Between the Lines

The Future of Making

It's time to rethink how we design and make things. We can combine human imagination and automation technologies to make more of what humanity needs with less negative impact. At Autodesk, we believe it's time to embrace the opportunity to design and make better. https://youtu.be/8evnv8B_CWA I hope you will be joining us in person at Autodesk University next week to hear more, or watch the free open live stream of several of the presentations including the general session with Autodesk... Read more →

Innovation Stations Open at OMSI

On Friday evening I attended the grand opening at the OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) for the new Center for Innovation - Innovation Station exhibit in the turbine hall. OMSI's Center for Innovation is using our community's creativity and design thinking to solve global problems. And its fun! Tinkercad was also released for a new group of kids and adult visitors of OMSI on Friday as part of the new Center for Innovation exhibit. Children and adults alike... Read more →

Digital Construction Superintendent

Just having some thoughts as a technologist and designer. Wouldn't it be awesome and save costs due to errors if we had a Digital Superintendent in a design product, like spell check but construct check? Imagine designing a tall cantilevered structure and then your screen goes dim and a talking hammer comes onscreen and says: “Hey there pal, at that height I need a helicopter for each of my workers to install that structure, or you need to design another... Read more →

AEC Excellence Awards 2019

Every year we recognize some customers for their AEC designs. Every year I am amazed, inspired, and in awe of their projects and the innovative ways they used Autodesk software. These nine winners and the Innovator of the Year will present at Autodesk University 2019 in only a couple of weeks. Read about the winning customers and their projects. ”When it comes to the AEC industry, projects come in all shapes and sizes. So does the innovative use of technology—whether... Read more →

Introducing Alias Create VR

Immersive computing is revolutionizing the world around us. What started as a spark of imagination decades ago has ignited an inferno of technology-driven creative opportunity today. Nowhere is this more apparent than the automotive industry, where augmented reality and virtual reality technology (AR/VR) continues to deepen and expand its impact on the creative design process.So it is my absolute pleasure to announce the availability of Alias Create VR – a VR based conceptual design toolset as part of the Alias... Read more →

Mass Timber in the Neighborhood

I love the new Mass Timber buildings that are growing in popularity, especially up here in the Pacific Northwest. We have had a mass timber building going up just a block from our Portland office. The Sideyard held a grand opening last evening and soon Ferment Brewing and other tenants will hopefully be opening, especially Ferment Brewing – yes yes yes. The Sideyard (B76 West) building went up really fast compared to other local construction we have been watching from... Read more →

Optimized Design and Fabrication Workflows with Dynamo

Are you looking for in-depth information on using computational design with Dynamo (Open source graphical programming for design) for structural design? Well here is your opportunity with class content from an Autodesk University class and posted recently! “Learn how to optimize your design workflows with Dynamo and how to perform design automation for repetitive structural tasks.” Structural Dynam(o)ite: Optimized Design and Fabrication Workflows with Dynamo https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/article/Structural-Dynamoite-Optimized-Design-and-Fabrication-Workflows-Dynamo-2019 “In the world of structural engineering, we are challenged to consider many design options,... Read more →

Attention Startups - Apply to PIE Shop Portland

Applications for the next classes of PIE and PIE Shop are now open. They will close on August 18. Please share far and wide with promising founders and startups https://piepdx.com/apply We’re super interested in the startup you’re building and we’d love to hear more about it Applications are currently open for two flavors of PIE: PIE supports companies that are building digital products. We have a deep history in Software as a Service (SaaS) and B2B companies, having helped startups... Read more →

Concept Classic Volkswagen Van Re-Imagined

You can end up with some really nice re-designs taking new design concepts and technology to prototype a concept of a classic Volkswagen van. Autodesk Collaborates With Volkswagen Group on Generative Design in Electric Showcase Vehicle http://bit.ly/2YFTbqp Read more →

New High School Interns in Autodesk Portland Office

We are honored to have 3 college student interns and 9 high school interns from FIRST Robotics FRC Teams this year working on software in our Autodesk Portland office. They are once again working on the Autodesk Synthesis software that is free and open for FIRST FRC Robotics teams to use to simulate their code and import their robot design before competition. It is an amazing project and fun to play based in Unity. From left to right: Kira is... Read more →

3D Printed Titanium Solid bike in Portland

The SOLID bike is now proudly on display in the city that inspired it, and in the office of the software used in the design, our Autodesk Portland office. SOLID bike: The first connected, 3D printed titanium bike by Ti Cycles Design & engineering software: Autodesk Fusion 360 and Autodesk Alias For most of us, buying a bicycle means picking out a stock model that best fits our size and style. But, that comes with trade-offs, since mass-manufactured bikes can’t... Read more →

Meet Project Discover for Dynamo

My colleague Kean Walmsley announced on his blog Through the Interface on the new Project Discover for Dynamo out of Autodesk Research and is ready to be tested. It is a tool that we used to perform generative design in the AEC design for our Autodesk Toronto office including predicting the natural light rays into offices to assist in office location based on employee preferences (video Generative Design for Architecture: Autodesk MaRS Office). Read Kean’s overview in his blog post... Read more →

Throwback Thursday 1975 Basic Drafting Rule 2 Don't Repeat Identical Details

This is from an old Ralph M. Parsons engineering and drafting manual from 1975. It is about drafting but many of the principles still apply to drawings from 3D models today. I will post more in the future. Enjoy! Read more →

Proud by Design in Portland

What an amazing weekend of Portland Pride, with Autodesk as a sponsor again. We have a booth all weekend and in the parade Sunday. We had or Autodesk soapbox derby car for pride that was designed and built by employees and then will race at Portland Adult Soapbox Derby August 17th. Everyone loved climbing in the derby car for photos and also making bracelets and notebooks at our booth. Read more →

Got My Bags Packed for My Mars Condo!

