Between the Lines

AutoCAD 2016 XREFOVERRIDE

Here is a very handy change to AutoCAD 2016 made after customers requested the functionality to change properties of Layers in an AutoCAD XREF. When the AutoCAD System Variable XREFOVERRIDE is set to 1, you can change the Color, Linetype, Linewidth, Transparency and Plot Style of objects in the XREF drawing or nested blocks by changing its original layer property in layer palette, in spite of the legacy ByBlock rule. Thanks to AutoCAD team member Tao Zheng for the heads... Read more →

Flying with Jayhawks

Did some work in Lawrence Kansas this week and took these two photos while doing some approved research at the University of Kansas home of the Jay Hawks.. Read more →

Capturing Building Exteriors In 3D - Reality Computing Webinar Series

On May 7th, 2015 a small team of us descended on the city of Atlanta Georgia to perform some research comparing terrestrial laser scanning of the exterior of a building to the results of photogrammetry using UAV and ReCap 360 and then the combined model from both processes. Comparisons of the data looked at the accuracy and tolerances in both methods as well as the combined results which as you can guess is twice as good and neither was uniquely... Read more →

Autodesk Fusion 360 July 2015 Product Update is Live

The popular and powerful mechanical and industrial design tool for both Mac and Windows Autodesk Fusion 360 has been updated. Many new features, functions, and fixes have been included including CAM turning functionality and also a two rail sweep. If you are a current user just select the update option if not you may want to have a peek and trial test Fusion 360 which is a very affordable professional design tool as well it is free for hobbyist and... Read more →

Make Summer More Fun and Interesting with Instructables

For those of us in the Northern hemisphere I hate to break the news but we are half way through Summer and heading towards Fall and Winter again. Have you ever wanted to know how to make something or do something? Check out Autodesk’s Instructables community to learn to do and make almost anything. It never ceases to amaze me how wide the spectrum is on topics of Instructables from learning to weld, programming computer controlled LED lighting, dancing, making... Read more →

#TBT Throwback Thursday Autodesk AutoCAD R2 at 1984 COMDEX

On this Throwback Thursday I share with you a scan I just did of one of the most important floppy disks in Autodesk’s over 30 years of history besides the original AutoCAD 1.0 floppy disks that I also have, This floppy contains the demo drawing files shown at COMDEX 1984 where AutoCAD R2 took the industry by storm and became what it is today 31 years later. I will share images of the drawings at a later date. Remember these... Read more →

3D Printing is Not a Fad

Just read a great article in the Harvard Business Review highlighting some of the Autodesk #3DRV tour last year by TJ McCue. The 3DRV spent almost a year on the road crisscrossing the United States meeting amazing people and seeing amazing companies and technologies. To TJ’s point I have had several discussions with people outside of the CAD world using 3D printing in their daily lives now for practical purposes and not just plastic thingamajigs and silly doohickeys. 3D Printing... Read more →

Flying House Designs

I noticed an experiment yesterday in a Portland area park located atop a dormant volcano where an adult and a child had drawn their designs for a future home. Mind you this is in no way scientific, but does match other examples I have heard. Dr. Saul Griffith in DC last year mentioned a young girls idea for an invention for a mechanical cow to eat and then proceed to wash her laundry and spit it out the “end” folded.... Read more →

3D Artist Lukáš Hajka Crossing the Uncanny Valley and Freaking Me Out

Some of my Autodesk colleagues sent me into a daytime nightmare feeling simply with a URL to a web page in my email. On the web page in Google Chrome of browser with WebGL you see a 3D shaded head model and as you move you curser the model updates. Slovakian 3D artist Lukáš Hajka developed the shaders and in my opinion a 3D model with this amount of realism is crossing the uncanny valley and truly convinces you it... Read more →

3D Reconstruction of Apollo 14 Command Module

Just seen a great example on Twitter of using Autodesk’s ReCap 360 to auto-magically convert photos into a 3D textured model. Video of the Apollo 14 Command Module autode.sk/1K4AGz6 by Mathew Byrd (Twitter @MatthewCbyrd) Bravo Matthew! Read more →

