August 30, 2012

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: 
9.4.12::Ideate 101:
Network License Manager
9.11.12::Revit 201:
Converting Blocks to Families
9.13.12::Revit 201:
Stairs and Railings in Revit
9.18.12::Civil 3D 201:
Analysis for Master-Planning
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

Get It. Know It. Use It.

August 29, 2012

Bitonal Images in AutoCAD 2013

Many of our customers, especially those using Civil 3D, use bitonal images in their AutoCAD drawing. In a recent support case submitted to Ideate, Inc. these images were not appearing correctly in 2013. The foreground and background are reversed, effectively displaying the image in reverse. This has been identified as a bug by Autodesk, and is, as of the writing of this post, not resolved. It can cause a large headache for our customers so we wanted to alert those that we could to the issue before you decide to upgrade your files to 2013.

It affects only images in the bitmap format (.bmp). It will affect both existing images and any newly inserted images.

The current workarounds are to:
  • Use an image format of ‘tagged image file format’ (.tif) or ‘portable network graphics’ (.png).
  • Use the Raster Design software to inverse the image (command IINVERT).
  • Use an image editor to invert the bitmap image.
The third option may cause additional work if the bug is resolved as they will then reverse again.



Jesika DiGregorio
Ideate Technical Support Specialist

Jesika received her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon where she worked on construction of a student-designed structure. Her work experience includes Junior Designer at an award-winning firm specializing in architecture and land planning, and Intern Architect at a firm that provides services in planning, design, construction documents and construction administration for projects of all sizes. Jesika provides online and phone technical support to Ideate clients from the Ideate Authorized Training Center in Portland, Oregon.

Get it. Know it. Use it.

August 28, 2012

Classroom Training – Open Revit Classes

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 weeks:
9.5-7::San Francisco
Revit Structure Fundamentals
9.10-12::San Francisco
Revit MEP Mechanical and Plumbing Fundamentals
9.24-26::
San Francisco
Revit Architecture Fundamentals
Know your software. Sign up now!

August 27, 2012

Revit MEP Fittings and Allow Slope Adjustment

It must be the alignment of the stars or some such phenomena that I worked my way through a Revit MEP Fitting issue on a Ideate support customer case earlier this week, only to find that a few days later that David Butts (Gannett Fleming) and David Pothier (Autodesk) blogged about Revit MEP Fittings and Slope Adjustments.

In my case it was a Revit MEP out of the box WYE fitting on a sloped pipe that just would not connect correctly for the client. I found upon “editing” the family that the Revit MEP “connectors” had been set to Fitting (for the life of me I still do not know truly why) and had no ability to set Slope Adjustment.

So, the variable lets you establish whether pipe attached to the connector can be sloped. If you do not select the box, then when you apply a slope to pipe that is connected to the connector, you will receive an error message that the angle between the elements is too great, and the pipe will become disconnected from the equipment.

If you draw sloped pipe from a connector that allows for slope adjustment, the Pipe Connector Tolerance angle defined in the MEP settings of your project will determine the maximum angle that a sloped pipe can enter a connector. If the angle is exceeded, a straight run of pipe and an elbow fitting will be drawn from the connector prior to the sloped pipe.

Here is a short video showing how and where to make the change on a Revit MEP fitting.




Bill Johnson
Ideate Senior MEP Application Specialist

Bill has over 20 years experience in applying AEC design solutions for large commercial companies. A graduate of Pasadena Institute of Technology, he has worked for TEECOM Design Group, GTE/GTEL, Greg LeDoux and Associates, and Scottish Power in England. Bill has also had the opportunity to act as Lead AutoCAD Designer for multimillion dollar communication sites which have included structural, electrical, HVAC, conduit, cable plans and equipment layouts. He has a Sustainable Design Certification from the University of California at Berkeley.

Get it. Know it. Use it.

August 23, 2012

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: 
8.30.12::Revit 201:
Revit for Interior Designers
9.4.12::
Ideate 101:
Network License Manager
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

Get It. Know It. Use It.

