Autodesk 360® Mobile is available

This has just popped into my In-tray.
	You asked to be the first to know when Autodesk 360® Mobile became available - We're excited to tell you that it's here! Autodesk 360® Mobile is now available for your iOS or Android devices. Update the Design Review Mobile app on your device, or download Autodesk 360® Mobile for iOS on iTunes® or for Android on Google Play. Autodesk 360® Mobile extends the Autodesk 360® cloud platform to help you streamline and expedite the design process with anywhere, anytime access and robust collaboration tools. This release has a dramatically different user interface and includes the following functionality: ·         Open and view files stored in your Autodesk 360® account o    2D and 3D DWG™ and DWF™ files o    Revit® and Navisworks® files ·         Use multi-touch to zoom, pan, and rotate drawings ·         View meta data and other details about elements within your drawing ·         Find tools that help you communicate changes with your collaborators, including an activity feed, a click-to-share feature, and comments by file, sheet or view We're excited about Autodesk 360® Mobile and look forward to hearing your feedback on it! Thank You! The Autodesk 360 Team

Create FREE 3D Adobe PDF files from Revit

Here is a little GEM that I saw a couple of weeks ago on What Revit Wants the reason for re-posting, well it tells you how to Create a 3D PDF files from Revit for FREE and I love the FREE appliactions plus when I want to find it again I know I have it here on my Blog.

Original Posting Create 3D PDF files from Autodesk Revit for free

Here is how to do it:

1. Close Revit
2. Download and install i-model plug-in for Revit (you will have to register)
3. Download and install Bentley View
4. Open a Revit project
5. Open a 3D view
6. In the Ribbon, go to Bentley - Publish as i-model
7. Open the i-model DGN in Bentley View
8. File - Print to PDF
9. Tick 'Print to 3D'
10. Click Printer button
11. Choose a place to save your file
12. Open the 3D PDF in Adobe Reader
13. Have fun navigating your Revit model inside a 3D PDF file.

Enjoy

Finally CSC Intergration Tool for Revit Structure 2012

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It's great to see that after six months from the launch of  2012 CSC have finally released their new BIM integration tool, Revit Integrator. This unique and free tool enables structural engineers and technicians to synchronize models between Autodesk Revit Structure and CSC's steel building design software, Fastrak, and concrete building design software, Orion.

Why has it taken so long and why is the download file size 10x that of previous versions, because CSC software also includes all the families it need to operate without having to rely on the families provided by Autodesk.

As Yoda would say "Worried Am I" yet another source of families to validate or worry about.

The link over at BIM and Beam is broken and gives a 404 error message so use This One to get to press release page about the software and This Link to get you straight to the download page.
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ReVVed - Revit Extensions

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My Padawan (Rikki) who has now left me and is now in training with a much larger multi-national company pointed me in the direction of this nice little collection of FREE extensions.

ReVVed is a collection of Revit extensions that have been designed with the draftsperson in mind. ReVVed turns repetitive tasks into one click commands. These commands work with architecture, structure and MEP flavors of Revit. Commands like:

Merge Text - merge multiple text notes into a single note.

Change Case - changes the case of selected text notes to a user specified case. (Upper, lower, mixed)

Web Link - opens a web browser to the URL stored in Revit components.

Polyline - adjust the total length of end-to-end lines. (Like travel distances, great for checking out exit routes for Fire Escapes)

Open Folder - opens Windows Explorer to the folder where the project file is located.

Project Commander - store critical information about the currently open project in a handy place.

You can  download ReVVed 2011 or ReVVed 2012 for FREE over at the PKH Lineworks Web Site .
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STL Exporter for Revit 2012 is Released as Open Source

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I've just found this and need to share....

From the company that spend so much time in court righting for the rights and the ownership to the dwg and dxf format, Autodesk has donated the STL Exporter for Revit to Open Source under the LGPL 2.1 license. The source code, latest builds and user/technical documentation will be available at the following site. You will be able to view and edit the source code to suit your needs.

This is something Autodesk has never done before with an add-in/plug-in/app for Autodesk Revit or any other Autodesk product. (See MapGuide for the first Autodesk contributed open source project.)

The code hackers and tinkerers among you are probably saying “cool! – now I can play with it and make it suit my needs”.

