Between the Lines

Throwback Thursday – The Coveted Mug

About 25 years ago I was a mechanical designer, Autodesk customer, and a contributing member of the Autodesk Beta Programs. I received free products occasionally like tee-shirts, and other items as rewards for bug reporting and feedback, but one gift stood out. It was a simple black ceramic coffee mug with Autodesk logo in gold lettering. I used that mug proudly for years until the Autodesk logo wore off leaving me with a simple black ceramic coffee mug. Many years... Read more →

Bunnies + Robots = BunnyBots 2017

It is at time of the year again and the annual BunnyBot event. If you are located in Portland Oregon and have kids interested in robotics or STEM then you should plan to attend Saturday December 9th. http://team1540.org/bunnybots/ The BunnyBots competition is a game for FIRST FRC Robotics teams to get ready for FIRST 2018 competition season kick off in January. Teams use their robot to score points and gather stuffed rabbits on the field and have great deal of... Read more →

Most Popular Speaker at Autodesk University 2017

The most talked about and lined up for speaker at Autodesk University 2017 was, well a real speaker this year that you could build yourself. At Autodesk University, a group of attendees participated in a Product Innovation Platform track organized and designed by Autodesk’s Garin Gardiner. Participants designed the speaker starting from the speaker body in Autodesk Fusion 360 and the circuits in Autodesk Eagle as well as generating the CNC G-code to machine the parts. Those that were not... Read more →

Autodesk University 2017 Day 3 and Final Day

Thursday November 16, 2017 was the last and final day of Autodesk University. The day kicked off with the breakfast for thousands of attendees. Video: Day 3 in 60 seconds There was both industry keynotes being held at the same time so you had to either choose or run between both like I did. The AEC Keynote is larger as the AU attendee is more heavily AEC than MFG but both keynotes were excellent and unveiled many new product features... Read more →

Autodesk University 2017 Day 2

Wednesday November 15, 2017 was action packed including a sunrise yoga option for early rising attendees that was sold out. Those who did not rise early were still greeted by the same long hallways of the Palazzo or Venetian. Video: Day Two at AU Las Vegas 2017 in 60 Seconds Many may have needed the yoga centering for the news that was shown on the Technology Keynote by Autodesk Senior Vice President, Design and Creation Products Amy Bunszel speaking about... Read more →

Autodesk University 2017 Day 1

This is the largest Autodesk University, ever at over 10,500 attendees here in Las Vegas. See the official Autodesk University 2017 Day 1 Recap Video Here are some of my photos that I have not yet edited. Enjoy. We started the day with Shaan’s Run aka the AU5K at 6am out in front of the Venetian. I was floored, 140 runners showed up for the big event complete with an announcer, music, breakfast, signs and great black matte aluminum insulated... Read more →

Dam Good Day

Today we took two buses of Autodesk University attendees on a field trip to the Hoover Dam. Dave Winslow of the US Bureau of Reclamation and myself presented the 3D reality capture work we did upriver at the Glen Canyon Dam using LiDAR, SONAR, and photogrammetry for perhaps the largest point cloud dataset. After the presentation all those attending got a nice tour of the Hoover Dam. A huge thank you to Dave Winslow and the Bureau of Reclamation, Stephanie... Read more →

Autodesk University 2017 Day 0

I arrived yesterday and got all registered and then met with some old and new friends and colleagues and then watched the Rock and Roll Marathon where many AU attendees where running this year. Today is the day before Autodesk University 2017 officially begins. There are many events going on such as the Forge DevCon, Computational BIM Workshop, Leadership Forum, AU Orientations, Welcome Reception, and so much more. FAQ | Autodesk University Las Vegas 2017 The exhibit Hall and Keynotes... Read more →

Autodesk University 2017 Tips

We are less than a week from Autodesk University. After attending every Las Vegas based Autodesk University, I have compiled a long list of tips over the years for not only surviving, but making the most of AU. For many attendees Autodesk University is not just 12 hours a day as there are activities virtually around the clock so pace yourself and get organized before you land in Las Vegas with a plan. Autodesk University is the premier Autodesk customer... Read more →

AU5K aka Shaans Run Update

The Autodesk University annual AU5K is an official AU event this year and called Shaan’s Run being held next Tuesday the 14th of November at 6am, but show up by at least 5:45 for a group photo. This fun morning run has been going on unofficially for a few years and is not a run but an opportunity for people of all levels walk to run and to get some fresh air outside the resort, see the sunrise, meet awesome... Read more →

Found my Lost Phone

A little over two weeks ago I lost my new iPhone and it didn't even show up on the Find My iPhone app meaning a clever thief disabled it, it was run over and dead, or it didn't have cell service. I panicked as the mobile phone has become my portable brain assistant as I don't even memorize phone numbers anymore and come to rely on technology. The last place I remember seeing it was at the Farmers Market before... Read more →

Captured in First FARO LiDAR 3D Photo Booth

Last week at Autodesk’s Design Night Sheffield, FARO had their first ever LiDAR 3D Photo Booth for good fun. The booth setup used multiple FARO Focus LiDAR scanners to scan from various positions. LiDAR is generally used to capture buildings, bridges, equipment, terrain, but at Design Night Sheffield it was used for the fun capture of willing attendees in 3D. After several people volunteered, and weren't sliced to pieces by the lasers, I decided to get captured in 3D and... Read more →

Halloween in Lake Oswego

The Autodesk Lake Oswego office held our annual Halloween lunch put on by the 5 member Ministry of Mischief of which I am a proud loud member. We had food, candy, beverages, and costume and pumpkin contests. We all had a great time for the final Halloween spent in our Lake Oswego office as we move downtown Portland in the spring. We had great prizes for the contests including 3 Amazon Echo Dots, sweet custom socks, Icelandic black death licorice... Read more →