Making New Mistakes + Grow

Many people believe the word “mistake” is a taboo. The perception is that if you make mistakes, then you are not “perfect” and therefore incompetent.

When I first started in the construction industry, my business partner, Ron Warrington, made a great statement “Let’s make new mistakes.” Of course, I argued. His point, and it was/is a brilliant one, is that we learn from our mistakes.

Learning From Mistakes
There have been many studies that say we learn far more from our failures than from our successes.

“The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.”
–Dale Carnegie.  

The general notion is that we are too busy patting ourselves on the back when we win than when we lose. How true! Ego is the biggest roadblock to getting better.

What are the best practices?

• Post-mortems are really a requirement – post-mortem is defined as an analysis (not blaming) on “what we wish we would have known” before we made the decision/proposal/presentation/decision. 

• Critical Analysis is needed – this is different than self-criticism. You must look at the situation with as much dispassion as possible. Remove the emotion.

• Brainstorm this analysis – you are looking to uncover the rock, and discover the nugget of where you went wrong.

• Get other stakeholder’s input. You might be too close to the trees to see the forest. Sometimes it is the simple themes we forget – such as “you never ask for the business.”

• Put what you learn/discover into practice as soon as possible. If your issue is ‘getting mad’ and making a poor decision, maybe delaying the decision for one hour might give you a new perspective.

My experience is that we are never too old or experienced to learn from what went wrong. 

Making mistakes is human nature – learning from the past and reaching past existing boundaries is where leaders are made.

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David Haynes, NCARB, PMP, LEED AP
Ideate Director of Consulting

David is a Registered Architect, Project Management Certified Professional, who previously had his own architectural practice and was President of a commercial design-build construction company for 15 years. A graduate of University of Arizona, he has worked as an Architect, contractor, developer and as a national construction manager for a national retailer. David currently provides business process analysis, virtualization and change management solutions for AEC clients across the United States involved in the design and building industry. Follow David on Twitter: @dhaynestech 

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Ideate BIMLink and Facilities Management 101

1. Your engineer/architect has modeled your new facility in Revit and the building is done
2. Get your hands on the Building model, you own it, right?
3. Open up Revit (trial version works fine – get it here).
4. You launch Ideate BIMLink and you export the COBie_Type and COBie_Components to an Excel file. Whether you intend to do COBie or not these links are a great way to quickly get all of the asset list that you need to get started.

 

5. If your budget permitted, you required the model to be updated to reflect as-built conditions. Congratulations, you get to skip ahead to Step 7.
6. If the model does not reflect the as-built conditions then you should pay your architect and engineers to fill out the Excel files from step 4 above or have your own staff fill out any missing info. This can be done with a tablet as outlined in this earlier post.
7. Congratulations, you now you have a complete list of all the building assets for use in managing the building’s maintenance and operations. That was easy!

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Glynnis Patterson is a registered architect and the Director of Software Development at Ideate, Inc.

eLearning – Upcoming Classes

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

10.1.13::Navisworks 101:
Introduction to Navisworks Manage

10.2.13::Ideate Software 101:
Revit Auditing with Ideate Explorer for Revit

10.3.13::Civil 3D 101:
Data Short Cuts

10.8.13::Revit 201:
Site Tools

10.10.13::Civil 3D 201:
Working with ReCap

10.15.13::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

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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.

10.7-9::San Francisco
Civil 3D Fundamentals

10.8-10::Portland
Revit Architecture Fundamentals

10.9-11::San Francisco
Revit MEP: Mechanical and Plumbing Fundamentals

10.14::San Francisco
Revit MEP Families

10.16-18::San Jose
Revit Architecture Fundamentals

10.21::Portland
Revit Architecture Families

 Know your software. Sign up now!

Better Business Travel

I spend a lot of time on planes and in airports.  To most, travel time seems like wasted time.  How to spend my time - should I read a book, watch a movie on my tablet, or spend my time at the airport bar? All of these things have some value, and if you are looking to unwind and escape, it is probably a good idea.

There are other options. Most leaders agree that getting time away from emails and meetings is important. The daily barrage of email, phone calls and meetings may keep us busy, but the daily information flow is 'tactical stuff'. Tactical as in implementing an idea. Leaders and managers need time to think strategically.  It is almost impossible to think strategically while answering emails and attending meetings.