The skeptics among you are probably saying “Autodesk is trying to dump responsibility for this thing on the user so they don’t have to support it”. To the skeptics I would recommend you read on. ...... Click Here to visit the whole posting over at BIM Apps.
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File Upgrader for Revit Vs the Content Batch Upgrade Utility

I read the posting over at Autodesk //Labs_ It’s Alive in the Lab about the File Upgrader for Revit June ADN Plugin of the Month and wondered why they had released this when there is already the Content Batch Upgrade Utility and what the actual difference is between the two.
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So I emailed Scott Sheppard who passed it on to Saikat Bhattacharya, who is a Senior Developer Consultant in the Autodesk Developer Technical Services team, and happens to be the one who developed the File Upgrader for Revit

Saikat kindly took time out to explain to me in detail about the differences, knowing I can’t be the only one out their asking this question I asked if he would grant me permission to post his email here for other interested parties, you can guess the answer as the email is below:-

"The Content Batch Upgrade Utility is quite similar to the Revit File Upgrader utility since both of them are aimed to help migrate/upgrade existing content from previous versions of Revit to work with Revit 2012. However there are some differences in both the tools in the way they so the upgrade and what they do. Following is a brief list of differences between the two tools  –

1)     The File Upgrader utilty also upgrades the RVT, RTE and RFA files where as the Content Batch Upgrade utility helps mostly in upgrading in RFA (family) files.

2)     The File Upgrader has a user interface which allows you to select the folders from where files are to be upgraded (called source) and a destination folder outside of source folder, where you would have the latest set of Revit files for Revit 2012. The Content Batch Upgrade Utility  differs since it upgrades an existing folder of RFA files there itself (without creating another copy of it).

3)     The File Upgrader works with files that are marked as read-only too whereas the batch content upgrade tool does not.

4)     In case of any errors, the File Upgrader makes a note of it in the log file and the user interface dialog and completes upgrading the entire set of files. At the end, the user is expected to go back to the list of failed files and manually open the files to determine what might have gone wrong. In case of Content Batch Upgrade Utility , it stops the upgrade if any of the files are not upgraded due to any error or if they are marked read-only. So the users in this case might have to check the list of files that have been successfully upgraded and delete them from the list and then start the process again for the remaining files.

5)     The File Upgrader uses Revit .NET API and thus can be used as reference by other developers who want to use Revit API to enhance Revit’s functionality. Or even if they want to include some of the code from this utility in their applications.

6)     The File Upgrader currently cannot close the last open file and this has to be manually closed by the user after the upgrade, whereas the batch upgrade tool has no such limitation.

. . .

The users now have both the options to achieve the end goal  - which is to provide some bit of automation in upgrading old Revit files to work with Revit 2012 faster (without the initial upgrade that Revit does each time it opens an older version file). And so users are free to use any of the tools which they feel best fulfills their requirement or the one that they are most comfortable working with."

So now we all know ;0)

Version 10.1 of Keynote Manager

As a subscriber I have been informed that version 10.1 of Keynote Manager is available.

Version 10.1 addresses some concerns expressed and adds some new flexibility to the program. A full list of updates can be found at http://keynotemanager.revolutiondesign.biz/History.html, but the most significant changes are as follows:

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F    Flexibility – Version 10.1 splits the program into an ad-supported free version and a paid ‘Pro’ version.  This allows the program to be used functionally for free, but adds extra features and flexibility for users who need more features.

      Banners – This system can be turned on or off in the pro version but is required for the free version.  Additionally, the pro version can be fully customized to point to a location on a local server for companies to display banners and links to their users in-house.

      

       Manufacturer Link – This system can be turned on or off in the pro version, but is required for the free version.

      Info Link – This system uses the same external xml file as the comment system to allow you to link keynotes to external files or web locations and open those files from the Keynote Manager interface.  Files on local or network drives are opened in their default editor and web locations are opened in the default browser.

      Help – The help system has been changed to an html system which should be much easier to use and update.

      The links regarding this version are the same as previous versions, but in case you don’t have them:

Download &/or purchase:  http://keynotemanager.revolutiondesign.biz

Feature Overview:              http://keynotemanager.revolutiondesign.biz/Features.html

Update History:                   http://keynotemanager.revolutiondesign.biz/History.html

Eagle Point Ships Version 2012 of Autodesk Revit Companions

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Here is a nice little post I found over at TenLinks.....

DUBUQUE, IA, May 5, 2011 - Eagle Point Software Corporation announced the release of the 2012 versions of Siteworks for Revit and LANDCADD for Revit. Updates to these solutions take advantage of new functionality in Autodesk Revit 2012 software supporting a more complete building information modeling (BIM) workflow.

