Autodesk University 2012 - I couldn't be bothered

Due to past lack of virtual performance from Autodesk University – this year, I didn’t look at the outlines for the classes , I didn’t make a list of those that I wanted to stay up late and watch (semi- live as a lot were pre recorded anyway) – In fact I have not bothered with AU at all !

First visit to AU web site was this morning to pick up the really valuable information that “All AU Classes will be available in about two weeks”  So in a couple of weeks I will harvest the good stuff and consume at my leisure……

How many of you out there are doing the same this year I wonder?

I Blinked And I Missed AU Virtual 2011

I was kind of looking forward to this year, especially after last years fiasco, so those of you that managed to find the time to attend virtually, I hope it worked this year?

I had done my planning really early; I had downloaded all the class descriptions and highlighted those that looked to be of interest.

 I had highlighted the virtual stuff, looked for friends and people I know who were going to present, I’d searched the list for Revit Structure, Revit Structural Suite, Revit Architecture and Revit Architectural Suite.

There is always a lot more under Architecture, and a lot of it is relevant to Structures and MEP.



So due to being busy in both my personal and working life, I blinked  miss Autodesk University, and then I ended up feeling a little like Muttley from Wacky Races cursing to myself indistinctly.

So all I can do now go into squirrel mode, and use my list to harvest all those very useful Revit classes that are to be found on Autodesk University Online!

Click Here to go to AU Online

I may be a bit early with my harvesting because at the moment you can only get Session Handouts and Presentations, but very few Screencast and Podcast have made it to the download pages just yet.  

These normally start arriving a week or two after Autodesk University, so I will pop back in a couple of weeks and pick up the missing resources.

Autodesk University AU2011 - Newsletter

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AU 2011: Hot Topics, Expanded Curriculum, Innovative Technologies, New Business Strategies

I’m very pro Autodesk University (AU) as a powerful resource for information, in a presentation I’m drafting for the next LRUG meeting I point to various classes & labs that can be downloaded in a variety of formats.

Last year there were serious problems with attending virtually, and I’m really hoping that lesson have been learnt and that measures are in place to ensure everything actually works this year. I’ve submitted this as feedback to AU and I hope to get some kind of reply and assurance, as it’s nice to know that as a customer you are being listened too.

For those of you that are new to Autodesk and perhaps Autodesk University, below is repost of the current newsletter details.

Click Here to visit the AU web site and register as a member
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Autodesk University (AU) is where architects, engineers, and designers come together annually with industry and technology leaders to better understand new technologies, exchange best practices, and form new business strategies— and this year is no exception.

Expanded Curriculum

Technical product training remains a key focus, but AU 2011 is moving well beyond tips and tricks to offer more for advanced users, senior designers, business leaders, and workflow and process strategists.

“This year we asked for very specific types of classes, and our speakers responded,” said Joseph Wurcher, AU program manager. "So, for example, we are emphasizing classes that show you how to combine Autodesk products to streamline your workflows and processes, using the right tool for the right job."

The expanded curriculum of more than 800 classes and hands-on labs includes new classes on:

Design leadership Innovation strategies Web, cloud, and mobile technologies Workflows and process

Visualization Sustainability Change management

Whether you are interested in lean manufacturing, automotive design, or building information modeling, you will find a great selection of tightly focused classes this year.

 

Leveraging Film Industry Techniques to Tell a Story

A schematic or drawing just isn’t enough anymore. Your clients want to see and experience a design before they pour an ounce of concrete. AU 2011 features two tracks focused on design visualization and storytelling. Learn how to leverage digital entertainment techniques for use in conventional AEC and manufacturing designs.

"We will be highlighting new supercool game development technology," said Wurcher, "to show how this technology can be used to develop more realistic walkthroughs and product demonstrations. For example, Autodesk® Mudbox™ is an excellent tool for creating human figures to populate visualizations."

 

Processes, People, Workflows, Business Strategies

"This year, we have even more content for senior designers, design technology managers, business leaders, and workflow and process strategists,” Wurcher noted. "It can make it easier to get approval if you bring management along."

AU 2011 will feature classes to help leaders manage change and bring in more business. How do you encourage innovation among your staff? What strategies can help you be successful in today's market? How do you manage a transition to Autodesk® Revit®? How will mobile products and cloud computing affect your company?

