RobiNZ CAD Blog

A blog Meetup for my San Francisco readers? #sfblogclub

I joined the TypePad Meetup Group so would be aware if any meetings coincided with my, very, occasional visits to San Francisco. Through that I discovered this new San Francisco blogger meet-up. Unfortunately my next visit won’t be until November, and only for a couple of hours on the way to AU. If you’re in the area and want to meet fellow bloggers check it out. There is an incentive to get in early!

San Francisco Blog Club - www.meetup.com/San-Francisco-Blog-Club/

Welcome to the first ever Meetup for the San Francisco Blog Club.

Oct 19 Tue 6:30 PM at 111 Minna Gallery - 111 Minna St - San Francisco, CA 94105

• Lots of blogging tips and a good blog discussion that can help you improve your blog and bring it to another level. Make sure to join us!
• First 100 people get a free drink
• Free to come

What is happening?

• 7.00 - 7.05pm – Welcome
• 7.05-7.20pm - Blogging tips
• 7.20 - 10.00pm - Free Drinks and networking.

Drink sponsor Viglink - Partners Viglink , Hubpages - Media Partners www.webwallflower.com

More detail & RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/San-Francisco-Blog-Club/calendar/14794891/

Whahooooo, AaaaaUuuuu! - Autodesk University 2010 and TAMOz confirmed

I just filled in the form, clipped the credit, ticked the right boxes (I hope) and got to this screen;

It means I can change to

But will be travelling the long way via

Thanks to the TAMOz and AU teams for organising their conferences with a day and a timeline transition between them to make attending both amazing events possible!

Revit Subscription Advantage Pack – Coming Soon!

Today started (at an early for me 05:30!) with an Autodesk web meeting to learn about a Subscription Advantage Pack debuting “soon” (i.e. days not weeks). It was a heads up on some new Revit Architecture (& Structure) tools that will be interesting to try when they arrive on the Subscription Site. The following is based on my notes and screenshots snagged during the presentation with the caveat that it was seen through the bleary early morning eyes of this night owl CAD blogger.

Revit Server Extension

This was mentioned as being the first step to a full Revit client/server solution. It extends the Local/Central file link a step further to coordinate multiple sites via a Network Central Server. Local Servers cache model data but the central server coordinates and manages permissions.

Although you can store other content on the Central Server the “Revit Server Extension” only manages Revit Models. Non-Revit & Revit data can be mixed but will not appear in the Revit Server interface dialogs. I don’t recall exact network requirements being quoted other than it needs to move a reasonable amount of data and latency is a consideration. This requires Windows Server 2008 and although server virtualisation was mentioned as a possibility it won’t initially be supported.

Conceptual Energy Analysis

This aims to aid rapid investigation of Energy performance early in the design process. It’s activated from within Revit but uses the Green Building Studio analysis cloud tools to process the model.

You create a conceptual model with the normal massing tools, creating mass floors and using design options to explore various forms. The next step is to create an Analytical Model.

Tools on a new Analyze Tab allow you to create energy Analytical  Model. It was interesting to see you could define openings, even sketch them on the mass model, to allow for entry glazing etc.Other settings allow a perimeter zones & core offset for atriums

Energy Settings include location, shade requirement, building type, operating schedule and wall construction types. The aim is a mass model detailed enough for comparative purposes without the modelling & analysis investment of a full detail model.

Analyze Mass Model sends the data to Green Building Studio for calculation while you can continue working. When complete you can view, email or print the results for each option independently or build a comparison report showing multiple options (seen below).

Revit Structure

I’m not a Structure user so all I can say about this is it adds tools inside Revit for:

• Floor Vibration Analysis
• Gravity column analysis

Also new is support for SDNF file format Import/Export to aid collaboration.

Look for the Advantage Pack to appear in your Autodesk Subscription Page “soon”.

SAY Media, SAY TypePad, does it have a future?

I don’t usually repost a full blog post but the one you see below is rather important to the future of this blog!

Six Apart (Typepad’s owner) are “joining forces” with “media” (advertising company) VideoEgg. Mergers can bring good or bad. I hope this means a better TypePad but the line “continue to provide support to TypePad subscribers, and evolve the TypePad platform” doesn’t exactly scream excitement. The talk of “monetizing” isn’t a factor for me as the ads that appeared here were just to cover hosting costs, with any surplus going to charity.

