All Autodesk® Users

• Autodesk Is Making Download the Default Method for Subscription Upgrades This Year
• Autodesk Freewheel: The Free Web Service to Share 3D and 2D Designs
• Training Schedule for February - March
• AutoCAD LT Rebate Promotion

Architecture, Engineering and Construction

• For Subscription Customers: ALACAD Online Revit Training Webcast Series
• Rev It Up for Green Renovation Promotion
• Going Green with Ecotect Analysis
• For Even More Sustainable Designs, Try Autodesk Green Building Studio
• For Construction Firms: Autodesk Quantity Takeoff

Manufacturing/ Mechanical Engineering

• For Subscription Customers: ALACAD Online Inventor Training Webcast Series
• Announcing the AutoCAD Inventor LT Suite Rebate Promotion
• Autodesk® Inventor® Publisher Technology Preview

Plant and Process

• ALACAD Presents the Live "AutoCAD P&ID Demo" Webcast
• For AutoCAD P&ID Users: "In the Pipes" Weblog

Civil Engineering and Geospatial

• ALACAD Is Now a Civil Simulate Reseller
• GITA Southeast Chapter Meeting - "Data Interoperability"
• For Subscription Customers: ALACAD Online Civil 3D Training Webcast Series
• For AutoCAD Map 3D Users: Points to Blocks
• For AutoCAD Civil 3D Users: Subscription Advantage Pack for Civil 3D

Autodesk Is Making Download the Default Method for Subscription Upgrades This Year

Beginning this year, Autodesk will make software download the default method of delivering software upgrades to Subscription customers in the US. This change will allow end users to receive their upgrades faster and reduce the environmental impact of producing and shipping DVDs to all Subscription customers. In addition, this new process will allow Subscription customers to always have an online backup availble for download if anything should happen to their computer.

When the 2011 version of their software becomes available, the Software Coordinator at each company will receive an email notification stating that their software is now available for download on the Subscription Center and providing instructions on how to download the upgrade. Howver, if you would still prefer to receive your upgrade as a DVD, Software Coordinators can view and change their delivery preference in their Subscription Center profile. In order to guarantee that they receive the upgrade in the correct format, this preference needs to be set before March 12, 2010 (remember, download is the default so if you are fine with receiving your upgrade via download, you won't need to do anything). After March 12th, customers will need to fill out and submit a Boxed Shipment Request Form, available in Subscription Center, to receive a boxed upgrade DVD. There is no charge for choosing to have your upgrade sent as a boxed DVD.

Please be sure that your Software Coordinator is aware of these changes. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us 888-442-3100.

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Autodesk Freewheel: The Free Web Service to Share 3D and 2D Designs

Sharing and viewing 2D and 3D designs created with AutoCAD and other Autodesk applications is now easier than ever before. Autodesk® Freewheel™ is the free* web service that makes it easy for anyone to upload and open a DWF design file for interactive viewing and printing—and there’s no software to download or install. In fact, Autodesk Freewheel automatically generates encrypted and unique URLs to design files online, enabling you and your team to collaborate using secure email links rather than attachments. And with simple “cut and paste” code, our 3D image viewing system makes it easy to embed interactive 3D designs right in your own web pages.

Access the Freewheel CAD viewer web service, including developer information, at freewheel.autodesk.com.

*Free products are subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user license agreement that accompanies download of the software.

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Training Schedule for February - March

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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AutoCAD LT Rebate Promotion

This promotion has been extended through February 28, 2010. All customers who purchase qualifying new commercial licenses of AutoCAD LT® software may be eligible for a rebate of up to $300 for each new license purchased after submitting an online request here and providing proof of license purchase documentation. This offer is limited to private sector (not government and education) customers and a maximum of five seats total per customer invoice address. Call us at 888-442-3100 to learn more!

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For Subscription Customers: ALACAD Online Revit Training Webcast Series

These classes are held the second Monday of each month and 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.