SketchBook Updated

The very popular mobile app Autodesk SketchBook has made a bunch of updates including new membership levels including 15 day trial, brushes like glow and inking, performance improvements, and so much more. If you are a SketchBook member user go update if not a user go give the trial a try. Email Me a SketchBook creation you make and I will share them to get you potential fame. Get the SketchBook app! Read More on the Autodesk SketchBook Blog http://blog.sketchbook.com/news/update-to-sketchbook-improvements-brushes-and-15-day-trial.html#.VaaC3flVhBd Read more →

Attention Autodesk Employees - Want to meet our customers?

Speaking with our customers is one of the most valuable feedback loops we can get actively involved in at Autodesk to improve our understanding and technology solutions. To meet our customers face to face you can attend our customer events or just wear an Autodesk logo tee-shirt to a large crowded event almost anywhere in the world. I wore an Autodesk tee-shirt on July 4th at Seaside Oregon. I barely got to the beach when a person asked if I... Read more →

Future of Making Things Autodesk Roadshow

There will be half day in-person events featuring Autodesk leaders speaking on manufacturing trends in the Future of Making Things complete with free food and refreshments. The events will include strategies and solutions for taking advantage of trends to drive innovation, efficiency and competitive advantage within manufacturing. Learn how Autodesk is committed to delivering the most advanced design tools for the future of making things. July 16, 2015 Warrenville, IL (outside of Chicago) Ray Savona Autodesk VP, Manufacturing Sales is... Read more →

Flying Robots Back in Time

Over 30 years ago I was a young student attending 4th grade in Ammon Idaho. I remember the square non-descript elementary school well, especially the lunchroom and the playground where I spent a lot of time playing on the monkey bars and jungle gym. I remember waiting in the line to enter the separate building housing the lunchroom and I remember my Uncle Wiley who was retired but worked at the school to keep busy and I saw commonly when... Read more →

Fusion 360 Portland Meetup

Autodesk Fusion 360 Meetup at the Autodesk Portland (Lake Oswego) Oregon office last night, We had Engineers, Designers, students, and Autodeskers including the Autodesk Fusion 360 Product Manager. Autodesk’s Shayne Prichard led the group through a series of tutorials and great Q&A for a couple hours. There is a Fusion 260 Meetup tonight on the other coast in our Boston office and a online event next week. July 9th, 2015 Welcome to Fusion 360 - Live Training Boston July 14th,... Read more →

Autodesk Fusion 360 events this Week in Portland and Boston

Starting tomorrow there are some in-person and online events to learn Autodesk Fusion 360 for mechanical and industrial design. I will be attending the Portland Oregon event so attend and bring your laptop and say “Hi” and enjoy some food and drinks. July 8th, 2015 Welcome to Fusion 360 - Portland, Oregon July 9th, 2015 Welcome to Fusion 360 - Live Training Boston July 14th, 2015 Organic Modeling with T-Splines live online webinar Also remember that students and hobbyist (makers)... Read more →

Using UAVs in Searches for Missing Dog

So many times when you say the word “drone” people think of negative things or when you mention UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) or UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) people think of annoying flying toys and privacy issues, but they are so much more and far more positive uses that unfortunately get less coverage. As a veteran UAV/UAS pilot for Autodesk, I use UAV/UAS mostly for capturing photos and video of architecture and to generate 3D models using technology like Autodesk Memento... Read more →

OSNAP AutoCAD 2016 GeometricCenter

There was a change in AutoCAD 2016 with OSNAP. GeometricCenter is a new OSNAP type for centroid of closed polyline or spline. Thank you to AutoCAD Team member Tao Zheng for the heads up on this change. Read more →

AutoCAD 2016 Offline Help

AutoCAD currently uses online help in the installation, but what if you want and... Read more →