Merry Digital Christmas

A Fool And Their Money......The B1M

Saw this  "The B1M (the BIM one million) is now live at www.TheB1M.com. Please share your BIM learning and experiences to inspire wider uptake around the world. "on Linked-In and had to have a look.

The web site is missing a picture on the front page, then you read on and find its £2 a poke and limited at just 1 Million people (at the moment) so that's 2 Million Pounds, nice idea for making money and that's about all ;0)

My initial reaction was, If you are going to waste £2 give it to a charity, those already into BIM know who all the usual faces are already.....and those joining will find out soon enough.

Then Fred Mills • replied

Hi Alan, thanks for the comments. Please see the news article below. It would be very short sighted of us to make £2m and go off on a jolly. This is about making a long term impact on our industry and promoting BIM around the world. You're welcome to join in.http://construction-manager.co.uk/news/new-bim-website-aims-million-users/

After reading the information on the press release it kinda gives it a little more credibility and this information should really be on The B1M front page, but there are so many of these BIM clubs forming, I will give £2 to charity instead.

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?

Star Trek - Into Darkness....

Just like Veruca Salt - I want to see it and I want to see it NOW! -

MAY 17th Next Year .... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo .

CIC Regional Hubs - A BIM Focus

For information and downloads from CIC Regional Hubs - A BIM Focus event visit http://www.cic.org.uk/aBIMfocus/

Revit 2013 File Upgrader

After looking for the old File Upgrader Batch Utility for 2013 and not being able to find it - I found that it is no longer supplied on the disks or memory stick but can now be downloaded off the Autodesk Exchange Apps web site

"File Upgrader will batch upgrade previous versions of Revit files to the Revit 2013 format. The tool is intended to help upgrade family contents, template files as well as project files. Every time users open a Revit file which was saved in a previous version of Revit, a standard dialog is displayed in the Revit user interface stating that the file is being upgraded. During the display of this dialog, Revit tries to upgrade the document to the current version. This slows down the process of opening a file. To save time opening older file versions during each of the subsequent attempts to open the file, users can manually open each of the Revit files and save it to the current version. This can be time consuming if there is a large set of files to upgrade across various folders and sub-folders. The File Upgrader tool saves time and manual labor by automating this process. The plug-in has been provided with the complete source code needed to build the application, with the intention of encouraging users of Autodesk software to use programming to tailor the products they use to their specific business needs."

HTH - Alan
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There is more to life than Revit & BIM

I now have an additional Blog about my Allotment!

Yep nothing to do with the Construction Industry, CAD, BIM, Health and Safety or Party Wall matters ......... This is the "off subject" Blog about (as the title suggests) my Allotment.

My daughters now 21 and 18 think that their dear old Dad is really getting old, and they also think it's cute that I've got an allotment! and that perhaps I'm also going a little crackers......They could be right ;0)

The purpose of the allotment blog is to record my progress and perhaps to get some feedback and comments on what I'm doing right and wrong and to remind me how much I have actually achieved, when I really don't feel like I'm getting anywhere or moving as fast as I would wish.

In my head I'm still between 23 - 26 and think I can function at the speed and without the consequences of physical work - Truth is I'm 54 and my body knows it and no doubt will let my brain know by sending messages from aching muscles.

See http://cadalot-allotment.blogspot.co.uk/ 
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Revit Update 2 Links

OK it would appear the updates are a part of the Subscription Advantage pack I blogged about below however you can get hold of the Update 2 for your flavour of Revit from the Updates section of each product page:

Autodesk Revit Architecture 2013 UR2

Autodesk Revit Structure 2013 UR2

Autodesk Revit MEP 2013 UR2

The update for Autodesk Revit 2013 can be found in the Design & Creation Suites Support > Data & Downloads > Updates & Service Packs section.

Autodesk Revit 2013 UR2

Installation ReadMe files and Update Enhancement PDFs are available at each of these locations as well.

The Return of the Subscription Advantage Pack?

Is this the return of the missing

Subscription Advantage Pack?

This could be an Andy Williams moment ?