I have taken the approach of using the time while on planes and airport lounges to do some strategy brainstorming. The areas I usually focus on are:

• Is there something I am missing - some concept, some competitor, or some product/service I should be investigating?
• I know we should think about 5 year goals, but in this 'mini strategy' sessions, I focus on the next 3 to 6 to 9 months of business activity.
• Also think about what things you professionally and personally want to focus on (how you want to get better, and stronger).
• Always keep something handy to write on. I write notes/thoughts on my cellphone notepad, paper notepads, and such tools as Evernote and Microsoft OneNote.
• The goal is to get the brain thinking at a higher level, without getting bogged down in the weeds.

With this kind of thinking, you can become revitalized and refreshed about how to make my company a better, stronger, more competitive company.

There is also an added benefit - business travel teaches patience.  Yes, that wonderful quality of letting the other guy go first, not being snarly at everyone -  getting into the 'zen' of travel.  It makes you a better human being.

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David Haynes, NCARB, PMP, LEED AP
Ideate Director of Consulting

David is a Registered Architect, Project Management Certified Professional, who previously had his own architectural practice and was President of a commercial design-build construction company for 15 years. A graduate of University of Arizona, he has worked as an Architect, contractor, developer and as a national construction manager for a national retailer. David currently provides business process analysis, virtualization and change management solutions for AEC clients across the United States involved in the design and building industry. Follow David on Twitter: @dhaynestech


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Ideate, Inc. Launches an Extensive Online Learning Program, the Ideate CADLearning Portal

San Francisco, CA, 9/17/2013–Ideate, Inc., an Autodesk Gold Value Added Reseller, today announced the launch of the Ideate CADLearning Portal, an expansive online learning resource that enhances Ideate Classroom, Custom and On-site Training.

Ideate CADLearning is designed to provide on-demand training to architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC), and media & entertainment (M&E) design professionals at every skill level. Access to the Portal is available around the clock and around the world from any computer. Ideate CADLearning tools provide:

• Self-paced training to further knowledge and maximize performance with Autodesk BIM and CAD solutions, and Ideate-developed Autodesk Revit-based solutions.

• A ‘knowledge search for targeted training’ feature that guides the user to immediate, highly selective help for specific aspects of a project, and includes recommendations for training modules.
• Assessment, including exams that pinpoint areas for skill strengthening and applicable trainings.

The Ideate CADLearning Portal has been developed to meet increasing demands for specialized AEC and M&E design software training. Design and creation software technology is fast-advancing. Design professionals work and learn remotely while they face compressed schedules. Ideate CADLearning complements more traditional Ideate Classroom Training and provides the flexibility for customers to train and learn on the software they use in the ways that benefit them most.

“We are very pleased to launch our Ideate CADLearning Portal,” says Bob Palioca, president of Ideate, Inc. “Blended learning opportunities are integral to our customers’ training experience. Whether they want to fine tune skills, keep abreast of the most recent design software advances, or address a specific design hurdle through targeted knowledge, Ideate CADLearning will help our customers maximize their productivity in today’s highly competitive environment.”

For more information, call Ideate Education at 888.662.7238 x1012, email education@ideateinc.com, or visit the Ideate CADLearning Portal.

About Ideate, Inc.
Ideate, Inc. is a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer with 25+ years’ experience in software development and specific focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and is a leading Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the AEC industry since 1992. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and operating five
Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) in the northwestern U.S., Ideate is recognized as an Autodesk Gold Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, one of Autodesk’s highest levels of authorization.

Autodesk, Autodesk Revit and ATC are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.

# # #

Dealing with CAD Files in Revit

Did I link it or did I import it? Was the box checked for “Current view only” selected or not? Where is it! It wasn’t exploded was it??? Do these phrases come to mind when asked these questions? I don’t remember? I think I did? I have no clue…, I hope not! I recently had a conversation with a client who wanted to search for CAD files within a Revit Model and had  these very questions. With the latest release of Ideate Explorer for Revit you’ll be able to answer these  questions and more…

Did I Link or Import the CAD file?
Within the Revit products the only way to know if a user linked a CAD file is to go to Insert tab and select the button then the CAD Formats tab.   Using this function in Revit gives the user an idea of what CAD Files in the Revit Model have been Linked. Note that it does NOT provide any information about files that have been imported!

Ideate Explorer informs the user if CAD Files are Linked or Imported by separating them out into two distinct categories: CAD Imports & CAD Links.

Was the box checked for “Current view only” selected or not?
 Within the Revit products the only way a user knows if the “current view only” option has or hasn’t been selected is when the CAD File shows up in a view other than the inserted view. That is of course, as long as a team member hasn’t turned it off with the various Revit graphic tools. 

