Autodesk AEC Reseller: Navigating the Autodesk World

Subscription Advantage Pack for 3ds Max Design, 3ds Max, and Maya 2012 Available

2011-10-03T09:48:00.001-04:00

The Subscription Advantage Pack for Autodesk® 3ds Max®2012, Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design 2012, Autodesk® Maya® 2012, Autodesk®Softimage® 2012, Autodesk® Mudbox® 2012, Autodesk® Entertainment Creation Suites 2012, and Autodesk® Smoke® 2012 for Mac OS® X software are now available through the Autodesk Subscription Center.

Feature highlights:

ActiveShade support for iray® renderer
Adobe® Photoshop® and After Effects® interoperability
New render pass system

Autodesk Videos

2011-09-20T11:06:00.000-04:00

Here are some links to recently released corporate videos from Autodesk - some pretty nice imagery!!

Showreel

Awareness

Better by Design

Stop the Cap!

2011-02-01T10:04:00.000-05:00

More than 160,000 ordinary Canadians have signed a petition telling telecom companies to back off their Internet Overcharging schemes. The NDP has adopted an anti-Overcharging position, and now Openmedia.ca, an ally of ours, is spearheading an effort to get the larger Liberal Party involved in the fight against Internet ripoffs.
Deep pocketed cable and phone companies have invaded Ottawa with their lobbyists and friends to try and keep your broadband bill as high as possible. We can trump their hand, but only if you get involved.
With Canadian government pressure, the CRTC will fold like a wet newspaper. Openmedia is trying to collect a historic 200,000 signatures, and starting today every signature will send e-mail to the inbox of Michael Ignatieff and Liberal Party Digital Critic Pablo Rodriguez, encouraging them to join the fight.
If you don’t want to pay through the roof for your broadband, hurry and add your name to the petition. Ottawa has been surprised by the backlash from everyday consumers from BC to PEI. Now let’s deliver the death blow to Internet Overcharging and tell Bell, Rogers, and Shaw to enjoy the fat profits they already earn, and stop the gouging.
Action Alert — Canada’s Internet Ripoff Goes to Parliament: Get Involved – Click Here!

Ecotect Analysis Software Price Reduction

2011-01-31T16:30:00.000-05:00

Autodesk announces a price reduction on it’s Ecotect Analysis software as of February 1st. The price is being reduced from US$3,000 to US$1,500. Ecotect Analysis software includes Autodesk Green Building Studio software as a Subscription entitlement. the annual Subscription rates are also reduced to US$360 per license.

Subscription Advantage Packs (Canadian French)

2010-12-15T09:15:00.000-05:00

The Autodesk Subscription Advantage Packs include product enhancements, presentations, and other resources available only to current Subscription customers.

http://partner.autodesk.com/pr/servlet/item?siteID=12194020&id=15914690

Autodesk 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design 2011 Hotfix 4 Now Available

2010-12-14T13:06:00.001-05:00

An update for Autodesk 3ds Max 2011 software and Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2011 software is currently available on the Autodesk website. This hotfix helps resolve issues with the following features: the 3ds Max® Character Animation Toolkit, Autodesk FBX interoperability, Autodesk Materials, and mental ray software. It improves the overall operation of the 3ds Max software products. For more information on issues resolved in this hotfix, please visit the AREA.

This hotfix is cumulative; it contains the fixes from all previous 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design software hotfix releases.

Action: Go to the Autodesk 3ds Max Services & Support page to update your software.

Great “Revit Content” Website

2010-12-10T08:50:00.001-05:00

Doors, Windows, Walls, oh my…Here is a great website, Revit Content, were you can buy professionally developed Revit content (families). The best part is it comes with a 30-day Full Money Back Guarantee. So the if the content doesn't fulfil your requirements, you can ask for your money back within 30 days or even better yet they will amend the content you purchased to your requirements for FREE. How’s that for customer service?

All the Content is Certified. The Content provided is professional created Revit Families that go through a multi-level certification process. Learn more

Content Update - As soon as a content is going to be updated, every single customer who has downloaded this content before, gets automatically an notification email that a new update on this particular Revit Content is available for a FREE download - Yes, it is FREE for everybody who downloaded this particular Revit Content in a previous version. This Service gives you the guarantee to always have the latest Revit Content which makes all the difference to the accuracy, stability, performance and data output achievable within your Revit Project. Learn more about our FREE Content Update Service.

Content Notifer - keep you always informed about the Revit Content that is coming online. Learn more about our FREE Content Notifier Service

10 Things to Know About Revit Server (repost)

2010-11-01T09:45:00.001-04:00

The blog Revit Clinic had a post last month on the 10 Things to Know About Revit Server. This was a very good informative post that i encourage you to check out.

New McGraw Hill Construction Green BIM Smart Market Report

2010-10-18T10:52:00.000-04:00

Autodesk recently participated as the premier corporate sponsor for the Green BIM Smart Market Report. Key findings from the report demonstrate:

Green building sector will drive adoption of BIM - 7 out of 10 respondents report medium to high green project involvement.
Opportunities in Green Retrofit - 88% of non-green BIM users believe they will use it for retrofit projects during next two years.
Energy Performance Monitoring - Owners have low awareness of the benefits of BIM.
Energy Performance Simulation - Green BIM users are simulating energy performance, including lighting/daylighting, whole building analysis, and energy code compliance.

Resources to support Green BIM opportunities include:

Guide to Sustainable Design:
http://www.autodesk.com/sustainabledesignguide
BIM Enabled Sustainable Design Sales PowerPoint® Presentation:
Partner Portal / Sales & Marketing / Thought Leadership / Sustainable Design / Architecture, Engineering & Construction
BIM Enabled Sustainable Design Sales Whitepaper:
Partner Portal / Sales & Marketing / Thought Leadership / Sustainable Design / Architecture, Engineering & Construction
Success Stories:
DesignGroup
ARBA Studios
Conceptual Energy Analysis Videos:
http://www.autodesk.com/revit-videos-cea
Rapid Energy Modeling information:
http://www.autodesk.com/rem
Renovation and Retrofit Sales Playbook:
Partner Portal / Sales & Marketing / Industry Solutions / Architecture, Engineering & Construction / Renovation Buildings for Sustainability

AutoCAD for Mac - First Customer Shipment

2010-10-15T11:59:00.000-04:00

Autodesk is planning the First Customer Shipment (FCS) of AutoCAD for Mac on Friday, October 15. On this day, customers will be able to place orders with authorized resellers.

Autodesk recognizes that many existing AutoCAD software customers may have a preference for Apple Macintosh hardware and AutoCAD for Mac software. To support these customers, Autodesk is offering a US$400 upgrade from AutoCAD 2011 software to AutoCAD 2011 for Mac software. For a limited time, existing AutoCAD 2011 software customers with active Subscription contracts may be eligible to save even more.

From October 15, 2010, through January 14, 2011, existing AutoCAD Subscription Customers can save up to US$400 on new commercial licenses and up to US$200 on upgrades by mail-in rebate:

Save US$400 on new licenses: AutoCAD Subscription customers are eligible for a US$400 mail-in rebate on new commercial licenses of AutoCAD for Mac 2011 software.
Save US$200 on upgrades: AutoCAD Subscription customers are eligible for a US$200 mail-in rebate on upgrades from AutoCAD 2011 to AutoCAD 2011 for Mac software.

The AutoCAD for Mac Competitive Trade-up Program offers an option to purchase specially discounted, new licenses of AutoCAD for Mac for those customers who own a competitive product. To receive the special discounted price, customers must purchase Autodesk Subscription for each qualifying license along with the discounted product. Examples of competitive products that will be accepted under this program are listed below.

Vectorworks
ArchiCAD
TurboCAD Mac Pro
Siemens NX

Subscription Advantage Packs: Tools That Make an Impact

2010-10-14T09:08:00.000-04:00

The 2011 Subscription Advantage Packs are now available to Subscription customers via Subscription Center. This year’s English Advantage Packs launched on September 29.

Autodesk Subscription Advantage Packs are available for download now by Subscription customers. Get ahead by gaining early access to the latest product enhancements for the 2011 version of your Autodesk software. Available for select products, Subscription Advantage Packs can include:

· Additional product features that expand and improve software functionality

· Integrated web services that promote collaboration and support sustainable design

· Robust design content such as specialized libraries and other tools that enrich visualizations and renderings

Download Your Subscription Advantage Pack by logging in to your Subscription Center:

Tutorial – How to Download Subscription Advantage Packs

Revit Architecture 2011 - Sun Path

2010-10-04T09:24:00.000-04:00

Revit Architecture 2011 - Sun Path

AutoCAD WS for your iDevice

2010-10-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

Service Pack 2 out for all Revit 2011 products

2010-09-30T08:44:00.000-04:00

Autodesk has announced the availability of the Revit 2011 Update 2 build (20100903_2115) Release. the links below:

Revit Architecture

Revit MEP

Revit Structure

Autodesk Revit Platform 2011 Enhancements

Improves stability when locking of constraints within families.
Improves stability when modifying the properties of an element.
Ensures „Select All Instances‟ when used on viewports within a sheet does select all the viewports.
Improves stability when using the “Create Form” tool when In-Place edit a mass.
Improves stability when using “Complex” complexity mode during gbXML Export.
Corrects glazing area when using “Simple” complexity mode during gbXML Export.
Improves stability when editing element Phase inside a group.
Improves consistency of the ifcflowsegment and ifcflowfitting properties during a re-export to IFC.
Improves stability when exporting to AutoCad 2000 DWG files.
Improves stability during export to DWG files when exporting a view with a linked DWG in "new layers for overrides" mode.
Improves stability after switching location within the InfoCenter settings
Improves stability of InfoCenter when logged into Revit with a double byte username.
Improves stability when selecting materials from within the materials dialog.
Improves stability when switching between views
Improves visibility of manually applied hidden lines during printing and exporting of Structural Hidden Lines views.
Improves performance when using spinner control in the Decal Types dialog.
Improves stability when selecting array elements from within the Reveal Hidden Elements display mode.
Improves stability when finishing Sketch mode.
Improves stability when selecting a reference plane within the conceptual mass editor.
Improves stability when launching multiple sessions of Revit.
Corrects shadow casting of linked RVT files when in realistic display mode.
Improves stability when dragging sun.
Improves stability when upgrading Revit 2010 project file.
Corrects color of masked regions when rendered in Consistent Color display mode.

There are other enhancements per Revit “flavour” as well as the API which can be found in the associated Update Enhancement List PDF on each product page

Revit Server and Conceptual Energy Analysis

2010-09-29T10:45:00.001-04:00

Autodesk is releasing a new Subscription Advantage Pack for Revit Subscription clients that will include the new Revit Server and Conceptual Energy Analysis capabilities.

For more detailed information and software downloads you should log into your Autodesk Subscription Center.