"It's just too good to true" 

Download link for subscription customers:http://subscription.autodesk.com/sp/servlet/download/item?siteID=11564774&id=18969466

Release Date: 18-10-2012

Revit® Extensions for Autodesk® Revit® 2013 extend the capabilities of Autodesk® Revit® 2013, Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2013, Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2013, and Autodesk® Revit® Structure 2013 software in key areas, including structural analysis, modeling, reinforcement, interoperability and construction documentation. This download contains all previously released Revit Extensions and updates. The Q3 Update includes enhancements to bridge modeling, integration with Autodesk® Robot™ Structural Analysis Professional 2013, and improvements to the reinforcement extensions. Refer to the “Feature Summary” for details.

Please note that the multi-language executable file contains the following language versions: English, French, German, Japanese, Polish, Russian and Simplified Chinese.

Revit Extensions for Autodesk Revit 2013 are compatible with the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Revit 2013 software products.

Read This First

	Feature Summary - English (pdf - 425Kb)
	Q3 Feature Summary - English (pdf - 341Kb)

Download

	Multiple Languages (exe - 434377Kb)
	Q3 Update - Multiple Languages (exe - 54417Kb)

Details:

Civil Structures 

A few enhancements were implemented in the following areas: 

 Integration with AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2013 application 

Integration mechanism was changed to be more stable and independent of user way of work. Problems related to loading *.xml files were fixed. Data transfer was improved to avoid data inconsistency which occurred in specific situations after transferring model from Autodesk® Revit® to AutoCAD® Civil 3D®. 

 Modeling in Autodesk® Revit® 

Additional verification for parameters used to create bridge in Autodesk® Revit® was added to ensure that data entered by user is coherent and allows for valid bridge construction. The algorithm responsible for bridge generation was improved to remove inaccuracy in the created geometry. Problem with work with two bridge objects inside one Autodesk® Revit® file was solved. 

 Improved work with configurations files (*.rdx) and increased stability of application. 

Integration with Autodesk® Robot™ Structural Analysis 2013 

Improvements were introduced to increase the stability of integration between Revit and Robot applications. 

Reinforcement Modules 

Enhancements were implemented to perform more advanced analyze for complex structures. Reinforcement modules can now recognize more cases where automatic reinforcement shouldn’t be applied. Moreover some improvements were implemented to increase the stability, reliability and performance of reinforcement modules. 

Revit® Extensions for Spanish localized version of Autodesk® Revit® 

Improvements were done to get all extensions available for the user
...plus some more structural stuff...   

Service Pack SP1 for AutoCAD Structural Detailing 2013 is now available

Repost from BIM and Beam

Service Pack SP1 for AutoCAD Structural Detailing 2013 is now available for download from the Services & Support site and also live in the LiveUpdate system. This update includes AutoCAD 2013 SP1.1.

The readme containing the latest information regarding the installation and use of this Service Pack is available in:

• English
• Polish
• French

Revit User Experience Designer Required

Ok I've not Blogged for a little while because I have been so busy with work and arranging events for LRUG the London Revit User Group and updating it's web site, and security measures etc.

Chris has asked me to post the job advert below because it may be of interest to many of my readers. It would appear that Autodesk know that I'm passionate about Revit and hoped I didn't mind them asking for my help to make it better. Autodesk are looking for a candidate to join the Revit User Experience team with very specific experience in construction modeling.

Always happy to make Revit better so here we go:-

Title: Senior User Experience Designer/12WD12254
Primary Location: Waltham, Massachusetts 

You are an expert in modeling for construction. You pursued this career path because you are energized by complex problems, passionate about getting the details right, and convinced that technology can shape our environment. You are a designer at heart. You are able to lead and also follow. You want to work collaboratively with a team of equally committed, talented, and driven professionals. 

If this is you, we'd like you to consider joining our team as a user experience designer for Revit, focused on modeling for construction. Don't worry if you've never written a line of code or designed a software application, if you are the right candidate, we can teach you what you need to know user experience design.

Are you excited by this opportunity? If so, you can review the full position posting here. Please send a statement of interest and resume to chris.yanchar@autodesk.com. Want to wow us? Send us a link to some work of which you are really proud and tell us about your role in making it real.