We are also expanding the Design Technology Management Conference, which will be held immediately prior to the AU conference in Las Vegas. This year's event includes a Sunday night keynote and networking session, followed Monday by a full day of classes and unconference sessions designed to help you manage technology and the people who use it.

 

AU 2011 Registration Opens in Late August

Early Bird registration opens August 30. You can save you and your boss up to US$500 by registering early. You also get first pick from the AU 2011 class catalog.
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Time to Harvest All Those AU2010 Classes!

. Click the Squirrel to go to AU Online

It’s time once again to go into squirrel mode, and harvest all those very useful Revit classes that are to be found on Autodesk University Online! Last year I reported that the main problem was with the actual screencasts and the extremely poor quality of the sound recordings. The later Virtual sessions and repeats were a much better quality (after they fixed the poor sound quality on a few of the early sessions) but you could get into classes and it did work.

I mused that if Autodesk learn anything from AU2009, I hope it’s was to find better sound engineers and to create far more virtual sessions, for later downloading by users who want save the planet, or just can’t afford to travel to Las Vegas.

This year for many AU2010 Virtual was just awful, but at last one can log in and harvest all that good stuff that should have been available during AU2010.

Never mind all the bells and whistles, come on Autodesk just give use during AU2010 what you supply us with weeks after it, full access to the material on demand too download. 

So go too it my little Revit-Heads, and grab those:-

Handouts & Presentation material in Word, PowerPoint and adobe pdf format
Example files and Datasets
Screencasts and Podcasts and
AU Virtual sessions

If the AUGI forum experience has taught us users anything, it is don't bank on the material being there when you want it later. Harvest them now! 

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Autodesk University On-Demand is Demanding!

  >>>>>  So why do I give Autodesk a hard time?   <<<<<

I Wonder Why?

 1) I log in

 2) I find the On Demand

3) I try and download the material

 4) It tells me to log in

I log in Again back to step 1)

After a number or tries, re-tries, shutting down my computer

starting again, etc etc etc......

ARHHHHHHHHHH just make the bloody thing work Autodesk will you!.

Autodesk Unviversity 2010 ~ Virtual Washout Day 2

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OK it’s been snowing here in the UK, we have about four inches out on the footpath and I’m up bright and early 6:00, so I think I will have a look at AU 2010 Virtual to see if I can try a few On-Demand classes that I could not get into yesterday.

They all say “This session is currently not available”

What is the Autodesk definition of ON-DEMAND?

In my book it’s when you want it! And Wikipedia agrees saying “ On Demand - a telecommunication service made available when the customer requests it

Looks like another crap day in the Autodesk University Virtual world, and why are all the delegates you can see all from the far east?

Have they not heard of equal opportunities and racial equality, where are the token White, Asian and Black person in the environment?

Let’s have a politically correct virtual world !

Currently attending AU Virtual is like being in a 3^rd rate Kung Fu movie, I keep waiting them to start knocking ten bells of something (four letter starting with S and ending in T and kind of sums up the AU Virtual Experience so far) out of each other.

OK I give up, I will wait a couple of weeks then harvest all the good stuff
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Autodesk University 2010 ~ Virtual Washout

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Nice graphics when they finally arrive on your screen, but the whole Virtual Experience is a washout so far.

There are a lot of unhappy people talking to one another on Autodesk Virtual about the fact that the lesson descriptions are in Spanish and that the whole thing is buggy, and people have not been able to attend classes virtually.

Server Problems seems to be the answer!

I’m really glad I did not pay the $139 fee to upgrade, but hang on a minute, it’s part of my annual subscription, so indirectly I have paid for yet another Autodesk product that’s full of bugs!

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It's now 18:05 GMT, over 3 hours from my posting, and the classes are still not in English Then it crossed my mind, As English is the most popular language they would not make the default Spanish or Portuguse would they:-

They would!

Then 18:24 GMT this nice little notice has appeared

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Here is my answer!

21:06 GMT No On-Demand Videos, No Group Chat, I've sent a request for help and recieved an automatic Reply



Once again I'm being thanked for my patience, by the time they have fixed the the whole darn thing will be over and we will have to wait for the material to be uploaded which normally takes at least two weeks.

Obviously I'm not the only one asking for help, as my ticket number is number 2207!

I'm guessing the Public Chat has been scrapped or turned off because they were recieving so much flack lunch time here in the UK.

