If, like me, you weren't able to get to Autodesk University 2012 it is now coming to you as all the recorded sessions are on-line. If you want to make the on-line experience a little more like being there cut some silhouettes out and stick them to your monitor (right).
If you want to learn from some of the best in the industry on Autodesk products and technologies then Autodesk University “AU” is the center of the universe. If you attended AU 2012 but were unable to attend some classes or didn’t attend, you can now get the great Autodesk University 2012 classes online and free now...
The Keynote is a few hours away (as I write) & I’ll be attending on-line assuming my alarm clock works. While it might be a struggle for some live attendees to make it for Tues, Nov 27, 8:00am in Las Vegas it is both later and earlier in New Zealand. Does seeing it live at 5:00am on Wed, 28 Nov (NZDT) mean we get to experience the keynote before or after it happens?
For those not able to attend in person AU Virtual 2012 starts tomorrow with live streaming of the main stage Keynote Live from Tues, Nov 27, 8:00am PST. http://au.autodesk.com/auv
I have a double dose of Autodesk University sadness to report:
My favourite AU bag has worn out!
I have used my Autodesk University 2005 roller backpack almost daily since collecting it in Orlando. All those kilometres, including several further AU trips, finally took their toll and the base stitching & fabric gave way.
For the first time in years it won’t be accompanying me on the trek back to Autodesk University, for another reason.
I won't be attending Autodesk University 2012 : (
A shortage of (primarily) time and money made the trip impossible for me this year. Even with assistance it costs several thousand dollars and requires at least a week to attend AU from New Zealand. I think it is worth the investment but just couldn’t manage it this year.
For those attending:
Shaan has posted some brilliant advice in his “Survival Buffet” post. Also, even if you’re only taking a simple camera (or phone!) I recommend reviewing Tris Hussey's conference photo tips via this old post on my blog. One of my favourite AU photos (right) was taken hand held, no flash, on a compact IXUS camera.
Have fun at Autodesk University. I know it is full on once there but if you get a chance remember to post plenty of content for those of us not attending to follow.
[Robin’s comment: “I resemble one of these leapers"]
After attending every Las Vegas based Autodesk University, I have compiled a long list of tips for not only surviving but making the most of Autodesk University which will be held this year at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas November 27-29, 2012
Think of this post as a Las Vegas style food buffet of Autodesk University tips…
It was great to meet Marcello at AU, seen in Shaan Hurley’s photo right. He created the red Autodesk University Glasses using AutoCAD Design Suite.
The video shows the creation of another eyewear design, featuring AutoCAD Design Suite from concept to production, for rapper Mika “Prophet” Guillory of the group 7Lions.
Overlapping commitments meant I didn’t see all of the “Everything Changes” Autodesk 360 Nexus announcement at Autodesk University. I arrived to find a packed room eager to learn what Autodesk had done to address their position on Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). A few years ago Carl Bass set the stage with his “Anti-PLM Rap”:
Carl indicated something revolutionary was required in the PLM space, have Autodesk delivered? The announcement was intriguing and I’ve been following the arrival of Autodesk’s PLM solution with interest.
Why PLM?
It may seem a bit odd to be interested in PLM when I don’t work in manufacturing. Perhaps it’s a legacy of my Product Design training that I regard the result of any design to be a product.
Be it a widget, building, shop fitting or graphic designed objects have a lifecycle from conception to, ultimately, whatever fate the object has in store.
Similarly all design is a process; an information flow to be managed, tracked and reported. Product, Lifecycle, Management.
PLM + BIM : Is that PlimBIM or BIMPlim?
In spite of much talk that Building Information Modelling is a lifecycle tool most ‘BIM applications’ are heavily focused on design and documentation.
Ever thought it odd that Autodesk’s own BIM platform Revit doesn’t offer a way of viewing its model without reverting to a sheet/view document analogy.
Although you can search and list model elements in Revit the Project Browser doesn’t directly show model elements other than families. Isn’t that odd when even a lowly (in complexity) 3D DWF happily exposes a Model object hierarchy (right) totally divorced from the legacy of sheets and views.