"We are glad to announce the release of Eagle Point's Revit 2012 companion products as we strive to provide architects, landscape architects, planners and consultants with an enhanced workflow and better collaboration tools that facilitate a higher adoption of the Building Information Model," says Luis Rojas, Building Design Product Line Manager at Eagle Point.

Click Here to continue reading the article......
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Plugin of the Month from the Autodesk Developer Network

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Good old Steve Stafford's and his Revit OpEd Blog ~ I now know there is a Plugin of the Month resource.

Steve says "Poking at them, it should have been rolled into 2012 but I'm grateful that it exists and freely so. Check out the Autodesk Labs blog post."

This is a little like the Excitech Revit Toolkit - Coordinate Scheduling that will be three years old, once they get around to updating it to 2012. I'm very thankful to excitech for creating their toolkit, the point is they really should not have too.

As Steve rightly says the above and this includes the excitech toolkit, by now they should have been rolled into Revit already.

Hence the label on this post to Fix_the_Basics .........

Autodesk we do hope you are taking note! or perhaps change the site name to Plugin of the YEAR!
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An Overview of Revit Wood Wall Framing Extension

Autodesk - 26th January 2010

A 20-minute overview of the Revit Wall Framing Extension, which is available in the Revit Subscription Advantage Pack.

Hooray! Wood wall framing in Revit Architecture! (and Revit Structure, and Revit MEP)

Revit Add-In Christmas Gift from Jason Grant

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It's Christmas Eve and Jason Grant of Archin3D has uploaded an Add-In for Revit that will help you more quickly create sheets with significantly less clicks. In fact, it somewhat provides a solution for #10 of the AUGI Revit Wishlist given to Autodesk this year at AU2009.

Check out http://jasongrant.squarespace.com/ for the link to download and the instructions on how to use.

Below is a video that can also be found with the downlaod link that shows the current steps to create a sheet in Revit and then shows how the application speeds up the process.

Revit Sheet Creator Application from Jason Grant on Vimeo.

Thanks for the Christmas Gift Jason

Excitech Revit Toolkit for the Revit Platform

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Lawrence Hooker ~ Revit Consultant for Excitech has announced the launch of the Excitech Revit Toolkit, on the technology4design blog.

The Excitech Revit Toolkit is a series of modular applications and extensions for the Revit 2010 Platform. The first extension addresses the scheduling of coordinates, with particular focus on creating piling schedules and is FREE to all.
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This has been a major problem to anyone who needs to create a piling schedule, in the past having to rely on AutoCAD which takes the information out of the Revit environment and essentially creates an unconnected 2D drawing and schedule.







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Coordinate Scheduling Tool

The FREE Excitech Revit Coordinate Scheduling application is a powerful tool for Revit Architecture, Revit Structure and Revit MEP that will enable users to automatically acquire precise X, Y and Z coordinates from certain Revit objects.

This allows users to more rapidly produce schedules of, for example, piling and services; as well as to publish coordinates for complex geometry across 3D space.

The coordinates are added to the objects element properties which will allow schedules to be generated and tags to be placed.

The application has been designed to publish X,Y and Z coordinates to selected object categories and store these within the objects instance properties.

The Revit Coordinate Scheduling tool is currently only available for the Revit 2010 platform and 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows XP and Vista although a 64-bit version is currently in
development.

You will find the download and associated documentation at:
http://www.excitech.co.uk/products/revit_toolkit/excitech_revit_toolkit.asp
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Presentation and demonstration of free Excitech Revit Toolkit Coordinates Scheduling

SI Tools for Revit Structure 2010

Structural Integrators is pleased to announce the release of SI Tools for Revit Structure 2010. The new version is not only compatible with Revit Structure 2010, but includes several new features based on user feedback:

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Beam Systems: When selecting All Beams on a level or for the entire model, the options dialog now lets you specify whether to include all beams, to exclude beams in beam systems, or to only select beams in beam systems.

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Level Selection from 3D View: You can now select members at a level without switching to a level view.

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Columns and Walls at a Level: You can now select columns and walls at a level based on whether the member's top or base occurs at the level, or both. This can be useful for selecting columns or walls both above and below a level.

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Multi-level select: When selecting members in the entire model, you can now limit the selection to members on any subset of levels.

