Autodesk Alias and Autodesk Showcase was used for the design of Volvo Concept You from the Swedish Volvo Car Corporation.

Autodesk Alias Software Helps Volvo Car Corporation’s Vision of Luxury and Good Design

Software played a key part in creation of much acclaimed Concept You

FARNBOROUGH, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Volvo Car Corporation (Volvo) one of the global car industry’s strongest brands, has revealed that Autodesk design and visualisation software was key to the successful design of its Concept You car. The fully-functional concept model was unveiled to great critical acclaim at the Frankfurt Motor Show last autumn.

Following the earlier success of Volvo’s Concept Universe at the Shanghai Motor Show in April 2011, the Volvo design team was under extreme pressure to further refine its ideas and produce a working model with full interior in a matter of months, in time for Frankfurt. Both concepts were created to demonstrate Volvo’s vision for the future of luxury cars under its new ownership.

Using Autodesk Alias software, the concept modelling team was able to quickly create digital prototypes from the designer’s initial sketches. This enabled the team to quickly hone and test the design on screen, helping to save time and maintain the original design integrity behind the concept. As a result, designers were able to get to the best option with the technical surfacing and visualisation of the car as quickly as possible without having to start from scratch with every iteration.

Although the Volvo team was working under a particularly tight deadline, timescales such as this are becoming typical in such a competitive industry. Cars are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated with a high technical content, yet manufacturers are under pressure to design them faster, while incurring lower costs. Like Volvo, a growing number of manufacturers are using Autodesk Alias to accelerate the entire design process from concept to class A modelling.

As part of the design workflow, Volvo also used Autodesk Showcase software for advanced visualisation of its ideas. This enabled the concept to be quickly communicated to the design management team and board so that they could easily understand what was being created. Despite the punishing time-frame, Volvo’s new concept was ready in time to create a real talking point at the show. The automotive press was full of accolades, describing the car as, “beautifully done”, “a much-needed tonic” and simply “stunning”.

A long-term user of Autodesk software, Volvo has recently become a Platinum Support customer which gives it direct access to Autodesk experts, promoting a two-way dialogue to help influence future development of Alias and other products.

Via press release

SSMPropEditor is a Sheet Set Manager (SSM) Properties Editor. With SSMPropEditor you can edit  Sheet Properties and Sheet Custom Properties on multiple sheets belonging to AutoCAD's Sheet Set Manager (SSM) or AutoCAD Architecture's Project Navigator (PN) Sheet Set View. AutoCAD is not even needed needed to use SSMPropEditor.

Tip: Do you have a sheet set with a bunch of custom properties and another sheet set that you want them in too? SSMPropEditor will create the needed properties when using the Paste Properties button. No need to manually recreate all properties within SSM.

The upgrade is free for customers that purchased any earlier version.

Contact us to get a time limited license file for free.

Still using Windows Vista? If you plan on using Autodesk 2013 products on Vista read this:

Microsoft Windows Vista Support FAQ by Autodesk

Beginning January 1, 2012, Autodesk will have formally ceased support of the Microsoft Windows Vista Operating System for all new (and upgraded versions) of its products and services released in 2012.

Currently shipping versions and previous versions of our software (delivered prior to January 1, 2012) will continue to be supported on this operating system.

Why is Autodesk ending support for Windows Vista in 2012?

Microsoft ended sales support for Vista in 2011, and will end mainstream support in 2012. Our research and customer engagement on this topic has shown that an overwhelming majority of our installed base has already moved off of this operating system. Customers looking to upgrade their hardware and operating system have indicated Microsoft Vista is not a viable option given the availability of Windows 7.

Where can I find information on Microsoft’s planned support for its Operating Systems?

You can find information on Microsoft’s Windows lifecycle (both sales and support) here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/products/lifecycle

Why are you ending support for Windows Vista when XP, an older operating system, is still supported?

Through Autodesk’s research and customer engagement, there is still a large population of customers utilizing this Operating System in their work environments. We will work with our customers in the coming 12-24 months to understand their transition plans and make a support decision about Windows XP when it is appropriate to do so.

If I upgrade my Windows Vista computer to Windows 7, will my existing 2012 licensed products still work?

If you are intending to upgrade your Operating System, it is recommended that you reinstall your Autodesk products once that upgrade is complete. Your existing product license is still a valid, but the product will need a new authorization code to work with the new operating system once installed.

If I choose to buy a new computer with Windows 7, can I reinstall my 2012 products on the new computer or will I have to buy new licenses?

Yes, you can continue to use your current Autodesk products with this new operating system. Once installed, you will have to obtain a new authorization code.

How do I migrate my older licensed Autodesk products to a Windows 7 computer? I lost the install discs and serial numbers a while ago.

Please contact the reseller or company where you originally purchased the Autodesk software for a copy of the product and your original serial number. If you are on Autodesk Subscription you can just go to the Subscription website and access the previous three versions of the product.

When will Autodesk support Windows 8?

Depending on Microsoft’s own release schedule for this new operating system, Autodesk will test its product line with Windows 8 and release a support statement when it is appropriate to do so.

Will the Autodesk software/application I recently purchased (i.e. 2012 version) work on Windows Vista even though Autodesk is ceasing support for this Operating System?

Yes, the current Autodesk product line (version 2012) will continue to be supported on Microsoft Vista. Support will cease for new versions of Autodesk products released beginning January 1, 2012.

How does this ‘ending support’ affect me and the products that I currently own (version 2012 and earlier)? I am still on Windows Vista and do not have the ability to migrate to other Windows OS.