For a detailed overview of these Revit features you can refer to latest review article in AEC Bytes: Revit’s New Server and Conceptual Energy Analysis Capabilities

Autodesk Design Visualization Reel 2010 Call for Submissions

2010-09-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

Autodesk is asking for Design Visualization submissions to include in their 2010 Design Show Reel. This Reel will be showcased at AUTODESK UNIVERSITY from November 30 to December 2, 2010. It will be featured during each sessions and to the opening of the Mainstage presentation.

They are also very interested in receiving high-resolution images – up to 300 dpi – for inclusion in their marketing material leading up to and surrounding the show. Lower resolution is also most welcome.

The deadline for imagery submission and video content is Friday, October 8, 2010.

Submission Process
Follow these easy steps to submit your work. Good Luck!

Product Support Information for AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 2011

2010-09-13T11:11:00.000-04:00

AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 2011 Update 1.1 is now available. This is a re-release of Update 1 for AutoCAD 2011 software. After the original Update 1 was released, it was discovered that an issue occurred when conducting certain operations that may cause AutoCAD software to shut down.

Update 1 was subsequently removed to correct the issue and a hotfix was released for those customers who had already applied Update 1. This release of Update 1.1 includes that fix.

More detailed information and instructions can be found at Without a Net.

Autodesk's Training & Implementation Voucher Promotion

2010-09-02T09:35:00.001-04:00

Autodesk is offering customers up to $10,000US in Training and/or Implementation vouchers on qualifying purchases of Revit, Navisworks, Civil 3D, Map 3D, AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD MEP, Plant 3D, and P&ID.

For purchases of 1-5 licenses of new or cross-grade upgrades the customer will receive $200US per license in vouchers. 6+ licenses will net you $300US per license up to a maximum of $10,000US. Services must be completed by Dec. 31/10. An on-line post-service evaluation must be completed by the customer.

New from Autodesk Labs: Solar Radiation Technology Preview

2010-09-01T09:15:00.000-04:00

August 31 - Autodesk Announces AutoCAD for Mac

2010-08-31T13:02:00.003-04:00

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?id=15421056&siteID=123112

AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT Rebate promotion

2010-08-30T07:53:00.000-04:00

Now is the time to buy new licenses of AutoCAD and/or AutoCAD LT if you are in need of additional licnesing. Autodesk is currently running rebate promotions on both products.

From Aug 16 to Oct 17, 2010 you can save up to $400US on new AutoCAD licenses and/or up to $300US on new AutoCAD LT licenses.

You must submit an on-line rebate request and mail in proof of purchase documentation. Offer is limited to a maximum of 5 licenses. Rebates can be submit at the following links:

AutoCAD

AutoCAD LT

Service Pack 1 out for all Revit 2011 products

2010-08-29T07:46:00.002-04:00

Check out the Service Pack Updates page on Auotdesk's website. The specific links are below:

Revit Architecture
Revit Structure
Revit MEP

Autodesk Vault for Revit Users

2010-08-25T09:24:00.000-04:00

Acoustic Information Modeling

2010-06-05T08:30:00.002-04:00

AIM Software Group has developed the AIM Workbench Revit MEP add-on which provides real-time analysis of a building's acoustic environment.

14-day trials can be downloaded from:

AIM Workbench 1.0 (Beta) - 32-bit
AIM Workbench 1.0 (Beta) - 64-bit

More information can be found at http://aimworkbench.com/overview.html

RISA-Revit 2011 Link Now Available!

2010-06-03T11:36:00.001-04:00

The all-new RISA-Revit 2011 Link is now available as a free download for both RISAFloor and RISA-3D users. This two-way link is compatible with Revit Structure 2011 (both 32 and 64 bit versions) and allows you to transfer information more seamlessly than ever between Revit and RISAFloor or RISA-3D.

This latest version of the link not only transfers shared coordinate systems, leaning columns, sloped beams, and enveloped gravity/lateral end reactions, but also has been completely overhauled for more robust behavior and significantly increased speed.

Whether you are new to the Link, or are already using the Revit Structure 2010 Link, download the latest version from our website below and try it out today!

Visit www.risatech.com/revitstructure to download the new Link today!

For more information on the updates in the latest Link see What’s New

AutoCAD 2011 32bit disc 1 of 2 missing

2010-04-14T09:12:00.004-04:00

When first opening the box you see two discs, one labeled 64 bit Disc 1 of 2 and 32 & 64 bit Disc 2 of 2.:

Where is the 32 bit disc 1? - It’s behind the booklet:

Naviswroks Review being Retired

2010-04-01T09:10:00.000-04:00

Upon the upcoming releases of 2011 products, Autodesk will be retiring the Navisworks Review product.

Currently (2010 versions) Autodesk offers Navisworks Review, Navisworks Simulate, Navisworks Manage, and Navisworks Freedom. The latter being a free viewer downloadable from their website. Detailed descriptions on each listed below.

Any customer who currently have licenses of Navisworks Review 2010 (either indivdually or within a Suite) on Active Subscription at the time of 2011 release will be automatically fulfilled to Navisworks Simulate 2011. If your not on Subscription, get on Subscription now. If you miss getting on subscription before the release of 2011, upgrade offerings will be available by Autodesk.

All the functionality of Naviswork Reviewer is included in Naviswork Simulate. What will Naviswork Review users gain by getting Navisworks Simulate? The following :

TimeLiner allows customers to link their model geometry to times and dates for 4D simulation. They can import task data from 3rd party scheduling applications to visualize and analyze project sequencing.

Presenter allows customers to create photorealistic renderings for export as still images or movies. They can configure materials, lights, backgrounds, and rendering styles to aid in the visual communication of projects.

The Animator and Scripter tools allow customers to animate and interact with project models. They can apply movement to geometry and cameras in the model, and link those animations to events and triggers, including TimeLiner tasks, to simulate real-world behavior.

Navisworks Manage software offers design and construction professionals the most comprehensive project review solution, providing advanced tools for interference analysis and

spatial coordination.

Navisworks Simulate software provides comprehensive project review and analysis capabilities to demonstrate design intent and simulation of construction to drive insight and predictability.

Navisworks Freedom software is the free viewer for NWD and 3D DWF files. Navisworks Freedom extends the whole-project view to all project stakeholders, improving communication and collaboration.

AEC Bytes Newletter on Autodesk 2011 product launches

2010-03-31T08:00:00.001-04:00

This post is from AEC Bytes - very good read:

Last week, Autodesk hosted a webcast to officially launch the next version of its design software portfolio. While it did not discuss any of its products in depth, the webcast summarized the main enhancements in the 2011 versions of AutoCAD, Inventor, Revit, and 3ds Max, which were identified as the key applications of its product portfolio. In addition to individual enhancements in each of these applications to make them "best of class," Autodesk has also launched an initiative to make the user experience more consistent across all of them. This has included implementing the ribbon-based interface to provide a similar—and modern—look and feel, as well as making common tasks such as model navigation, material selection, and so on work the same way across all of them. Other key objectives for Autodesk in this product release were improved graphics for better visualization, better data interoperability between its applications, and improving the power and sophistication of the applications while at the same time making them simpler and easier to use.

The highlights of Autodesk’s launch webcast from an AEC perspective are captured in this issue of the AECbytes Newsletter. Autodesk is holding another event next month to provide further details of the 2011 AEC product portfolio, which will be covered in a separate article at that time.

Article Link

http://www.aecbytes.com/newsletter/2010/issue_44.html

What's NEW and ENHANCED in Revit Architecture 2011

2010-03-30T12:16:00.003-04:00

Some of these items will be the same in Revit MEP and Revit Structure.

USABILITY

Parametric Constraints and Families - ENHANCED
Integrated Rendering - ENHANCED
View Styles - ENHANCED
Temporary Dimensions - ENHANCED
Application Programming Interface (API) - ENHANCED
Repeat Last Command - NEW
Find & Replace Text - NEW

ARCHITECTURAL MODELING TOOLS

Structural Elements - ENHANCED

USER INTERFACE

Task-based User Interface - ENHANCED
Resizable Dialogs - ENHANCED
Quick Access Toolbar - ENHANCED
Application Menu - ENHANCED
Keyboard Shortcuts Dialog - NEW
Web-Based Help - NEW
Modeless Properties Palette - NEW
Sun Path - NEW

COLLABORATION

Worksharing (Multi-person File Sharing) - ENHANCED
Linked Revit Files - ENHANCED
Publish to Autodesk Navisworks products - ENHANCED
Publish to CAD Formats (DWG, DXF, DGN, ACIS (SAT)) - ENHANCED
Import from Autodesk Inventor - ENHANCED
Autodesk Green Building Studio Web-based Service* - NEW

*Available to Subscription customers of Autodesk Revit Archictecture software during the term of their Subscription.

DOCUMENTATION

Annotations - ENHANCED
Text Notes Formatting - ENHANCED
Sheet Composition - ENHANCED

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

Solid Modeling - ENHANCED
Free-form Modeling & Direct Manipulation - ENHANCED
Surface Modeling - ENHANCED
Surface Rationalization - ENHANCED
Custom curtain panels - ENHANCED
Flexible Components - NEW

Autodesk ImageModeler

2010-03-19T15:26:00.001-04:00

Autodesk ImageModeler image-based modeling and photogrammetry software enables architects, designers, and entertainment content creators to generate 3D models from 2D digital images. The software’s easy-to-learn, three-step workflow—calibration, modeling, and texturing—enables users to achieve stunning, photorealistic 3D models with real-world accuracy and export them in different formats to other Autodesk products.

You can obtain a license of ImageModeler 2009 when you purchase a license for the following Autodesk products with Autodesk Subscription:

More information can be sourced at http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?id=11390028&siteID=123112

Autodesk's Software Delivery Policy Change

2010-02-18T09:00:00.003-05:00

Autodesk Subscription Customers are starting to receive this email (sent to the Subscription Contract Administrator):

This email is announcing that all Auto Fulfillment of future versions will be delivered to you, by default, via electronic download - NO DISCs / DVDs / CDs will be sent to you. Unless you inform Autodesk that your delivery preference is that a box of discs be sent to you. How do you inform them? By login into your Subscription Center Website account and setting your your delivery preference to “box”.

I would suggest setting your preference immediately before the new 2011 versions are released.

Another Source for BIM Content

2010-02-17T09:43:00.001-05:00

Checkout www.arcat.com

They offer a wide array of Manufacturer and Generic BIM objects as well as CAD details.

Owners — What Should You Do About BIM? | Construction Industry News | Reed Construction Data

2010-02-11T09:50:00.000-05:00

Great article speaking to the "vision" of BIM for the future:

Owners — What Should You Do About BIM? Construction Industry News Reed Construction Data

Take Stock of Your Software 2

2010-01-25T09:50:00.004-05:00

Back in October I blogged about a free downloadable utility to help you locate where your licenses are installed. Well Autodesk is releasing the new version of this software asset management utility. This simple utility searches for Autodesk products installed on a network and identifies their location(s). Formerly known as Autodesk Product Manager (APM), this tool has been renamed Autodesk Asset Locator (AAL) and updated with many new features and enhancements, including:

Support for 32-bit Windows 7 operating system
Remote registry search for Windows 7
64-bit machines now supported
Searches now include subnets

Autodesk Asset Locator will be included free of charge on the product media of many upcoming Autodesk products. Note: This product is subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user license agreement that accompanies download of this software.

