News and Announcements

San Francisco Urban Forest Mapping Project
With support from Autodesk and a local GIS developer, two local groups
are working to efficiently maintain and enhance the city’s urban forest.
Simi Valley Freeway Is Stuck As Construction Costs Rise
Spatial Tech—GIS for the Utilities Industry
Keep Utility Lines Out of the Twilight Zone

AutoCAD Civil 3D Webcast Series: Top 5 Hurdles to Implementing Civil 3D
Geospatial Webcast Series for Utilities: Designing Your Infrastructure –
The Tools You Need
AutoCAD Civil 3D: Chronicles of Civil 3D Customer Showcase Live Webcast
Experience the Possibilities 2008, Presented by Ideate
Santa Rosa – August 14, 8:00am – 12:00pm PT
15th Annual Autodesk University
November 27 - 30, 2007 – The Venetian Resort Hotel – Las Vegas, NV

Current Promotions

AutoCAD Civil 3D
Hotfix – DWF Package Not Viewable in Autodesk Design Review 2008
Slow Creation of Deployment for AutoCAD® 2008 Civil Products
Window Selection Unavailable When Editing Surfaces
Where are the Installation CDs for Civil Design and Survey?
Undocumented Tool Tip in Civil 3D 2008
AutoCAD Map 3D
Mr Sid and ECW File Formats Not Recognized

Ideate, Inc. Named Platinum Co-Host Sponsor of Autodesk University 2007
Ideate, Inc. has proudly been accepted as a Platinum Co-Host Sponsor at Autodesk University (AU) 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. As a Platinum sponsor, Ideate will have a significant presence at the annual four day event. 

AU is the world's largest annual gathering of working professionals, industry experts, and Autodesk executives. The one-of-a-kind event combines a deep-learning environment with a trade show and a mix of business and social activities—all designed to provide attendees with unparalleled opportunities to learn new skills and build valuable business relationships.

Autodesk University will be held on November 27-30th at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Early registration begins August 14th. Use Ideate’s unique code PCIDEA when registering and be automatically entered to win reimbursement for your AU tuition. Register before the early bird registration deadline of October 8th and you will also receive a Starbucks gift card. Click here for registration details. 

For general information click here.

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Scott Wagner, Mark Roach, and Jason Hill invited to speak at Autodesk University 2007
Three members of Ideate Inc.’s Infrastructure team have been invited to speak at this year’s 15th Annual Autodesk University. AU is the premier annual learning event and only top-rated instructors are invited to speak. Selected topics include: 

• Jason Hill, Business Development Manager, Geospatial Solutions: Bridging the GIS & CAD Gap by Connecting Directly with FD
• Jason Hill, Business Development Manager, Geospatial Solutions: AutoCAD Map 3D for Improving Environmental Engineering
• Scott Wagner, Business Development Manager, Infrastructure Solutions: Civil 3D Implementation – Lessons Learned from Successful Implementation
• Mark Roach, Applications Specialist: The Express Tools – AutoCAD’s Built-In Productivity Tools

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Autodesk Mapguide 2008 Launches
Autodesk MapGuide® Enterprise offers a flexible web mapping platform for distributing spatial information quickly, easily, and cost-effectively via the Internet. Maximize the value of design and spatial data by enabling information sharing with customers and internal teams, and integrating with enterprise applications. Based on MapGuide Open Source, Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise offers simple deployment and powerful development options. Click here for more information.

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Attention BAAMA members!
BAAMA's July Educational Session  – GIS in Transportation

Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter Auditorium
101 Eighth Street, First Floor, Oakland

Corner of Eighth and Oak, across from the Lake Merritt BART Station (directions)

Thursday, July 26th, 9am-12pm PT
Transportation is a primary economic driver in our society and enables the movement of people and provides access to goods and services. As dynamic systems, transportation networks constantly evolve to serve California's growing population and its ever-changing spatial distribution. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and related technologies play an important role in efforts to map, monitor, and model our existing transportation networks, as well as plan for the future.

• Chuck Purvis, Principal Transportation Planner, and Kearey Smith, GIS Coordinator, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, will discuss how MTC uses GIS and network analysis to support deep data analysis and develop the next generation of Bay Area travel behavior models.
• Tom Carden, Interaction Designer & Engineer, Stamen Design, will discuss the history, organization, and technical framework of Open Street Map, a community-based, public-domain, street centerline database development project.
• Oscar Jarquin, GIS Manager, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), will discuss the development of GIS Enterprise Service Oriented Architecture to support a Linear Referencing System.

