Ideate Launches Autodesk 2011 Software Portal

The Ideate team is really excited about the new Autodesk 2011 software solutions for building design, infrastructure and construction. The new products will ease adoption of BIM, facilitate collaboration and work for both new and renovation projects.

The Ideate Tech Experts have put together an unprecedented number of tools to show off the features and benefits of the new Autodesk products.

Check out www.ideateinc.com/2011, your portal to learn what we appreciate in 2011. Great Ideate-exclusive info includes:

• “Top 11 in 2011” - Letterman may have 10, but we've got a Top 11 list
• Feature videos - free registration gets you the goods
• Event information - virtual or live (or both!)
• Training updates - effective today, we're ready to rock 2011
• Migration notes - we're all about keeping it smooth

While we've picked select products to highlight on the 2011 portal, we're conversant on all the new releases. Visit www.ideateinc.com for brochures, FAQs, system requirements (and more!) for all Autodesk 2011 building design, infrastructure and construction products.

Contact us today at sales@ideateinc.com or education@ideateinc.com.

AutoCAD Users - Provide Feedback on Linetypes

Message to all you AutoCAD users out there from our friends at the AutoCAD Design Team...

Dear AutoCAD User-

AutoCAD Product Design and Usability Group would appreciate your feedback and input on using Linetypes in AutoCAD.

Who Should Participate?
Any generalAutoCAD users - of any discipline - currently using linetypes in their drawings.

How To Participate?
Click on this AutoCAD Linetypes Survey link.

How long will it take to complete the Survey?
Per our estimates, it’s about 25-30 min, depends on how much information you are willing to share with us.

Thanks!-

AutoCAD Product Design & Usability Team/Autodesk, Inc.

Keep up with the AutoCAD Design Team on Twitter or by registering on the User Research page.

Follow Ideate on Twitter.

Affordably Green - Fox Courts by Pyatok Architects

Congratulations to Ideate client Pyatok Architects for achieving the second highest GreenPoint rating for an apartment building in the state of California!

We admire the design concepts and details that Pyatok Architects brought to the Fox Courts project in Oakland, resulting in sustainable affordable housing.

The Spring 2010 Pyatok newsletter describes the project:

Opened in 2009, Fox Courts is an 80-unit affordable housing development for working individuals and families. Its signature features include: two central courtyards that allow natural ventilation in all the apartments, studio lofts and stacked townhouses; streetfront stoops and on-site childcare; tiles and murals produced by local artists to reflect local identities; and its prime location in a resurging neighborhood in downtown Oakland and near major transit systems.

Not only is it centrally located near public transit, it was designed with numerous elements of energy–saving technology in its design. The building’s common areas are powered by 297 photovoltaic panels on the roof. Every apartment has Energy Star appliances and uses hydronic heat radiators instead of forced air heaters or electrical units. Environmentally friendly materials such as low–VOC carpeting and geniune linoleum flooring are found throughout the building. All together, the sustainable and efficient systems combined to earn Fox Courts the 2nd highest GreenPoint Rating (143) in California.

Click here to read the complete article, including fascinating background Before the Design .

Ideate Welcomes New Support Intern Jesika DiGregorio

At Ideate, we strive to exceed the expectations of our Support customers - providing answers quickly, thoroughly and correctly. One customer recently noted:

Matt Miyamoto has done a great job with support for KPG on our C3D project. He has been very responsive and available via both e-mail and phone, and has been as timely as possible in his responses (knowing we’re on deadline). He has done lots of troubleshooting on his own when we’ve had issues, and has spent a good bit of time on the phone trying to nail down problem sources (one Friday, on the phone for over an hour until past 6PM). His support and communications with Autodesk have been invaluable.

KPG, Inc.

As a licensed civil engineer, Matt is representative of the highly experienced and credentialed Ideate team.

