Beyond the Paper

YouTube Video: Doug Look and the Multi-Touch Wall

See a multitouch wall in action with Autodesk design software:

YouTube Video: Doug Look and the Multi-Touch Wall

Check it out.

Zats 2 DWFunny!

Publish Materials or Textures using AutoCAD MEP

I thought that this recent conversation in our Autodesk Design Review Discussion Group would be worth  sharing:

Customer inquired..“Will materials/textures from AutoCAD MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) publish over to the Autodesk Design Review software? I would like to see the rendered view in Design Review like the shade mode in AutoCAD MEP 2008. Brick, CMU, etc...   Any way this is possible?”

Chris Blocher, Senior Technical Writer at Autodesk, replied...“If I understand what you're asking,

1. In AutoCAD, choose File > Publish.
2. In the Publish dialog box, select the model you want to publish in the list and, under the Page Setup / 3D DWF column heading, change <Default: None> to <3D DWF>.
3. Under Publish To, verify that DWF File is selected.
4. Click Publish Options.
5. In the Publish Options dialog box, under 3D DWF Options, the second option is Publish With Materials. Set that to Yes.
6. Click OK and finish publishing the file.”

Customer replied..."The publish option works fine... as long as you remember to set your material search path in the options dialog box. Thanks for the input.”

--Volker

Interested in helping Autodesk get to know its end-users?

Do you use the DWF file format for reviewing designs in Manufacturing, Architecture, Building, Construction, or another industry?

If yes to both above, we want to come visit you!

We are looking for local (SF Bay Area) individuals who review design information in the DWF file format. You will most likely use Autodesk Design Review, DWF Composer, or DWF Viewer to do this. You must be someone who reviews a design described above and provides feedback, but is not the designer yourself.

Applicable job titles/roles may be (but are not limited to): Sales, Marketing, Project Manager, Supervisor, Operations/Product Manager, CEO/President/Owner/Principal, Administration/Admin Assistant/Office Manager, Reprographer. Contractor, Subcontractor, Plan checkers, Engineer, external client.

We will offer a $100 Amazon.com gift certificate for your participation. We will be scheduling visits July 20-27th.

Participants must:

• be at least 18 years old
• be able to allow Autodesk employees to visit your place of work for approximately 2 hours during working hours

If you are interested in participating yourself, or you know someone else who might be please send an email to the address below. Someone from Autodesk will follow up with you shortly thereafter.

Please email: [email protected]

Make sure to include:

1. Your phone number and a good time to follow up with a phone call
2. A brief description of how you review design information in DWF
3. Days and times you may be available for someone to come visit you July 20-27th

So come on - let us get to know you. With your help, DWF can go beyond the paper even further.

--Scott

Autodesk Showroom Now Available

Project Showroom is a demonstration project exploring how consumers can use the web to navigate virtual  spaces, browse product selections, and view the selected product in a realistic context.

The specific case currently demonstrated is that of a residential bathroom. The consumer can move around the bathroom, select products from a list of product options, and view them realistically rendered in place. This scenario might be a homebuilder demonstrating options to potential buyers, or product manufacturers allowing prospective customers to visually experiment with different options. Project Showroom requires no client other than a standard web browser.

Read more at http://labs.autodesk.com/technologies/showroom/

--Volker

Another DWF Resource

Jason Pratt, another member of the Autodesk family, recently posted a video of "How to make a DWF" on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjXmvu6fmRA

He used AutoCAD 2006 for the DWF creation and the content has been viewed more than 3,000 times to date. Well done, Jason!

This and other samples show that YouTube can also be a good resource when searching for DWF content.

--Volker

Zats 2 DWFunny!

Wow. Our Maya software is really good!

iPhone: Will it Blend?

In the tradition of posting humorous content to this blog to break up the technical monotony, you have to see this to believe it.

Don't Try this at Home.

This came to us from one of our Autodesk Freewheel users. Now that's too funny!

--Scott

There's no place like Home

Home Lumber are big users of DWF and Autodesk Design Review, so much so that they built an application called "DWF Comment Export" which does what it sounds like - extracts comments (round these parts we call them markups) out of DWF files and into  CSV files.

Read more about this story on our blog about design and building project collaboration at http://connected.typepad.com/connected/2007/06/theres-no-place.html.

--Volker

Can I distribute Autodesk Design Review 2008 to others?

Yes. You can redistribute Autodesk Design Review 2008 to anyone without prior approval from Autodesk, subject to the terms of the license agreement.

If you examine your license agreement (license.rtf file gets installed) for Autodesk Design Review 2008, you will find:

"The Software is licensed to You as a single product, and its components may not be separated for distribution or use.  You may copy and distribute the Software and User Documentation only in its entirety, and you will not redistribute: (i) Software (whether it is integrated with other technology as a component or as a standalone product) that does not provide end users access to the complete Software Install process, including this Agreement; or (ii) incomplete, modified, reverse engineered, or otherwise altered copies of the Software or User Documentation."

Based on the license agreement, a common strategy is for application developers to include SetupDesignReview.exe with their applications and have their users run it as a prerequisite to installing their applications. The MSI file is also available. The ability to include the free Autodesk Design Review 2008 with applications will add value to the DWF experience and helps DWF go Beyond the Paper.

Please feel free to contact us should you have any additional questions. Thank you.

--Volker