Ideate Explorer informs the user through separating out the CAD files into DWG File or DWG File <View-Specific> whether they are linked or imported.

• DWG File = CAD Files found in this section informs the user that these CAD Files may be found in multiple views because the “Current view only" option wasn't used during insertion/linking.
• DWG File <View-Specific> = CAD files found under this section informs the user that these CAD Files can only be found in the view that they have been inserted in, or there was a check in the box for “Current view only”.

Where is it!  It wasn’t exploded was it????

To find a linked or imported CAD file within the Revit products it is truly a "hunt and peck" process for the user.

One of  the method that could be used to find an Import is by using the Line Stylestool found in the Manage Tab > Settings panel.  Within this tool the user is able to tell if an imported CAD file has been exploded by the presence of certain line styles. 

When using Ideate Explorer a user can quickly determine if an imported CAD file has been Partially or Fully exploded.  My two favorite ways within Ideate Explorer are:1. Searching for symbols = Within Ideate Explorer CAD Imports category I look for DWG files that repeat multiple times with symbol name at the end.

2. Search for Line Styles – Within Ideate Explorer I look at the Lines > detail Lines category looking for CAD Layers names like DEFPOINTS etc.

Ideate Explorer can quickly find elements in the model like imported CAD Files.  Ideate Explorer has a Show Elements tool which when selected will zoom to the item in Revit that you’ve.  This is similar to the “Highlight in Model” function in Revit schedules.  Users can access the Show Elements several different way.  My favorite method is as follows:

• Select an element in the Results window  

• Select the Show Elements (Zoom to Selected) button from the Top right of the Results window.

Happy searching! If you would like to make suggestions on what you would like to see in future releases of Ideate Explorer for Revit send us your ideas.

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Eugene . O’Day, IX
AEC Application Specialist
Eugene A. O’Day, IX, with more than 25 years of architectural and mechanical experience, offers a trained focus on all things Revit and BIM. Teaching is a passion of his. Eugene has been an instructor in undergraduate degree programs, has traveled worldwide teaching Autodesk solutions to major corporations, has taught at accredited ATCs throughout the Northwestern region, and is a frequent and popular instructor, speaker, and presenter for AUGI® CAD Camps, Revit – and related product user groups. He has also been a trusted public school district advisor on new drafting instructor hires. At Ideate, Eugene provides training and support for Revit Architecture, Revit Structure and AutoCAD. Eugene is also a Revit Architecture Autodesk Certified Professional.

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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. 

9.16.13::Ideate Software 101:
Revit Project Management with Ideate BIMLink

9.17.13::Revit 201:
Documenting your project in Revit MEP

9.19.13::Infrastructure 201:
Analysis for Master Planning

9.20.13::Revit 201:
Revit MEP and Low Voltage Systems MEP

9.23.13::Revit 201:
Conceptual Design

9.30.13::Ideate Software 201:
Ideate BIMLink for RMEP Projects

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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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.

9.18-19::San Francisco
3ds Max Design for Architects

9.23-25::San Jose
AutoCAD Fundamentals

9.24-26::Seattle
Revit Architecture Fundamentals

9.24-26::Seattle
Electrical Fundamentals

 Know your software. Sign up now!

Why RTC, Why Europe?

We’re headed for the Revit Technology (RTC) Conference on 27-28 September 2013 and are looking forward to this inaugural European event. It’s not too late to sign up, and if you’re looking for reasons to share with the boss, here are some of the best reasons to attend:

• You can stop by the Hague, aka the Hague Justice Portal; because we can all benefit from being in a city of “international peace and justice”.
• Coffee prices have gone through the roof. Leaving the country will decrease office expenses. While you are there you can pick up some Delft Blue cups and switch to tea.
• You need design inspiration and Delft has a vibrant architectural scene
• I’ll be bringing something special from the Jersey Shore…
• You’re contemplating cardboard as a structural material for your next project: 
• There’s no “Paris” in Delft, so you’re bound to be more productive than you would be at AU.
• Speaking of productivity*, we’ll be there showcasing how some of the best and brightest are leveraging the “I” in BIM with Ideate BIMLink for real productivity gains. 
• It’s the single most efficient way to collect best practices of top BIM Managers.

We’re looking forward to connecting with our European customers and anyone else who can make it over to Delft for the first annual RTC Europe conference. Stop by our booth (#1) and be sure to bring your toughest Revit challenges to our Ideate Software team. 

