RobiNZ CAD Blog

A new responsive look, so, how’s it responding?

I’ve updated my blogs to a new responsive layout using a beta TypePad Responsive Theme Builder. Responsive Design lets the site to resize and reflow to a variety of screen sizes (below right). The old template just cropped the view and added scroll bars (below left). Responsive TypePad TypePad has had pre-set responsive themes for a while. The beta Theme Builder, which allows customisation, still has a few wrinkles—sidebar items and emphasis tagged text formatting mainly—but I thought worth a try. The TypePad support team have been great with rapid answers/fixes for a few questions I had. I have... Read more →

Prof. Marcus du Sautoy on the Art of Maths and Maths of Art (video)

I saw this lecture in Auckland and enjoyed it. Professor Marcus du Sautoy covered the influence of Maths* in music, visual art, design, and writing. I really went to see him present, as much as the topic itself, but came away with some new things to investigate. I hadn’t heard of Jorge Luis Borges but his short stories sound really interesting. Was glad to find the Nelson presentation on Vimeo to review. In the Q&A he mentions his website mathsinthecity.com, a mathematical adventure in the city of London (and a place to create your own). The Art of Mathematics and... Read more →

Free Autodesk Software for ALL Schools, Teachers, and Students Worldwide!

I arrived back from Tibet to find some very welcome news from Shaan Hurley. Autodesk now provides students, teachers and schools WORLDWIDE with free* access to Autodesk software: 3-year licenses of 80 titles of the exact same software that our commercial customers use. Free Software for ALL Schools, Teachers, and Students Worldwide! - No Catch or Fine Print! – Between The Lines Blog Hooray! I have been anxiously awaiting this for years. Effective today, Autodesk provides FREE access to our software to students, teachers and schools around the world. If you are an engineering school or teach CAD drafting or... Read more →

Kiwi Bliss + on my Windows 8 lock screen?

I don’t miss Windows XP but my current Windows 8 lock screen reminds me of that iconic XP Bliss background, with a twist. The sculpture is “Horizons” by Neil Dawson from the Gibbs Farm Sculpture Collection, Kaipara, New Zealand. This is a 2D visual illusion made of steel tube & mesh in a truly epic scale. More photos in my Fiickr set. Read more →

Radiolab Live: Amazing

This is off topic for the CAD Blog but if you have any interest in science and/or art you must see: Radiolab Live: Apocalyptical and Amazing - RobiNZ Personal Blog Read more →

Nerd Nite Auckland May — 3D printing & more!

UPDATE 05/3/2013: Unfortunately I won’t be able to attend due to another event the same evening. Damn! Worlds of interest collide for the next Auckland Nerd Nite. Meet, greet, listen, talk, have a drink or two as Nerd Nite talks nanotechnology, 3D printing and analog computing. I will be both there and square! Auckland.Nerdnite.com Back to it. nerdnite returns, same bat-time, same bat-channel, with a technologically orientated evening. Materials science, 3d printing and differential analysers (google them, they're awesome machines). First up, we have Shaun Hendy, visiting us all the way from Wellington. Shaun is a physicist by trade, specialising... Read more →

Autodesk gets a new look

Since I’ve been a customer I can only remember a couple of changes in Autodesk branding. They recently they announced a new logo so it is goodbye to the old: Hello to the new: Autodesk, autodesk, Autodesk, AUTODESK? I like the new logo but wonder about the uppercase text. There was a brief flirtation with lowercase in the early part of this century (see photo below) but now ‘Autodesk’ has become, the little bit shouty, ‘AUTODESK’. I’m glad this seems to be confined to the logo unlike some brands which carry their case sensitivity into normal text use. I’m thinking... Read more →

CAD Notes Batik

One of the most amazing aspects of this whole “blogging thing” is the unexpected connections it brings. Primarily this has been meeting, both virtually and in person, some amazing people like the subject of this post. Way back in March 2010 Edwin Prakoso ran an AutoCAD Tips competition on his CAD Notes blog. He asked me to help judge it and I was happy to do so. A short time later an unexpected gift arrived in the form of a lovely piece of Batik art. After much procrastination — my weakness — the work is now framed and on display... Read more →

Co.Design on Windows 8 Design (and Apple)

Although I have spent quite a bit of time with the consumer/release preview editions I haven’t written much about Windows 8. To date I’ve only run it in virtual machines on desktop hardware. Although useful to try some Windows 8 features, review technical aspects and build familiarity it hasn’t allowed fair evaluation of the operation, either touch or desktop, of the new User Interface which is the most visible, radical change. For that I’ll wait for the release version on real hardware but I have formed an opinion on the what Windows 8 represents for both Microsoft and personal computing.... Read more →

Australian Architects “Across the Ditch” Conference – Napier, October 2012

I recently learnt of this event which may be of interest to my Au/Kiwi AEC readers. The event is open to both Australian and New Zealand architects and particularly topical given the rebuild work generated by recent natural disasters. I just love the poster obviously inspired by Napier's, post 1931 Earthquake, iconic Art Deco architecture and flight. Australian Architects “Cross Ditch” for Conference The NSW Country Division of the Australian Institute of Architects will hold its annual conference in Napier, New Zealand next month. Running from 1-6 October, Across The Ditch will bring together Australian and New Zealand architects to... Read more →