2004.

Annotation Editing

Annotative Scaling

Automatic scaling of drawing production allows users to simply change the scale of the design, and the annotations including dimensions, tags and leaders are automatically updated.

Graphic Editing

Object Graphic Control

The new Display tab in the Properties Palette provides instant visual feedback after modification of an object or its components. This reduces the steps need to change graphic appearance by leveraging a similar interaction with basic AutoCAD linework.

Graphic Control per Viewport

You can also display objects differently in selected layout viewports while retaining their original layer properties in model space and in other layout viewports. With layer property overrides, you no longer need to use tedious and error-prone methods such as duplicating geometry on separate layers or making copies of xrefs. Instead, you can use the Layer Properties Manager to set overrides for color, linetype, lineweight, and plot style for each layout viewport.

Drawing Management

Sheets graphics coordinated with views

By selecting an option in the Project Setup dialog, changes in a View drawingÂs layer display carry over to its corresponding Sheet View layer display. The Sheet View layer states will resolve to and display the same as the layer states in the View drawing.

Launch Projects via shortcuts

You can now launch a Project Navigator project by double clicking on the .APJ file from within Windows Explorer or a shortcut created on you desktop.

General Fit and Finish

· Performance
· Project name on Project Navigator
· Add folder in Project Browser
· Better handling of missing templates

Revision Communication

Drawing Compare

New Drawing Compare feature, available through the Autodesk Subscription program, uses color-coded displays to show items on a drawing that have been changed, added or deleted by other members of the design team. Changes to items such as styles, fire ratings or other non-graphical properties also can be tracked.

Say Goodbye to ADT

2007-02-12T07:51:00.000-05:00

It's been rumored for years. Will Autodesk kill Architectural Desktop? Well, they have finally done it. Architectural Desktop will not be released in the new 2008 line of products. You will have to get used to calling it by its new name-- AutoCAD Architecture 2008. That's right, it's just a name change with some features that are really cool. Autodesk will be releasing their new 2008 product line soon, and one of the biggest changes that the Building Solution Division needs to get used to are the name changes. Below is a summary of the name changes for the 2008 releases.

In the upcoming weeks I will give sneak peeks of some of the new features in the 2008 product lines. Stay tuned.

Is DEMO a Phase?

2007-02-01T12:01:00.000-05:00

This morning I got a chance to read Steve's blog at Revit OpEd. He had a good article on how to show future phases by overlaying them onto sheet views. If you have not seen his blog, check it out. I want to expand on his article by explaining how to set up phases in your project, and defining the terminology for creating phases and filter states.

To begin setting up phases, you will find Phasing under the Settings pulldown menu. The dialog box is divided up into tabs. The first tab is where you set up the names of your phases. You will notice that the dialog box has Past on the top and Future on the bottom. It is important to order your phases chronologically. The default template comes with two default phases-- Existing and New Construction. You can rename the defaults or add new phases by clicking on the Before or After buttons in the Insert section.

Most people, including myself, think that Demolition is a phase in a project. With Revit, it is a Phase Status. Let me explain. You could have demolition in any or all phases of your project. It is just part of that particular phase. There are 4 default phase status' that can be used on every phase. You can set items to either Demolished, Existing, New, or Temporary in each phase. The following chart defines each of the phase states.

These settings can be applied in the Properties of each item. Simply tell Revit what phase the item is created in and what phase the item will be demolished in.

Once you have items set to the correct status, you will need to assign views to show the phase and apply the appropriate phase filter. You can do this in the View Properties.

You can create additional Phase Filters or Override the Graphics in the main Phase dialog box under the Settings pulldown.

I hope this helps expand on what Steve wrote about. Phasing in Revit works well if you understand the concept of phases, phase states, and how to apply them to views.

CAD Shack

2007-01-29T08:54:00.000-05:00

Todd Shackelford recently acknowledged my blog and I wanted to return the favor. Todd has an excellent blog site where he focuses on the MEP side by using Autodesk Building Systems and Revit Systems. Check out his blog at CAD Shack. Thanks Todd, and keep up the good work!

Not Worrying About What You Don't Know

2007-01-10T11:21:00.000-05:00

Well, my absence from blogging is over. I had a very nice Christmas season, and I am looking forward to a new year of blogging.

With a post title like this, I could go several directions. I could use this title to discuss the fear people have about switching over to the Revit Platform. After all, change can be a very big issue for some people. But this is not the direction I am heading. I could use this title to discuss how easy it is to gain a basic understanding of the Revit tools. How the tools work the way they ought to work, even if you don't know how to use them. But this is not the direction I am headed either. Okay, as we tell my father-in-law when he is telling us a story and he gets off subject... enough fluff!

I want to use this post to discuss the most common mistake people make when working on a Revit project. That is worrying about the details before it is time to worry about the details. Revit is a modeling program. Most people tend to want to be as accurate as possible, and show as much detail as they can to "wow" their customers with 3D perspectives. I am here to tell you, that if you spend too much time worrying about specific details in the design phase, then you are missing the point.

