Be Heard! AutoCAD Product Design and Usability Event

If you are located in the San Francisco, Sacramento or Seattle areas, you have a rare opportunity to test drive some new features that may appear in a future version of AutoCAD and give your feedback.

The AutoCAD User Experience team, in conjunction with Ideate, Inc. would like to invite you to join them for a sneak peek and test drive of a future version of AutoCAD. Members of the AutoCAD team will be there to introduce you to new and enhanced AutoCAD features.
Interested in attending an event in San Francisco, Sacramento or Seattle? Here’s what Autodesk is looking for:

• Day to day users of AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT
• Users proficient in 2D drafting
• Users familiar with or proficient in 3D modeling
• All levels – beginning to advanced

In a casual focus group style, the AutoCAD team wants to let you try out some in-progress features and ask for your input as they solidify their ideas for an upcoming release. They’ll include time at the end of the session for general feedback and they’ll be happy to discuss any issues or wish list items with you at that time. Your input is critical in shaping the future of AutoCAD and the AutoCAD team depends on and values your ideas. After this session the design team will make key decisions based on your input.

Seats are limited, so please take this brief survey so we know your user profile.

Questions? Contact Melissa.Dawe@autodesk.com.

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Training Highlight: Civil 3D Fundamentals

Ideate offers a hands-on, foundation level course covering the essentials of AutoCAD Civil 3D.

> Students learn how to work with point data in AutoCAD Civil 3D, how to create and analyze surfaces, how to develop a site, how to model roads, corridors and pipe networks, how to work with survey data and how to import and export data. Hands-on exercises throughout the course explore creation of 2Dand 3D production drawings.

Click to read complete course description or check upcoming class dates.

Courses are taught by Ideate Infrastructure Applicantion Specialists, Gaurav Bagga and Matt Miyamoto. Both Gaurav and Matt are Autodesk Civil 3D 2011 Certified Professionals.

In addition to having a degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Construction Management, Gaurav has over 13 years of experience in the construction industry including 7 years with Ideate as an Autodesk Certified Instructor and Autodesk Civil 3D Implementation Certified Expert. During his tenure at Ideate, Gaurav has presented and taught at several conferences and CAD Camps. He has also taught and supported hundreds of students in Civil 3D and Land Desktop, has developed Ideate's custom Civil 3D curriculum and has helped over a dozen small, medium and ENR 500 engineering, surveying and planning firms successfully complete Civil 3D pilot projects.


Matt is a licensed Civil Engineer in the state of Hawaii. Matt obtained 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. His 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

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Get Certified

Ideate is not only an Authorized Training Center, we also do Autodesk Product Certification Exams. What are those?

Autodesk Certifications are a reliable validation of your skills and knowledge, and can lead to accelerated professional development, improved productivity, and enhanced credibility for you and your employer.

> Gain an industry recognized credential that proves your skill level
> Use the Autodesk Certified logo
> Display your Autodesk Certified certificate
> List your name in the Autodesk Certified Professionals database

The 2011 Autodesk Professional Certification Exams are now available for:

• AutoCAD
  
• Autodesk Inventor
  
• Autodesk Civil 3D
  
• Autodesk Revit Architecture
  
• Autodesk 3ds Max Design
  
• AutoCAD Professional
  
• Autodesk 3ds Max Design Professional
  
• Autodesk Revit Architecture Professional Metric

The 2011 Autodesk offerings include Associate and Professional level exams, along with improved assessment tests that more closely align to certification objectives. The Exam Preparation roadmaps are posted on the Autodesk Certification website at www.autodesk.com/certification. Be sure to read before you test - preparation is critical for success!

We're pleased that the Ideate Tech Experts all did their prep well. Congrats to our team:

Revit Architecture 2011 Certified Professional
Cesar Escalante
David Haynes
Jesika DiGregorio
Ron Palma
Shruti Harve
Teresa Martin

AutoCAD 2011 Certified Professional
Jesika DiGregorio

Autodesk Civil 3D 2011 Certified Professional
Gaurav Bagga
Matt Miyamoto

Learn more about certification here. And check out our Autodesk courses, taught the by the Ideate Tech Experts.

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How to Save on Autodesk Subscription

Did you know that financing is available for your Autodesk Subscription purchase?

In current economic conditions, we're all looking for ways to spend smart. Ideate customers can take advantage of two ways to save money or preserve cash when renewing Autodesk subscription contracts. Good financing rates are available right now, which allow you to hold on to cash longer, or you can take advantage of up to 10% discount when renewing for longer term.

Contact sales@ideateinc.com to learn more about financing with our partner U.S. Bank.



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EVENT: Rapid Energy Modeling for Renovation and Retrofit (Sept 9, San Francisco)

Join Ideate, and special guest speaker William Spier of Autodesk, to learn about Rapid Energy Modeling for Renovation and Retrofit.

