Between the Lines

Autodesk Homestyler Goes Mobile

Autodesk Homestyler has been around since coming out of Autodesk Labs a couple years ago (August 2010) as Project Dragonfly. For those not aware of Autodesk Homestyler, it is a free web based 3D interior space design application to visualize the space before you jump into the project. You can pre-plan your dorm layout to the future layout of your home or future dream home or space. It is also perfect for couples and roommates to plan furniture changes so all parties are happy and can visualize the redesigned space. Trust me it is so much easier to move digital furniture up and down floors and around the room of a house on Homestyler than in real life multiple times to find just the right place. So many uses, and so darn easy to use that pretty much everyone in the house except your pet goldfish can use it. You can even export your design as a 3D Revit model.

Going to the small screen!

Autodesk Homestyler is available as a mobile app. The mobile app version allows some really unique features and workflow such as using the camera of your device to capture the room and it then approximates dimensions and allows you to adjust and fine tune. You can then place new furniture, electronics, décor, and more in your captured room to visualize a redesign of the room.

You can even go crazy painting walls without covering yourself for days in paint splatter.

 

You can also browse the Design Stream and select other rooms for inspiration and even choose to redesign those.

I liked the gallery of Empty Rooms as a starting point. From the very basic to the nice big city loft space or cabin style.

I selected a big city high rise looking space and used it to re-design my big city office space.

And this is my finished space all done on my iPad. Not bad for only flicking my fingers, and no hernia or back problems from moving furniture.

Not sure you are an interior designer, there are links to real professionals you can use.

Go check out Autodesk Homestyler web or mobile!

Related articles

App of the Day: Homestyler

Autodesk FormIt 3.0 Released

Autodesk’s 3D Printed Speakers Project - Behind the Scenes

A month ago I wrote about the wildly unique & creative 3D printed speakers and their built in LED lighting “The Coolest 3D Printed Speakers in the World”. Now a new video going behind the scenes on the inspiration, goals, design and creation of the 3D printed speaker enclosures has just been published on YouTube.

The team for this project was:

Maurice Conti: Director, Strategic Innovation, Autodesk
Evan Atherton: Engineer, Applied Innovation, Autodesk
Arthur Harsuvanakit: Technical Assistant to the CEO, Autodesk

I am really honored that I am on the same team as these creative guys.

Video: 3D Printing - Behind the Scenes With Autodesk
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSaa4ltocI4)

Related articles

Autodesk's 3D Printed Speakers Project - Behind the Scenes

The Coolest 3D Printed Speakers in the World

3D printed light speakers

Autodesk FormIt 3.0 Released

Autodesk just released the 3rd version of the iPad App Autodesk FormIt after launching it at Autodesk University just a couple months ago at Autodesk University 2012. The team has been rapidly adding features and addressing requests based on users feedback. FormIt is the easy to use 3D conceptual modeler for the Apple iPad Tablet. You can create shapes and forms, and then later refine them in the auto-magically created Revit .RVT file or in another application using the SAT file.

While FormIt is great for architectural design, there really are no limits and you can just as easily model a robot or any other 3D concept model. It is just plain fun, oh and it is also FREE.

What’s new in FormIt 3.0

• New visual styles that include sketchy lines, hidden lines, and line extensions
• Import and manage multiple images on the ground plane
• Multiple images translate to the Revit file created in the cloud
• Apply bitmap textures to faces and objects
• View your sketch from an orthographic plan view
• Synchronize all sketches to the cloud by pulling down on the Gallery page
• Toggle the ground plane grid display on and off
• New icon and branding
• Bug fixes and minor improvements

For a great overview of FormIt 3.0, check out David Light’s blog post: FormIT 3.0

Autodesk Design Night Event "Making It!"

Join the next Autodesk Design Night event "Making It!". Tuesday evening May 2, 2013  located in the amazing Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco. Past Design Nights have been huge hits and the tickets sell out.

Meet the Maker in You

It’s a brave new world, and everything is changing. The oily machines of manufacturing are being joined by squeaky-clean computers, 3D printers, and digital fabrication services. Creativity is rampant and people (like you and me) are saying “see ya” to mass-produced, no individuality goods. Turns out, making exactly what you want is something anyone can do. And maker types obviously learned their kindergarten lessons because they love to share. That means one idea spawns hundreds more and innovation is running amok.

