All Autodesk® Users

• ALACAD Is Now an Autodesk Consulting Services Partner
• ALACAD Is Offering a Special Promotional Rate for Training!
• Training Schedule for August - September
• The Autodesk Upgrade and Retirement Program
• "Better Design with Autodesk" Video
• ALACAD Is Now on Twitter
• AutoCAD LT® Legacy Rebate Promotion
• Autodesk 2010 Certification Exams Now Available
• Autodesk Expands Support for Mac Users

Architecture, Engineering and Construction

• Service Packs Available for Autodesk® Revit® Architecture, Structure and MEP 2010
• Autodesk Revit® Solar Radiation Technology Preview
• ALACAD Is Offering Revit® Structure Training in Mobile!
• And Revit® MEP Training in Pensacola!
• 3ds Max Design® 2010 Certification Beta Exam - Free!

Manufacturing/ Mechanical Engineering

• ALACAD Online Inventor® Training Webcast Series
• Autodesk® Alias® Online Trial Program

Plant and Process

• For AutoCAD P&ID® Users: "Cool Annotation Tip for AutoCAD P&ID 2010"
• ALACAD Presents the Live "What's New in AutoCAD P&ID 2010?" Monthly Webcast
• Autodesk "Introduction to AutoCAD Plant 3D" Videos

Civil Engineering and Geospatial

• For AutoCAD® Map 3D Users: Surface Creation Tools – 2010 Version
• For AutoCAD® Civil 3D® Users: Another Round with Dragged State Labels

ALACAD Is Now an Autodesk Consulting Services Partner

The Autodesk Consulting Channel Services Program helps Autodesk partners to build world class consulting organizations, enabling them to develop, manage and deliver consulting services which maximize customers’ return and success from using Autodesk technology.

Some of the services that we offer as a Consulting Services Partner include:

• Business Process Assessments - Created for anyone who would like a detailed analysis to see how Autodesk Solutions would improve their business.
• Health Checks / Optimization Assessment - Periodic assessments measuring a customer's progress against objectives determined at the start of the implementation as well as industry measures. This assessment reviews organization usage/uptake on tools and recommends steps to further leverage existing investments and new tools.
• Production Assurance - Flexible offerings of various implementation services.
• BIM for Construction Workshop - Hands-on workshops covering how to build a Building Information Model with Revit Architecture, Structure, MEP, and construction elements. NavisWorks is used to create advanced 4D construction simulations.
• AC Productstream Toolkit - Supporting data management implementations, providing utilities to bulk process customer data within Autodesk Vault.
• Inventor Adoption Methodology - Tried-and-tested approaches to help customers fully adopt Inventor.
• Benchmarking & ROI - Measuring process times and savings to help quantify improvements made in customers’ organizations.
• AC Productstream ROI Calculator - Provides a simple way to generate a graphical three year return on investment calculation for activity around complex engineering data.
• Training - Live, custom, hands-on learning with exercises either at one of our Authorized Training Centers in Birmingham, AL or Jackson, MS, or onsite using our mobile training lab.

If you would like to learn more about these services and how they can increase the efficiency of your organization, call us at 888-442-3100.

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ALACAD Is Offering a Special Promotional Rate for Training!

With the economy the way it is, a lot of companies are experiencing downtime right now. One way to make the best use of this downtime is to train. A well-trained employee is able to increase their productivity while reducing errors. By doing this, when the economy does turn around and things begin to take off again, you will be positioned to reap the rewards as the jobs come rolling in, getting more done for less. To help you prepare for this, from now until the end of August, ALACAD is offering a special training promotion:

Register one person at the regular price and the second person trains for HALF PRICE, or

Register two people and the third one trains for FREE*!

Click here for a list of upcoming scheduled classes.

