Category Archives: Other

Vancouver 2010 – Olympic Oval

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Let the games begin. Today marks the torch lighting and opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC. Now, although it is technically winter, this part of the country has seen so little snow.  You have to wonder why the climate change deniers still continue to talk conspiracy theories, when all I have to do is see the brown topped mountains where we have previously held the world annual snowfall record. Yes Mt. Baker, practically in my backyard, had a record 1,140 inches of snow fall on it’s peak during the 1998-1999 season. Put your calculator away, that’s not a typo – it was 95 feet! This year, snow needs to be trucked in to Whistler, and the other locations. Well one sport that suffers from no ill effects is speed skating.

Perhaps I’ll see Stephen Colbert practicing for his bid to take all the gold. Seriously, we wouldn’t even be taking part in these events had it not been for his generosity in getting a leg up, and sponsoring the team along with donations from fans. Apollo Ohno may not be favored to take home the gold for Team USA, but always a fan of the local underdog, I’m routing for him. The five-time Olympic medalist, and 2007 Dancing With the Stars champion is back. There are so many taleted athletes in the men’s and women’s speed skating, I just think it will be interesting to watch. I grew up playing hockey, and how could I not, growing up in Boston and watching the likes of Bobby Orr, and Raymond Bourque glide across the ice, and occasionally crushing bones. Go Bruins! Although never as good as this guy, I really enjoyed the sport, and especially the feeling of the cold air and the pungent smell of the ice and sweat in an arena.

Which finally leads us to…

What do you think? Photo or Fake? Is this a clever rendering technique? Think about it, then hit the Read More link if you are on the main blog page. Otherwise, scroll down, when you’ve decided.

Continue reading →

Archiculture – The Movie

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Found on the Revit Kid blog… Nearly forgot about this project, it’s been so long in the making. I must say: even us old timers, who vaguely remember the studio experience, will get some enjoyment from this film. I cannot wait for it to begin making the art house rounds. Here’s a teaser.

Archiculture Teaser from arbuckle industries on Vimeo.

FILM SYNOPSIS
Archiculture is a feature-length documentary that explores the role that architecture and design play in our daily lives. The film follows five architecture students through their final senior design projects in order to shed light on the critical issues impacting our built environment.

The Revit Kid.com!: Archiculture – Movie.

Thoughts on the AU Keynote

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Some very amazing things have been shown and talked about at Autodesk University 2009 this week. If you have been hiding under a rock, then you may not know that the attendees, both in Vegas and virtually have invaded the Twitter-sphere or Tweet-Zone or whatever… Go to Twitter, sign up now and follow the conversations by searching for #AU2009.

So, on to the Tuesday Keynote and three ah-ha moments:

  1. It’s not about Revit… or BIM, but Digital Design tool synergies! Best of breed products that work well together to create new opportunities and break new ground. Use things not necessarily as designed. Maya can make buildings, Revit can make movie sets. Put everything in a bowl, mix and see what pops out. These are exciting times.
  2. Sustainability, talk by Amory Lovins, co-founder and Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute, approaches design with whole systems thinking. If a design feature can have more than one purpose, and is efficient,  it can drastically reduce energy use by leaps and bounds over traditional design, engineer, then build workflows. If you can make an SUV that is just as luxurious as a traditional model, but gets over 80MPG, why aren’t we all doing this now? If you can build a building that is so efficient you require no conventional systems to be comfortable, and it costs less to build, why not do it. Renovate the Empire State Building such that the energy savings are $4M annually and has a three year payback? That’s how you fix the economy. If we can upgrade just a portion of the existing building stock… think of the potential for jobs, increased profits, and reduced need for imported energy.
  3. Jeff Kowalski from Autodesk showed some radically amazing possibilities for integrated workflows within Revit. Sustainable design in the tool is a natural next step. The API in Revit 2010, thanks Matt Mason, already has the ability to cast rays and analyze points in the model which is much of the power available in Ecotect today. This has the potential to enable thermal, daylighting, visibility, and acoustic analysis in Revit. Let’s hope it’s in 2011… Time will tell. Along similar lines, which validates this assumption, Jeff talked about the current disconnected workflow of Design -> Analysis. Obviously, this removes the ability to iterate through design ideas either quickly or often. When he turned that workflow around with the idea of Analysis -> Design people literally had their tongues on the floor. The scenario went like this (with fabulous imagery): input some criteria about the site, and the building, and the analysis engine test many iterations of form, orientation, and massing. Comparing these to hit the sweet spot for efficiency, or daylighting allows the designer to move forward with a concept quickly.

Interesting times. Be Visual!