We are pleased to welcome the newest member of our expert team, Jesika DiGregorio, Support Intern. Jesika will be working in our Portland office reporting to Derek Wielkopolski, Support Manager. Jesika received her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Oregon in Eugene. During her time at the University she worked on construction of a student-designed structure, and her work experience has included Junior Designer and Intern Architect at Bassenian/Lagoni Architects and Brittell Architecture Inc.

Jesika prides herself on her attention to detail, her proficiency in hand drafting, rendering, and modeling skills, and her passion for architectural technology - a perfect fit the Ideate team!

Click here to learn how Ideate's flexible, responsive support can help you achieve your goals.

Revit Community - BIM and IPD Bring New Ways to Think About Teams

Are you using BIM or thinking about using IPD?

Our friends at Revit Community reviewed a recent webcast by Reed Construction Data. As Lauren Browne notes, the webcast makes clear that some believe a successful future will only exist for architects using these tools, processes and technology.

BIM and IPD Bring New Ways to Think About Teams

By Lauren Browne, ConnectPress Editor

Integrated Project Delivery (IPD): we hear a lot about this process but how many people are actually implementing projects with it? While building information modeling (BIM) technology seems to be used somewhat frequently in projects, IPD hasn’t caught on as fast. In a webcast, “Lessons in BIM Adoption: How Integrated Project Delivery Can Work,” by Reed Construction Data on February 25, 2010, Markku Allison, resource architect, American Institute of Architects; Robert M. Leicht, PhD, BIM manager, DPR Construction; and Scott Simpson, FAIA, LEED AP, senior director of Kling-Stubbins, addressed issues on BIM and IPD adoption, and how a successful future includes both.

View the complete article.
View the Reed webcast.

Bring BIM and IPD practices to your company today with Ideate, Inc.

NY Times - The Age of Concrete

Recently the New York Times had a fun op-ed piece on the world's tallest building, Dubai's Burj Khalifa. Most interesting to me was that "the compressive strength of concrete has tripled in the last four decades, allowing concrete structures to be thinner, lighter and far, far taller."

The Age of Concrete

At Ideate, we're experts on the CAD technology which can transform the design/build process. We're also fascinated by changes like this, and the profound impact on the built environment.

- Submitted by Glynnis Patterson, N.C.A.R.B., Director of Development Services
Glynnis is a Registered Architect and has been a consultant to the AEC industry since 1998. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, she has worked as an architect, educator and construction site manager. In 2002, she was invited to speak at the 2002 Autodesk Worldwide One Team Conference about the future of CAD in the AEC market. Glynnis is currently the Director of Development Services at Ideate, Inc. and continues to work with AEC clients across the nation, developing, and implementing best practices solutions.

Revit - Learn Online Now! Only $99

Ideate's Revit 201 series consists of online 90-minute classes on diverse Autodesk Revit topics, covering all disciplines. Each class is designed to give you specific, improved results in your use of Revit, helping you truly gain the benefits of this powerful tool. The professionals on our training staff understand your real world needs, and how Revit can help realize them.

Classes are delivered live and online. You can interact with the instructor right from your own office, while eliminating travel time. Because the class schedule rotates, you can easily select your topics of interest and choose the Tuesday which best meets your schedule.

"The instructor did a great job of stopping after each topic to ask for questions. It was helpful and more interactive."

—Boon Sramala, Rumsey Engineers

Revit 201 Class Offerings
The professionals on our training staff understand your real world needs, and how Revit can help realize them. Here is a sampling of the courses we developed with those needs in mind:

• Analysis for Master-Planning
• Collaborating Across Disciplines: Revit
• Architecture/Structure/MEP
• Conceptual Design Tools
• Converting Blocks to Families
• Getting Started with Presentations
• Leveraging Design Options
• Making Titleblocks and Drawing Lists

Our online Revit 201 classes are a great value at only $99! And all classes qualify for one AIA/CES Learning Unit.