A great story of smart young minds tackling a challenge put forth by NASA helped AI SpaceFactory Win NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge for additive constructed habitats. NASA awarded AI SpaceFactory $500,000 for the successful construction of a 15 foot Mars habitat with three windows named MARSHA. Read more →

Civil Engineers Can Save the World

Here is a great article about thinking about things differently and how engineers can help create a better world and future. 3 Ways Heroic Civil Engineers Can Save the World Through Resilience Planning https://autode.sk/2EFfBAg Read more →

Employee Made Arcade at Autodesk's Portland Office

Our Portland Autodesk office took the Autodesk tagline of “Make Anything” quite literal. We moved into this beautifully restored downtown central eastside Portland office a year ago. So when some of the employees heard we had a game room, they asked about an arcade game. There wasn’t an arcade game or budget – so they decided to make one. It was an organic grassroots volunteer project, but a group of employees decided “hey, lets make our own arcade console.” They... Read more →

Interested in Artificial Intelligence for Engineering– Attend our Engineering Summer School 2019

Autodesk is hosting an immersive event in Toronto to help students and professionals acquire expertise in state-of-the-art AI methods and techniques. autode.sk/2PUKipw Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Engineering Summer School 2019, hosted by Autodesk, is a two-week event that brings together a talented group of engineering graduate students and industry professionals to acquire expertise in state-of-the-art AI methods and techniques, with the focus on deep learning and reinforcement learning. While there has been a significant resurgence of AI technologies, other scientific... Read more →

AEC Hackathon in Seattle was Amazing and Inspiring

The 41st AEC Hackathon event was held in Seattle this past weekend and was great and filled with many smart and inspiring people and several new friends and connections. First, the Seattle weather was amazing and I got in a morning run and flight in South Lake Union area. The AEC Hackathon was held in the University of Washington campus Department of Construction Management CERC. Friday the event began with introductions, speakers including Damon Hernandez the AEC Hackathon Executive Director,... Read more →

Fusion 360 Academy is Coming in August

Happening in Portland Oregon is the largest Autodesk Fusion 360 learning & networking event, the Fusion 360 Academy! The Fusion 360 Academy will offer 25+ classes taught by Autodesk experts and industry pro's, a Design Slam to show off your skills, and plenty of opportunities to network. Sign-up now and save $100 with an early-bird special! https://autode.sk/2Ipkm3I Read more →

AEC Hackathon This Weekend in Seattle

Starting tomorrow, another (41st actually) AEC Hackathon will be held this time in beautiful Seattle Washington and I will be participating. The AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) Hackathon was created to give those designing, building, and maintaining our built environment the opportunity to collaborate with cutting edge technologies and its developers and designers. It has quickly become a community of innovators that include all elements of the built environment, not just AEC all around the world. Please join all of us... Read more →

Shaping the future of construction using BIM tools and an innovative design approach of DfMA

The acronym DfMA stands for Design for Manufacture and Assembly and is a growing in popularity process to make sure that the manufacturing and assembly on site is considered in the design phase to save materials, labor, time, and bottom line costs. DfMA is not really what we have known historically as prefab as it is much more like the growing offsite construction for homes and buildings and considering in the design process how to manufacture and install efficiently and... Read more →

FIRST FRC World Finals Houston

Houston, we have a competition with a lot of smart teens from around the world! Catlin Gabel Team 1540 the Flaming Chickens of Portland are the team I have been a mentor of for a few years are competing this year with their awesome designed, fabricated, and programmed robot named Phineas who was designed using Autodesk Fusion 360! They are the most amazing group of humans I know, and will definitely impact the world in good ways in the future.... Read more →

Autodesk Fusion 360 and Generative Design

An in-depth review of Autodesk Fusion 360 and generative design was just posted by DEVELOP3D, who are also holding their conference DEVELOP3D Live in Sheffield England today. “As we discussed at the outset, topology optimisation refines a singular form to an optimised state, typically using a singular material. Generative design in Fusion 360 is, by contrast, a platform for experimentation on a much grander scale. All in all, what Autodesk has delivered on here, in its first pass, is pretty... Read more →

World’s First Production Chair Imagined by a Human and Co-designed with Artificial Intelligence

This might be called the AI Chair or a fine clean example of cutting edge and clean design chair, but it is also a worlds first. You may remember that Autodesk did the first chair imagined with generative design a few years ago ( Generative Designed Elbo Chair One of 2016s Most Innovative Objects) as a test of what could be re-imagined using generative design. Now there is a beautiful production chair by Phillipe Starck that you could purchase someday... Read more →