Overcoming the Blame Game

Presently, I am in the Business Analytics Certificate program at the University of Washington, and part of the class deals with how to get groups to be committed towards a goal. Each class the students are asked questions about our commitment towards our goals in life. It is called "Conversations that Matter"  (The tip of the cap to Peter Block of designedLearning + Gary Mesick and Shelly Lawrence of the UofW).

One set of questions asks about how to transform Blame to Ownership. Before I get into the questions, let's review the issues:

•     How many discussions are we involved in each day that revolve around: 
• Whom to blame
• Whom to 'throw under the bus'
• It can't be me !

•    Is this productive time, or wasted time 
•    How can we overcome the blame game.

Here are the four questions (which can either be done on a scale of 1-7, or in sentence form) that should be asked in the group (at the start of the process/project) and answers should be said out loud. This forces commitment to the responses. 

          HOW VALUABLE DO I PLAN FOR THIS TO BE?

Great question. If the process, decision, or project is not valuable - then why bother. I think what happens is that if it is not valuable to all the team members, then it is easy to sabotage the process, the decisions, and undermine the endeavor by adding 'dead weight'.
 
            HOW PARTICIPATIVE DO I PLAN TO BE?

Another key question. If we plan to sit there with our arms folded, then why be there. If we plan to 'snark' at every opportunity, that is no help. But worse of all is to not participate to the fullest extent to make the meeting, decision, etc a success.

             HOW MUCH RISK DO I PLAN TO TAKE?

Ah yes, that pesky risk taking! I have always said that taking risk is inevitable. If you wake up each morning and get out of bed, you are taking risk. The point is to be involved (to be "all in" - http://connectingthedata.blogspot.com/2013/10/are-you-all-in-or-just-surviving.html), you have to take risk.   

TO WHAT EXTENT AM I INVESTED IN THE GOOD OF THE WHOLE?

Investment is a key part. If you are floating, then you are not investing. In this case investment is an active participation, not passive investment. The other key part is "good of the whole". The whole; that is the whole project and the whole team.

Important questions to ask of our professional and personal lives.

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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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This post was originally published on David’s blog Connecting the [Data]… 

Are You Executing on Your Workset Plan?

You’ve spent the time to devise a great way to organize your Autodesk Revit project with worksets. Your plan is excellent and will decrease time wasted opening unnecessary information and ensure that only the desired information will be printed within the deliverables.

BUT… are you actually executing on this plan?

Ideate Explorer for Revit knows, so take a peek at your project today and be sure that you are executing on your workset plan!

Try the Ideate Explorer for Revit Free Trial today.

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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. 

10.31.13::Civil 3D 201:
Objects & Label Styles

11.4.13::Revit 201:
Revit for Interior Designers

11.21.13::Civil 3D 201:
Using the Intersection Design Tool

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.

10.24::Portland
Revit MEP Mechanical

10.24::Portland
Revit MEP - Documentation

10.29-31::San Francisco
Revit Architecture Fundamentals

11.5-7::San Francisco
AutoCAD Fundamentals

11.12-13::San Francisco
Revit Architecture Beyond the Basics

11.12-13::San Francisco
Navisworks Fundamentals

 Know your software. Sign up now!

Quick Tip: AutoCAD 2014 and Navisworks NWC File Exporter

While we are all aware that you cannot export the .NWC file format directly from AutoCAD 2014 without installing either Navisworks or the NWC export utility, one thing that still makes me chuckle is after either is installed if you type in (at the AutoCAD command line) the command “NWNAVIGATOR” it will bring up into your AutoCAD session a great Navis Viewer. Which is in reality a temporary *.NWC file that you can navigate in. This is a very powerful feed-back tool when modeling.

Download the Autodesk Navisworks NWC export utility. Once the utility installs, the command “NWCOUT” will now be available!

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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.

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Autodesk InfraWorks R2 – .RVT Import

Here at Ideate, Inc. we are always trying to stay one step ahead of the game in order to provide the best information to our customers. With that in mind, whenever we hear about a new product or update from Autodesk, we do our best to test the new features and let you know what we think.