You should use Revit as a design tool. When I am in a design stage of a project, I don't care what size the column needs to be or what the exact make-up of the exterior walls are. I just want to focus on the design intent and make sure that the spaces work. As CAD drafters, we sometimes get too caught up in the details too early in the game.

Let me introduce a new Revit term to you. It's called Space Holders. You can use space holders to quickly block out something in your model that you will eventually go back and revise to the correct component. This will allow you to keep focused on the design, not the details. For example, when laying out a building, I know that I will have to have columns in my building, but I may not know where, what type, or the exact size of the column until later in the game. Typically, we give our structural engineers a base plan and they provide us with the column spacing and sizes. So in the early stages, I may just want to use a standard box column in my plans as a preliminary column spacing plan. After my engineer designs the structural model, I can simply exchange my place holder columns with the correctly sized columns by replacing the family. This will save me time and frustration in the design phase.

While I am on the subject of columns, let me take the time to tell you the difference between Architectural columns and Structural columns in Revit. The architectural column is found on the Modeling Design Bar while the structural column is found on the Structural Design Bar. They work and feel basically the same. The only difference between the two is that the structural columns have additional parameters that the engineer can use to extract to his structural design program to size the member. These parameters will be grayed out unless you are running Revit Structural.

If you are working with an engineer that is using Revit, then by all means, use structural columns as opposed to architectural columns. If your engineer is not using Revit, then it really doesn't matter. You can use architectural columns as wrap arounds and structural columns as the actual column. If you are doing this, then when placing the structural columns, you can insert them by selecting your architectural column wrap arounds as the mode of inserting.

This will save time and insure that your columns and the structural columns are connected. If one moves, the other will move with it. Pretty neat trick to make sure your wrap arounds are in the correct location.

Enough fluff! Back to my original post title. To sum it up, don't get caught up in the details too early in the game. Use place holders when needed, and just make sure that you eventually go back and replace the place holders with the correct components when that knowledge is gained.

Revisions in Revit

2006-12-06T11:23:00.000-05:00

The way Revit handles revisions works very well. I will walk you through the simple steps in managing revisions for a project.

The first step is to open the Revision Setting dialog box. Expand the Settings pulldown and select Revision to open the dialog box.

The first settings will control whether your revision numbers are By Project or By Sheet. This will depend on your company standards. By project will tag your revision with the delta symbol of the next available number. By sheet will tag your revision with the delta symbol of the next number of that particular sheet. You should set this at the beginning and leave it as your default.

The Revision Table begins with one revision as the default. You can edit the Release Date, Description, check the Issue box, or fill in who the revision was Issued To for any revision. You can add new revisions by clicking on the NEW button.

Once you have a revision issued, you may want to change the visibility so the contractor will not get confused by looking at old revision clouds. You can choose to show either "Cloud and Tag", "Tag", or "None" under the Visible column.

The actual Revision command can be found on the Drafting menu bar. This command is only available in a Sheet View. Once the command is started, you will enter into a sketch mode. Simply draw the cloud around the area that was revised and click Finish Sketch. You can then tag the cloud by starting the Tag command and picking By Category. If the Revision Tag is not loaded into your current project, it can be found under the Annotation folder in your family directory.

As soon as you place a cloud onto a sheet, the Revision Schedule in the title block will be updated to include the revision number, description, and date. The revision schedule is included on the default template title block.

There is a known bug with release 9.1 that will not allow you to add a revision schedule to a custom title block. Hopefully this will be fixed soon, but for now, you can create your title block by editing the title block on the default template.

Keeping track of your revisions are simple in Revit. It manages all your revision numbers and dates. Of course, hopefully you will not need to know how to use this due to the fact that you never actually have to issue any revisions... right?!?

Making Spaces Work For You - In REVIT

2006-11-17T09:12:00.000-05:00

It only makes sense that my first "How To" tip in Revit be on spaces. Especially since the current issue of AUGI World features an article by yours truly on Making Spaces Work For You in ADT.

Spaces in Revit are called Rooms. They work similarly to ADT with a few exceptions. Rooms in Revit define the use of the space. They are simple enough to define. You begin by clicking on Room on the Basic tab of the Design Bar. Then as you roll over your plan you will see the room limits highlighted by enclosed walls. On the Options bar you have the option to place the Room Tag as you are defining the rooms. You also have options to set the upper limits of the room, the rotation of the tag, and naming the room.

Once the rooms are defined, you have a couple of additional options to define the extents of each room. First, on the Room and Area tab of the design bar, you can use the Room Separation tool to draw lines to define the extents of the room. This is useful when you have an open area that is divided up into separate spaces. As you draw room separations, the rooms that are already defined will be updated to extend to the room separation lines. The area outside of the room separation line will not be part of any rooms. You can use the Room tool to define the new room that was created by the room separation tool. So like ADT, you can use either walls or lines to define the extents of your rooms.