August 22, 2012

Autodesk Acknowledges the Expertise of Ideate, Inc.

Autodesk has recognized Ideate, Inc. for its investment in its customers’ success by awarding Ideate five Autodesk Specializations in the last year:
  • Structural Engineering   
  • MEP Systems
  • Product Support
  • Simulation
  • Consulting
What does specialized expertise mean to you?
It means the Ideate technical staff has not only met and completed the required curriculum and training, but continually fulfills all the levels of service and standards set by Autodesk.

How does Ideate Training relate to the Autodesk Specialization Partnership? 
The answer lies in the Ideate expert technical staff. The dedication, passion and focused sharing of industry expertise combine to provide Ideate customers the highest levels of knowledge, service and support. This know-how enables Ideate to provide the AEC industry with a variety of classes from beginner to advanced, meeting the training needs of you and your firm.

Ideate is committed to your successful adoption and implementation of BIM technology, and Ideate Training is a key component in your success.

For more information about our training offerings visit: ideateinc.com/educate

August 21, 2012

Classroom Training – Open Classes

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 weeks:
8.23::San Francisco
AutoCAD Update
8.27-29::San Francisco
Revit Architecture Fundamentals
8.28-30::
Portland
Revit MEP Mechanical and Plumbing Fundamentals
8.28-30::
Seattle
Revit Architecture Fundamentals
Know your software. Sign up now!

August 20, 2012

Case of the Phantom Keynote

With apologies to Donald J. Sobol (R.I.P.)

Monday evening, Chief Brown took his seat at the dinner table. He stared off into space. Encyclopedia knew what that meant. He had a Revit riddle he could not solve.

“The Mountain View School Project has a keynote in the legend that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the project,” Chief Brown said. “The case is a puzzle.”

“Tell Leroy about it, dear,” Mrs. Brown urged. “He’s never failed you.” Chief Brown nodded. He took a small notebook from the breast pocket of his uniform. Using his notes, he went over the mystery for Encyclopedia.

“Shortly after the last save to central,” Chief Brown said, “a mysterious keynote popped up in the keynote legend.”

“Is that a big deal?” Mrs. Brown asked.

“It is for Mr. Crabapple, the spec writer,” Chief Brown answered. He looked back at his notes and continued. “Mrs. Corbu, the BIM Manager, searched the entire sheet for the keynote but could not find it anywhere.”

“Did she try Reveal Hidden Elements?” Mrs. Brown asked.

“She did,” Chief Brown said. “She also checked all the tabs on the Visibility Graphics dialog and when she came up empty she contacted us.”

“Aren’t there any other clues?” Mrs. Brown inquired. Mrs. Brown glanced at Encyclopedia as if expecting him to speak. The boy detective was ready to ask his one question. Usually he needed to ask only one question to solve a case at the dinner table.

“Does the phantom keynote have a specific number or text value?” asked Encyclopedia?

“Why, it does happen to say ‘TEMPORARY PROTECTIVE WALL COVER,’ why do you ask?” said Chief Brown.

Encyclopedia whipped out his laptop and queried the RVT file with Ideate Explorer. “I know exactly where that keynote is lurking, and I know why it’s been hiding.”

HOW DID HE KNOW?

August 16, 2012

New Revit Multi-Case Study Released by Ideate, Inc.

Ideate, Inc. has published a new entry in its Study in Success series entitled, “PAE Consulting Engineers Creates Built Environments that Give Back.”

The study details how the PAE Consulting Engineers, Inc. (PAE) firm, a provider of mechanical and electrical engineering, technology services, and architectural lighting design, made the leap from 2D to 3D design technologies. It also highlights five specific projects as case use examples.
“Scott Bevan, Electrical Engineer, Senior Associate at PAE, explains in more detail the initial impetus to adopt and implement Revit MEP by saying, ‘Part of the motivation – even before cool projects started coming in – was our clients. They had made the transition to BIM. They needed us to use Revit.’”
Five featured project summaries delineate ways in which Autodesk Revit enabled PAE to meet and exceed U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and other sustainability standards: 