Comprehensive building performance analysis, and the implementation of energy savings projects, can create daunting tasks. Yet, the renovation and retrofitting of existing buildings also represents one of the fastest, most cost-effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emission, as experts worldwide agree that buildings are the biggest source of emissions and energy consumption around the globe.

Fortunately, new technologies are now in existence that help make this once time consuming prospect manageable, compared with extant traditional, analytical and more abstract analyses methods. For example, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an integrated process for exploring a project’s key physical and functional characteristics digitally – before it is built. The coordinated, consistent 3D information used throughout the BIM process allows architects, engineers, contractors, and owners to see what their design will look like and how it will perform, all prior to construction. When applied to existing buildings, purpose-built existing condition data capture and BIM solutions help to capture the building geometry and characteristics needed to rapidly test various aspects of energy performance analysis.

As the countries across the globe retool in reaction to a challenging year, forward-thinking engineers and designers are now presented with a tremendous opportunity to emerge as leaders in terms of helping to improve the performance and sustainability of existing and new buildings.

Who Should Attend: MEP engineers and designers

About the Presenter: Ideate is pleased to welcome William Spier, an MEP Technical Specialist with Autodesk. He got his start as a plumbing designer with a consulting engineering firm in Seattle, where he worked on a high-end, national department store chain account. During his sixteen years in the industry, he has gained experience doing power and lighting, HVAC, as well as architectural design. William has worked in several disciplines within the AEC industry, including O&M design work on a major pharmaceutical account for Johnson Controls, Inc., as well as plumbing and piping design coordination for a major mechanical contractor in Kansas City where he also currently resides.

REGISTER ONLINE
**Pre-registration required. We’ll have your seat reserved and lunch ready.**

Date: September 9, 2010
Location: 44 Montgomery, Conference Center A, San Francisco
Time: 11:30am to 1:30pm PT. Lunch provided by Ideate, Inc.
Information: Email Moe Kress or call 888.662.7238 x4151

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Promotion: Training Vouchers from Autodesk

From now through October 31, 2010, customers who purchase qualifying Autodesk AEC software and purchase and complete qualifying training or implementation services from Ideate, Inc. are eligible for a voucher to be applied toward training and/or implementation services.

Voucher amounts vary depending upon qualifying purchase:

- Customers who purchase 1-5 new licenses or upgrades are eligible for $200 per license purchased to be applied toward training and/or implementation services.
- Customers who purchase six or more new licenses or upgrades are eligible for $300 per license purchased to be applied toward training and/or implementation services.

Download this flyer for promotion details as well as the list of qualifying AEC products.

For complete terms and conditions, contact sales@ideateinc.com

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Spotlight: Top Structural & Architecture Firms

Stagnito Media has published the annual Top Firms lists, the top performing architectural and structural engineering companies. Ideate is pleased to congratulate our AEC clients who were highlighted.

Architecture

HOK
Smith Group
KMD Architects
MulvannyG2 Architecture
Perkowitz+Ruth Architects

Structural Engineering

T.Y. Lin International
Degenkolb Engineers
Magnusson Klemencic Associates

Contact sales@ideateinc.com to learn how Ideate can help your business perform.

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EVENT: Sacramento Revit User Group (September 2, Sacramento)

Share and Learn

Enough about us, tell us about you! This meeting will be an open forum about Autodesk Revit. Whether a beginner or advanced user, or just curious about Revit, please join us to trade questions and ideas. Come prepared to be actively involved in the discussion, exchanging your knowledge and experience with real-life building projects. Bring your best Revit tips, tricks and practices to share with the group.

Ideate Tech Expert Teresa Martin will be on-hand to moderate the discussion, but remember – this is your chance to put the “U” in User Group.

Who Should Attend: Architects, engineers, contractors and project managers committed to the quality of your User Group.

About the Moderator: Teresa Martin, Ideate AEC Solutions Application Specialist, is a graduate of Cornell University and has over 20 years experience in the architectural and construction industry. She has spent her career pursuing her interest in 3D modeling and computer-aided-design having worked alternately as a designer, project manager, CAD manager, 3D modeler and educator. Teresa currently develops curriculum and customized content as an Autodesk Architectural Desktop Certified Expert and Revit Implementation Expert. As a leading Revit trainer for over 5 years, Teresa brings her real-world experience to the classroom and user groups.

REGISTER ONLINE
**Pre-registration required. We’ll have your seat reserved and lunch ready.**
Date: September 2, 2010
Location: AIA Central Valley, 1400 S Street, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95814
Time: 11:30am to 1:30pm
Information: Email Abigayle Campos or call 916.868.6102

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Customer Innovation Showcase

BIM technology is transforming the concept of the construction drawing and taking customer presentations to a whole new level. Renderings now vie with elevations while cut-away isometrics compete with 2D details.