Scheduling Anything with Revit 2010 Monday, February 8, 2010 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. CST
Revit Collaboration Across Disciplines Monday, March 8, 2010 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. CST

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Rev It Up for Green Renovation Promotion

Until April 18, 2010 customers will have the option to purchase an Autodesk Ecotect Analysis 2010 license for $995 when purchased with a qualifying AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite or AutoCAD Revit MEP Suite new license, cross-grade, or subscription renewal. Subscription for Autodesk Ecotect Analysis is required to be eligible for this promotional pricing. Autodesk Ecotect Analysis subscription includes the Autodesk Green Building Studio web service. To learn more about Ecotect Analysis and Green Building Studio, please scroll down to the next two articles. To take advantage of this promotion, call us at 888-442-3100.

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Going Green with Ecotect Analysis

Beginning Feb. 1st, ALACAD will be an authorized Autodesk® Ecotect® Analysis reseller. Ecotect Analysis environmental building technology is a comprehensive concept-to-detail sustainable analysis tool. This software program delivers a wide range of simulation and analysis functions. This program's desktop tools, enabling designers to conduct detailed environmental simulations and visualize results, and access to the web-based whole-building energy, water, and carbon analysis capabilities will support more sustainable designs. Core features of Ecotect Analysis include:

• Interactive 3D displays simulate building performance in response to environmental factors
• Solar radiation, shadows and reflections, shading design, and visual impact studies
• Detailed weather, energy, water, and carbon-emission analysis (via web-service tools) that helps enable faster evaluation of multiple design alternatives
• ENERGY STAR® scoring and analysis of potential for LEED daylighting credits

In addition, customers who purchase a Subscription for their Autodesk Ecotect Analysis license can access the Autodesk® Green Building Studio® web-based service for the duration of their Subscription term in order to conduct whole building energy, water, and carbon analysis. For more information about Green Building Studio, please see the article below.

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For Even More Sustainable Designs, Try Autodesk Green Building Studio

The Autodesk® Green Building Studio® web-based energy analysis service can help architects and designers perform whole building analysis, optimize energy efficiency, and work toward carbon neutrality earlier in the design process. With faster, more accurate energy analysis of building design proposals, architects and designers can work with sustainability in mind earlier in the process, plan proactively, and build better.

Compatible with the Revit Platform Autodesk Green Building Studio
Facilitating team collaboration and information sharing—interoperates with Revit® Architecture and Revit® MEP software, as well as other compatible energy-analysis software. Subscribers can now directly access the web service from within the Revit platform for BIM using a plug-in that is available for download from the Green Building Studio web service here.

Evaluate Energy Profiles of Building Designs
Green Building Studio tools enable architects and designers to evaluate the energy profiles and carbon footprints of their building designs early in the design cycle. Files can be shared between engineering software programs, and among engineers and architects, making sustainable design more efficient, and cost effective.

Capabilities of Green Building Studio Tools

• Capture early sustainable design analysis to support the process of reducing negative environmental impacts
• Communicate among the extended building design team using Autodesk design applications, and other compatible energy and green analysis software
• Help gain a competitive advantage with increased client satisfaction and improved environmental performance

Ecotect subscribers can access Green Building Studio for free for the duration of their Subscription term. To view a video about creating a carbon-neutral building using Revit and Green Building Studio, click here.

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For Construction Firms: Autodesk Quantity Takeoff

Autodesk® Quantity Takeoff cost estimating software helps cost estimators collect and synchronize multiformat design data and high-quality images, providing comprehensive support and enabling a smoother design-to-cost workflow. Use Autodesk Quantity Takeoff to leverage property data to automatically or manually measure, count, and price various building objects.

