Autodesk Design Review 2008 - Tips and Tricks

Once more, the Autodesk Design Review Tips and Tricks booklet turned out to be a great hit during AU2007. So much, that we ran out of material before the show ended.

I figured it would be great to allow for further distribution and I have attached an electronic version of the booklet to this post. Feel free to download and distribute it at will.

The booklet covers the following content:

Publish

• Increase the precision of Drawing Measurement from AutoCAD
• Publish Block Attributes from AutoCAD
• Pass It On: Publish (DWF) and Email Directly from Windows Explorer
• Publish DWFx Files for No-Install Viewing and Printing
• Combine Project Information
• Publish from Microsoft Office Documents

View and Print

• Quickly Zoom and Pan
• Rotate 3D Models
• Pull a 3D Model Apart
• Create 3D Cross Sections
• Access Design Intelligence
• Use the View Cube Features
• View without Installing Software
• Use Flexible Printing Options
• Manage Design Review in Autodesk Buzzsaw

Review, Measure and Mark Up

• Measure Accurately
• Compare Drawings
• Work with Advanced Mark Ups
• Use Custom Symbols and Stamps
• Import Mark Ups into Design Applications
• Manage your Project Information in One Place

Advanced Tips

• Install Across Your Company
• Embed Autodesk Design Review in HTML Documents
• Save DWF Files that You View
• Use APIs to Customize and Extend Functionality

You can download a copy of the booklet here.

--Volker

Comments

[James Vandezande]

Why isn't the booklet a DWF file?! Makes you think...

[Jeff]

"Install Across Your Company"

Well I do have a problem with Design Review 2008. My users don't have access to download updates or even see the website that DR automatically tries to check for updates. The options to keep the program from checking for updates are set at the user level (HKCU), which is fine - the way it should be.

BUT there should be a way to override those actions from the machine level (HKLM) so they don't try to look for updates at all.

I have 350 users that have a frozen Design Review that won't unfreeze until I run a 2 line reg file.

I guess I'll just hack the deployment to copy the reg keys by default into the CU, but it would be much easier if I didn't have to do that.

[Volker Joseph]

Fully understand your concerns and we are aware that the workaround is not really a solution for large organizations.

Stay tuned, we are looking to improve going forward.

[baha]

Can i control my 3d model in the viewer using a scripting language and add functionallity and interactivity to it?

[Volker Joseph]

The API gives you some ability to manipulate though we are lacking many API functions specific to 3D. Please take a look at http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=2418019 for additional information. Feel free to get in touch with me directly should you have any additional questions.

[Joseph St Don]

Is there a way to to do a walkthrough avi in a Revit Architecture DWF? I see that Inventor allows a animation but not Revit Architecture or am I missing something?

[Volker Joseph]

Thank you for your feedback.

AVI are not used for walkthroughs - you save the file as DWF and use the walk through ability of ADR2008 and soon 2009 to walk through the DWF.

[albert Sanchez]

I was thinking about getting my employees using the Design review as a tool when they draw in Auto Cad. Does Auto Desk have trainers that can come to a site and train large groups on how the system works? At my comany I am looking at approximately 50 to 60 people.

[Volker Joseph]

Thank you for your feedback.

I will forward your comments to somebody who might be able to help and we will contact you in due course.

[Russ Porter]

A lot of my clients supply plans in pdf format. Can I use Autodesk Design Review with them also?

[Volker Joseph]

Yes, once they have converted the PDF to a DWF.