Adaptive Components in Revit 2012 – Where Did They Go?

Revit 2010 introduced new conceptual mass modeling tools to create “free flow” lofted, and extruded shapes and the ability to work with Level Lines and Reference Planes in a 3D environment. But the fact of the matter was, that it was limited to conceptual design.

Last year’s release of Revit (Revit 2011), introduced a new family template called an adaptive component. This family template allowed users to create a new family type that was not a conceptual mass, but could be embedded into a conceptual mass, or an in-place mass. It was still considered a conceptual design family, but if you wanted to report it as another Revit category type such as furniture, site objects, or plumbing fixtures, it HAD to be imported into an in-place mass.

This year’s release of Revit (Revit 2012) the adaptive component is gone. They took it out of the program... actually, it has really been re-designated as a Generic Model Adaptive family. This new family type give you the unique modeling format found only in the conceptual mass template with the same type of lofting toolset. The advantage this year though is that we can change the category the family is assigned to through the Family Category and Parameters tool. So the ability of creating very unique families with free flowing curves and shapes, such as sofas, toilets, and curtains, can now be created using this new template.

I know a few customers who will be ecstatic about this! Have fun modeling!

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2012 releases for AutoCAD, Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2012

Ron Palma
AEC Solutions Application Specialist
Ron has 23+ years of experience in the AEC industry as a designer, lead project designer, trainer and CAD manager. His instructional background includes Autodesk Certified Instructor, trainer, support technician, educator at Portland Community College and Clackamas Community College, and a U.S. Army certified instructor. Follow Ron @RonPalmaAEC.

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eLearning – Upcoming Classes

Join the Ideate Tech Experts for eLearning - live online classes that provide your entire organization with easy access to premium education.

Upcoming classes include:

5.3.11::Revit 201: Conceptual Design
5.9.11::Civil 3D 201: Civil 3D for Beginners
5.10.11::Revit 201: Making Title Blocks

Each class is designed to give you specific, improved results in a particular topic. 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 day which best meets your schedule.

Click here for class descriptions, times and registration link. Questions? Contact education@ideateinc.com

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Digging a Little Deeper: Other Features to Check Out in Navisworks 2012

A number of new features have been included in Navisworks 2012. Some of these features have already been mentioned in our roll out blogs and YouTube videos. One new feature I believe is worth taking a look at is the incorporation of the Project Browser in Navisworks 2012. This enables the user to view sheets, details, sections and elevations from an exported Revit model in Navisworks. It also allows user to search through the views for a particular part or piece of geometry.

First, you need to start with a Revit model and export to a DWFx file via the application menu. The next step is to select All views and sheets in the Model from the “Show in list” on the Views/Sheets tab.

Revit will prompt you to save the DWFx file to a specified location. Now, you can load the DWFx into Navisworks 2012 and utilize the Project Browser.





Once I am in Navisworks, if I select the door in the model, I can utilize the Project Browser to view all the sheets and views where the door appears. To access the Project Browser, you can go to the View Tab>Windows Panel and turn on the Project Browser window by selecting it in the list. As you can see, the views from the Revit Model appear in the browser (3D Views, Area Plans, etc.). Now, I have selected a door in the model as shown below. If I right click on the door, I can choose Find Item in Other Sheets and Models from the right click menu options.



Navisworks will open the Find Item in Other Sheets and Models dialog box, allowing me to click through the other views where the object appears. Navisworks will also allow me to utilize the revision and tagging tools to add notes and comments to the views!


As an additional bonus, when elements are selected from the selection tree, their properties will show up in the Properties window, just like anywhere else in the model. For cost estimators, VDC managers and field coordinators, this little tool can provide immense benefits!

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2012 releases for Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, AutoCAD and more: ideateinc.com/2012

Teresa Martin
AEC Solutions Application Specialist
Teresa 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 Revit Implementation Expert. As a trainer in Revit, Navisworks, and Ecotect, Teresa brings her real-world experience to the classroom.

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New Features for Ideate BIMLink 2011 and the Inside Scoop on Version 2012

We’re excited to release a new iteration of Ideate BIMLink 2011 today (2011.3 officially) which has several new features and fixes, most of which came from user requests and input.