So make your way over to Design Night and: 

• Hear a talk from Mark Hatch, CEO of TechShop 
• Make your own creature (don’t worry, we’ll leave the lights on)
• Build a birdhouse (bird not included)
• Eat! Drink! Make! Learn!

Get Your Tickets Now
http://designnight_maker.eventbrite.com/

The Coolest 3D Printed Speakers in the World

3D printing is now a viable technique for manufacturing highly customized, consumer-ready products. Designers can now go from concept to reality 100% digitally.

My Autodesk teammates Arthur Harsuvanakit and Evan Atherton are an amazing dynamic duo (3Duo) researching digital design, fabrication, and 3D printing technologies. They have developed some 3D printed speaker enclosures after Maurice Conti said “Hey, this would make a cool speaker” and then determined the project goals. The first speaker appeared on the cable channel Current TV with Autodesk CEO Carl Bass as well as featured in my Autodesk University 2012 session.

Now the 3Duo Arthur and Evan have taken the 3D printed speaker concept much further. They designed and 3D printed a new set of speakers in multiple materials using a Stratasys Objet Connex 500 printer and then incorporate LED lighting by startup LumiGeek.  If you are going to have a one of a kind set of speakers, why not really challenge what can be done and make them really wild and not only play cool music but light up LED lights in patterns synchronized to the music.

YouTube video of the speaker pulsing to the beat of music. http://youtu.be/50TBPeu560U

From Evan:
The main goal was not about making something wicked cool, although it was a factor but  more down to earth goals were established for this project.

• Demonstrate 3D printing as viable Manufacturing tool.
• Create something unique, but also useful.
• What can we print vs. what should we print.
• Now that we can print just about anything. We need to take a closer look at what we should be printing.
• In order to understand we must participate (in 3D printing)

How did digital design tools enable this project?

• Combined surface and solid modeling to create a unique design and product.
• Using 3ds Max we were able to pattern in an organic surface modeling environment to allow form exploration. The form exploration in 3ds Max gave us complex shapes and patterns that would be hard in a solid modeling environment.
• Using the Autodesk Labs plugin Mesh Enabler for Autodesk Inventor, the solid model was created from the .STL exported mesh from 3ds Max.
• Using Autodesk Inventor parametric features were created. Working on a solid model parametrically in Inventor is much more accurate for creating the necessary mounting geometry for the speakers and cables, etc.

Note from Shaan:
Now that we are starting to beta test the upcoming Autodesk Fusion 360 product, this might be a great one place to design the entire project. With the freeform sculpting powered by the T-Splines technology and also a top notch parametric design mode. Its like the reeses peanut butter cup of industrial and mechanical design software combining the best of both worlds.

Here are two screenshots showing the larger speaker enclosure design in 3ds Max.

 
3D renderings of the speaker designs.

 

The completed speaker set in the Autodesk Gallery all ready to rock and put on a trance inducing LED light show.

Wired Article on the speakers:
http://www.wired.com/design/2013/04/lumigeek/

Thanks to the mad speaker scientists Arthur & Evan for designing and creating the speakers, and Maurice for challenging and focusing them on this wicked cool project.

Here is the Instructable to create them from Evan:
http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Printed-Speaker-Enclosures-With-Lights/

I would like to challenge them to create the ultimate stereo enclosure to make this a complete uniquely styled and created music experience. I would love to bring the cool set to Autodesk University 2013 to show off what can be done with a complete digital design to manufacturing process.

Cheers,
Shaan

MakerBot and Autodesk Partner Up for 3D

The announcement was just made by MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis in speaking at SXSW 2013 and the Autodesk press release just went live announcing Autodesk and MakerBot will be partnering to provide 3D design software and 3D printing hardware to engineers, designers, architects, makers, creators, and artists.

Autodesk and MakerBot have been working together for awhile now on many projects including MakerBot’s Hackathon using Autodesk 123D Catch to capture models of the New York Metropolitan Museum exhibits and 3D print them. There was also the infamous horsehead captured and 3D printed and even larger Bay Bridge lights project. Beyond just capturing 3D geometry using 123D Catch there are many people that use Autodesk software to design in 3D and send their designs to a MakerBot 3D printer myself included.You can use everything from the Autodesk 123D family including 123D Catch, 123D Creature, 123D Design, and 123D Sculpt to the professional Autodesk design software to create 3D models and 3D print them on MakerBot 3D printers.

“Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot, announced the partnership during his Opening Remarks for SXSW 2013, and the companies showcased creatures designed with Autodesk’s new 123D Creature iPad app, which were printed on a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer at SXSW Create Presented by Autodesk.

“Software is key in showcasing the capabilities of 3D printing, and Autodesk’s 123D Creature iPad app is an awesome way to highlight how you can customize a design, make it your own, and print it in 3D on a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer,” noted Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot. “MakerBot prides itself on setting the standard in desktop 3D printing, and now in working with Autodesk, we are also together, setting the standard in providing the leading 3D design software that is optimized for printing on a MakerBot.“

“Our goal is to continue making 3D printing from our applications simpler and more straightforward, and optimizing the Autodesk 123D family to work with MakerBot printers delivers on this promise by enabling our community to print their creations with greater ease,” said Samir Hanna, vice president of Consumer Products at Autodesk. “Our collaboration will help accelerate the next industrial revolution, and we are excited to work with MakerBot to make this happen.”

This might be bigger than a Kardashian wedding, and certainly last longer and be more meaningful.

Autodesk T-Splines Plug-in for Rhino

The reintroduction of Autodesk T-Splines Plug-in for Rhino and discussion on a new version 4 coming was discussed in a recent live webcast and now available to watch on YouTube. You may remember T-Splines (my friends in nearby Provo Utah) were acquired back in November of 2011, and Autodesk stated at the time they would continue supporting non-Autodesk products which T-Splines was developed for. Since that time updates have been released and a renewed effort for new versions has been announced.

Catch up on T-Splines with the recent webcast by Autodesk T-Splines Product Manager Matt Sederberg and Autodesk CEO Carl Bass. This is another frank and honest discussion by Carl on design software tools and his actual use of the tools.
http://youtu.be/wjXS1oD0sY8

“T-Splines is a technology used by industrial designers, jewelers, and architects to easily create and edit freeform, organic designs.

A few months ago, Autodesk CEO Carl Bass delighted the T-Splines community by announcing on the T-Splines forum that T-Splines for Rhino development would resume actively. Watch this webinar to listen to Carl talk with Matt Sederberg, former T-Splines CEO and current Autodesk product manager, about what has happened with T-Splines over the past year, why Autodesk has decided to resume more active development, and what this means for the future. There will be live Q&A at the end.”

Even more exciting to me is T-Splines being integrated in the upcoming Autodesk Fusion 360 which is in beta currently at http://www.autodesk.com/Fusion360. I love Fusion 360 as you can do both complex organic product industrial design and solid modeling workflows on both Mac and Windows. Autodesk Fusion 360 is like a design tool that makes you a one man wolf pack of design.

Cheers,
Shaan

What is the Role of Design in Creating a Better World?

Autodesk has released a short video on the role of design from the perspective of some visionaries:

• Mickey McManus - CEO of MAYA design
• Eve Blossom - Founder Lulan Artisans
• Christine Furstoss - Global Technology Director, Manufacturing & Materials Technologies. GE Global Research
• Peter Diamandis - founder and chairman of the X PRIZE Foundation and the co-founder and chairman of Singularity University
• Schuyler St. Leger - 3D printing enthusiast and Autodesk University 2012 keynote speaker

Link to the YouTube hosted video http://autode.sk/YZZBvd

Are Blueprints Really Dead?

I read an online articles headline stating blueprints were dead. I would love that, but in reality I find that proclamation of blueprints being dead as a headline hard to believe at this time. This topic also started a flurry of tweets discussing if paper blueprints were really dead and discussing if hardware could survive some work environments.

First in order to avoid confusion or misunderstanding I want to clearly indicate I prefer mobile digital solutions like using AutoCAD WS, Buzzsaw or Autodesk 360 at the office or at the jobsite to review and/or markup drawings. With mobile there are also many ways to make sure that you have the latest approved drawings and information such as from a Vault server or Autodesk PLM 360. In the design workflows I think paper is all but dead as not many are designing using paper other than perhaps sketching concepts or draft planning but in the use of the design data for assembly, construction, and fabrication drawings the paper still is alive and well in certain rough environments that eat electronics like soft chewy candy.

Raar! Autodesk Releases 123D Creature

Now you can be a monster Maker creating your own 3D creatures on your iPad for only $1.99 limited time pricing. The designs can be shared as well as 3D printed.  Autodesk 123D Creature app.