*Classes are held from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Central Time in ALACAD's Birmingham, AL corporate office unless noted otherwise. Registrations are accepted, but tentative, based on a minimum of four registrants. Registrants will be notified one week in advance if class is to be cancelled. Promotion is limited to people working in the same company. All people must register for the same class. Promotion ends August 31, 2009.

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Training Schedule for August - September

All classes will be held at ALACAD's Corporate Office in Birmingham, AL, unless noted otherwise. Call us at 888-442-3100 to register today.

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The Autodesk Upgrade and Retirement Program

Autodesk Will Be Retiring Its 2007 Product Line on March 15, 2010

This means that upgrade pricing and technical support will no longer be available for 2007 products. If you want the latest software after that date, you’ll have to pay for a new license at full price. However, between now and October 16th, you can upgrade your 2007, 2008 or 2009 Autodesk software to the latest version for up to 20% off the suggested retail price of an upgrade with a subscription contract (15% off without). This represents a serious savings over next year's cost of upgrading when Autodesk will no longer be offering a separate price for upgrades - only a discount on the price of a new license.

Save Up to 20 Percent When you Upgrade with Subscription by October 16th

Autodesk Subscription is the most convenient and cost-effective way to keep your software up-to-date. Plus, when you upgrade with Subscription before October 16, 2009, you'll enjoy up to 20 percent savings on your upgrade.

With Autodesk Subscription, you get many productivity-boosting advantages, including:

• Flexible licensing rights: access previous versions of your software concurrently with new versions for uninterrupted workflow
• Home license use
• Web support
• Self-paced training
• Incremental product enhancements (on selected products)
• Automatic upgrades

Simplified Upgrade Pricing Begins March 16, 2010

Autodesk is introducing a new, streamlined upgrade pricing model on March 16, 2010. Under the current upgrade pricing model, the price of your upgrade depends on which product release you own. After March 15, 2010, your upgrade from any of the three previous software releases (e.g. 2008, 2009, 2010) will cost 50% of the price of a new license (not the lower price of an upgrade), no matter which release you own.

Call us at 888-442-3100 to learn more about upgrading today.

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"Better Design with Autodesk" Video

See how bicycles, bridges, and a brand new science academy were designed, visualized, and simulated with the help of Autodesk technologies. By fully experiencing and enhancing their projects before they are built, design teams are creating manufacturing products and architectural projects that are more efficient, economical, and sustainable than ever before.

Click here to view this amazing video.

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ALACAD Is Now on Twitter

Follow us around on Twitter to learn about upcoming training, special promotions and more. Our Twitter page can be found at:

http://www.twitter.com/ALACAD

Of course, we still have our RSS feed for those of you who like more than 140 characters at a time:

http://www.alacad.com/alacad.rss

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AutoCAD LT® Legacy Rebate Promotion

From May 1, 2009 through August 31, 2009, Autodesk customers who own AutoCAD LT version 2000, 2000i, 2002, 2004, 2005, or 2006 and who purchase qualifying new commercial licenses of AutoCAD LT 2010 software may be eligible for a rebate of up to $400 for each new license purchased after submitting an online request and providing proof of license purchase documentation.

In order to be eligible to submit for the $400.00 rebate, customers must be United States or Canadian commercial end-users, purchase a new license of AutoCAD LT 2010 software within the qualifying period, provide a valid AutoCAD LT serial number version 2006 or earlier, complete an online pre-qualification form and mail in Required Documents per the Terms and Conditions of the offer posted at http://www.autodesk.com/ltlegacyrebate. This offer is limited to a maximum of five seats total per customer invoice address.

For more information or to purchase your new version of AutoCAD LT, call us at 888-442-3100.

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Autodesk 2010 Certification Exams Now Available

Autodesk has now released the 2010 versions of their Certification exams for AutoCAD®, Autodesk® Inventor®, Autodesk® Revit® Architecture and AutoCAD® Civil 3D®. There are two levels of certification: Certified Associate and Certified Professional.