If you haven’t already heard, Autodesk has released a Subscription based Product Enhancement for Autodesk InfraWorks called Autodesk InfraWorks R2, and Autodesk InfraWorks +Ultimate R2. These are available via the Autodesk Subscription Center for customers who have Building Design Suite (BDS) Ultimate, or Infrastructure Design Suite (IDS) Premium or Ultimate (+Ultimate R2 is for IDS Ultimate subscription owners). You can download the R2 installation package by logging in to Subscription Center and downloading it from the Product Enhancements section (not part of the standard program downloads). Expand downloads to find Product Enhancements, as shown below.

One of the new features included in the R2 versions is the ability to import Revit .RVT files directly into the InfraWorks model without having Revit installed on the same workstation. Up until now, only IDS Ultimate customers who installed InfraWorks along with Revit were able to use Revit .RVT files as a data source. With the R2 product enhancement, all Revit file processing is handled via the cloud when the .RVT file is added so we no longer need the side by side installation. This also adds the .RVT file option as a data source for BDS Ultimate customers, who did not have it as part of their original installs.

Keep in mind, this new feature does come with some requirements.

First, you will need to have and be signed-in to your Autodesk 360 account in order to use the cloud-based processing capabilities. When you launch Autodesk InfraWorks, make sure you’re signed in to Autodesk 360, and you’ll be all set. If you are not signed-in, the application will prompt you to login before you can proceed with the .RVT import.

Second, we are currently limited to the “Local Origin” option when using Interactive Placing in the Data Source Configuration window. Although there are four different placement options, Local Origin is the only one that is currently working in Autodesk InfraWorks R2 and +Ultimate R2. Ideate has tested, submitted, and confirmed with Autodesk that this is a bug in the application and it is being escalated to the Autodesk Development Team for further research.

Here are some screenshots of the options and the error that you’ll run into if you choose something other than Local Origin.

Select LOCAL ORIGIN as the Position option for model placement

Selecting Center 2D, Center 3D, or Lower Left Front all produce this error when the model tries to refresh with the new data source.

Refresh Failed error (Center 2D, Center 3D, or Lower Left Front options)

As mentioned earlier, we have confirmed this as a bug with Autodesk. But don’t worry; as long as you keep using the Local Origin option, you’ll be fine importing .RVT files into your InfraWorks models.
 
On a side note, the pre-R2 version of Autodesk InfraWorks installed from the Infrastructure Design Suite Ultimate along with Revit works with all position options when importing .RVT files.
 
If you’re interested in finding out more about the different features and flavors of Autodesk InfraWorks (there are currently four!) check out the post from Kate Ming, one of our ISD Techs in the San Francisco office. 
 

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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

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Where Did It All Go Wrong?

How often have we sat after a bad project/decision and say "where did it all go wrong?" This analysis usually is full of hand wringing, blaming of some outside source, or even the famous 'beats me.'

This form of post-mortem is not effective, because it isn't focused. Here is a quick tip:

The most critical of decisions happen in the first five minutes of the action.

We often don't stop at the beginning of a project, or even of a decision, to evaluate the following:

1. Is the project/action worth doing

2. Do we have a chance for success? What will make it a success?

3. What assumptions are we making that should be tested?

4. Who are the people involved (internal/external) that must be successful  for the project/decision to be successful?

       MOST IMPORTANT:  Should I go left or right? 

I recently was in city on a business trip, and was trying to get back to the hotel. I was so confident that I had it down. If I only had paused to make sure that first turn was a good one – but instead I turned left instead of right. I got lost, and the rest you probably have experienced yourself. Wasted time, anxiety, and more wrong turns.

This may sound silly, but the point is that the first step is the most crucial. To head in the right direction. Before making that next big decision, starting that next crucial project… Take a second, pause, evaluate where you need to end up and simply say "is this the right direction?"

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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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This post was originally published on David’s blog Connecting the [Data]… 

The Flavors of Autodesk InfraWorks

As a Technical Expert in Infrastructure at Ideate, I need to know the intricacies of the different versions of InfraWorks. I thought you might like a quick guide to the differences. Here goes:
 
Autodesk InfraWorks 360 Free app (on iTunes) – Download from the iTunes store.  The app has the most basic functions of navigation and model review for the iPad and iPhone and works with Autodesk 360.
 
Autodesk InfraWorks – Available as a standalone product, this version includes the basic features for model creation (installed with its own SN, and not from design suite).
 
