Between the Lines

Do You Want to Be an AU Big Screen Star?

For those in the San Francisco Bay Area:

There is a casting for the opening video of Autodesk University in Las Vegas. This is your chance to be a star up on the big screen. If you're interested, please send your name, contact information, and which Autodesk product(s) you use.

updated The video will be shot on Wednesday, November 10th in the San Francisco Bay Area and should only take a couple hours of your time.

To sign up or to get more information, please email sara@e2editorial.com by Tuesday, November 2nd.

All participants will receive a special gift

Update Monday November 1st 2004 The Autodesk University video shoot has been postponed until Wednesday, November 10.

Amazing AutoCAD Created Design

I posted a blog entry on Wednesday with a request for some sample images from AutoCAD and Viz. I am already receiving some really cool submissions. I will be creating the image gallery on this blog for the AutoCAD images soon, but below is one example of a submission.

Submitted by Cameron Scott of www.timberdesign.com
The complex geometry in the timber frame called for 3D to work out the fabrication drawings for both the steel and timber workshop drawings. This was done in AutoCAD.

And photos of the final completed house:

I also got some other really nice images and one set produced with Autodesk Inventor that included some very detailed Star Wars models. I will definitely be passing those images onto the Inventor team. If you want to send something in for adding to the upcoming AutoCAD Image Gallery please see the request entry Link

Cheers,
Shaan

Lunar Eclipse

I am still here in the Autodesk San Rafael California offices working and stepped out and captures a few photos of the lunar eclipse tonight. I also stepped into a giant mud puddle in the process. The camera did not capture the eclipse as I would have liked as it brightened it up so you could see through the shadow but with the eyes it was definitly an eclipse with shadow.

Want to Show off your AutoCAD or Viz Produced Drawings and Presentations?

I am creating an image gallery of examples of great work produced by our customers with AutoCAD just like I did for Viz. I am also interested in more Viz submissions as there is some great work out there and it is only fitting to show others what can be done in the products.

I will see about getting some prizes for the best submissions. If you have something you want to be considered to be shown off and get exposure, here are the details.

Email me at shaan@autodesk.com with the email subject line of "AutoCAD / Viz Image Gallery"

Include the following:

Name

Company

Explanation of the image and project submitted

What AutoCAD or Viz Release was used to produce the image

What is the original file size iof the drawings or project files

Indicate if you would be intersted in providing the image or drawing as sample files in future
products, literature, and publications.

Attach a JPEG no larger than 1600 X 1200. If you have multiple attachments, please Zip them up first. You could also provide AutoCAD drawings in the DWF format. To make a screen capture image you can use a product like SnagIt from Techsmith which has a 30 day trial for download.

Make sure you have the right or permission to exhibit the drawing, design, or image as you will be required to agree to a release form so we can show them off.

Some Ideas:

2D Designs even screen shots of them in your AutoCAD setup.

3D Designs " " "

Renderings

Post edited output for presentations

Drawings showing the project design and a photo of the completed project

Cheers,
-Shaan

Design Solutions Fair '04 For Those Located Near San Diego

Autodesk and your local Autodesk Authorized Resellers cordially invite you to attend Design Solutions Fair '04—exclusively for architecture, manufacturing, and civil engineering professionals in the greater San Diego area. Join us for a half-day seminar and local networking event at the San Diego Natural History Museum, Thursday, November 18, 2004.

Learn how Autodesk software and solutions can help you gain a competitive edge and build your business. This is your opportunity to hear about the latest evolution of Autodesk® software, including AutoCAD® 2005 and our industry-specific solutions. This event is free, but registration is limited. So register today.

Join featured guest speaker and Cadalyst columnist Lynn Allen for an hour of time-saving tips, tricks, and insights into AutoCAD 2005 software. All attendees will receive Lynn's Top 10 Tips & Tricks for AutoCAD 2005 booklet free. She'll also sign copies after her talk, so be sure to stick around.

Event Location Information:
San Diego Natural History Museum
San Diego, CA

Agenda:
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. - Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. - Welcome and Overview
9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Cadalyst Columnist Lynn Allen - "AutoCAD 2005 Tips and Tricks"
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Autodesk Industry Solutions Overview
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Closing and Giveaways
12:00 p.m. - 12:15 p.m. - Lynn Allen will sign her AutoCAD 2005 Tips and Tricks flipbooks

The first 150 people to RSVP will receive a free guest pass to explore the museum.

