Performance Degradation

Recently, while doing some research for a technical support case at Ideate, I came across this article on the Autodesk Knowledge Network (AKN), “Civil 3D Performance Degradation.” Posted back in October, this article provides a fix for performance-based issues occurring across multiple users in an organization.

Per the article, some of the issues addressed are long wait times when opening files, long lags during the PURGE and AUDIT commands, and additional lags with dialog boxes appearing and plotting. The issue affects both AutoCAD and AutoCAD Civil 3D, from the 2014-2017 releases. If you’re encountering any of these issues, I strongly encourage you to check the article out.

The solution is straight forward and involves replacing the existing AECCNETWORK.dbx file with the new one provided by Autodesk.

Here are some additional things to note:

1. You will need Administrative rights for the system to complete the process.
2. Applications must be closed before applying the update.
3. The update needs to be implemented on each user’s machine, at once.
4. The performance problem will recur if an unpatched version of Civil 3D is used to open a file.
5. The performance problem is fixed at the time a drawing file is saved in the updated version of Civil 3D, not when the .dbx file is replaced.
6. The first time a user opens a file, the update will not be evident.
7. Performance will greatly improve after the first save.
8. External references need to be resaved to see the benefit of the update.

Items 3-5 are very important to remember. If the fix is not applied to each user’s machine and an unpatched version of Civil 3D opens the file, the performance problem will recur. With that in mind, I want to reiterate, the fix should be applied to each machine at once, rather than as needed. All files, including XREFs, will also need to be opened and saved before there is a noticeable change in performance.

If you have been running into company-wide performance issues, this very well could be the solution you need.

Thank you for reading. For more information on the software solutions, training, and consulting Ideate provides, visit our website at www.ideateinc.com.

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Matt Miyamoto

ENI Manager & Senior Application Specialist

Matt is an ENI Manager and Senior Application Specialist in Ideate, Inc.’s Seattle office. He has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and is a licensed Civil Engineer. Prior to joining Ideate, Matt worked as a civil engineer, using Civil 3D on a variety of projects including site development, roadway improvements and infrastructure design. With over 10 years of experience in the civil engineering industry, Matt now provides training, consulting, technical support, and implementation strategies for organizations transitioning to Civil 3D. Matt is an Autodesk Certified Instructor (ACI), as well as an Autodesk Certified BIM Specialist: Roads and Highway Solutions. Additionally, Matt is and Autodesk Certified Professional for AutoCAD, and AutoCAD Civil 3D. He can be found on twitter as @MattM_PE

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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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 

Get it. Know it. Use it.

Ideate, Inc. Welcomes Eugene A. O’Day, IX, to Tech Expert Team

San Francisco, CA, 7/31/2013 – Ideate, Inc., an Autodesk Gold Value Added Reseller, today announced that Eugene A. O’Day, IX, has joined Ideate, Inc. in its Portland, Oregon office as Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) Application Specialist. Ideate is also currently seeking qualified candidates for additional positions.

O’Day brings more than 25 years of architectural and mechanical experience to the Ideate Tech Expert Team, and he has special expertise in all things Autodesk Revit and Building Information Modeling (BIM).

Teaching is also a passion of O’Day’s. He has been an instructor in undergraduate degree programs, has traveled worldwide teaching Autodesk solutions to major corporations, has taught at accredited Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (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.

“We are pleased to have Eugene on board. His years of professional experience in advanced design solutions and as a training expert are sure to enrich our AEC customers’ opportunities to achieve their best success,” says Bob Palioca, President, Ideate, Inc. “Eugene’s breadth of skills and extensive background dovetail perfectly with our Ideate Tech Expert Team.”

Ideate is growing and looking for talented qualified candidates to join the Ideate Tech Expert Team. Complete details on job descriptions and the application process can be found on the Ideate, Inc. Careers page.

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

AUGI is a registered trademark of Autodesk User Groups International, Inc.
 

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Newly Published Autodesk Developer Network Partner Success Story Features Ideate, Inc.

SAN FRANCISCO, California – 6/26/2013 - Ideate, Inc., a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer and Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the AEC industry, today announced the publication by Autodesk, Inc. of its latest Autodesk Developer Network Partner Success Story, “Exceling at problem solving: Ideate leverages decades of experience to help customers solve problems and reap the rewards of BIM.”

The Autodesk Developer Network Partner Success Story reveals how Ideate-developed Autodesk Revit product-based applications—Ideate Explorer for Revit and Ideate BIMLink—have become highly successful solutions that stem from customer pain points. Marketed worldwide directly, through partners and via Autodesk Exchange Apps, these tools address the ever-growing need to access and manage BIM data with ease, speed and precision.

Glynnis Patterson, Ideate Director of Software Development says, “We are helping customers identify and understand the hidden costs and loss of revenue due to process inefficiencies, while our solutions help customers eliminate bottlenecks, overcome workflow gaps and dramatically improve efficiencies. Tasks that once took days and hours take seconds. Costs drop substantially. Productivity climbs. The outcomes are gratifying.”

According to Jim Quanci, director of the Autodesk Developer Network, “The dedication to interoperability with Autodesk Revit makes Ideate a valued and trusted Autodesk Developer Network partner. Ideate consistently delivers comprehensive, easy-to-use applications to our AEC customers so they can maximize productivity and efficiency, and extend the power of their Autodesk software.”