Autodesk InfraWorks R2 – Available as a Product Enhancement on Subscription Center to owners of Infrastructure Design Suite Premium. Along with added features from your suite purchase like cloud credits, this version also includes enhancements like the ability to use RVT files as a data source without owning Revit. This version is also available to Building Design Suite Ultimate customers and adds the .RVT file option that was not part of the original install.
 
Autodesk InfraWorks +Ultimate R2 – Available as a Product Enhancement on Subscription Center to owners of IDS Ultimate. It is similar to R2 above, and also includes cloud based optimization, design roads, cloud credits, etc.
 
Autodesk InfraWorks 360 Pro – Available as short term (quarterly) or annual renewal, this version is purchased separately from BDS and IDS packages. It does NOT include cloud based optimization or enhanced road design functions that are available to subscription and +Ultimate R2 owners. It’s similar to the Autodesk InfraWorks item above, but with short term licensing options.
 
*monthly licensing options may also be available
 
Autodesk InfraWorks 360 Pro with Autodesk Roadway Design for InfraWorks 360 Pro – Available as short term (quarterly) or annual similar to 360 Pro, but also includes the Autodesk Roadway Design add-on. The Roadway Design add-on is an additional purchase that must be added to the InfraWorks 360 Pro product above. This is the highest level of InfraWorks available and includes more features and functions than the products listed above. Some of the enhanced features include Documentation Tools and Sight Distance Tools that are NOT part of any other version.
 
*monthly licensing options may also be available
 
Autodesk’s comparison matrix offers more details about the different InfraWorks offerings. 

Introduction to InfraWorks Online Class
If you’re interested in finding out more about Autodesk InfraWorks, we’ve got a 90-minute online class available through our website. The intro course covers basic functionality of the program and teaches you how to import and connect to existing data sources and create a conceptual plan for a roadway project.
 
Infrastructure 201: Intro to InfraWorks
 
Visit our website at www.ideateinc.com for information on various products, training, consulting and services. 
 

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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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Your Ideas, Writ in Code – Annual Ideate BIMLink Survey

A big thanks to everyone who graciously gave us their input last month for the third annual Ideate BIMLink survey. Our winner from this year’s Ideate BIMLink survey is Trent Best of Rosendin Electric. Enjoy that iPad mini Trent! 

When you purchase Ideate BIMLink you’re buying not only a piece of software, but also the email support, online classes, and development efforts that are on-going. For example, your past input has resulted in the following “point” releases:

2013.0 :: March 2012, Revit 2013 ships, and so do we, with new and improved workflows!

2013.1 :: August 2012 – improvements for ease of network deployments

2013.2 :: December 2012 – Top 3 user requests added plus many improvements.

2014.0 :: March 2013 – Revit 2014 ships and so does Ideate BIMLink 2014.0

2013.4/2014.1 :: July 2013 – We provide improvements for both 2014 and 2013 users. What’s New Video

2013.5/2014.1 :: Give us a bit of time, we just got your feedback!

In addition to some great ideas about how to make Ideate BIMLink even more useful, users are reporting an average of ***23.7 hours saved per project***, meaning that for most customers they re-coup their initial investment within the first project. Sign-up for online training to learn how you can make the most of Ideate BIMLink.

Missed the survey? You can always provide your input from within the Help menu.

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

BIM Workflow for Roads and Highways

This year, Ideate is offering a new class based on the BIM for Road and Highway design to go along with Autodesk’s new BIM Specialist: Roads and Highways certification. 

Although the concept of BIM or Building Information Modeling has been around for years, its integration into the world of Road and Highway design has been relatively slow when compared to that of Building design. The 2014 Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite provides users with core products for use in BIM modeling for Roads and Highways. In this article, we’ll talk about the products involved, and some the roles they play in the BIM Workflow process.

When looking at the list of products in the Infrastructure Design suite – Ultimate version, we’ll find applications for many stages of the project lifecycle. For the purpose of our blog, we’ll break this down into three main areas.

Stage 1: Planning and Preliminary Design
Stage 2: Detailed Design and Documentation
Stage 3: Construction Simulation/Management

For Stage 1, Autodesk InfraWorks is available to combine both existing and proposed data sources and create a virtual 3D model of a planned development. Autodesk InfraWorks is compatible with GIS, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Revit, Point Cloud and other data types and also includes tools for creating proposed features and cloud-based profile optimization for road design. 