New 2011.3 Features:

Generic Annotations: We’ve added support for General Annotation objects. Thanks to our valued AEC users for this request! Why would you care? Generic Annotations can be used in many different ways. Generic Annotations are often scheduled via Note Blocks for use as Demo Notes, Construction, and Renovation Notes but are also used in many creative ways to manage other data that needs to be in the model. Now with Ideate BIMLink you can edit the related text notes quickly in Excel and push the data back into your model. (Ryan Duell has a nice post and video on how to use Note Blocks.)

Swap Materials: Material parameter values are no longer read-only and can be imported if the value matches that of an existing material in the Revit project. Why would you care? If you are managing lots of custom FFE content and including material-based parameters, then this new feature will be a tremendous timesaver. Here’s a quick screencast demonstrating this functionality. Note that in addition to letting you Swap Materials, Ideate BIMLink also gives you access to all the Materials themselves so they can be quickly renamed to assist with project organization.

New 2011.3 Improvements:

• Material parameters now display as the material name instead of the associated element id.
• Material parameter values are no longer read-only and can be imported if the value matches that of an existing material in the Revit project.
• Schedule key parameters now display as the schedule key value instead of the associated element id.
• When previewing an import, the Excel cell is now reported for all Import Issues.
• Import now treats the empty value ("" or 0) and the 'null' value as different values when importing parameters. Groups that contain objects that are not being edited by Ideate BIMLink will no longer report that they are being changed. Thanks to our valued users for reporting this issue.
• Shared and Project Parameters now report for Materials. Thanks to our partners in Australia, AEC Systems for bringing this one to light.

And lastly, regarding the Ideate BIMLink and Ideate Explorer 2012, we’ll be posting soon to let you know what we’re planning but in the mean time, we’ve launched a new support page where you can log a feature request online. For now, I’ll only say that we are removing the requirement for having the Extensions Manager installed for the 2012 version. Let us know what you’d like to see in the upcoming versions of Ideate BIMLink and Ideate Explorer!

You can find more information about Ideate BIMLink and how it is being used by following us on: Twitter, this blog, YouTube and of course Ideate’s BIMLink website at ideatebimlink.com. In addition, don’t forget to download Ideate Explorer to further enhance your Revit BIM experience; ideateexplorer.com.

Classroom Training - Open Classes + $200 Off Training with Ideate

Know It. Ideate Training.

Position yourself to land dream projects. Tap the full potential of your software solutions. Increase your facility, fluidity and capability to maximize the value of your precision software tools.

Here are a few of the training opportunities Ideate has to offer in the coming days:

4.27-29::San Jose
AutoCAD Fundamentals
5.2-4::Portland
Revit MEP Electrical Fundamentals
5.3-5::Sacramento
Revit MEP Mechanical and Plumbing Fundamentals
5.4-6::San Francisco
AutoCAD Fundamentals

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Ideate subscription clients who have or renew their Autodesk software subscriptions are eligible to save $200 on training on one Fundamentals or Advanced class. Training must be purchased by 7.31.2011. Course must be completed by 12.16.2011. Read all the details here.

New in Revit 2012: Round Function in Formulas

My name is Cesar Escalante, Application Specialist at Ideate, and I am excited to continue sharing with you the new features in Revit 2012. In previous version of Revit, designers struggled to find a consistent way to round up or round down numerical values in a schedule calculation or family parameter, and some of the approaches to work around the issue included conditional formulas that proved inaccurate or resulted in inconsistent units. For example, the popular ‘Occupancy Load’ formula (Area / Occupant Load Factor QA) / 1' ^ 2) + 0.49 produces an incorrect value if the calculation is out to more than 2 decimals.

The good news is that Revit 2012 now includes the ROUND function that allows to return a number value rounded to a whole number. The formula can be plugged in a parameter value or in a calculated value. This will facilitate the calculation of Occupancy Load, Room Area or riser heights.

The three new functions are:

ROUND (x):
Returns a value rounded nearest to the whole number. ROUNDUP (x):
Return a value rounded to the consecutive largest integer. ROUNDDOWN(x):
Return a value rounded to the consecutive smallest integer.