Action: The utility is available now for download from the following Autodesk License Compliance web page:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=10243574

Announcing Rev It Up for Green Renovation Energy Performance Promotion

2010-01-05T08:35:00.000-05:00

From November 30, 2009, through April 18, 2010, customers will have the option of purchasing a license of Autodesk Ecotect Analysis 2010 software for US$995 when purchased with a qualifying AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite or AutoCAD Revit MEP Suite new license, crossgrade, or Subscription renewal.

Subscription for Autodesk Ecotect Analysis software is required to be eligible for promotional pricing. Autodesk Ecotect Analysis Subscription includes the Autodesk Green Building Studio web service, which helps architects and designers to conduct whole building energy analysis, optimize performance and efficiency, and achieve carbon neutrality earlier in the design process.

Online License Transfer in Autodesk 2010 Products

2010-01-04T16:20:00.002-05:00

This video provides an overview of the Online License Transfer (OLT) feature that is available in the 2010 product releases. This is useful when your are transferring your license from an old computer to a new computer. By using the OLT, it eliminates the need to request a new activation from Autodesk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGoslbHh9n8

Revit MEP - New US Content available via Subcription Center

2010-01-04T13:05:00.002-05:00

New US content is now available for Revit MEP Subscription customers via the Subscription Center Website. The download is "US Content Extension for Autodesk Revit MEP 2010"

The US Content Extension for Autodesk Revit MEP 2010 software provides new content to help electrical engineers, drafters, and contractors create electrical designs and layouts for projects in the US and elsewhere. Contents include electrical devices for nurse call systems, fire safety, communications, security, and power. Content is available in both imperial and metric units.

Webcast: Renovating for an Energy-Efficient Future

2009-11-23T08:30:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday, December 8, at 1:00 PM EST, Autodesk is hosting a webcast on “Renovating for an Energy-Efficient Future.” This session focuses on Building Information Modeling (BIM) for renovation and building performance, and will show how BIM solutions can help in the creation and analysis of energy models that can determine the best designs for sustainability and efficiency – from all stakeholder perspectives.

This webcast is part of the Sustainable Design Webcast Series, and is registered with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for Continuing education credits. It qualifies for one Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) and Sustainable Design (SD) credit.

Action: Register at www.autodesk.com/sustainable-webcasts.

AutoCAD $500 New Seat Rebate Promotion

2009-11-09T12:03:00.000-05:00

From November 2, 2009, through January 15, 2010, customers in the United States and Canada who purchase qualifying new commercial licenses of AutoCAD 2010 software may be eligible for a rebate of up to US$500 for each new license purchased after submitting an online request and providing proof of license purchase documentation. This offer is limited to a maximum of five seats total per customer invoice address.

Customers may review terms and conditions, answers to frequently asked questions, and submit their rebate information by visiting www.autodesk.com/autocadrebate.

Windows 7 Support for Autodesk products

2009-11-02T13:58:00.003-05:00

The following products are supported on Microsoft Windows 7:

AutoCAD 2010
AutoCAD LT 2010
AutoCAD Architecture 2010
Autodesk Inventor 2010
Autodesk Inventor LT 2010
AutoCAD Electrical 2010
AutoCAD Mechanical 2010
AutoCAD MEP 2010
Autodesk Algor Simulation 2010

Autodesk will support Windows 7 for most of its other products as updated versions of Autodesk products are released.

You may be able to use Windows 7 with an Autodesk product that is not listed above, however, Autodesk may not be able to resolve every issue encountered at this time.

The following issues have been identified with Windows 7 and are currently being researched for a potential fix in a future release:

AutoCAD and all AutoCAD-based vertical products:

Infocenter balloons sometimes display blank
Dragging Ribbon tabs sometimes crashes the product
Encrypted files fail to open and save on Windows 7
Open files do not appear on Windows 7 Jumplist
Export to Impression functionality will not work because Autodesk Impression is not supported on Windows 7

AutoCAD Architectural 2010 and AutoCAD Mechanical 2010:

Text in the Drafting Settings dialog overlaps radio buttons

Graphics Card Support for Windows 7:

Windows 7 is supported but not certified. This means that Autodesk has not certified every card but we expect they should work with Windows 7 without issue. The certified driver versions for Vista 32 and Vista 64 should install and work with AutoCAD 2010. The exception to this are the ATI FireGL and FirePro graphics cards and drivers for those cards should be downloaded from http://www.amd.com/us/Pages/AMDHomePage.aspx. If your NVIDIA drivers on Windows 7 are newer than 191.00, and your ATI drivers are newer than 8.634, hardware acceleration should be on by default.

Where's Waldo for Revit

2009-11-02T09:07:00.004-05:00

Okay, okay, I know that a lot of you don't like the new Ribbon interface in Revit Architecture 2010 but I have to tell you, it is not going away anytime soon. So you might as well stop fighting it and start learning it. The following might help you fasttrack this learning curve.

If you are still wondering where to find the 2009 command buttons in the 2010 Ribbon style user-interface, care of “Revitize - A Revit Blog” there is a simple online utility that can help you understand where the 2009 commands are located in the 2010 product. Goto:

Where's my command in Revit 2010

In the 2009 screen image click on a command item/icon that you would like to find in the 2010 user-interface and it will show you the proper Ribbon location in Revit 2010. Then click anywhere afterwards and you are returned the 2009 product screen.

Happy Ribboning.....

A Couple More Reason to be on Subscription

2009-10-28T12:29:00.007-04:00

Check out: Unc overing the Revit Subscription Advantage Pack The Revit Update

More info on Subscription Advantage packs can be found at http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=14022754&siteID=123112

And

Autodesk University (AU) Virtual allows you to stream select classes and content from AU 2009 directly to your desktop. Here's how you can experience AU Virtual: AU Virtual Premier Pass – US$99 (Free to Autodesk Subscription customers) Includes full access to 50+ classes, keynotes and other premium content streamed live from AU in Las Vegas. Plus access up to 350 on-demand sessions post-event.

See how AU Virtual compares with the AU 2009 Conference in Las Vegas.

Take Stock of Your Software

2009-10-26T10:16:00.001-04:00

The Autodesk Product Manager tool will determine the Autodesk software product you have and where it’s installed by locating:

Product, version, and serial number
Product language
Network or stand-alone installation type
Service pack level
Installation location

Download the Autodesk Product Manager tool.

For detailed instructions, refer to the Autodesk Product Manager Tool guide.

Autodesk Product Manager Tool: A Step Guide for Conducting a Software Audit (pdf - 407Kb)

Note: Some products may not be located by the Autodesk Product Manager Tool.

Updates Available for Revit-Based Products

2009-10-03T12:15:00.001-04:00

Update 2 for English-language versions of Revit 2010 products is now available for download. This update is for Revit Architecture 2010, Revit Structure 2010, and Revit MEP 2010 software.

Updates can be accessed via the downloads from the Services & Support pages on Autodesk.com.

Revit MEP Sustainable Design Tutorial

2009-09-14T16:51:00.001-04:00

Buildings account for the largest source of energy consumption and emissions in the world today. Governments and business are addressing this challenge with a range of new requirements for building systems. With these requirements, MEP designers and engineers need to develop practices that enable them to conform to the new specifications.

Autodesk MEP Engineering Solutions allow you to effectively incorporate sustainable design strategies into your workflow that allow you to more effectively conduct whole building energy analysis for new buildings and energy system retrofits.

In this series of presentations, you will learn how to use Autodesk MEP Engineering Solutions to perform accurate, time-saving operations that will help your team work faster and smarter.

To view the tutorial, go to: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/oc/offer/form?siteID=123112&id=13707515

Deals on NVIDIA Quadro by PNY Graphic Cards

2009-09-01T10:59:00.002-04:00

Get up to 50% off a wide range of NVIDIA Quadro by PNY graphic cards

Product	NVIDIA MSRP	Promo Pricing
FX 4800	$1,999 US	$999 US
FX 3800	$1,199 US	$599 US
FX 1800	$599 US	$299 US
FX 580	$199 US	$99 US

Go to http://ecommerce.pny.com and enter promo code: 'AUSUBQFX' at checkout. Quantity limited to two (2) per customer. Offer expires on December 31, 2009 and is valid only in North America.

A Complimentary BIM Webcast

2009-09-01T08:51:00.001-04:00

Check out this FREE Webcast from Reed Construction Data:

“Lessons in BIM Adoption”

September 23, 2009 • 2:00 p.m. EDT • online webcast

Learn about specific details and developments in adopting Building Information Modeling from any computer. Allow experts and analysts to give you insight on some do’s and don’ts of BIM. You'll hear directly from an architect, engineer and building product manufacturer.

Click here to register now

On September 23, please join Dennis Neeley, AIA, Cindy Bremer, and Mark Mergenschroer for a complimentary webcast, moderated by Rex Miller.

Topics Include:

Why BIM adoption was important to their company
The initial approach to BIM
Overall results of adopting BIM
Recommendations for the industry

3ds Max 2010 and 3ds Max Design 2010 Service Pack 1 Now Available

2009-08-11T08:44:00.001-04:00

The latest Service Pack from Autodesk for 3ds Max 2010 and 3ds Max Design 2010 software includes nearly 30 fixes for issues with undo, performance, responsiveness, viewports, material workflow, and mental ray software. Specific areas addressed are Biped, Bitmap Pager, Bitmap Proxies, Containers, Edit Poly, Interoperability, Licensing, Materials, mental ray, Particle Flow, Performance, Photometric Lights, ProOptimizer, Render To Texture (RTT), Rendering, UVW Unwrap, and Viewports.

3ds Max 2010 Service Pack 1:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=13642460&linkID=9241178

3ds Max Design 2010 Service Pack 1:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=13642201&linkID=9241178

AutoCAD LT Cross-grade Promo is Back!

2009-08-06T10:27:00.003-04:00

Autodesk usually runs this promotion annual in their second quarter (May to July) but it was missing this year. As I had predicted, it has surfaced in Q3 (August to October). Here are the details:

From August 17 to October 16, 2009 eligible AutoCAD LT (2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 registered before August 1) can be cross-graded to AutoCAD 2010, AutoCAD Architecture 2010, or AutoCAD MEP 2010 for US $1995. For US $ 2495, you can opt to cross-grade to Revit Architecture 2010, Revit Architecture Suite 2010, Revit Structure 2010, Revit Structure Suite 2010, or Revit MEP Suite 2010. Although Subscription is recommended, it is not required to get these promotional prices.

This promotion will continue from October 17 to December 30, 2009 in a phase 2 with US $2495 and US $2995 as the pricing respectively.

