BLAUGI Blog of Autodesk User Group International

AUGI HotNews - February 2013 - CAD Management: Standardize For Success

Read the full issue in your browser.  The full issue contains all the links you see below plus those at the bottom of the email - Autodesk News, Forum Hot Topics, Heads Up and more.

Features

Letter from the President - February 2013

In the Feburary edition of AUGI HotNews, President David Harrington looks ahead to some new developments from the AUGI Board, including AUGIWorld, AUGI.com, and archive material from Autodesk University!

CAD Management: Standardize for Success!

In the A/E/C industry, standards are key! Brian Andresen shows you a few ways you can maximize your CAD efficiency by setting up procedures and parameters for everyday project use.

Columns

Tipniques: Phase Modifiers

BIM Manager Matthew Hill, from The Austin Company, offers a few tips on the best way to use Phase Modifiers to minimize startup times and customize your CAD for everyday use.

CAD Management: Develop Your Reading Skills

AUGI Executive Director Mark Kiker explores how reading - even technical reading - can enhance your day-to-day comprehension of technology and expand your view in the world of management.

2012 Surveys in Review

Melanie Perry reviews the 2012 AUGI polls and surveys, including some of the most important statistics and indicators of the year.

HP Z220 Workstations - More power, less energy, still affordable

The HP Z220 Workstation delivers high levels of power, performance, and reliability at prices that rival a standard desktop PC.

Heads Up - February 2013

AUGI brings you all the latest news on service patches and updates from Autodesk within the last month.

AUGIWorld February 2013 - Expert Advice for Beginners

You don't have to be a first-time Autodesk user to appreciate fundamentals. Everybody - regardless of number of years in the workplace - needs to get back to basics eventually. Long-time AutoCAD users just discovering Revit are, in fact, beginners. They're starting anew and they need all the advice they can get!

Fortunately for AUGIWorld readers, the February 2013 issue is packed with wisdom for those starting at "square one." Mark Flayler covers Basics for New Inventor Users. Chris Alexander offers up a lesson on Basic 3D Object Tools for Every User.

And Kevin Miller enters the world of academia to explore Navisworks in a University Curriculum.

And that's just the start of what you'll learn in this issue.

Livin’ the Dream – Adam Muñoz shares some words of wisdom he literally dreamed up. And Michael Beall offers a quick tip on how to create a tool palette from blocks.

Reconstructing the Architectural Practice: Success in AECO, Revit, BIM – Jay B. Zallan presents a detailed roadmap for finding success with BIM.

Working with Spaces – Melinda Heavrin leads you through a lesson on the use of spaces in AutoCAD Architecture.

MEP Families in Ceiling Coordination – R. Robert Bell offers a step-by-step tutorial on using the Family Editor in Autodesk Revit.

Understanding Line Weight Basics – Philip Russo will assist new Revit users in controlling the visibility and appearance of objects.

Also in this issue...

Convert Civil 3D Data to SHP Files – Collaborators Christopher Pitzer and Justin Comeau present a lesson on bringing AutoCAD Civil 3D data into ArcGIS for Desktop.

Inside Track – New stuff from Autodesk and related software developers.

AUGI HotNews - January 2013 - Project Management 101: Tools for the Trade

Read the full issue in your browser.  The full issue contains all the links you see below  - Autodesk News, Forum Hot Topics, Heads Up and more.

Features

Letter from the President - January 2013
In the first HotNews edition of 2013, AUGI President David Harrington looks ahead to a great year!

Project Management 101: Tools for the Trade
In this edition, we explore best practices in using AutoCAD and other design software as THE most efficient project management tool and showcase the difference between an everyday CAD user and a project manager at the top of the game.

Columns

Tipniques: AutoCAD Sheet Sets - Project Management Tool
Wondering how AutoCAD Sheet Sets can make your day easier? This article explores how the SSM can become one of the most powerful tools in your project toolkit!

CAD Management: Business Writing Skills
AUGI Executive Director Mark Kiker reminds us that proper writing skills can go a long way toward management effectiveness.

Sponsor Spotlight: HP Mobile Workstations deliver the power you need wherever you are
HP EliteBook Mobile Workstations deliver the performance and reliability of a desktop in a compact, yet highly durable, design.

