RobiNZ CAD Blog

2009 Blogging Highlights

At about this time I do a Blog related review of the year so here goes… Best Blog Discovery: Twitter. Really! It’s not going to kill blogging as just enhances it. Although initially skeptical I have found Twitter slotted into my on-line life in a way no other social network has managed. I never MySpaced, barely tolerate FaceBook (because TypePad support it and friends use it), don’t use chat/messaging apps much but love Twitter. It is great for events, witness the flurry of #AU2009 tweets around Autodesk University, and coordinating with others, especially when you travel. I must admit that... Read more →

Twitter connections in a map

Regulars here will know I like the map format for visualising information relationships. Thus, it is interesting to see this summary of my Twitter activity and relationships. The static image below was captured not long after Autodesk University thus the #AU2009 tag featuring! It doesn’t convey the dynamics of the presentation but you can experience that by making your own by making a map at: Mentionmap - apps.asterisq.com/mentionmap Via your.flowingdata.com and Asterisq.com/blog/ Read more →

Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays, thanks for visiting & clicking! Read more →

#AU2009 - I love the ribbon shirt, the Use2009UI=1 revenge

The Revit 2010 user interface changes provoked some pretty strong reaction and, in turn, reactions to the reaction. Although not alone in his opinion Phil Read, on his Arch | Tech blog, was one of the leaders in the anti-ribbon campaign. He even created a T Shirt featuring the “secret” command to revert to the old “classic” UI The (over)reaction came in the form of his classes at AU being dropped which was something I opposed on my blog and more directly. I wasn’t alone in that and eventually sanity prevailed. Phil appeared at AU2009 with a session on “Insanely... Read more →

Bing on the iPhone, this is not America?

if you are not in the US, use the recently released iPhone Bing search application and type any search term, even bing, the results are always the same and far from overwhelming. If you try a voice search bing will crash before reaching the “We did not find…” dialog. The problem relates to regional settings. It seems the bing application was unleashed on the world before it was tested outside US. Good thing is Microsoft are aware of it and have promised a bing fix for the world outside the US*. Bing iPhone app – upcoming fixes * i.e. Most... Read more →

#AU2009 Day 3 – Thursday

08:00am - 09:30am Autodesk® Revit® for Film and Stage AB304-1 10:00am - 11:30am BIM Bids Only! How to Get Your Subcontractors to Bid an Autodesk® Revit® Project CR308-1 01:00pm - 02:30pm The Real Engineer's Workflow: MEP Massing for Pre-Design Analysis MP314-3 03:00pm - 04:30pm Next Generation AEC Collaboration AB318-1 05:00pm Integrated Architecture and Interior Design Documentation with Autodesk® Revit® AB322-3 Revit for Film and Stage I wondered if this class would ever happen… thankfully sanity prevailed. Phil Read presented a session based on the movie design work of Revit genius, it’s the only word that fits, Bryan Sutton. If you’ve... Read more →

#AU2009 Day 2 – Industry Keynote Wednesday

08:00am - 09:30am Multi-Discipline Project Coordination With Autodesk® Revit® AB204-1 10:00am - 11:30am Industry Keynote: Architecture, Engineering, and Construction KN208-1 01:00pm - 02:30pm Industry Keynote: Manufacturing KN214-1 03:00pm - 04:30pm Autodesk® Revit® for Conceptual Floor Plans AB218-1 Multi-Discipline Project Coordination with Revit… It was a fairly easy start to the day with a session featuring the ins and outs of the Revit Coordinate System and project/content linking. OK, maybe not everyone’s idea of light morning kick off but Jim Stoneberger & Neal O’Neill – Avatech Solutions – covered the topic nicely. I picked up a few subtleties of the Revit... Read more →

#AU2009 Day 1 – Tuesday

08:00am - 09:30am Advanced Design Integration for Radical Energy Efficiency AU104-6 10:00am - 11:30am AU Keynote and Welcome Address with Carl Bass 01:00pm - 02:30pm Experience Design for Architects, and Product, Automotive, Package, Interior, and Interactive Designers DL114-2 03:00pm - 04:30pm BIM 4 Contractors: From 2D Conversions to 3D Manipulations CR118-1 05:00pm Industry Keynote: AutoCAD® and Media & Entertainment Keynote and Mixer KN122-1 I was going to write these up and publish daily at Autodesk University but… So over the next few days will summarise the sessions I attended, then plan to revisit some topics in greater detail as time... Read more →

#AU2009 Shaan’s Shutterbug Tour*

Shaan Hurley combined his love of photography with the Vegas scenery and arranged some unofficial AU related events for snap happy CAD Geeks. The Shutterbug tours took a mix of attendees to sights away from the unreal world of the strip, to experience some real Nevada and photograph it. I could only go on Monday when, unfortunately, pre-AU workload caught up with Shaan so he had to stay behind. A few us went anyway and headed out to see Hoover Dam & Lake Mead. I had been before but it was a bit of a rushed visit so another look... Read more →

#AU2009 – I’m (finally) here!

Auckland – Terminal kerb to aircraft in a mere 7 hours… Perhaps it was my fault, maybe posting the Savage Chicken baggage claim hell toon wasn’t such a good idea. The trouble started long before LAX baggage claim, in fact before check in at Auckland! I arrived nice and early, about 12:30, to avoid the possible Sunday afternoon rush only to find the QANTAS check in line went beyond the ziggy zaggy queue area and halfway along the departure hall. That seemed a bit strange three hours before departure. I joined the end only to be told that the check... Read more →