Some features include:

• Takeoff in Minutes Automatically - Quantity Takeoff provides a whole new way of working. Perform a takeoff on an entire building information model (BIM) in just minutes (not days, as with more traditional methods) through integration of 2D and 3D design data.
• Greater Flexibility - With greater flexibility than typical databases or spreadsheets, Quantity Takeoff enables a smoother, more accurate quantity surveying workflow for cost estimators. Working in 3D, you can perform intuitive, interactive examination of models to gain a better understanding of the model for estimating purposes. Object visibility and transparency are adjustable according to building section or component type. The highly configurable project catalog makes it quicker and easier to organize design and construction objects.
• Dynamic Counting - Count and quantify all design data related to your project more quickly and easily. Unlimited component subassemblies enable easier categorization and quantification of materials that make up individual building components. Use the Search Takeoff function for a faster takeoff of similar intelligent drawing objects, seamlessly organize them in the project catalog, and immediately analyze your results in the powerful quantity takeoff workbook.
• More Efficient Manual Takeoff - Quantity Takeoff now has more powerful manual takeoff capabilities that support the takeoff of JPG, TIF, PDF, and other “non-intelligent” image formats. Use multiple line segments, arcs, or a combination of line and arc segments when tracing geometry on a floor plan. Specify whether to treat a series of continuously drawn segments as a single takeoff measurement or as individual takeoff measurements. Rapidly perform area calculations, linear measurements, and counts, and organize your results more quickly and easily in the project catalog.
• Share, Query, and Clarify - Autodesk Quantity Takeoff automatically generates quantities linked to specific objects, enabling faster, more efficient navigation and takeoff. Mark up and “round-trip” your comments with integrated, intuitive redlining tools, and visually cross-reference individual objects and items, even within the most complex system of project documents.
• Faster and More Insightful Quantity Reports - Using Quantity Takeoff’s flexible reporting capabilities, estimators can run high-level summaries and detailed quantity surveying reports more quickly and easily. They can also export their report results to Microsoft® Excel® or publish to Autodesk® DWF™ formats.
  

ALACAD will become an Authorized Quantity Takeoff reseller on Feb. 1st. Call us at 888-442-3100 to learn more about this product.

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For Subscription Customers: ALACAD Online Inventor Training Webcast Series

Tips, tricks and things you didn’t know Inventor® could do! Not even the manuals tell you this stuff. Attend these webcasts for some tips and tricks from our Solution Engineers and take a peek inside their bag of Tricks. 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.

FEA (Finite Element Analysis) Basics (Pre-recorded) Tuesday, February 9, 2010 On demand
What Are iParts and iAssemblies? (Pre-recorded) Tuesday, March 9, 2010 On demand

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Announcing the AutoCAD Inventor LT Suite Rebate Promotion

Autodesk is offering a $500 rebate to end users who purchase new seats of AutoCAD® Inventor LT™ Suite 2010 software from September 1, 2009, through February 28, 2010 after submitting an online request here and providing proof of license purchase documentation. This rebate enables users to get Autodesk Inventor LT's industry-leading 3D part modeling and AutoCAD LT's popular 2D drafting and design in one box at a reduced price. Call us at 888-442-3100 to learn more.

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Autodesk® Inventor® Publisher Technology Preview

Autodesk® Inventor® Publisher Technology Preview is easy-to-use software for creating interactive 3D product documentation - from assembly instructions to operating procedures, repair instructions, and more. Inventor Publisher allows you to deliver clearer and more comprehensive technical instructions to your customers.

Inventor Publisher allows technical publication and illustration teams to leverage the same digital prototype created in Inventor that is used in the design to manufacturing process. You can work directly with 3D design models to clearly communicate technical information without the need to learn CAD software.

Learn more and download now.

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ALACAD Presents the Live "AutoCAD P&ID Demo" 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.

March 23, 2010, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. CST

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For AutoCAD P&ID Users: "In the Pipes" Weblog

Ursula Sadiq of Autodesk Plant Solutions has a blog called “In the Pipes”. Her latest post explains how to add symbols in AutoCAD P&ID and includes a short video demonstrating this tip. Click here to view her weblog: http://in-the-pipes.typepad.com/

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ALACAD Is Now a Civil Simulate Reseller

ALACAD is now a Civil Simulate reseller. Civil Simulate is able to transform any AutoCAD® Civil 3D® project into a lifelike 3D environment, allowing navigable drive through simulation, literally with a single mouse click. By simply clicking the "Simulate" button, Civil Simulate parses raw data from within the drawing to construct an extremely accurate 3D model. Civil Simulate independently interprets defined junctions, intersections, roundabouts, and bridges based on project specific parameters. Using an integrated menu within Civil 3D the designer can easily access simulation properties to define additional parameters.

