Between the Lines

Still on Windows Vista and Using Autodesk software?

Operating Systems does not age like a fine wine and instead have an expiration date just like milk where they smell and taste bad after time.

If you are still using Windows Vista and plan to upgrade Autodesk software this year, you may want to consider upgrading your old Operating System.  As of January 1st 2012 upgrades or new releases and services will no longer be supported on Windows Vista.

Read the latest on Autodesk’s Support of Windows Vista http://autode.sk/xY3PHO

Autodesk Octo-Copter Testing

As I mentioned in a recent post (Aerial Capture of 3D Geometry), I was hoping to attend a test flight of the remote controlled Octo-Copter that captured photos that were then used to automatically generate a 3D model using Autodesk 123D Catch. Last Thursday the weather and my schedule aligned and I joined Autodesk employee Gonzalo Martinez Director of Strategic Research in San Rafael California for test flight of the 8 bladed aerial copter. The eight rotor aircraft can operate 100% autonomous based on a programmed GPS route and patterns or if you are skilled you can run in manual pilot mode.

Here is the video from this test flight:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgZLUf1TMDA

The Octo-Copter can reach 3500 meters flying by First Person View (FPV) or 1000 meters distance if flying autonomous GPS in accordance with FAA rules for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). The current payload can be up to 2 kg such as cameras sensors, and a fluffy puppy. OK there was no puppy onboard the copter, but as smooth and safe as the flight was we could have. If I weighed in under 2Kg, I would have happily climbed aboard for the flight.

During flight the Octo-Copter transmits a live video feed FPV back to a remote LCD screen or video display goggles. This allows the pilot to see what the Octo-Copter sees like a virtual onboard pilots eyes. I felt a little weird when wearing the goggles seeing the live video looking down from a few hundred meters zooming along like a bird. It was as if I had channeled my inner falcon for an out of body experience.

We had one person show up to the field we were flying from reporting that a couple people a few streets over had reported they saw a UFO or some secret police surveillance drone. We set this persons mind at ease and told him it was just a research project to capture 3D geometry of the Autodesk headquarters located across the field from us.

The possibilities for aerial 3D capture are wide from construction to historical preservation. Research is continuing on the Reality Capture whether on the ground and in the air.

Cheers,
Shaan

On This Day in 1982 – The Design Industry Changed

Autodesk was created on this day January 30, 1982 and would bring Computer Aided Design (CAD) down from the expensive mainframe systems to the PC with a new product named AutoCAD. Since that time CAD has grown and branched out into other CAD specialty processes like Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Digital Prototyping. Autodesk also helped pioneer design visualization growing it from the DOS based 3D Studio in the early 80s to an entire business division of media and entertainment covering not only design visualization but 3D animation, gaming, movie visual fx, and more.

Autodesk Flying founders
”Autodesk Founders. They didn't walk on water, but they could fly pretty well.”

Here's to the next 30+ years of Autodesk, Computer Aided Design, and Visualization - and the changes it will bring the world of design!

Autodesk History Gallery

Cheers,
Shaan

This Week in Pictures

I spent the last week in the San Francisco Bay area Autodesk offices. It is always great seeing colleagues of mine as well as the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. Here is my quick visual story in pictures of this week captured with my mobile phone.

Nobody should ever miss an opportunity to visit Ritual Coffee Roasters in San Francisco for a great coffee and a crowd of tech heavyweights seated in the coffee shop.

Visited Hackerspace Noisebridge (http://www.noisebridge.net)
Read More: Hacker Spaces – Come Meet Your Makers

Several scenic ferry rides across the bay to get to the office. This has to be one of the best commutes ever with the scenery and being able talk with people without worrying about a car cutting you off on the congested freeway. I can never have enough middle fingers for the highway 101 commute. ;-)

The new span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge is coming along nicely.
http://baybridgeinfo.org/construction-cams

Looking out my fourth floor office window I notice I had a feathered stalker staring back at me. Apparently this seagull is known by a few Autodesk employees as “Jonathan” and sits in window ledges frequently.

See more of my images from the week:

Hacker Spaces – Come Meet Your Makers

This week I had the opportunity to visit the Noisebridge Hacker Space in San Francisco with an Autodesk colleague Gregory Miller and Alex Peake. Alex is on Kickstarter with a game project named Code Hero where you not only learn about pioneers and computer science heros such as Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace, and Alan Turing but learn how to code in the process of the game. It is nice to see not another mind numbing zombie killing game, but one where you learn some programming languages such as JavaScript and Unity3D, and exercise your problem solving skills.