The following table illustrates the rounding results of these formulas:



Rounded values can be added as grand totals in schedules. Stay tuned for more exciting features of the new Revit release.

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2012 releases for AutoCAD, Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2012


Cesar Escalante, AIA, LEED AP, CCCA
AEC Solutions Application Specialist
Cesar has a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Central America in El Salvador, a Master of Architecture from the University of Texas, and is a CCCA (Certified Construction Contract Administrator). His experience includes roles as Project Manager and Project Captain at architecture firms in Oakland, California. As a member of the Ideate Tech Expert team, Cesar teaches Revit Architecture Fundamentals and provides client support and consulting. Cesar’s interest in the built environment includes his work as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.

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That's a Good Question – AutoCAD 2012 Content Explorer

The Ideate Tech Team has been busy over here holding our weekly 2012 What’s New webinar events. Last week in my AutoCAD 2012 event I highlighted the new Content Explorer for AutoCAD. The Content Explorer is an easy to use interface which allows you to search .dwg files for content such as blocks, layers, layouts, even text and dim styles; and easily add them to your current drawing by dragging and dropping. Take a look at my previous posts introducing Content Explorer for more information.

AutoCAD 2012: New Content Explorer

AutoCAD 2012: Video - New Content Explorer

During the presentation a really good question came up, and I thought it would be a great post to share.

How do I add a network folder as a watched folder in the new Content Explorer?

Adding local folders to the Content Explorer is easy, you simply click Add Watched Folder, browse to a folder on your computer, and AutoCAD automatically indexes the contents. However, adding a folder from a network location requires a couple more steps.

First, you need to install the Autodesk Content Service on the network computer that will be sharing the network folder. Remember, only shared folders can be accessed through the Content Service. To do this, you’ll need to launch the installation DVD or download. On the first setup screen select Install Tools and Utilities. Check Content Service.




After the Content Service utility has been installed launch the application by clicking the Autodesk Content Service Administration Console icon on the desktop. Once in the Console click Add Watched Folder and browse to the folders you want to add; depending on the size of the folders it could take several minutes to index the contents. Once completed this folder will be “seen” by all other computers with AutoCAD 2012 or with the Content Service installed.



Now on the workstation launch AutoCAD and the Content Explorer in the Plug-ins tab. Click the Configure Settings button in the lower right corner. In Configure Settings click Add Network Content and type the name of the computer or server with the shared content folder and Content Service. Once the entire folder is found it’ll be visible under Content Sources.





Clicking the Source button on the Content Explorer palette will toggle between the local content, Autodesk Seek, and the network content we just added.



Now you can search local and network content within AutoCAD in a single interface saving time instead of hunting through a myriad of folders in Windows Explorer.

Autodesk Exchange also has a great video describing the same process under the Getting Started Videos and is available here.

I hope you found this helpful, and if you’re interested in more new AutoCAD 2012 features register for my next webinar session.

I also recommend looking at our other Autodesk 2012 What’s New posts, take a look.

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. Follow Derek on Twitter: @dwielk

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eLearning – Upcoming Classes

Join the Ideate Tech Experts for eLearning - live online classes that provide your entire organization with easy access to premium education.

Upcoming classes include:

4.26.11::Civil 3D 201: Working with Lidar in Civil 3D
4.26.11::Revit 201: Revit Architecture 2012 Update

Each class is designed to give you specific, improved results in a particular topic. 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 day which best meets your schedule.

Click here for class descriptions, times and registration link. Questions? Contact education@ideateinc.com

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Webinar: Autodesk Revit Structure 2012 – New Features and More!

Autodesk® Revit® Structure software is the purpose-built Building Information Modeling (BIM) solution for structural engineering firms, providing specific tools for structural design and analysis.

Join this live webinar hosted by Ideate’s Shruti Harve to see firsthand some of the new features and use cases for Autodesk Revit Structure 2012.

• BIM Workflow
• Collaboration and Performance
• Enhance Productivity

Who Should Attend
Individuals and firms new to Autodesk Revit Structure solutions and seasoned Ideate clients are encouraged to attend.

When
April 28, 2011 – 8:00 - 9:00 am PT

Register Now!