You also have the ability to select on an individual wall and go into the properties to tell it not to use this particular wall as a room boundary. This will be useful when working on a restroom with toilet stalls. You will want to set the toilet partitions not to act as a room boundary. Simply uncheck the box in the options dialog box next to Room Bounding. If you make this change after the spaces are created you will get a warning dialog box because you will have two spaces that will be overlapping each other. In the warning dialog box click on Delete Rooms and one room will be deleted, leaving the new combined room.

Rooms can be used to create schedules like square footage schedules or room finish schedules. You can also use Color Fills to create a colored floor plan for a graphical representation of the room extents.

Rooms are similar to Spaces in ADT. They contain the information of the Room. With rooms you can define usage, finish materials, calculate square footage or volume information, or simply use them to insert your room tags.

Move over ADT... Make room for Revit

2006-11-08T15:56:00.000-05:00

I have had some time this week to dive deep into Revit. I was hesitant in the beginning like many are, but I just finished my first project. As an ADT user for years, I found Revit fairly easy to pick up as long as I kept one thought in mind-- forget what you know about CAD. I know that goes against the name of this blog, but it is necessary to understand how Revit works. I have been promising people that I would extend this blog to include Revit, and now is the time.

The basic commands in Revit work similarly to ADT. The walls clean up when joined, doors and windows can be inserted into walls, and there is a line command that you can use by picking a start point and an end point. That, however, is where the similarities end.

I was serious when I said to forget what you know about CAD. I forced myself to do this as I was learning this program. When I caught myself trying to do something in the way I would in ADT, I quickly became frustrated. I believe if I had never learned ADT, I would have been able to pick Revit up without a hitch. Once I got into it, I started enjoying it more and more. Looking back at my first project, although it was small, I can see how you can make design decisions at an early stage and see the effects of that decision in multiple views.

In the past I have had the attitude of, "well, ADT can do that too." Yes, ADT can do much of what Revit does. But you have to work to make it do it. The coordination of drawings, or views as Revit calls them, is what impressed me the most. I never had to worry about updating xrefs or schedules, or about making sure that I had the right callout on my elevations.

I do not want to run any of my ADT users away. I will continue writing about ADT, but expect to see me writing more and more about Revit.

Below are several images of my first Revit project. I am impressed, even if nobody else is.

Successful CAD Camp

2006-10-19T09:40:00.000-04:00

Alacad hosted CAD Camp in Birmingham this week. I hope the ones that attended walked away with a greater knowledge of AutoDesk products. I feel like it was a huge success, but being on the presenting side of the table sometimes muddies the water. I presented two classes, both ADT related-- one on Spaces and the other on AEC Dimensions. Both classes received good feedback. If you were not able to attend, be sure to check out the next issue of AUGI World. You will find an article of mine on Spaces.

I also sat in on a Product Migration Roundtable hosted by Robert Green. This was a useful discussion of how to get new products implemented inside of your company. Robert did a good job on leading the discussion about what we have seen work, and what has not worked in implementation. I recently returned from Chicago where I attended ICE (Implementation Certified Expert) training. I will be sharing some of the information that I learned in the next few weeks here in my blog. The training class was intense, but I was able to pass the test to certify me as an expert. Without getting into too many details for now, just keep in mind that implementation does not equal training. Training is only a small part of a successful implementation. Watch for more information on implementation in coming blogs.

By the way... we will be hosting another CAD camp in Nashville on January 18, 2007. Watch this link AUGI CAD Camp for registration info to be posted soon.

ADT SP1 is Available!

2006-09-27T21:37:00.000-04:00

SP1 for ADT 2007 has been posted. I am in the process of installing it now. I've read the readme file, and it looks like it has corrected many of the little bugs inside the program. Here is the link to download the service patch. ADT SP1

A.U. Connect

2006-09-25T21:44:00.000-04:00

Autodesk University is coming! I am excited about this year's A.U. I am all signed up and ready to go to this great event. My excitement grew this week as the A.U. website launched A.U. Connect. This is a great place to see who is coming and who is similar to your personality and likes. If you haven't registered yet for A.U., get with it and sign up. The classes are filling up fast. If you are registered, then log into A.U. connect and enter your profile information. It is fun to see who is similar to you and where they are from.

Using Lists in ADT 2007

2006-09-06T08:48:00.000-04:00

One of the most unnoticed features in 2007 is the ability to create lists. These lists can be used to help your CADD standards. As an ex-CADD manager, I despised reviewing a set of drawings when I found the same term used over and over, but with different call outs. For example, calling out Gypsum Board in one set of drawings, I found it listed as gyp. bd, GYP. Board, Gypsum, US Gyp, Drywall, and of course, gypsum board. Calling out the same material with so many terms will lead the contractor to confusion or R.F.I.'s. The ability to create lists will enable your users to pick from a pulldown menu the name of the material so it is coordinated and never misspelled.

To create a list, go to Style Manager. You will see List Definitions under Multi-Purpose Objects. You can create a new one or modify an existing one. They are styles, and like every other style, they must be loaded into your current drawing to be used. In creating a list definition, there are two main tabs that need to be looked at. The Applies To tab is critical to assign what this list will be used for. You will see three(3) options listed: Manual Property Definition, Space Names, and Zone Names.