Don’t let the name “Hacker Space” scare you. A Hacker Space is not a group of people sitting around hacking into your online accounts, but a group of people young and old who work on projects from a wide array of things such as computers and electronics to building robots, lasers, rocketry, and wood working.

 

I love seeing Maker spaces where creativity and making things is the main purpose of people gathering in a common space. In this visit to Noisebridge I saw some young children about 10-12 printing some 3D plastic designs on some of the available MakerBot printers, a teenager writing a program that takes the electrical signals from a special head band to drive a terrain game engine, some high school students working on a robot for the FIRST Robotics competitions, some people sewing a project, another group working on some wood working, and several others all on a Sunday afternoon. What a cool and creative space to learn, build, and share with others.

Some members of Noisebridge also had a great sense of humor with their signs on everything everywhere!

There are Hacker Spaces all over the world and other Maker spaces like TechShop spreading to fill the needs of those that are not satisfied with just running down to the store to buy a alarm clock and instead get an open-source Arduino microcontroller circuit board and a bunch of LEDs and then begin to build and program their own alarm clock. Not only do they end up with a one of a kind alarm clock but the special knowledge after having built it themselves.  I would strongly urge you to look into a Hacker Space or other Maker related space as there are most likely groups in your town where you can participate and contribute building your own projects or mentoring others members.. Even if the maker movement is not for you, I bet you know someone that has an idea just dying to get out of their head and build it themselves.

Here are some online resources on spaces:
http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/Hackerspaces
http://www.techshop.com/

I would also encourage you to attend MakerFaire as that is one mind blowing experience with tens of thousands of Makers gathered in one location to show of their creations.

Cheers,
Shaan

Extract Features & Shapes from Point Cloud Data in AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and Revit

If you have or receive point cloud data I wanted to point out Autodesk Labs currently has some preview technologies to convert the point cloud data into geometry and features in some Autodesk products. These preview technologies hosted on Autodesk Labs are free to use with the only purpose and request for posting them is we want your feedback.

Shape Extraction for AutoCAD - Convert point clouds to real geometry.

Point Cloud Feature Extraction for Civil 3D - Intelligently map point cloud data to civil objects.

Point Cloud Feature Extraction for Autodesk Revit 2012 - Easily go from point clouds to Revit.

Cheers,
Shaan

Create a 3D Model of Your Head

I wanted to show how anyone can create a 3D model of themselves or a person they know using a digital camera, free Autodesk software, and a 3D printer.

Here is an example of my two Autodesk colleagues Brian Mathews and Scott Sheppard as 3D printed miniature heads- about the size of Barbie doll heads. I could have printed the heads much larger, but that also increases the creepiness factor of carrying around a rather large plastic head of a coworker.

Here are Scott  & Brian with their mini 3D printed heads.

How I did it:

With the person holding very still and me walking around them, I took about 40 photos of their head. I then used the free Autodesk 123D Catch where you use photos to automatically generate a 3D model.  When I was satisfied with the results, I  exported an .OBJ file to use as the raw 3D model I wanted to use for 3D printed plastic heads.

 

Here are the screen captures from 123D Catch of the texture and wireframe mesh models of both Brian and Scott.

I then cleaned mesh model for 3D printing by opening the .OBJ file in the free Autodesk meshmixer. Meshmixer allowed me to fill and zipper holes, smooth areas, and reduce or refine the mesh areas as well as remove portions of the mesh. I can also paint with volume brushes to create more detail or even add other OBJ content to add say a pair of horns to a persons head just in case you intend to mount it on the wall. When I am done I export the file as .STL ready for printing.

Now using the .STL file I can print the head in ABS plastic on a 3D printer like a Makerbot or using an online 3D printing service like Shapeways.com. You could also import the .STL file into Autodesk 123D Make and slice up the model into layers which can create a pattern to construct a 3D model out of cardboard.

Scott’s head being printed on a MakerBot.

You can even import the .STL file Project Falcon to see how fluids would flow around your cranium using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis.

I hope you will give this fun experiment a try as it is not only fun but a real conversation starter when you have a recognizable coworkers head or your own on your desk, or in your pocket. Of course there are more practical objects you could capture and 3D print using the same methods such as statues, architecture, and even geology such as the mountain I 3D printed from a Autodesk 123D Catch created 3D model.

