Autodesks Acquisition of Inforbix

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Autodesk Continues Staregic Investment in Product Lifecycle Management with Acquisition of Inforbix
 
Autodesk, Inc. a world leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, continued its strategic investment in product lifecycle management (PLM) and has announced it has acquired certain assets of Inforbix, LLC. Inforbix is a software company focused on cloud-based SaaS solutions aimed at increasing the value of product data, productivity, and improved decision making for manufacturing-based companies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. As a part of this acquisition, Autodesk also announced that it appointed Oleg Shilovitsky as Senior Director of PLM and Data Management. Shilovitsky is a co-founder of Inforbix, LLC.

“Oleg Shilovitsky is an established PLM thought leader who brings deep industry experience and a history of innovation to his new role at Autodesk,” said Buzz Kross, senior vice president, Design, Lifecycle and Simulation at Autodesk. “Since the launch of Autodesk PLM 360 last year, we have introduced thousands of new users to the power of cloud-based PLM. We are thrilled to welcome Oleg and under his leadership look forward to continued innovation and driving greater adoption of Autodesk PLM 360.”

Autodesk plans to incorporate Inforbix technology for indexing, search, personalization and data visualization into Autodesk PLM360, which will help to accelerate the vision for the Autodesk 360 cloud services.

Oleg Shilovitsky co-founded Inforbix in 2010 and served as CEO. He was Inforbix’s strategist, technologist, and ideologist and also an author of the PLM Think Tank and Beyond PLM blogs. Prior to Inforbix, Shilovitsky worked for Smart Solutions, SmarTeam, Enovia and Dassault Systems.

Click Here for full posting on the Autodesk Website
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Revit 2013 Family Structure & Content

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Hi Blog Readers

No I've not dropped off the universe, just been very busy with family issues as my wife Jennifer was taken into hospital and for a short period was in intensive care. Combine that with work and organising and administration of the LRUG http://www.lrug.co.uk/ March meeting, then editing videos and creating material from the presentation to upload to the LRUG members’ area of the web site there Isn’t very much time for other interests or blogging.

Thankfully we now have Jen home with us again, complete with cylinders of oxygen etc. but she is still with us and hopefully on the road to recovery.

What can I say about RST 2013……

OK as previous years I have been beta testing, but no Bloggers event this year, shame I missed killing the penguins. In reality I would not have had time for it with everything that has been going on.  

The same stupid prat that let the cat out of the bag early last year (who some see as a Revit Evangelist) has done the same this year. I saw a linked-in notification of his posting and was not surprised who it was when I went there to read it.

David Light a fellow founder of LRUG has done his usual excellent review, (Click Here to read) and as the NDA is over I can now Blog legitimately.   

From my point of view, I’m underwhelmed with the lack of development, as I have been the last couple of years. The 2010 and 2011 version saw major advances with the product and real additions halfway during the Autodesk product year at Subscription Advantage Release.

I understand that for most of the world there has been a recession, however looking at press releases about Autodesk profits recently, they need not only to squeeze every ounce of monies out of large corporate companies but to actually use that money in developing the products to give us real tangible benefits.

We are still waiting for many items that have been on the users “Need List” not “Want List” (and there is a distinct difference) for many years now. One prime example that comes up every year is Subscript and Superscript in the text editor. It’s basic and fundamental, and still missing within the Revit 2013 text editor.

OK off soapbox and to some stuff I can share.

Many moons ago, when I was younger, so much younger than today, (sorry I had a Beatles moment) in January 2008 I produced my first Revit Libraries Reference Guide and Autodesk used it to make modification to all the typographical errors and misspellings in the 2010 release the following year.

And it’s since then I have produced a review annually so Click Here for the Revit Structure version for 2013

Best thing I can say is download and read it, some stuff has been moved around and renamed so much I’ve included diagrams like the one below just to sort it out in my own mind.

HOT LINKS

Revit 2013 ~ What's New In Revit 2013 ~ David Light ~ CLICK HERE 

Revit 2013 ~ 30 Day Trial version ~    CLICK HERE

Revit 2013 ~ System requirements ~  CLICK HERE

Revit 2013 ~ Materials ~ CLICK HERE 

Enjoy

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Excitech Experience Issue 1 - Building on BIM

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Issue 1 is out now both in print and online. It contains a range of articles including:

• Making Construction Products Suitable for BIM
• Improving Revit Data Quality
• Visualising BIM with 3ds Max
• BIM at the Forum
• Driving MEP from Design to Fabrication
• Pell Frischmann GIS Case Study
• Autodesk Suites
• News & Opinion

Many articles and related white papers are CPD certified.

