Between the Lines

Weekend Adventures – Clear Skies

After weeks of extremely heavy wildfire smoke, the smoke cleared up this weekend here in Central Oregon where I live. I got out for some local bike rides on trails along the Deschutes River as well as a paddle on my paddle board. It was an amazing and well needed escape. Read more →

Fake or Photo - What is Your Score?

I got 92% with the current version up on the Area at the Fake or Photo. Go ahead, give it a try, beat my score. Read more →

Shaan's Throwback Thursday – Way Way Back

I only ever had about 3 photos from my childhood until two weeks ago when a bag of photos and hand drawings was rescued as it was being hauled to the dump. I wont go into all the details, but I will share few things that blew my minds and made me laugh, smile, and be so grateful for my brother finding these and rescuing them. As you see above in the photo, I have always been character in the... Read more →

Availability of Photos API in Autodesk Build

Autodesk Forge announces the availability of Photos API, another Autodesk Build specific Forge API. Photos is one of the modules in Autodesk Build. It provides a single, unified place to view and manage photos and videos in Autodesk Build. This is useful, such as for documenting progress photos, informal communication, and material tracking. Everyone on your project can upload photos and videos. These files will all be available in the Photos gallery, but they can also be attached as a reference to issues, RFIs, submittals, and forms in UI. Read more →

Weekend Snapshots – Walla Walla Win95

I was in the Walla Walla Washington region the past weekend, and went flying practice one my 97mph FPV drone over some nice open fields. In one photo taken during a flight, it looked similar to the old Windows 95 screen background image. Read more →

What a Garden!

Last weekend I attended a small gathering for a bonfire and party. I was taking some aerial photos of the event and the most amazing private garden I had seen, and in my neighborhood. I hope to get a nice tour in the near future of this amazing and peaceful and uniquely designed space. The small building located in the center, is a greenhouse. Several birdhouses around the garden, a pond that was covered, and small houses on the peripheral.... Read more →

Fun Finds

In packing my house up to move, I am going through boxes of my technology and Autodesk history items and having a blast remembering all the tech and fun times. There is a slew of my phones and PDA, from the Palm to the super teeny iPhone 5s. The Blackberry with the missing scroll ball saved my life many years ago while in my shirt pocket during a gas fireplace explosion, and my Blackberry was taking the shard of glass... Read more →

Spring Break on the Oregon Coast

I just returned refreshed from disconnecting and enjoying the beautiful Oregon Coast for spring break. The time was restorative with sunny fresh ocean breeze days watching the ocean waves, exploring tide pools, adventures, and watching sunsets. I also received my COVID first vaccination yesterday. Cheers, Shaan A low tide hike into the Devils Punchbowl. I love sunsets. Read more →

Saturday Cooling Off

I got away on Saturday this past weekend escape my house, 104 degree weather in Portland (rare we get that hot) and go hiking on the Oregon Coast which was also unseasonably warm but was only 82 degrees and the water a chilly 55 degrees. It was an easy choice at 5am until the crowds arrived in the afternoon as I was out on a stand up paddle board. After that I packed up and headed back into the furnace... Read more →

SE Washington and NE Oregon Social Distancing

Last weekend, I explored the Walla Walla Valley and enjoyed time outdoors on the water an the country roads. The region is well known for being a wheat belt, famous Walla Walla sweet onions, and the award winning wines. There are also amazing outdoor adventures from bike rides, stand up paddling boarding on rivers and lakes and the geography from warm temperature dry lower valleys to the Blue Mountains with their temperate forest and amazing small wild strawberries. These wild... Read more →

The Weekend – Forest Therapy

With the forest and some county services opening where I live, I am once again taking off into the forest this weekend.I hope you too find something that clears your mind and makes you smile. This photo was from the famous Pacific Crest Trail “The OPCT” last Saturday near Little Crater Lake in Clackamas County Oregon near Mount Hood. Some photos of nature seems like a well needed and perfect way to end the week. Looking towards Timothy Lake via... Read more →

Psychedelic Sunrise in Portland

This morning was amazing with the sunrise in Portland Oregon. My jaw dropped seeing it at my house and in all the posted photos. Here are photos I captured from my home as I left for the office. Here are two amazing photos from a local friend and former colleague now at Nike. Ritza Garzia captured it best with her sweet pup. wow… I want this each and every morning! Read more →

Autumn Colors in Portland

Just a quick post on the amazing colors in Portland Oregon currently with the sudden onset of Autumn. Yesterday I went to the Hoyt Arboretum especially my favorite of the Maple Loop and then hiked the Wildwood trail to Portland’s prized treasure the Portland Japanese Garden. It was amazing walk with the beauty of Washington park and the park changing colors for fall. Read more →