From Techcrunch:
Autodesk Releases 123D Creature, A Tool To Design, Paint, And Print Your Own 3D Monster stcrn.ch/Uftj0P

Go create your own and don’t forget to tell young kids with access to an iPad to create their own creatures.If robots are more your style check out designing your own robots in 3D using Autodesk 123D Design which there is an iPad version available.

Cheers,
Shaan

123D Make My Day

Autodesk 123D Make 1.1 for Mac and Windows has been released. Autodesk 123D Make is free software that allows you to import a 3D model (STL & OBJ) and slice it up into printed patterns. You can then using the pattern build a 3D model from cardboard, wood, plastic, tin, or even fabric. In the past we have created some really cool 3D models from cardboard including fossils, museum pieces, and even the life sized recyclable cardboard CEO named “Carl’board”.

What's new in 123D Make 1.1 for Mac and Windows:

• Folded panels construction technique. Folded panels can be assembled in a variety of ways; tab and slot, stitching, and many more!
• Multiple improvements for CNC users, including the ability to automatically generate Dogbones and T-Bones on cut slices, and to define the cutter tool diameter in manufacturing settings.
• By popular demand: added export option to output your cut layouts in layered DXF format.

123D Make Video on YouTube

 

 

Download Autodesk 123D Make
http://www.123dapp.com/make#download-make

 

After installing you get the dialog that provides the opportunity to learn about 123D Make. I always try to look at these in any application I install that provides one as there is always something I learn as opposed to just installing a product and blindly exploring and potentially learning bad habits or long methods to do something. I won't hold it against anyone that doesn’t watch the videos and loves the exploration learning software brute force as you notice I said I try to watch them but there are time I just both feet in and go. In the case 123D Make I would suggest taking a couple minutes and just understanding how the UI, navigation, slices and patterns work as that will save you a great deal of time in the long run.

My good friend Dr. Louise Leakey the Turkana Basin Institute & Africanfossils.org has printed the 123D Make created patterns for miniature models of ancient skulls on paper lunch boxes so that kids can cut out and build their own 3D printed skull model after eating their lunch. It also provide a way for almost any classroom to have 3D representations of various fossils, museum specimens, or other 3D objects without requiring a 3D printer or expensive materials. You could also capture something using the free Autodesk 123D Catch and then create a pattern from the created model as that is how we created “Carl’board.”

Using 123D Catch I was able to create a 3D model of my head using just photos.

Using 123D Make I was able to import the OBJ from 123D Catch and proceed to slice it up into patterns to construct a 3D physical model from cardboard.

Don’t have any3D models, no problem as there are many stock and gallery 3D models available for free.

Go have some creative fun as it is like 3D printing, but in an abstract way.

Cheers,
Shaan

[acronym] Magazine Public Sector CAD Awards

It was a great time participating as a judge in this weeks event hosted by [acronym] Magazine Public Sector CAD Awards. Hundreds attended to see the presentations by Lynn Allen and others.

Congratulations to the Winners

State and Local Government Category:

Mickel Edwards of the Iowa Department of Corrections

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal Government and Contractors Category:

Suresh Neepala of Lockheed Martin

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you acronym for all the hard work you did in putting on the event and for inviting me as a judge. Thank you for all the sponsors, winners, finalist, and attendees.

Cheers,
Shaan

Carl Bass on Engineer vs. Designer

I thoroughly enjoyed the return of the Engineer vs. Designer podcast, especially this one featuring Autodesk’s own CEO and chief Maker Carl Bass. The entertaining interview by Josh Mings and Adam OHern was great as it felt almost like I shoulder surfed in on a candid conversation about design software at a lounge somewhere in Brooklyn.

• Who are you, Carl Bass?
• What is up with all the iOS apps? Where are they taking us?
• Where is Autodesk today and where are they going?
• Why CAD in the Cloud? (Fusion 360)
• When can we expect Autodesk hardware?

After the podcast I was left thinking that we Autodesk employees have the most candid, coolest, down to earth, straight talking CEO ever.

Check out the podcast:
http://engineervsdesigner.com/61-autodesk-carl-bass/

Don't have a 3D Printer, No Problem

I hear it frequently when I speak about 3D Printing “Shaan I don’t have a 3D printer”, but they were not aware there are many printing services available locally and on the web. I think that is the business model 3D printing will be for awhile where the design shops and ultra hobbyists may have a 3D printer, but others designing in 3D can still pay for someone else to create the 3D print for them. I don’t think in the near future every home will have a 3D printer, but I believe they will all have access to one. We are starting to see companies like Staples dabbling in a local 3D print services but I want to see a day where the manufacturers of consumer goods provide free or a for a small fee replacement parts or custom modifications that you can purchase online and then pickup at your local FedEx Kinkos which are located about everywhere. That would save time, energy, warehousing, transportation costs and be better for the environment.