On-line Revit Help

2009-08-05T08:36:00.001-04:00

Autodesk now provides access via their website, on-line help for all flavours of Revit. Checkout the following links:

Autodesk Revit Architecture 2010 Help

Autodesk Revit Structure 2010 Help

Autodesk Revit MEP 2010 Help

AutoCAD LT US$400 Legacy Rebate Extended

2009-07-31T10:33:00.000-04:00

The AutoCAD LT software US$400 Legacy Rebate has been extended until August 31. This rebate promotion is for customers who purchase new licenses of AutoCAD LT 2010 software and currently own legacy versions of AutoCAD LT. Customers who own existing AutoCAD LT licenses version 2000, 2000i, 2002, 2004, 2005, and 2006 and who purchase qualifying new, commercial licenses (seats) of AutoCAD LT 2010 software may be eligible for a rebate of up to US$400 for each new license purchased, after submitting an online request and providing proof of license purchase documentation. This offer is limited to a maximum of five seats total per customer invoice address.

How Revit MEP Calculates Heating & Cooling loads

2009-07-29T14:12:00.000-04:00

Do you need to know how Revit MEP calculates it's Heating and Cooling loads? If you have Revit MEP installed, check your hard drive for the following directory:

C:\Program Files\Autodesk Revit MEP 2010\Program\

where you will find the file:

Heating_Cooling_Calculation_Methods.pdf

Autodesk MAC support

2009-07-28T13:21:00.001-04:00

There is now an official Autodesk public website, where customers who wish to run Autodesk products on a MAC can find the right answers: http://usa.autodesk.com/products/mac-compatible-products

Revit Solar Radiation Technology Preview Available

2009-07-27T10:31:00.000-04:00

The Solar Radiation Technology Preview for Autodesk Revit Architecture and Autodesk Revit MEP software is now available. The new Solar Radiation Technology Preview allows users to analyze the effects of solar radiation on the surfaces of a conceptual building model within Autodesk Revit Architecture 2010 and Autodesk Revit MEP 2010 software.

Using the Solar Radiation Analysis add-in during the conceptual design stage of a project can help users make fundamental design decisions about building shape, orientation, and surfaces early on – when changes are the least costly. The add-in uses conceptual massing elements from Revit-based models and the Autodesk Ecotect Analysis insolation analysis engine to calculate the amount of solar radiation hitting the surfaces of the massing forms. This technology preview is a limited-term release to seek customer feedback on its performance. It expires on January 13, 2010.

Learn more about the Solar Radiation Technology Preview on Autodesk Labs.

2009-06-09T09:10:00.004-04:00

In speaking with many customers, a lot do not understand the additional benefits that the Subscription program offers and how to access these benefits via their Subscription Center login.

Well, Autodesk will hosting a Subscription Tour Webcast for Customers on June 24th. If you want to learn more about the Autodesk® Subscription Center, please attend the upcoming Subscription Tour webcast. Emily Crane of Global Subscription Sales will present general information on the Subscription program and will walk through the Subscription Center to ensure that customers know how to find and take advantage of the benefits they receive.

There will be two sessions on Wednesday, June 24. You will have the option to attend at 12:00pm or 3:00pm Eastern. There will be 30 minutes for the presentation and 30 minutes for an open question-and-answer period.

Autodesk Subscription Center Tour – Morning Session
Date and time: Wednesday, June 24, 12:00–1:00pm or 3:00-4:00pm
URL: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/autodesklearning/join?id=SCT_2&role=attend&pw=Audience
Meeting ID: SCT_2
Meeting Key: Audience
Audio: Toll-free: +1-866-814-7241 or toll: +1-203-310-0586
Participant code: 4505086

Autodesk Legacy Promotion

2009-05-19T12:33:00.004-04:00

Autodesk Legacy Promotion

June 1 through July 17, Autodesk will offer the Legacy Promotion to qualifying customers. This promotion will give customers with AutoCAD R14 through AutoCAD 2006-based software licenses the opportunity to purchase qualifying new licenses of current Autodesk products at a discount of 40% with Subscription and 20% without Subscription. Not all Autodesk products are eligible for this promotion.

AutoCAD - Hot Issues / Fixes

2009-04-27T12:38:00.004-04:00

Hot Issues

Share with Autodesk Seek Hotfix

Port 9013 is used when uploading files to Autodesk Seek. This port may be blocked by firewalls. This hotfix allows Share with Autodesk Seek to use port 80.

VBA support in AutoCAD 2010

Autodesk has begun the transition of VB customization from VBA to .NET technology. Currently, VBA is still supported in Autodesk products. However, starting with AutoCAD 2010, VBA is no longer part of the default AutoCAD installation and must be downloaded and installed separately.

Recently Published Solutions

Supported operating systems for the Autodesk Network License Manager shipped with 2010 products

Location of Plot Styles folder

Partial CUI files not converted to CUIx file format during migration

Exclusive Solution Preview

TS1105167 - Network License Activation Utility

Issue:

You have found that the Network Activation Utility is not included on your 2010 product media.

Solution:

If your product does not include the Network License Activation Utility, you can activate your license by visiting http://www.autodesk.com/register and following the on-screen instructions.

A First Time For Everything - LT Legacy Promotion

2009-04-27T12:28:00.002-04:00

Rumor has it that Autodesk will be offering for the first time ever, a Legacy Promotion on AutoCAD LT.

AutoCAD LT is normally upgradable from 3 versions back from current (for example, 2010 being current, you can upgrade at a discounted price from version 2007, 2008, or 2009). Under this LT Legacy Promotion, users of version 2000, 2000i, 2002, 2004, 2005, and/or 2006 will be eligible for a rebate of up to US$400 for each new license (seat) of AutoCAD LT 2010 purchased. This offer will be effective May 1st through July 31^st and is limited to a maximum of five seats total per customer invoice address.

Hotfix for Inventor / Revit ADSK file format

2009-04-17T14:24:00.002-04:00

Please be advised there was a known issue with the ADSK file that Inventor exports and the ability for Revit to import data. Recently a Hotfix for Inventor around this issue was released. Once the Hotfix is installed, Inventor users will be able to export an ADSK file from Inventor and Revit users will be able to import it directly into Revit without problems. the hotfix can be download from:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=13105818&linkID=9242019

More Autodesk 2010 Release Dates (FCS)

2009-04-07T09:19:00.000-04:00

Software Product	FCS Date
Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2010	April 8
Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design 2010	April 8
AutoCAD® Visualization Suite 2010	April 13
AutoCAD® Revit® Architecture Suite 2010	April 16
AutoCAD® Revit® Architecture Visualization Suite 2010	April 16
AutoCAD® Revit® MEP Suite 2010	April 16
AutoCAD® Revit ®Structure Suite 2010	April 16
Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2010	April 16
Autodesk® Revit® Structure 2010	April 16
Autodesk® Robot™ Structural Analysis 2010	April 16
Autodesk® Robot™ Structural Analysis Professional 2010	April 16
AutoCAD® Raster Design 2010	April 20
Autodesk® Quantity Takeoff 2010	April 20
AutoCAD® P&ID 2010	April 22

New pricing structure coming next year

2009-04-01T11:47:00.003-04:00

Autodesk has announced that starting next year they will be going with a new ‘simplified’ pricing model for upgrades and cross-grades.

Once 2007 becomes retired (as of March 16 2010), Autodesk will no longer offer a 3-tier price structure for upgrades / cross-grades to the current version at that time. Rather, all upgrades and cross-grades to the current version from previous versions will be 50% the cost of a new license, while cross-grades from a current version to another product will be about 20% the cost of a new product license. Legacy versions (versions older than 3 versions back) are not included in this and the Legacy program will continue at 30% discount of the price of a new product license when Subscription is purchased.

So let’s look at an example to illustrate this:

THIS YEAR
AutoCAD 2007 to AutoCAD 2010           $1795
AutoCAD 2008 to AutoCAD 2010           $1195
AutoCAD 2009 to AutoCAD 2010           $595

NEXT YEAR
AutoCAD 2008 to AutoCAD 2011           $1998
AutoCAD 2009 to AutoCAD 2011           $1998
AutoCAD 2010 to AutoCAD 2011           $1998

As you can see, this is a lot of different cost to you especially if you are only 1 or 2 versions behind.

So why is Autodesk doing this, well, it is to encourage users to put their licenses on Subscription. In the example above, Subscription costs $450 a year - multiple that over 3 years and you have paid $1350 versus the $1998 upgrade cost. That's a huge difference in cost to net you the exact same product in the end. Now, also remember all the extra benefits Subscription includes - extra software extensions, e-learning, web support access, license management, etc.

Autodesk has announced an aggressive promotion to help 'transition' you before next year's changes - details of which can be found at http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=7176852&siteID=123112.

In summary, it goes like this:

Phase 1: May1 – July 17

30% off with Subscription

20% off without Subscription

Phase 2: July 18 – October 16

20% off with Subscription

15% off without Subscription

Phase 3: October 17 – January 15

10% off with Subscription

reg price without Subscription

This promotional pricing is applicable to upgrades and cross-grades from 2007, 2008, and/or 2009 going to a 2010 product.

NOTE: that the best period is between May 1 and July 17

All prices above are based on US$ MSRP.

2007 Retirement Promotion

2009-03-31T09:00:00.002-04:00

The 2007 family of products will no longer be sold or supported as of March 15 2010. This also includes Revit Architecture 9/9.1, Revit MEP Suite R2, Revit Structure Suite R4, 3DS Max R9, and Maya 8.5.

Autodesk runs a 3-phase promo during the retirement year to help customers transition to the current version. The 1st Phase does not start until May 1st. Note that as the year rolls out, the promotional discpounts lessen - so the earlier your act the better the savings! May to July is the best period. Below is the outline of the 3 phases:

Phase 1: May1 – July 17, 30% off with Subcription, 20% off without Subscription
Phase 2: July 18 – October 16, 20% off with Subription, 15% off without Subscription

Phase 3: October 17 – January 15, 10% off with Subription, reg price without Subscription

Don't want to take Subscription - you'll want to read tomorrows post......

Great Report on Building Information Modeling (BIM)

2009-03-30T12:04:00.003-04:00

One of the most common questions I get from clients is, “Who is already using Revit and to what degree are they using it?” I usually reply “Every major firm has Revit by now. They are utilizing it where it makes sense for them – some are using it full-tilt on most projects, others are using it in pockets seeing where and how it fits in to their existing workflow and design processes.” By now, it is inevitable that the Industry is definitely moving in that direction. Don’t believe me – well fine – check out this:

McGraw Hill Construction has published a "SmartMarket Report" on Building Information Modeling (BIM). This report speaks to not only the adoption rate of BIM in the industry, but also to usage of BIM, value of using BIM, impact of BIM on internal and external processes, and BIM infrastructure. This report provides great insight and recommendations for firms migrating toward Revit. Additionally there are numerous Case Studies to validate the “real-world” usage of BIM.

The report can be sourced via Autodesk’s website (http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/mcgraw-hill_construction_bim_smartmarket_report_december_2008.pdf) or via the buildingSMART Alliance’s website (http://www.buildingsmartalliance.org/news/20081203.php).