AU 2009 Schedule

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Being the first AU since 2005 where I’m not just a customer, but also an attendee. I was determined not to submit any class proposals this year, and will be enjoying the learning/networking and fun like most everyone – such a welcome change of pace.

I’ve put together a final, but tentative schedule. Hey, anything can change this week. If you are teaching a class and I didn’t register for yours, it is only that there are so many to choose from this year – over 600 including the virtual sessions. Below is primarily an organizational attempt at figuring out where I need to be in addition to my Google calendar which I can happily read on my phone. The second, perhaps more compelling reason to share is that some of you may wish to meet up at one of these events to discuss Revit, Ecotect, the Mac, or simply come over and say hello. I resemble the image to the left on this blog’s sidebar, albeit with slightly higher color depth.

So, here it is:

Mon Nov 30, 2009

  • 6:30pm – 8pm AU Bloggers Social - invitation only

Tue Dec 1, 2009

  • 8am – 9:30am     | CP104-2 The Basics of the Autodesk® Revit® API | Where: MB Ballroom F
  • 10am – 11:30am | KN108-1 AU Keynote and Welcome Address with Carl Bass | Where: North Convention Center, Events Center (Arena)
  • 11:30am – 1pm ||Lunch || Where: South Convention Center, Level 2 Shoreline A
  • 1pm – 2:30pm | AB114-1 Insanely Great Stairs and Railings with Autodesk® Revit® | Where: MB Ballroom C
  • 3pm – 4:30pm     | DV118-1 Optimizing Your Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design Models for Project Newport | Where: Jasmine F
  • 5pm – 6:30pm | Private Meeting
  • EXHIBIT HALL – FIRST LOOK
  • 8pm – 9:30pm | DS128-1 Cut&Paste: AU Design Slam, Preliminary Rounds | Where: MB Ballroom G
  • 9pm – 10:30pm   | AB9130-1 Autodesk® Revit® Collaboration: Shared Coordinates for Projects Big and Small | Where: VIRTUAL

Wed Dec 2, 2009

  • 6am – 7am | CR9200-1 Introduction to a BIM Execution Plan | Where: VIRTUAL
  • 8am – 9:30am | CP204-3 Deep Dive on the Revit API: Advanced Topics | Where: Lagoon G
  • 10am – 11:30am | AB208-3 Autodesk® Revit® for Urban Design | Where: South Seas H
  • LUNCH/EXHIBIT HALL
  • 1pm – 2:30pm      | CP214-2 Creating and Analyzing New Conceptual Massing Geometry With the Autodesk® Revit® API | Where: MB Ballroom C
  • 3pm – 4:30pm      | AB218-4 Autodesk® Revit®: A BIM Manager’s Guide to Revit-alizing Your Office | Where: MB Ballroom D
  • 5pm – 6:30pm | MA222-4 Content Is King: Working With Autodesk® Inventor® and Autodesk Revit® | Where: Banyan F
  • 6pm – 6:30pm | Private Meeting
  • 6:40pm – 8:15pm | AB226-1 Sustain Yourself With Revit® Architecture Certification | Where: South Seas F
  • BEER and AUGI stuff…
  • 8pm – 9:30pm | DS228-1 Cut&Paste: AU Design Slam Finals

Thu Dec 3, 2009

  • 6am – 7am | ED9300-1 Incorporating Software Simulation Into Web-Based Training | Where: VIRTUAL
  • 8am – 9:30am | AB304-1 Autodesk® Revit® for Film and Stage | Where: MB Ballroom B
  • 10am – 11:30am  | DV308-3 Virtual Cinema and Architecture: A New Method of Client Visualization Is Born | Where: South Seas I
  • 11:30am – 12:45pm | SB311-1 Autodesk Subscription Customers Help Shape Autodesk University 2010 With Lynn Allen | Where: North Convention Center, Lower Level, South Pacific E
  • 1pm – 2:30pm | CM314-3 BIM Management | Where: South Seas B
  • 3pm – 4:30pm        | AB318-4L From Fabulous to Fabrication: Real-World Digital Fabrication and BIM | Where: MB Ballroom H (Lab)
  • 5pm – 6:30pm        | MA322-2 Taking the Dysfunction Out of Your Autodesk® Revit® Families:Best Practices for Manufacturer BIM Content | Where: Jasmine A
  • 6:30pm – 9:30pm  ||AU Party AU Party – Food and Fun! | Where: South Convention Center, Level 1 Bayside B, Bayside B Foyer & Shark Reef

Fri Dec 4, 2009

  • 9am – 10am | DV9406-1 Parametric Design Modeling with Autodesk® 3ds Max® | Where: VIRTUAL
  • 11am – 12pm  | FM9410-1 Don’t Get Floored In Your Facility: Autodesk® Revit® Architecture as an Effective Facilities Management Tool | Where: VIRTUAL

Hey cocktail napkin, don’t quit your day job.