Once models are created, Autodesk InfraWorks also includes tools for creating storyboards, virtual fly-throughs, and scenarios for communicating design concepts. Finally, Autodesk InfraWorks models can easily be exported and imported into Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D for continuing on to the next stage of the design process.

The Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D modeling tools provide civil engineers with the ability to add large amounts of information to the models for use in the BIM process. Built-in analysis tools like Storm and Sanitary Analysis and Hydraflow, along with  plan production tools to automatically cut Plan and Profile and Section Sheets make AutoCAD Civil 3D an excellent program to use for Stage 2 of our workflow. Additional tools for Quantity Take-offs, earthwork, and material volume calculations also provide the necessary data for construction cost estimates based on the information contained in our models.

Once designs are finalized, we can move on to Stage 3 of our BIM Workflow.  Model components can be exported back to Autodesk InfraWorks for high quality visualizations of the final design, and imported into Navisworks Manage for construction management and simulation. Both applications are also compatible with files from Autodesk Revit as well as other software packages, giving us the ability to create realistic composite models using data received from all parties involved in a project.

Within Navisworks Manage, the Timeliner tool can be used for creating 4D and 5D construction simulations by linking model components to timelines created in project scheduling software like Microsoft Project or Primavera.

Along with the Timeliner, Navisworks Manage also includes Clash Detection for detecting clearance violations and hard clashes between model components.  Simulated construction sequencing and virtual clash detection help save time and money through early detection of issues that could lead to costly redesigns and change orders if found during construction.

So there you have it, Autodesk InfraWorks for preliminary planning stage design, Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D for detailed design and construction documentation, then back to Autodesk InfraWorks or into Autodesk Navisworks Manage for advanced visualizations, construction simulation, clash detection and construction management. A BIM Workflow for Road and Highway design using applications included in the 2014 Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suites.

Interested in finding out more? Visit our website for the next open enrollment class on BIM Workflow for Roads & Highways and to find out more about Autodesk’s BIM Specialist: Roads & Highways certification.

Matt Miyamoto, P.E.
Ideate AEC Application Specialist
Matt is an Application Specialist at Ideate, Inc. and is a licensed Civil Engineer with over 10 years of industry experience. He has successfully completed the BIM Specialist: Roads & Highways certification and helps to provide training, consulting and technical support services for our customers at Ideate, Inc. @MattM_PE

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Are You ALL IN or Just Surviving?

In poker, there is a term called ‘all in’ where the poker player puts all their remaining chips on the table in order to win the pot. In business ‘all in’ means commitment to making a business decision, or business situation better/faster/stronger.

My question is, as a member of a team (whether you are the top or the bottom of the team, whether you are an internal member or an external consultant)…

Are you ‘all in’ or are you ‘just surviving?’
 
More and more I see both internal and external team members taking the passive ‘just surviving’ approach to their work lives.

How do you know which side you are on?

All In	Just Surviving
I will be committed to success	I am working for a paycheck
I will communicate my concerns, issues, and comments to make the company stronger	I don't want to make waves.  My boss doesn't listen anyway
I will make the company better	I just work here
I will search to do more, ask how I can help, look to improve my company 'coinage'	I will wait for someone to hand me responsibility and shy away from a challenge
I am fearless	I am fearful/timid/reluctant
I am here for the long haul	I am hanging around here waiting for my next job
I will stretch and grow and learn from my mistakes.	I want things to be safe, and I expect someone to tell me what to do.

If some of this makes you feel uneasy, that is a sure sign of just surviving, just floating; hoping that someone else will take charge and make things better. 

The interesting part about ‘just surviving’ is that we won’t need to take ownership of what happens at the company. We get to say we feel unfulfilled and we are still ‘deciding what you want to be when you grow up’. If only someone would show us the path to our ‘career.’

The path to job security, and a rewarding career is to be ‘all in’ – is there a chance we will lose the poker hand by putting all your chips on the table? Yes, but we learn from those events and become better and stronger. 
 

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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 

Get it. Know it. Use it.