Shruti Harve,

LEED AP, AEC Solutions Application Specialist
Shruti holds a Master of Science degree in Architectural Computing from University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom and is LEED accredited. Her experience includes working in Architecture and Construction firms in India and the United Kingdom as well as Structural Engineering firms in the Bay Area providing design, 3D modeling and drafting services. At Ideate, Shruti provides training and support for Revit Architecture, Revit Structure, 3ds Max, Ecotect and AutoCAD Architecture.

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Classroom Training - Open Classes + $200 Off Training with Ideate

Know It. Ideate Training.

Position yourself to land dream projects. Tap the full potential of your software solutions. Increase your facility, fluidity and capability to maximize the value of your precision software tools.

Here are a few of the training opportunities Ideate has to offer in the coming days:

4.21::San Francisco
Revit Architecture for Project Managers Workshop
4.26-28::San Jose
Revit MEP Mechanical and Plumbing Fundamentals
4.26-28::Seattle
Revit Architecture Fundamentals
4.27-29::San Jose
AutoCAD Fundamentals

Know your software. Sign up now!

Know It. Savings.

Ideate subscription clients who have or renew their Autodesk software subscriptions are eligible to save $200 on training on one Fundamentals or Advanced class. Training must be purchased by 7.31.2011. Course must be completed by 12.16.2011. Read all the details here.

Working With Callouts in Revit

When working with the default Revit templates and creating a Detail callout a number of different “Types” are available in the Type Selector. The types available vary depending upon the view you are creating the callout in. If you are starting in a floor plan view, then the two types available are the “Floor Plan” and “Detail” types. If you start in a section view, there are three types available: “Building Section,” “Wall Section,” and “Detail.” If you are starting in an Elevation, three types are available: “Building Elevation,” “Interior Elevation,” and “Detail.” The only difference between all of these different types is where the view is saved in the Project Browser. The “Detail” types get saved in the Detail Views category whether it was created in a floor plan, section, or elevation view. The other types such as Floor Plan are saved to their appropriate locations, in this case the Floor Plans category.

If you created the callout and the view gets saved in the wrong category, you can select the Callout object and change its type through the Type selector, what this does is move the view from the one location to the desired location.

Ron Palma
AEC Solutions Application Specialist
Ron has 23+ years of experience in the AEC industry as a designer, lead project designer, trainer and CAD manager. His instructional background includes Autodesk Certified Instructor, trainer, support technician, educator at Portland Community College and Clackamas Community College, and a U.S. Army certified instructor. Follow Ron @RonPalmaAEC.

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Real ROI for Revit Projects - Ideate BIMLink Survey Results

We’ve just completed an exhaustive survey of our Ideate BIMLink user-base and thought we’d share a few of the findings. First and foremost, we want to extend a big thank you to all who participated. We had respondents from across the globe share information on how they are using Ideate BIMLink. The winner of our drawing for the iPod Touch is Aida Staugaard of HOK in Los Angeles – Congratulations Aida and thanks for the great input!

In many respects the survey helped us validate the value of the product features and ease of use. To whit, the respondents who:

• Found Ideate BIMLink easy to use = 87%
• Are using Ideate BIMLink to manage sheet-based data 6x or more per project = 34%
• Are using Ideate BIMLink to manage room based data = 93%
• Are using Ideate BIMLink to manage Furniture, Fixtures or Equipment Families = 72%, and Doors = 83%

It’s interesting to note that the ROI for editing the Sheet-based data alone was easily 20hrs per project saved x minimum of 50 projects per year. If one assumes a burdened hourly salary of $65/hr the annual savings for just editing sheet data would be $65,000 in the first year!