Autodesk will continue to support you and your existing, purchased products on Windows Vista in alignment with our current product support policies.

What do I do if I run into issues with Autodesk products on Windows Vista? Who do I contact for support?

You can continue to utilize your existing Autodesk support channels for Windows Vista issues for Autodesk products/versions which have shipped prior to January 1, 2012. For new versions of Autodesk software shipping after this date, please refer to the Autodesk Discussion Forums for peer-to-peer support if you decide to install these Autodesk products on the Windows Vista operating system.

I’m running Microsoft Vista with my Autodesk Products – can I still purchase apps and plug-in’s from Autodesk Exchange beyond January 1, 2012?

If you are installing apps from Autodesk Exchange, please check with the supplier/developer of the app for system and product requirements pertaining to Microsoft Vista support for your particular Autodesk product(s).

Via Microsoft Windows 7 and Windows Vista Compatibility

I’ve used and managed virtualized applications several years ago and at that point it worked fine with office applications and the like but not so good with CAD applications. Today I know that it works much better with CAD applications even though I don’t have any experience of it myself. I think the below is not taking GPU and CPU intensive applications into account that much but could be worth considering if your company have virtualizing in mind.

Virtualizing applications myths and realities according to two IDG Research Services studies on behalf of EMC Corporation and VMware Inc.

To learn more, visit http://emc.im/mc-apps

In AutoCAD if you want to use AutoLISP to select all entities/objects that crosses a point the ssget function can be used by passing the same point twice like this:
(ssget "c" pt1 pt1)

This hotfix repairs the area calculation problem of polylines positioned at a great distance from the origin and is for AutoCAD 2011 with Update 2. When a complex polyline with excessively large curves is positioned far from the origin, its area calculation is incorrect. This hotfix does not fix issues when calculating areas of the polylines including curves that are self-intersecting or contain interior loops.

Download it here: DL18225251

This update resolves compatibility issues that have been reported while using the software on the latest versions of Mac OS X Snow Leopard (10.6.8) and Mac OS X Lion. It also resolves problems reported by the Customer Error Reporting (CER) utility and other general problems identified after AutoCAD 2012 for Mac was made available. Please refer to the associated readme for more details and installation instructions.

Get SP1 here: DL18344661.

UPDATE: AutoCAD LT for Mac version 2012.1 is also available. Open Mac App Store and check the Updates.

If you’re in Europe and use AutoCAD Map 3D you may find this Technology Preview from Autodesk interesting. Project Inspire for AutoCAD Map 3D. Description about it:

Today, Government organizations and an increasing number of private sector companies are adopting Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) specifications when implementing new geospatial solutions, helping drive interoperability and easier data exchange across borders and between communities. In Europe, this is primarily driven by the Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE) directive. // more

Developed in support of the INSPIRE directive, the free* Project Inspire Technology Preview for AutoCAD^® Map 3D^® 2012 software, helps AutoCAD Map 3D users to find, bind, and publish INSPIRE compliant metadata using an open standard CSW (catalog service for the web) interface. With Project Inspire, Map 3D users can more easily share environmental spatial information locally and over the web.

You find Project Inspire for AutoCAD Map 3D at Autodesk Labs.

Here is some of what Alex Neihaus (that moved from Vuuch to Kenesto) emailed me: “Kenesto is developing a new kind of process automation system – one that is elegant in its simplicity, native to the cloud and which can become as universal as email and spreadsheets. Kenesto’s objective is to make it easy for everyone in the company to participate in product-based processes.”

Raykurland’s Blog post mentions that Mike Payne is CEO and explains: “Aimed at the category called business process automation, this cloud-based application allows asynchronous spawning of processes. Different from similar systems that try to model processes, Kenesto builds processes on the fly. Users wanting to track a process they are initiating, for instance an ECO, initiate a process, attach documents to it, and add users to the next process by adding their email addresses. Different types of “next processes” can be defined, such as “review and approve.” At each step in the process the recipient can add additional processes that add steps to the overall process. Kenesto builds the process diagram as steps are added. Note that this differs significantly from the BPM (Business Process Modeling) approach that models processes using a cumbersome programmatic approach. Kenesto calls it Business Process Automation (BPA).”

Press release:

Kenesto Announces Beta Program
New System Attacks the Complexity, Costs of Legacy PLM

Waltham, MA, January 4, 2012 – Kenesto, developer of a process automation system designed to deliver unprecedented ease of use and immediate productivity, announced today the opening of its beta program for customers and value-added resellers (VARs) in the manufacturing industry.
Kenesto is a completely new, 100% cloud-based system that allows users in all departments of the manufacturing enterprise to create processes and manage work easily. With Kenesto, users create processes graphically by simply naming participants and attaching documents, drawings, bills-of-materials (BOMs) and any other required information. Kenesto then manages the flow of that process through the enterprise, keeping information secure and delivering enhanced visibility across the business.
Kenesto automates common manufacturing processes including engineering change proposals, requests for quotation and new product introductions. Processes like these share attributes with many common tasks in an enterprise, including the need to securely share intellectual property, the requirement to involve people outside the R&D group and the desire to include vendors and suppliers in the process. These processes also involve a company’s product and/or service, making them vital to the success of the business. Through its intuitive understanding of what users want to do, Kenesto brings new productivity to a company’s crucial work processes.
“Until Kenesto, users wishing to automate their work were caught in a bind between simple but inadequate tools or very complicated, inflexible and pre-programmed PLM processes,” said Michael Payne, CEO, Kenesto. “Our ‘big idea’ in Kenesto is to use cloud technologies to deliver a system that is as universal as email or spreadsheets without the difficulty, delays and costs of using legacy PLM systems. The customers and VARs who have seen Kenesto during our pre-beta demonstrations have all been excited by Kenesto’s potential. Now, we are ready to bring this new way of working to more customers by means of our beta program.”