Heads Up - January 2013
AUGI brings you all the latest news on service patches and updates from Autodesk within the last month.

AUGIWorld January 2013 - Level Up!

With the end-of-the-world business behind us, it's time to look forward to a year replete with new challenges to meet and goals to achieve. Autodesk product users, never ones to let their skills get stale, will no doubt push themselves to become ever more efficient in 2013.

The January 2013 issue of AUGIWorld is a good place to get started on the year-long quest for excellence. Edwin Prakoso shows you how to Do More with Fewer AutoCAD Tools and offers some great time-saving tips.


For Navisworks Manage users, Mark Hunter demonstrates how to slash time spent on clash detection in Thousands of Clashes in a Thousand Seconds. And John Evans has an interesting take on Communicating Simulation with Showcase Rendering.

Also in the January 2013 AUGIWorld...

Display Themes and You – AutoCAD Architecture expert Melinda Heavrin explores the software's "under-appreciated" Display Themes tool.

Myth Buster: Revit & IFC, Part 2 – An article in the September 2012 issue led to a lot of feedback and the need for a sequel, so Martijn de Riet revisits IFC handling with Revit.

Plumb It, Don't Plummet – Dave Benscoter presents an option for creating plumbing systems in Revit MEP in a multi-model workflow process without disrupting that process between the architect and the plumbing engineer/designer.

Post-Tensioned Concrete Slabs – Anamaria Brown has developed a procedure for adding and modifying tendons (2D) by creating a number of new Revit families that can be used again and again.

BIM and Civil 3D – Fact or Fiction? – Andrew Walther sheds light on how AutoCAD Civil 3D software relates to BIM.

Also in this issue...

(SMART)x Game Changers – James Salmon begins a new series for the Built industry. The goal is to open thought leaders' eyes regarding the value of IPD, BIM, and lean processes.
 
Inside Track – See what's new in Autodesk and related software items.

AUGIWorld December 2012 - What do you wish for?

Wishful Thinking. While there are few certainties in business, there are a couple things we know for sure. First, Autodesk will continue to roll out new products. Second, AUGI members will be right in there, suggesting new and enhanced features through the AUGI Wish Lists.

Want to see what your fellow members dreamed of this year? The December 2012 issue of AUGIWorld contains the Top 10 Wish List Results for AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Inventor, Navisworks Manage, and Revit Architecture, MEP, and Structure. Thank you to the AUGI members who contributed to the AUGI Wish Lists this year - everyone benefits from your input.


And speaking of thanks, in this issue we recognize AUGI Sponsors and Benefactors as well as the authors who have contributed their time and talent to AUGI publications this year. There's a lot more to ponder in the December 2012 issue of AUGIWorld. Take a look.

Smart AutoCAD Installs – Curt Moreno provides a blueprint, of sorts, for approaching AutoCAD upgrades. Bonus material from Michael Beall with another "How To" on an AutoCAD feature.

Who Owns the BIM? – Martijn de Riet walks you through the New York City "BIM Guidelines," which he finds both thought provoking and controversial.

Autodesk Exchange Apps – Setu Upadhya, a member of the AutoCAD product management team, introduces you to an online marketplace for Autodesk product add-ons.

Moving Forward – Scott Moyse interviews Ilai Rotbaein, AutoCAD WS product manager, and gets a glimpse of the future for this product.

All About External References – Melinda Heavrin offers up a thorough lesson on the use of xrefs for project creation and maintenance.

Power for the People – William Campbell dives deeper into the benefits of tools that are available to you right now.

Revit MEP for Scheduling and Design – Todd Shackelford with tips for mining data to help increase design efficiency.

Helping with Hospitals – Adam Munoz explores BIM and IPD in hospital design and construction where coordination, collaboration, and communication abound.

Beyond Clash Detection – Kim Perelli shares her experiences with using Navisworks for more than the obvious.

Step into the Present – Christopher Fugitt discusses the strengths of AutoCAD Civil 3D software.


Also in this issue...

Inside Track – Recent AEC-related developments from Autodesk and others.
 
Celebrating 300K – AUGI hits the 300,000 - member milestone in November 2012.