Here are some key sections to read:

BIM and Green Building – pages 5, 18, and 19
Recommendations for Beginners, Intermediate Users, Advanced/Expert Users, and Owners – page 5
Rise of the Contractor – page 4
Perception of BIM – page 7
Risks when using BIM – page 33

2010 Installation and Activation requires PRODUCT KEYS

2009-03-27T11:26:00.008-04:00

For the 2010 products, customer need two items for installation, the SERIAL NUMBER and PRODUCT KEY. Yes, that’s right, the old CD Keys from 2002 are back as Product Keys. The good news is that the Product Keys are generic for each product, meaning they are the same for every serial number. Here is a list of the Product Keys:

AutoCAD 2010 - 001B1
AutoCAD Architecture 2010 - 185B1
AutoCAD MEP 2010 - 235B1
AutoCAD LT 2010 - 057B1

Subscription 2010 Auto Fulfillment Problems

2009-03-27T11:01:00.004-04:00

My last post showed the Auto Fulfillment emails that Autodesk has been sending out to Subscription clients (please note that these emails have only been sent out to AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD MEP, and Naviswork customers so far (ALL 2010 Revit, and 3ds Max products have not been released yet, hence no emails sent yet). Well, there seems to be a lot of confusion and complication with the process.

First, let’s talk about the fulfillment. You have basically four choices: 1) download, 2) download and request media still be sent to you, 3) don't download but request media be sent to you, 4) don't do anything right now and media will automatically be sent to you after 30-days. So, if you’re not in a panic for the new 2010 version , my suggestion is to sit back and simply wait for Autodesk to sent it to you.

Problem # 1: The emails announcement never came. Solution: check your spam filter first, if still nothing call Autodesk's Customer Service Center at 1-800-538-6401 for assistance - make sure to have your Subscription Contract # handy when you call.

Problem # 2: Got the email but having problems getting onto or using Subscription Center. Well if you don’t know how to get onto Subscription Center, call Autodesk's Customer Service Center at 1-800-538-6401 for assistance.

Once you’re on Subscription Center, here are the steps to follow: scroll down to the section where you can “download” the 2010 product, click on “download”, then on the following page you can click “request a copy”, followed by a page that asks you to populate a form with quantities of each license, followed by “save”, followed by a questionnaire that asks why they are requesting media, followed by a couple of other prompts until you are finally finished. I know this is a cumbersome task – but is the only way to do it. If you don’t have interest in doing all this on-line, call the Autodesk Customer Service Center at 1-800-538-6401.

Problem # 3: The on-line process above produces an error. Solution: you guessed it, call the Autodesk Customer Service Center at 1-800-538-6401 for assistance.

Problem # 4: You successfully downloaded the 2010 software but are having problems installing or activating your licenses - you don't have or know what a Product Key is. Solution: The Product Key is listed in the email that was sent out but if you didn't save that email, see my next post for a list of them.

Unfortunately, resellers are not permitted by Autodesk to administrate customer's Subscription website. Nor are we entitled to fulfill this request on their behalf.

Subscription Auto Fulfillment of 2010 products

2009-03-23T10:04:00.002-04:00

If you have your licenses on active Subscription, your 2010 Auto Fulfillment is going to be offerred to you this year via download. You will have the option to download, download and still get hard copy of the product shipped to you, or request that only a hard copy get shipped to you (ie. no download). Below is a sample of the email your Subscription Contract Administrator will be recieving in this regard:

From: SUBSCRIPTION-NOTIFICATION@AUTODESKSUBSCRIPTION.COM [mailto:SUBSCRIPTION- NOTIFICATION@AUTODESKSUBSCRIPTION.COM]
Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 9:40 AM
To:
Subject: Autodesk Upgrade and Licensing Information
Importance: High

This is an outgoing mailbox only, please do not reply. If you have questions or need help, click here.

Your Upgrade is Available

This information is required for product activation, please retain for your records

AUTOCAD 2010 English, International Commercial Product Upgrade WINDOWS From AutoCAD 2009 is now available for download!

One of the benefits of Subscription is the immediate availability of the latest release of Autodesk products. We are pleased to announce that your Subscription upgrade for AUTOCAD 2010 English, International Commercial Product Upgrade WINDOWS From AutoCAD 2009 is now available for download from Subscription Center.

Download Your Upgrade!*

Obtaining your Subscription Upgrade

To receive your upgrade, simply log into Subscription Center and follow the instructions for download. If you prefer, you can log into Subscription Center and select to have the product shipped to you.

Important Activation Code

When installing your product, you will be required to obtain an activation code. To obtain an activation code, you must provide the serial number(s) and product key listed in this email.

Serial Number Information

Your subscription upgrade is for the following products:

Serial Number	Product Key	Previous Serial Number(s)	Total Seats
000-00000000	000B0	000-00000000	0

In an effort to simplify software management and deployment, your products may have been consolidated into one new serial number. That serial number may be used for installation of all seats within that serial number.

Download Permission Information

Contract Managers and Software Coordinators - you can share full product download functionality with all of your Subscription users, allowing them immediate access to the electronic Product Library.

Simply log into the Subscription Center Contract Administration, go to View / Edit Users, locate the user(s), click Edit and grant them permissions to File Downloads. Be sure to provide your users with the Subscription Serial Number(s) and Product Key(s) that they will need for installation and activation.

*If your company has restricted access to the Internet, you may not be able to download your upgrade and you will need to contact the Autodesk Business Center to request a physical media shipment. Copy and paste the "Recipient Information" section from the bottom of this email, which will allow us to easily locate you, and send this information via an email to subscription-team@autodesk.com.

Thank you for choosing Subscription for your Autodesk products.

Subscription Center Login

Download Your Upgrade

Subscription Guide

Questions? Need Help?

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Use of your Subscription is governed by the Terms and Conditions.
Please note that you cannot unsubscribe from email that is required to properly service your Autodesk Subscription contract.

Recipient Information
[ContractID:]
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[SendDate:03-22-2009]
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[AUTOCAD 2010 English, International Commercial Product Upgrade WINDOWS From AutoCAD 2009]

Autodesk 2010 Version Releases Start (FCS dates)

2009-03-23T09:50:00.004-04:00

Autodesk has started the release of their 2010 versions. March 24th marks the first most important release - AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, and the Inventor products. The 25th will be for AutoCAD MEP and AutoCAD Architecture followed by Navisworks on April 3rd. Below is a listing of all the published release dates so far.

AutoCAD® 2010 March 24

AutoCAD LT® 2010 March 24

AutoCAD® RealDWG™ 2010 March 24

AutoCAD® Electrical 2010 March 24

AutoCAD® Mechanical 2010 March 24

Autodesk® Inventor LT™ 2010 March 24

AutoCAD® Inventor LT™ Suite 2010 March 24

AutoCAD® Inventor® Suite 2010 March 24

AutoCAD® Inventor® Professional 2010 March 24

AutoCAD® Inventor® Professional Suite 2010 March 24

AutoCAD® Inventor® Routed Systems Suite 2010 March 24

AutoCAD® Inventor® Simulation Suite 2010 March 24

AutoCAD® Inventor® Tooling Suite 2010 March 24

Autodesk® DirectConnect for Catia 2010 March 24

Autodesk® DirectConnect for Catia 4 2010 March 24

Autodesk® DirectConnect for JT 2010 March 24

Autodesk® DirectConnect for UG 2010 March 24

Autodesk® SketchBook® Pro 2010 March 24

AutoCAD® Architecture 2010 March 25

AutoCAD® MEP 2010 March 25

AutoCAD® Map 3D 2010 March 30

Autodesk MapGuide® Enterprise 2010 March 30

Autodesk® Navisworks® Manage 2010 April 3

Autodesk® Navisworks® Review 2010 April 3

Autodesk® Navisworks® Simulate 2010 April 3

Yes, you are correct, there are no dates for Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, Revit Structure, 3ds Max / Max Design etc. These dates have not been made public yet, but as soon as they are I will post them. My guess is mid-April!

Two Good Articles to 'Reed'

2009-02-12T08:15:00.002-05:00

Haven’t adopted BIM yet? Check out this short article that quite nicely touches on the key points of consideration for BIM in your firm. Why Building Information Modeling? http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/articles/read/why-building-information-modeling/

So you taken the plunge into Revit and are in the process of using or at least making a valiant attempt. Once you understand how to use Revit and you start getting going with it, the major next hurdle is content, or lack thereof. You need an object in your project that doesn't exist in Revit (for example, a water fountain or a boiler or a roof top unit etc.). Well off you go looking for it or trying to create it. Check out "You are Wasting Your Money" http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/articles/read/you-are-wasting-your-money/ for some ideas on how to improve this aspect of Revit'ing.

What is Subscription?

2009-02-09T12:56:00.000-05:00

Autodesk Subscription is a support offering that, when purchased with eligible products, includes upgrade software, support, and training. Rather than pay for each upgrade separately, Autodesk Subscription customers pay an annual fee that includes access to all software upgrades and subscription benefits.

NEW: Subscription Auto Fulfillment Options for Canadians

2009-02-09T12:52:00.007-05:00

Canadian Customers Get to Choose How They Get

2010 Product Upgrades Under Subscription's Auto Fulfillment

Autodesk is working to get products to customers faster than ever. Beginning March 16, we’re asking customers to make a choice about how they get their product delivered in Canada. They can choose to:

Download the product
Select a DVD to be shipped
Select both options (download + DVD)

If the customer does not make a selection, their DVD will be shipped.

Stay tuned for more details....

LAST CALL on Upgrading Version 2006!

2009-01-28T10:02:00.004-05:00

Do you have any of these products?

AutoCAD LT 2006

AutoCAD 2006

Architectural Desktop 2006

AutoCAD Building Systems 2006

Revit Building 8.0 or 8.1 (2006)

Revit Series, Systems Plus 8.0 or 8.1 (2006)

As of March 13, 2009, these versions will RETIRE!

In the case of AutoCAD and Architectural Desktop, this simply means that he cost to upgrade will increase drastically (upto 56%) after March 13^th

In the case of AutoCAD LT, AutoCAD Building Systems or Revit Building / Systems, this means you will need to buy net new licenses to get to the current version (NO UPGRADES) after March 13^th

This can equate to almost 250% increase over current pre-retirement pricing!

Autodesk 3ds Max CAT is now offered exclusively to Autodesk Subscription customers as a free download.

2009-01-25T07:14:00.003-05:00

CAT Plug‐in ‐ Create Product for Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 and Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2009

Autodesk 3ds Max CAT software is a complete character animation toolset for Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 and Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2009 software. With this latest addition of Character Animation Tools (CAT) to the 3ds Max 3ds Max Design software, Autodesk continues to demonstrate its industry leadership in character animation by providing artists with even more flexibility to create complex 3D characters and animations inside the award winning 3ds Max software. 3ds Max CAT offers artists in the film, post‐production, design visualization, and games industries an environment to produce better animations faster. Previously offered at an additional cost of $995 USD, Autodesk 3ds Max CAT is now offered exclusively to Autodesk Subscription customers as a free download.

Overview

Autodesk 3ds Max CAT - Just Animate!