NYC Issues New BIM Standard

The New York City Dept. of Design and Construction (DDC) is the latest regional agency to issue building-information-modeling technology standards. The agency says the new guidelines establish a framework to enable all future DDC-managed public building design projects to be delivered using 3D design technologies and BIM processes.

The guidelines require BIM on new projects valued between $15 million and $50 million, says Craig Chin, a DDC spokesman. BIM provides “a broad platform for collaboration across the project team,” says David Resnick, DDC deputy commissioner for public buildings. 

The agency joins a small list of others in the region, including the New York City Dept. of Buildings and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, that have BIM-based standards. Download NYC BIM Guidelines.

Repost - Source http://enr.construction.com/technology/bim/2012/0918-nyc-issues-new-bim-standards.asp
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Link to Autodesk Exchange for Revit

Click on image below to visit the site...

Some useful FREE add-ons here

Enjoy

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AEC (UK) BIM Protocols V2.0 Now Available

The latest version of the AEC (UK) BIM Protocols is now available for download from the Documents page on the AEC (UK) CAD & BIM Standards Site.

Version 2.0 of the AEC (UK) BIM Protocol is a unification of the guidance provided by the previous documents, bringing workflows together in a single generic document which can be applied to any BIM-enabled project.

The set of documents builds on the guidelines and frameworks defined by the UK standards documents, including BS1192:2007 and the forthcoming PAS1192-2:2012 alongside proven best practice procedures, providing a clear, concise path to implementation for BIM authoring software, such as Autodesk Revit and Bentley’s AECOsim Building Designer.

The AEC (UK) BIM Protocol v2.0 forms the “hub” of a complete software-based solution. Supplementary documents provide additional detail and enhancements required to implement these protocols using specific BIM authoring software:

A diagram showing the relationship of the supplements to the main document. The blue shapes represent the complete package for a company using Revit.

Revit One Box 2013 UR1 + Hotfix + Extensions etc

Following on from my last post, here is the answer and links provided by Autodesk to my support question re One Box and the Building Design Suite. Like many users we now have a mixture of an original Revit (structure) Suite, which just came with AutoCAD (+Structural Detailing AutoCAD bolt on) as well as a couple of new versions of the Building Design Suite.

"I was recently notified about your questions regarding how to orientate which extensions and hotfixes can be applied to which revit products.

You are right; since the 2013-er version not only "single" Revit products like REAC; RST and Revit MEP, but the one box Revit version as well and because of this using extensions, hotfixes you need to be aware which tools with which version can be used.

The hotfixes are published always on the autodesk main website and you need to install different hotfix version for the different types of Revit products. Please see the exact links below about where you can find these hotfixes:

Revit one box 2013 UR1:http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=20121968&linkID=16831210
 
Revit Architecture 2013 UR1:http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?id=20121970&siteID=123112&linkID=9273944

Revit Structure 2013 UR1:http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=20122015&linkID=9280927

Revit MEP 2013 UR1:http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=20122070&linkID=12828318

/Let me paste one more "common" link from there you can access the different types of products: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/autoindex?siteID=123112&id=995599/

As far as the extensions, plugins are concerned, these tools can be downloaded from the subscription center. They are often applied to both the single and to the one box versions. The orientation point at the extensions can be  found in the short description text of the product and/ or in the readme.

The expression "Autodesk® Revit® 2013" is used for the one box version."

Autodesk Web Site Blues......

I may be mistaken but I'm sure you use to be able to get to downloads of Service Packs, Update Releases and Hotfixes etc. via the Service & Support drop down menu along the top picking a product. ....... No more and after a lot and I mean a lot of poking around I have finally found what I'm after and here are the links to help you.

Revit Structure
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/index?siteID=123112&id=5545518&linkID=9243182

Revit Architecture
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps?siteID=123112&id=2956546&linkID=9243099

Revit MEP
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/index?siteID=123112&id=2334435&linkID=12828318

Just to confuse the web site structure for MEP is not the same as RAC and STR

Autodesk please fix and tidy up your bloody web site and think KISS  ~  Keep It Simple Stupid.
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Autodesk 360 Mobile - We're Sorry. We Messed Up.

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It's just a little bit of history repeating itself........ found in my inbox today ;0(    so glad I had not got around to downloading it...