Manual Property Definition should be selected if you intend to use this list on any property set definition. Once this is selected, you have the option to change the type of a manual property set definition from Text to List in the Definition tab of the property set. The following example has a list created and assigned to the door frame material. The list gives the users the option to pick metal, wood, or aluminum.

The other two Applies To options in the List definitions will enable the list to be used as either Space Names or Zone Names. This is a great way to ensure that Room Names are spelled correctly. To have your room tag pull the name from the space name, set this up on your MV room tag block. To use this list as space names you need to assign the Space Names of the space style to the list in the Design tab of the space style.

This example shows a residential list of space names that the room tag is pulling from to name the room.The Items tab in the list definitions is where you actually create the lists. It is fairly straight forward. Simply pick Add and type in the name of the item.

Lists can be created in templates so they are always loaded into your current drawings. Being able to pick a list, as opposed to typing it in, will increase productivity and decrease inconsistency and spelling mistakes.

Publicity

2006-08-31T08:51:00.000-04:00

I want to thank those who recently blogged about my site. I appreciate the kind words. I am aware of the following bloggers that have mentioned this site.

A big thanks goes out to JTB World Blog, Beside the Cursor..., and RobiNZ CAD Blog for the recent publicity!

Out of the Box Property Sets

2006-08-25T09:01:00.000-04:00

Property sets are like place holders for data that can be used to analyze your project. You can create any property set you need in Style Manager. ADT comes with several property sets out of the box, but they are not loaded automatically. Some of them will load when you insert a schedule or a tag. I was trying to set up a template, and I wanted to customize the property sets in the template. I had trouble figuring out a way to get the property sets loaded. I came up with a short cut to get all the "out of the box" property sets loaded into your current drawing.

On the documentation tool palette, copy and paste an existing tag tool. It does not matter which one-- I used the door tag tool. Rename your copied tag tool "Property Sets." Right click and go into the properties. Inside properties, change the type to "Property Set Data".

Then click on the icon in the property data box to open up the Add Property Sets dialog box. Select all and pick OK.

When this tool is used in your drawing, it will load all the available property sets. This is a great tip for CADD Managers who are trying to set up their templates. You can load all the property sets, customize them to meet your company needs, and save it as your template. When users insert schedules and/or tags, the property sets that work with that schedule and/or tag will already be loaded into their drawing. If the property set already exists in the drawing, this ensures they are using the company standard property set.

Layer Key Overrides

2006-08-22T08:30:00.000-04:00

ADT does a great job of placing objects on the correct layer. As I am drawing, I rarely look at the layers that the program is placing items on. It puts walls on a wall layer, doors on a door layer, etc...

But what happens when I need to put a wall on a wall-demo layer? Hmmm... Do I have to manually create that layer and use the change properties to change it? If you don't know about the Layer Key Overrides, then you are probably doing that manually.

ADT has a built in tool that few users are taking advantage of. The Layer Key overrides will allow you to temporarily override the layer that the objects are placed on. If I need to draw a wall on a wall-demo layer, all I have to do is to turn the layer key override on and set the status to Demo. As long as it is on, any object that I place will be put on a layer with a -demo extension to it. If I place a door, it will be put on a door-demo layer.

When I am finished drawing demo items, I simply turn the layer key override off and it's back to normal.

Layer Key Overrides - what a time saver. If you are not using them, check it out!

CAD Camp!

2006-08-01T21:15:00.000-04:00

I am excited to announce that registration is open for this year's CAD Camp in Birmingham. It was just last October that I went to my first CAD Camp. What an experience!

I have to tell you a short story about my experience last year. I attended with two co-workers from my previous company. We drove down from Chattanooga, and as we drove, we were all talking about what we were expecting to learn from the day ahead. We were attending the opening keynote address, and I leaned over to my co-worker and told her that every time I attended one of these events, I was jealous of the speakers. I mentioned that I wanted to be up there presenting. She chuckled and we went on to our first training course.

This year I won't have to be jealous of the speakers. I will be teaching two classes with my co-worker, Alice Craig. I hope that you will plan to attend. Early registration is ongoing, just click on this link: CAD Camp. See you there!

Walls With Footings

2006-07-25T21:31:00.000-04:00

While teaching an ADT class today, I was asked what is the best way to draw spread footings using ADT. My first thought was to use slabs, and size them accordingly. But after looking at it more closely when I got back to my hotel, I believe the easiest way to draw spread footings is with the wall command.

There are several wall styles that ship with ADT that indicate a footing below the baseline of the wall. They are located in the wall style drawings in the content folder. The settings are able to be edited through style manager. You can adjust the components to the desired widths and use the offset options to reach the required depth. The styles that ship with ADT have a component that is called footing, that has the concrete material applied to it, and it is drawn on a footing layer that has a hidden linetype. This is a quick and easy way to indicate footings below structural walls.

Below is a CMU-12 Concrete-12x24-footing wall style that shows the footing below as a hidden line. The components do show up well when you cut a section through it. If you simply need a footing without a wall, you can copy the wall style and delete the cmu component in style manager. This should help when you are trying to indicate footings below walls.