Although not without its frustrations I’ve found TypePad a good balance of “hands off, no hassle” hosting with sufficient tools & control to do what I want.

If, as they SAY, that is maintained and enhanced I’ll be a happy TypePad’er.

Six Apart and VideoEgg create SAY Media: a modern media company - Everything TypePad

Six Apart and VideoEgg create SAY Media: a modern media company

Dear TypePad bloggers,

It's been almost a decade since we started Six Apart. With you, the bloggers and creators, we changed the way people expressed themselves online, empowering anyone to publish and build large and loyal audiences. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support and trust as you've shared your worlds and your passions on TypePad.

Today we announced our intention to join forces with VideoEgg to form a new, modern media company called SAY Media. This new company will continue Six Apart's mission to make creators like you more successful. It will continue to help you create powerful and engaging content, and grow and monetize your audience. And it will continue to leave you in control.

Nothing in TypePad changes today, and SAY Media will continue to provide support to TypePad subscribers, and evolve the TypePad platform. You can choose to take advantage of our strong relationships with marketers to monetize your blogs, or you can keep your blog ad-free.

This acquisition marks a new beginning, but SAY Media is also an evolution of how we've already been growing TypePad for the past few years; now we'll be able to do it on a much larger scale. We will be able to better serve you and the advertisers that may ultimately fuel your voice and finance your passion.

As we move forward, we will continue to have active roles in the new company. We hope you will join us, as you always have, in shaping our future.

With gratitude for your continued support,

Mena & Ben Trott
Co-Founders
Six Apart Ltd.

Revit MEP Implementation lessons

If, like me, you didn’t get to RTC Sydney this year check out this post from Michael Alder of Arup. It’s based on his RTC presentation and shares lessons from a year of Revit MEP implementation & project work.

Revit MEP One Year On – Lessons Learnt | Fields of Activity

Revit User Group Auckland September Meeting Announcement

At Jasmax, 2 Marston Street, Parnell on Wednesday 15th September 2010:

Please join us from 5.30pm:

• 6:00pm : Welcome and Introduction
• 6:05pm : Presentation: “Project Coordination in Revit”  by Philip Kendall from Beca.
• 7.00pm: Wrap up – Tips, Tricks & Open Forum

Please RSVP attendance by 5pm on Tuesday prior, for catering purposes, via the link at : http://www.rugakl.org/.
$5 donation (receipt available) for Drinks and Nibbles. A Meeting Register is taken for NZIA CPD Points.

New Zealand Earthquakes and CAD - How you all have helped Christchurch

New Zealand has been described as 4 million people living along a fault line and last Saturday was literally shocking for the Canterbury Region. At 04:35 there was a 7.1 magnitude earthquake near Christchurch, New Zealand’s second largest city (pop about 372,000) & the South Islands largest.

I wasn’t affected (as live in Auckland, North Island) but like just about everyone in New Zealand have family & friends in the area. I first learnt of it via text from my Sister & family from outside their home in Christchurch. I couldn’t get them on the phone but later found out, another text, they were shaken but otherwise OK.

While waiting I was following a stream of Twitter messages about the event. It was bizarre that when I spoke to them a little later could tell them more about the magnitude and impact outside their immediate area thanks to the #EQNZ tweet stream than they knew from “official” media sources. Radio & TV did have good coverage as the day went on but it was amazing how rapidly social media responded. This included tweets from official sources like Civil Defence and GeoNet quake reports.

Everyone I know is OK and fortunately, given the scale of the event, there were surprisingly few injuries and no direct fatalities. That’s thanks to the early morning timing, good building standards (for modern structures) and a lot of luck. The shock impacted buildings (CBD historic brick facades especially) and displacement/liquefaction destroyed sections, buildings and underground services in the suburbs & surrounding countryside.

The psychological and economic impacts will be massive as many homes & businesses were destroyed, just about all touched to some degree. I work for a nationwide retail chain and although some Stores & a Distribution Centre were affected there were no injuries reported. After structural checks and a huge clean up effort the stores are trading again and it was awesome to see The Warehouse Group and (related) Tindall Foundation make a one million dollar donation to the Christchurch Mayoral Relief Fund.

