May 7, 2013

Classroom Training – Open Classes

Know It. Ideate Training.

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

Here are a few of the training opportunities Ideate has to offer in the coming weeks:
5.29-31::Seattle
AutoCAD Fundamentals
6.10-12::San Francisco
Revit MEP Electrical Fundamentals
6.10-12::San Jose
Revit Architecture Fundamentals
Know your software. Sign up now!

New Schedule Functionality in Revit 2014

In coordination with the Ideate Inc. YouTube video on Autodesk Revit 2014 – Schedule Improvements, this blog describes how the Revit 2014 schedules have undergone changes for a more fluid experience.
 

Schedules in Revit 2014 have undergone a facelift of sorts to improve their functionality and ease of use. When working in a schedule view a new and improved Ribbon interface is the first thing users see. Depending upon the schedule cells you are working with different Ribbon panels and tools become available. Figure 1

Figure 1

Within the schedule view the schedule title has been included and supports text input and formatting such as shading, cell border control, and font control. Additionally Images can be placed within the title to represent tag symbols and content previews. Note that these must be in an image format such as .png, .bmp or .jpg. Figure 2. Additionally Title and Header cells can be merged and unmerged for greater flexibility in configuring the appearance of the schedules.

Figure 2
Conditional formatting introduced in Revit 2010 was limited to visibility within the schedule view only. With Revit 2014, conditional formatting within a schedule can be applied to the schedule when placed on a sheet for visual clarity. Figure 3

Figure 3
In addition to the formatting improvements, new element categories can now be scheduled. Elements such as Architectural Columns, Detail Items, Entourage, Generic Models, Grids, Levels, Pads, Roof Soffits, Structural Beam Systems, Structural Area Reinforcement, Structural Path Reinforcement, and Structural Fabric Ares can now be scheduled. Additionally, two new parameters are available for scheduling: Phase Created and Phase Demolished.
 
One final improvement related to scheduling is a new parameter made to “room aware” families such as furniture, doors, casework, specialty equipment, and generic models. This new parameter within these families allows the element to recognize the room number that these types of elements are created in so that scheduling the “To Room” and “From Room” parameters will display the proper number information.

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2014 releases for Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, AutoCAD, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2014



Ron Palma
Ideate AEC Application Specialist

Ron has over 24 years of experience in the architectural industry as a drafter, designer, lead project designer, trainer, and a CAD manager implementing Autodesk Architectural Solutions for a residential design firm. His instructional background includes being an Autodesk Certified Instructor, trainer, support technician, educator at Portland and Clackamas Community Colleges, as well as a U.S. Army certified instructor where he was a senior instructor at Ft Lewis Washington. Ron is a member of the Oregon Army National Guard and platoon sergeant, training and mentoring soldiers in their careers. Ron is a published writer and continues to author professional technical training manuals and shorts for AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, and Revit. As an Autodesk Certified Instructor, Ron provides Revit Architecture training and support for AEC firms. Follow Ron @RonPalmaAEC.

Get it. Know it. Use it.

May 2, 2013

eLearning – Upcoming Classes

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

Upcoming classes include: 
5.7.13::Revit 201:
Stairs and Railings in Revit
5.9.13::Ideate Software 101:
Revit Auditing with Ideate Explorer for Revit
5.14.13::Revit 201:
Roof Framing in Revit Structure
5.16.13::Ideate Software 101:
Revit Project Management with Ideate BIMLink

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.

May 1, 2013

Autodesk Navisworks 2014: Measurement Locks

Ideate, Inc. is pleased to show how new lock options, relative to the first point of measurement, make it easier to measure and record distances. This makes it easy to maintain the direction you want to measure.
 

Where no vertex exists, it was hard to define a point of measurement. In this new release of Navisworks there are five lock options (X axis, Y axis, Z axis, Parallel and Perpendicular) that facilitate this task.
 

Lock options can be entered on the keyboard or selected on the interface making it much easier to measure and check distances and areas with the Measure tool, while reviewing the digital model.


Perpendicular locks in a perpendicular alignment to the surface of your start point in measuring, while Parallel locks in a parallel alignment to the surface of your start point.


Don’t forget to look through the great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2014 releases for Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, AutoCAD and more: ideateinc.com/2014



Jim Cowan
Ideate AEC Application Specialist

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

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