The useful life of a design (hopefully) far exceeds the design process so perhaps more emphasis should be lifecycle management. Can a PLM platform offer the BIM user any advantage beyond the design build portion of a project?
I don’t know but think it’s worth investigating. The problem with that is most PLM solutions have required significant commitment — both financial & time — to evaluate let alone implement, until now.
Autodesk Nexus becomes PLM 360:
Nexus was the preview. PLM 360 is Autodesk’s cloud based PLM solution. It is part of the Autodesk 360 cloud services family:
You may have heard the announcement at AU in November that we’d be entering the PLM marketplace with a product code-named Nexus.
The big day has finally arrived! On Leap Day, Feb. 29, we officially launched Autodesk PLM 360! We’ve got a fantastic new website at www.autodeskplm360.com where you can learn more about what we call “The next generation, cloud based alternative to traditional PLM”…
PLM 360 in New Zealand:
I have only looked at PLM 360 from the outside (so far) but a Kiwi company was among the first batch of users. Although based a few hours drive up the road, and we have ‘known’ each other via Twitter for months, I only recently met Scott Moyse. He is Design Manager for Specialist Marine Interiors and has become a fan of PLM 360. He even went as far as tweeting/blogging about his “Autodesk PLM 360 | A Love Affair” in reference to this post:
So I am pleased to Introduce Scott Moyse, a proud Cornish man! Scott is the Design Manager at Specialist Marine Interiors in New Zealand…
Earlier this week Scott presented at the CADPRO Autodesk 2013 Technology Showcase. It was an overview of how SMI are rapidly replacing a collection of disparate applications and email/file based sharing with an integrated cloud based solution. It was apparent from the presentation that this tool is not just supporting, but also defining and refining existing process for SMI. For me the most telling lines from Scott’s presentation were (from memory):
‘and this was done over a few months, maybe 16 hours/week’
‘no onsite visits from Autodesk consultants and web support across a twelve hour time zone difference’
Now consider this was mostly done with a pre-launch version of PLM 360. With a low cost ($25-75/user/month) and no install footprint it’s worth a look, don’t you think? Now I just have to find some time!
At Autodesk University 2011 Shaan Hurley introduced me to a representation of a very distant ancestor. It was a 3D fossil skull scan (perched on his shoulder in the photo right) assembled from cardboard contours created with 123D Make.
A few years ago I submitted my DNA to the National Geographic Genographic Project. The results (below) showed that my ancestral DNA left Africa about 60,000 years ago migrating across continents to the U.K. & Western Europe. From there a much more recent migration resulted in me being Kiwi born.
It’s interesting to think how much, and in some ways how little, the world and its inhabitants have changed over that time. A casino floor in Vegas is a strange place to contemplate that!
Until recently you had to travel to Africa to “meet the ancestors”. Now fossil records are being captured as high resolution photorealistic 3D models to view on-line. Shaan’s post details the technology, process and team doing this fine work. It goes beyond ‘reality’ to capture our shared past!
Autodesk gave a grant to help world renowned Palaeontologist Louise Leakey to help develop one of her goals to bring many of the rare fossil specimens in Kenya to the world by the web. The website http://www.Africanfossils.org by Louise Leakey has been updated with several new features since its launch at Autodesk University 2011…
At Autodesk University I had the chance to meet some fellow AutoCAD Bloggers and learn about a cool Autodesk initiative. Autodesk & Lenovo, teamed up to perform a, TV makeover show style, technology transformation for an Oregon Design Office - Alan Mascord Design Associates, Inc.
Lenovo provided new workstations, Autodesk supplied Building Design Suite software and their reseller, Ideate, Inc., supported this with training to bring Mascord design bang up to date with the latest in hardware & software. The transformation and its impact was covered in a series of short video clips. You can see Episode 1 below, or all of them on this Facebook page.