This event is free to BAAMA members only. No registration required. 

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Ideate is a BAAMA Member, How About You?
The Bay Area Automated Mapping Association (BAAMA) is vital to the Bay Area's GIS professionals, promoting teamwork, partnerships and education with users of GIS technology, to improve our environment and community. In exchange for the modest annual membership fee of $25, you gain the benefit of staying up-to-date with news about software, techniques, data, the industry, local and national issues, and most importantly, with our network of GIS professionals. Ideate, Inc., is a Sponsor member of BAAMA, and we suggest you join also.

BAAMA has been recognized as one of the most active GIS professional organizations in the nation. During the past year, they held symposiums on topics as diverse as "GIS in Planning," "Benefits of GIS Coordination," "Geospatial Public Policy Issues," and "Public Infrastructure Asset Management." They co-hosted the 13th Annual CalGIS Conference, in Oakland, which featured speakers from around the state, including the heads of California's geospatial agencies and leading geospatial companies. Annually, they host the Bay Area's GIS Day activities, at U.C. Berkeley, which feature presentations from GIS leaders and students.

BAAMA has become a vital organization, serving over 1,100 members, and building partnerships with other professional organizations that use GIS technology. Your membership further enables BAAMA to maintain our geospatial community so that, together, we continue to be the geospatial "goto" for our profession and others. This year, BAAMA published the BAAMA Journal magazine to highlight significant GIS accomplishments in the Bay Area, and they also awarded three competitive scholarships. BAAMA welcomes your participation and assistance.

www.BAAMA.org

Please mail your membership form and dues check today. BAAMA's Federal Tax ID is 94-3238308.

Click here to download a membership application form.

Please renew before BAAMA's next educational meeting, July 26, "GIS Serves Transportation."

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Land Desktop Users – Save Up to 50% on Crossgrades to Civil 3D
Get more power for your dollar with Civil 3D. Users that have Land Desktop 2008, 2007, or 2006 can crossgrade to Civil 3D for a significant savings. Civil 3D comes with Land Desktop, Civil Design and Survey so you won't lose any of the functionality that you currently have. If you have Land Desktop 2005 see the Retirement Promotion on this page.

Promotion expires: October 19, 2007
Phone: 888.662.7238
Email: sales@ideateinc.com

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LT 2 3D – for $1,995
Why buy AutoCAD LT when there are more ways to create, visualize, document, and share with software that is specific to your work? If you currently use AutoCAD LT®, now is the time to upgrade to the new generation of Autodesk products. Make the move before October 15, 2007 and pay less than half the regular price.

Promotion Expires: October 15, 2007
more info | 888.662.7238

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2005 Retirement – Upgrade Now to Receive the Maximum Savings – Up to 20%
Autodesk is retiring AutoCAD 2005-based Software. Make this your year to move to greater efficiency and profitability with the newest products. 

Call Ideate First!  Upgrade by July 16th and receive up to 20% in savings.

On March 14, 2008, Autodesk will retire these 2005-based products:

• AutoCAD LT® 2005
• AutoCAD® 2005
• Autodesk® Raster Design 2005
• Autodesk® Architectural Desktop 2005
• Autodesk® Land Desktop 2005
• Autodesk® Map3D® 2005
• AutoCAD® Mechanical 2005
• AutoCAD® Electrical 2005
• Autodesk Inventor® Series 9
• Autodesk® VIZ 2005
• Autodesk® 3ds Max® 7

Promotion expires: July 16, 2007
Phone: 888.662.7238
Email: sales@ideateinc.com

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Where are the Installation CDs for Civil Design and Survey?
Land Desktop 2008 does not have Civil Design and Survey 2008. If you need the functionality of Civil Design and Survey 2008 you need to buy Civil 3D 2008 which comes bundled with Civil 3D Land Desktop Companion 2008, Civil Design and Survey. You do not have to install it separately either because it gets installed when you install Land Desktop.

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Undocumented Tool Tip in Civil 3D 2008
To activate this tool tip type ShowDrawingTipsFull at the command line. This will invoke a dynamic relation between your alignments, profiles and cross sections. Move your cursor near the alignment and you will see a temporary line drawn to the full height of the profile view at the corresponding location. Move the cursor across the profile view and a temporary line 400 units long is drawn perpendicular to the corresponding location for the associated alignment. Move the cursor over a cross section and a temporary line is drawn in plan and profile view. Type ShowDrawingTips at the command line to activate this tool tip for the current viewport only. To turn off this tool tip you can type HideDrawingTips at the command line.

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