RSVP Now

ADT 'Between the Walls' Blog Has Moved

The ADT 'Between the Walls' weblog is now at a new address.

http://adt_blog.typepad.com/

AutoCAD 86 (1.2) Order Form from 1983

Below is the original order form which I have as well as the original #002 manual and the original disks. Thought you AutoCAD history buffs might get a kick out of it. This was back when AutoCAD ran on two floppies and no hard drive.

Shaan

AutoCAD 2005 Spelling Checker Update Available

Spelling Checker Update
http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=DL4785107

Published date: 2004-10-19
ID: DL4785107

Applies to:
AutoCAD® 2005
AutoCAD LT® 2005

This update corrects a problem that sometimes prevents the spelling checker from finding misspelled words in multiline text (mtext).

This problem occurs when you select mtext and dtext objects before running the SPELL command. It may also occur if you resize the text bounding box or have more than one type of text object in your drawing. All types of mtext are affected, including leaders.

I Will Be Attending AUGI CAD Camp 2004 in Florida

I will be attending the AUGI CAD Camp on November 9th 2004 in Jacksonville Florida. See my earlier announcement on the event.

I arrive the evening of the 8th and fly out the afternoon of the 10th. I may also be presenting a little something special for those attending. :-)

Visit the website at http://www.cadcamp.com to learn more.

Cheers,
-Shaan

Blog Fantasy Stock Share Prices?

Lee Ambrosius is in town for some ObjectARX training this week and he stopped by my office yesterday. Lee pointed a web site out to me which ranks blogs with fantasy stock prices based on a number of factors. It was really interesting and like a game. They initially give you $500 in fantasy money to buy shares in blogs and you increase your money by picking winners. Pretty interesting web game or diversion.

The site is http://blogshares.com

Between The Lines Blog Latest BlogShares Fantasy Stock Report Click Here

07:16 11 Oct 2004:
Value Out Link
$7,262.79
Value Market Share
$21,688.38

Total Shares 5000
Public Held Shares 3998
Price B$179.25
P/E 41.32
Highest Price * B$179.25
Lowest Price * B$179.25

It was shocking to find people have used my blog in the game and traded it up in price and the fact that my blog was one of the higher rated and priced ones. Of course compared to the valuation given to Microsoft blogger Robert Scobles blog which is hovering around half a million, mine does not look all that big.

Chris Yanchars Between the Walls blog is now at a very respectable $12,963.47 , Lee Ambrosius’ Beyond the UI is $8,354.46, and Ryan Smalls' Autodesk Informer $9,702.68, and Beau Turners Will Render for Food is $4,575.67.

Well, I better get back to increasing the stock price of this blog and start posting more ;-).

-Shaan

Autodesk VIZ - Future Product Discussions and Beta Participation

The Autodesk VIZ team is looking for people who use or who are interested in using Autodesk VIZ (http://www.autodesk.com/viz) to provide feedback. You will have the option to simply participate in feedback discussions and wish list items or you can choose to participate in a beta of a future version of Autodesk VIZ software. The Autodesk VIZ Team looks forward to working with you.

To Enroll:
To enroll please go to http://myfeedback.autodesk.com and select Sign up from the Active Zone Menu. You will then be asked to fill out a profile. Enter VIZ-AF as your Beta Code. When filling out the sign up profile, be sure to answer Yes to Participating in Feedback Projects if you wish to be included in the Autodesk VIZ feedback discussions and/or Yes to Participating in Beta Projects if you are interested in becoming a candidate for consideration in a future release of Autodesk VIZ beta program. Also select Autodesk VIZ as a product that you use.

Once the sign up profile is complete and submitted you will be emailed a password for the general site. When a project opens up and it matches your profile, you will be approved and the new projects will appear on your MyFeedback portal page when logged in. The process of adding participants to zones is not automatic and requests are reviewed periodically during business hours and some betas require a slight wait until the start date.

Thank you.
The Autodesk VIZ Team

AUGI CAD Camp, in Jacksonville, Florida, on November 9, 2004

You are cordially invited to attend a regional learning and networking event, AUGI CAD Camp, in Jacksonville, Florida, on November 9, 2004. AUGI CAD Camp is a one-day event that will provide a unique opportunity for you to highlight and promote your particular user group and recruit new members.