This post was originally published on David’s blog Connecting the [Data]… 

Ideate, Inc. Publishes a First – a Civil 3D Virtualization Study in Success

SAN FRANCISCO, California – 10/10/2013 - Autodesk Gold Value Added Reseller Ideate, Inc., a solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, today announced the publication of its first Virtualization-focused Study in Success, “Ideate Consulting and IMSCAD Lead ESA to Autodesk Design Solution Virtualization Mastery.”

Ideate customer Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a leading environmental science and planning firm with offices in the Western and Southeastern United States, faced challenges when the firm needed to seamlessly integrate IT hardware and its office and accounting software with graphics-intense Autodesk design technology software. Virtualization looked promising, provided it could be achieved within the firm’s desired parameters of a reliable, cost effective, and functional solution.

ESA enlisted Ideate Consulting and its strategic ally, UK-based IMSCAD, and as John Lessard, Director of Information Technology, ESA, said, “We spent several hours at Ideate. The comparison to anything we had experienced to date was night and day. We determined that the concept of running AutoCAD Civil 3D in a Citrix environment was not only possible. Virtualization, it turned out, was very doable.”

The first-of-its-kind Study in Success reveals how these expert allies partnered in scoping, installing, and configuring the components, then implementing a successful desktop virtualization project that is working for ESA with Autodesk design software, and specifically with AutoCAD Civil 3D.

Bob Palioca, President, Ideate Inc., says, “Being able to use any hardware from anywhere is facilitating fast-paced collaboration for ESA. The firm is streamlining software deployment and upgrade procedures, all while lowering its costs. Our goal is always to have our customers be overwhelmingly delighted with the solutions we provide, and we could not be more pleased.”

Ideate has published “Ideate Consulting and IMSCAD Lead ESA to Autodesk Design Solution Virtualization Mastery,” online. Download the Study in Success at ideateinc.com/ideas/case

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, AutoCAD, ATC and Civil 3D are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.

Citrix is a trademark of Citrix Systems, Inc. and/or one or more of its subsidiaries, and may be registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries.
 

# # #

Basic Differences Between Inroads and Civil 3D

Over the past year, through Ideate I have been training Civil 3D to Caltrans employees. Recently, it got me thinking back to my design days as an Inroads master. Now that I have as much experience with Civil 3D as Inroads, I’d like to illuminate for you some high level difference between these two competing software, specifically integration with the CAD platform and data management.
  
At a glance, Inroads and Civil 3D are seemingly the same software. They both create civil design objects such as roads, utilities, surfaces, etc. I am not going to get into the ins and outs of what they offer. What is more interesting is the difference in their architecture. They are both vertical design software built on a CAD platform. Inroads works with Microstation while Civil 3D works with AutoCAD. Civil 3D is seamlessly built into the AutoCAD interface while Inroads is a separate window. 

This highlights the first main difference: integration with the CAD platform. Civil 3D’s integration into the user interface makes transitioning from AutoCAD to Civil 3D easy. All of the Civil 3D commands are placed amongst the AutoCAD commands. Civil 3D objects can be edited using the common AutoCAD commands. Inroads, however, feels like a separate software from Microstation.  All of Inroads functions are contained on the Inroads window, which is separate from Microstation. You need to open Microstation and Inroads in order to work with Inroads. In order to edit an Inroads entity, you need to use Inroads commands. Essentially, all of Inroads data is contained in one of the many Inroads files, which are separate from the CAD file that you may be using. This is why you can’t edit Inroads objects using Microstation.

This leads me to another main difference: data management. In Civil 3D, the drawing itself is a database which contains all of the Civil 3D objects. This allows the software to be dynamic. Of course, you are not going to want all of your data in one drawing, even if it’s possible. That would create a huge and slow file that could crash the software. You can create separate design files instead of having everything in one file and share that data. Civil 3D objects are shared amongst drawings through Data Shortcuts. Data Shortcuts are XML files that act as a pointer to the file that has the needed data. It in a sense creates a path to data from another drawing for purposes of displaying.

