What’s New in v8

Model geo-location with Google Maps. It’s now much simpler to geographically reference your models inside SketchUp, and the best part is you don’t need Google Earth open either, saving your system resources.

Color imagery and more accurate terrain. So there is no need to save images inside Google Earth anymore and then replacing the greyscale with the colour copy, its all done first time to speed up efficiency. The level of accuracy has been improved as well, so I will be looking forward to put this to the test.

Match Photo improvements. Some new features have been incorporated to enhance the already powerful tool.

SketchUp, meet Building Maker. When it comes to modeling existing buildings, it’s hard to beat Building Maker for speed and efficiency. We are still waiting for the city of London to be added to the list of cities to choose from, but for what’s its worth it is a brilliant tool and extremely versatile.

More great things about SketchUp 8

I have just discovered what I think is one of the best enhancements, SAVE TOOLBAR POSITION. This allows users to turn on and of toolbars keeping them locked in the same position

Meet the Solid Tools (PRO). SketchUp Pro 8 includes a powerful new set of tools for additive and subtractive modeling:

Union adds together two or more shapes.

Intersect makes a new shape out of the bits that overlap [parts that are common] – while deleting everything else.

Subtract turns a shape into a 3D cookie cutter. Use it to slice and dice any other solid.

Trim tells one shape to take a bite out of the other – without deleting the first shape.

Split makes a new shape out of the bits that overlap – while keeping everything else.

Scene Thumbnails.

Now that you can see the scene’s created it will make walkthroughs a whole lot easier to manage and track changes visually.

Back Edges.

Turn these on to see your model’s obscured edges as dashed lines. A great alternative to Wireframe or X-Ray mode when you need to be able to see through your model.

Angular Dimensions in LayOut (PRO).

Some enhancements have been added and its now also possible to add angular dimensions.

Push/Pull pre-selected faces.

Select a face, then push/pull; it works just like the rest of SketchUp’s modification tools. Super handy when you don’t want to change your point of view.

Calculate volumes.

Entity Info now displays the volume of any solid in your model. Volumes are also included in reports you generate with SketchUp Pro.

Outer Shell.

Automatically generate a shape that completely encloses two or more solids in your model. It’s a little like shrink-wrapping your geometry. Did someone say 3D printing?

DWG/DXF 2010 (PRO).

SketchUp Pro 8 supports the DWG/DXF 2010 format for importing and exporting vector data for your models.

DWG/DXF export in LayOut (PRO).

Like to draft in LayOut? With this version, you can share your LayOut 3 drawings as files that any CAD system or 3D modeler (including SketchUp Pro) can open.

Dashed lines are configurable in LayOut (PRO).

Not finding what you need in LayOut’s library of dashed line styles? Now you can adjust things to make your own.

Precise Move in LayOut (PRO).

This new features will make aligning objects a whole lot easier. The rotation grip now acts like a temporary tracking point to assist in moving and aligning viewports.

To download your copy of SketchUp 8 Free or PRO simply follow this link: http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/download/index.html

Autodesk have released the second Hot Fix for the 2011 versions of 3ds Max Design and 3ds Max.

Links to each are below…….

Autodesk 3ds Max 2011 - Download HF2 here

Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2011 - Download HF2 here

This Hot Fix covers many important areas including Viewports, Biped, CAT, and FBX from Revit issues, so make sure you keep up to date!

Here is a very useful tool from Autodesk Labs to recognise parametric features from base solids or translated model.

I remember looking at an early version of feature recognition for MDT 6 back in 2002.

This gave the potential to recognise features automatically but in practice was quite limited

as you could not choose specific parts of the model to work on.

The latest offering from Autodesk Labs has taken this concept further by allowing many more advanced tools for selecting specific faces on the model to convert to features or a fully automated mode. In practice, it is better just to recognise the features that will need changing. In the fan example I just convert the holes, which takes just a few seconds. If you work with translated data or want to modify or rework some of your older 3D designs then this tool could prove to be a very useful addition to Autodesk Inventor.

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/feature_recognition/

Enjoy,

Lawrenceh

The boys and girls at Autodesk Labs have been busy with a great tool for Inventor 2011 which allows the creation of 3D annotations. This is intended for conceptual modelling where you need to get a simple concept across without the need for traditional 2D drawings.

The tools have been designed for simple and easy use and what I really liked was the PMI browser that allows you to quickly control visibility,  track and edit all 3D annotations. The 3DA (3D Annotations) application automatically groups annotation objects such as Text, Symbols and dimensions.

It is definitely worth a look if you have the need to create quick design concepts and do not want to create 2D drawings.

You can download 3DA at:

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/inventor3da/

LawrenceH

The guys and girls at Autodesk Labs have once again been busy updating and refining some of the great new technologies for Autodesk Inventor 2011.

This one below will take AutoCAD 2D drawings and assist in creating 3D Parametric models within Inventor 2011.

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/2d_to_3d_tool/

Simply start with at least two 2D drawing views in AutoCAD.

Import this into an Inventor Part file and then finish the sketch. Notice the 2D to 3D panel shown below.

Click the base view.

Once this is done add the Projected views as shown below and Inventor will align these views Automatically.

If the Alignment is not correct then use the Align Sketch Tool.

Use the Extrude tool to Extrude to a selected point on the sketch and then a second Extrude, in this case, using an intersect.

Here is the result in 3D.

A quick tool to take 2D CAD drawings and create 3D parametric Inventor components.

LawrenceH

A couple of weeks back I blogged about the continued connectivity between Autodesk 2011 products (click the link if you missed this!) http://www.technology4design.com/?p=805. To further expand on this I wanted to take a look at the adsk file transfer from Inventor 2011 to Revit MEP 2011. The model below has been designed within Inventor and contains a huge number of components (2740 parts!) with a high level of detail. This is great for digital prototyping and manufacture but not so good for AutoCAD and Revit MEP as the model would be far too complex.

