Autodesk Project Varsari Technology Preview

Autodesk Project Vasari – Importing Site Images.

Want to see something really easy? Take a look at Project Vasari. Besides looking just like a Revit toolset, it works as a conceptual site studies tool too. In addition, it imports results into Revit.

First off, as anything else related to BIM, you need to set the location. Since we will depend on linking that information in, look at the location showing as Boston MA under the Viewcube. Clicking on this and setting the location will get us started. 

When we click on the location we are presented with a Map of Boston, just type in the Project address or at least the city and state.

In my case I am using CADsoft Tempe office address at 1295 W. Washington St Tempe AZ after which we will then click import site image into another dialog box.

Then import the image again into Project Varsari. If you have been using Revit’s location tools to set the buildings to sites this will be pretty straightforward

After which the active level will then receive the image and you are all set to start using the image as a tracing of existing forms of the site for contextual studies, sun/shadow analysis, etc.

Set the viewcube to top and then trace the outline of the existing building. Nothing to it.

Using Revit like massing tools and gizmos enables rapid learning and adoption across differnt or not so different platforms.

I can’t believe how easy our work is getting with BIM. Sign up for this technology preview and try it out it’s free and easy!

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/vasari/

Renumbering Rooms in Revit – Coming soon from the Autodesk Labs

I should be keeping an eye on Autodesk Labs more often.

This site has several great plug-in or add-ons. Many of these features have been improved on due to user feedback and become part of subsequent versions of Autodesk products. In addition to plug-ins and add-ons, the Labs offer technology previews of standalone products such as Project Galileo, a standalone conceptual design tool for infrastructure planning on urban planning project.

We have run into workflow issues where in the normal course of iterative design changes we need to easily renumber rooms in the manner that remains consistent with the flow of the floor design. Many instances where users need to add and remove rooms create instances where we need to renumber rooms either systematically from a schedule or by selecting in the plan view and changing the room number dynamically without the constant warnings that room a number matches another room(s). So, I wanted to point out a forthcoming plugin for Revit from Autodesk Labs.  This site at Autodesk Labs – Plugin of the Month is showing as teaser Room Renumbering for Revit that is coming in March. Apparently we have been waiting for this functionality to be part of the Revit product. Like most of us, I don’t have the full details of the forthcoming plug-in, but keep watching this site and when it arrives in March grab it by creating a user account and reading the fine print. I will be watching and participating in the review of the plug-in myself.

These offering are not intended for production use, and if you do so, please keep in mind it is at your own risk. Additionally, be sure to understand many of these technology review offerings might have a limited time frame that they will operate and user feedback is solicited in order to improve on the products and plug-ins.

Where’s my AutoCAD Classic? It only has Architecture… HELP!

In this Blog I wanted to answer a frequently asked question… this one comes from Laura, she asked:

Where’s my AutoCAD Classic? It only has Architecture… HELP!

Hi Laura,

Yes! You are right; it only comes with Architecture Workspace.  But there is a trick, since AutoCAD Architecture (ACA) is built on top of AutoCAD (ACAD); you can bring that “AutoCAD Classic” work space into ACA through the Customize User Interface (CUI). What you will want to do is go to the transfer tab and on the left side of the screen you will see the ACA.CUIX menu displayed, and you will want to right side of the dialog to open the ACAD.CUIX (AutoCAD’s Menu). Now expand the Workspaces section in both screens, and drag the AutoCAD Classic one from the right over the Workspace section on the left, or you can just drag the toolbars that you want available in ACA from the ACAD toolbar section just like above. Hit the ok button to exit out of the CUI, and you now have those items at your disposal in ACA. Now just in case you want it back to the original there are some restore and reset modes available… Inside the CUI on the customize tab, at the top you will see the ACA icon, right click on it and in the short cut menu you will have two options, Restore and Reset ACA.CUIX.  RESTORE will restore it back to a saved ACA.CUIX menu, like if you have some customized menu areas that you don’t want to lose, so I would click the save (disk) before making this adjustment in case you are worried about your custom menus. While RESET will take it back to the original “Out of the Box” ACA.CUIX. Just read the message that pops up, and it will tell you which one you hit and asks you to do it or not. I hope this helps! …and thank you for reading my Blogs.

David’s favorite new feature in Revit 2011

This little feature improvement takes cutting solids to a new level!

Solid-Solid Cut

Revit 2011 Solid-solid Cut

In Revit 2010, cutting solid geometry could only be done using a void form. When a solid and a void form intersect, the void form automatically cuts out geometry from the solid form. This doesn’t satisfy the need to preserve the geometry that is cut into by other geometry.The Solid-Solid cut workflow is an enhancement of the existing functionality available in the Revit 2010 conceptual design tools. In Revit Architecture Constellation, the Cut tool (Modify tab >Edit Geometry panel > Cut drop-down > Cut Geometry) can cut out one solid from another. The resulting form is not a geometric combination (as it happens when a solid is cut with a void). When the Cut tool is used on 2 solid forms, the result is separate geometry.

Solid in center before cutting.

Solid in center before cut though solid.

After applying cut, main solid being cut.

Using 3DORBIT in AutoCAD

Tips and tricks with 3DORBIT.

The functionality of 3DORBIT has many levels of interaction.

Via contextual menus are defined as menus are tools that can be utilized in any state. Regardless, if in a command or not. 3DORBIT has modes settings that can be utilized via right click contextual menu or keyboard shortcuts.

When 3DORBIT command is active a right-click in the workspace will result in a context menu coming up. Selecting Other Navigation Modes will slide out another menu which of several modes within the 3DORBIT command will give the user options to switch modes. Note the numbers to the side of each mode setting. While in 3DORBIT mode, selecting the number next to the mode setting will enable that mode without having to use the context menu to switch modes.

This will give users the ability to switch modes dynamically within the 3DORBIT command.

Bonus Tip: Using transparent 3DORBIT via keyboard shortcut allows user to transparently enter 3DORBIT with or with no commend active.  Use the shift Key and hold down scroll button to ativate the command.

Another bonus tip: Use 3DORBITCTR command to center the pivot point around a point in the workspace.

Extra Bonus Tip: Use 3DFORBIT to isolate and rotate selected objects. Select the objects first before invoking the command.