Cheers,
Shaan

Living in a World of Fluids

Perhaps there is no better way to study fluid dynamics than by visiting your local water park. With its water slides, wave pools, water fountains and more, water parks are a seriously fun way to experience the study of fluids in motion.

Welcome to the world of fluid dynamics: the study of the motion of fluids, including both air and water! As with all things, energy is required to move objects through fluids and is lost when a fluid moves through an object—like water in a pipe or air through the ducts in a building. Major head losses occur in the friction forces between the pipe and the fluid, and minor head losses occur as the fluid travels through bends and valves.

One way to optimize designs is to eliminate sharp turns or widen your pipes. (Great for buildings, not so much for water parks.)

Cars are another everyday example of fluid dynamics at work. To improve aerodynamics and use less energy, you need to reduce the drag coefficient. For example, the Urbee case study has enclosed wheel wells and gentle curves in the front and back. These give it a streamlined shape that reduces its drag coefficient to about half that of normal cars.

Engineers can create energy-efficient designs that optimize fluid flow by making smarter choices on the forms, speeds and materials of their designs. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations can help you optimize your designs by helping you to better understand how your design will interact with fluids. You can experiment with CFD using the free technology preview Project Falcon on Autodesk Labs: http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/falcon/

To understand more about fluid dynamics, watch this short entertaining and informative video on the Sustainability Workshop: http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/strategy/fluid-dynamics

Autodesk Does Not Support SOPA

Over the past month there have been several lists, web pages, and mentions in Twitter and other social media incorrectly stating that Autodesk supports the controversial SOPA initiative otherwise known as United States H.R. 3261.

The official Autodesk statement:

Autodesk applauds Congress for recognizing the threat that software piracy poses to our economy, but we cannot support SOPA as written.

MrCADman on Twitter - No More

I just changed my Twitter username @mrcadman to my real name @ShaanHurley. Twitter allows you to do this and keep your followers. Why did I do this, well because I was tired of being referred to by “MrCADman” at events, some not connecting Shaan Hurley was MrCADman, and also I am more than just CAD.

Cheers,
Shaan

Autodesk University 2011 Stats

It has been just over a month since Autodesk University 2011 and I though I would share some fun statistics to share around the water cooler.

• Almost1,000 classes, labs, un-conference discussions, AU virtual learning. sessions and keynote presentations.
• Over 8000 attendees from 80 countries.
• 97 press analysts and bloggers from 14 countries.
• 2,191 of the attendees took advantage of the free product certification testing, and passed.
• AU Virtual 2011 attendance during Autodesk University was in the tens of thousands from 126 countries.
• Expelled average air volume of AU presenters speaking at AU is 29,000 (cubic feet) = 821.188551 m3  Ref: 0.18 liters/sec (0.38 cubic feet/min).
• AU attendees produced approximately 102,528,000 BTUs. For those counting calories to be healthy it would be 25,836,622,555 calories. Or 840 kilowatts an hour (kPh) enough to power a building.
• Almost 15,000 Tweets on twitter during Autodesk University 2011 with the #AU2011 hashtag.
• The 6’-3” cardboard 3D sculpture named affectionately as “Carl’board” was created by using Autodesk 123D Catch to take photos of Autodesk CEO Carl Bass and create a 3D model. An OBJ was then exported from 123D Catch and imported into 123D Make to create the slice patterns for the cardboard ready for laser cutting. It was then glued together all 436 pieces which were cut from 150 sheets of cardboard.
• There were 10,000 LED lights used in the Creative Studio by attendees pimping out their AU badges and customizing their Fab! challenge creations.
• The Creative Studio went through 1.4 miles of 3/4” pvc pipe for marshmallow guns. With about 2880 marshmallow guns * 35 marshmallows it would equal about 100,800 marshmallows. At .01 ounce per marshmallow the grand total weight was around 63 pounds of sugary ammunition or 5,443,200 calories!

AU 2011 class recordings are now available on the AU website for AU 2011 attendees and subscription customers while handouts and materials are available to everyone registered as a free AU online member http://autode.sk/hVwnwN.  Past AU class recordings and materials are available to all AU online members for free. At some point the AU 2011 classes will be available to all. One nice benefit besides all the fame and peer recognition for being an instructor is Camtasia licenses were given to all presenters of AU Virtual Classes!