Click here for Issue 1 now.

Autodesk Acquires UK's MAP for MEP

Autodesk SAN RAFAEL, CA, Oct 20, 2011 - Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, announced that it has acquired Micro Application Packages Limited (MAP Software), a UK-based provider of CAD, CAM and estimating software that supports fabrication and construction for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) industry. MAP Software’s technology will be an important addition to the Autodesk Building Information Modeling(BIM) portfolio for MEP contractors and engineers. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.............read more here

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A Cautionary Digital Tale of Virtual Design and Construction

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This subject has been highlighted for discussion at a future LRUG meeting and this article found over at Engineering News-Record is well worth a read and some consideration:~

Insurance settlement related to a building information model shows that BIM without communication can be costly

A lawsuit over construction of a life-sciences building at a major university stands as the first known claim related to the use of building information modeling by an architect. Furthermore, the claim and its settlement serve as a cautionary tale to others using BIM, says the insurer.

Click here to read more.......

Don't forget it's good to Talk.
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Autodesk Givith and Autodesk Taketh Away

The Gumby Award goes to the Autodesk Revit Structure Development Team for yet another .

We’ve had

• The Inability to turn off the content library from being installed.
• Missing Templates
• Missing Content
• The wrong shortcut Icon used on Insulation
• And Now…. Where have the Localisation Enhancements Gone? 

With the release of 2010 there was a lot of fuss made about Localisation Enhancements from Autodesk.

What are Localisation Enhancements? I hear you cry…

Basically because Revit is a USA produced and based product and the Americans speak “English Jim but not as we know it” they use construction terms that are different to those that we use in good old Blighty

So Localisation Enhancements really means country specific terms

The following USA terms that have been in the product pre 2010 were changed in the UK installation, but just to confuse the user the online Help, CHM and shortcut files still reflect the US terms.

USA Term	UK Term
Girder	Primary
Joist	Secondary
Horizontal Brace	Plan Brace
Purlin	Tertiary
Coping	Notching
Coping Distance	Notching Distance
Remove Coping	Remove Notching
Coped	Notched (mostly appear in warning messages)

Spot the Autodesk Givith and Autodesk Taketh Away

If you would like to see the reinstatement of UK terms within Revit Structure – Don’t forget that we are still waiting for stirrups to be renamed links in the RC detailing side.

Then send an email to Ralph Pullinger, using This Link that will automatically generate a subject title which will enable Ralph to collate the amount of people that are unhappy about the removal of UK construction terminology from within Revit Structure. Please add any other concerns you have to the email.

Ralph has assured me that not only will he will read them, that once he has collected them all, that he will pass them onto the Autodesk development team in USA to support the request he has made to have this fixed.

If you don’t email Ralph then you are not supplying him with the UK ammunition he needs to do his job which is helping us, the UK Users get from Autodesk and Revit what we need.

 

10 Days in the Future there was a Hotfix for the Missing UK Termonology 

FREEish Upgrade to Autodesk Design and Creation Suite

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Steve Stafford over at Revit OpEd mused in his posting Rumor Mongering - Building Design Sweet Deal

"Autodesk may be offering a nice upgrade deal for existing subscription Revit customers. Essence of the deal...free short term offer to upgrade to the Premium level with the catch that the yearly subscription fee will increase at renewal time later. I'm hopeful that this rumor will come true! "

Someone commented on his blog that this was a deal direct from Autodesk, but no it will be via  Resellers who in the UK are being briefed right at this moment.
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BIM roll-out for public projects hits three-month delay

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The roll-out of Building Information Modelling across all public projects has met with difficulties after a government response to a report on its effectiveness has been delayed by three months. Paul Morrell, OBE FRICS HonFRIBA, UK Chief Construction Advisor to the UK Government, has confirmed it will be released in June.

Source Building Magazine 21st April 2011

Related Posting on this Blog to be found Here

Revit 2012 Wikihelp is Live

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Inside the Factory have announced that the wiki help for Revit 2012 is now live and can be accessed via the following url: http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/Revit/enu/2012

Which means you can get a look at What's New in 2012 and read up before being able to download. Autodesk never like to give an actual download date, but we all know its going to be sometime within the next 10 days. They always follow the same patten each year.