3D Printing - The Future is Coming to a Print Shop Store Near You

A good option is my friends like Duann at Shapeways.com that have some 25+ materials from plastics, ceramics, to metals they can 3D print in and also you can even market and sell your designs on their marketplace. There is also Ponoko, Scultpteo, i.materialize, and many more including if you are  a member of 123D you can get 3D prints.

I currently have a MakerBot Replicator which is great for lower resolution ABS 3D prints and their HUGE freely usable Thingiverse community with 3D models ready to print or mod;

Soon I will have use of a real professional quality 3D printer the Mojo from Stratasys (acquired Objet). I am running to my door each time I hear a UPS truck drive by. Of course even with the Mojo I will still be limited in the number of materials unlike Shapeways and other 3D printing services which have several types of 3D printer types so if I want something other than a plastic I will use my Shapeways buddies.

You can also locate a local hacker space or TechShop and get involved as many of them have 3D printers as well as a host of many other tools for making things.

3D Printing is growing exponentially in use and applications and now including printing living human tissue and organs like the recent announcement of Autodesk and Organovo.

So if you have 3D software from free like the 123D Design & Meshmixer to AutoCAD, 3ds Max, Revit, Maya, Inventor Fusion, Autodesk Inventor, and others chances are you can export a STL file to be printed by a 3D printer and have options to print it. Your not going to be printing your replacement liver or hear, but 3D print your creation in plastics, ceramic, metal, and glass prints are currently possible by everyone.

Duann of Shapeways even printed me some wicked cool fun examples of materials including my cherished Bacon Mobius Strip which you can purchase one yourself!

Happy 3D Printing!

-Shaan

Related articles

"Bioprinting has the Potential to Change the World"

Now That's a Wrench! Largest 3D Printed Wrench

3D Printing - The Future is Coming to a Print Shop Store Near You

Staples to get in-store 3D printers

A Printrbot Fixed My Dishwasher

100 Ingenious 3D Printer Pieces - From 3D Printed Pasta to Instantaneous 3D Photography (TrendHunter.com)

Bloomberg Businessweek Design Conference – Visually Recorded by Tom Wujec

Visual Recording of Bloomberg Businessweek Design Conference by Autodesk's own Tom Wujec http://buswk.co/VjqSYZ

You might think to yourself “hey I can draw”, but can you really draw real-time as the presenters are speaking or a conversation of fast speaking colleagues like my team to capture the essence of the topic and key takeaways as that is the hard and even more rare talent. Some may have seen Tom visually record at Autodesk University during a community meeting event and he literally had paper around the room and he just kept drawing non-stop. At the end a complete visual recording of the event was easy for anyone to understand as a picture tells and conveys an idea much better and faster than just semantic text.

More about Tom

Tom is a member of the team I am on in the Office of the CTO and a great fellow, no really Tom’s title is “Autodesk Fellow”.  He is one of the instrumental people in the history of the popular Sketchbook Pro and Maya products.Tom is also well known not only for being a nice, thoughtful, stylish, and funny guy, but he is key at TED including the referee of the fun cage match events also at Autodesk University and the Innovation Forums and more.

Tom regularly meets with teams from Autodesk as well as companies around the world and facilitates discussions to flesh out ideas, problems, and strategies by leading the discussion. Many times having a led discussion and documented visually can help a tam arrive at the right strategy, idea, or solution compared to just talking and taking notes in a group meeting amongst themselves without a ring master or herder of innovative cats.

Tom was also a key driving force involved in the Autodesk book “Imagine Design Create”.
“Imagine Design Create tells rich, three-dimensional stories of the value, impact and process of design, showcasing key players, their design challenges, and the victories of collaborative problem solving.”

Autodesk Imagine Design Create is available as an iPad app in the Apple app store, as well as PDF, and in printed book format.

 

Some of Tom’s TED Talks

Tom Wujec: 3 ways the brain creates meaning
 

Tom Wujec demos the 13th-century astrolabe

Tom Wujec: Build a tower, build a team

Tom Rocks!