Bob Palioca, President, Ideate Inc., says of the Autodesk Developer Network partnership, “We were BIM and Autodesk Developer Network pioneers. Being a member of ADN is a robust and strategic relationship. We find it’s important to be informed about upcoming functionality and to get the tools and technical assistance for early application development. It is one important way we enhance our customers’ workflows and contribute to their success.”

Ideate has published “Exceling at problem solving: Ideate leverages decades of experience to help customers solve problems and reap the rewards of BIM” online. Download the Study in Success at http://www.ideateinc.com/ideas/case.html

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 an 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 recognizedas an Autodesk Gold Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, one of Autodesk’s highest levels of authorization.

Ideate BIMLink lets users pull data from an Autodesk Revit file into user-friendly Microsoft Excel and push Excel data into Revit with equal ease. www.ideatebimlink.com

Ideate Explorer for Revit is a simple, powerful Autodesk Revit add-on to explore, quantify and manage the 100,000+ building elements in a Revit model. www.ideateexplorer.com

Autodesk, ATC, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. 

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Ideate, Inc. Expands Tech Expert Team with Four Hires

San Francisco, CA, 6/11/2013–Ideate, Inc., an Autodesk Gold Value Added Reseller, today announced the Ideate Tech Expert Team has been expanded with the hiring of four technical experts. Ideate is also currently seeking qualified candidates for additional positions.

“We are delighted to help our architectural, engineering, and construction customers achieve their greatest possible success through application of advanced design solutions and expert training,” says Bob Palioca, President. “These four Ideate Tech Experts bring essential skills in especially fast-advancing solutions.”

To support the Ideate mission, the Ideate team of technical experts is a unique blend of architects, designers, and civil engineers; professionals with years of experience in their respective industries.

AEC Application Specialist Sash Kazeminejad, LEED AP, Ideate, Portland, Oregon, is proficient in several Autodesk solutions including AutoCAD and Revit Architecture, has worked in project management, IT, and as architectural design staff, and leads Revit workshops. Kazeminejad has taught Building Information Modeling (BIM) at Montana State University (MSU) Gallatin College.

Kate Ming, AEC Application Specialist, San Francisco Bay Area, provides training and support for Civil 3D, AutoCAD, and Navisworks. Her previous work at a multinational company engaged her in 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.

Bradley Cooley, Ideate Technical Support Dispatcher in the Portland, Oregon office, has a design build services for residential construction and environmental graphics focus in his professional experience. Bradley provides Ideate customer service by phone and online assistance for software installation and functionality.

The Ideate San Francisco office welcomes Jim Cowan, AEC Application Specialist. An Autodesk Certified Instructor (ACI), Cowan is a university curriculum developer, instructor and presenter. His expertise includes solutions interoperability, overcoming barriers to BIM adoption and sustainability issues.

Ideate is growing and looking for talented qualified candidates to join the Ideate Tech Expert Team. Complete details on job descriptions and application process can be found on the Ideate, Inc. Careers page.

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, Civil 3D, Navisworks and Revit 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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Ideate, Inc. Earns Autodesk Civil Infrastructure Specialization

San Francisco, CA, 6/3/2013–Ideate, Inc., (ideateinc.com), an Autodesk Gold Value Added Reseller, today announced that it has earned the new Civil Infrastructure 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 Civil Infrastructure Specialization.

The AEC industry as a whole, and Infrastructure within it, are adopting Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools.  The transportation landscape, for example, is changing to the extent that agencies are insisting on using Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D for new road and highway design projects. Ideate in cooperation with Autodesk Consulting is helping the State of California Department of Transportation, Caltrans, get its engineers trained on Autodesk Civil 3D.

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. Civil Infrastructure Specialized is a new designation. Earning it is confirmation that Ideate has been and continues to be ready for the current transformation underway in Infrastructure.

This Civil Infrastructure 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.

As Bob Palioca, president of Ideate, Inc. says, “The Autodesk Civil Infrastructure Specialization affirms the value of our commitment to customers. We have dedicated ourselves to staying abreast of advancing technology, and to providing top training and technical support. This specialization says as nothing else can that we are prepared to help the industry in BIM Infrastructure processes.”

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.
 

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Ideate, Inc. Earns Autodesk Fabrication Specialization

San Francisco, CA, 1/24/2013 – Ideate, Inc., (ideateinc.com), an Autodesk Gold Value Added Reseller, today announced that it has earned the new Fabrication 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 has made a significant investment in its people, that the company has a solid business plan specific to its specialization areas, has customer references, and that it provides a high level of expertise, experience and support to customers. Ideate offices including San Francisco and Sacramento, CA, Portland, OR and Seattle, WA have achieved the Fabrication Specialization. 

Autodesk Partner Specializations enable 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 throughout the world. 

“Fabrication applications encompass a wide array of powerful and integrated tools for estimating, cost analysis, detailing and fabrication,” says John Souza, Director of Sales, Ideate, Inc. “Achieving the Fabrication Specialization is a new opportunity for us at Ideate to demonstrate our commitment to our customers’ success. This specialization supports our customers’ need to improve design workflows, facilitate stakeholder collaboration and enhance productivity throughout a project’s lifecycle.” 

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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