Conversely, data for Inroads is contained in multiple files. Each data-type has its own file, i.e. surfaces and alignments both have a separate file types that are loaded into Inroads. Both of these files are separate from the Microstation dgn file. In order to display any of this data in the dgn file, you need to have a preference file loaded. So at any given time, you need to have a minimum of 3 files open to work: the object file (an alignment for example), a preference file, and the microstation dgn file. That’s a lot of files to keep track of. You can create a project file that will open all relevant files when you want to work on a project. Having a lot of different files makes the software inherently less dynamic. For example, if you update a surface, you will then have to open the alignment file that may be affected by the surface, and then update the alignment file. All of these separate files can make data management difficult. 

To sum it up, Civil 3D is more dynamic then Inroads due to all Civil 3D data being in the drawing. This is definitely a plus for Civil 3D, despite the fact that it can lead to large files that can crash. The solution to this is to create multiple files and share data using the data shortcuts. Civil 3D also is integrated well with the AutoCAD interface and commands, which makes moving from AutoCAD to Civil 3D easy. Another plus to Civil 3D is its integration with other Autodesk products.

Inroads is less dynamic and it is harder to learn to use because it is not integrated with Microstation. It is a separate software that works on top of Microstation. Sharing data, however, is easy because it is contained are separate files. There is no need for a data sharing system, like Civil 3D’s data shortcuts.

Is one better? I don’t think so. They are different. It depends on what your clients and colleagues are requesting and what other software you are working with. Additionally, it depends on how you like to work. If you have never used Inroads or Civil 3D, I hope this opened your eyes to some of the key differences.

For information on training and consulting for the various products Ideate services, 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.  

Get it. Know it. Use it.

Ideate, Inc. Earns Autodesk Construction Specialization

San Francisco, CA, 10/7/2013 – Ideate, Inc., (ideateinc.com), an Autodesk Gold Value Added Reseller, today announced that it has earned the Construction Specialization designation for value added resellers from Autodesk, Inc., a world leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software. 

As an Autodesk Specialized Partner, Ideate has shown that it provides a high level of expertise, experience and support to customers, has made a significant investment in its people, has a solid business plan specific to its specialization areas, and has customer references. Ideate offices including San Francisco and Sacramento, CA, Portland, OR and Seattle, WA have achieved the Construction Specialization. 

The AEC industry as a whole, and Construction within it, are adopting Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools. Ideate has been at the forefront of AEC design technology innovation for decades. As a pioneer in BIM and an expert in Autodesk BIM solutions, Ideate has a long-standing history of providing solutions, training, support and custom consulting services to the industry. Earning Construction Specialization is confirmation that Ideate has been and continues to be ready for the transformation underway in Construction. 

Construction Specialization is only one of many Autodesk Partner Specializations Ideate has earned. Such Autodesk Partner Specializations enable Autodesk value added resellers to highlight and brand their expertise in delivering services in key industry areas. By completing the required curriculum and training, as well as meeting required levels of service and standards set by Autodesk, Ideate demonstrates through its strong customer service and support in sales what it means to be a trusted adviser to Autodesk customers. 

Bob Palioca, president of Ideate, Inc. says, “We keep abreast of advancing technologies and know where the industry is heading. This specialization underscores our dedication to helping the Construction industry in BIM processes and guiding our customers to preferred technology solutions for their respective industries. Autodesk Construction Specialization affirms the value of our commitment to customers as they leverage new technologies to enhance efficiencies and increase their return on investment.” 

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

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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. 

10.8.13::Revit 201:
Site Tools

10.10.13::Civil 3D 201:
Working with ReCap

10.15.13::Revit 201:
Worksharing Best Practices

10.17.13::Civil 3D 201:
Intro to InfraWorks

10.21.13::Ideate Software 101:
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

Get It. Know It. Use It.

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!

Intuition - The Inner Voice

That inner voice is intuition. 

I am not a superstitious person, and intuition is not voodoo magic or other mystical notions.

Intuition is the accumulation of past decisions and past learning, that is integrated into our 'brain' experience. So the question is how to harness/access that experience?
LISTENING TO THAT INNER VOICE

1.  Start doing good post-mortem on your past decisions (good and bad decisions). See my blog -

http://connectingthedata.blogspot.com/2013/09/making-new-mistakes-grow.html

2.  Listen to your inner voice. What is it trying to say that is not emotionally based?
3.  If all you are hearing is emotion - give it some time.
4.  Focus on long-term answers, not short term "I will show them" vengeance.
5.  As with all good decision making, understand what the next step should be, as well as where you want the conclusion to end up.