3ds Max CAT is a production proven character animation plug-in for Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 and 3ds Max Design 2009. 3ds Max CAT is designed by animators, for animators to take the tedious technicalities out of 3D character animation. Its toolset enables easy character rigging, non-linear animation, animation layering, motion capture import, muscle simulation, and more. 3ds Max CAT is fast, stable, simple, and packed with cutting-edge features that give artists an easier way to animate characters in 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design.

Rig Creation Made Simple

3ds Max CAT makes it easier than ever to create complex multi-pedal character rigs. Artists can build custom rigs lightning-quick, or use presets to create everything from humans and horses, to lizards and dragons, to spiders, crabs, and creepy-crawlies of all kinds. Include as many spines, heads, bones, fingers and toes as you want. 3ds Max CAT even supports highly complex rigs like centipedes.

Quick and Easy Character Animation

Animating with 3ds Max CAT is easy. In just a few clicks, you can create walk cycles using CAT's procedural animation tools and drive your character by attaching it to a path. Perfect for digital extras, the 3ds Max CAT rig automatically calculates foot placement, even on undulating terrain.

High Quality - Unmatched Flexibility

3ds Max CAT makes it easy to achieve repeatable, high quality character animation quickly and reliably.. Animation layering and clip editing allow you to create clips and reuse animations non-destructively. You can blend between distinct animations or add additional detail and secondary motion without sacrificing the base animation. Intuitive procedural systems like the CAT spine let you animate extremely complex character movements in a matter of clicks.

Incredible Realism

The all new CATMuscle adds incredible realism to your character animations by simulating muscle movements under the skin!

To learn more, visit www.softimage.com/cat.

Revit MEP files from McQuay too!

2008-11-20T15:18:00.001-05:00

http://www.mcquay.com/McQuay/BIM/Revit-BIMFiles

Trane now has content for Revit MEP

2008-11-20T15:15:00.002-05:00

Trane now has content for Revit MEP. Trane has created a few of their Heat pumps and Roof top units in Revit MEP that are parametric and contain the appropriate connectors needed to connect them to logical systems inside of a Revit MEP model. They also contain the correct data needed to schedule the equipment automatically.

Even though there are only 5 families; within each family are a hundred or so family types to choose from.

You can create a schedule in Revit MEP to schedule the mechanical equipment in your project. The schedule is parametric and will fill itself out based on the mechanical equipment that is placed in the project. The schedule may need to be filtered to show only specific equipment types or type marks.

All columns in the schedule are filled out by the options selected for each unit with the exception of the AIR FLOW CFM. This number is driven by the connected flow of ductwork. The external static pressure and BHP should be manually adjusted after analysis of your duct design.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT FAMILY:

Load the individual family file (Voyager YC 12-25Ton R410A.rfa) that has been provided into your project file. Change the family types and voltages as needed. The remaining options are adjustable via element properties.

To specify no curb, un-check the "SHOWCURB" option, for a welded curb select the "SHOWCURB" option, for a spring isolation curb, select both "SHOWCURB" AND "ISOCURB"

to use the economizer and power exhaust options adjust the "1NONE_2ECON_3PWREXH" parameter to one of the following choices:

1 - FOR NONE (TRANE OUTSIDE AIR HOOD ONLY)
2 - FOR AN ECONOMIZER (CANFAB 100% BAROMETRIC RELIEF)
3 - FOR POWER EXHAUST (CANFAB MODULATING POWER EXHAUST)

For both of these option categories, the weight, electrical info and description update in the schedule automatically. For heating capacities other than those specified here, you will need to manually create a new family type and adjust the relevant data.

Download Page

Contact your local commercial Trane sales office for details, or log on to:

www.trane.com/sacramento

www.trane.com/losangeles

www.trane.com/sandiego

Product configurations are packaged together, in Voyager and Precedent files.

Log on, register for updates, and start using the files today, for your building project.

Implementing BIM into your office article

2008-10-14T12:55:00.004-04:00

Here is a really good article on implementing BIM into your office:

http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/articles/read/implementing-bim-to-your-office/

Revit Webcasts worth checking out

2008-09-24T13:30:00.000-04:00

Revit Implementation Series #1 - Templates
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PDT

Revit Implementation Series #2 - Family Creation and Management

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PDT

Revit Implementation Series #3 - Training
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PST

Revit Architecture and Design Visualization for Sustainable Design

Wednesday, December 17, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PST

Best Practices for Roofs in Revit Architecture
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PST

Detailing in Revit Architecture
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PST

Ceiling Plans in Revit Architecture
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PST

Revit Architecture and Sustainable Design
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PDT

BIM Coordination
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PDT

View Past Revit Architecture Webcasts

Migrating to Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PDT

Design Visualization for BIM
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PST

AutoCAD Architecture - Webcasts

2008-09-24T13:00:00.000-04:00

Annotation Techniques in AutoCAD Architecture
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PDT

Best Practices for Roofs in AutoCAD Architecture
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PST

Layer Management in AutoCAD Architecture
Tuesday, December 11, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PST

Rendering in AutoCAD Architecture
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PST

Implementing AutoCAD Architecture
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PST

Elevations and Sections in AutoCAD Architecture
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PST

Project Organization with AutoCAD Architecture
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PDT

View Past AutoCAD Architecture Webcasts

Visit the AutoCAD Architecture Resource Center

How to Render Google Sketchup Models in Autodesk 3ds Max Design

Thursday, October 23, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PDT

Leveraging AutoCAD Architecture in 3ds Max Design
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PST

Design Visualization Webcasts

2008-09-24T12:06:00.002-04:00

Making the Move to 3ds Max Design
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PDT

The Importance of Design Visualization and Autodesk 3ds Max Design

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. PDT

View Past Design Visualization Webcasts

Revit Architecture Suite 2009.1 - FINALLY!

2008-09-24T11:39:00.002-04:00

Autodesk released Revit Architecture Suite 2009.1 as of Septemeber 15, 2008. This new release bundles Revit Architecture, AutoCAD Architecture (formerly know as Architectural Desktop), and AutoCAD under one license. The best part of all of this - no increase in price or subscription fee (for now anyway). Please note: there are NO feature enhancements to any of the applications in this 2009.1 release. All I have to say is "it's about time guys"!

Under the Previous Use Policy with the Subscription program, you have access to the following versions:

Revit Architecture Suite 2008
Revit Series Building 9.0 & 9.1
Revit Series Building 8.0 & 8.1
AutoCAD Architecture 2008
Architectural Desktop 2007
Architectural Desktop 2006

DWF versus PDF

2008-09-23T11:59:00.000-04:00

DWF is Autodesk's version of PDF - but it is way better!

Built in to all Autodesk products, DWF publishing helps you enhance collaboration and easily exchange project information with extended teams. Download the FREE Autodesk DWF Writer to securely share 2D and 3D data as DWF files—no matter what design application you’re using.

Publish portable, secure 2D and 3D DWF files.
New Plug-ins for SolidWorks, Pro/ENGINEER, and CATIA software applications.
One-click DWF files from Microsoft applications (Internet Explorer 7 supported).

Features: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=8411823

Impression

2008-06-26T11:54:00.000-04:00

Impress your colleagues and clients with compelling presentation-ready graphics created directly from your DWG and DWF files. Autodesk Impression software is easy to use, saves you time, and recognizes data from your CAD files.

Autodesk Impression is available FREE to AutoCAD, AutoCADArchitecture, AutoCAD Civil 3D, AutoCAD Map 3D, AutoCAD MEP, Revit Architecture Suite, Revit MEP Suite, Revit Structure Suite, Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, and Revit Structure software products’ subscription customers.

www.autodesk.com/impression

See what you can do: http://download.autodesk.com/us/impression/2009overview/index.html

Feature List: http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/autodesk_impression_2_feature_overview_final.pdf

Free Tutorials: http://impression.autodesk.com/learning/

DWG TrueView and DWG TrueConvert

2008-06-23T11:51:00.002-04:00

Autodesk offers FREE downloadable utilities to help you with things like viewing a DWG without having AutoCAD and converting DWG format. Use the free DWG TrueView to accurately view, plot, and publish authentic DWG and DWF files. And now, DWG TrueView incorporates all the functionality of DWG TrueConvert. This means you can translate any AutoCAD or AutoCAD-based drawing file for compatibility. Check it out at: www.autodesk.com/dwgtrueview

View, Print, Measure, and Mark-up

2008-06-23T11:29:00.005-04:00

Do you still plot out drawings just to review or red-line them and then give them back to the CAD person to make the changes? Or maybe you have purchased an AutoCAD LT just so you can open DWGs to view and print them. Well, here's something to consider: Design Review.

You can either download Deisgn Review from Autodesk's website at www.autodesk.com/designreview or if you are using any 2009 version of Autodesk software, it is part of your package already.

Wanna see how this workflow works? Check out: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=8411969 and http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/adr08_aec_final.pdf

The best part about Design Review is it is FREE! So, if you are one of those LT users, I just saved you about $200 per year! And a paperless (or at least a less paperful) approach is better for our environment.

Cross-grade your AutoCAD LTs until July 18/08

2008-06-21T07:37:00.003-04:00

If you have any AutoCAD LTs (2006, 2007, 2008, or 2009) and have ever wished it was full AutoCAD or better, now is the time to cross-graded them!

Autodesk is offering a promotional price $US2495.00 to cross-grade to AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD MEP, Revit Architecture, Revit Architecture Suite, Revit MEP Suite, Revit Structure, and/or Revit Structure Suite.

This is a fantastic deal! And the higher you go up the product line, the greater the savings! For example, normally cross-grading from AutoCAD LT 2006/2007/2008/2009 to Revit Architecture Suite 2009 is $US4888. So doing it now under this promotion saves you a whopping $US2393 per license - THAT'S ALMOST 50% off!

Got Any 2006 (or older versions)?

2008-04-29T08:31:00.004-04:00

If you review my posts in January, you will see a post discussing Autodesk's marketing roadmap on Retirement and Legacy versions. Well, that time of year again is fast approaching for the Phase 1 Promotions on Retirement and Legacy. So let set this up:

As of late March this year (2008) Autodesk has been launching their newest version of software(s) - 2009. Therefore they will continue to support versions 2008, 2007, and 2006 this year. Versions 2005 and earlier are now considered Legacy. Furthermore, come March 2009 version 2006 will be Retired just before version 2010 is launched.

So, how do you get current and not fall too far behind? Well, that is where the promotions will help. Let's talk about Retirement first - in this year's case, 2006 licenses. If you have any 2006 licenses, you can upgrade or cross-grade them to a 2009 version using the Retirement Promotion(s). This promotion will follow this structure:

Phase 1 – May 1 to July18 - 20% discount off the regular upgrade price when purchasing upgrades with annual Subscription or 15% discount if purchased without Subscription.

Phase 2 – July 19 to October 17 - 15% discount off the regular upgrade price when purchasing upgrades with annual Subscription or 10% discount if purchased without Subscription.

Phase 3 – October 18 to January 16 - 10% discount off the regular upgrade price when purchasing upgrades with annual Subscription or 0% discount if purchased without Subscription(in other words, regular upgrade pricing).