How to participate in the Kenesto beta program
Manufacturing companies and industry VARs are invited to participate in the Kenesto beta program. Send a request to beta@kenesto.com with your contact information, type of business and, if possible, an idea of a process you might wish to try in Kenesto. The company will contact you to discuss your participation in the beta program.
Kenesto is seeking companies whose work processes can be completed successfully in the beta version of Kenesto. In this way, beta program participants will be able to measure the real productivity of using Kenesto. Resellers who have clients with processes that have been attempted in legacy PLM systems but which have not delivered the desired level of results or user participation are encouraged to apply for the beta program.
To learn more about Kenesto, download An Introduction to Kenesto at http://www.kenesto.com/intro.

About Kenesto
Kenesto (www.kenesto.com) is a new kind of process automation system. In contrast to legacy PLM systems, Kenesto is people-centric, product-based and enterprise scalable. Kenesto combines these three attributes into the first system that can be widely deployed across an enterprise to improve a company’s teamwork and efficiency. Kenesto revolutionizes process automation by making process automation more widely applicable, more affordable and easier to use than ever before. Kenesto is privately-held and based in Waltham, MA.

Let’s see how this will compete with Autodesk 360 for PLM.

Kate Morrical, LT Unlimited has put together some videos showing usage of Sheet Set Manager usage in AutoCAD LT.

1. Introduction to the Sheet Set Manager
2. Creating Sheet Sets from Existing Drawings
3. Organize and Display Sheet Lists
4. Use a Sheet Set to Plot Drawings
5. Create Transmittal & Archive Sets
6. Add Layouts to an Existing Sheet Set
7. Use a Sheet Set to Create New Drawings
8. Add Content to Sheets
9. Place View Labels
10. Automate View Label Data
11. Automate Callout Label Data
12. Create Custom Properties
13. Automate Title Block Data

But if you would like to edit properties on multiple sheets SSMPropEditor can save a lot of manual work. Change properties like a revision, date or name on two or more sheets at the same time something that cannot be done using only Sheet Set Manager.

Having problems with the computer being slower that expected?

Is the Flash Player causing the CPU fan to sound too much? The Flash Player is known for using a lot of CPU and is often a first indicator that it’s time to clean the computer. Check the CPU temperature using for example Real Temp.

Vacuum cleaner and Gas duster (canned air/compressed air) can do magic with the computer performance and eliminate noise. Note! Shut down the operating system and remove the power cord.

You don’t want it to look like this.

All the dust will lead to overheating because it acts like an insulation blanket on heatsink cooling surfaces and clogging fan filters. Optical disk drives like CDROM and DVD are very vulnerable as they contain motors and servos as well as rely on a dust-free light path for the laser-light and optical lenses to function properly.  The keyboard and mouse are also affected by dust and might lead to stuck keys or sticky mouse movements.

When did you clean yours last time? When did your IT department perform cleaning of the office computers?

Autodesk has acquired certain technology-related assets from T-Splines Inc., a privately-held surface modeling software company, based in Utah according to this short press release.

“The technology acquisition will strengthen our Digital Prototyping portfolio with more flexible free-form modeling and will help achieve even closer integration between industrial design and engineering workflows,” said Buzz Kross, senior vice president, Manufacturing Industry at Autodesk. “T-Splines technology will benefit designers and engineers that require watertight surfaces for downstream analysis and manufacturing.”

The image below is from the T-Splines technology page for T-Splines showing a duck toy model converted from polygons to T-Splines to NURBS. The duck in the middle is done with T-Splines. “All T-Splines surfaces are 100% compatible with NURBS and create gap-free, smooth and manufacturable surfaces.”

It will be no surprise if we can see this added across products like AutoCAD, Revit, Maya, Alias and Inventor in the future. But from what I understand there is a lot of work to make a easy to use UI as it has been missing so far.

Today is the last day to access AU Virtual 2011. If you want to see a class or the  General Session  Keynote go there now.

For my class Autodesk® Network License Manager visit the AU Player and search for Network License Manager.

UPDATE: AU Virtual Classes Have Moved

AU Virtual classes are now available from the Online Classes tab on the AU website. Members can access all AU Virtual class recordings, handouts, and other materials from there.

Some recent useful knowledge base documents from Autodesk:

AutoCAD 2011 Hotfix for Complex PLine Measurements

For AutoCAD 2011 with Update 2 installed, this hotfix repairs the area calculation problem of polylines positioned at a great distance from the origin.

Get it here: DL18225251

Autodesk 2012 Content Explorer Service Hot Fix 2

This hotfix applies to the Autodesk 2012 Content Explorer Service (Public and Personal) and addresses the following issues:

• In some cases renaming a folder in Windows Explorer, which is currently being watched by the Autodesk Content Service, can cause the service to stop running.
• The Autodesk Content Service could not be started because the size of the database file was larger than the configured maximum size. If you have encountered this issue please follow the steps found in the companion document "Configuring Maximum Database Size in Autodesk Content Service.pdf" after you have installed Hot Fix 2. If you have not encountered this issue these additional steps are not needed.
• Files fail to index when an English Autodesk Content Service is installed on a Turkish operating system.

