BLAUGI Blog of Autodesk User Group International

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July/August 2010 AUGIWorld Magazine – Now Available for Download

AUGI is pleased to announce that the latest issue of AUGIWorld is now available for download.

AUGI Wish List 2010 - The AUGI Wish List program is the ultimate user feedback tool - providing a direct line between AUGI members and the developers behind Autodesk's most popular programs. In the cover story, you'll get a peek at the Top 10 Wish Lists from the June 2010 cycle for AutoCAD and Autodesk Revit Architecture. Plus, AUGIWorld authors offer up their own wishes for the Autodesk products in their specialty areas.

Click Here to download the AUGIWorld July/August 2010 issue

Also in this issue of AUGIWorld:

• A Quick Spin with Autodesk Inventor Publisher - Fresh from an Autodesk Labs preview, Autodesk Inventor Publisher joins the company's stable of products. Author John Evans leads the tour of this product, which gives CAD and non-CAD professionals access to detailed views of CAD models.
• An Easy Way to "Do the Math" - Don't overlook the AutoCAD Calculator, suggest author Jeff Bartels. In this article, Bartels shows you all the things this tool can do.
• Keynote Address - Jim Nothnagel explores Keynote, an often-overlooked Autodesk Revit annotation feature.
• Oops! You Just Spent Too Much for Your CAD Workstation - Judah Jackson explains how you can score a great workstation for far less than you probably imagine.
• The CAD Manager - CAD Manager Mark Kiker presents the items on his wish list.

AUGI HotNews - June 2010

Features

Measure Your Means

It's time to take the AUGI Annual Salary Survey and, come September, you'll see how your salary, benefits, and other related aspects stack up against those of your fellow members. But don't just wait for the results - get in the game!

Document Management, in Real Life

Guest columnist Ian Lawson presents his theory on achieving an efficient document management system. AUGI members are invited to contemplate his theory - and offer up their own.

The Early Years: Going Big (2000-2001)

It's the early part of the millennium and AUGI is hitting its stride. A rapidly growing membership called for AUGI volunteers to give their all for the organization. Preparations were well underway for AU 2001. Then came September 11th.

President's Message: What Have You Been Missing?

Take another look at AUGI's impressive array of programs and services. You might be surprised at what the organization offers its members.

Columns

TIPniques: AutoCAD 2011 Review Continued

TIPniques columnist Brian Benton continues a series of articles about new and enhanced features in the latest version of AutoCAD. This month, constraints are under the TIPniques microscope.

Your Workstation's Most Valuable Tool

First in a series of articles on HP's Performance Advisor tool, a free utility that packs a diagnostic punch. Armed with this tool, you can custom configure, tune, optimize, and more.

CAD Management: Reading the Signals

It's an old question - when is the right time to upgrade? AUGI President Mark Kiker offers some signs that will help you determine when the time is right.

Take the 2010 AUGI Salary Survey

Dear AUGI Member,

How does your salary stack up against others with your title, in your industry, and in your geographic region? AUGI promises to help you find that out. But first you have to complete the 2010 AUGI Salary Survey!

Key results will be published in AUGIWorld magazine this fall, and we'll present our usual in-depth analyses for additional industries on www.AUGI.com.

The AUGI Salary Survey is always a work in progress. The comments and feedback we've collected from AUGI members are reviewed and used to enhance this year's survey to include more job titles, additional questions, and other improvements. You'll get results that you can show to the boss, and maybe even take to the bank. Click here to take the Salary Survey.

As always, your participation in AUGI's Salary Survey is anonymous. We do not track, capture, or in any way link individual AUGI members with the survey data they provide.

Remember that your participation is vital. The more survey respondents there are, the more accurate our picture of salaries earned and benefits enjoyed by all AUGI members worldwide. Please don’t delay! The deadline for participating in the survey is July 10, 2010.

Thanks,
Melanie Perry
AUGI Salary Survey Manager

AutoCAD User Research Study

AutoCAD User Research Study: “AutoCAD Groups”(AutoCAD Group command)

AutoCAD Product Design & User Experience Team is looking for your input regarding the AutoCAD GROUP command usage.

The GROUP command (Object Grouping Dialog) in AutoCAD allows creating a selection set of objects called a group. 

When an object belongs to a group, if any object in the group is selected, all the objects in the group are selected. 

Groups can be named or unnamed. Groups can be ungrouped/(exploded), which removes the relationship between the objects in the group.

Autodesk wants to better understand how you use Groups so we can improve the feature.

Link to the Survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AutoCAD_GroupCommand

 

Thanks!
From the AutoCAD Product Design & User Experience Team.

Calling all knowledgeable people to write ATP courses

Do you have a favorite tip or trick that you'd like to share with your peers? Are you well versed in the inner workings of a particular product? Come share your knowledge with other AUGI members with the AUGI Training Program (ATP)!  We are looking for instructors for our classic ATP courses and our Fast Track classes.

It's not as difficult to qualify as an instructor as you think.  Are you proficient in a software package, programming language or CAD management?  A you spare a few hours for writing the three class segments, then approximately half an hour per day for the month the class runs, to monitor the private class forum on AUGI?  For a Fast Track, you would only need a few hours for writing the segment and approximately half an hour a day for two weeks.

The classic course runs for four weeks - three weeks of instruction with a new segment every week, and one last week of discussion in the online forum. Our Fast Tracks are for the students on the go - one week of instruction with one quick course and another week of discussion after that. This is an international group, so we're always on the lookout for non-English courses, too!  If this sounds like something you'd love to do, please send an email to team-atp@augi.com and we'll get you on your way. 

AUGI Site Back Online

We are back online.  The problem is not completely fixed, so we will have to schedule some maintenance time in the near future.

Have a great weekend.