Between the Lines
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Design, Technology, and more blog.

  • Hair Today Gone Tomorrow
    I am once again considering shaving my head. One of the most obvious reasons is because my hairline is rapidly heading that direction anyways.

  • Instructables Make it Real Challenge
    Autodesk and Instructables has announced a new challenge where you could win a Objet 3D printer or many other great prizes. The Make it Real Challenge involves posting an instructable on how to design something on your computer and making it real using 3D printing, laser cutting or decals.

  • Grading Plans with Interactive Terrain Shaping
    Autodesk Labs has just released named Interactive Terrain Shaping for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012. You will be able to interactively create and visually explore new conceptual grading plans. To me it appears the direct modeling paradigm or dynamic model interaction has come to civil design.

  • AutoCAD WS Update Coming
    AutoCAD WS allows the viewing, markup, and sharing of DWG files among architects, designers and engineers, as well as non-CAD professionals. AutoCAD WS is available for free on the web, on mobile devices with AutoCAD WS mobile, and as a native desktop Mac App in the Mac App Store. Currently the developers are hard at work on the next update of the free AutoCAD WS and AutoCAD WS mobile. The new update will include many new features like new 3D viewing, GPS Integration, and Print to Plot with HP ePrint.

  • Import Rhino 3DM File Into AutoCAD
    Import Rhino 3DM files and many other formats into AutoCAD.

  • Still on Windows Vista and Using Autodesk software?
    Operating Systems does not age like a fine wine and instead have an expiration date just like milk where they smell and taste bad after time. If you are still using Windows Vista and plan to upgrade Autodesk software this year, you may want to consider upgrading your old Operating System. As of January 1st 2012 upgrades or new releases and services will no longer be supported on Windows Vista.

  • Autodesk Octo-Copter Testing
    As I mentioned in a recent post (Aerial Capture of 3D Geometry), I was hoping to attend a test flight of the remote controlled Octo-Copter that captured photos that were then used to automatically generate a 3D model using Autodesk 123D Catch. Last Thursday the weather and my schedule aligned and I joined Autodesk employee Gonzalo Martinez Director of Strategic Research in San Rafael California for test flight of the 8 bladed aerial copter. The eight bladed craft can operate 100% autonomous based on a programmed GPS route and patterns or if you are skilled you can run in manual pilot mode.

  • On This Day in 1982 – The Design Industry Changed
    Autodesk was created on this day January 30, 1982 and would bring Computer Aided Design (CAD) down from the expensive mainframe systems to the PC with a new product named AutoCAD. Since that time CAD has grown and branched out into other CAD specialty processes like Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Digital Prototyping. Autodesk also helped pioneer design visualization growing it from the DOS based 3D Studio in the early 80s to an entire business division of media and entertainment covering not only design visualization but gaming, movie special fx, and more.

  • This Week in Pictures
    I spent the last week in the San Francisco Bay area Autodesk offices. It is always great seeing colleagues of mine. Here is my quick visual story of this week captured with my mobile phone.

  • Hacker Spaces – Come Meet Your Makers
    This week I had the opportunity to visit the Noisebridge Hacker Space in San Francisco with an Autodesk colleague Gregory Miller and Alex Peake.

  • Extract Features & Shapes from Point Cloud Data in AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and Revit
    If you have or receive point cloud data I wanted to point out Autodesk Labs currently has some preview technologies to convert the point cloud data into geometry and features in some Autodesk products. These preview technologies hosted on Autodesk Labs are free to use with the only purpose and request for posting them is we want your feedback.

  • Create a 3D Model of Your Head
    I wanted to show how anyone can create a 3D model of themselves or a person they know using a digital camera, free Autodesk software, and a 3D printer.