Mother Nature Celebrity Designer

While Mother Nature has been busy piling up snow and today shutting down Salt Lake City including the major airport with freezing rain and causing my power to go out, she is also a very talented designer. Just look around you at what Mother Nature has designed from terrain, plants, animals and more. We can use bio mimicry for radical designs inspired by nature.

Consider joining us at the beautiful Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco for Design Night Thursday February 7th 2013. Tickets and more information is available at: http://autode.sk/nature

Autodesk Gallery at One Market Street in San Francisco is open free to the public. See the Gallery and the exhibits every Wednesday. http://www.autodesk.com/thegallery

Autodesk Gallery at One Market

One Market, Floor 2
San Francisco, CA 94105
map

Autodesk Formit 2.0, then Revit

Autodesk Formit is a free iPad app launched on iTunes as a version 1.0 during Autodesk University 2012 in December and just updated this past weekend to version 2.0.

Autodesk FormIt Version 2.0 has just been launched on iTunes, and it is completely free. This latest update includes some great improvements including metric units, automatic Revit file creation (with Autodesk 360), grid and snap settings adapt to zoom level, and some great user experience enhancements.
Download or update today: http://autode.sk/TjO5Hj

Autodesk Formit provides a simple iPad based 3D modeling tool for you to conceptually model architectural designs, building massing models, or a conceptual master plan. Formit is a very basic and intuitive 3D tool where you use your fingers to create the designs. When you have the conceptual design you want you can then refine it into an accurate design model by logging into your Autodesk 360 account for the Revit .rvt file that is placed along with the Autodesk Formit .axm file.

It is just plain fun to explore architecture design concepts on the iPad tablet. For those mechanically inclined, check out the free Autodesk 123D Design.

What's new in version 2.0

• Support for metric units (a hot user request)
• Cloud conversion to Autodesk Revit: supports Metric or Imperial, depending on sketch setting
• Imprint closed shapes on faces and push them in to make solid cuts
• Grid and snap settings adapt to current zoom level
• Rectangles can be drawn at angles to the grid
• Satellite images can be reloaded
• Redesigned sun-study popover takes up less space
• Gallery is a single scrollable page and can be sorted by name or date
• Sketches now display their name in the Gallery
• Fit to view has option to include a loaded image
• Help button now has an option to go to the Autodesk Formit GetSatisfaction support site
• We are now gathering anonymous usage data. This can be disabled from the About page
• Crash recovery: If there is a crash, you will be able to retrieve data on next load
• Various stability and bug fixes

Here is a existing retail mall created in Formit by Angel Espinoza after he had only been using Formit for a couple hours. Angel started by just using a location which imported the Map or satellite background (you can even use a photo from of a site plan). He then created primitives and then modified those to create the 3D Formit model.

So if you have an iPad, go download or update today: http://autode.sk/TjO5Hj

Inside the Mind of Carl Bass Autodesk CEO & Chief Maker

Recently Autodesk CEO Carl Bass was interviewed on Bloomberg TV for Bloomberg Design 2013. Hear from Carl about his experience with digital design as a hands on Maker, Design as a Verb, Design Experiments and Form Exploration.

Inside the Design Mind of Autodesk's Carl Bass http://bloom.bg/UQcNlP

Shown in the video is the free Autodesk 123D Design available for the PC, Mac, Online, and the iPad.

2nd annual [acronym] Magazine Public Sector CAD Awards

Join me at a virtual event that honors and explores the best in government digital design projects. I was one of the judges on the panel. While I can’t reveal my top picks, but I can say there were some really amazing designs and projects. Register to see the winner and hear about their project.

The 2nd annual [acronym] Magazine Public Sector CAD Awards and Expo takes place on Wednesday, February 6, 2013, from 10.00 AM – 3:00 PM ET. Winners announced at 1:30 PM ET.

• Meet the Winners – Celebrate and learn from their achievements
• Attend Free Online seminars – Learn about the latest advancements in digital design technology
• Enjoy – An exciting keynote from Autodesk’s, Lynn Allen featuring “60 AutoCAD Tips in 60 Minutes

Register today at: http://acronymonline.org/acronym-magazine-cad-awards-virtual-expo/

Autodesk 123D Design Arrives

3D Modeling for the Masses Debuts with Autodesk 123D Design on Windows, Mac, cloud hosted version that runs in your browser, and an iPad version.