While NZ has a (comparatively) strong economy and welfare system the recovery will be a slow process with estimates of several billion dollars property damage. The assessment, rebuild & infrastructure repairs (mainly water, sanitation and roads) are made more difficult as, even today, they are still getting major aftershocks. However there has been an amazing response from the locals, regional & government services and the rest of the country but it’s just the start.

You’ve already helped, thanks!

A rather timely payment from Google arrived in my blog account late last week. They usually get donated further afield but this one went to the Red Cross New Zealand Earthquake Fund for:

“In conjunction with the Civil Defence, Red Cross staff and volunteers have been sourcing and distributing mattresses, bedding, tarps and assisting at welfare centres. Further assistance has been provided to the New Zealand Police to check on people with medical conditions such as those on life support.” (from the Red Cross NZ site)

Thanks for reading and, by doing that, helping the cause.

Some resources for my Kiwi readers:

Official National & Regional Website:

This afternoon (Wednesday 8 September) Gerry Brownlee, the Minister responsible for the recovery from the Canterbury earthquake, announced a new website to make it easy for the public to find authoritative information. The site centralises links to all information on the quake – both the immediate civil defence actions and recovery operations. It includes links to health, property, essential services, closures, support services, recovery, the latest news and essential contacts.

The site is www.canterburyearthquake.govt.nz (This is the official government website).

The public can also find local information at www.canterburyeathquake.org.nz which is managed by the Canterbury Regional Council.

A crowd source resource map:

Today Critchlow NZ who supply The Warehouse, my employers, demographics software (MapInfo) & data created a crowd sourced Google map of Christchurch emergency data. Anyone with info and a Google Logon (Gmail etc) can add/update as needed.

Christchurch Earthquake from WWW.CRITCHLOW.CO.NZ

Check out the Christchurch earthquake map created by some members of the Critchlow team to support those affected by the recent quakes. The crowdsource map is built on Google, and maps key information like portaloo locations, water refilling stations, open stores and petrol stations, road closures and much more. Check out the earthquake map, add more info, and pass on the URL to anyone who might find it useful.

Update 2010-09-11 The URL is now http://www.mapquake.co.nz/

View Christchurch & Canterbury Earthquake Map - What's open? in a larger map

The Bach - Dan & Zac’s Revit & 3ds Max Tutorial

Dan Jurgens has posted a great Revit/3ds Max tutorial originally presented at RTC 2010. A detailed white paper, Vimeo hosted screen capture videos and sample datasets are available via their post below. An awesome resource for the Revit/Max community, especially if (like me) you didn’t get to see it at RTC.

Visualise Revit designs fast with 3ds Max, mental ray and V-Ray (2010) | nzdan | RTC 2010

Zac and I presented the “Visualise Revit conceptual designs fast with 3ds Max, mental ray and V-Ray ” whitepaper at the RTC 2010 conference in May, please see all the details below.

Visualise Revit conceptual designs fast with 3ds Max, mental ray and V-Ray (2010)
Dan Jürgens, Bates Smart & Zac Arato, Atomic 3D

“The Bach” is an ongoing project designing the renovation of a typical New Zealand Bach (holiday home) at Riversdale Beach. This paper explores the process of rendering the early conceptual designs in Revit and then migrating these models to 3ds Max to develop the renders using two of the most prolifically used render engines; mental ray and V-Ray. This class will provide an overview of both render engines, enabling attendees to choose and immediately produce the highest quality renders in either application…

AutoCAD for Mac and AutoCAD WS for iOS Devices Announced

Shaan has the details, Apple Mac + AutoCAD without the need for virtual machines and a hosted solution for the iOS hardware!

AutoCAD for Mac and AutoCAD WS for iOS Devices Announced by Autodesk - Between the Lines

“AutoCAD natively on the Mac is no longer a myth or urban legend like bigfoot, UFOs, and unicorns”

“AutoCAD WS extends AutoCAD DWG to Apple iOS based devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, and of course the iPad”