Misc. Summer Post... (RTC, SP, AU)

Three topics in one post today (though that won't help my post count!).

First up, as you've probably already read on other blogs RTC USA was just awesome!! The vibe was great, I learned a few things and it was great to share and network in such an intimate setting. As promised here is a link to the sample file that I created for the class I gave at RTC.

    Panelize This! sample file


Next topic, the Revit Service pack release has gotten a fair bit of press.

If you're a Revit Server user though you don't want to miss the SP that was also released special for Revit Server. This is a separate download from the SP for Revit itself. There a few significant fixes, however the one I consider most important is improved ability to deal with "Orphan Locks" on your models. This has been a problem that has plagued Revit Server since first release, and it seems has only grown as more people adopt Server. This is not a "final" fix, but the patch in SP1 should at least make administration and management easier.

    Revit Server2012 Service Pack 1


Lastly, I'm happy to announce that this year I'll be teaching/helping to teach three courses at AU:

AB4210 - Have it Your Way: Collaboration and Management with Autodesk Revit Server. I'm happy to say I have two co-speakers (Jason Bailey of HDR & Michael Coviello of TRO/JB) on board for this course who bring some great experiences with Server to the table. I feel like I'm just the editor here, helping to present lots of information on the topic.


AB4391-L - Twice Baked: Creating Your Own Adaptive Components and Panels with Autodesk Revit. Yep another lab, and yep Zach is back as my co-pilot. This is a follow-up to what I consider our outrageously successful set of courses last year; Parametrics Laid Bare: Panels and Adaptive Components in Autodesk® Revit® & Au Bon Panel: Baking Your Own Adaptive Components and Panels with Autodesk® Revit® Architecture. If you register for this year's lab we please, please ask that you review both before coming to our door, and the way last year's filled up, you better have your finger on the registration button when the clock strikes midnight!


AB4480 - Way Beyond Project Templates: Appyling Standards for Efficient Document Production in Autodesk Revit. So if you've been following me the last few years I've presented several courses on project templates, standards and the like in Revit. David Spehar has been (one of) my trusty co-speaker(s) for all of it, and this year we decided to switch things up. David is the pilot and I'm the co-pilot. We see this as a third installment of what has been so far a well received series of courses (I'm not sure what we'll do in 2012!) and if you went to or watched the first two, you surely don't want to miss the third (I promise it will be better then Back To the Future III).

AU Handouts!

One hundred plus pages later, all four handouts for all four AU courses are done! I'm not sure when they will go live for attendees, but the due data for speakers is tomorrow (Monday 11/15). Lab content was due about two weeks ago, so the big push has been finishing up the other three courses. My many thanks to all of my co-speakers!!

Each class is only 60 minutes long, so thanks to my co-teachers hardwork we've packed a huge amount of content into each handout. I figure with a 60min class, we're looking at a 20 - 30 slide presentation at best, since each handout is at least 20 pages that is at most a slide per page!

Enjoy and see you in a few short weeks!!

Cheers,
-R

Autodesk Blogger Day: Revit Server

So, I've had to sit on this for quite some time!!

Autodesk is releasing a product for subscriptions customers called Revit Server. This is an internally run software solution for sharing Revit Central Files across a Wide Area Network (WAN).

This is not a "cloud" solution, rather it is meant to be installed on your servers within your firm. We have been working with this software for some time at Burt Hill and the feedback and experience has been exceptionally positive. There are some limitations since it is Version 1, but for the first time I can truly say we have feasible, solution sourced from Autodesk that allows our different offices to collaborate together on projects.

I can also finally admit that my AUv course "Virtually" There: Using Revit with Geographically Dispersed Teams: AB22-1R" is intended to primarily focus on Revit Server, implementing it, and our experience using it on a real project team involving multiple offices and an external consultant.

AU update!!

So, the lab course I'm running (Au Bon Panel: Baking Your Own Adaptive Components and Panels with Autodesk Revit Architecture) was apparently so popular, and in such high demand, we're going to be doing part deux!!!