To learn about everything Civil Simulate can do to make you stand out at your next proposal, see the video here. Then sign up for the webcast to be held on February 23rd, 10:00 am here.

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GITA Southeast Chapter Meeting - "Data Interoperability"

On behalf of GITA SE, the Geospatial Information & Technology Association, we would like to invite any geospatial or mapping engineers to their upcoming lunch and learn, titled “Data Interoperability”, with a guest panel including ALACAD's very own Geospatial Solutions Specialist, James "Murph" Murphy. To learn more about GITA, click here.

What: Winter Lunch and Learn "Data Interoperability"

When: Wednesday, February 3, 2010 from 11:15 AM to 1:30 PM

Where: The Summit Club, Regions-Harbert Plaza 1901 6th Avenue North Suite 3100 Birmingham, AL 35203 (Hosted by ALACAD)

Cost: GITA Member - $25, Non-member - $35, Student - $10

Anyone involved in GIS is welcome to attend, whether you are a GITA member or not. to register, simply click here.

Please note: The dress code for this venue is business casual. NO ATHLETIC WEAR, SHORTS, TENNIS SHOES OR DENIM.

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For Subscription Customers: ALACAD Online Civil 3D Training Webcast Series

These classes will be held the third Monday of each month and 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.

Creating Cross Section Sheets in Civil 3D Monday, February 15, 2010 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. CST
Using Data Shortcuts in Civil 3D Monday, March 15, 2010 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. CST

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For AutoCAD Map 3D Users: Custom Line Types with Data Connect

A number of users have been asking about using custom line types in their maps with features from the data connect, both in the AUGI forums and the Map3D Discussion Group. I would answer with a yes BUT reply. Why? 'Cause it’s not as simple as loading a lin file like you can with AutoCAD objects then set that object’s layer to use those line types from that lin file. So can it be done? YES. Here’s how in some simple as I can make steps. It takes a little preplanning but here is what I want to do in my example.

I have a SDF file (line type) that represents a 3 phase electrical power line, I want to display it with 3 vertical tic marks (perpendicular).

The original display.

• First enable enhanced stylization in Map 3D.
• Add your feature data (line type) using the enhanced stylization.
• Save that data layer to a layer file.
• Edit the layer file.
• Then add that layer file back into your map.

So to start we need to edit the windows registry to enable the enhanced stylization. To do this edit the key in the registry named;

“KEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R18.0\ACAD-8002:409\Applications\AcMapDataConnectUI”  Note: the numbers may vary depending on the version of Map 3D or Civil 3D you are using.

Set the value to 1 to enable it.

Next open up Map 3D and make the connection to the SDF file, but instead of using the Add To Map or Add to Map With Query , we now have an additional option “Add to Map with Enhanced Style”.

Add the SDF data with the Enhanced Style option. Notice if you try to style that SDF layer using the normal style editor you will see that everything is grayed out and you can not change how it is displayed, add a scale range or create labels . As of right now there is no graphic users interface (GUI) to edit it.

Next step is to save the SDF layer out to a layer file. Right click on the layer in the display manger and select Save Layer.

Save the layer to a location you can get to easily for now while you are experimenting with this and give it a new name.

Now remove the SDF layer from the Map display and disconnect from the SDF data file.

Next we start to edit the layer file we just saved, the layer file is in xml format and we can open and edit it with Windows Notepad. I suggest users stay away from some of the XML editors out there and edit with Notepad. With the layer file open scroll down to the line:

<Geometry> M 0.0, 0.0 h 4.0 </Geometry>

This is where we start editing the file. The geometry tag is telling Map3D how to display or draw the line for this data feature. It starts at 0,0 and draws a straight line 4 units horizontal. The syntax is a little different than what you use in creating a line definition for a lin file, but the same principal. The “m” stands for move to  0.0,0.0. It is the coordinate to start drawing the line at. The next part is “h” for a horizontal line then the 4.0 is for 4 units. That is all, a simple straight horizontal line 4 units long. What I want is a line with 3 vertical lines in the center of it.  First I change the 4.0 to 10.0 to make my line longer so the vertical lines are not too close to the end points.  Next I use the “m” to move to a new starting place of 4.5, -0.5, or 4.5 units to the right of the starting point of the line and 0.5 units under the line. Now I tell it to go vertical one unit up by using “v” 1.0. That draws the first vertical line one half of  a unit left from the center of the horizontal line up one unit. Next I use M 5.0, –0.5 V 1.0 for the second line and for the last line M 5.5, -0.5 V 1.0.

If you notice my screen capture of the edited file I formatted it to make it easier to read and edit, that’s what I like about Notepad; other xml editors may give you errors when you try it this way.

Now there’s one other edit we need to make to get this new line to look right, I changed the length of the first horizontal line from 4 units to 10 units. So I need to change how often the line repeats though out the line segments in Map3D. Scroll down to the <Repeat> 4.0 </Repeat> tag and change the 4.0 to 10.0. I also changed the color to a red tint, the color tags <Linecolor>xxxxxxxx</Linecolor> uses a HEX value so if you need to change the color you need to know the HEX color values.

There is my editted layer file, now save the file and drop and drag onto the display manager or load it into Map3D with the load layer command. The results look like this:

The edited display.

So there you have it, custom line types for a data connect line feature. But don’t leave yet; there’s more to follow in the next few weeks, not only can we create lines types like above we can create custom point markers or use a point marker in a line definition or create flow arrows in your lines and how about depression marks for contour lines? More to come and if you try this you may notice your line features may need some more editing to get them just right.

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

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For AutoCAD Civil 3D Users: Subscription Advantage Pack for Civil 3D

Does it really pay to be an Autodesk Subscription Customer? After a brief review of the Subscription Advantage Packs released yesterday I believe the answer has to be a resounding, "YES!!!!!!!" The Advantage Pack for Civil 3D 2010 has many tools that will help increase productivity and efficiency. Let's take a look at some of the new tools that are in the Advantage Pack.

The tools are organized into groups in the Subscription Extension Manager on the Toolbox tab in Toolspace. The first category is for Alignments. There are 2 tools here. The first will allow the user to create a new alignment from an existing alignment and add data to the newly created alignment. (Think rail switches.) This tool can be used in other ways such as creating alternative alignments that have common tie-ins. The next tool for alignments is a routine that will create a best fit alignment from point data. Invoke the routine and pick a point group and you are off to the races! You will be shown a report of the best fit analysis.

The next category contains some inquiry tools for computing minimum distances between entities and surfaces and vertical distances between entities.

Next is Point Clouds. Finally Civil 3D has tools to allow us to harness LiDAR data! The Point Cloud routine will allow you to create a Point Cloud database (.isd format) from data in several different formats. Once the database is created you can recall the point cloud database using the same wizard from the Toolbox tab in toolspace. You can stylize the point cloud to show the information that you want to see and then you can also remove the Civil 3D settings from the point cloud so that the data can be used as a default subset of points.

The next group is for points. The new tool here is not really new, but there is a zoom to command here that allows you to input the point number without having to find the point in a point group first. The really cool thing is that this command can be run as a transparent command!

The Profile group has a routine for creating a best fit profile from COGO point data, surface profiles, feature lines or AutoCAD 3D polylines, points or blocks.

The next tool is for laying out Roundabouts. This routine has a wizard that asks for design criteria and then lays out the roundabout for you based on the alignment geometry and data input into the wizard.

There are some other tools that I will let you discover on your own. So, If you are a Subscription customer, go to the Subscription Center and download the Advantage Pack today. I think it is well worth it. While you are there, watch the video clip. It gives an overview of some of these tools in action. If you are not a Subscription member, call your Reseller today and purchase your annual Subscription to Civil 3D so that you can have access to these great new tools too!

Sign in to Subscription Center to access the new Subscription Advantage Packs.

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

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