All this may seem like common sense, then why do we struggle with execution of the best practices above? Because we get caught up in the moment. We forget the key statement…..

What do we do after we make that emotional decision. 

In a previous job, I was asked to dismiss, without notice, a General Contractor working on a project. My question was "okay, what do we do with the project after I fire this guy?" The VP of Real Estate didn't have an answer, just felt that "something has to be done".

The lack of critical thinking, and understanding the long-term consequences of the 'emotional' decision, is a cancer upon leadership ability. 

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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


Get it. Know it. Use it.

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2014: Hidden Command – Export to DGN

At Ideate we are always digging and searching information to help improve your workflow. Have you ever needed to export your drawing to DGN because your work is going to be consumed by Microstation users without AutoCAD and hence no way to open a DWG? Read on for your options:
 
AutoCAD Civil 3D includes AutoCAD Map functionality and has historically included a command MAPEXPORT (not available in Civil 3D 2014 ribbon interface) to export to DGN and other formats listed in the picture below.

While this command is still available, Civil 3D now includes a newer command, DGNEXPORT (Application Menu > Export < DGN), to export to DGN. This command has options to specify the seed file and mapping setup such as layer, linetype – see picture below. Read the Help file to learn more about exporting to DGN and its limitations.

Tip: Before exporting Civil 3D objects to DGN, export the Civil features to AutoCAD using the appropriate EXPORTTOAUTOCAD (Application Menu > Export > DWG) command. In the resultant file, if need be, use BURST to reduce any blocks that remain to AutoCAD entities as well. Burst is similar to explode but maintains attributes and block entity layers and is well suited for this purpose.
 

You can access the same command using the command EXPORT (Application Menu > Export < Other Formats) and pick the appropriate DGN format.
 

Read further in the Help file about all the commands to import/export DGN files and associated system variables.

If you have to use MAPEXPORT and it does not work, follow the steps per this Autodesk technical solution.

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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

Get it. Know it. Use it.

Ideate, Inc. Tech Team Member Awarded Autodesk® Certified Instructor (ACI) Designation

SAN FRANCISCO, California, 10/1/2013 - Ideate, Inc., an Autodesk Gold Value Added Reseller, today announced that Ideate AEC Application Specialist Gaurav Bagga was awarded Autodesk Instructor Certification (ACI) upon completion of the three-day ACI Workshop in San Diego, California, August 20 –August 22, 2013. Bagga joins Ideate AEC Application Specialists who have received the ACI designation: James Cowan, Shruti Harve, Matt Miyamoto and Ron Palma. 

The ACI program is a cornerstone of the Autodesk Professional Excellence Program. It provides professional instructors with the highest level of training on the use of Autodesk software and gives them globally recognized accreditation. The program requires each candidate to have at least two years’ teaching experience before application and admission. It is designed to ensure that students leave the classroom competent and confident.

ACI certified instructors must meet standardized requirements in order to teach Autodesk solutions. The program also provides an in-depth evaluation of an instructor’s proficiency with Autodesk solutions and the instructor’s ability to train others.

The ACI certification of Gaurav Bagga completes the ACI requirement for Ideate, Inc. from Autodesk for the FY2014 year.

“We offer congratulations to Gaurav on the extraordinary achievement of ACI status,” says Bob Palioca, President of Ideate, Inc. “The rigorous ACI training guides our expert technical team members to advance their already excellent listening, presentation, and teaching skills. The evaluations they undergo–from class members, instructors, and self-directed—encourage even greater refinement of skills and mastery of fast-evolving technologies. Our AEC Application Specialists, with their knowledge, energy and enthusiasm, truly set Ideate apart.”

About Ideate, Inc.
Ideate, Inc. is a leading Autodesk solutions provider, offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to AEC professionals. Established in 1992 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Ideate is recognized as a Gold Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, one of Autodesk’s highest levels of authorization. Ideate, Inc. operates five Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATC): San Francisco, Sacramento and San Jose, California; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington. Ideate facilities are Autodesk Authorized Certification Centers, providing globally recognized certification courses for professionals who sell, service and support Autodesk products and solutions. For more information visit www.ideateinc.com.

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

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