* Check out your Return on Investment with the Ideate BIMLink ROI calculator

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Glynnis Patterson is a registered architect and the Director of Software Development at Ideate, Inc.

Technology and Corporate Culture

Virtualization is a very hot topic right now - it is the current disruptive technology. It changes business processes and existing workflows. With all disruptive technology (laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc.) there are two parts to any 'change' - the technology itself and the corporate culture that must adapt to the new technology.

It is my premise that changing  corporate culture is far more difficult than the technology change itself.

Let me relay a story from long ago (technology-wise): Please note this technology is almost obsolete now, so if you want, replace fax with any other technology - it all plays the same:

Prior to fax machines, construction bids were either phoned in or mailed. You could imagine as bid time approached, the phone started to ring, and scribbling on 'bid sheets' was rampant, and communication mistakes were made. Then the moment of panic happened - "we didn't get a phone call from ABC Company about XYZ material and/or labor". Bids were 'guessed' at, with the hope that all would work out in the end.

Then magically, fax technology became price competitive and construction companies started acquiring fax machines. The speed of getting bids out and bids back increased dramatically. Also contractors could send out a portion of the plan and get a very quick turn-around, in writing. This led to less errors and more accurate bidding.

I am sure you believe the technology improvement happened without a hiccup.  Nope. The hand wringing by firms, the 'we will never use a fax', and the 'legal risk adverse' all came out in force hyping that the world will end, lawsuits will sky-rocket, etc. etc. In the end, none of the 'world will end' came true.

My point is that all new technology is evolutionary and not really revolutionary. The new technology's value proposition is/was simply faster or better.  

This is the same about virtualization. The nay-sayers all claim that they "will never use cloud computing", claim proprietary information, and the risk is too great (see the similarity to my story above).

Here is my take on evaluating new technology:

• Will the new technology increase your company's value proposition (faster, better, stronger).  If yes - then you must move forward.
• Should you test out technology before jumping into the deep end of that technology.  Absolutely, there are always companies that will assist in paving the way for you. Get training in the new technology increase adoption and usage.
• Will all of your company/team/staff survive the technology.  Probably not, but that is not a bad thing.  Your goal should always be faster, better, stronger.  Remove roadblocks, and give the team a path to success.  If that does not work, it is probably time to have that team member move on to another job.
• Lastly, remember, the first usage of the technology usually does not return the best return on investment (ROI).  Look past the bumps in the road and look at the longer horizon.  

Business leaders must shut out the negative noise to embrace all technologies that increase their value proposition.

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David Haynes, NCARB, PMP, LEED AP
Ideate Director of Consulting

David is a Registered Architect, Project Management Certified Professional, who previously had his own architectural practice and was President of a commercial design-build construction company for 15 years. A graduate of University of Arizona, he has worked as an Architect, contractor, developer and as a national construction manager for a national retailer. David currently provides business process analysis, virtualization and change management solutions for AEC clients across the United States involved in the design and building industry. Follow David on Twitter: @dhaynestech


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Autodesk InfraWorks File Repathing

In keeping with our goal at Ideate to dig and disseminate the information you need to keep your workflow smooth we issue this blog post about Autodesk InfraWorks.

Now that you have been using InfraWorks for some time you realize that it is not a file based software; rather a database driven software with files stored in a defined folder structure for each project. And it follows that file paths are very important - they behave like XRefs. What will happen if you receive an Infraworks project from some client, collaborator or consultant and they keep their projects on a P Drive and your projects are on Z drive?

Sounds like a familiar situation: that is why you use Relative paths in AutoCAD. Well, in InfraWorks there is nothing like a relative path but if you get stuck in a situation like this you can repath files using a tool in the Data Source palette - Manage Paths of the data sources. refer to the screen shot below.

It will show a dialog box where you can specify the path of the file. change the path - you are done.

It's that simple!!

Don't be afraid to use InfraWorks. Sign up for an online training from Ideate for more help!

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Gaurav Bagga
Ideate Infrastructure Solutions Application Specialist

Gaurav is a well rounded Application Engineer and Project Manager for Infrastructure Solutions at Ideate based out of San Francisco. He has over 15 years experience in construction industry and has been helping numerous small, medium and ENR 500 firms maximize their CAD investment for the last ten years. Gaurav is an Autodesk Certified Instructor and Autodesk Civil 3D Implementation Certified Expert. He has taught at several conferences, CAD Camps and Autodesk University. He has taught AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Land Desktop and Map 3D to thousands of students and helps Ideate develop the Infrastructure Services curriculum and courses. With his extensive CAD technology background he helps Bay Area engineering and surveying firms analyze and improve their design and drawing production process thereby improving productivity and the bottom line. Follow Gaurav on Twitter: @BeGeez

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Measure Twice – Cut Once – Think Always

It is better to think twice, before executing once.

