Between the Lines

3DS Max 2021 Rendering and Viewport Features

You can render me with a smile at all the improvements to the rendering and viewports in Autodesk 3DS Max 2021. If you have used 3DS Max and make amazing pixel candy renders, then you most likely know of “Master Zap”, Zap Andersson. Zap is one of the well known mad scientists of rendering technologies within the 3DS Max product team. Zap just posted a nice 18 minute overview video of the changes made to 3DS Max... Read more →

What's New in 3DS Max 2021

Autodesk 3DS Max 2021 is now released, see what's new. Bake to Texture Installer Scripting with Python 3 Arnold as the Default Renderer Physically Based Rendering (PBR) Improved Viewport Quality & Settings OSL Shaders File I/O Chamfer improvements Weighted Normals Modifier SketchUp Import Substance Update ProSound Improved audio support FBX Improvements 3rd Party Developer Tools Read the details and roadmap. http://makeanything.autodesk.com/3dsmax http://cganimator.com/unofficial-3dsmax-whats-new/ 3ds Max 2021 Help: What's New in 3ds Max 2021 Check out the 3DS Max 2021 launch video.... Read more →

AutoCAD 2021 Is Here - See What’s Inside

The new AutoCAD 2021 is here and the AutoCAD Team has released the details on what is inside. AutoCAD 2021 Is Here: See What’s Inside Automatic Insights Into Drawing History Quick Identification of Changes with Xref Compare Enhancements to Blocks Palette Improvements to Graphics Performance AutoCAD Web App and Google Drive Integration Take a Tour of AutoCAD 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-yK7vyJlM0&feature=youtu.be Download AutoCAD 2021 Today! Check out the new features in AutoCAD 2021 and AutoCAD LT 2021 by logging into your Autodesk... Read more →

Digital Planning Means Zero Impact for Porsche

For Porsche’s Complex Electric-Car Factory, Digital Planning Means Zero Impact “In September 2019, Porsche opened its most complex factory to date for manufacturing its first fully electric sports car, the Taycan. In the company’s hometown of Stuttgart, Germany, Porsche used digital factory planning to create a zero-impact facility where driverless transport systems help maximize flexibility. The challenges for planning the factory began with the site itself, which sits in a hilly urban area bordered by orchards. “These orchards are protected,”... Read more →

Autodesk 2020 Film and TV, VFX, Games, and Design Showreel

Its at times like these in the world we need to be distracted and inspired. Here is our latest Film and TV, VFX, Games, and Design Showreel by our customers for you to enjoy and tune the world out for four minutes. Autodesk 2020 Film and TV, VFX, Games, and Design Showreel https://youtu.be/P_gywq16GZc Read more →

One-of-a-Kind Learning Experience from Disney Imagineers

For those looking for more resources of good learning out there for their kids at home, here is a great one from Disney and the amazing learning resource Khan Academy. By the way, if you have older kids, all of Autodesk's software that Disney uses to design their parks, rides, and animated films are free to teachers and students around the world at https://www.autodesk.com/education/home with some curriculum. There is also the powerful but free cloud based Tinkercad for 3-100 year... Read more →

Saving Time on Bridge Design Using Design Automation

Beca and Autodesk developed a workflow to reduce design time for bridge design saving weeks of time. Beca is one of Asia Pacific’s largest independent advisory, design and engineering consultancies and looking for ways to better their design workflows to reduce time and result in the best solutions. “The deadline to deliver the design was tight, and Beca needed solutions that would enable its team to deliver the project on time. Additionally, the design project presented an opportunity for Beca... Read more →

Volunteer Design and Make Projects to Help People Breathe

Yesterday an acquaintance I know Gui Cavalcanti was recognized for participating in a volunteer open source effort to design breathing ventilators for those that may need them due to the COVID-19 virus. Its a blend of makers and engineers creating mechanical designs and the 3D printing parts. The Futuristic Solutions the Internet is Crowdsourcing to Cure Coronavirus – Newsweek “A Facebook group called Open Source COVID19 Medical Supplies, which consists of over 13,000 members, is trying to find solutions to... Read more →

Autodesk Offers Free & Extended Access to Cloud Collaboration Products

In response to customer feedback, we're offering an Extended Access Program for several of our flagship cloud collaboration products to better support our customers during this challenging time. Learn more here: https://adsknews.autodesk.com/views/COVID-19 ”Customers & Partners Autodesk Offers Free & Extended Access to Cloud Collaboration Products (March 19) As Autodesk keeps a close eye on the impact the coronavirus (COVID-19) is having on our industry, we’re continuing to explore the best ways we can support our customers, flex to meet their changing... Read more →