Ideate salutes our customers who are leading the way with innovative design and documentation methods. These firms have met the BIM challenge head-on and have transformed their documentation and presentation methods to make the most of the advances BIM affords.

Do you have a great design that you’d like featured on our Customer Innovation Showcase?

Ideate is seeking architectural and civil engineering firms to feature in our quarterly Solutions catalog and Customer Innovation Showcase. We are looking for a wide-range of projects complete or in-progress. To be considered for the Showcase send the following information to marketing@ideateinc.com:

• 2D or 3D image created using Civil 3D or Revit software (low-res for submissions, hi-res files will be requested if your project is chosen). Renderings and/or working drawing images are equally sought.
• Short statement about your firm’s use of BIM and how it has impacted your business, construction documentation process, coordination efforts, or customer communication.

Ideate will be selecting no more than (3) applicants to feature each quarter so don’t miss out on this great opportunity to market your firm’s BIM prowess!

Image courtesy TLCD Architecture. To learn all about TLCD Architecture's adoption of BIM, click here.

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New eLearning Course: Network License Manager 101

Network License Manager 101
The Autodesk Network License offers users a more flexible licensing environment than the standalone license. This class will teach you how to successfully install and configure the Autodesk Network License Manager from start to finish. Topics include, obtaining a license file, license manager setup, product installation and configuration, and troubleshooting.

About the Instructor
Derek Wielkopolski – Technical Support Manager/Application Specialist
Derek holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Roger Williams University, Rhode Island. He is experienced working within the AEC industry from concept design through construction administration for both small and large scale projects. As Ideate’s Support Manager he ensures a timely and quality response to support requests and questions.

LOCATION: Online

DURATION: August 24th, 2010 11:30am - 1:00pm PST

PRICE: $99 (Free for Ideate Premium Support Contract clients)

INFORMATION/REGISTRATION: Register online or call 888.662.7238 x1012.

Click here to learn about all of the Ideate eLearning courses - professional, convenient, relevant.

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Autodesk Survey Launching Soon

Ideate Clients,

We want to hear what you think of Ideate and Autodesk’s products and services! In the coming weeks, you might be asked by Autodesk to share your thoughts and suggestions by taking a brief survey. I encourage everyone to participate - it is a great way to provide feedback for Ideate, as well as Autodesk. I want to know what we do really well, and where we could use some work. Remember, the more detailed the feedback, the better products and services we can provide.

Thanks,

Derek Wielkopolski
Ideate Support Manager

How About 22+ Hours of Revit Training - for only $700!

Autodesk Revit – You purchased it, do you know it well enough to use it? How about a few hours of convenient, interactive learning?

How About 22+ Hours Training - for only $700?
Not only do you amplify your skills, you also earn continuing education credits. What if all that came with a year’s worth of technical support?

• Live, online, interactive learning delivered to your own computer
• 1.5 hour sessions minimize time away from your current projects
• Earn up to 15 continuing education credits

Courses include:

• Revit Architecture 2011 Update
• Conceptual Design Tools in Revit
• Worksharing Best Practices in Revit
• For a complete list of topics, and schedule, click here

How to get started?
Sign up for Ideate Premium Support! You'll not only receive more than 22 hours of online training, you'll have access to the excellent Ideate Support team and the Ideate Explorer for Revit tool.

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Know It
Contact Your Ideate Account Manager to sign up for Ideate Premium Support today: 888.662.7238, sales@ideateinc.com.

Mastering Revit Architecture 2011: Teresa Martin on Shared Coordinates

We really like the newly released Autodesk Official Training Guide Mastering Revit Architecture 2011 by Eddy Krygiel, Phil Read and James Vandezande.

And, we're especially pleased to see that our own Ideate Tech Expert Teresa Martin is quoted in the Shared Positioning description:

In the collaborative process of sharing information via linked models, the coordinated positioning of each model is of paramount importance. Agreement on a common coordinate system and origin must be included in every project's BIM execution plan to ensure accuracy. This section will help you develop a fundamental understanding of the coordinate systems within Revit so you can configure and manage them in your projects. For a more complete history of coordinate systems and various examples of using them within Revit, we recommend the following class material from Autodesk University 2009, available at http://au.autodesk.com/:

• AB118-3 Finding Your Way Around Shared Coordinates, By Teresa Martin, Ideate Inc.

• AB9114-1 Autodesk Revit Collaboration: Shared Coordinates for Projects Big and Small, By Steve Stafford, AEC Advantage, Inc.There are two coordinate systems in a Revit project:project internal and shared. Each system has essential features and limitations.

