News and Announcements

Revit User's Group - San Francisco
ADT User's Group - Sacramento
Save the Date - March 7th AUGI CAD Camp in Mt. View
ADT Webcast - how to automatically calculate square footage and
generate color coded floor plans

Revit Building - curtain systems, curtain walls, and sloped glazing
Building Systems - scaling schematic symbols
Building Systems - new content update for piping and HVAC

ArchitecturePlus International has completed close to 100 projects with Revit Building
ArchitecturePlus International (API) is a multidisciplinary firm that specializes in retail strategy and design. Three years ago, its talented team of architects, designers, and construction administrators adopted Autodesk® Revit®
Building software—a complete architectural design and documentation system—for its work on supermarkets, restaurants, retail outlets, and power centers. The result? Close to one hundred projects and a strong endorsement by Robert Cox, Design Technology Manager at API: “Autodesk Revit Building has increased our revenue by as much as 15 percent.”

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Pre-recorded Revit Structure Technical Webcasts are available online
Learn more about the Revit Structure software with the convenience of watching recorded videos at a time that works for you. Autodesk recorded, and has made available six Autodesk® Revit Structure online training sessions. Below are the topics of each webcast:

• Introduction to Autodesk Revit Structure
• From Model to Details with Autodesk Revit Structure
• Tips and Tricks in Autodesk Revit Structure
• Exploring Analytical Tools in Autodesk Revit Structure
• Coordination between Autodesk Revit Structure and Autodesk Revit Building
• Multiple Users on a Single Project in Autodesk Revit Structure

view webcasts

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Find out why your peers are calling Architectural Desktop the "AutoCAD for Architects"
If you're an architect, designer, or AutoCAD® drafter, you spend valuable time on tedious aspects of your job. But what if just a few drafting features in Autodesk® Architectural Desktop could let you spend less time on repetitive tasks and give you more time to imagine, think, and design?

At the Autodesk® Architectural Desktop Resource Center, customers and prospects will find:

• Short presentations developed by Amy Fietkau to answer their drafting questions immediately
• White papers and information on Autodesk Architectural Desktop software, “The AutoCAD® for Architects”

Sign up for the Architectural Desktop Resouce Center: click here

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Want a personalized software recommendation from a very knowledgable lady? - meet Diana
Get a personalized recommendation from Autodesk's free, interactive Building Software Adviser, “Diana,” and find out which Autodesk solution will best meet your building design needs. This online tool talks users through the product selection process with a series of questions and quick demos.

meet Diana

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Revit User's Group - San Francisco

Topic: Making a Note of it in Revit
Ideate, Inc. is hosting the San Francisco Revit User Group Meeting. Teresa Martin of Ideate will provide a short presentation focusing on sheet notes, legends and lists, followed by a question and answer period. Please bring yourself and coworkers to explore different ways to add notes, lists and legends to projects using Revit's various documentation features. Plan to arrive early to network and mingle with other Revit-eers!  Please use the link below to pre-register.

AIA is offering 2 Learning Units for attendance

Where: Ideate San Francisco Office (Montgomery and Sutter)
When: Wednesday, February 15th | NEW TIME 11:30am - 1:30pm w/lunch provided
Register: click here

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ADT User's Group - Sacramento

Topic: De-mystifying the Project Navigator in Architectural Desktop
Understanding the Project Navigator in Architectural Desktop 2006 can be daunting. Implementing it and confidently controlling the settings is an entirely different matter. Bill Johnson from Ideate Inc. will be focusing on different ways to approach the Project Navigator – pros and cons, what you need to know, and pitfalls to avoid. Please bring yourself and coworkers for a presentation followed by a lively discussion about the different ways to utilize the Project Navigator in ADT 2006.

Where: AIA Central Valley Alharmbra Room
When: Wednesday, February 15th
Register: click here

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Save the Date - March 7th AUGI CAD Camp in Mt. View, CA
The AUGI CAD Camps are a single day educational event devoted only to training and networking in the engineering and design environment.  This means no sales presentations, no marketing hype.  The foremost goal of AUGI CAD Camp is to enlighten and inform through educational sessions, which serve to broaden you and your staffs experience with the Autodesk products you use every day.