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Autodesk University 2010 registration dates have changed

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Autodesk University 2010 registration dates have changed:

AU 2010 (Las Vegas) – Advance registration for AU members only opens September 7. General registration opens September 14.

AU Virtual – Registration opens September 14.

AU Extension – Registration opens September 28.

Please update your calendar and plan to register on these dates.
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Autodesk Feedback Community Group on Linked-In

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I've always maintained that there is little point in complaining about a piece of software if you are not willing to alpha and beta test to assist in its’ development.

I never wanted to become an Engineering Manager, Health and Safety CDM-C and Party Wall Surveyor it was just a natural progression from being a bloody good draughtsman and attending far to many part time college and university courses and obtaining an honours degree in civil engineering (with a structural bias).

Over the years I’ve written CAD software, alpha and beta tested all kinds of software, mostly these have been related to my first love “drawing”. Most testing I do is for fun, yes I like finding the little bugs in programs and code.

The profile for the group says “This group is intended for Autodesk product users and enthusiast interested in participating in Beta test cycles of future Autodesk product releases.”. That's good that means I'm an enthuiast and not a nurd or a geek :0)

Obviously to join the group you will need to set yourself up on linked-In (if you have not all ready).

So if you want to assist in making Revit and AutoCAD as bug free as possible, jump on board the group and get down and dirty with beta software.

Autodesk Feedback Community Group

There are a large number of Revit groups on linked-in already these include the likes off my own  

• UK Revit Register and
• 2D and or 3D Top CAD Experts
• Autodesk University
• Autodesk User Group International (AUGI)
• Charlotte's Revit User Group
• Club Revit
• Glasgow Revit User Group
• KA Connect
• Revit
• Revit Bloggers
• Revit Structure + BIM
• Revit Users
• Revitopia
• The BIM Community

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Time to Harvest All Those AU Classes!

. Click the Squirrel to go to AU Online

It’s time once again to go into squirrel mode, and harvest all those very useful Revit classes that are to be found on Autodesk University Online!

There are reportedly some 500 plus classes in total over all Autodesk’s products.

There are:~

Handouts & Presentation material in Word, PowerPoint and adobe pdf format
Example files and Datasets
Screencasts and Podcasts and
AU Virtual sessions
All ready for harvesting from Friday 11th December!

I’ve just emailed the Technical Staff at work about holding a weekly or fortnightly Lunchtime session where we can run some of the Virtual sessions and screen casts, so far it look like 95% of them are up for it!

The main problem I see with the screen casts is the extremely poor quality of the sound recordings. The Virtual sessions are a much better quality (after they fixed the poor sound quality on a few of the early sessions)

If Autodesk learn anything from this years AU, I hope it’s to find better sound engineers and to create far more virtual sessions, for later downloading by users who want save the planet, or just can’t afford to travel to Las Vegas.
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Autodesk University Virtual ~ Sound Engineer Lynched?

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I was very keen to attend the virtual session by Steve Stafford, Autodesk Revit Collaboration: Shared Coordinates for Projects Big and Small.

I watched Tour of the AU Virtual Player with Lynn Allen and got computer checked over to ensure that I had all the software installed to make it happen. Due to the time zone difference the 1pm presentation at AU2009 is 9pm at night here in the UK.

I made myself a cup of coffee and settled down for a little bit of late night CPD (Continuing Professional Development).

My internet speed was great for that time of night, there was no buffering going on and Steve started his presentation, then after a few minutes the sound became very distorted and it just got worse and worse, until in the end I just had to give up on it.

Steve had pre-recorded the session and was watching it with us, then spent most of his time answering questions about the poor sound quality and kept apologising and saying that it would be fixed for the later session and uploaded.

It would not surprise me to read a Twitter report that a Sound Engineer has been assaulted or lynched at AU2009!

I know from reading his blog that he spent an awful lot of time on his presentation and Autodesk really let him down.

If they can get the video and audio sorted it would be great to have these presentations on demand or for download immediately after the actual presentation for those of us in other time zones.

There is a link to download Steve’s screen cast but at the moment it just produces an error message!

This all seems a bit like the Subscription Advantage Pack 3 all over again!

Lots of effort, but let down at the last minute on delivery.

Let’s hope they have checked the sound on the session I’ve booked for tonight!
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Tour of the AU Virtual Player with Lynn Allen

Lynn Allen Overview of AU Virtual

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The "Vera Lynn" of Autodesk University on AU Virtual

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