Bullitt Center – Headquarters for the Bullitt Foundation, Seattle, Washington; Pursuing: Living Building Status, Net Zero Energy, Net Zero Water, Architecture 2030
“Among the Bullitt Center’s many sustainable features are a 245 KW PV system, composting/micro-flush toilets, a closed loop vertical geothermal heating and cooling system, and grey and rain water reclamation. PAE Mechanical Engineer Justin Stenkamp says, ‘We used Revit to model composting toilets on all six floors, and we used Revit to model grey water system that pipes to wetlands.’”
PGE Park Stadium Conversion and Addition, Portland, Oregon; now Jeld-Wen Field; Awarded: USGBC LEED Silver. In its 2012 Design Awards program, the American Institute of Architects, San Francisco Chapter (AIA San Francisco) has named the Jeld-Wen Field Renovation as Merit Award winner, Architecture, with PAE Consulting Engineers receiving recognition as Mechanical Engineer on the project.
AIA SF calls the project “an urban planning success story balancing contemporary architecture with the historic character of a 1930s building. This sustainable development embraces its history and fully integrates a sports venue into the urban fabric, resulting in the most intimate, exciting and authentic soccer facility in the United States.”  

Portland State University (University Pointe at College Station) Housing, Portland, Oregon; Pursuing: USGBC LEED Gold
 “‘PSU College Station was also an excellent project for Revit MEP because of the sheer scale,’ says PAE Mechanical Designer Chris Morgan. ‘Revit was a great tool for the student housing area. We could fully detail each student area or room and multiply as we needed – a dozen – or hundreds of times.’”
Trillium Creek Elementary School, West Linn Wilsonville School District, West Linn, Oregon; Pursuing: USGBC LEED Gold
“Among the building’s sustainable features are rainwater reclamation, passive cooling, occupancy sensors, daylighting, a wind turbine, and photovoltaic panels. As Chris Morgan explains, ‘PAE contributions to this project help give students and staff the opportunity to implement green systems and to discover ways to contribute to energy and water conservation within their school.’” 
Edith Green Wendell Wyatt Federal Office Building Renovation, Portland, Oregon; Pursuing: USGBC LEED Platinum
As innovators and early adopters, PAE embraced 3D design technology. Ideate, Inc. provided PAE with a broad and deep solution for adopting Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Autodesk Revit MEP. Read the entire Study in Success: www.ideateinc.com/ideas/case

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: 
8.20.12::Civil 101:
Civil 3D for Beginnners
8.21.12::
Revit 201:
Site Tools
8.30.12::
Revit 201:
Revit for Interior Designers
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

Get It. Know It. Use It.

August 15, 2012

Civil 3D 2013 Pressure Network Parts – Part 2

To quickly recap our situation (Part 1), the new Pressure Pipe Networks use .SQLITE files along with the folders containing drawing information for the network components. Adding information to these SQLITE files requires the use of two new commands and the new Content Catalog Editor application that comes with Civil 3D 2013.

In our last Pressure Network Parts article, we discussed the two new commands in Civil 3D 2013 that help users create custom defined Pressure Network Parts from AutoCAD 3D Solids. In today’s article we take a look at the Content Catalog Editor application that is used to import the new part into the .SQLITE database.

The Content Catalog Editor is an external application that comes with Civil 3D 2013 and can be launched from the Windows Start Menu (Start → All Programs → Autodesk → AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013 → Content Catalog Editor). This application imports the .CONTENT file created in our first article and saves that to the .SQLITE catalog file containing the Pressure Network Parts.

NOTE: This does not automatically add the new part to existing Part Lists in Civil 3D. The new part must be added to your Part List before you will be able to use that part in a drawing.

Here’s the breakdown on how to Import the .CONTENT file to your .SQLITE catalog file.

Launch the Content Catalog Editor application (Start → All Programs → Autodesk → AutoCAD Civil 3D 2013 → Content Catalog Editor) 

Open the existing .SQLITE file you want to add the new part to (we recommend creating a copy of the original .SQLITE file as a backup prior to making any changes).