What was most interesting to us was to learn about the unique ways in which our customers are using Ideate BIMLink today. Here’s a brief sampling

• Sun Shades (Generic Models) pushing heat transfer and sightline data from Excel into Revit objects
• Managing Large Volumes of Custom Sheet-based Data several customers are managing 10+ custom parameters per sheet. For a 100-sheet project that’s 1000 pieces of data to manage for each issued set (and lot of painful editing!)
• Restoring Lost Key Schedule Data after mistakenly deleting a Key Schedule, Ideate BIMLink was used to reconnect the Room Ids with the appropriate values for over 10 parameters x 100s of rooms in a matter of seconds preventing hours of lost time.
• Solar Panel Data the shaded areas are being represented on the facades with Filled Regions. Ideate BIMLink is used to export the areas of all these regions for further calculations
• Hospital Equipment producing data-rich BIM documents for hospitals is the only way to stay competitive. Ideate BIMLink is helping many of our customers populate reams of parameter data on a variety of families.
• Lighting Fixtures a lighting manufacturer is using BIMLink to manage a catalog of light fixture data across several product lines

We appreciate everyone’s input and look forward to implementing many of your suggestions into our next release. Share your suggestions with Ideate Software online.

Glynnis Patterson,
N.C.A.R.B. – Director of Services
Glynnis is a Registered Architect and has worked within the BIM industry since 1998. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, she has worked as an architect, educator and construction site manager. 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. In her spare time Glynnis is a member of the Morristown Environmental Commission and builds Lego projects.

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Performance Diagnostics Tools for Revit Architecture

Recently we had a question come through support if there was some type of diagnostics tool available to judge the performance of Revit. Well, there are several internal tools available for determining performance.

1. Review of Warnings.

• In Revit Architecture 2010, they are located in Modify Tab>Inquiry Panel>Warnings. Excessive warnings slow project performance.
• In Revit Architecture 2011, they are located in Manage Tab>Inquiry Panel>Warnings. Excessive warnings slow project performance.

2. In Autodesk Subscription Center>Access Your Subscription Benefits>Product Enhancements, there is a program called Autodesk Revit Model Review.

• For Revit Architecture 2010, is included as part of the “Subscription Advantage Pack for Autodesk Revit Architecture 2010” package in the subscription center.


• For Revit Architecture 2011, it is a separately downloadable file named: Autodesk Revit Model Review 2011.

3. Additionally, Ideate provides a service called “Revit Health Check.” This provides a detailed analysis of the model, what can be done with the model to make it run better, and best practices moving forward to the next project. Please contact Sales (888.662.7238) for further information.

Additionally there are a number of resources on the web that list specs for your hardware, reviews of hardware, and recommendations for configuring your hardware for use with Revit.


Ron Palma
AEC Solutions Application Specialist
Ron has 23+ years of experience in the AEC industry as a designer, lead project designer, trainer and CAD manager. His instructional background includes Autodesk Certified Instructor, trainer, support technician, educator at Portland Community College and Clackamas Community College, and a U.S. Army certified instructor. Follow Ron @RonPalmaAEC.

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Join the Ideate Tech Experts for eLearning - live online classes that provide your entire organization with easy access to premium education.

Upcoming classes include:

4.18.11::Navisworks 201: Clash Detection
4.26.11::Revit 201: Revit Architecture 2012 Update

Each class is designed to give you specific, improved results in a particular topic. 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 day which best meets your schedule.

Click here for class descriptions, times and registration link. Questions? Contact education@ideateinc.com

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Webinar: Autodesk Revit Architecture 2012 – New Features and More!

Built for Building Information Modeling (BIM), Autodesk® Revit® Architecture software helps you to capture and analyze design concepts, and more accurately maintain your vision through design, documentation, and construction.

Join this live webinar hosted by Ideate’s Ron Palma to see firsthand some of the new features and use cases for Autodesk Revit Architecture 2012.

• BIM Workflow
• Collaboration and Performance
• Enhance Productivity

Who Should Attend
Individuals and firms new to Autodesk Revit Architectural solutions and seasoned Ideate clients are encouraged to attend.

When
April 20, 2011 – 1:00 - 2:00 pm PT

Register Now!


Ron Palma
AEC Solutions Application Specialist
Ron has 23+ years of experience in the AEC industry as a designer, lead project designer, trainer and CAD manager. His instructional background includes Autodesk Certified Instructor, trainer, support technician, educator at Portland Community College and Clackamas Community College, and a U.S. Army certified instructor. Follow Ron @RonPalmaAEC.

Get it. Know it. Use it.

