RobiNZ CAD Blog

The Autodesk 2012 Launch Aquatic with Salesoft CAD Solutions

It takes something special to lure you into an underground bunker filled with sharks. After a photo at the door (easier to ID the remains?) it was quite a trek, stopping to observe the Penguin Colony, to the Antarctic Hut and an auditorium lined tanks of huge stingray & fish. A welcoming drink & tasty finger food satisfied the appetite although you wondered if the seafood watching from the tanks realised some of what we were eating was seafood. No chance of a quick exit as it was guarded by sharks and, anyway, we were here to see design software:... Read more →

Australian & New Zealand Revit Standards

I’m a bit slow posting this but the Australian & New Zealand Revit Standards have been published. Details & download at: Australian & New Zealand Revit Standards | www.anzrs.org Well, it’s been a long time in coming, but ANZRS is finally here. It’s been a mammoth effort, and has been a collaborative effort with input from dozens of industry representatives from multiple disciplines and roles within the AECO/FM community. In the 3 weeks since this year’s Australasian Revit Technology Conference (RTC), the ANZRS beta website had more than 2,000 unique visitors! The first digital public release of the Australian &... Read more →

AEC Systems Auckland Technology Solutions Day

Recently I spent a day at SkyCity Convention Centre with a bunch of other CAD/BIM users for the AEC Systems NZ Technology Solutions Day. I couldn’t see everything as after a few shared sessions the day split into tracks covering Civil, AEC and Manufacturing. It was a little bit like Autodesk University in that the challenge is not deciding what to see, but what to miss! This post covers the sessions I attended, a fraction of what was on offer. Adobe: PDF and content aware image magic The day kicked off with a demo of Adobe applications including Acrobat 10.... Read more →

Autodesk Labs Project Photofly 2, ready to make models for you!

A couple of weeks back I showed the scene below in a presentation on “bImformation modelling” for the Auckland Revit User Group. It was created with Autodesk Labs Project Photofly technology which assembles a collection of 2D digital camera images into a 3D spatial arrangement then generates a 3D point cloud spatial model. This allows measurement & line geometry to be traced. Using the TV as a reference dimension I was amazed it captured the size of a painting in an adjacent room, not even directly photographed, to within 0.5cm! The Photofly editor also found edges (the white vertical dimension)... Read more →

This is Building Information Modelling

Nearly a decade ago I saw Scott Arvin's doctorate thesis prototype software (below) which experimented with logic control of space & adjacency to create dynamic bubble diagrams. He used a mechanical metaphor to describe relationships with “strengths” expressed as springs. You could automatically or manually rearrange spaces based on the rules to generate multiple plans. As retail space plans are simply the resolution of conflicting requirements, preferred adjacencies and physical constraints it caught my interest. Recently, browsing in my file archives, I stumbled on it again and a quick trip to LinkedIn sorted out the “what ever happened to…” question.... Read more →

The upgrade path to Autodesk Suites rumour is true?

I don’t often quote an entire post but Steve’s is important. He refers to the US but one hopes this isn’t limited to that territory… Revit OpEd: Rumor is True! - Upgrade Path to Suites For a limited time, customers who have a current Subscription for select Autodesk products may upgrade to a new 2012 Suite at no upfront cost. To take advantage of this special opportunity, the Contract Manager on your Autodesk Subscription agreement will have to fill out a REQUEST. Please note: When you renew your Subscription, you will be offered the renewal rate for the suite you... Read more →

Revit 2012 Kiwi, or perhaps “non-US”, install quirks

I installed my Home Revit Architecture the lazy way by just accepting the default settings. It installed & ran without a hitch but I found some content missing. A bit of web searching revealed I wasn’t alone and others had already found a fix. No Conceptual Mass Template Clicking Families>New Conceptual Mass just took me to the Revit Program install folder with no sign of a template. The answer is on “The Revit Clinic Blog” and although mentions U.K. I suspect it applies to any “Non-US” metric install of Revit. If you have installed the UK Metric content for any... Read more →

AEC Systems Auckland Technology Solutions Day

It’s more than a rumour that Autodesk Evangelist Lynn Allen is heading back down under for the Auckland AEC Systems Technology Solutions Day next month. She was recently in Australia so must just love those long haul flights in Seat 16C. More detail & registration for the event available at www.aecsystems.co.nz Read more →

Revit Technology Conference 2011 Australasia registration opens

Registration for the Australasian Revit Technology Conference has opened. A chance to visit the Gold Coast and learn, mix, mingle with many of the best Revit users on the planet. Sadly I won’t be going this year but know several RUGAKL members who have been and recommend this independent Revit event. Revit Technology Conference 2011 Australasia - Experience the Power of BIM with Autodesk REVIT The 2011 conferences [there is also RTC 2011 North America in L.A. in June] promise to be the biggest and best of these events yet, bringing a comprehensive range of presentations on all matters relating... Read more →

AutoCAD Architecture Isolate > Edit in View (I’d like to see in Revit)

I work with both ACA & Revit (project dependent) and it’s interesting to find features in one that could help with the other. Most Revit projects I’ve seen have some sort of sheet & working view structure. Working views are permanent/temporary views for model editing to avoid disturbing those placed on sheets. Often you just need a elevation or section view for a quick edit or visual model review. In Revit this requires creating the view, switching to it, isolating elements, editing the elements & removing the view (or leaving it for someone else to tidy up). In addition to... Read more →