For more information...
888.662.7238 x1012
education@ideateinc.com
Revit 201 Roster

PAE Consulting Engineers Wins Excellence Award

Ideate extends congratulations to client PAE Consulting Engineers who earned the ACEC Oregon Engineering Excellence “Project of the Year” for Shattuck Hall at Portland State.

We're proud to work with many of the firms recognized by the ACEC Oregon:

Interface Engineering
URS Corporation
CH2M Hill, Inc.
David Evans and Associates, Inc.
Degenkolb Engineers
Kramer-Gehlen & Associates, Inc.
West Yost Associates

Check the ACEC Oregon Winter 2010 Update for complete details on the recognized firms and projects.

Contact sales@ideateinc.com for more information on how we can help your business be excellent.

Promo: Save $1,500 off AutoCAD Civil 3D

Purchase a new seat of AutoCAD Civil 3D software before March 25 and receive a US$1,500 discount off SRP when purchased with one year of Autodesk Subscription.

Click here to learn more about the features of AutoCAD Civil 3D.

Contact your Ideate Account Manager today for details on pricing and the advantage of Autodesk Subscription: sales@ideateinc.com , 888.662.7238.

Autodesk Announcement - Download Replaces CDs/DVDs

Starting this month, software download will replace CDs and DVDs as the default method of delivering software upgrades to most Autodesk® Subscription customers worldwide.

If you would prefer to receive your software upgrade via CD/DVD instead of via download, you can set your delivery preference to “box” by signing in to Subscription Center and updating your profile prior to March 12, 2010.

After March 12, 2010 customers affected by this policy change can still request a CD/DVD by submitting a request in Subscription Center and Autodesk will ship a CD/DVD at no additional cost.

Software download gives Subscription customers immediate access to the latest Autodesk software. It’s more convenient than installing upgrades from a CD or DVD. And, it’s a more sustainable choice.

Additional information and a Customer FAQ can be found on the Subscription Software Download page. Or email sales@ideateinc.com.

Autodesk Impression: Free Squared - Get It, Learn It

Did you know that Autodesk Impression is available FREE to Autodesk Subscription customers for many Autodesk software products?

Impress your colleagues and clients with compelling presentation-ready graphics created directly from your DWG and DWF files. Autodesk Impression design presentation software is easy to use, saves you time, and recognizes data from your CAD files.

Get the download here...

Then join Ideate's Ron Palma for his AU2009 presentation on using Autodesk Impression. Register now for the free workshops:

Ideate Training Center, Fox Tower/Portland, March 11

Ideate Training Center, Columbia Center/Seattle, May 17

Free squared!

Autodesk Impression is only one of the many benefits of Autodesk Subscription. Contact sales@ideateinc.com today to learn more.

Portland: Rose Quarter Development Project

An exciting exercise in municipal, community and commercial engagement is taking place in Portland, Oregon.

After questions arose last year about the future of the Memorial Coliseum building, the Rose Quarter Development project was put together to determine the future of the building and the site. A community-supported Development Strategy for the Rose Quarter study area will include the types of land uses - such as entertainment, office, retail, etc. - and urban design.

The Rose Quarter Development Project team is composed of staff from Portland Development Commission, Portland Mayor's Office, Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and consultant firms of JLA Public Involvement, Ideate training and software client Boora Architects and EcoNorthwest. The PDC-led team taps a full range of expertise and talent from across city departments to shape and guide the project.

More than 95 different proposals were submitted for consideration. Ideate friend Josh Plager, AIA, Senior Technical Architect at KMD Architects submitted his proposal Light It Up and notes:

Check out www.bimwork.com for a showing of what you can do with Revit.

The Development Project has narrowed the concepts after a period of public input and review. Next steps? A meeting on Tuesday, March 9 of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC). And, this month, City Council will issue the Memorial Coliseum RFP and call for proposals for selected concepts!

Follow the progress at wwww.rosequarterdevelopment.org.