Classroom Training - Open Classes + $200 Off Training with Ideate

Know It. Ideate Training.

Position yourself to land dream projects. Tap the full potential of your software solutions. Increase your facility, fluidity and capability to maximize the value of your precision software tools.

Here are a few of the training opportunities Ideate has to offer in the coming days:

4.18-20::Sacramento
Civil 3D Fundamentals
4.18-20::San Francisco
Revit Architecture Fundamentals
4.21-22::Portland
Revit Architecture Beyond the Basics
4.21::San Francisco
Revit Architecture for Project Managers Workshop
4.22::San Francisco
Revit Architecture Families

Know your software. Sign up now!

Know It. Savings.

Ideate subscription clients who have or renew their Autodesk software subscriptions are eligible to save $200 on training on one Fundamentals or Advanced class. Training must be purchased by 7.31.2011. Course must be completed by 12.16.2011. Read all the details here.

Webinar: Civil 3D 2012 – New Features and More!

AutoCAD® Civil 3D® software is a Building Information Modeling (BIM) solution for civil engineering design and documentation. AutoCAD Civil 3D helps civil engineering professionals working on transportation, land development, and water projects stay coordinated and more easily and efficiently explore design options, analyze project performance, and deliver consistent, higher-quality documentation – all within a familiar AutoCAD® environment.

Join this live webinar hosted by Ideate’s Matt Miyamoto, PE to see firsthand some of the new features and use cases for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012.

• Support Organizational Standards
• Enhance Transportation Design
• Extend Visualization and Analysis

Who Should Attend
Individuals and firms new to AutoCAD Civil 3D solutions and seasoned Ideate clients are encouraged to attend.

When
April 18, 2011 – 11 am - 12 pm PT

Register Now!

Matt Miyamoto, P.E.
Infrastructure Solutions Application Specialist
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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Webinar: Navisworks 2012 – New Features and More!

Autodesk® Navisworks® Manage software offers design and construction professionals a comprehensive project review solution, providing advanced tools for interference analysis and spatial coordination.

Join this live webinar hosted by Ideate’s Teresa Martin to see firsthand some of the new features and use cases for Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2012.

• Analysis
• Interoperability
• Communication

Who Should Attend
Individuals and firms new to Navisworks solutions and seasoned Ideate clients are encouraged to attend.

When
April 18, 2011 – 8:00 - 9:00 am PT

Register Now!

Teresa Martin
AEC Solutions Application Specialist
Teresa 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 Revit Implementation Expert. As a trainer in Revit, Navisworks, and Ecotect, Teresa brings her real-world experience to the classroom.

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Import Dozens of AutoCAD Details to Autodesk Revit Software in Just Minutes with Detail Manager @adeptdev

Ideate is your Revit expert with a complete selection of BIM solutions.

Have you checked out Detail Manager for Revit? You can import dozens of AutoCAD details into Autodesk Revit software in just a few minutes.

Save Time
Every time you link/import a detail with Detail Manager, all the settings and properties of the detail and its view get saved in the Detail Manager database. The next time you use that detail, all the previous settings are now the default for that detail.

Non-Proprietary
Detail Manager does not add any proprietary or non-proprietary information to the detail or your model. Once a detail has been imported/linked, that detail and sheet are not dependant on Detail Manager.

Requires No Cataloging
The existing AutoCAD detail library does not have to be entered into Detail Manager to get started! Detail Manager sits right on top of your existing detail library and folder structure. New categories can be created by simply adding a new folder inside the detail library folder tree on your server, and copying the details to that folder. That’s it!

Create Typical Sheets in a Flash
Save your typical sheet groupings in Detail Manager, making your next project setup even faster. By copying your typically used details into an additional folder within your library, Detail Manager can help your team quickly select all the details needed for a specific need.



Get all the details and download a free trial at Ideate, Inc. today.

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Webinar: AutoCAD 2012 – New Features and More!

Join this live webinar hosted by Ideate’s Derek Wielkopolski to see firsthand some of the new features and use cases for AutoCAD 2012. Design and shape the world around you with AutoCAD® software. Help speed documentation, share ideas seamlessly, explore concepts more intuitively in 3D, and customize for your specific needs. It’s time to take design further.