Get it here: DL18247986

Comparing the drawing-specific system variables of different DWG files

To compare the drawing-specific system variables of two DWGs, you can convert the drawings to DXF and compare them using a tool that can compare text files, for example the free open source program Winmerge.

Full details here: TS17915749

How to find the product key for your Autodesk product

Starting with the Autodesk 2010 product releases, most Autodesk software required both a serial number and product key to successfully install and activate.

Product keys are used to differentiate products that are both sold independently and sold as part of a product suite. For example, a user installing AutoCAD 2010 would use product key 001B1 while a user installing AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite 2010 (which includes AutoCAD 2010) would use product key 241B1.  The same AutoCAD is in both software packages but the product key differentiates one package from the other.

Full details here: TS1105767

If you want to write AutoLISP code that works for both AutoCAD on Windows and AutoCAD for Mac remember that there is no support for DCL or COM interfaces such as VLA or VLAX (Visual LISP).

There are 4 new AutoLISP functions in AutoCAD 2012 that can help as long as you don’t need backward compatibility:

• dumpallproperties - Outputs all the properties and their current value for the specified entity.
• getpropertyvalue - Returns the current value of the specified property for an entity.
• ispropertyreadonly - Returns T or nil of the specified property for an entity is read-only or not.
• setpropertyvalue - Sets the specified property to a new value for an entity.

The following example demonstrates how to get the current radius value of a circle.
Command: (command "_circle" "2,2" 2)
nil
Command: (getpropertyvalue (entlast) "radius")
2.0

The following example demonstrates how to change the radius of a circle.
Command: (command "_circle" "2,2" 2)
nil
Command: (setpropertyvalue (entlast) "radius" 3)

For more see Hyperpics and Accessing Information About Layers in a Drawing with GETPROPERTYVALUE.

Contact  Autodesk Customer Care Team @AutodeskCare on Twitter for issues or questions about Autodesk business services like getting "up and ready" to use your Autodesk software from licensing to activation issues, renewals, suites, registration and versioning questions, cloud provisioning, logins, trial versions, student software, subscription benefits.

Starting December 1st, the Autodesk team will be listening and engaging 24 hours a day, 5 days a week Monday to Friday. Behind the scenes, your hosts on @AutodeskCare are Céline, Camilo, Philip, Angelo, Arlin and Joane. Follow @AutodeskCare

The AU 2011 General Session Keynote is now available on AU Virtual under AUTV.

I finally got the chance to see the crowd sourced edition of the legal disclaimer.

For more on the legal disclaimer visit Between the Lines.

If you haven’t yet signed up on the free AU Virtual 2011 there is still time. Today more than 150 more classes goes live.

Among the classes is Autodesk® Network License Manager that I’ve put together. To find it visit AU Virtual 2011, sign up and search for “license” or “Autodesk® Network License Manager” to quickly find it.

Do I need to watch virtual classes at a certain time or reserve a space?
No. For AU Virtual 2011, all classes will be available on demand. No reservations are necessary, and you can view the class anytime after it is made available.

Here are more classes available at AU Virtual 2011:

• 24/7 on 6 Continents: 1 Ford, 1 Team, 1 Goal = 1 CAD Standard
• 45 Autodesk® Revit® Tips in 45 Minutes
• A Crash Course in AutoCAD® for Mac®
• Add Needed Information to an Autodesk® Revit® Structure Schedule in 45 Minutes
• AEC Team Collaboration with Project Bluestreak
• Affordable Training Alternatives: Virtual CADLearning™ Centers
• All in the Family: Creating Parametric Components in Autodesk® Revit®
• An Overview of Cloud Computing
• Animation of Autodesk® Inventor® Assemblies Using Autodesk 3ds Max® Design
• Applying the Top 10 New Features and Functions in AutoCAD® 2012
• Are You STILL Not Using AutoCAD® Civil 3D®?
• Are Your Buildings Floating in the Air? Site Work in Autodesk® Revit®: Piece of Cake!
• AutoCAD LT® Tips and Tricks
• AutoCAD® Certification Preparation, Part 1
• AutoCAD® Certification Preparation, Part 2
• AutoCAD® Civil 3D®: Workflow for Visualization Using Civil View and Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design
• AutoCAD® Map 3D Functionality in AutoCAD Civil 3D®: How to Use Geospatial Data in Civil 3D
• Autodesk® 3ds Max® Certification Preparation, Part 1
• Autodesk® 3ds Max® Certification Preparation, Part 2
• Autodesk® Digital STEAM Workshop
• Autodesk® Inventor® iLogic™ Made Simple
• Autodesk® MapGuide® Assists Australia's National Telecommunication Carrier after Natural Disasters
• Autodesk® Maya® Certification Preparation, Part 1
• Autodesk® Maya® Certification Preparation, Part 2
• Autodesk® Network License Manager
• Autodesk® Revit® 2012: Compatibilización de Disciplinas
• Autodesk® Revit® Architecture Certification Preparation, Part 1
• Autodesk® Revit® Architecture Certification Preparation, Part 2
• Autodesk® Revit® MEP: Classy Construction Documents
• Autodesk® Revit® MEP: Create MEP Systems Like a Mad Man
• Autodesk® Revit® MEP: Not Enough Content—What is the Problem Again?
• Autodesk® Revit® Rendering Tips You Can Use
• Automating Autodesk® Revit® Server
• Be a Hit: Work on your A.I.M. with Autodesk® Infrastructure Modeler 2012
• Become an Autodesk® WikiHelp Wizard
• Best Practices for Add-In Programming and Design Patterns Applied to the Autodesk® Inventor® API
• Better Infrastructure Planning with AutoCAD® Map 3D
• BIM for Infrastructure: Show Me the Money!
• BIM for Interiors: Making Autodesk® Revit® Work for You
• Capitalize on Corridor Improvements in AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2012
• Change How You Access Your Autodesk® Vault Data with Vault Links
• Civil 3D Survey: What Is Behind the Curtain?
• Conflation or Deflation: Tips for Conflating Your Data to Another Landbase
• Connecting the "I" in BIM: Leveraging Information in Autodesk® Revit®
• Connecting the Dots: Implementing Autodesk® Revit® Server for Multi-Firm Collaboration
• Converting Existing Piping Specs
• Converting Subdivision Surface (SubD) Models into CAD Models: Autodesk® 3ds Max® to Inventor®
• Create a Geneva Mechanism with Autodesk® Inventor® 2011
• Creating 3D Primitives and Composites in AutoCAD®
• Creating Custom Autodesk® Vault Report Templates
• CUIs for Everyone
• Design Charrettes in Wood Construction: The New Preconstruction Meeting
• Design Process Improvement with Fast, Inexpensive 3D Printing
• Design Visualization 101: Making the Most of the Autodesk® Product Design Suite
• Design Visualization with Autodesk® Alias®, Part 1
• Design Visualization with Autodesk® Alias®, Part 2
• Design Visualization: From Concept to Reality
• Did Somebody Say CONTENT? Creating and Editing Electrical Content for Autodesk® Revit® MEP
• Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff: Make Received Drawings Conform to Your AutoCAD® Civil 3D® Standards
• DWG™ to the Cloud and Back
• Efficiently Find the Information You Want Using the Autodesk® Revit® API
• Electrical BIM: Beyond 3D
• Engineering to Order: Substation Design Process—High Potential by Using a 3D Model
• Everything in Place with Autodesk® Revit® MEP Programming
• Evolution of Utility Workflow
• Extensions for Autodesk® Revit® Structure 2012 for the Precast Concrete Industry
• FDO 2.0: The Magic Grows
• Fiber-Reinforced Injection-Molded Plastic Parts: Efficient Calculation and Lifetime Prediction
• For Educators: Simple Steps into Autodesk® Inventor® and More
• From Concept to Published Document: Tips for Working Effectively with Autodesk® Inventor® Publisher
• Furniture Modeling in Autodesk® 3ds Max®
• Getting Started with Autodesk® Vault Programming, Part 1
• Getting Started with Autodesk® Vault Programming, Part 2
• Go-Go Gadget Mobile
• Going on the Road with HP Mobile Workstations
• Got Discipline? Managing a Multiple-Model, Multiple-Discipline Project
• Handy Nanny to the Rescue
• How to Teach Autodesk® Revit® Effectively: Reflections on Two Years of Teaching BIM at Hong Kong University
• I’m a Civil Engineer: Why Should I Care About GIS?
• Improving Business Process Management to Facilitate Global Collaboration and Compliance
• Incorporating Electronics into Product Assemblies Using Autodesk® Inventor®
• Incredible AutoCAD® Civil 3D® Users: Prove Your Credibility with Civil 3D Certification, Part 1
• Incredible AutoCAD® Civil 3D® Users: Prove your Credibility with Civil 3D Certification, Part 2
• Instant Video Assistance within AutoCAD®
• Integrated Electrode Design and Machining
• Integrating Water Elements and Fountains into Architectural Renderings Using Particle Flow
• IPD: Integrating my Project Design with Others—Let's Come Together Right Now!
• Is That a Photograph? Architectural Photography for 3D Rendering
• It's About Time: Migrating from AutoCAD® Land Desktop to AutoCAD Civil 3D®
• Lean Manufacturing with Autodesk® Factory Design Suite
• Loading It Up with Autodesk® Autoloader
• Make Sense of Autodesk® Product Design Suite: How It All Works Together
• Making Autodesk® Inventor® Work for Substation Design
• Managing Construction Phase Revisions with Autodesk® Revit®
• Managing Lifecycle States...from a Governor's Point of View
• Mastering Metadata with Autodesk® Vault
• Mastering the Skills: The Ultimate Autodesk® Certification Preparation Guide Revealed!
• Mission Impossible? Corporate Standards Are Not a Myth: The Path
• Modeling for Construction
• Multi-Project Management with Autodesk® Vault and ATEC Project Base
• Multithreading and Message Handling in Windows® Presentation Foundation (WPF) Applications
• New CAD = New Opportunity
• Optimizing Digital Drawing Files and BIM Models for Measurement and Estimating
• Physical and Digital Prototyping Belong Together
• Point Clouds and Design: What Do I Do with All of These Points?
• Practical Tips and Tricks for Autodesk® Revit® MEP That I Wish Someone Taught Me on Day 1
• Principles of Hydraulic Analysis for Fire Protection Sprinkler Systems
• Real Projects, Real Maths
• Revitalizing a Mapping Solution with AutoCAD® Map 3D Enterprise
• Rotary Wire EDM in Modern Manufacturing
• Roundabout Design: A Better Workflow
• Securing AutoCAD® IP in the in the Era of WikiLeaks
• Show Me the Money! Impress Your Customers with Great Presentations for Manufacturing
• Simplified 5-Axis Machining
• Standardize Away Problems and Save! (Virtual)
• Standards and Process and Vault, Oh My! Case Study of a CAD Modernization Project
• Step Up and Get Certified in Autodesk® Inventor®, Part 1
• Step Up and Get Certified in Autodesk® Inventor®, Part 2
• Strategic Planning 101: The Basic Tools for Success
• Surveying and Base Mapping Standards and Practices
• Swept Path Analysis for AutoCAD® Civil 3D®
• Taking the BIM Execution Plan Beyond a Spreadsheet
• Tales from the Road: Five Years of Corridor Modeling Lessons Learned
• The Compositing Power of Autodesk® 3ds Max®: Using Render Elements and the New 3ds Max Composite
• The Deliverable Is in What? Paper Trails from Autodesk® Revit® to AutoCAD®
• The Differences Between Us: How Generational Diversity Drives Technology Adoption and Learning
• The Parametric Advantage: High-Value, Low-Investment Software Deployment
• Tips and Tricks 2011: Getting Top Performance From Your Desktop and/or Laptop
• Tips and Tricks for Autodesk® Revit® Graphic and Visualization Techniques to Make Your Drawings Look Great!
• Tool Palettes: No Pain, Much Gain
• Top 50 BIM Bugs and Things to Avoid
• Turn All of Your Users Into Power Users (Virtual)
• Use Autodesk® Revit® Structure Levels and Spot Elevations
• Using Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design, Autodesk Revit®, and iray® to Render Compelling Photographic Scenes
• Vault Integration for Sheet Set Manager in AutoCAD®
• What the Heck is an API?
• What's New in AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2012?
• Which Autodesk® Plant Design Suite is Right for You?
• Wholly Sheets Batman! Plotting in AutoCAD® Civil 3D®
• Why Use a Workstation?
• Virtual Photography: Rendering Autodesk® Inventor® Designs Using Autodesk 3ds Max® Design and iray®
• Wood Framing Level of Detail: How Far Should You Go?
• Writing Your First Autodesk® Revit® Model Review Plug-In