That's right look for a schedule update with a second session available to sign-up for!

The teaching team (Zach, Steve & David) will be meeting in a week and a half to do a dry run on this puppy, so hopefully we can live up to expectations!!!

If you're already signed-up, or do, look for more direct communications via the AU website. We want to live up to what you're looking for, but we need the students to do the same!!! Labs are tough nuts, and we need as level as a playing field as we can get.

News!! AU & more!

So we've been quiet for quite some time, because there are just sooo many things going in our lives!!!

First off, I will be presenting at AU this year. Two Classes, One Lab and one Virtual Session. Thankfully I have a great supporting cast around me, and each is only an hour long:

• Parametrics Laid Bare: Panels and Adaptive Components in Autodesk Revit: AB223-1
• Beyond Project Templates: Managing Company Standards and Best Practices in Autodesk Revit: AB234-4P
• Au Bon Panel: Baking Your Own Adaptive Components and Panels with Autodesk Revit Architecture: AB316-1L
• "Virtually" There: Using Revit with Geographically Dispersed Teams: AB22-1R

Hopefully Krista will be co-speaking (via Skype) with me for the Project Templates course, but alas, she may be a little tied up with our new baby who is due on Nov. 13th!!


Lastly, if you have not heard or seen the most recent big news, you may want to read the press release here.


Look for some more posts later this month, but I suspect we will continue to run pretty silent, stay tuned!

AU 2010 Voting Is On!

So, voting for AU 2010 classes is upon us!

This year I’m somehow involved in Six! Courses and Krista has three.

First up, Zach of (Buildz) and I teamed up for a lecture and a lab focused on the how to create good Panels by Points and Adaptive Components. Those two courses are:

Au Bon Panel: baking your own Adaptive Components and Panels with Autodesk Revit – 2hr lecture

Parametrics Laid Bare: Panels and Adaptive Components in Autodesk Revit – 3 hr lab

We actually think that our two courses, combined with what the BIM Troublemaker and David Fano have submitted would make a really awesome mini-powertrack dedicated to the Core Modeling (Conceptual Design) tools. So if you are so inclined to vote for our course, please vote for their’s too!!

Next I’ve submitted the same course twice, but in two different formats:

Using Revit with Geographically Dispersed Teams – 1hr lecture

"Virtually" there: Using Revit with Geographically Dispersed Teams – 1hr virtual session

I actually would prefer to do this course as an AUv course, not a lecture, first off it lets me do it ahead of time, and somehow, it seems fitting that a course about teams collaborating virtually should be taught virtually. The description(s) on this course are a little vague, but I have some good reasons for that, so all I can ask is that you have faith! I also think that with the AUv session that the on-line chat/QA will be helpful, and useful to you, the attendees.

Lastly, to follow-up on my course last year, which was a great success, I’ve submitted an hour long course focused on Source Files, which are the little brother(s) of your Project Template, there were a number of questions about how we use these files, so it seemed like an hour would be just about right to share our experience and knowledge. Krista will be helping me out on this one too, as she has some good experience thanks to the work her firm focuses on.

Beyond Project Templates, Techniques for Managing company standards and best practices in Revit – 1 hr Lecture

Krista has put together two of her own courses. The first one, (with me as co-speaker) is going to take a look at really leveraging the room and area data in Revit and get into some of the nitty gritty details of working with this stuff in Revit.

Get with the program: how to better validate building size with Revit Architecture – 1hr lecture

Secondly, she is going to offer up a course focused on color, we both really believe that color is under utilized in Revit, particularly by Architects and Interior designers. So here is a chance to learn some good examples and techniques for employing color in not only in your drawings but also as a design tool.

            Revit in Living color – 1hr lecture

Last but not least! I’m also co-teaching with Jason of (Adaptive Practice) to talk all about how to understand your models once you’ve got them and how to help keep your teams on the straight and narrow of good Revityness.