NO COMPLEX CAD SKILLS REQUIRED

“For the first time ever, users can create sophisticated, precise 3D models of real objects on their iPad, Mac, PC or via their web browser. People said this couldn’t be done on iPad, and we’re happy to prove them wrong,” said Samir Hanna, vice president of Consumer Products, Autodesk. “We believe that everyone is creative, and we intend to put easy to use design software in the hands of millions of people so they can create real objects, have fun doing it and then fabricate the things they want and need, just the way they want them.”

The brand new Autodesk 123D Design is a 3D software package for everyone especially the Maker market or the young children and students interested in design and technology to those Makers and their parents and grandparents.
Did I mention this is FREE…

Autodesk 123D Design 
http://www.123dapp.com/design

Windows Version in my example below:
After installation you start at a nice series of 9 slides explaining simply the main features and how to use 123D Design.

From the beginning there is no need to start from a blank canvas as you can use some robot parts to have fun or build you own complex 3D models.

No need to start from a blank canvas, use some robot parts to learn and experiment or other content available from the 123D web site. Make sure you make friendly robots, as mean ones suck and usually eat their owners according to Hollywood movies think Wall-e vs. Terminator or iRobot.

Open:

• Any 123D Design file (.123DX) from any platform that was saved to My Projects in the cloud.
• Any compatible file on your desktop (123DX, DWG, SAT, STEP, 123D)
• Any compatible file from the 123D Gallery (123DX, 123D, SAT)

You can even export your creation to a 3D printer whether you have a MakerBot, access to a high end 3D printer or online service like Shapeways. Then assemble is in the physical form from your digital design and make it come to life or place it on your shelf or desk proudly as a creation of yours. If you make a really complex design you could go that one step further by adding pneumatics and arduino electronic controls to make it a real functioning robot and program it to perhaps to do your chores or torment the neighbors dog or clean up after yours.

What you use it for is up to your creativity and imagination, set it free.

What Wired.com has to say:

Want to Design and Print a Robot? Autodesk's Newest App is for You | Wired Design | Wired.com

Go give it a try, or mention it to a creative person.

Autodesk 123D Design 
http://www.123dapp.com/design

Cheers,
Shaan

Wouldn't it be cool if...

You could engineer a better world? Autodesk’s own Dawn Danby and the independent creative genius Saul Griffith produced a video to inspire young people, teachers, designers, makers and others to dream of all the challenges and things you could do.

Engineering, design, science, experimentation, making things, solving problems, taking on challenges, and yes even math are indeed cool.

http://bit.ly/WJIRcm

Amazing Experience and Amazing Example of Engineering

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a rocket motor test here in Utah. The test was conducted by ATK and ULA United Launch Alliance. It was an amazing experience to see the rocket motor prior to firing, then the actual ignition from less than a mile away from the ignition site. The first sensation is the bright light from the flame, then the loud sound shaking your body, and about 3 seconds later then some heat. The solid fuel rocket engine burned about 90 seconds.

The vectorable motor is 60 inch diameter and 53 feet long and produces 270,000 pounds of thrust.

        

These GEM-60 rocket motors have re-designed motor from liquid fuel to solid fuel thus being more economical. ATK performed this fixed test where the motor is restrained to the ground to confirm design and gather data using many sensors. These rocket motors are used for important orbital lift operations such as ULA’s Delta IV launch vehicles which launch several important payloads including GPS, satellites and military payloads.

 

Imagine this motor in 2 or 4 configurations to lift vehicles into orbit, that would be really amazing and loud and would be great to mount one on my jeep to get a little speed boost on a commute, or the drive to AU 2012!

What a way to spend a Thursday, watching some of the most complex engineering and science in action.

Thank you ATK & ULA for the opportunity to attend the test and the front row seat.

Cheers,
Shaan

As-Built Drawings vs. Shop Drawings

If you’re reading this blog Between the Lines, then you probably work in the AEC industry. And because of the industry you work in, you’ve probably heard the terms “as-built drawings” and “shop drawings”.

Do you think you could you explain the difference between these drawings, if someone asked you? If you’re not sure you could, don’t worry because you’ll be able to do so in about one minute!

The Drawing Types

On construction projects as-built drawings are drawings that reflect the as-constructed conditions of a project. The drawings are created by marking on the contract drawings any field built deviations from the contract documents. Think of these drawings as a record of the final constructed product.