If you thought that should have been your office Autodesk are offering another Technology Makeover and you have until February 23, 2012 to enter. If you are located in the Unites States or Canada (as many of my readers are), work for a small company (less than 300 employees), use out-dated Autodesk software (2008 or older) and are interested in winning a technology makeover contest details and entry is via the AutoCAD Facebook Page*:
One of the stranger aspects of attending Autodesk University, with its early December timing, is seeing the Casino decorations. They deploy most of the traditional Christmas themes without actually mentioning it. Although fabulous the idea of “Christmas” in Vegas, even the “Happy Holidays” version, seems rather strange given it’s usual reputation! Anyway, a shot from the Bellagio lobby (below) makes for an interesting banner.
After a hectic year, especially since getting back from AU, it will be good to relax a bit, enjoy the summer weather and get a chance to finish some of those posts lurking in the draft folder.
Happy Holidays readers, enjoy your break (if you get one) and thanks for visiting!
PS: You may have heard the poor folks in Christchurch had another round of major earthquakes today. Awful experience but glad to report AFAIK that family, friends and colleagues in the area all ok. The Warehouse Limited are posting updates to the Earthquake page on the website. A page we all hoped would never be needed again.
My Day 3 began with a session by Autodesk’s Guillermo Melantoni’s. “Show Me the Money: Impress Your Customers with Great Presentations“ was a great introduction to applying Autodesk Showcase to AEC presentation. As I own/use a Building Design Suite with Showcase it was very relevant as I’ve only had time to play a little with sample files. Guillermo’s class gave me plenty of techniques to try and inspiration to do it!
“Adopting Lean Processes in BIM” was a presentation on the application of project and process management techniques to a BIM project. It was an interesting approach based on management techniques more often seen in industrial or IT projects.
A meeting meant I missed the mass AU lunch so I set out to find some of my own. Desire for coffee which tastes like coffee took me back to the Ily shop in the Palazzo. It was also a great chance to catch up with Phil Read, and later Lynn Allen who I met while wandering the halls between sessions.
My afternoon resumed with Pixar Designer Jay Shuster’s session: Life in the Art Department. It was a brilliant tour of his career, work and an insight into the creative design process in movies like Cars. Although an accomplished analog artist Jay now uses Sketchbook Pro on a convertible tablet PC for his design work. He mentioned having an iPad but specifically not using it for production work. I loved his drawing style, mostly monotone sketches and found it reminiscent of Syd Mead’s Bladerunner & 2010: A Space Odyssey production sketches. I must start drawing again…
For me the dreaded last session of AU, before the mixer, was Damian & Scott’s “The Interior Side of Revit: Documenting Interior Design Projects”. It was interesting as they presented totally different, yet equally valid, approaches to documenting interiors in Revit. I picked up some new tips but also validated some of the existing approaches to thorny items like signage details. It’s often not learning something new but just finding you have developed similar solutions which gives value from an AU session.
Autodesk University wrapped up with the AU Mixer in the massive Palazzo Ballroom (below). It was the last chance to see everybody in the same space an gave an impression how big this conference is. What recession?
Part of the morning was spent on some secret stuff which will have to wait for a future post. It was also my first chance to take a good look around the exhibit hall.
The Autodesk Gallery had an awesome display. I was impressed Carl Bass (right) was present whenever the exhibit hall was open, in 123D Catch, 123D Make cardboard cut-out form if not in person!
For lunch I tried & failed to meet the folks from the “BIM Connect Community!” (couldn’t find “the” table in the vastness, see below) but ended up sitting with an Automotive Designer from the U.K. and Infrastructure Engineer from California. It’s often the totally unplanned meetings like this which make AU interesting & worthwhile.
I spent the whole afternoon in a Design Computation Symposium which was just astonishing. Topics ranged from self sufficient buildings, 3D printing in zero gravity to a web service for genetic engineering!
It was followed by the Technology Main stage discussion which featured some cool near future technology but, to be honest, seemed a little bit staid after the astounding afternoon session. From there it was on to the AUGI Annual Beer Bust and another chance to see the exhibits while meeting up with friends old & new on the floor and AUGI stand (below).
If, like me, you weren't able to get to Autodesk University 2012 it is now coming to you as all the recorded sessions are on-line. If you want to make the on-line experience a little more like being there cut some silhouettes out and stick them to your monitor (right).
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