Here is my last AU 2011 memories as I drove home and placed a GoPro camera mounted on my bumper to capture a photo every few seconds. I then compiled the photos into a video. The Drive Home from Autodesk University 2011

I hope to see you at AU 2012 November 27 – 29 2012 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Cheers,
Shaan

Aerial Capture of 3D Geometry

In a technology research project Autodesk employee Gonzalo Martinez Director of Strategic Research in the office of the CTO has built and modified an Octo-Copter UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) to capture both video and photos to generate a 3D model using 123D Catch.  The eight bladed copter craft is 100% autonomous based on a programmed GPS route or if you are skilled you can run in manual mode. The craft can reach an astounding altitude of 1000 meters and can carry a payload such as cameras.

Using  the free123D Catch downloaded from http://www.123dapp.com/catch Gonzalo generated a 3D model.

In this video you will see the 3D model of Autodesk Headquarters 111 McInnis Parkway in San Rafael California generated automatically from the photos using the free 123D Catch.You will then see the video of the craft flying around the Autodesk office and how smooth the flight was. The captured video is from a GOPro Hero 2 camera and the still images are captured using a Canon SLR camera triggered remotely.

YouTube Video Octo-Copter Flight Capture of Autodesk HQ http://youtu.be/E665_S-VCqc

For those unable to view videos on YouTube here is a download version:
Download MikroKopter Cinestar 8 at Autodesk HQ and 123D Catch.mp4

When you think about the “friendly & legal” possibilities of an autonomous UAV able to capture 3D models and photos and videos from the air there are many. Imagine an archeologist or paleontologist documenting a dig site, a contractor monitoring a construction site, someone needing a model of existing structures for rapid energy modeling or development planning etc. There are so many uses beside the obvious beach flight I know some of you might be thinking of.

I am hoping to join Gonzalo on a test flight in 2 weeks weather and schedule permitting.

Cheers,
Shaan

Dances With Elephants - New Autodesk Blog

Yes, “Dances With Elephants” is the title of this new blog by Autodesk’s Jim Quanci and very fitting when you understand the purpose of the new blog. The blog is not about literally dancing with a two ton pachyderm, but instead a metaphor for the small companies working with large companies.

“The purpose of this blog is to de-mystify the purpose, value, process and most importantly business growth opportunities created by partnerships between large companies (“elephants”) and small companies.”

I have known the author Jim Quanci well before I joined Autodesk. Jim has spent his knowledge and energy for the past several years developing the Autodesk Developer Network (ADN) into a very successful Autodesk group.

About Jim:

“He oversees an international team of Partner Evangelists and Software Engineers supporting of over 3600 software development partners – members of the Autodesk Developer Network - who complement and extend Autodesk solutions.“

I hope you you will check out this new blog and enjoy the topics from Jim’s unique perspective and experience.

Dances With Elephants 
(http://dances-with-elephants.typepad.com/blog/)

If you want to check out more Autodesk blogs, navigate over to the page listing all of them at http://blogs.autodesk.com.

Cheers,
Shaan

View, Plot, or Convert a DWG for Free

It is a very common situation, you or an acquaintance receive a DWG file or you need to share a DWG with someone. You can download the free AutoCAD DWG TrueView. DWG TrueView is based on exactly the same code as AutoCAD, by the same company Autodesk.

2D and 3D DXF / DWG files are supported from AutoCAD 2.1x to AutoCAD 2012 created DWG files - spanning almost 30 years.

 

Highlights beyond View & Printing of a DWG:

• Convert DWG file versions including being able to bind Xrefs, Purge, set default printer to “none”, audit and fix, replace page setups, and place all files in a Zip file or specified directory.
• Change Visual Styles
• Publish files as DWF and PDF files
• Measure objects
• Turn on/off layers

So, a free DWG Viewer and DWG Conversion tool based on the same AutoCAD code, and all for free no strings attached.

The download is 270Mb and available in Windows 32 or 64 bit
Languages: English, French, and Japanese
http://www.autodesk.com/dwgtrueview

If you don’t want to install a desktop program, or just want to view DWG files on the web or your mobile devices, checkout the free AutoCAD WS and AutoCAD WS Mobile. AutoCAD WS does not have everything that the desktop based DWG TrueView has but it allows for easy viewing, markup, and sharing with others for free. You can take your DWG files with you into the field even without having a web connection to review and markup your DWG files from your mobile phone or tablet.