Click Import Part

Follow the instructions in the Import Part Dialog to select the .CONTENT File, and set parameters for Part Type, Properties and Connection Points

On the last page of the dialog Click Finish, then verify that your new part has been added to the catalog and Save the modified .SQLITE File using the Content Catalog Editor

Once the .SQLITE file has been saved with the new content added, launch Civil 3D and use the Settings tab of the Toolspace to add the new part to your Pressure Network Parts list. From there, you’ll be able to select the part when working on Pressure Network designs.



Matt Miyamoto, P.E.
Ideate AEC 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. @MattM_PE

Get it. Know it. Use it.

August 14, 2012

Classroom Training – Open Revit Classes

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 weeks:
8.27-29::San Francisco
Revit Architecture Fundamentals
8.28-30::
Portland
Revit MEP Mechanical and Plumbing Fundamentals
8.28-30::
Seattle
Revit Architecture Fundamentals
Know your software. Sign up now!

August 13, 2012

Imperial and Metric Dimensions in the Same Revit View

You may be provided with an as built drawing where the units are unfamiliar. Projects in Germany used meters, in France centimeters and in Britain millimeters and you are most comfortable using imperial units. It might be helpful to have multiple dimension types so you can see both units and you client in Germany can relate to the dimensions shown.

You can enter a value for units in the temporary dimension to change the dimension. Select the object you want to move, click on the temporary dimension and enter your value. If your file units are imperial and you want 15' – 0" you would enter 15 and the units are implied.

If the as built were metric, you can enter metric units. If you want to enter metric units you can enter the value with an appended unit (5m - or 500cm or 5000mm) to make the change.

Before.
After.

It would be helpful to have a dimension that reports on the alternate units. Select the imperial dimension style, on the properties palette click Edit > Duplicate. Add – Meters after the name.


Under the Text tab, change to the values shown and click OK twice to exit.
You now have imperial and metric dimension style types and you can select a dimension and change the type as needed. You can work with both for entry of values and see your dimensions in imperial and metric.




Jim Cowan
Ideate AEC Application Specialist

Jim Cowan’s extensive AEC design industry experience and Autodesk design solutions expertise have made him a sought after university curriculum developer, instructor and presenter. Jim’s areas of expertise include interoperability between solutions and overcoming barriers to the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM). Educated in Architecture at Edinburgh College of Art/Heriot-Watt University and in Landscape Architecture at University of Manitoba, Jim has special focus on sustainability issues: daylight analysis, sun studies, lighting analysis, modeling buildings and conceptual energy modeling (models with shading devices). YouTube Channel: MrJimCowan

Get it. Know it. Use it.

August 9, 2012

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: 
8.14.12::Revit 201:
Worksharing Best Practices
8.20.12::Civil 101:
Civil 3D for Beginners
8.21.12::
Revit 201:
Site Tools
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

Get It. Know It. Use It.

August 8, 2012

Conventional and Unconventional Ways to Leverage Data with Ideate BIMLink

Nicholas M. Kramer (NK), LEED® AP is a well-recognized guest lecturer on BIM and sustainability at Autodesk University (AU) and other forums. He is employed as a BIM Project Administrator at HMC Architects in Ontario, California, and currently serves as president of the BIM User Group Inland Empire (BUGIE), and is Program Manager for Revit Technology Conference (RTC) North America.

At RTC 2012, Nicholas presented his experience in the use of collecting, cataloguing and leveraging room data with Ideate BIMlink. On behalf of RTC, he also explored a heretofore unreported use of Ideate BIMLink.

In a recent interview with Ideate Director of Software Development Glynnis Patterson (GP), N.C.A.R.B., Nicholas shed light on these two distinctively different uses of Ideate BIMLink. One is a unique and unexpected usage, and the other represents a more mainstream AEC data problem.

GP: As the Program Manager for the Revit Technology Conference in North America, one of your jobs is to select and coordinate the speakers. Can you tell us about your unique use of Revit and Ideate BIMLink as a way of managing this rather unconventional “BIM” data in 2012?