I got a question how to customize this AutoLISP/Visual LISP AreaText.LSP to change the text justification. The solution is to make use of vla-put-attachmentPoint as seen in the example below.

(defun Get-ObjectIDx64 (obj / util)
  (setq util (vla-get-Utility (vla-get-activedocument (vlax-get-acad-object))))
  (if (= (type obj) 'ENAME)(setq obj (vlax-ename->vla-object obj)))
  (if (= (type obj) 'VLA-OBJECT)
    (if (> (vl-string-search "x64" (getvar "platform")) 0)
      (vlax-invoke-method util "GetObjectIdString" obj :vlax-False)
      (rtos (vla-get-objectid obj) 2 0)
    )
  )
)

(defun c:AT (/ entObject entObjectID InsertionPoint ad)
  (vl-load-com)
  (setq entObject (vlax-ename->vla-object(car (entsel)))
        entObjectID (Get-ObjectIDx64 entObject)
        InsertionPoint (vlax-3D-Point (getpoint "Select point: "))
        ad (vla-get-ActiveDocument (vlax-get-acad-object))
  )
  (vla-put-attachmentPoint (vla-addMText (if (= 1 (vla-get-activespace ad))
    (vla-get-modelspace ad)
    (if (= (vla-get-mspace ad) :vlax-true)
      (vla-get-modelspace ad)
      (vla-get-paperspace ad)
    )
  )
  InsertionPoint 0.0 (strcat
  "%<\\AcObjProp Object(%<\\_ObjId "
  entObjectID
  ">%).Area \\f \"%pr2%lu2%ct4%qf1 SQ. FT.\">%"
  )) acAttachmentPointMiddleCenter)
)

acAttachmentPointMiddleCenter can be changed to any of the following Visual LISP constants:

acAttachmentPointTopLeft
acAttachmentPointTopCenter
acAttachmentPointTopRight
acAttachmentPointMiddleLeft
acAttachmentPointMiddleCenter
acAttachmentPointMiddleRight
acAttachmentPointBottomLeft
acAttachmentPointBottomCenter
acAttachmentPointBottomRight

See also Customize AreaText.LSP for AutoCAD and AreaText.lsp updated for 64-bit AutoCAD.

Autodesk Showcases Project Collaboration, Data and Lifecycle Management to More Than 8,000 Autodesk University Attendees in Las Vegas according to this press release.

Autodesk brought the power of the cloud, mobile computing and its industry-defining Building Information Modeling (BIM) portfolio together at Autodesk University. The design, engineering and entertainment software leader showcased a BIM solution to dramatically improve how AEC project team members connect, collaborate and communicate on building projects.

Autodesk’s BIM offering is part of Autodesk 360 solutions: flexible, easy to use and affordable solutions developed to streamline product and project business processes. The solutions are capable of scaling from individual users connecting to a regional office, up to larger teams working on projects across continents.

“Today’s AEC projects are often hindered by widely dispersed teams relying on inefficient communications and collaboration services,” said Jim Lynch, vice president, Architecture, Engineering and Construction Solutions, Autodesk. “Autodesk 360 for BIM is a powerful and comprehensive set of cloud-based and on-premise tools that can have project teams up and running with collaboration and data management in a matter of days. It represents a significant step toward enabling a BIM workflow from design through to construction.”