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Installation: The installation now works for Windows Vista without having to disable User Account Control.
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For more information, visit online at: http://structuralintegrators.com/products/si_tools_r.php
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The new version is available free, however whole model selection is limited to the Pro version after an initial 30-day trial. The Pro version is available for purchase from their online store for $79. Level selection remains free beyond the 30-day trial.
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Now through the end of the year, receive a free copy of SI Tools Pro with the purchase of SI Xchange for Revit and STAAD.

Andekan ~ New Revit Content Starter Packs

The Andekan Content Packs contain a collection of state-of-the-art, fully parametric Revit families. They are built to speed up your work and improve the quality of your projects by using geometrically precise and light-weight models.

The four new Revit Content Starter Packs, feature over a thousand of the most popular products from manufacturers like Tyler, Zurn, Victaulic, IKEA, Grunfos, Halton, Quartz, Trane, VentAxia, American Standard, Nibco and Smith. There is a free sample family for download on each pack.

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Click here to learn more

UK Mechanical Starter Pack
68 Mechanical Equipment Revit Families from Biddle, Grundfos, Halton, Quartz, Trane and VentAxia. Includes Air Curtains, Air Terminal Units, Axial Fans, Chillers, Fan Coil Units, Louvers and Motor Pumps.

Metric Victaulic Piping Starter Pack
21 Pipework Fitting Revit Families from Victaulic in Metric format, including Adapters, Bull Plug, Caps, Cross, Hose Nipples, Tees, Reducers (Eccentric and Concentric), Elbows and Wyes.

IKEA Architectural Starter Pack
59 Ikea Revit Families, including Bookcases, Cabinets, Chairs, Desks, Filing Cabinets, Lighting Fixtures and Shelves. Models are schedulable with order numbers, include accurate materials and are ready to be used in your projects.

US Plumbing Starter Pack
67 Piping and Fixture Revit Families from Tyler, Zurn, American Standard, Nibco, and Smith. Includes Bends, Drains, P-traps, Sinks, Tees, Two-Way Cleanout, Urinals, Water Closets and Wyes

Imperial Victaulic Piping Starter Pack
21 Pipework Fitting Revit Families from Victaulic in Imperial format, including Adapters, Bull Plug, Caps, Cross, Hose Nipples, Tees, Reducers (Eccentric and Concentric), Elbows and Wyes.

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Countrification.rfa family?

Ummm I tried looking in the dictionary and on web based dictionaries for the meaning of “countrification” I’m guessing it means made country specific.

Anyway Wai Chu has announced that his structural product team has just released the latest Subscription Structural Library for Revit Structure 2009 in the Autodesk Subscription Centre. The latest library provides additional metric structural content including Type Catalogs (.txt), and/or fully parametric Families (.rfa) such as structural columns, framings, detail components, etc. for the following countries: Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, UK, Canada, Italy, China, Russia and India.

After you download and extract the .zip file, for more detailed information please refer to the “Countrification Content List - 20090206.xlsx”.

SI Tools for Revit Structure 2009

Elizabeth Shulok ~President of Structural Integrators has informed me that they have released a version of SI Tools for Revit® Structure that is compatible with Revit Structure 2009.

For more information and to download your free copy, visit the Structural Integrators Tools product page: http://structuralintegrators.com/products/si_tools_r.php

New structural .rfa content available in the Subscription Center

Wai Chu Technical Product Manager for Revit Structure has posted a thread on the AUGI Forum that the Autodesk Revit Structure product team has just uploaded some new structural .rfa content in the Subscription Center.

New content includes some AISC 13th Editions steel sections, Joist Girders, many UK Metric families and Finland ones, etc.

Once log into the Subscription Center, scroll down to "Product Information & Downloads" section and click on "Building Solutions: Product Modules & Add-Ons". Under "Structural Engineering Solutions" click on "Subscription Structural Library"

They are asking for users to try the new rfa's give them some feedback..

Structural Integrators (SI) Tools for Revit Structure

Structural Integrators, LLC a company founded by Elizabeth Shulok in August 2007 have released a Revit Structure Add-in that provides advanced selection capabilities for structural members.

Select all columns on a level, regardless of type, with one click, or use the Advanced Selection dialog to select multiple types of beams, columns and walls to add to your selection.

This product is free to Structural Integrators registered users.

This is the first free product release by Structural Integrators, they can provide custom bespoke routines and add-ins for your firm, automating in-house practices for Revit Structure.

For more information contact Elizabeth via their web site at http://www.structuralintegrators.com/contact.php