Beyond the Paper

Provide Feedback on Naviswork and Design Review and Earn $150

We would like to get your thoughts regarding interoperability between Navisworks Freedom and Autodesk Design Review, so we’re kicking off a user research effort. We want to interview both Navisworks and Autodesk Design Review users in the Bay Area. In particular, if you are a Bay Area Autodesk Design Review user and can sign up for a 90-minute on-site interview, you could really help us out. The interviews will be conducted in the first two weeks of June. We will compensate participants for their efforts: $150 for the 90-minute session.

If you would like to participate, please contact thelabs@autodesk.com. You can help shape the future of collaborating with design data.

An electronic review process really allows collaboration to go beyond the paper. With your insight, you can help us make it go way beyond.

--scott

DWF Compare Video

This video describes as to how to do various forms of comparison in Autodesk Design Review.

Thank you to Jason Pratt, who recorded this demonstration and posted it for all of us on Vimeo.

Questions, concerns or suggestions?

Thank you.

RobiNZ CAD Blog: MindManager 8 and integrated Autodesk Design Review

Our old pal, Robbin Capper, has a post on his blog:

MindManager 8 and integrated Autodesk Design Review

Check it out.

Add a Palette to a Group

Autodesk Design Review 2009 allows you to add a palette to a group. Enclosed are the steps required for this process as well as a video outlining the same.

Please note that this particular video does not have any voice feed and offers explanatory captions instead.

To group palettes

1. Click and drag the title bar of the palette to be added to another palette or group.

2. Drop the palette on the title bar of the receiving palette or group.

A tab with the name of the dragged palette is added to the bottom of the receiving palette. The palettes are grouped.

A thank you to Chris Blocher who created this video for us.

-Volker

Change the Status of an Existing Markup

Autodesk Design Review 2009 allows you to change the status of an existing markup. Enclosed are the steps required for this process as well as a video outlining the same.

Please note that this particular video does not have any voice feed and offers explanatory captions instead.

To change markup properties

1. Select the markup on the canvas or in the Markups palette.
2. In the Markup Properties palette, from the Status drop-down list, select a status.

Notice in the Markups palette, to the left of the markup name, the icon changes from a markup icon to the status icon. The markup color also changes on the canvas to reflect its status.

Optional: In the Markup Properties palette, in the Notes text box, type the desired information.

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Important: Before closing the DWF file, make sure that your note is edited the way you want it. Existing notes are no longer editable once you reopen a DWF file.

You can now save the DWF file and send it to someone else for revision of the drawing or continued exchange of markup and discussion.

A note of thanks to Chris Blocher who recorded this video for us.

-Volker

Pin and Unpin a Palette with Autodesk Design Review 2009

Chris Blocher has recorded this short video, making the process of pinning and unpinning a palette with Autodesk Design Review 2009 looking as easy as 1-2-3.

Please note that this particular video does not have any voice feed and offers explanatory captions instead.

-Volker

Autodesk Design Review 2009 Custom Symbols

Some of you may have noticed that the symbol import functionality is no longer part of the stamp menu item in Autodesk Design Review 2009.

So where did it go?

This is part of the ongoing user interface (UI) redesign in the Autodesk Design Review product and symbols have been given their very own icon in the Autodesk Design Review 2009 release .

So what does that mean for the user?

Functionality remains the same, but steps for the process have been changed slightly. Details are as follows:

Autodesk Design Review 2008 Steps

1. Select the stamp menu item
2. Select "Import DWF as Symbol Catalog"
3. Browse to the desired DWF file

Autodesk Design Review 2009 Steps

1. Select the symbol menu item
2. Select "Create Catalog.."
3. Browse to the desired DWF or DWFx file

Thoughts or comments?

-Volker

It's Alive in the Lab: Project Freewheel 1.0.3 Now Available

There is a new release of Project Freewheel. Scott has outlined what's in it on his It's Alive in the Lab blog:

Project Freewheel 1.0.3 Now Available

Using a combination of Autodesk Design Review plus the 3D/2D ShareNow Add-in for Autodesk Design Review, lets you publish DWF files to Project Freewheel. This allows you to share your designs with those who do not yet have Autodesk Design Review. You can read more about ShareNow at:

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/ShareNow/

Project Freewheel offers a markup capability similar to Autdoesk Design Review. Users can take advantage of it using just their browsers. So an electronic reviuew process based on Autodesk Design Review can be extended to others who might be on Linux, the Macintosh, or even a cell phone.

Sharing designs using applications in conjunction with software as a service solutions is just one of the ways that allow DWF to go beyond the paper.

--Scott

Never Lose Important Redlines from the Field

Whenever I hear the word “redlines”, I first think of large redlines on my papers from Ms. Rodgers class in Middle school.  She liked the fat red pens.  Those redlines were usually not good, and I would rather not see them.  However, for our customers, redlines are important information which we need to keep track of, as losing them can cost us time and money.

The power of Design Review is the ability to easily track all redlines created in the field, and place them neatly into your native design application.

This movie shows you how easy it is to take redlines created in the field, and track them in your Autodesk design application.  This example uses a DWF mapbook published from Autodesk Map 3D, but the workflow is similar for any Autodesk design application.

Steps:

1. Publish DWF mapbook from AutoCAD Map 3D
2. Open DWF mapbook in Autodesk Design Review
3. Use navigation tools or Find to locate object on your map (item which needs repair, or noting a change)
4. Add markup noting repair or issue on sheet
5. (optional) Change status of markup
6. (in AutoCAD Map 3D) use Markup Set manager to overlay markups created in Design Review
7. Update Map 3D database of repairs/issues

If you implement this Design Review workflow into the field you may never lose another redline, and might receive a “gold star” for saving time and money.

Thank you to Cliff Medling for another great article.

--Volker

Import DWFx Markup into Revit 2009?

Users noticed that you can export out DWFx from Revit 2009 but there does not seem to be an option to bring in back in as a DWFx markup set. The option is simply missing from the import file type menu.

No, you are not missing a step somewhere nor is there a method to do it at this point.

The Revit team has acknowledged the shortfall and will correct it in the next available update.

--Volker