Real Time Design

Imagine being an Interior Designer and being asked…on the fly…to show different design options, a variety of furniture from manufacturers, carpeting styles, paint colors, etc all from a Revit model? If this sounds daunting or that it would be an impossible task…well, you are likely correct.  But a technology has been introduced to the public that might just be the unintended answer to this problem.  Autodesk Homestyler is an iPad application that is designed to allow anyone to import photos of a space and then decorate that space with furniture, carpeting, appliances, paint, accessories, etc all on the fly and from various participating manufacturers.

 

Before I get into how this works with Autodesk products, let me show you the first project I ever did with the software. I started by uploading this image of our old office into Homestyler:

 

 

Then, with no training at all, I had this 20 minutes later:

 

Not bad considering I didn’t know how to use the software 20 minutes before and I put almost no effort into it. The door openings could have been clean, the paint almost perfect if I had used a stylus on the iPad instead of my fat finger. 

Now back to Revit.  The image below came from the famous “Advanced” building model which comes from Revit. The only thing new is that I added a camera view to a large classroom.

It isn’t much to look at, is it?  But if you upload that image into Homestyler it doesn’t know that this isn’t a picture of a real room! Thus you can set it up and use the real manufacturer content that Homestyler provides to place all the furnishings in the room.

I added paint, carpeting, tables, chairs, papers & computers… many of which have real manufacturers behind them. The space above, once you pick up speed, could be easily finished in just 5-10 minutes.   It won’t look like a photo when done, but it will certainly get your design decisions across. Plus, when shown on an iPad, the interface is visually pleasing and keeps those watching interested…which means you can flip through design options, replace carpeting, paint, etc on the fly in front of the client and keep the conversation going.

If you own an iPad it’s a MUST download, even if you only have a casual interest in design. Apps like this are not the future of design, they are today’s design reality.

Homestyler: http://www.homestyler.com/mobile

 

 

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Seiler Software Trainings

I am currently on-site participating in a Seiler training and I just realized that I’ve never discussed our training here.  We are an Autodesk dealer and have active training centers.  To begin, start by checking out our Public training options:

http://tinyurl.com/seilert

These are just a small percentage of the trainings that we offer. Traditionally, our most popular trainings have been custom trainings where we come to your location and provide trainings of multiple lengths and focus areas for your staff.  While we can do “by the book” trainings, our favorite trainings go outside the book and focus on your needs and questions.  Why? Because your needs and requirements make you unique and give you an edge on your competition. So if you are curious on how we can aid you in achieving your personal, professional and organizational goals, give us a call!

 

 

 

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Bringing SketchUp to the Field

It seems like every day there’s something new to review and today I was presented with the opportunity to test bringing SketchUp data into a Trimble Tablet.

Scratch that… I didn’t bring it into a Trimble Tablet (but I could have) I used SketchUp ON a Trimble Tablet and then leveraged that data within the Trimble Field Link Software.

The image on the left is a SketchUp drawing (just two blocks and the SketchUp person, but it could have been any design) I created on the Tablet.  The Stylus used to draw in SketchUp was a bit touchy, but with some practice I can see it being easy to work with and the ability to draw in SketchUp with a pencil (actually a stylus) was strangely satisfying … much more than SketchUp with a mouse.

Now that you have the basic idea, think of yourself being able to conceptually draw in any shape to communicate the design/conditions; export that SketchUp information out into CAD / Revit for documentation purposes from the tablet; stake out the points you created in the field, based on your SketchUp information or field collected points (or created later in your CAD software, its up to you!) using the Trimble Tablet.  The workflow feels uncommonly smooth once you understand the proper software for each step.

With my degree in Architecture I’m used to sketching, so this process is a rather liberating experience as it begins to feel more like a hands on process than a technology one. I’m looking forward to seeing the reaction of my clients when they see it in action for the first time, this has some real potential.

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Making your Point in AutoCAD and Revit.

Lately I’ve been working with a software called TPC, also known as Trimble Point Creator. TPC was designed for the engineer or building construction contractor utilizing Revit and/or CAD that needs the ability to create 2D and 3D field points within their design software. Working as a plugin within CAD and Revit, Trimble Point Creator provides the creation of field points for such objects as anchor bolt locations, curtain wall attachments, and hanger or sleeve locations.

These points were created in TPC at the intersection of the Column Grids. The creation process was automated and took less than 30 seconds for the entire building. They could also have been created to indicate bolt locations or any other onsite requirements.

Once points are created within TPC, they can be exported to Trimble Field Link for stake-out in the field (Field Link is the software that communicates the CAD/BIM information to the hardware at the construction site). Essentially, this allows a direct communication between the hardware on site and the design documentation that you’ve created in the computer.  So, if you want something built at an exact location, you can input that point into your design software. The individuals in the field will then walk around at the site and be shown electronically the exact location where that item should be installed/constructed.

It’s easy to learn and a good example of a practical application of design data being leveraged directly in the field.

More information can be found here:

http://solutions.seilerinst.com/Catalog/Product/tabid/355/ProdID/321/Default.aspx

and here:

http://www.trimble.com/construction/building-construction/Trimble-Point-Creator-Pro.aspx

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You have THAT installed?!?

If you are a network administrator or just in charge of keeping the CAD software  up to date in your office you may enjoy this link:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=10243574&siteID=123112

This is for the Autodesk Asset Locator.  This software has been around for a while, it’s a tool that will determine the Autodesk software products you have and where it’s installed (on your network) by locating:

• Product, version, and serial number
• Product language
• Network or stand-alone installation type
• Service pack level
• Installation location

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New Autodesk Products Available on Subscription Center

Just a quick note:

The latest releases of Autodesk Products are just starting to ship and have become available for download if you have Subscription. So far I see that AutoCAD 2012, AutoCAD LT 2012 and AutoCAD Architecture 2012 are available for download on Subscription Center.  Expect to see more products (Revit, etc) over the next 3+ weeks.

Also you can get a sneak peak at some of the new program features by visiting the appropriate product page on http://www.Autodesk.com

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Revit Architecture enhancement: the Roombook Extension

Autodesk has recently released an English language extension previously only available in German, called the Roombook Extension.  It’s essentially that bridge we’ve been waiting on between Room Objects and the “bounding objects” such as Walls, Floors and Ceilings they touch.  I wasn’t sure about it until I tried it a few days ago, but it’s an amazing piece of software worth a look for those interested in generating quantities of materials from their Revit rooms and the modeled objects they touch.

The Roombook Extension

Here’s a description from the Autodesk Subscription website:

http://subscription.autodesk.com/

The Roombook Extension for Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2011 software helps calculate the surface area of walls, floors and ceiling elements, room circumferences and the total number of furnishing elements within a project.

In addition to the automated detection of room areas and surfaces, this extension helps users configure these elements manually to local requirements, as well as achieve more accurate model take-offs. Quantified results can be exported to Microsoft® Excel® software and Autodesk® Quantity Takeoff (QTO) 2010 software.

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