	You may have recently downloaded the release of the new Autodesk 360 Mobile App. We have seen your reactions and regret we have missed the mark. Our intention with this release was to deliver an improvement to what you had with Design Review Mobile, and we failed. We apologize for any frustration or inconvenience this has caused you or your teams. We appreciate the feedback we have received from our customers and have documented all of the issues you have reported. We are working extremely hard to resolve them as quickly as possible. Please look out for continued updates as we make improvements to the product. If you would be interested in giving us early feedback or testing the new features before we release please send us a note. To that end, we have just released an update to the iOS version of Autodesk 360 Mobile, now available on the iTunes app store. This release has resolved the crashing issue found in the previous version. We thank you for your patience, and are committed to bringing you the best and most useful products and services to help you do your job better. Getting your input about your experiences with our products – good and bad – is extremely valuable to us as we navigate our way through these early phases of building out Autodesk 360. You will find the latest iOS release of the Autodesk 360 Mobile App on iTunes®. We hope you continue to work with us and appreciate your feedback. Thank You, The Autodesk 360 Team

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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Crossrail and Bentley Systems launch UK’s first dedicated Building Information Modelling academy

OK not AutoDesk nor Revit but very intersting in the Bigger UK BIM Picture all the same ......
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"Crossrail and Bentley Systems today (22nd August) launched a dedicated Information Academy to provide hands-on training to the Crossrail supply chain on the latest technology and software being used to design and build the new railway including Building Information Modelling (BIM)."

Click here for more information......

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

BIM Regional Hubs Event Series - Dates across the UK

A BIM Focus - BIM Regional Hubs Event Series - Dates across the UK this Autumn, FREE to attend

'A BIM Focus' is a series of regional events across the UK to help launch the BIM Hubs, these workshops will feature presentations from members of the BIM Task Group, who will explain the Government's BIM policy and how you can engage with the new BIM Hubs.

There will be local case studies which will illustrate the experience some organisations have had in implementing BIM, and an opportunity for Q&A with the BIM Task Group members which will enhance the understanding of BIM issues and explain any concerns you may have.

There will also be a chance to network with fellow professionals who also have an interest in understanding BIM and its benefits, as well as a chance to find out more about how the BIM hubs will work in your area with an invitation to be involved and shape its future operation.

 For further information and to book please go to: www.cic.org.uk/events

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Old works of Art?

Some of my old works of art from the 70's & 80's have come to light whilst clearing out my Mothers house. Croydon Airport where I worked for a year for a computer company, my dog "Ricky" and a painting of the Lake District - Can you tell which one is which?

BIM Survey Specification by Plowman Craven

Over recent months Plowman Craven's survey measurement team has completed a number of projects delivering BIM ready 3D models to a variety of clients.

Understandably, the most efficient and successful projects are those where there is clear communication right from the very beginning - a critical requirement which has a major influence on the success of a project undertaken with the BIM process in mind.

In order to create a set of standards and streamline the process, They have developed their own BIM Survey specification to be used in conjunction with any of their future BIM projects.

In the spirit of collaborative working and for the good of the BIM industry they are now sharing this with the BIM community

CLICK HERE to download the document - you will be taken to a page where you can register your details and obtain a login and password to gain access

The Hitch Hikers Guide to BIM July 2012 Edition

JULY 2012 Edition

Is dedicated to the memory of

an outstanding human being

“My Mum”

Shirley Wooldridge

1936 - 2012

Click Here to Download

Creating Custom Revit® Architecture 2012 Families

Creating Custom Revit® Architecture 2012 Families – A Practical Guide for Beginners & Intermediate Users by Michael Anonuevo

The 2012 edition of the e-Book is 751 pages long, broken up into 16 chapters that contain 2000 images of explanatory graphics and examples. This e-Book makes understanding about Revit Families for Beginners and Intermediate users of Revit (all flavors) a lot easier. The only thing I would change about it is the title, removing the word Architecture as it covers basics that apply to Structure and MEP

Michael took a year to get to the stage where he is comfortable to release it, and this obviously is a living document, with Michael currently working on a 2013 edition

If you are a regular visitor you will know that I have just bought and Android tablet and I have loaded the review copy onto it. I have been scan reading the document and I’m now in the process of working my way slowly through it.