System Requirements

2006-07-06T12:55:00.000-04:00

A common question we get on a daily basis is, "What are the system requirements if I upgrade my current release of Autocad?" I have added some new links on the side of this page to direct people to Autodesk's recommended system requirements for each BSD product.

The two most important items to look at are RAM and your graphic card. I would not recommend anything less than 2 GB of RAM for the 2007 products. The graphic card should be a tested and approved card by Autodesk. The 2007 products have a built in optimizer to help configure your 2007 product to work more efficiently with your graphic card. Here is an additional link to see what cards have been tested. Graphic Hardware List.

The State of the Architectural World

2006-06-23T16:00:00.000-04:00

After attending two State AIA conventions, I believe I have a better understanding of where architecture firms are coming from these days. I had the opportunity to meet hundreds of people from both the Alabama AIA Conference and the Mississippi AIA Conference. Both conferences were first class with excellent hotels, conference centers, and a large pool of national speakers.

As I talked to people at each event, I saw that the majority of the firms are not current on their release of AutoCAD. I am not one to suggest upgrading as soon as a new release hits the shelves just for the sake of upgrading, but I do evaluate each release to see if there are enough new features to make it worthwhile. Many of the firms that I spoke with are currently using release 2004, and were unaware Autodesk is in the process of retiring this release. If you are one of those firms, you should contact Alacad for an upgrade quote before the prices increase.

I was also not surprised to find many firms own Architectural Desktop, but are using it like AutoCAD. I heard many excuses as to why they are not using the ADT features. The main things I heard over and over again were that they do not need 3D, or it just doesn't work well to produce construction documents. Well, after listening to these reasons, I think it all can be summed up in two words - NO TRAINING. There are many advantages to ADT that can be used to increase your production in a 2D world. Autodesk is currently featuring a series of web casts on this very topic. Check out Amy's webcast if you fall into this category. Watch Amy's Screencasts

I did find several firms that are leading the troops into the world of BIM. I applaud them for their willingness to step out onto the cutting edge. Of the success stories that I heard, they all claimed that they would never go back to plain AutoCAD. This says much for the advantages. Will there be problems? Will there be times when you just don't get it? Will your production decrease on the first several projects? The answer to all of these questions is yes, but after the bumps clear out there is a huge increase of productivity. More importantly, however, is the assurance you will have that your documents are coordinated. When using a BIM (either Revit or ADT) your callouts will be correct, your schedules will match your plans, and your plans will match your elevations.

So I propose two challenges for the firms of Alabama and Mississippi. First, stay reasonably current with your release. If your release is 2004 or older, then upgrade now before it costs you more money. Second, if you are a proud owner of ADT but you are still using it as AutoCAD, get the training necessary to use the ADT features.

Creating Your Own Schedule Tags

2006-06-19T16:59:00.000-04:00

Putting tags into your drawings can be monotonous. If you are trying to number each one, it is sometimes hard to keep the numbers correct so you do not have any duplicates. ADT can assist you in this area by using schedule tags. Many tags come with the program that can be used for room names/numbers, door numbers, window types, and wall types. But because these "out of the box" tags do not match specific companies' standards, many people continue to use the old block with an attribute method. This costs time and money. The schedule tags in ADT can automatically number and be added to a schedule for additional analysis.

Schedule tags are actually very easy to create. I will demonstrate here how you can use your existing tags to create ADT schedule tags that can be assigned to property sets.

1. Begin with your block. Let's imagine I have an equipment tag my company uses that is made of a simple circle with a letter in it. I simply pick the "Define Schedule Tag" command from the "Format" pulldown menu.

2. I select the existing block as my object to create tag from. It opens up a dialog box showing my block in the preview box. I can then give my new schedule tag a name by typing it in the name box.

3. It will automatically list my attribute as a label in the lower part of the dialog box. To convert this text to a property text that can automatically be filled in and scheduled, I change the type from "Text" to "Property".

4. I select the property set that I want to assign it to, and assign a property definition. In this example, I am working with my company's equipment block so I picked "EquipmentObjects" as the property set.

5. Finally, pick "Number" as the property definition. Select "OK" to finish.

I can now use this schedule tag to schedule plain blocks in my drawings for equipment. It will automatically number each piece as I insert the tags. I can also create a schedule that will look for all my tags in the drawing and schedule them for me.

Using this simple process to create your own schedule tags enables you to have all your company standard tags converted into schedule tags in no time.

Investigating Your Layers

2006-06-12T08:42:00.000-04:00

Even though the new layer tools located on the Layer II toolbar in 2007 have been around for awhile in Express Tools, I have never used the LayerWalk tool. The LayerWalk tool is a useful command to help you determine what is on a certain layer. When the dialog box first opens it highlights all the layers that are currently on. You can then pick on a layer name in the dialog box, and your drawing screen will display only the items on that layer. This is a quick and easy way to begin working with a new drawing that has been sent to you to analyze. As in most dialog boxes, you can hold the "Ctrl key" down to select multiple layers. If you are just browsing, you can leave the box checked on "Restore on exit" and your drawing will return to the layer state it was in prior to starting the command. What a great investigating tool. Give it a try!