Whether you are an employer looking to check the level of proficiency of a potential employee or a professional looking to supplement his or her resume with this qualification, the Autodesk certification credential is an important demonstration of proficiency with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively use Autodesk products.

To learn more about the specifics of these exams, click on any of the links below to view the related Exam Guide (pdf):

• AutoCAD 2010
• Autodesk Inventor 2010
• Autodesk Revit Architecture 2010
• AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010

ALACAD is an Authorized Certification Center and offers these certification exams every Friday at our Birmingham office. Call us at 888-442-3100 or visit the Autodesk Certification Site here to learn more and register online for an exam.

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Autodesk Expands Support for Mac Users

Autodesk is expanding assistance for Macintosh® users by adding support for Boot Camp for select products in addition to offering native Mac OS products.

Mac-Compatible Products - Autodesk provides several native Mac products for 3D modeling, rendering, animation, and visual effects and digital imagery. The following products natively support Mac OS X:

• Autodesk Alias Design
• Autodesk Alias Surface
• Autodesk Cleaner
• Autodesk Combustion
• Autodesk ImageModeler
• Autodesk Maya (32-bit only)
• Autodesk SketchBook Pro
• Autodesk Stitcher Unlimited
• Autodesk Mudbox

Boot Camp-Supported Products - Autodesk also provides support for Boot Camp, a component of the Mac OS X Leopard operating system that enables you to run 32-bit versions of Windows XP and Windows Vista. The following Autodesk products are fully supported to run within the Boot Camp environment:

• AutoCAD
• Autodesk Inventor
• Autodesk 3ds Max
• Autodesk 3ds Max Design
• Autodesk Revit Architecture
• Autodesk Revit Structure
• Autodesk Revit MEP

Visit the Autodesk webpage here to learn more.

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Service Packs Available for Autodesk® Revit® Architecture, Structure and MEP 2010

These downloads are the latest updates for Autodesk Revit Architecture, Autodesk Revit Structure and Autodesk Revit MEP 2010 software. They are available to users who have purchased a valid license of Revit 2010 software and are subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user license agreement that appears during installation.

For a list of improvements, please view the appropriate Update Enhancement List (pdf):

Update Enhancements for Revit Architecture 2010 Update Release 1

Update Enhancements for Revit Structure 2010 Update Release 1

Update Enhancements for Revit MEP 2010 Update Release 1

Or, just go straight to the download site:

Revit Architecture 2010 Update Release 1

Revit Structure 2010 Update Release 1

Revit MEP 2010 Update Release 1

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Autodesk Revit Solar Radiation Technology Preview

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.

Click here to download this new technology from Autodesk Labs now.

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ALACAD Is Offering Revit® Structure Training in Mobile!

ALACAD will be offering its Revit Structure Fundamentals class ($1,350, 3-days) locally in Mobile on August 25 - 27, 2009. Train during the day, then get to go home and sleep in your own bed at night. In addition, you'll save money by not having to pay hotel, food and travel expenses! This course will be held at the Hampton Inn, 525 Providence Park Drive, Mobile, AL.

Students will use Revit Structure to learn about building information modeling and the tools for parametric design, analysis, and documentation. Then, students learn the fundamental features of Revit Structure, use the 3D parametric design tools to create and analyze a project, and finish by learning about construction documentation and design visualization.

Call Charisse Smith or Margie Purvis at 888-442-3100 to register today!

*Classes are held from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Central Time. Registrations are accepted, but tentative, based on a minimum of four registrants. Registrants will be notified one week in advance if class is to be cancelled.

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And Revit® MEP Training in Pensacola!

ALACAD will be offering its Revit MEP Fundamentals class ($1,350, 3-days) locally in Pensacola on September 9 - 11, 2009. Train during the day, then get to go home and sleep in your own bed at night. In addition, you'll save money by not having to pay hotel, food and travel expenses! This class will be held at the Hampton Inn Pensacola - Airport, 2187 Airport Blvd.