NK: We had over 400 online applicants who were interested in speaking at this year’s RTC conference. Part of our challenge was to not only select great speakers but also to provide the right balance of topics across disciplines, difficulty levels and to make the most of each available time slot. Because we’re already using Revit to manage data, we took it upon ourselves to see if we could also apply it to this event management problem.  

The event management software we have been using can provide us with a .CSV file. The file contains each proposed speaker’s contact information along with 17 other data fields. We use those to sort and refine our selection process.
After we created a simple custom family within Autodesk Revit to represent each potential speaker, we used Ideate BIMLink to transfer the data from the event management software onto our “speaker” object. Importing 17 data fields for each of the 400 speakers would have taken quite a while, but with Ideate BIMLink it took just a few minutes to set up and then import all the data.


By using some simple visibility parameters, we were able to color code each speaker and arrange the speakers into a virtual conference. We used this as one way to assess whether we had the right mix of speakers during each time slot.

GP: It’s great to see such an unconventional use of the software. I understand you also used Ideate BIMLink in a far more conventional way: the management of a space program for a project you’re working on at HMC Architects. Can you tell us about the customer’s requirements for cross-coordinated data and how Ideate BIMLink was used to address these requirements?

NK: Sure. The customer is California State University (CSU) at Pomona and HMC was selected to do a 17,000 square foot wing addition for Collins College. They have specific submittal requirements in format as well as the links between multiple forms from program validation to the project estimate.
 

I realized early on that being able to manage this data for a relatively small project such as this one within a highly portable format, such as Microsoft Excel, would be central to our success with larger projects on our horizon.  We utilized Ideate BIMLink to transfer our programmatic requirements into Revit at the beginning, and then throughout the project we were able to continue to manage the requirements via Ideate BIMLink. Managing this amount of data any other way would have meant a loss of profit on our end.
 

GP: You mention that Excel is “portable.” Can you elaborate on that and explain how accessing the Revit data via Ideate BIMLink increases portability?
 

NK: This was one of the themes of my RTC presentation, leveraging the BIM data. Being able to use the data where and when you need it is one of the many hot topics in the AEC industry. The reality is that not everyone will be using Revit throughout a project’s lifecycle. Ideate BIMLink helps by putting the information into a portable and usable format that allows non-Revit users to leverage this important BIM data.
 

GP: If people want to learn more about your RTC presentation, where should they go?
 

NK: I’ll be expanding upon my RTC presentation at this year’s Autodesk University in November 2012, so I hope those who are interested will come out to Las Vegas if they can. In the interim, a hand-out distributed to BUGIE is available here.
 

Learn More
Nicholas M. Kramer (NK), LEED® AP, is a project leader and BIM project administrator at HMC Architects in Ontario, California. He has been using Autodesk® Revit® since version 8.1 and has helped implement Revit access across an architectural company with a staff of more than 400. He is currently the company-wide resource for BIM content creation and standardization on a wide variety of projects. His project experience varies from a 400,000 square foot library to higher education laboratory buildings to medical tenant improvements to the renovation of the MLK hospital in Los Angeles, California.

Import Space Program Data into Revit
http://hmcarchitects.com/
www.rtcevents.com
http://www.meetup.com/BUG-IE/
http://au.autodesk.com
http://www.ideatebimlink.com/



Glynnis Patterson is a registered architect and the Director of Software Development at Ideate, Inc. In a previous life Glynnis spent many hours looking at blueprints with a scale, highlighters, and a scratch pad to develop detailed cost estimates.

August 7, 2012

Classroom Training – Open Classes

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 weeks:
8.8-10::Portland
Revit Architecture Fundamentals
8.13-15::
San Francisco
Revit MEP Electrical Fundamentals
8.27-29::
San Francisco
Revit Architecture Fundamentals
Know your software. Sign up now!

August 6, 2012

Civil 3D 2013 Pressure Network Parts – Part 1

If you’ve seen the new Civil 3D 2013 Pressure Network tools, you may be wondering how you can go about creating your own Pressure Network Parts.  With previous releases of Civil 3D and its gravity flow systems, the Part Builder tool was used to create and modify network components. 