There is an old adage in construction that says it is better to measure twice and cut once. If you have ever done a home improvement project, you have experienced this. The haste to get the job done has led to waste in time (it took longer), materials, and sometimes sanity (increased stress).

In business consulting I hear all the time the following…

• We have really smart people, they can just execute.
• Planning takes too long – it will cost money.
• We will use our past process, it will be okay.

All of these strategies are a cut once and hope it fits process, and destined to either fail or take longer and cost more.

My attorney, Sherman Knight, during my times of great legal strife, always used the military phrase “Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.” What he was trying to get me to understand is that planning (thinking) makes for better doing (performance).

Planning, and the associated thinking required, is more critical than the immediacy of starting the execution of the task or project. Risks need to be identified, as well as opportunities. Strategies can be reviewed and developed that will more than accelerate the project completion.

How do we start the planning process:

• What is the realistic schedule, which is usually different than the “desired” schedule. How will resources be allocated.
• Who are the other stakeholders, and what information and buy-in is required for a successful project.
• What are all the risks of the project, how will the risks be mitigated – and most importantly – what new processes will be needed to complete the project.
• New technologies may be needed, or required to complete the work.
• Time spent training resources on the new process, pays dividends over “they will learn as they go along.” The key here is to have the training as close to the execution of the work.

How many times do we just “wing it” and hope for the best outcome? Far too often. Planning, before doing, needs to become your personal, and company #1 best practice.

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David Haynes, NCARB, PMP, LEED AP
Ideate Director of Consulting

David is a Registered Architect, Project Management Certified Professional, who previously had his own architectural practice and was President of a commercial design-build construction company for 15 years. A graduate of University of Arizona, he has worked as an Architect, contractor, developer and as a national construction manager for a national retailer. David currently provides business process analysis, virtualization and change management solutions for AEC clients across the United States involved in the design and building industry. Follow David on Twitter: @dhaynestech


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Everything you need to know about Civil 3D ToolTips

While on Tech support here at Ideate Inc., I got a question from a customer about a ToolTip that shows the station and offset an alignment. He did not know how to access this function. Out-of-the-box the software defaults to have the ToolTips on. But what if they aren’t on and you want to see them? What if you don’t want them because you feel like it clutters your screen? How do you turn them on or off?

Well first, let’s understand what ToolTips are. There are three types: Command, Rollover and Proximity. Command ToolTips show up when you hover your cursor over a command in the Ribbon, as shown below.

Command ToolTip

Rollover ToolTips display object information when the cursor hovers over an object.

Rollover ToolTip

Proximity ToolTips display proximity information about the current cursor location with respect to objects in the drawing. You don’t have to hover the cursor over a particular object to display information. Wherever you find your cursor, you will find a ToolTip with proximity information to various objects in the drawing.

Proximity ToolTip

In order to have access to these ToolTips, you need to have them turned on.  You do this in the Options Box and the Object Properties Box. On the Display Tab of the Options Box, you can turn on Command ToolTips and Rollover ToolTips. For Command ToolTips, you have the choice of showing an extended Command ToolTip and Shortcut Keys, which show up at the bottom of the ToolTip. Refer to the first image of a Command ToolTip above for examples of these options. The Rollover ToolTip check box is below the Command ToolTip, as shown below.

Command and Rollover ToolTip Check Boxes

The Proximity ToolTip check box is at the bottom of the Information Tab on the Object Properties Box. This means that you can individually turn on or off Proximity ToolTips for each object. This allows flexibility on what information is displayed.

Proximity ToolTip Check Box

Thank you for reading. I hope this has been informative. For more information on training and consulting for the various products we service, visit our website at www.ideateinc.com.

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Kate Ming
Ideate AEC Application Specialist
Kate has a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UC Berkeley. Prior to Ideate, she worked at a multinational company for four years doing general civil design on large infrastructure projects. She is versed in roadway, rail, and utility design. She also has experience with utility demand analysis and Low Impact Development plans. At Ideate, Kate provides training and support for Civil 3D, AutoCAD, and Navisworks.  

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