For you and other members of your staff, the educational benefits of attending AUGI CAD Camp are significant.

Choose from among three different classes in five sessions. This enables you and other members of your staff to plan their training strategies and target specific learning needs.

Get expert advice from Lynn Allen, Autodesk technical evangelist and friend to end users everywhere.

Check out hot new technology from some of Autodesk’s top third-party software development partners in the exhibit area.

Have plenty of time to network with peers and colleagues.

A single day devoted solely to training and networking is sure to benefit you and every member of your staff, so be sure and spread the word.

Simply visit the website at http://www.cadcamp.com to learn more.

While you are there, be sure to register as slots are filling up fast!

If you have any questions, contact richard.binning@augi.com

I will try and attend this event myself.
-Shaan

Sheet Set Manager Best Practices Series White Papers

Sheet Set Manager Best Practices Series Link

AutoCAD® 2005 contains an assortment of tools that make the Sheet Set Manager extremely powerful. Some of these tools are:

One-click plotting

Automated sheet indexes

More efficient eTransmit, archiving, and DWF publishing

These papers provide a comprehensive introduction to all the new Sheet Set Manager features. Use them to get yourself or your entire office up and running. You’ll soon start to see the benefits.

Introduction to the Series (pdf - 55 Kb)
Part 1 - Organize Your Drawings (pdf - 485 Kb)
Part 2 - Create a List of Sheets Instantly (pdf - 174 Kb)
Part 3 - Plot or Publish a List of Sheets Instantly (pdf - 88 Kb)

New papers will become available over the next few months. Be sure to check the Communication Center in AutoCAD 2005 for notifications.

Napa CAD Users Group Meeting on October 5th

Come one, come all.

When: Tuesday October 5th 2004
Time: 6 to 8 pm at MK2 Engineering, 1428 2nd St. Napa, CA.
Who: Shaan Hurley, Autodesk Beta Mgr & Tech. Marketing Mgr.
What: Shaan will discuss System Variables, Commands, and ways to provide direct feedback to Autodesk on the future of the products.
Bring your Autodesk and AutoCAD questions.

I am giving away a copy of DWF Composer.

If you have an Autodesk or AutoCAD user’s group meeting, let me know. If I can get there, I would to love to attend a meeting. If you would like answer your questions and discuss the many ways Autodesk listens to its customers or perhaps I can arrange another Autodesk person to speak to a specific topic you have.

Cheers,
-Shaan

San Francisco AutoCAD Users Group (SFAUG) Meeting Tuesday October 5th, 2004

On Tuesday, October 5th SFAUG meeting we will be talking about some less known treasures in AutoCAD: Express Tools, CAD Manager Tools, and Migration Assistance. If you are not familiar with those or don’t think you need them, think twice. Or better off, just come out to our meeting and see for yourself. We will have a number of Autodesk employees presenting CAD Manager Tools and Migration Assistance. We don’t have a single Express Tools presenter; currently a couple of people will share the knowledge. Be prepared to share yours.

Meeting time and location:
Tuesday, October 5th, 6-8pm
American Institute of Architects, AIA SF
130 Sutter Street, Suite 600
San Francisco

www.sfaug.org

I will not be at this meeting as I will be speaking at the NAPA users group meeting.
-Shaan

Mount St. Helens Erupts After 18 Years

Link to Breaking News on the Eruption

October 2004 Webcasts on AutoCAD 2005

Webcasts are one hour and will run from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PDT (UTC/GMT -7 hours) on Tuesdays.

Link to Schedule and Webcast Participation Details

10/19/04 – Managing Sheets in AutoCAD 2005
Presenter: Heidi Hewett.
Learn how to implement valuable sheet set functionality one step at a time. Open, plot, etransmit, and archive entire sets of drawing sheets from one central location. And, if that isn’t enough, see how you can automate the tedious task of managing and tracking view numbers, sheet numbers, and callout data from sheet to sheet.

10/26/04 – Utilizing Fields in AutoCAD 2005
Presenter: Heidi Hewett.
How smart is the text in your drawings? Learn how to replace your ordinary text and attributes with dynamic field data. Use fields to display drawing properties, plot stamp data, and object properties within text, block attributes, and tables.