Last Minute Changes

2006-05-25T22:16:00.000-04:00

Making last minute modifications to your floor plan can be risky, but we all do it. We think we have everything worked out, then we realize we need to move a wall to make room for an additional chase that our MEP engineer is asking for. We think to ourselves, "No problem. This should be a five minute change." We use the stretch command and instantly it's finished. Our drawings are printed, stamped, and sent to the architect of record for signature. We lean back in our chair sipping a cup of coffee thinking how glad we are to have that project out the door. Then it happens... we get the dreaded roll of drawings back covered in blood. We wonder just how many red pens were actually used to create so many redlines. Your first thought is, "what in the world could be so wrong with my perfect set of documents?"

If this scenario has ever happened to you, then you were probably not using the Autodesk products to their full advantage. Last minute changes are where BIM (Building Information Modeling) products like ADT and Revit shine. If your documents had been tied to a single model, then your ceiling plan, enlarged plans, interior elevations, sections, life safety plans, square footage tables and other details that were affected would also have been changed. We are all human, we make mistakes. In last minute changes, we tend to forget what a simple change can effect.

BIM makes so much sense to use, but as architects we think its too hard to learn, or that the way we produce our documents has worked for years-- why change what works. Change is always hard, but change will push your firm to a level above your competitors. We know in the long run it would be better if we could take advantage of all the features in ADT, but we throw our hands up claiming it doesn't work right or that it would take too long to produce. Well, it might take a little longer the first few times, but once you understand how to do it you will never go back.

Alacad offers several classes to help you gain this knowledge. We also offer what we call "over the shoulder" training. In this case, we work with you while you are working on a billable project to teach you how to use these techniques. If you are struggling with changing your old habits, or you think its too complicated, give us a call and let us assist you.

Two Weeks of Mondays

2006-05-11T19:19:00.000-04:00

2100 miles and two weeks into our Autodesk 2007 product launch, I find myself having trouble remembering what town I will be in when I wake up in the morning. It’s like being in the movie Groundhog Day, except I am in a different hotel each time. This has been a very successful two weeks, however. Yes, we are worn out, tired of sleeping in a different bed every night, having to eat out every meal, and waking up at the crack of dawn to set up for our presentations... but I have met some great people and I believe that people are getting excited about the new 2007 products.

Tomorrow we will be presenting for Huntsville. Next week I get a vacation (sort of). I am baling on my co-workers to take my lovely family to Florida for a week of Mickey Mouse. I am not sure if you can consider Disney World an actual vacation. I am sure by the end of it I will be more tired than I am now, but it will be fun to spend the week with them and not have to sleep alone. Then the week after Disney, I get to finish the 2007 Launch tour with my family, as we hit the Gulf Coast towns.

My schedule is filling up fast for the following month. Many customers want us to come to their firms, either to discuss the new products in more detail or to help them plan their implementation process. But for now I still have several more Mondays to go.

Kudos to My Dirt Mover Buddy

2006-05-09T22:35:00.000-04:00

I wanted to give a big thank you to my co-worker for his previous weak moment when he blogged about my blog and my expertise.

Welcome to all the dirt movers that have made their way from the dark side to the wonderful world of architecture. I hope you enjoy my blog.

To return the favor, please check out his blog at http://www.beneaththelines.blogspot.com/.
I am not sure that my debt to him will be considered paid due to the fact that I am sure he will not get near as many referrals from my site as I am getting from his site.

Thanks Jason for the nice blog.

PDF Vs. DWF (Part II)

2006-05-09T22:09:00.000-04:00

A couple of posts ago, I wrote about how excited I was to see the new plot to pdf feature in the AutoCAD 2007 based products. I am still excited about this because I know people have been screaming for this feature for a long time. Well the battle is not finished. I now want to write about how excited I am about the new dwf underlay feature. Not that I want to retract my previous blog, but I want to make sure everybody understands what the dwf underlay feature means to us as a profession.

Have you ever sent a consultant a drawing to use as a background (I know I have.) When you send somebody a .dwg file, what keeps that person from making changes to it without your knowledge. I have worked with engineers previously that were very reluctant to send me their HVAC drawing for the fear that I might make changes to it. (If they only could understand that if I actually did change it, it would only lead to future RFI's or Change Orders).

The new dwf underlay feature will allow us to send secure drawing files to consultants without them being able to change or edit the drawing. Previously, when I sent a DWF, they could view it, or plot it, but they could not actually use it in their drawings. The same goes for a pdf file. You can not insert a pdf file into your drawings. Now we can insert a dwf as an underlay, similar to an xref, and use it as a background. We can even use our AutoCAD snaps to snap to points on the dwf. The is wicked cool. (as Matt Murphy would say).

In my opinion this gives dwf's a whole new light. So the battle continues.