So go and take a look.....

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Revit 2012 underwhelming....I can't get excited

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The blogger webcast was held very, very late last night in the UK, and like Dave Baldacchino of Do you Revit? I’m taking the view that plenty of Bloggers will all ready have posted about the event, especially those that have the Lois Lane complex and need a scoop or have Revit in their DNA ;0)

David Light over at his Revit blog, as always has produced such a concise review that it’s very rare that others meet his article standard (that’s another fiver you owe me Dave)

Dave Baldacchine & David Light talk about the split between users:-

David Baldacchine saying  “there will be those that are very excited and those that are bummed. In past years, I’ve almost always been in the first camp and couldn’t understand what the rest were fussing about. However this year, I am feeling a bit disappointed about the quantity of improvements for the Architectural field.”

David Light summarising “Will Revit 2012 keep the die-hard Revit user who wants long standing items like better text tools, improved typography and site, stairs etc….happy???? hmmmmm probably not! But I would have to argue that whilst some of the improvements to big ticket modelling items have yet to appear, there is still plenty in this feature rich release to make most users content.

But a word of warning Mr Autodesk; some of these long standing requests really do need to be addressed over the next 1 to 2 releases. I see users fighting with some of the trickier tools on a day to day basis and I feel their pain. However, I have a pragmatic view on much of this now as I have come to realize that there is no utopia and Rome really wasn’t built in a day. As the Guinness Ad says, good things come to those that wait. Nevertheless, improving model quality and construction assembly by providing flexible, easy to use software tools most be the end game. Without this, there will always be an excuse by some diehards that this “BIM thing” is just not worth doing."

Like Dave Baldacchine I’m in the “feeling a bit disappointed about the quantity of improvements” Actually more in the very pissed–off, rather than the bit disappointed if I’m truthful

IMHO this year has been more about the bigger users with Bells and Whistles and not Basic fixes for all users.

Because of the NDA I can’t tell you how I’ve come to these figures yet, but one way of measuring the real improvements in Revit Structure gives me a split of:-

 58 Architecture and the All Products common platform
   5 Structure which equates to about 4%
 56 MEP

112

Should Autodesk be spending time improving MEP, yes but not at the expense of the other platforms.

Whist I applaud the improvements in the Analytical Modelling and Tools, we and many other Structural Users don’t round trip the Analytical Model backwards and Forwards like Autodesk seem to think we do. Hell, there are projects were we don’t connect the Analytical and the Revit Model for a variety of reasons.

Detailing and producing useable RC Details and UK/ Europe Bar Bending Schedules within Revit is currently a joke, It’s a 3D Toy that many Structural Engineering companies are not using, again for a variety of reasons

Dave Baldacchine  “My feeling is that it’s quite light this year. That doesn’t mean however, that you won’t be thrilled with the new improvements, especially if you’re in the Engineering and Construction disciplines.”

Nope Dave…… Definitely not thrilled

Survey reveals industry split over BIM

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Extract from bdonline article  Article by Anna Winston

A new survey launched by standards and specifications expert NBS has revealed an ‘alarming lack of awareness’ of BIM across the construction industry.

The survey of 386 construction professionals, including 155 architects,showed that 43% were either unaware of or hadn’t used Building Information Modelling (BIM).

The results come just a month after chief government construction advisor Paul Morrell revealed plans to introduce BIM into the public procurement process.

Of the respondents to the NBS survey who were aware of BIM, only 10% were currently using it for the majority of projects. However, more than 70% believed that BIM was the future of project information management and two thirds expected to use it for the majority of projects within the next five years. 

More than half of those already using BIM said it had improved profitability and 81% said it had improved productivity.

NBS said that the largest barrier to widespread adoption of BIM was the perception that introducing the process would mean expensive and drastic changes to their existing systems. Only 18% of respondents believed that BIM was a synonym for Cad drawing - a misconception often cited as a barrier to widespread adoption.

“The main risk is that the industry splits in two,” said Stephen Hamil, head of BIM at NBS. “Half the industry is clearly making steps to adopt BIM and these practices will win competitions and will have better people wanting to work for them. You’ll end up potentially with a two tier system.”