Likewise, Autodesk is running a Legacy promotion this year. So if you have any older versions (2005 back to R14 or equivalent) you can bring those licenses current to 2009 via the Legacy Program and Promotion. Regularly, a Legacy license can be brought current for 30% off the price of a new license and subscription must be purchased. Here is how the promotion works:

Phase 1 – May 1 to July18 - 40% discount off the regular new price and Subscription is required to be purchased

Phase 2 – July 19 to October 17 - 35% discount off the regular new price and Subscription is required to be purchased

Phase 3 – October 18 to January 16 - 30% discount off the regular new price and Subscription is required to be purchased (in other words: regular Legacy Program pricing)

So, the best time (best deals) are between May 1 and July 18.

Hopefully this information will empower you to net the best possible pricing if you are looking to upgrade or cross-grade older licenses. If you need a more specific understanding on your particular situation, please do not hesitate to contact me, I would be happy to assist you.

Revit Architecture 2009

2008-03-15T06:33:00.003-04:00

Here's waht you can expect to see in Revit Architecture 2009:

Dimension Enhancements
Revit Architecture 2009 makes documenting your designs even easier. With new dimension capabilities, users can dimension to intersections and arc centers. New dimension text formatting enables users to apply common text effects, such as bold, italics, and underline, to their dimension text.
A second new addition to dimensions is the ability to override dimensions with text. While this feature enables users to override dimensions with text such as “Varies, See Stair Plans” or “11” MIN” and thereby achieve new flexibility in their documents, the feature helps to maintain model integrity by disallowing user overrides that misrepresent actual dimensions. For example, users cannot make a 14’ 4” dimension read 14’ 6”.

Revision Enhancements
The new revision enhancements allow architects and designers achieve the various revision styles that they demand. New flexibility enables revision tables to build from the bottom up or top down. Also, numbering sequences can include and be sorted by numbers or letters. A new field called “Issued By” helps revision tracking.
New flexibility for revision layouts includes an ability to rotate the schedule on a sheet and to set revision schedules to fixed or variable size.
The added control and flexibility over revisions makes the differing standards in various regions around the world easy to meet.

Room Enhancements
The behavior of rooms in section has been expanded to include several new capabilities.
For example, rooms can be displayed or selected, and vertical limits can even be changed. Finally, color fills can be applied in section and elevation.
In Revit Architecture 2009, new productivity and possibilities can be gained by expanding room behavior in sections and elevations.

Room Tag Improvements
In Revit Architecture 2009, the added control over room tags helps designers expand the range of documentation possibilities to match the styles of individual firms.
Similar to the functionality of door, window, and other tags, when rooms in a view are not tagged, users can save time by tagging all of them in one step. Room data is very important, and when a room moves, the tag can move with it to save time.
In addition, room tags can be rotated to achieve various effects. For example, users often want to rotate a room tag to fit in a narrow space. Finally, room tags have the ability to align to rotated dependent views.

View Templates and Mirror Project
New control over view templates combined with new flexibility to mirror a project helps architects and designers derive a more efficient workflow by reusing existing project work.
View Templates: A new dialog box builds an easier-to-use tool while users now have the ability to pick and choose which view properties they apply from the view template.
Mirror Project: Designs often change without warning and require designers and their tools to remain agile. The new Mirror Project tools mean a project can be mirrored to accommodate owner requests or repetitive designs.

Form Finding
This new type of mass geometry can be combined with the existing parametric capabilities of Revit Architecture 2009 to create new forms based on algorithmic design variations. Extending the range of what is achievable during conceptual design and family creation, swept blend functionality offers more opportunity to express complex forms.

Quality and Rendering Performance
With mental ray software and building information modeling (BIM), you can generate photorealistic or stylized imagery, precise building models, and fully contextualized design visualizations for envisioning, planning, and presenting architectural projects of any size. The mental ray rendering engine brings award-winning quality to the fingertips of the architect for in-process visualization.
Revit Architecture 2009 includes an extensive library of materials that are predefined and organized into material classes (for example, carpet, glass, paint, metal, liquid, and fabric) that are easily browsable by thumbnails or searchable by keywords. Material libraries combine with other mental ray capabilities such as physically accurate lighting, photometric light capabilities, real sun and sky solutions, and an optimized render solution for architectural scenes.
The addition of the mental ray rendering engine optimizes the computing-intensive rendering process to deliver the highest-quality results in minimal time. The result is a significant reduction of in-process render times and an increase in photorealistic consideration, which empower your initial creativity and perception in a competitive market.

Advanced Visualization with 3ds Max Design
When even more advanced tools are required for your designs, the new FBX software export feature enables accurate transfer of geometry, lights, materials, settings, and perspectives to the award-winning 3ds Max software.
3ds Max software offers advanced control over light settings as well as object and character animation that help bring extra life to your designs. At the core of 3ds Max lies an ability to predict light reaction on surfaces. 3ds Max offers new functionality that helps architects and designers find efficient daylighting solutions through daylight simulation and analysis tools.

Worksharing Monitor (via Subscription only)
The Worksharing Monitor gives actionable, real-time information to users on the project team. For example, team members can
Be aware of the current status of central files
Monitor progress of editing requests and notifications
Plan for the best time to save to central

Autodesk 3D UI
The Autodesk 3D UI provides an intuitive, standardized navigation experience across multiple Autodesk 3D design products.
Whether you are new to 3D or an advanced user, you can navigate 3D scenes more effectively, and your extended team can apply the same software skills across different products and disciplines.
Learning new tools in the Autodesk portfolio just got a little easier.

Data Exchange
When the topic of collaboration is brought up, the notion of easily exchanging design data immediately comes to the forefront. Obstacles to easy data exchange range from not having the same software that was used to create the initial data to not having the appropriate reader to view the design data. Revit Architecture 2009 helps alleviate data exchange pain by providing native support for a variety of file formats.
DWF files published to the XPS specification can be automatically opened and viewed using the XPS viewer built into Windows Vista, without the need for plug-ins or other downloads. For Windows XP users, this same DWF support can be achieved via download.
New DWG enhancements make collaborating with those relying on DWG-based workflows easier, and the FBX export increases interoperability between Revit Architecture 2009 and Autodesk 3ds Max Design software.
Revit Architecture 2009 users can more easily share detail-rich information with members of their extended design team.

Form Finding
This new type of mass geometry can be combined with the existing parametric capabilities of Revit Architecture 2009 to create new forms based on algorithmic design variations. Extending the range of what is achievable during conceptual design and family creation, swept blend functionality offers more opportunity to express complex forms.

Plotting
New improvements allow drawings that rely on Hidden Line Removals (e.g. many Floor Plans, elevations, etc) in Revit Architecture 2009 print faster.

Start-up
Upon start-up, Revit Architecture 2009 displays a graphical representation of recent projects and recent families that have been opened by the user. This allows quick visual access to recently used files as well as faster Revit Architecture 2009 start-up.

API Expansion
The continued development of the Revit Architecture 2009 application programming interface encourages growth of the Autodesk Developer Network and enables partners to develop new function-specific tools that work with the building information model. Including:
• UI Suppression
• New Event Handlers
• New Element Creation
• Performance Increases
• ODBC Round-Tripping

What's new in Revit Structure 2009

2008-03-15T06:24:00.003-04:00

Here is a listing of some of the highlights of Revit Structure 2009

Sloped slab enhancement
With Revit Structure 2009 you can now edit the shape of slabs with curved edges, which enables you to accurately model more complex slab and roof conditions.
You can also modify the split lines that the software automatically creates in the slab when it is warped. This new option provides much more flexibility for editing the shape of the slab to represent the exact way it should be built.
Slabs made of metal decks can also be sloped and warped and represented as accurately as plain concrete slabs.

Beam cutbacks
In previous releases, cutbacks were applied to all members of an end join. The new beam cutback feature improves the display of steel beams in coarse level of detail.
The new tool applies beam join types and priority. The default “priority one” beam is the beam that other beams frame into. An editor enables the user to modify the join configuration and provides graphical controls (blue arrows) at the end of the beams participating in a join.
Miter joins can be created for elements of the same type. A miter lock (only available in Coarse mode) enables the user to keep a miter join for physical representation in fine level of detail while changing the symbolic cutback representation in Coarse mode.

Vertical Move by Common Join
This feature was previously used at the end of a single selected beam. Now the feature provides the elevation control at the intersection of several elements that join.
For structural framing “beam” members only, the user can select a common join and change the elevation. When an elevation is changed using the control, the selected beams disjoin, move to the desired location, and rejoin. In each beam property, the end and start level offset values are adjusted correspondingly.

Reinforcement Macros
Reinforcement macros for concrete columns, beams, footings, walls, pile caps, and slab openings
Subscription customers can benefit from extensions available for Revit Structure 2009. The Reinforcement extensions increase the user’s ability to incorporate automatic reinforcement into concrete elements. Easy to install and use, they extend the capability of Revit Structure 2009 to handle concrete reinforcement details.

Concrete reinforcement
Revit Structure 2009 increases the user’s ability to place individual reinforcement bars into a concrete model as specified by third-party analysis and design software.
Many standard rebar shapes (00, 01, S1, T1, and so on, for ACI codes) are available in a browser, and each bar can be placed with one mouse-click.
Rebar shape dimensions (A, B, C, D, E) can be edited in a manner similar to that for the Revit families.
Additional parameters can be displayed in schedules, and reinforcement automatically created by a third-party application can be accurately scheduled.
The cover is now a property of concrete elements, making it much more flexible to edit and modify. Cover can be set by the different faces of the concrete element, enabling you to, for example, take into account the exposure of certain faces to weather.
A new rebar visibility state enables you to view rebars as solid.

Foundation improvements
Revit Structure 2009 speeds up the creation of foundations: instead of placing them individually, you can now create multiple foundations at the same time. For wall foundations, check the “multiple” option before selecting several walls. For isolated foundations, choose to create them by structural columns or grid intersection.
Wall foundations ends can now be modified. Just grab the end of a continuous foundation and drag it manually where you need.

Dimension improvements
Revit Structure 2009 enables dimensioning at line intersections: lines, grids, reference planes, location lines (walls, floors).
You can now
• Run linear dimensions to center of arcs without turning on visibility of the center mark
• Dimension concentric arcs with linear dimensions
• Apply bold, italic, underlining, and width factor to all dimension styles
You can create a set of dimensions that all start from a common baseline.
You can also create multiple dimensions that measure a perpendicular distance from an origin point (or datum): ordinate dimensions.
In some situations, drafters need to add information to dimension values. For example, a dimension might be applied to an element whose real-world dimension is not known. In this case, the drafter might want to add a note that the dimension should be verified.
This capability is particularly useful for “typical” details, to reference another sheet that contains specifics.
This capability also enables drafters to add supplementary information to clarify a dimension’s meaning when there is potential for ambiguity. For some text notes, the dimension format works better than a freestanding text block and leader.