In this course students use Revit MEP to learn about building information modeling and the tools for parametric MEP systems design and documentation. Students begin this three-day course by learning the fundamental features of Revit MEP, then progress through schematic design, system analysis, and construction documentation before finishing with design visualization.

Call Charisse Smith or Margie Purvis at 888-442-3100 to register today!

*Classes are held from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Central Time. Registrations are accepted, but tentative, based on a minimum of four registrants. Registrants will be notified one week in advance if class is to be cancelled.

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3ds Max Design® 2010 Certification Beta Exam - Free!

Autodesk is looking for individuals that would be willing to take the 3ds Max Design 2010 Certification beta exam - there are no costs involved and if you pass the exam you will receive a certificate. This is an ideal opportunity to challenge your 3ds Max Design abilities without the expense and thus, pressure, that would normally be involved.

ALACAD is an Authorized Certification Center and offers certification exams every Friday at our Birmingham office. For more information on this special opportunity, contact Alice Craig, ALACAD Building Solution Specialist and ATC Manager, at 888-442-3100.

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ALACAD Online Inventor® Training Webcast Series

Due to the overwhelming success of our Inventor Webcast Series, ALACAD is now offering live, online one-hour training classes focusing on a specific aspect of Inventor the second Tuesday of each month. These classes are free to ALACAD Subscription customers, and $25 (per class) to all others. After registering, you will be contacted by an ALACAD Sales Representative for your Subscription Contract number or preferred method of payment.

New Tools to Help with Top Down Design This webcast will review basic Top Down Design principles and introduce new tools to make Top Down design easier. For example: creating a part from within an assembly and Multi-Body design workflow. Tuesday, August 11, 2009 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. CDT
Inventor Projects Primer This webcast will review Inventor Project files, how to use them, why and where. We will discuss best practices of Project files and why they are important to set up correctly. Tuesday, September 8, 2009 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. CDT

To view all upcoming webcasts, click here.

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Autodesk® Alias® Online Trial Program

The Autodesk Alias online trial program gives you 30-day access to all of the functionality available in the full commercial versions of the 2010 Autodesk Alias product family— Autodesk Alias Design, Autodesk Alias Surface and Autodesk Alias Automotive. The online trial includes:

• Learning videos—Short “tip and trick” learning videos automatically launch when you first install the application. You can find them post-launch by clicking on Help > Learning Videos
• Learning Alias 2010 manual/video tutorials—Practical tutorials that take you through step-by-step exercises and introduce you to Alias techniques. Included video animations show you how to complete the tutorials.
• Learning Alias guide
• Additional guides and resources

You can download the trial versions from the Autodesk Alias Design and Autodesk Alias Surface product centers on autodesk.com.

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For AutoCAD P&ID® Users: "Cool Annotation Tip for AutoCAD P&ID 2010"

Wow... it has been a while since I blogged. Lots going on with Plant Solutions at Autodesk. AutoCAD Plant 3D is in BETA and due to release here soon. AutoCAD P&ID is gaining ground as the best P&ID application around, even better than those that have been making P&ID add-ons for years.

Here is a tip for AutoCAD P&ID users...

In Data Manager, you have the ability to drag an annotation from the cell out to the Drawing area. AutoCAD P&ID knows where the annotation is coming from so you will see a rubber band starting from the equipment or item on the graphic screen to the point where you drop the annotation. This ensures you are annotating the right item and locating the text next to the appropriate symbol on the drawing.

Also, make a change in the Data Manager to the Tag and see the change show up automatically in the drawing. Fully associative annotation!

See images below for clarification.