Because Pressure networks are a different type of object, their part catalogs are also different. Pressure networks use .SQLITE files along with the folders containing drawing information for the network components. Adding information to these SQLITE files requires the use of two new commands and the new Content Catalog Editor application that comes with Civil 3D 2013.

In today’s blog, we discuss the two new commands in Civil 3D that are used to create connection points and publish content files for useable parts.

The first command is called AUTODESKCONNECTIONPOINT. This command is used to add and define connection points on user defined pressure network parts. A connection point needs to be added anywhere a new part connects to an existing part or is intended to connect to additional parts. For example, a Fire Hydrant would have one connection point where it connects to the pipe segment feeding it. A Backflow Preventer would have two connection points, one for the inlet and one for the outlet of the pipeline it services. Along with specifying the location of the connection, the AUTODESKCONNECTIONPOINT command also allows users to identify the direction of the parts being created.




The second command is called PUBLISHPARTCONTENT.  This command takes the geometrical and engineering data from the user defined part and publishes it out to a .CONTENT file.  This file can then be imported into the .SQLITE catalog file using the Content Catalog Editor.  The PUBLISHPARTCONTENT command asks users to specify an AutoCAD 3D Solid object to use as the new part, a line defining the centerline, units for the part dimensions, and the type of part being created.  When the command is complete, a .CONTENT file will be generated and saved for importing into the catalog.



Here are a few tips when working with the Part Publishing Tools in Civil 3D.
  1. Use the CUI or PGP file to create shortcuts of the two commands.  AUTODESKCONNECTIONPOINT and PUBLISHPARTCONTENT are rather long to be typed in manually (ACP and PPC work well).
  2. New parts need to be a unified 3D Solid object.
  3. If you want to create a highly detailed part from multiple solids, use the UNION command in the 3D Modeling toolspace to combine the elements prior to publishing.
  4. Use a Wireframe or 2D Wirefame visual style when working with the 3D Solid to make lines and elements easier to select.
  5. The Realistic, Conceptual and Shaded styles can be used to preview the new part prior to publishing.
  6. Materials applied to the 3D Solid prior to publishing are saved with the part definition. That material will show up on the list of Render Materials in the object’s Properties after it is added to a Pressure Network.
  7. Some pre-defined 3D blocks can be exploded into 3D Solids and used for creating parts (make sure they are 3D Solids after exploding).
So if you’re looking for a few parts that aren’t part of the pre-defined list, give the Part Publisher tools a try. With some basic 3D Modeling skills, you’ll be on your way to creating your very own custom Pressure Network parts.

Check back for Part 2 on adding the new part to the .SQLITE catalog using the Content Catalog Editor.



Matt Miyamoto, P.E.
Ideate 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. @MattM_PE

Get it. Know it. Use it.

August 2, 2012

eLearning – Upcoming Revit 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: 
8.7.12::Revit 201:
Stairs and Railings in Revit
8.9.12::
Revit 201:
Revit for Interior Designers
8.14.12::
Revit 201:
Worksharing Best Practices
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

Get It. Know It. Use It.

August 1, 2012

Autodesk Certification Day – 8.10

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. 

Ideate is pleased to be participating in Autodesk Sponsored Certification Days for 2012. On the dates listed below, you have the opportunity to take an Associate, Professional or both Associate and Professional Certification Exam(s) for the discounted price of $25 ($100+ savings!). This is a great price to renew or get a new Autodesk certification (Autodesk Revit Architecture, AutoCAD or AutoCAD Civil 3D). 

The 2012 certification days are: 
  • August 10th 
  • October 12th 
Ideate will be offering exams at our San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and Portland offices during the dates above. 

Students can purchase their exams here. To take advantage of this promotion enter the codes below in the ‘shipping details’ section when checking out. 
  • San Francisco: AM0079 
  • San Jose: AM0078 
  • Seattle: AM3702 
  • Portland: AM3452 
For questions email education@ideateinc.com or call 888.662.7238 x1012