Hamil said that the survey had also revealed a surprising variety of software packages being used across the industry.
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Building Magazine ~ The use of force: Building Information Modelling

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Further to my posting London BIM Conference and the UK Government about the Paul Morrell at the need for IPD and BIM, Building Magazines Stephen Kennett gives his take on the future of BIM short extract below:-

Building information modelling may make everything better, but most firms don’t want to use it. But that might change now the government plans to make it compulsory on all public projects. Stephen Kennett reports

Not many technologies can point to a global financial meltdown as their saviour. But building information modelling just might. Earlier this month Paul Morrell, the government’s chief construction adviser and the man tasked with improving the return on taxpayers’ investment, indicated that the government intended to adopt building information modelling, or BIM, for the procurement and management of public assets. Morrell is convinced the technology could unlock new ways of working that will reduce cost and add long-term value to the development and management of public sector buildings.

Pop over to the Building Magazine web site to read on....
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ERUG is Here! - Where? - In Edinburgh

ERUG is here!

I've been hearing that an ERUG Edinburgh Revit User Group was about to spin off from the GRUG Glasgow Revit User Group for a little while.

Well now they have made it official.

A linked-in Group has been constructed and the first two committee members Michael Boyd (Structural) & Kelvin Donaldson are requesting that any other enthusiastic individuals join them to move this group forward.

London BIM Conference 2010 and the UK Government!

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Last week on Thursday 30^th September, I attended the Autodesk BIM Conference 2010 at Links Place in London.

There were speakers from Autodesk, John Lorimer Director of Manchester City Council, Architects, Structural and Civil Engineers, John Tocci, CEO, Tocci  Building Companies (from the USA) there were representatives from the Institutions and then there was Paul Morrell

Who Is Paul Morrell? I hear you ask

To give him his full title it’s Mr Paul Morrell OBE FRICS HonFRIBA, UK Chief Construction Advisor to the UK Government. He was previously senior partner of construction consultants Davis Langdon, and also former deputy chair of the Commission on Architecture in the Built Environment (CABE).

He is a very eloquent and humorous speaker who puts his point across very distinctly. The image I have used is very Hitch Hikers Guide like (An in-joke for those that attended the conference and are of a certain age or should I say vintage).

Like the Earth in the Hitch Hikers Guide, Paul Morrell could be described as “Mostly Harmless”, however his message will mean changes on the way that those not already using Revit or BIM software will have to work in the future.

He indicated that Building Information Modelling (BIM) will become a key part of the procurement process of public buildings in the future, saying:-

“I am convinced that this is the way to unlock new ways of working that will reduce cost and add long-term value to the development and management of built assets in the public sector, but the move needs to be made on a basis that is secure, that works for Government clients and those who deliver services to them, and which draws on proven means of integrating the supply chain,”

A trial team is currently testing the use of BIM in government projects and will report its findings to the Construction Clients Board in March. Paul Morell said that he hoped that the report would “mark the beginning of a commitment to a timed programme of transformation”.

Autodesk vice-president, Phil Bernstein.said: “We believe that yesterday’s recommendation to UK government construction procurers will drive industry change, just as similar decisions by the government have in the US,” and “We also believe that these clear incentives will encourage the use of BIM methodology by government and the wider construction industry. They will provide better value for construction spend while enhancing environmentally responsible building design, construction and operation.”

So there you have it boys and girls, it looks as if the UK Government are following the USA with regards to IPD and BIM.

Revit 2011 Web Update 2 Now Available

 

Revit 2011 Web Update 2 is now available for all products. 

links below:

Autodesk Revit Architecture 2011

Autodesk Revit Structure 2011

Autodesk Revit MEP 2011

Update Enhancement Lists below:

Autodesk Revit Architecture 2011 Update Enhancement List

Autodesk Revit Structure 2011 Update Enhancement List

Autodesk Revit MEP 2011 Update Enhancement List

Notes:

• Web Update 1 (WU1) is included with Web Update 2 (WU2) - It is not necessary to install WU1 first, WU2 will take care of it.
• The Subscription Advantage Pack (SAP) that is imminent will require WU2 so there is no redundancy to install WU2 now and then the SAP when it goes live.
• It will be necessary to visit the Subscription site to get the SAP when it becomes available.

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Revit 2011 Subscription Advantage Pack ~ Bloggers day

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* Extended Worksharing Capabilities

* Extended Design Analysis Capabilities

* Extended Project Collaboration Capabilities

* Q&A

I will leave it to Revit OpEd   Revit - David Light   Do U Revit?   and CADD Help to fill you in.