Digital Happy Hours – We Must Stay Connected

We held a Digital Happy Hour via Zoom last evening with 6 amazing people. This is just something of an experiment to connect and support each other and raise a glass and laugh. It was good and we all needed to laugh, share what was going on in our lives, and interact while most are working from home isolated and keeping social distances in real life. In the end it was unanimous to hold it again and several indicated others... Read more →

Don't Let the Kids Brains Turn to Mush

While many kids are home from school, take this as an opportunity to keep them learning. Find some interesting and fun projects (good to use fun to hide the learning benefit with kids) on the Instructables site. Also consider Tinkercad which is free, fun and can build and flex spatial and design thinking skills that will be invaluable to builder a better future. Another great Resource for exploring and learning: Distance Learning Resources from the Smithsonian https://learninglab.si.edu/ Read more →

We All Need a Happy Hour – You In?

With so many working from home or feeling anxious and isolated due to COVID-19 uncertainty, I thought it might be a good thing to get together at least digitally to talk about tech, life, laugh, summer plans, and just socialize. We must not get isolated and sad and instead find new ways to reach out and connect and support each other. What do you think, would you join a free Zoom video call to connect? It would be a Happy... Read more →

A Message from Autodesk on COVID-19

Please take a moment to read the message from Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost on what Autodesk is doing about coronavirus COVID-19 for our customers, employees, partners, families, and our communities. Read the Message autode.sk/covid-19 Read more →

AEC Mass Timber Summit and Hackathon Postponed

The AEC Mass Timber Summit and Hackathon planned for next weekend in Portland Oregon has been postponed due to the coronavirus health emergency.For more information, please stay tuned to https://www.masstimberhackathon.com/ This is the message from AEC Hackathon co-founder Greg Howes: “Due to Covid-19 we have postponed the first Mass Timber Summit and Hackathon in Portland, Oregon on March 20-22nd The Mass Timber Conference on March 24-26th in Portland has also been cancelled. We wish everyone good health during this difficult... Read more →

Tips and Tricks for Working Remotely

Many of us out of caution by our employers may be finding themselves working from home, and need a support group with tips on how to effectively work from home and perhaps the social isolation that creates from colleagues. The Autodesk community has started a thread for people to share their tips and tricks and it might be a good resource for you. Having a community helps in challenging times. “Tips and tricks for working remotely https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/the-community-room/tips-and-tricks-for-working-remotely/td-p/9374553 Hello Autodesk community!... Read more →

Congratulations Old Timers

At 22 years with Autodesk, many consider me an “old timer”, but I'm really not compared to others at Autodesk. Internally back in the day Autodesk employees referred to themselves as “deskers”, and “old timers” was a term of respect for those with a 20 year gold badge or more. Last week at the One Team Conference, we celebrated 35 years for Simon Jones of GCD (Autodesk Global Consulting Delivery). Simon has accomplished so much for AEC at Autodesk and... Read more →

Thank You Bill Adams

Bill was a rare human that no matter what was going on, Bill made you smile or laugh. Bill Adams has been a longtime smiling Revit BIM and Star Wars loving Autodesk community member at AU, AUGI, the Internet (yes the entire Internet) and honestly everywhere where he could. He was always, and I mean always the first to wish this blog a happy anniversary even making a cake at 7 years or wishing me a birthday especially since he... Read more →

Manufacturing and AEC Construction Industries are Starting to Converge

“For years, architects, engineers, and contractors have talked about converging manufacturing and construction processes. AECOM is working to make it happen.” This is a good article detailing a customer case and how AECOM is working in the converging industries of manufacturing and AEC construction. Creating the Conditions for Convergence Read more →

Autodesk Gets Even More Serious on Industrialized Construction

Industrialized construction (IC) is a construction system that uses more innovative and integrated techniques that connect the design to-make process. Just this past Friday it was announced that that Amy Marks aka “Queen of Prefab” has joined Autodesk as the Head of Industrialized Construction Strategy and Evangelism. Amy Marks joining shows one more proof point on how serious the commitment is from Autodesk that Industrialized Construction is critical to the future of construction. Read the announcement: Insights from the Queen... Read more →

Up Close and Personal with 3ds Max Event

Join the team behind 3ds Max for a first look at and discussion around recent Max updates. During this 2 hour and 30 minute live stream event, we'll be joined by guests from Scanline VFX, Ubisoft, and Hoare Lea. 1:00-1:20: Introduction & Updated Roadmap; Nancy LaRue, Industry Marketing Manager with Product Manager 1:20-1:40: Arnold & Physical Material as default, Viewport updates; Zap Andersson, Principal SW Engineer 1:40-1:55: Bake to Texture; Louis Marcoux, Principal UX Designer 1:55-2:10: Modeling Updates; Logan Foster,... Read more →