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Autodesk Sketchbook Mobile does look like a cheap thrill, and a way to document ideas quickly. The demo reel has me reaching for my virtual wallet. So, rather than commenting on something I don’t yet have (an iPod touch or iPhone), I turned to someone who does. Here’s the reaction of my good friend Rui Duarte, a designer in the smallest U.S. state (Rhode Island) on his reaction to the tiniest design tool.

After trying it out for a few minutes it just felt right as a drawing tool, the ease of use factor is high and the tool set is just enough in the free version to get almost any idea down on paper. There is a mirror mode that parallels each line making symmetrical drawings a snap (yes symmetry is boring I know). I already carry my iPod touch to client meetings and may be using this app to sketch.

Bye bye cocktail napkins. I will miss how you bleed ink and tear, now get back under my beer. Perhaps we can replace the moleskin one day too… Maybe as early as February if rumors hold true.

Possibily?

Possibly?

After all, who wouldn’t want a mid-sized form factor that could act as sketch pad, movie viewer, traveling portfolio, and wicked game system? Keep dreaming for now, and click on the image for more rumors – caution (MNBSFW).

Sketchbook Mobile does offer an interesting price-point at $2.99, to play and get used to creating art interactively on a pressure-sensitive touch screen. I’m sure people will want to check out big brother, Sketchbook Pro. We may not all be artists, but this app may just let people loosen up a little and discover their inner finger painter.

Here’s the original press release:

It is Alive in the Lab: Announcing Autodesk SketchBook Mobile for the iPhone and iPod touch.

Video learning keeps getting easier

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etpI’m not sure about you, but I love watching movies, often for entertainment. My wife usually manages our Netflix queue, which consistently has 300+ titles on it, and I’m piling up more as I think about what I want to see. Occasionally, I like learning new things by watching videos. There are so many providers out there, and as I mentioned earlier, Autodesk now has there own YouTube channel, but then again who doesn’t? You can even watch previous years’ Autodesk University classes online at au.autodesk.com.

Also, for those that are interested in learning Ecotect, I’ve been pointing them to the training packages available for download (see image to the left). These really give the student a head start, and when I come in to provide training, we can cover in-depth the topics that matter most to them.

Which brings me to my own efforts to reduce communication barriers through the use of free video clips, as in the past three posts. I’ve been posting on YouTube and Screencast.com. My reason being: they both have their strengths. Screencast.com is much higher quality, and I can keep it ad free for a reasonable cost, while YouTube offers more ways to stumble upon my work. Of course, no sooner do I start using the free Jing (a free Windows and Mac OSX screen capture utility), that it’s maker, TechSmith also now has Camtasia for the Mac, and it’s only $99 until the end of the year. It’s very full-featured for such a great price.

2009-09-03_1501

Now you can easily stitch together shorter videos made with other tools or other platforms, or capture the screen directly and craft highly professional looking videos, on a Mac. I especially like the “Smart Focus”, zoom in effect. This will make creating tutorials formatted for smaller screen, like an iPhone much easier to read – so look out for those in the future. Check out the tutorials, especially the getting started series to learn more: Tutorials for Camtasia for Mac. There’s also news on the site that they are in the process of developing Snagit for the Mac as well.

I’ve been using products from TechSmith for years now on the Windows platform for creating learning videos and visual help files for architectural firms, similar to content offered at CADLearning.com. Check them out, these videos are a great complement to instructor-led training and can increase your ability to retain concepts learned. There are courses for most of the popular Autodesk products, and more are coming on line regularly. Full-disclosure: I was involved in working closely with instructor Reid Addis for the CADLearning “AutoCAD Architecture 2010 Tutorial Series”, and have authored earlier versions of the course.

I’ll continue posting free lessons here at “Paradigm shift”, while I continue to explore new and interesting ways to combine video with live instructor-led training. It’s just another way of adding value, and helping you be more productive, at 30 frames per second.

Office 2010 preview

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logo_microsoft_office2010[1]Just so you all don’t think I am all Apple, all the time; I must admit I do have a sweet tooth for Office. It’s perhaps the best thing coming out of the offices in Redmond, and it just keeps getting better. Sure, there are choices out there these days, other competitive, and free software, and some that isn’t even software at all, but a service. None have ever fully done the job compared to Office, even though there are attractive reasons for using all of them. I need not go into my reasons, that would be another, and lengthy post. Maybe some other time.