The Autodesk 360 for BIM solution is designed to handle multi-discipline models, thousands of drawings and other project information. Autodesk 360 for BIM comprises:

• Autodesk Vault Collaboration AEC ― Currently available, Autodesk Vault is an on-premise data management solution that lets project teams manage and track digital models without leaving their BIM design tools, including Autodesk Revit Architecture, Autodesk Revit MEP, Autodesk Revit Structure, AutoCAD Civil 3D and Autodesk Navisworks. Complete project documents and content are centrally managed and integrated with enterprise systems like Microsoft Outlook and SharePoint. Integration with the Autodesk Buzzsaw cloud service provides more complete external collaboration and mobile access.
• Autodesk Buzzsaw ― The Autodesk Buzzsaw cloud-based project collaboration solution provides for secure exchange designs and documents with external partners and distributed teams from any location. Autodesk Buzzsaw Mobile enables users to have the most up to date information, wherever it’s needed. Autodesk Buzzsaw is enabled by Autodesk Cloud technology and integrates with AutoCAD WS for DWG review and edit workflows.
• Autodesk 360 Nexus — Autodesk 360 Nexus, introduced today initially for the manufacturing industry, is also planned to support configurable AEC workflow and business process management needs.

About Autodesk 360

Enabled by Autodesk Cloud, Autodesk 360 solutions provide a powerful and complete digital view of information and processes, combined with the ability to securely manage data, so that the right information is accessible wherever and whenever it is needed. Easily accessible to both technical and non-technical professionals within or outside the enterprise, Autodesk 360 represents an intuitive way to view business information, manage and share data, and integrate with existing systems and software. The low up-front and ongoing costs of cloud-based solutions present the most affordable path by virtually eliminating largely unnecessary capital expenditures and deployment costs. Autodesk 360 also provides customers with built-in security and regular back-ups. For more information about Autodesk 360 solutions, see today’s related announcement “Autodesk Introduces Cloud-based Product Lifecycle Management.”

A related press release says:

Autodesk Agrees to Acquire Horizontal Systems

Autodesk, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Horizontal Systems, a provider of innovative cloud-based Building Information Modeling (BIM) collaboration solutions for the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry.

Horizontal Systems technology will be an important contributor to the Autodesk 360 for BIM vision for collaboration, data and lifecycle management, which was announced yesterday at Autodesk University (see related release). The acquisition of Horizontal Systems will help accelerate the movement of BIM to the cloud by providing users with the ability to more easily access and coordinate multi-discipline project data wherever and whenever it is needed throughout the entire project lifecycle.

“Horizontal Systems technology will help accelerate our Autodesk 360 for BIM capabilities by allowing multi-discipline teams to more easily communicate and synchronize information--helping reduce waste and errors during the design and construction of AEC projects and leading to faster, more efficient project delivery,” said Jim Lynch, vice president, Architecture, Engineering and Construction Solutions, Autodesk. “The integration of Horizontal Systems technology with other Autodesk BIM solutions will streamline business processes and workflows for increased efficiency, improved profitability, and higher quality outcomes for both Autodesk and Horizontal Systems customers.”

Horizontal Glue brings BIM to the cloud with technology that supports multi-discipline model collaboration and intelligent object data exchange for the building and infrastructure industries. This approach enables architects, engineers, owners and builders across the globe to collaborate in real time in over 40 different 3D formats, while providing a solution to distribute BIM data into external business systems.

“Autodesk has long been a valued business partner, sharing our dedication to advancing BIM across multi-discipline teams, workflows, and projects,” said Jordan Brandt, CEO and Cofounder at Horizontal Systems. “Our customers will experience the benefit of ‘gluing’ together Horizontal Systems’ cloud technology with the comprehensive portfolio of Autodesk BIM software. The Autodesk 360 for BIM vision is a perfect fit for our customers, as this integrated and flexible strategy makes it easier than ever for everyone to collaborate.”

Autodesk intends to integrate Horizontal Systems solutions into its Autodesk 360 for BIM solution. During the transition, Autodesk will continue to fully support existing Horizontal Systems customers.

About Horizontal Systems

Horizontal Systems is a global cloud technology company focused on the needs of design firms, construction companies and building owners. Through unique web streaming Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology, Horizontal unites all project stakeholders in a live collaborative 3D environment for more effective and efficient coordination. With accessible, intelligent BIM data hosted on an open platform, Horizontal Systems’ clients leverage seamless workflows across project and facilities management systems for a truly integrated building enterprise. Horizontal Systems was incorporated in 2009 and is based in New York, New York.

ClearEdge3D has a pretty groundbreaking technology for extracting features from laser scan point clouds.  Their clients are reporting time saving in their modeling workflows of more than 50%. The company is exhibiting at Autodesk University where they are debuting their plug-in for AutoCAD and Revit, which will allow users to extract geometry from point cloud data directly in the AutoCAD and Revit platforms.  Check them out at booth number 919.

Autodesk unveiled this new PLM Offering at Autodesk University 2011.

According to the press release Autodesk previewed a new solution designed to transform how manufacturers manage the entire lifecycle of a product--from its conception, through design and manufacture, partner and supplier management, procurement, quality, compliance, service and more. Autodesk is tapping into the cloud to deliver a new approach to product lifecycle management (PLM), which enables companies to capture and manage product information and processes to continuously improve the products they manufacture.

Autodesk’s new PLM offering, which is expected to be generally available early next year, is part of Autodesk 360 – a set of secure, easy to use and affordable solutions developed to streamline product and project business processes. Autodesk 360 for PLM is for companies of all sizes, from small companies eager to deploy PLM for the first time to large enterprises that have become disenchanted by PLM, due to the complexities and high costs associated with traditional PLM implementations.