• Design and Documentation – New Features
• New Capabilities – Point Cloud, Surface Model tools, AutoCAD WS (web/mobile)
• Plenty of Additional New Tools
• Windows 7 Optimization

Who Should Attend
Individuals and firms new to AutoCAD solutions and seasoned Ideate clients are encouraged to attend.

When
April 15, 2011 – 11 am - 12 pm PT

Register Now!

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. Follow Derek on Twitter: @dwielk

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eLearning – Upcoming Classes

Join the Ideate Tech Experts for eLearning - live online classes that provide your entire organization with easy access to premium education.

Upcoming classes include:

4.12.11::Ideate 101: Network License Manager
4.19.11::Navisworks 201: Clash Detection

Each class is designed to give you specific, improved results in a particular topic. 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 day which best meets your schedule.

Click here for class descriptions, times and registration link. Questions? Contact education@ideateinc.com

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Ideate, Inc. is proud to offer the Eagle Point Pinnacle Series

Ideate, Inc. is proud to offer the Eagle Point Pinnacle Series:™

The Eagle Point Pinnacle Series provides you with a set of tools and techniques you can use to define, publish and monitor your everyday workflow processes.

Capture your “Best Practices” and get everyone in your organization aligned and executing them consistently. Comprised of the Process Mapper,™ Task Navigator,™ Task Navigator™ for Civil 3D® and Workflow Monitor™ applications, this solution is aimed at increasing productivity by electronically diagramming your workflow processes and communicating them to your people. Whether it’s through plotted flowcharts, on-line help or delivered right to desktops via the Task Navigator, this set of tools will reduce the learning curve of new employees and raise the quality of all employees’ work.

Visit ideateinc.com/products/eaglepoint to learn more.

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SmartBIM – BIM + Revit Solutions from Ideate, Inc.

Ideate, Inc. proudly presents SMARTBIM® Library from industry partner SMARTBIM:

SMARTBIM Library is a Revit family content management tool that provides a simple way to organize, find, and use Revit families.

If you are using Autodesk® Revit,® you have probably experienced the frustration of trying to manage Revit Families saved to folders in your file system. It’s difficult to know how to use your families when the file name is the only means for understanding the product or assembly that the family represents. From a file name you cannot tell how it should be used in the project without actually loading it into Revit.

• Streamlines design workflow
• Simplifies storage, organization and location of Revit objects including user’s existing content
  
• Facilitates the generation of catalogs from Revit objects
• Enables manufacturers, architects, engineers and building owners to easily share catalogs of objects
  

SMARTBIM Library is a distribution channel for SMARTBIM content (the high quality families we develop and provide to you) AND a management tool for your families, all located in one organized system. Using SMARTBIM Library you will find families fast and simply drag-n-drop them into your Revit project. This is the tool that enables you to manage families, publish and distribute family Catalogs that represent the standard-of-practice for your firm, improve the re-use of families across projects, and decrease project risk.



Firms are wasting hundreds of hours searching for and creating Revit content – and time IS money. In fact, two different project teams may be spending time creating the same type of object right now because there is not a central repository.

Visit ideateinc.com/products/smartbim to learn more.



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Classroom Training - Open Classes + $200 Off Training with Ideate

Know It. Ideate Training.

Position yourself to land dream projects. Tap the full potential of your software solutions. Increase your facility, fluidity and capability to maximize the value of your precision software tools.

Here are a few of the training opportunities Ideate has to offer in the coming days:

4.7::Portland
Revit MEP Families
4.12-13::San Francisco
AutoCAD MEP Electrical Fundamentals

Know your software. Sign up now!

Know It. Savings.

Ideate subscription clients who have or renew their Autodesk software subscriptions are eligible to save $200 on training on one Fundamentals or Advanced class. Training must be purchased by 7.31.2011. Course must be completed by 12.16.2011. Read all the details here.