There are many “golden nuggets” of information and things I did know and have forgotten and some I did not know, because I have not been personally building families like I did when I first got my hands on Revit

There will be those that say that the families that Michael produces are over done, and for the general construction industry deliverables you would not go into such detail.  But flip that on its head, this guy can produce what are Works of Art within Revit and he really knows how to build families.

The level of families that you create after you have read his book and have the skills is down to you.

Having produced The Hitch Hikers Guide to BIM, and knowing the time it has taken just to type up, lay out and edit a text document, I have nothing but admiration for the publication that Michael has produced especially with the amount of graphics included.

Click here to download the table of contents & sample images at: http://www.littledetailscount.com/documents/ebookpromo.pdf

Steve Stafford CEO of AEC Advantage and Author of Revit OpEd, Revit Guru and all round nice guy, has written the forward to the book and sums up stating:-

“This Book ought to be part of your library, your arsenal, because you can’t have too much knowledge or ammunition. This book can travel with you more easily than a traditional book too! Take a Chance on it, devote your attention to lt. I’m sure it will serve you well!

I have to agree with Steve; at $19.95 a copy (about £12.75 using current exchange rates) it is not going to break the bank, in addition there is a quantity discount for the larger companies and organizations, that are likely to want to buy more than five copies. Michael has also stated that a free update to the 2013 version of his e-Book will be emailed to all legal owners and purchasers of the 2012 edition as soon as it is available. Now there is value for money and an offer you can’t refuse, especially if you want sound guidance on creating families.

So hop over to http://www.littledetailscount.com/ and add this e-Book to your collection, and don’t forget to tell them where you found out about the publication, as I will receive a few pennies for the referral on each sale, which will go to my local hospice.
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New Penn State BIM Execution Plan Update

BIM Project Execution Planning Guide and Templates - Version 2.1

download from http://bim.psu.edu/

Contained in this folder is the BIM Project Execution Planning Guide and template resources developed to assist in the creation of a BIM Project Execution Plan

Enjoy  ;0)

33 steps to being able to 'find stuff' in Revit

Posted here so that I can easily find the darn thing again when I want it and so that others may also find it when they need it ;0) not sure of it's origin supplied from one of our guys at the Winchester Office.

Revit

Checklist: 33 steps to being able to 'find stuff'
Check to see if:
1. The object or category is temporarily hidden
2. The object or category is hidden in the view
3. The object is being obscured by another element
4. The object's category or subcategory is hidden in the view
5. The object is outside the view's view range
6. The view's far clip depth is not sufficient to show the object
7. The object resides on a work set that is not loaded within the project
8. The object resides on a work set that is not visible in the view
9. The object resides on a work set that is not loaded in a linked file
10. The object resides on a work set that is not visible in a linked file
11. The object resides within a group (detail model) and it has been excluded from the group
12. The object is part of a design option that is not visible in the view
13. The object is part of a linked file that is not visible in the view
14. The object has one or more of its edges overridden to display as '<Invisible lines>'
15. The object is a family and none of its geometry is set to be visible in the view type
16. The object is a family and none of its geometry is set to be visible at the view's detail level
17. The object is set to not be visible at the category's detail level
18. The element has been placed outside the view's crop region (visible extents)
19. The element is an annotation object and does not reside entirely within the annotation crop region
20. The object's phase settings or the view's phase settings prevent the object from displaying in the view
21. The view's discipline is prohibiting the visibility of the object
22. The object is affected by a filter applied to the view
23. The object is subject to an element override, set to background color
24. The object is subject to a category override, set to background color
25. The object style is set to background color
26. The object is constrained to a scope boxes that is not visible in the view
27. The extents of the object itself don't permit it to be seen
28. The object is a mass, and 'Show Mass' is turned off
29. The object's host view has been deleted (area boundaries)
30. The view's scale is prohibiting the object's visibility
31. The object is a linked instance with coordinates too great for Revit to handle
32. The user has incorrectly identified the link instance to which the element belongs
33. The object is in a link that is not in its correct position