Beam tags
Beam tagging is an important part of creating a structural framing plan. Depending on the complexity of the structure, beam tags can contain many different pieces of information. Providing the structural engineer and drafter with the tools to place and modify this information is crucial.
Spot elevations are improved to enable you to select beams in Coarse mode. The spot elevation “asks” the beam for its elevations at the end- and midpoints, based on its bounding box.
Note that spot elevations can be taken at the top or bottom of beams. Spot dimensions (spot elevations and spot coordinates) can also now be rotated.
Tags for structural framing have been improved so that they retain the placement of the tag based on its location relative to the curve driver. Specifically, this functionality allows a structural beam tag to be placed at the end of a beam; it then moves and repositions with the beam.
Tags also now enable parameters and text to be concatenated into a single label.

Concrete drawings
Where appropriate (for example, in a concrete slab-over-beam representation), elements in concrete that are joined should be represented as a single mass in section views, as users expect. Revit Structure 2009 automatically joins columns to slabs, beams to slabs, columns to walls, beams to walls, and slab edges to slabs.
Revit Structure 2009 improves the way concrete beams join. When you place two or more concrete beams so that their ends join, Revit Structure 2009 automatically creates a default join that can be interpreted correctly with minimal editing.
When an element is losing its volume due to the Join Geometry command, Revit Structure 2009 now creates a stick representation that lets the user select the previously invisible element. Use Join Geometry command between two elements where one of them is completely enclosed by the other.

Graphical column schedule
Add shifted-columns to graphical column schedule (GCS)
Add columns to GCS that are off center from the grid intersection but still within the column geometry (bounding box). The column is labeled with the column location mark, which represents the closest distances to existing grids, for example, A-5’ 6” – 2 6’ 6” (5’ 6” from grid A and 6’ 6” from grid 2).
Add grouped columns to GCS
Add all grouped columns in plan to GCS.
Multiple grid selection drop-down: column element properties
Add a drop-down list to column element properties that shows different GCS label combinations. This enables the user to choose among multiple options where different grid intersections are possible.
With Include Off-Grid Columns turned on, the user can choose the Off-Grid Units Format option.

3D navigation
Common to all Autodesk 3D products now, the 3D navigation tools provide easy orientation of the model and a new way to zoom, orbit, and pan. The Rewind option is useful when you want to return to a previously used view, angle, or position of the structure.

Selection count
It is now easier to count the number of elements of a type in the model.

Visibility tools
The visibility/graphics settings for linked files support three general modes of operation: "By Host View" (make the link look as much as possible like it is part of the host file), "By Linked View" (make the link look how it looks in some view in the linked file), or "Custom" (manually specify the appearance). Prior to release 2009, we only supported the use of linked views in floor plans. Now the functionality has been expanded to work in section, elevation, and 3D. Referencing a linked view that already has the right appearance can save considerable work.
The greatest importance of this functionality is that settings like filters, workset visibility, display of annotations can now be controlled in section, elevation, and 3D.
Another enhanced feature related to visibility is the Linework tool.
Linework now supports:

- Edges in linked rvt files, when displayed "By Host"

- Polylines, generally from imports

- Projection edges caused by plan regions

Note that the following classes of generated edges can now be lineworked separately on the same face:

- Front cut edges

- Back cut edges

- Side cut (projection edges caused by plan regions)

- Silhouette edges

All edges of a particular class on the same face will still have the same line style. Edges of different classes can have different styles.

Publish to DWFx
Revit Structure 2009 enables you to exchange data with other design team members by providing native DWF support for Windows Vista users.
DWF files published to the XPS specification can be automatically opened and viewed using the XPS viewer built into Windows Vista, without any plug-ins or other downloads.
For Windows XP users, this same DWF support can be achieved via a download.
Users of Revit Structure software can seamlessly share detail-rich information with members of their extended design team. This capability reduces the need for expensive paper-based sharing and proprietary software that can limit use and cause costly project delays due to lack of clarity or insight.

What to expect in Revit MEP 2009

2008-03-15T05:36:00.003-04:00

Here is a listing of some of the new and/or enhanced features that we can expect to see in the upcoming new 2009 release of Revit MEP:

MEP spaces
Revit MEP 2009 includes the ability to create spaces that are independent of rooms. Areas that are to small to be classified as a space are accounted for automatically. This capability provides increased control over how the geometry of the area is defined in the analysis results. The result is a more accurate analysis model.
Spaces inherit the architectural room information initially created in the architectural model. Those spaces can be associated to zones. The spaces automatically update as the room boundary updates in the architectural model, whether the model is in the host file or linked.
Easily assign information, such as occupancy or latent and sensible heat gain, to a single or multiple spaces.

HVAC zone element
New to Revit MEP 2009 are HVAC zones. This powerful feature enables engineers to dissect architectural rooms into identifiable spaces and groups of spaces, based on engineering volumes, required as part of systems equipment selection as well as to perform accurate heating and cooling loads calculations.
Zones also appear in the system browser to provide more flexibility to identify which systems are in which zones. In addition, zones can be color filled for easy visual reference.
Now you can represent building spaces based on engineering needs.

Zone and light fixture data
Revit MEP 2009 provides the ability to export not only newly created HVAC zone data, but also lighting fixture element data for use in the IES, providing more robust analysis data and greater user control over how that data is analyzed downstream.

Heating and cooling loads
Heating and cooling loads reports have also been enhanced to reflect the powerful HVAC zones and spaces functionality new to Revit MEP 2009. Loads reports have been reformatted to logically display crucial design calculation results, including check sum values for identified zones or spaces. Viewing and navigating the Heating & Cooling Load dialog box and reports have also been enhanced. The Loads dialog box can be expanded for better analytical model scrutiny and includes new report navigation buttons to help you quickly locate desired report information.
You can also expand the dialog box to full screen and modify multiple spaces or zones at the same time. The heating and cooling loads report summary includes new engineering-specific parameter controls that provide more robust calculation results, as well as greater control over zone and space selection, and phasing.
Improved gbXML (green building extensible markup language) workflow integration helps maximize information going to third-party analysis programs with the benefit of the new spaces and zones.

Plumbing calculations
Revit MEP 2009 includes enhanced plumbing flow calculations to more accurately reflect plumbing standard flow calculations and conversions from fixture units to flow values in GPM. You can also view the fixture units in the System Inspector.
The total fixture unit parameter can be scheduled. In addition, the flow is a demand value, based on fixture unit count. The conversion between fixture units and actual GPM flow is based on universal plumbing code standards so you can estimate demand based directly on fixture unit.

Piping enhancements
Model sloped piping for all plumbing systems according to industry code. Simply define the rise over run while laying out your plumbing design, and let Revit MEP 2009 do all the calculations. With enhanced slope propagation, applying a slope to a run of multiple pipe selections, through fittings, is a breeze.
Revit MEP 2009 also offers improved routing features to help speed up your system design and layout, by providing improved proposed routing solutions to better match design considerations.

3D family content
Content, content, content! Revit MEP 2009 substantially increases MEP-specific content, and we are not stopping there! With this release, architectural and MEP content overlaps to streamline the architectural and engineering workflow, by providing MEP-specific content to architects for use in space planning.
Significant enhancements have also been made to content part type and behavior, helping to ensure that custom content creation maintains Revit MEP systems design integrity.
In addition, Autodesk Labs allows engineers to search and find generic or manufacturer-specific building products or components and associated design content. This content could include 3D models, 2D drawings, specifications, and descriptions for that product or component.

Modeling in section and elevations
Revit MEP 2009 includes enhanced design tools, and the ability to model in section and elevations improves design and layout functionality. Reduce time and number of steps required to create complex routing layouts by modeling in 3D, plan, and now section and elevations as well.

Design layout tools
Ease of use is key to laying out systems. Revit MEP provides the Layout Path tool especially for that purpose. In this release, users have greater control for more comprehensive layouts. Easily modify proposed layout solutions using the Layout Path tool by simply dragging main and branch sketch lines to better customize your layout. And of course, if you change your mind while still in the Layout Path tool, simply undo to reconfigure your design layout path sketch.
A streamlined user interface is a hallmark of the Revit® platform. Revit MEP improves on this by including option tool buttons for auto connect, justification, and tag on placement.

Size list integration
With the goal of providing tools to create virtual building systems and components, sizing table integration increases capacity to control system settings to reflect real-world MEP systems requirements. Quickly define the behavior of MEP systems components for more robust design and calculation results.
Select sizes from a list, or create custom sizing directly in the Settings dialog box. Comprehensive pipe sizing and fluid-based control parameters in Revit MEP software are based on materials, roughness, connections, and schedule/type.
Electrical wire sizes can be configured with correction factors as well as ground conductors.
The ton unit has been added in Revit MEP 2009 to provide check sums based on units that engineers use to calculate, size, and select mechanical equipment.

Transfer project settings
Increased coordination is central to Revit MEP 2009 enhancements. Now, easily transfer significant MEP project settings from one project to another. Quickly update project settings with revised project information, such as customized settings developed in integrated size lists.

Panel schedules and tick marks
Users have asked for greater control over the appearance of electrical schedules, and Revit® MEP 2009 answers that request. Now, format your electrical panel schedules just like other Revit® schedules, and improve sheet placement and information documentation by placing numerous panel schedules on a single sheet.
In the same way that size lists have been integrated, wire tick marks have also been integrated as standard families, helping to ensure greater usability and scalability. You can now edit them in family editor.

MEP detail lines
Revit MEP now has MEP detail lines that enhance construction documentation. Detail lines appear as solid lines for MEP graphical representation when you add detail to documents.
Draw detail lines in any MEP discipline view and help ensure that the MEP components stand out against the screened architectural background.

Mechanical display and layout
Size ductwork with improved duct justification integrity, helping to ensure communication of design intent. When using an eccentric reducer, be assured that the justification remains the same even after resizing.
Revit MEP 2009 works the way engineers think. Duct sizes appear natively in plan and section as they should appear based on industry documentation standards. In plan view, see width and then height; in section view, see height and then width.

Graphical and view control
Revit MEP 2009 now gives you greater display and graphical control with the powerful new ViewCube™ and SteeringWheels™ features that help you to navigate and view your BIM model with ease.
ViewCube and SteeringWheels are multiplatform viewing tools. Use these intuitive view navigation tools to quickly manipulate views to maximize efficiency. Also take advantage of the same rendering engine provided in Autodesk® 3ds Max® and Autodesk® VIZ software for high-quality 3D rendering with the mental ray® application.

View display performance
Revit MEP 2009 improves performance of hidden line regeneration, resulting in better working view performance.
Revit MEP helps to improve efficiency by sending users a more detailed error message to facilitate better design decisions.

AutoCAD 2009 Preview / Closer Look

2008-03-15T05:19:00.000-04:00

AutoCAD 2009 Preview GuideLearn more about new AutoCAD 2009 functionality in the AutoCAD 2009 Preview Guide.

Take a Closer Look at AutoCAD 2009
AutoCAD 2009: A closer look at the Menu Browser
AutoCAD 2009: A closer look at the Action Recorder
AutoCAD 2009: A closer look at Quick Properties
AutoCAD 2009: A closer look at the Quick Access Toolbar
AutoCAD 2009: A closer look at the Status Bar