At AUGI CAD Camp, you’ll get:

• A full day of training: Five different sessions designed to provide targeted training, giving you a lot of knowledge in a little time.
• Expert advice from top instructors across the country.
• Networking opportunity. Some of the best stuff you ever learned might have come from your peers, and AUGI CAD Camp gives you ample time to network with fellow CAD Camp attendees.
• Technology update. A few of Autodesk’s top developer partners will be on hand to keep you abreast of new products and updates.

Register/More Info: click here

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Save $1,000 when purchasing new licenses of Building Systems
From now until March 15th you can save $1,000 off of Autodesk's SRP on any new license of Autodesk Building Systems software. Autodesk® Building Systems provides integrated AutoCAD®-based building systems design and analysis for improved productivity, accuracy, and coordination—from conceptual design through construction documentation.

Promotion Expires: March 15, 2006
more info | 888-662-7238

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Rev It Up Promotion for Revit Structure
Are you ready to switch to Autodesk® Revit® Structure but still want to work on projects using AutoCAD? If you answered “yes,” you’ll want to know about the Rev It Up for Autodesk Revit Structure Promotion. For a limited time, Autodesk Architectural Desktop, AutoCAD Revit Series, and AutoCAD users can purchase Autodesk Revit Structure at a significant discount.

Promotion Expires: March 15, 2006
more info | 888-662-7238

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Invest in Education
Autodesk is proud to offer the Invest in Education Program, featuring Autodesk products. The Invest in Education program is a granting program aimed at connecting commercial customers with local education customers. The Invest in Education Program gives commercial companies that purchase new seats of the most current version of qualifying Autodesk software or collaboration services, the right to grant a classroom lab of Autodesk software or collaboration services to the educational institution of their choice - a grant worth up to US$25,000. The Invest in Education Program is part of Autodesk’s ongoing commitment to its educational and commercial customers in helping to foster the next generation of designers.

Promotion Expires: no end date at this time
more info | 888-662-7238

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Revit Building - curtain systems, curtain walls, and sloped glazing
There are some simplistic differences between the three curtain system types:

CURTAIN SYSTEMS:

• Can be made via mass modeling faces or with lines.
• Can twist, slope, and be organic and complex 3D shapes/elements.
• Grids can not be rotated (diagonally on face of curtain system).
• Scheduling: can be done when made by curtain system via mass modeling.
• Can not be inserted into another wall (ie. Storefront).

CURTAIN WALLS:

• Can be made via modeling faces or wall tool.
• Can not twist, slope, or be organic – they are only vertical in nature.
• Grids can not be rotated (diagonally on face of curtain wall).
• Grid layout can be type driven, making for automated curtain walls (type is created no matter how long the wall is).
• They can be inserted into another wall – can be also done through “embedded wall” feature.

SLOPED GLAZING:

• Can be made via modeling faces or the roof tools.
• Can slope, and arch, but can not twist. It is a roof with glazing.
• Can have all their parts type driven.

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Building Systems - scaling schematic symbols
The size of schematic symbols is determined by the drawing scale and consequently the scale may be changed at any time. You may find, however, that when you change the scale and regenerate the drawing, some connections appear to have been lost and that regenerating the drawing doesn’t rectify this. In this situation you can remake the connections by using the Regenerate Model button on the top toolbar.

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Building Systems - new content update for piping and HVAC
There is a new content update for customers who have Autodesk subscription for their ABS 2006 product. It is called “Autodesk Building Systems 2006 Content Extension.” It includes MvParts of common equipment useful to construct piping and HVAC systems including:

• Air Separators
• Boilers
• Chillers
• Fume Hoods
• Heaters
• Valves

Go to www.pointa.autodesk.com and download the extension, for those customers on Autodesk Subscription.

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