Just installed the newest version of Office. It’s beta software, running on my laptop with Beta Windows 7. I think you need to be invited to this, but since there is no longer a gag order non-disclosure agreement, I will say this: I like where Office is heading.

Mini Review

Three things:

  • The interface is much less cluttered looking, which is hard to explain without seeing – image included below.
  • The ribbon, done right. Colors are easier on the eyes, and fit better with the Windows 7 themes. The text is very readable. No shifting tools, very fast redraw, and context only changes when you double click. Very elegant.
  • But here’s my favorite part, I counted the number of seconds to launch Word, Excel, PowerPoint  and Outlook, individually. It’s Fast. *

Time Trials

For a year old laptop, and a Mac running in BootCamp I wasn’t hopeful. Here goes: One… One. That’s it! One second. Well, I am not sure what  is happening under the hood, and maybe I don’t want to know.

2009-08-07_2312

 Voodoo, black magic, or maybe they re-employed Clippy to run a virtual hamster wheel or something. All I know is, this can only help with productivity. Unless or course like me, you also get writers block staring at a blank page. Maybe it’s time to edit the Normal.dot to include some encouraging words.

Road to Recovery

Autodesk, listen up. Future versions of software should be more responsive, load quickly and just work. Revit Architecture 2010 now takes, 1 minute and 5 seconds to launch and manually open a blank project document. AutoCAD Architecture (yes I run both), takes 59 seconds. Word is nearly 60 times faster than either.  That is just unacceptable. If I had been writing in Word, I could have typed 45 words in that time. I know, I’m not a pro touch-typist by any stretch, but just the same it would be nice to have a nearly instant clean canvas from which to work in Revit.

We all know that project files, which can be very large in Revit, also take a while to open and parse the database. Any user who has worked with the tool has come to terms with this. It does seem that Revit has taken longer to load with the last successive releases, and it’s hard to justify why. If we could just eek out a little more performance, especially with regards to launch and the Ribbon redraw, life would be great. Just 30 seconds faster, is all I ask. This would be like a small economic stimulus package for all 300,000+ Revit users in the world. Imagine it. We could all get on with economic recovery by saving and estimated 4 hours, per user, per year. If you conservatively assume that a user will launch Revit 2 times per day, 5 days a week, for 48 weeks, you get 240 minutes, or 4 hours, equalling $340 at a billable rate of $85/hour. That’s the equivalent of half the cost of a subscription renewal right there. You could use the money saved to buy a full seat of Office Small Business edition. Getting that time back would be the equivalent of about 24 blog posts like this one… or four more hours a year to be more productive, have more fun, or take up yoga. Makes you think.

* Individual results may vary.

Mr. Mac, Autodesk will see you now

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Support for the Mac running Revit 2010 in Boot Camp is now officially recognized by Autodesk. Never thought this day would actually arrive. A cool breeze must be running through the halls at AEC HQ today. Despite what the Apple ads say, it really is a PC, it just happens to be an Apple PC. It’s a PC that I’ve enjoyed using for over two years now and the experience has been nothing short of awesome.

A few diehards at the factory have been testing and kicking the tires for a while now. A little leprechaun told me that even a Revit programmer or two use a Macbook Pro, similar to my own for their everyday work. So, to the rest of you… it’s alright now, you can step out into the light.

Mind you this support is only for running Boot Camp, but hey it’s a start. I’ve been using VMWare Fusion since I got this machine, and it’s alright for training and occasional demos. Now, if virtualization was good enough to use on projects day to day, that would be a whole different ball game.

Read the rest of the story here: The Revit Clinic: Take a bite of that Apple.

Autodesk Download Manager

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Believe it or not, this new Autodesk download manager tool not only seems to be speedy, but works in Safari, on a Mac no less. Wow, was that a pleasant surprise. Now that many of the new products are available for a free trial download, simply itchy waiting for my physical DVDs to arrive, and being the major geek that I am I thought – let’s give it a whirl. Low and behold, it worked.

OK, so the image points to the soon to be announced evidence that I am not solely dedicated to Revit. There are many customers out there, who still use and love AutoCAD Architecture. There’s a project in the works, which I’ll discuss when the time is right which involves ACA 2010, and training. Now, where was that line command again? Just kidding.

Download Manager

Exhibit A.

Earlier in the week, I also successfully logged into my Autodesk Subscription account through Safari, and there was no hint of the typical warnings of browser compatibility. Now, we just need to work on that pesky legacy Buzzsaw accessibility.

Kudos to the marketing and web teams at Autodesk for increasing support for browsers other than IE. Job well done.