We are still playing around with Worksharing and trying to find Architectural firms to work in partnership with on projects in Revit. So at the moment Extended Worksharing Capabilities is about as useful to us as a pushbike is to a goldfish.

In as few words as possible, I'm underwhelmed!

I was looking for something for everybody in this SAP, some fixes and tweaks, a bit like last year when they finally got it to work on UK Computers.

IMHO it’s the basics in Revit Structure that need fixing, I want to be able to schedule pile layouts without relying on my software provider producing an add-on for Revit to bridge the gaps in what should be basic functionality wihtin the program. I want to be able to RC detail and schedule without dropping out to ASD.

The Architects and the Sustainability LEEDS BREEAM and MEP Users got something Extended Design Analysis Capabilities.

USA and Japanese Engineers get a couple of extensions. Looks like very little else for UK this time around.

Autodesk, the clue is in the word "Subscription Advantage Pack", but at the moment I'm at a loss to see any Advantage for UK Users, well at least until I can read the read me and see what bugs they have fixed, and if they are more or less than those they have introduced with the SAP.
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AUGI Wish List Ballot for Revit MEP and Revit Structure

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Finally AUGI have a Wish List ballot for both Revit MEP and Revit Structure that is now going to be reviewed and submitted to Autodesk for consideration.

A BIG thank you to David Harrington over at CADDHELP for working with AUGI and Autodesk to make this happen. It's been a personal bone of contention of mine for some time that RST and MEP did not appear to get equal support and consideration as RAC.

As David says "it's all very exciting!" and it's encouraging for us MEP and RST Users that Autodesk are demonstrating that they do listen to our needs.

So if you are a Revit Structure or Revit MEP use these links to review the current wish list and vote!

Voting closes at 4:59am (UTC) on September 1st. so you don't have long!
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Customer Involvement program CIP ~ Check out your system

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How do you compare to your peers?

The web page says: "The Autodesk Customer Involvement Program (CIP) gathers usage and system information from customers across the globe every day. In the charts and graphs below, we have selected 4 pieces of your system's information and compared them to the averages of other Autodesk software customers. This is a quick way to see how your hardware stacks up."

 
System - Screen Res - Video Ram - System ------------Click here to find out
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Good but still not a utility program to check out your system and Video Card...
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Extensions and Utilities for Revit 2011 subscription users

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I discovered this today and have downloaded all the extensions, and have just seen a posting on Revit Clinic announcing and detailing the extensions and utilities that are available for download from the subscription center for those customers on subscription support. http://www.autodesk.com/subscriptionlogin
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Revit Certified Graphics Hardware List now on Autodesk web site

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In my post of the 30th March about Revit 2011 Introduces Certified Graphics Hardware List and Utility I reported that many of the new features within Revit 2011 will rely on the compatibility of your graphics card. And that when the product ships, there will be a list of certified graphic cards uploaded on the Autodesk web site somewhere, and that I would let you know when it arrives:-

It’s here Graphics Hardware List or use the url  http://www.autodesk.com/us/revit/revit_graphics_hardware_-_graphics_hardware_list_final.html

Use this list to check to see if your graphics hardware supports hardware acceleration in Autodesk Revit 2011-based products.

The Graphics Hardware List provides you with the status of supported and non-supported graphics hardware for 2011 products based on the Autodesk® Revit® platform.

Finding information for your hardware is easy; (so the Web site says) just find your card and driver version in the list below.

OK so I have a NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT and WinXP which is not on the list.

The driver I had was 6.14.11.8585 I got the error message so I’ve updated the driver to the latest which is 6.14.11.9621

This list is about as useful to me as a push bike is to a goldfish because my graphics card and driver is not listed!.

But don't forget what the web site said "Finding information for your hardware is easy; just find your card and driver version in the list below. "Having downloaded the latest driver I try Revit again and it warns me

Because I assume my card is not on the list, my questions to Autodesk are now:-

1. How do I get my video card and driver tested and thus become Known?

2. Is there going to be a testing utility as mentioned in one of the troubleshooting videos?

3. If there is when can I get hold of it to test not only my PC here at home but also my pc at work which also reported the same error message.


Report a Problem


The Autodesk web page says to "Report any problems with graphics hardware when using Autodesk Revit 2011-based products."

So I’ve posted the questions above and will let you know the answers in due course.
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