AutoCAD 2012: Reset Settings to Default

I found a great new feature today in AutoCAD 2012; Reset Settings to Default. In support I sometimes see users customize their profiles to the point where the customization begins to cause problems when working. In many of these cases the user forgot why the customizations were created in the first place. This includes lisp routines, command aliases, support paths, and.... the list goes on and on. I also see a lot of eager customers download and install the newest version of AutoCAD, launch the program and click through the “Migrate Custom Settings” dialog box which opens when AutoCAD is launched for the very first time. I typically recommend not migrating custom settings as I’ve seen it often lead to profile issues. This is especially true for users who are upgrading from a pre-2010 release (pre-ribbon). Who knows when these custom settings were created and for which release, 2010, 2004... R12?

So why do I like this new feature so much? Before the AutoCAD 2012 release I would have recommended performing a Repair on the installation. Instead it’s so much quicker to refer them to the Reset Settings to Default. A tool built specifically to resolve issues like these.



The Reset Settings to Default utility is located in Start> All Programs> Autodesk> AutoCAD 2012. It will not run if AutoCAD 2012 is open. Clicking on the utility will bring up a dialog box which gives you two options; backup and reset current custom settings, or just reset the custom settings.



After hitting OK AutoCAD will run through resetting process. It took me about two minutes for the entire process to finish. I’ll be using this one in support from now on. Enjoy!

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2012 releases for Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2012

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. Follow Derek on Twitter: @dwielk

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Now in Revit 2012 – Editing Requests Yield Balloon Notifications to Users

Waiting for someone to grant permission to your editing request in Revit?
As we near the release of Revit 2012, Ideate, Inc. is here to provide you with updated information on getting the most out of the upcoming Revit 2012 products. When editing a workshared project, have you ever placed a request for ownership of an element only to be ignored? In previous versions placing an editing request to an owner of an element literally fell on deaf ears. Actually placing the request actually placed the request but unless the person you were requesting permissions from was on their game checking the Editing Requests every 5 minutes, nobody ever knew you had placed a request.

Now in Revit 2012, placing an editing request will actually yield a balloon notification to the user you are requesting editing permissions from. The notifications include buttons to show the user the elements involved. The person receiving the notification will still need to open the Editing Request dialog in order to grant or deny requests, but the balloon notifications provide the reviewer the information needed before granting permissions.



This is a welcome feature to a function that felt like it was incomplete in previous versions. So now go back and start placing those editing requests to make your editing more efficient.

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2012 releases for AutoCAD, Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2012

Ron Palma
AEC Solutions Application Specialist
Ron has 23+ years of experience in the AEC industry as a designer, lead project designer, trainer and CAD manager. His instructional background includes Autodesk Certified Instructor, trainer, support technician, educator at Portland Community College and Clackamas Community College, and a U.S. Army certified instructor. Follow Ron @RonPalmaAEC.

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Webinar: Autodesk Revit MEP 2012 – New Features and More!

Join this live webinar hosted by Ideate’s Matthew Nelson to see firsthand some of the new features and use cases for Autodesk Revit MEP 2012.

• Collaborate More Efficiently
• Design More Accurately
• Document and Deliver

Who Should Attend
Individuals and firms new to Autodesk Revit MEP solutions and seasoned Ideate clients are encouraged to attend.

When
April 5, 2011 – 11 am - 12 pm PT

Register Now!

Matthew Nelson
MEP Solutions Application Specialist
Matthew has a deep understanding of Autodesk products. He studied Mechanical Engineering at SUNY Stony Brook. He has been a BIM manager and CAD manager for a leading international consulting services firm utilizing AutoCAD MEP, Civil 3D and Revit MEP. During that time, he focused his skills on understanding the dynamics of inter-discipline coordination on large scale civil and building engineering projects. At Ideate, Matthew provides training and support for Revit MEP, Navisworks and AutoCAD MEP. @MNelsonIdeate

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Video: Navisworks 2012 Interoperability - Switchback to Revit

Teresa Martin, Ideate architectural specialist continues her look at Navisworks 2012 new features – specifically Revit Interoperability: Support for Switchback through Revit.



Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2012 releases for Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, AutoCAD and more: ideateinc.com/2012

Teresa Martin
AEC Solutions Application Specialist
Teresa 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 Revit Implementation Expert. As a trainer in Revit, Navisworks, and Ecotect, Teresa brings her real-world experience to the classroom.

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