The first stage is to run the Inventor assembly through the shrinkwrap process. This will remove all components of a certain size and cap holes within the limits you specify. Inventor will then create a single part which remains linked back to the assembly so the shrinkwrapped file can update if your design changes.

Once this is done we then use the AEC Exchange tools within Inventor to prepare the model for consumption in Revit MEP. Inventor can output files to Revit Architecture, Structure and MEP and also AutoCAD Architecture and AutoCAD MEP.

Within the AEC Exchange tools you define your various connectors such as pipe, duct, Cable tray etc. You also specify the component type and information that you want to transfer to Revit MEP.

The model is then transfered as an adsk file. Notice that all the materials have been mapped from Inventor to Revit using the new Autodesk Materials library. I have then used the compoent tool in Revit MEP to place the Chiller on the Roof as shown below. This is an exciting workflow which will enable manufactures to publish models quickly and effectively and start to create a large library of up to date equipment for Revit and AutoCAD MEP.

The next blog will outline transfers to Civil3D.

Lawrence

Excitech have recently launched a new video portal to highlight the enhanced functionality of the Autodesk solutions portfolio, which provides access to a wide range of short focussed demonstrations of each solution in the main industry segments.

The video portal can be accessed via the following link: http://www.excitech.co.uk/2011w

Once you have selected the relevant industry from the link at the top of the page, you can choose to filter the list of available videos either by product:

Or by type, such as the ‘New Features’ of the latest release:

When you click on the topic you are interested in, one of Excitech’s many specialists will present the relevant functionality in the side panel; which can also be expanded to full screen for added convenience:

For those of you with smartphones, such as the iPhone, the mobile version of this portal will provide easy access to this information on the move, so you can get the information that you need while getting to work in the morning!

This portal will be updated with new videos regularly on additional products, features and future subscription enhancements, as they are made available; so please sign up for the video update notifications using the link at the bottom of the page!

Enjoy!!!

Over the last few years, Autodesk have been developing cross platform interoperability between a number of their products for the transfer of intelligent data that spans a number of traditional Autodesk ‘silos’ that are made up of 5 divisions, the Manufacturing Solutions Division (MSD), The Infrastructure Solutions Division (ISD), the Building Solutions Division (BSD) and the Media and Entertainment Division (M&E) and finally the Platform Technology Division (PTD) which looks after AutoCAD, the base for many Autodesk Vertical Applications. Whilst this may be a convenient business model for Autodesk it does not lend itself to the many design consultants and industries that depend on the need to transfer intelligent data between the various products.

A good example of the above are the many manufacturing companies using Autodesk Inventor to create digital prototypes of products that are destined for use within the construction industry. Many of our customers are utilising the parametric technology of Autodesk Inventor to create digital models of bridges and tunnels which ultimately need to reside in Civil3D or Revit Structure for coordination with terrain models and then on to 3DS Max to create realistic visual outputs. Other examples are Building services equipment such as Air handling units, or architectural items such as cladding, doors, windows etc.

Autodesk have been hard at work developing the interoperability between various platforms and have some new additions lurking within the 2011 products.

One new workflow is the intelligent transfer between Autodesk Inventor and Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis.

A frame can be created within Autodesk Inventor and then analysed within the Inventor Frame Analysis environment. Rigid links and boundary conditions can be added as well as some basic loading. You can then Publish the Structural model using the Export command and then transfer the Model to Robot Structural Analysis. The Member type, size and loading are transferred as well as the rigid links and boundary conditions.

The frame can then be transferred directly to Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis for a complete structural analysis and integration with larger framing systems or Revit Structure 2011 if needed.

My next Blog will outline the extensions to the .adsk file transfer and the common materials library that most Autodesk 2011 3D products are now utilising. Here is the link: http://www.technology4design.com/?p=847

LawrenceH

Just a quick post to wet your appetite with some of the new features inside Inventor 2011.

One of the many cool new features is the ability to use real time rendering directly within the working environment. This is using advanced image based lighting environments and a consolidated common materials library shared with AutoCAD, Showcase, 3DS Max and the Revit Platform.

Direct editing of translated data from products such as CATIA, ProE and Solidworks is now made much easier within the Fusion Editor which ships with Inventor 2011. Edit the solids with ease and then Inventor Fusion will recognise parametric features!

Here is a quick list of some of the enhancements in Inventor 2011.

1. Assemblies

New Assemble tool using simple object snaps. Improved assembly performance. Constraint limits when dragging components in real time.

2. Data Translation

Import CATIA V4 and V5 file formats. Use Fusion to edit and Recognise parametric features.

3. Drawings

Replace the  base view. Architectural Sheet sizes. Improved Hatching. Chain Dimensioning. AutoCAD Block Manager

4. Frame Generator

Publish custom Notch features. Links to ROBOT Structural Analysis and new frame analysis tools using the ROBOT analysis engine.

5. iLogic

iLogic is now fully integrated within Inventor allowing for rule based, truly intelligent  parts and assemblies

6. Parts

Improved workflow with heads up design. Use dynamic input for sketching.

There are too many features to list here but you can look forward to a number of videos from excitech which will showcase some of the new features. In the meantime have a look at the following link for more information.

Autodesk Inventor 2011

Enjoy,

Lawrence

Autodesk today announced the release of the next round of product updates across their entire range, including AutoCAD 2011, Revit Architecture 2011 & Inventor Professional 2011 which includes a vast array of improved functionality and performance enhancements.

For further information on each of these solutions please follow the link below and select the relevant product for your own specific market discipline:

Autodesk & AutoCAD 2011