Revit Autopsies: Structured Model Examination and Assessment Techniques – 2hr Lecture

So please!! Vote early, and vote often (ok, you can't vote often) for our courses, and our friends courses, I also want to throw out reminders about other great presenters who always have something new and interesting to share:

Steve Stafford – professional Revit instructor

Jim Balding – runs his own AE research lab!

James Vandezande – two years off from AU, you know he’ll come back strong

David Light – fellow blogger and awesome Revit user

David Baldicchino – also a couple years off from AU, lots of practical experience

Scott Brown – too many people missed a really great course by Scott last year about interior design in Revit (bad scheduling!!!)

For those less fortuate folks

For those of you who are not in Vegas right now, don't forget that if your company has a subscription that you can attend AU virtually. Not quite the same but you can download all course content provided by the speakers.

-K-

Vote for AU

Vote for AU courses.

Robert Manna's Courses:
Good Revit Project Templates
Finding Value in Revit When You're Not Doing IPD
What makes a Good Project Template - Unplugged

Krista Manna's Courses:
Revit in Living Color
The Standardization of Revit: Are you stifling your firm's creativity - Unplugged

And last but not least our joint venture:

Residential IPD: How to use Revit with Pre-fabricated Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)

Please feel free to vote for our courses. We're both very excited about these courses and look forward to teaching them.

Submit AU Courses

Don't forget that AU courses are due this week. That includes Un-plugged sessions.

AU Courses


-K-

Design Symposium (afternoon)

For those in the UK or designing for temperate climates, check out www.carbonbuzz.org. You can upload data anonymously, or let people know who you are, you can also benchmark against published standards. Either way, it helps you determine how you're doing on carbon use for a building. The trick is account for this type of information as you design (which is where the computation part comes in).

Earlier in the morning saw some interesting real examples of active facade elements designed by Hoberman Associates (Chuck Hoberman).

AU 2008 - Computational Design Symposium

So, Krista and I arrived yesterday. We're now attending the inaugural "Design Computation Symposium" hosted by Robert Aish. So far we have had a a fascinating presentation by Neil Katz of SOM, showing examples of 20 years of "Computational Design" work and application to a variety of scales from skyscrapers to interior "transparent" walls made of metal or corian.

After that we've seen some hints of what is coming in Revit Structure and Robot (Structural Anaylsis) to help Architects work with engineers to better understand how to derive efficient, elegant structures to support our building designs. By using analysis and permutation to understand various possibilities meeting different criteria.

Most recently we just saw a great "demo/review" of Ecotect by Dr. Andrew Marsh and the possibilities of scripting with Ecotect to generate "realtime" parametric anaylsis to understand the impact of passive sustianable design strategies on one's building design.

So far, an eventful and interesting morning, with more to come.

AU 2008 UnConference

If you follow the AU blog you know the UnConference Schedule has been released. This is the second annual UnConference at AU and for a second year in a row I will be running a session. You can also find out more information here.

My session this year is entitled: Size Doesn't Matter: A Discussion on Strategies for Complex Revit Projects Large and Small

So what would I like to see this discussion all about? In the last four years of working with Revit, I've come to realize that any number of conditions—such as multiple design firms, Integrated Project Delivery, multiple 3D models, phasing or early bid packages—can transform a straightforward design job into a knotty Revit problem. In that time I've discussed, observed and participated in several projects exploring a variety of techniques to address these issues.

This session is meant to be an active conversation by the attendees about their experiences and expertise. This will allow a broader and more detailed discussion of what works, what doesn’t, and when and where various strategies are appropriate. I'm expecting participants to use example project and conditions from their experiences to focus on Revit techniques, which may be influenced by hardware considerations but are fundamentally about selecting approaches when working in Revit. Be prepared to actively participate if you come.

My wife Krista will also be running her own UnConfernece session: Pros & Cons of 3D
Modeling vs. 2d Detailing in Revit

Hope to see you there.

Join me @ AU!