Adding Blocks to Schedules

2006-05-04T16:48:00.000-04:00

Door elevations are fairly typical on most projects. So typical, that we tend to not care if we have elevations that we stole from other projects, and one or several of those stolen elevations do not apply to our project. This can lead to confusion for our poor contractor. I have inserted a standard door elevation block numerous times on my jobs and never even thought to double check to see if they are all actually being used. This can lead to RFI’s, and even change orders, if they do not match the door schedule.

ADT 2007 has introduced the ability to insert blocks into schedules. With this we can tie the door elevation blocks to our door objects in our plan, which insures that they match both our plan and our door schedules. This is a simple process that could lead to less RFI’s and/or change orders.

To the left is a sample schedule, that I created in ADT 2007, that is using standard blocks as the elevations. They are fairly simple to create, and once they are created you can use them over and over again on your projects. You can assign a tag property set to the door to indicate the type, and have that tag be listed in the door schedule. If all the doors of one type are deleted from your plan, then the door elevation schedule will update to reflect that change by removing it from the schedule. One downside of this new feature is that you can not use the door objects in ADT to generate the door elevations. You have to use existing blocks or simply draw the elevation using lines and save it as a block. (Maybe that will be in 2008.)

Ready or Not, Here We Come!

2006-04-28T08:16:00.000-04:00

As I begin this last day of preparation for Alacad's 2007 product launch, I realize how excited I am about beginning this 14 city road show. The Alacad team will be traveling next week to Jackson, Memphis, Birmingham, and Montgomery. While I go over the product presentations, and proofread my power point slides, I can't help but think about the diversity of firms that I will come into contact with.

You see, this product launch is not just to demo the 2007 product line for me. I see this as an opportunity to meet people from the leading firms in the southeast region. I can't wait to talk to you, to hear your success stories, your questions, and yes, even your complaints. I am curious to see how you are currently using the Autodesk products. I want to find out what's working and what's not working. I want to be able to share with you strategies that work to get your company to that next level.

This time of year for many is all about the new release of AutoCAD. I see it as a new chance to get to know the leading CAD users in my industry. So I'll be looking for you in a city nearby soon. See http://www.alacad.com/events.html for the complete schedule.

Real Estate Is Going Up

2006-04-25T08:34:00.000-04:00

How many remember the DOS days? Autocad running on DOS. That infamous file menu on the right side of the screen. When the Windows version was released, we all went kicking and screaming without a choice. When we got there, we could hardly see our drawing screen due to all those toolbar buttons. Once we got use to the buttons, we all got toolbar happy. Creating toolbars for all our favorite commands and lisp routines. Then Autodesk introduced pallettes. What a neat tool. But boy, they take up a lot of screen space! Some switched to duel monitors, and some learned how to zoom and pan extremely often.

Well, Autodesk has heard our grumblings. In the 2006 and 2007 releases they have introduced Dynamic Input. This setting is down on your status line as simply DYN, and will enable you to free up some of that precious real estate on your screen. When you first turn it on, you might say to yourself, "what in the world is all that junk on my screen." But before you wipe it all out by turning it off... look at it... it's the command line information in your drawing area.

With the use of Dynamic Input, you can turn off or at least collapse your command line and the screen instantly gets larger. You might be thinking that you need it at first, and thats fine. With the auto collapse capability, you can wean the command line way slowly. Below I have the command line both minimized and expanded, but it still takes up less space.

This not only saves you screen space, but it will also enable you to keep your eyes focused on your crosshairs. No more looking up and down.. back and forth from your command line to your crosshairs. With the Dynamic Input prompting you next to your crosshairs, your eyes can stay focused on your drawing.

To try this feature out you can simply click the DYN button on the status bar at the bottom of the screen. Right click on it and go into the settings to make sure all the check boxes are checked as you see here to the left.

Take back that screen. No, we can't go back to DOS, and really, we don't even want to. But we can advance forward with the new features and tools without the command line taking up our screen space.

A 2007 Hidden Secret

2006-04-18T08:26:00.000-04:00

I believe that the most appreciated little secret in the 2007 release will not be the improvements on the walls, AEC Dimensions, the ability to create custom stairs from linework, or the one click space creation with room tags. There is one feature that has not been discussed very much. I bet most of my readers have not heard about it. In my mind it goes against what Autodesk has been pushing on us for the last several years.

All right. Enough already. The little known feature is the improvement to electronic plotting. Autodesk e-plot format is the dwf. With the download of the dwf viewer, one can view AutoCAD drawings without having AutoCAD installed. The ability to view 3D dwf's was added in release 2006. With this, one might think they were trying to monolopize the market on electronic files.

As neat as the dwf is, users for some reason or another kept trying to figure out the best way not to create dwf's but pdf's. It has almost been like a small battle between dwf's and pdf's. But to my amazement, Autodesk has added the ability to create pdf's inside of AutoCAD.

There is a new "dwg to pdf.pc3" file that comes with AutoCAD 2007. No more having to purchase Adobe Writer or some other knock off program to create pdfs within AutoCAD. I think most users will appreciate this more then Autodesk knows.