March 9: free workshop Civil 3D + LIDAR (Seattle)

Matt Miyamoto garnered great feedback for his AutoCAD Civil 3D and LIDAR presentation at AU 2009:

• speaker’s knowledge = 9.3 out of 10
  
• overall presentation = 8.7 out of 10
  
• recommend the speaker = 95%
  
• comments = “Outstanding job!” and “Well prepared presentation. This class was the best for content and presentation of material.”

To see what the excitement was about, join Matt in Seattle on March 9 at Ideate's downtown Authorized Training Center.
REGISTRATION LINK

Connecting the Dots: Creating AutoCAD® Civil 3D® Surfaces with LIDAR Data
Technological improvements continue to increase the availability of LIDAR data. However, we have not always had access to the tools necessary for taking advantage of these large data sets. With potentially millions of points, Civil 3D now provides us with a tool that we can use to take advantage of LIDAR data for our designs. In this workshop, Matt reviews some of the issues associated with LIDAR data, and goes over the tools available in Civil 3D that allow you to manage your data more efficiently and reduce drawing file size. See how Civil 3D allows us to connect the dots, creating surface models that we can use to develop layouts for master plans, flood boundaries for mapping and drainage analysis, and preliminary site design for permitting and earthwork estimations.

Primary software: AutoCAD Civil 3D.

Presented by Matt Miyamoto, P.E., Infrastructure Solutions Application Specialist, licensed Civil Engineer in the state of Hawaii. Matt received a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and has 7 years of private sector design experience which he applies in his role as an application specialist with Ideate, Inc. Miyamoto’s project experience includes residential and commercial site development, private and public sewer, water and drainage systems, harbors improvements, and roadway improvements. While in Hawaii, Matt was involved in multidisciplinary projects for City and County agencies, State Departments, the Army COE and private developers.

For current training courses led by Matt and the other pros at Ideate, check our Training calendar.

BIM for Contractors at AGC University

Ideate is proud to be a a professional associate member of the Oregon-Columbia Chapter of the AGC and an inaugural faculty member at the newly established AGC University.

AGC University has been created by the Oregon-Columbia Chapter of AGC with the specific purpose of providing quality, relevant courses designed to meet and exceed Oregon’s new continuing education requirements that become mandatory for Oregon commercial contractor licenses new or renewing after July 1, 2010.

Ideate's David Haynes will be presenting Beginning Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Contractors on March 11. Join David as he reviews trends in the construction industry regarding how buildings are built. This presentation will help contractors understand the roles, responsibilities, and rewards as part of the BIM and integrated project delivery process (IPD), and how to get started. This course is a must for all contractors, large, medium, and small. Learn how to win more work and have greater profit in those projects you build.

Click here for complete details on AGC University.

For information on industry solutions and practices that will improve your business today, contact sales@ideateinc.com

Ideate Congratulates 2010 BetterBricks Awards Winners & Finalists

The BetterBricks Awards celebrate the champions of high performance buildings. The Awards recognize architects, engineers, developers, building owners, building operators, facility managers and other building professionals for their support of high performance, commercial buildings with a special emphasis on energy efficiency in the Northwest. The 2010 Oregon/SW Washington BetterBricks Awards honored a total of 12 green building professionals.

Ideate extends sincere congratulations to our clients who were winners & finalists:

• Garrin Royer and Danny McGinley, Principals, Redside Development
• Dennis Cusack, Principal, SRG Partnership
• Lisa Petterson, Associate, SRG Partnership
• John Breshears, Principal, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects
• Bob Gulick, Principal, Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch
• Nick Collins, Principal, PAE Consulting Engineers
• Clark Brockman, Principal, SERA Architects
• Galen Ohmart, Solarc Architecture + Engineering
• Brian McCarthy, CMGS Landscape Architects
• Bob Packard, Gene Sandoval, Peter van der Meulen, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects
• James Thomas, Glumac

We're proud to work with such a distinguished group.

To learn about Ideate solutions for your business, contact sales@ideateinc.com.