Project Internal Every Revit project has an internal coordinate system referred to in several places as Project. You can find this reference in the type properties of datum measuring objects such as levels and spot coordinates as well as in the settings for exporting CAD files. The project coordinate system cannot be changed and your model should be constructed within a one mile radius of the project origin. The true origin in Revit is referred to as the Project Start Up Point and the Project Base Point can be reset to this point by setting it to unclipped, rightclicking on the icon and selecting Move To Start Up Location.

A complementary component of the project internal coordinate system is the view orientation of Project North. This setting is the default and can be found in the View Properties of any plan. We strongly recommend that your model is created in an orthogonal relationship to project north or as you expect the plans to be oriented on a typical sheet. Your project's actual relation to True North will be established via shared coordinates.

Shared Coordinates According to Ideate's Teresa Martin, "shared coordinates are simply a way for the project team to utilize the same definitive work point." In other words, the shared coordinate system consists of a single origin and true north orientation which can be synchronized between models and even AutoCAD drawings.

- Excerpted with kind permission from author James Vandezande

For the ultimate real-world reference for Revit Architecture, pick up your copy of Mastering Autodesk Revit Architecture 2011.

To learn more about Revit from the Ideate Tech Experts, join Ideate Training.

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Green Building Studio: What is it? How do you get it and use it?

What is Autodesk Green Building Studio?
This innovative web-based energy analysis service can help architects and designers perform whole building analysis, optimize energy efficiency, and work toward carbon neutrality earlier in the design process.

With faster, more accurate energy analysis of building design proposals, architects and designers can work with sustainability in mind earlier in the process, plan proactively, and build better.

• Whole building energy analysis software — Determine virtual building’s total energy use and carbon footprint
• Design alternatives analysis — Consider alternatives to improve energy efficiency
• Detailed weather analysis — Extensive weather data available for project site
• Carbon emission reporting — Emissions reporting for nearly all aspects of the building
• Daylighting — Qualification for LEED® daylighting credit
• Water usage and costs — Estimated water use, in and outside building
• ENERGY STAR® scoring — Scores provided for each design
• Natural ventilation potential — Summarizes mechanical cooling required and estimates hours design could use outdoor air to cool the building naturally

Are you entitled to Autodesk Green Building Studio?
The web service is a benefit available to customers that have any of the following products on Autodesk Subscription:

• Autodesk Revit Architecture
• AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite
• AutoCAD Revit Architecture Visualization Suite
• AutoCAD Revit MEP Suite
• Autodesk Ecotect Analysis
• AutoCAD MEP
• AutoCAD Architecture

Read Questions and Answers for Autodesk Green Building Studio Subscription Entitlement to learn more about getting your copy.

How do you use Green Building Studio?
Our Green BIM Basics [i] course is an introduction to the use of BIM tools for creating sustainable and ultimately carbon neutral designs. The focus of the class is on creation of quick models for energy and lighting analysis utilizing Revit, Green Building Studio, and 3ds Max Design software. You will learn how to combine BIM and various analysis tools to create collaborative and sustainable designs throughout the entire building lifecycle. Learn easy ways to create quick study models, integrate LEED tracking and lighting simulations into their preliminary designs. And this class qualifies for Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) credits!

[i] When you see this symbol, it indicates content developed by the Ideate Tech Experts, exclusive to Ideate, Inc. Follow these links for detailed course description and registration info.

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Subscription Tips: Tutorials, Free Revit Tool

You’ve purchased your Autodesk software on subscription, now it’s time to take full advantage of the many benefits. Exclusive, member-only benefits are just a mouse click away.

Visit the Ideate Subscription Support page to see new Subscription Tutorials, which will help you access your Subscription Benefits, manage your contract, and set up access for end users.

Setting Up Your Subscription Account
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3... The Subscription Center Account Set Up is a one-time process that takes only a few minutes to complete.

Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Setting Up and Modifying User Accounts
Learn how to setup a new user, give them access to benefits and modify their account settings.

Using the Contract Administration Tools
Access reports that include complete contract information, and learn how to manage software coordinators and software groups.

In addition, you can view items prepared by the Ideate Tech Experts to guide you through the specifics of requesting a physical software copy for backup.

Subscription Center: Change Product Delivery Method from Download to DVD (video)

Subscription Center: Request Product DVD/CD (pdf)

Get Your Free Download of Ideate Explorer for Revit
If you are an Ideate Subscription customer, you receive the benefit of this easy, intuitive and profound way to search, quantify and select elements in a Revit model - for FREE! Contact software@ideateinc.com to learn more.

Autodesk Subscription
Lower costs. More flexibility. Priority support.
(Haven't purchased Autodesk Subscription yet? Contact sales@ideateinc.com or click here to learn more about the benefits of Autodesk Subscription.)

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