So where does this position Autodesk in the dwf vs. pdf battle? We will have to wait and see. But while we are waiting, I am going to enjoy the new plot to pdf feature.

Texas In My Rearview Mirror….

2006-04-14T15:55:00.000-04:00

As I fly back from a week long trip in Dallas, Texas for Autodesk Bootcamp, I am asking myself if the main question I had going into this training event was answered. I think I need to wipe the fog off of my mirror to determine if I got a clear answer.

Autodesk has strategically positioned themselves so that their main competitor in the Building Solutions Division is themselves. With the advancement of both Architectural Desktop and Revit, it leaves an architect with questions as to which solution is right for them. Now with the introduction of Revit Systems competing with Autodesk Building Solutions the MEP field is questioning which way they need to advance as well.

Coming into this week I was hoping to leave with a clear definition as to which product I should recommend for my customers. I do have a better understanding, but it is not as clear as I was hoping. I do feel confident that Autodesk is not going to abandon either product anytime soon. So either product will lead a company to long term advancements.

The marketing for Architectural Desktop (ADT) is selling the product as the AutoCAD for Architects. This program is meant to give Architects the tools they need to complete their projects better and faster using the AutoCAD platform that they have been using for years. As an ADT guru I tried to go into this week with an open mind to both products. ADT has made several key improvements in the AEC Dimensions and Walls and Scheduling areas that were long awaited. With these improvements I believe that architects can finally begin to use them the way they were intended.

Revit is now on version 9 and FINALLY has a real way to create 2D details other than importing in their AutoCAD details. (YEA!!!) The Revit platform is marketing themselves as the Building Information Model for architects. This program is meant to operate the way architects think. I tend to agree that this platform has some great tools to assist the architect in completing their projects. The fact that you are working on one model and any changes made are instantly made through out the project is a huge benefit for Revit.

Over the last several years, the Architectural industry has begun a transformation from Architects directing drafters to complete the drawings to Architects completing the drawings themselves. The position of a “drafter” in an architectural firm is vanishing. Architects need to have a good understanding of what they are drawing when they are drawing. No more drawing bogus lines and simply calling them out in schedules and notes. Now you are drawing with object based technology. As you create these drawings, you cannot simply draw an interior partition wall. You need to know if it is fire rated, structural, 8'-6" high, or does it extend to the structure above?

After talking with other resellers this week, I found that this country is split on both ends as to which product is applicable. Both the East coast and the West cost have jumped on the Revit band wagon, while the central part of the U.S. are die hard ADT users.

I believe it is a case by case determination as to which product is right for each firm. The one marketing strategy that has changed from previous years is that Autodesk is not pushing either product more than the other. This along with the amount of dollars being pumped into the development of ADT informs me that ADT is here to stay.

So if you are as confused as I am as to which product is right for you don’t feel bad. Let me leave you with a quote that hit home with me this week. “What is truly innovative today will be ordinary tomorrow.” AutoCAD was once an innovative software, but is considered ordinary today. Both ADT and Revit are innovative today. Don’t let your firm be considered ordinary tomorrow. If you are not taking advantage of one of these vertical products you will be left behind in technology. Take your firm to the next level by implementing one of these products.

Hut Two, Three, Four....

2006-04-12T23:07:00.000-04:00

My first Bootcamp was not exactly what you might be thinking. I am currently writing this on my last night of a long, exhausting week of technical training for the new 2007 product line for Autodesk. Although we did not wake up the sound of a bugle playing and we did not have to do push ups, I am extremely worn out.

My expectations for this week of learning about the new versions were high. I never dreamed that it would be so intense. With 6 product lines in the Building Solutions Division it has been non-stop learning. I really look forward to being able to share with you all the things you don't know about the new version.

ADT, ABS, ARB, ARS, ARS Series +, and of course ACAD are a lot of acronyms. I am not even sure if I know what they all mean. But these are the products being offered to the Building Solutions Division to help us realize our ideas. Whether its AutoCAD for Architects or a better AutoCAD for MEP engineers or a total Building Information Model for both Architects and Engineers, 2007 has what we need to know. Below is a link to all the new products to get a closer look.

New Building Products Include:

Autodesk Revit Building 9
Autodesk Revit Structure 3
Autodesk Building Systems 2007
Autodesk Architectural Desktop 2007
Autodesk VIZ 2007
Autodesk AutoCAD Revit Series—Building 9
Autodesk AutoCAD Revit Series—Structure 3
Autodesk AutoCAD Revit Series—Systems Plus

I look forward to Alacad's product launch beginning in May. Check out www.alacad.com for dates and times in a City near you. My co-worker and I will be doing a whirl wind tour presenting all the product lines.

Welcome to my first Blog

2006-04-11T01:41:00.000-04:00

I was encouraged by a co-worker to begin this blog. This is a new experience for me. I hope that I am able to help architects and engineers become more knowlegable about what they don't know about the vertical product lines for the Building Solutions for Autodesk.

As this is my first post in my first blog, I will keep it short. I am excited to share my experience with the readers.