Shop drawings on the other hand are drawings in addition to the contract drawings. They typically show more construction details than are shown on the contract drawings. Think of shop drawings as the step by step “assembly manual”, whereas the contract drawings as merely the “picture on the box”.

Conclusion

So, you can now see that these two types of drawings are completely different. And in the process of discussing these terms, we’ve even determined how they differ from “contract drawings”! Therefore, let’s summarize all three terms.

In short, contract drawings depict the proposed construction, shop drawings provide additional details for construction, and as-built drawings are a record of the final construction including changes.

That’s it in a nutshell!

This is a guest post by:
Brian M. Curran www.draftingservices.com
Follow Brian on Twitter @brianmcurran and Google+  Thank you Brian!

If you would like to share your knowledge of design or Autodesk products please email me with a proposed posting.

Cheers,
Shaan
@ShaanHurley on Twitter

[acronym] Magazine CAD Awards as a Judge

I am honored to be selected as a judge this year for the [acronym] Online CAD Awards along with a panel comprised of a cross-section of industry, technology, and government professionals.

Judges:

• Tom Trezza Jr, President, Trezza Media Group

• Shaan Hurley (me), Technologist for the Office of the CTO, Autodesk, Inc..

• Brian Skripac, Director of Digital Practice, Astorino

• Scott Eden, Vice President, CADD Microsystems

• Joe Eichenseer, Building Solutions Division Manager, IMAGINiT Technologies

Read more about the judges:
http://acronymonline.org/judges/

We will be judging all submissions that show how a particular digital design application has made an impact on the government community. Conciseness and clarity are essential. Be sure to state clear objectives and share specific quantifiable results.

[acronym] Online CAD Awards
http://acronymonline.org/cad-awards/

[acronym] Online CAD Awards is an innovation contest that challenges the public sector, and the contractors that support it, to share the creative ways they have used digital design/CAD software to improve the performance of their agency and enhance the delivery of citizen-centric services.

Whether you work with computer-aided design (CAD) software, Building Information Modeling (BIM), or other engineering and design tools, we want to hear about your achievements:

• How has digital design changed the business of government in your city, county or agency?
• Have you put new ideas into practice?
• Has design software helped your agency save time and money?
• Has digital design transformed how you collaborate with team members and stakeholders?

Winners will be announced and recognized at an exciting virtual event in January 2013 featuring a keynote seminar from Lynn Allen, and others.

Submit Your Nomination Today:
Contest Entry Form, Click Here

The deadline for submissions is December 1, 2012. All digital design and CAD software applications will be accepted.

Cheers,
Shaan

Send Autodesk to SXSW

For those that are not aware of SXSW otherwise known as South by Southwest, this is a one big art, music, films, and emerging technology party, I mean event to dazzle all your senses and stimulate your mind. It is held in the awesomely unique Austin Texas.

The SXSW Panel Picker opened and Autodesk has submitted. selected to be accepted and at SXSW they need to be voted on by the community (that’s you).

Voting is open until August 31 and accounts for 30% in deciding SXSW programming. The SXSW Advisory Board (a group of industry experts from around the world) accounts for 40%, and the SXSW staff makes up the remaining 30%.

Please create an account and place your vote to have this great Autodesk panel lineup present at SXSW in March 2013!

Autodesk Submitted Panels:

Innovation Genome Project: Secret of Innovation

Bill O’Connor – One of the greatest writers and speakers Autodesk has, especially on innovation. I am not just saying that because I am a colleague and in the same CTO office, I really mean it. He is practically our executive staff go to guy on writing and assisting on speeches. He is also one of the funniest ad-lib guys around and way to fast and clever on the comebacks, and even does impersonations. Give Bill a hard time for me on Twitter at @OConnorAutodesk or better yet just follow what he is working on.

Use Your Idea to Shake Things Up at Your Company

Chris Cheung - You know only one of two people to be on the Apple iPad 3 launch event stage with a new Autodesk application SketchBook Ink.

How to Turn Your Hobby Into A Full-Time Job

Eric Wilhelm – Master of Instructables.com, the one place to learn how to make anything from Skittles Vodka to a robot.

New Opportunities for Hardware Innovators

David Lang, OpenROV; Mark Hatch, TechShop; Jesse Harrington, Autodesk – These guys are Makers, nothing more to be said except they make and help others build cool sh,t!

I am not going to beg, but please consider registering to vote and selecting the Autodesk panels thumbs up vote.

Cheers,
Shaan