View all of Scott Hallmark’s articles at:
http://hallmarkblogautocadpid.blogspot.com/

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ALACAD Presents the Live "What's New in AutoCAD P&ID 2010?" Monthly Webcast

Create, modify, and manage piping and instrumentation diagrams with AutoCAD P&ID software. Built on the popular AutoCAD platform, AutoCAD P&ID is easy to use and familiar to designers and engineers, so design teams can get started immediately with little or no training. Common tasks performed every day are streamlined to boost productivity, while component and line information is brought straight to drafters as they work. Join ALACAD at this FREE online seminar to learn how AutoCAD P&ID 2010, with simple reporting, editing, sharing, and tracking of design information, can help make your projects start easier, run better, and finish sooner.

August 25, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. CDT
September 22, 2009, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. CDT

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Autodesk "Introduction to AutoCAD Plant 3D" Videos

Autodesk has posted 9 videos to YouTube about their upcoming 3D plant and process software: AutoCAD Plant 3D. Video titles include "Introduction to AutoCAD Plant 3D (Parts 1 - 2)", "Isos in AutoCAD Plant 3D (Parts 1 - 2)", "Orthos in AutoCAD Plant 3D", and "Routing Pipe with AutoCAD Plant 3D (Parts 1 - 4)". Click here to go to their YouTube webpage to view them all.

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For AutoCAD® Map 3D Users: Surface Creation Tools – 2010 Version

For those users that used the survey extension in AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 and were using the Surface Creation tool, you might have been a little disappointed with the 2010 version's lack of that tool. The rest of the survey tools were incorporated into the Survey Tab on the map task pane but the surface tool was left out.

Well, not to worry. Autodesk heard us complaining and did something about it. Actually, back in the beta stages the complaints and questions about the surface tool were first brought up to the Map 3D team. Although it was too late to get in the release versions, Autodesk's Map 3D team has the solution.

Up on your subscription site under the product download section there is the 2010 version of the Surface Creation Extension, both a 32 bit and a 64 bit version. Download and install it and you will have the same tool that was in the 2009 version with one little missing function. The missing function is the "export the points to drawing points" function, but you can now use the (map) import tools to accomplish that.

If you have not used the 2009 version Survey Extension or the Surface Creation tool you may want to take a look at my post here to get an idea of what it can do. That’s only one of the tasks you can use it for, its main function was to allow users to import a topo survey in ASCII format and create a Geo-TIFF raster file.

View all of Murph’s articles at:
http://map3d.wordpress.com

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For AutoCAD® Civil 3D® Users: Another Round with Dragged State Labels

Yesterday, while at a customer's office I noticed something that I had not seen before when it comes to dragged state labels, with points anyway. Take a look at the image below. I have created to random points in a drawing with the Point Marker Style for each set to Basic and the Point Label Styles are Point#-Elevation-Description and a style the I created with the coordinate information in it.

So, as you can see I have changed the colors of the text and added the coordinates. But then we looked at the dragged state for the point with the OOTB Point#-Elevation-Description Label Style. I was showing the customer how the label reacted when it was dragged out from the point. The customer asked the obvious question about the location of the leader in the dragged state and wanted the leader attached to the middle of the top line of text. This is where something interesting happened. When I changed the display of the dragged state from "As Composed" to "Stacked Text", the elements of the labels where rearranged. I had not noticed this in previous versions and that was probably because I typically used the Dragged State in the As Composed display mode.

I started digging in to see if I could deduce what had happened. The conclusion that I came to was that the Stacked Text display mode uses the order in which the label components are created. The next screen capture will show what I mean.

You will notice here that the component names are listed in the following order: Point Description, Point Number and Point Elev. And looking back at the label in a dragged state with the display mode set to "Stacked Text" we see that the label has been adjusted to match the order shown in the Label Style Composer.

To prove my theorem, I created a style the contained the same information and added the coordinate data. I was careful that I created the label components in the order that I wanted them to be displayed in the stacked text display mode. The result was as expected.

As you can see from the shot above, the the dragged state is what we would expect in a point label of this variety. Sometimes it is the little nuances of Civil 3D that make you go hhhmmmm.

View all of Whit McCormack’s articles at:
http://gettingtothedirt.blogspot.com

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