“Our approach to PLM is a sharp contrast to the decades old technology in the market today,” said Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president, Manufacturing Industry Group at Autodesk. “Autodesk 360 for PLM will enable customers of all sizes to achieve the full promise of PLM with a scalable, configurable and intuitive solution. We believe it will help our customers achieve a measurable competitive advantage through better, more accessible collaboration and business information management.”

Building upon the company’s leadership with cloud-based solutions, Autodesk 360 for PLM is geared for manufacturers that need to manage business processes throughout the entire lifecycle of a product — from the earliest concept to retirement. Autodesk 360 for PLM will comprise:

• Autodesk 360 Nexus — Autodesk 360 Nexus is a new, cloud-based solution that will anchor Autodesk 360 for PLM with affordable, easy-to-use and simple-to-deploy software as a service that helps make the benefits of PLM business applications available to users anytime, anywhere — with less cost and risk.
• Autodesk Vault — Currently available, Autodesk Vault provides on-premise product data management software that enables engineering workgroups to organize, manage and track their entire designs, engineering bills-of-materials and change processes. Autodesk Vault will work seamlessly with the Autodesk 360 Nexus.
• Autodesk Buzzsaw ― Enabled by Autodesk Cloud, Buzzsaw’s cloud-based supplier collaboration allows customers to securely exchange designs and documents with external partners and distributed teams, regardless of their location. Autodesk Buzzsaw Mobile ensures that users have the most up to date information, wherever it’s needed.

Global research firm IDC* estimates the PLM software applications market will grow to $20.5 billion by 2015. The processes required to commercialize and maintain products are increasingly complex and dispersed. Frequent interactions result in an overload of design, process, and business information that decision-makers and distributed teams must sort, prioritize, and manage over the lifecycle of their products.

Unlike the expensive, complicated, engineering-centric, and difficult-to-deploy PLM systems available today, Autodesk 360 Nexus is more readily and easily configurable to meet customer-specific product lifecycle process needs across the enterprise. Employees in a range of roles from planning to product development to supplier management, quality and compliance, service and more will have greater ability to eliminate bottlenecks and access product and project-related information more quickly regardless of their location.

Until recently, PLM has been the near-exclusive domain of large businesses, mainly due to the high cost and expertise related to deploying and maintaining the systems. “No company should be excluded from the benefits of PLM technology,” commented Kross.

An IDC Manufacturing Insights report released in June 2011** revealed that manufacturers identified the top three business benefits of cloud systems as: reducing total hardware spend; improving IT staff productivity and end user service levels; and reducing total spend on software licensing and maintenance. Autodesk 360 Nexus will better enable customers to start small but scale fast to meet demand, and fit easily within their existing business environment.

About Autodesk 360 solutions

Enabled by Autodesk Cloud, Autodesk 360 solutions provide a powerful and complete digital view of information and processes, combined with the ability to securely manage data, so that the right information is accessible wherever and whenever it is needed. Easily accessible to both technical and non-technical professionals within or outside the enterprise, Autodesk 360 presents an intuitive way to view business information, collaborate, manage and share data, and plan throughout product lifecycles, while integrating with existing systems and software. The low up-front and ongoing costs of cloud-based solutions present a more affordable path by eliminating largely unnecessary capital expenditures and deployment costs. Autodesk 360 solutions also provide customers with built-in security features and regular back-ups. For more information about Autodesk 360 solutions, see today’s related announcement (“Autodesk Takes BIM to the Cloud at Autodesk University”).

Having seen a few 360 products from different vendors maybe it’s time for JTB 360 next.

AutoCAD WS Blog talks about the next release of  AutoCAD WS.

3D - “View and share the 3-dimensional objects in your DWGs using AutoCAD WS”

GPS – “Position yourself physically inside your design when you are out visiting a site”

Print – “Send your designs to any compatible HP printer using Wi-fi…  Additionally you can plot your design directly as a PDF and send it to your email.”

Problem: I had problem in Microsoft Outlook 2010 that not all selected emails were moved using either Quick Steps or Move.

Typically I reply to an email and mark it to be followed up and then select both the one in the Inbox and the one in Sent Items and move them to another folder. I either select the emails by expanding the conversation or through a search. Drag and drop is no problem but using Move or Quick Steps from the Ribbon does not work.

Solution: I wondered if it was some bug moving multiple emails but eventually found that “Don’t move flagged messages” in Outlook Options under the heading Conversation Clean Up was checked. When I unchecked it I got the emails moved as expected, problem solved.

Problem to post from Microsoft's Windows Live Writer to Blogger (blogspot): The server reported an error with the following web address: 500 Internal Server Error bX-7sd12g.
It is also problem to open posts from WLW.
Workaround for now is to use the the Blogger website.
It seems also to work to post a draft from WLW and then post it from the web interface in Blogger.
Hopefully Google comes with a solution to this bug soon.


Update: Another bug is that the url created contains the first words from the post and not from the title as it should.


Update 2: A intermediate fix that works with Windows Live Writer is to make the post as usual in WLW, including images and then click on "Post draft to blog", ignore any errors, then click on "Publish" and ignore the errors. This will solve both the url problem and the post will be posted to your blog.


This problem also exist with other blog applications and it might work with the same workarounds too.

Update 3: November 23 and the issue with posting and opening blogs is fixed as well as the issue with the url.