I will be attending AU yet again (my third time). I'm looking forward to a couple of things already. On Monday there is a "Design Computation Symposium" being hosted by Autodesk and the AEC solutions division it will be chaired by Robert Aish. This should be very interesting as Robert worked for Bentley helping to develop Generative Components, now he is working with Autodesk.

The other thing that I'm interested in is the AU Unconference. In its second year, last year was very well received, the sessions were open and allowed for great discussion among peers. You can vote for the sessions you think will be interesting here: Vote

For more info on Unplugged visit the website.

AU "Unplugged"

AU unplugged has gone official with a real website. Check it out.

http://au.centraldesktop.com/auunplugged/FrontPage

AU "Unplugged"

You may have heard of the "un-conference", well the organizers at AU have decided to do something similiar. (Though I question how "random" and "spur of the moment" it will be with it being so "organized"). Editorials aside, essentially AU Unplugged will provide for small dicussion groups focused around user driven topics. I've submitted a topic inspired by a recent post on AUGI under the "AU class wishlist thread" in the Revit community. I'm suggusting a discussion on best practices for core template & content development, and distribution to the rest of your firm. Vote for me! :).

You can find out more here:

http://au.autodesk.com/2007/blogs/view/AU_Unplugged_is_Ready/

Cheers,
-R

Not wanted... :(

So AU decided they didn't want me :(, I tried! They apparently didn't want a bunch of other people I know too, so I don't feel too bad. With any luck I will still attend AU this coming year, and I'm willing to help anyone out that needs assistance in presenting on Revit. I look at it this way, not having to prepare for AU frees me up to focus on my project work, moving things forward at my firm, and having a life on the side. If you are interested to hear what I have to say on BIM or Revit, drop me a line, I'm always insterested (and motivated) to speak on the subject(s).

ACEC & AIA Presentations

I recently had the privilige to present at a 1 1/2 day conference sponsored by the ACEC (American Council of Engineering Companies www.acec.org). I presented my firm and my one and only full Revit project (slated to be occupied 09/2007!) as a case study of early adoption of BIM and Revit as our tool of choice. The presentation went very well and I received lots of great feedback afterwards!

I will be presenting at an event hosted by the Philadelphia Chapter of the AIA (www.aiaphila.org) this coming Thursday morning. I hope to build on some of the hot topics (as I've been told) that came off of the AIA national convention. I intend to talk speak about what BIM tools like Revit can do for firms here and now, while keeping an eye towards the future and hopefully a fully "Integrated Practice".

On top of all that the Philly RUG (see link on the left navigation bar) will be hosting its last meeting on June 18th before our summer siesta. Hopefully over the summer we will be able to put together paperwork to become and official AUGI LUG, and the benifits that can be gained from that association.

As you might be able to tell I've been a little busy (hence the lack of blog posts)! I've also submitted to present in the fall for the Philadelphia AIA and at AU in Nov. (keeping my fingers crossed).

Thanks,
-Robert

See You at AU

Starts tomorrow (Monday) for me. Look for my AUGI avatar!

Cheers,
-R

Return from the dead.... BIM planning!

So... I've been AWOL for a month, between deadlines & a wonderful vacation to San Francisco and Napa Valley I was a bit busy. :). However lots has been going on in the world of BIM at my firm.

First! Well there was stuff here, but it went away, if you were lucky enough to read it, well you were lucky. If not, sorry, come work at my firm, you'll learn even more.

substitue text, not quite as interesting sorry:

We continue our efforts to document our procedures and how to use Revit on a project. We have developed written documents that help a project team to determine if a project should be done in BIM & Revit. Once that decision is made we've developed documents meant to assist the project team in getting started, and things they should do as they're project moves ahead. We are also working on developing in house resources to better share ideas, tips and techiques between all our offices, that encourage the participation of everyone, and not just the BIM team.


More to come this week... I have some other great stuff. If you all are curious I will be at AU this year (my first :) ) needless to say I'll be in Revit classes, as will several other folks from my firm, looks like we'll have about 4-5 people at AU.

Cheers!
-R