Two powerful solutions for viewing and printing DWG files - and both free.

Cheers,
Shaan

14 Years – 98 in Dog Years

Today marks my 14th year with Autodesk. I really never thought when joining Autodesk back in 1998 I would be here 14 years later. I thought I would jump back out into the design and fabrication world again after a couple years. I was actually really surprised when I hit 3 years at Autodesk as that was my normal move to another company timeframe. The challenges, products, and the people at Autodesk and the great customers kept me at the same company for 14 years and broke my jumping off for new opportunities every 3 years habit.

In my decade+4 I have been in management of beta programs for the whole company, R&D projects, product management, product marketing, and as technology evangelist. When I look back at all the things I accomplished, I have to just smile and look forward to the future. I have came close to jumping a couple of times but always stepped back from the edge, and am really happy I stayed.

Here is a photo from my office in San Rafael California when I started in 1998.

 

 

 

 

 

And now a much wiser and well aged Shaan in 2011.

Nobody really knows what the future holds, you just make it. I will continue to do what I am happy doing and thank everyone that has been a part of my 14 great years at Autodesk! I learned so very much but still have a hard time keeping my mouth shut.

Now onto another exciting year at Autodesk!

Cheers,
Shaan

AutoCAD 2012 for Mac Service Pack 1

In order to improve the product and customer experience Service Pack 1 has been released for AutoCAD 2012 for Mac. Review the ReadMe documentation before installing to see what was addressed as well as important installation instructions.

AutoCAD 2012 for Mac Service Pack 1

Cheers,
Shaan

The Fundamentals of Friction

Rub two sticks together fast enough and you will end up with a fiery demonstration of friction in action. It might seem elementary, but the forces of friction can come with destructive consequences.

Friction causes energy losses that create unwanted heat, deformation, and wear. These unwanted bi-products increase the costs of the products you design while reducing their lifespan.

Friction, however, isn’t altogether destructive. It also helps us move around. Consider how the tires of a sports car grip the road, for instance.

There are a variety of strategies for minimizing and reducing unwanted friction, including:

• Switching material types
• Using lubricants
• Adding wheels or bearings
• Using magnetics or acoustics to keep objects apart

In short, friction affects every object on the planet in one way or another. With a thorough understanding how friction works, you can create more efficient designs that reduce friction and conserve energy—while maintaining the benefits when they’re needed.

To understand more about reducing friction in your designs, watch this new video on the Sustainability Workshop. http://bit.ly/rR2gtt

Happy New Year 2012

I have been spending my annual holiday week off with the family, cleaning my office and computers, as well as dipping deeper into the Maker movement with 3D printing. I finally received a MakerBot 3D printer yesterday and got to learning the tips and tricks to this open source hardware. The MakerBot 3D printer typically comes in a kit you assemble in a day or two, or you could find some pre-assembled. Mine was received with a few build issues and I had to dissemble and re assemble to trouble shoot some wiring and mechanical build issues, but that is part of the fun and experience.

A wild New Years Eve. OK not really all too wild just geeky as I spent the evening working on a new MakerBot 3D Printer and printed “2012” in ABS plastic.

What do I have planned for 2012 on this Blog?
I will continue to the same path to cover Autodesk technologies and products from A to Z like AutoCAD, Autodesk Labs projects, 3ds Max, Revit, Inventor, 123D, 123D Catch, reality capture, 3D printing, to general technology topics and of course my wandering off topic fun, warped humor, and photography related posts. My focus is to have a broad spectrum view on all industries and nooks and crannies where technology is used by students, Makers and DIY’ers, to the professionals. This blog was started several years ago with the sole purpose to share information and knowledge. I sincerely appreciate each and every single reader of this blog and feed, and thank you for another great year. If there is a topic you want to know more about, you have something to share with a wide audience of ~25k daily subscribers, or have some comments and feedback please feel free to Email Me.

I am planning for a year better than any previous and hope you have an amazing new year as well. Forget about those crazy end of the world prophecies 2012 as it will be what you make of it, so make it great!

Time to get back to some 3D printed eggs on the MakerBot to test thin walled vs solid prints, materials and feed rates, and G-code settings. I am finding some of the cheap ABS filament is not really a bargain due to diameter and quality issues. The side benefit of 3D print testing is that I am able to re-purpose my test output as a 3D Angry Bird kit for my 10 year old daughter to have some fun.

Cheers,
Shaan