Weekend Adventure Rewind – Timberline to Paradise Park on Mt Hood

This weekend I did some solo adventure hiking up on beautiful and iconic Mount Hood, an extinct volcano with an elevation of 11,161 feet. My route in the 58 degree cloud covered weather was from Timberline Lodge to Paradise Park Loop and then the Paradise Park Loop at 14.5 miles and 5900 feet elevation climb. I got rained on but mostly covered in clouds and cool temperatures, but still amazing and without the sun and heat it limited the sunburn... Read more →

Autodesk Portland Office and Our Changing Neighborhood

The Autodesk Portland is surrounded by an ever changing Central Eastside Industrial District neighborhood of Portland. This neighborhood has historically been fruit and produce wholesalers and manufacturing shops but that has been changing over the years. While a great deal of it is being planned and nurtured for the future and some areas protected by the Portland Innovation Quadrant and an Industrial District. Portland is changing and depending on who you talk to and their perspective it is for the... Read more →

The Biggest Welcome Flying Back Home to Portland

It is the view of Mt Hood welcoming me home when landing. I get excited viewing it our the aircraft window seeing all the trails, lakes, and memories of adventures I have had there, and those I will have in the future. Read more →

Last week

I took a road trip last week from Oregon to Utah to visit my kids and camping along the way. It was a good way to clear the head and also catch up with my kids. Here are a few photos of the beautiful and dramatically contrasting landscape in the western US. I camped at Clear Lake Oregon in Central Oregon where the water is of course crystal clear, but really cold due to being fed by a natural spring... Read more →

Rats in Autodesk Portland Office

Well, this is Portland Oregon and yes we are weird or uniquely creative including the placement of small toy ponies attached to old city horse hitching rings and yarn or knit bombings of local statues. In the Autodesk Portland office some of the weird fun culture crept in to our new Portland office in the East stairwell. In this stairwell there are crevices in the brick where there old janky spooky stairs were mounted and then removed to put nice... Read more →

Updates to Reality Capture API on Autodesk Forge

Updates were made the reality capture API on Forge that not only dramatically improves the resulting quality and speed to produce a mesh or view point clouds, but also adds geolocation for InfraWorks. For example you can use this Forge API to generate a 3D textured mesh from photos taken buy a UAS (drone). Read More Updates to Reality Capture API “The Reality Solutions team is excited to announce the availability of our next generation Forge Reality Capture API. We’ve... Read more →

Weekend in the Islands

Its Monday and a gloomy overcast winter one here in the Autodesk Portland office, but the past weekend I finally visited a place in the Pacific Northwest I had been wanting to go to for awhile and thought I would recommend you do the same if you visit Washington State. I drove up to Washington's San Juan islands and then down the beautiful forested Olympic peninsula. The islands are not tropical and can be cold especially in the winter, but... Read more →

Fall Has Arrived in Oregon

I captured this photo with my phone last weekend near Oregon City which is just a couple miles southeast of Portland. I was driving on a rural road and seen the amazing fall colors of the maple trees along this private driveway. I love being in a geographic location with seasons, and seasons as strong, vivid, and beautiful as they are in the Pacific Northwest. The colors of the trees and cool crisp air is an amazing time. Read more →

Innovation by Design Nomination for Autodesk Portland Office

It is so awesome to have our Autodesk Portland office be nominated and get an honorable mention in an “Innovation by Design” award for the workplace. We got edged out by Amazon’s Seattle office crazy spheres but then again Amazon offices were designed by another Autodesk customer NBBJ using our products. We moved in just this spring to the building and have more to do in the second phase starting next month. We absolutely love the historic renovated Towne Storage... Read more →

Portland Drama in the Sky

Last week we were treated to an amazing sunset from nearby our Autodesk Portland office. Right before it rained lightly the clouds got colorful and so dramatic. Read more →

Finally Sunny Without Smoke

The West coast of the United States has seen smoke filled skies for what feels like weeks now from massive forest fires up and down the coast. Today we have a beautiful sunny day here in sunny warm Portland today and enjoying lunch on our Autodesk office rooftop deck. Read more →

Construction Tower Cranes Provide Unique Views of Portland

The west coast of the United States has been in a building boom from Los Angeles to Seattle. Seattle has been leading the way for the last 3 years, but Portland is up there and high in the tower crane counts. Next door to our Portland office is the 5MLK construction with customer and contractor Hoffman Construction. I went and visited them at the construction site last week. I have an FAA waiver for the local airspace and a FAA... Read more →