Dynamo

I had the good fortune to be able to attend Autodesk University this year, and without initially intending to do so, ended up with the majority of my classes centered on Dynamo. Dynamo is an open-source add-in that works with Revit (and Vasari) and provides a graphical means of creating custom programming for Revit. The architect side of me appreciates the graphical interface; the long-time AutoCAD^®/AutoCAD^® Architecture customization side of me (AutoLISP^®, VBScript in formula properties) appreciates the ability to do things and process data in ways not accommodated by the out-of-the-box commands and features.

I have had a long-time desire to become familiar with the Revit API and explore the possibilities available there, but a combination of a lack of significant stretches of dedicated time and being somewhat intimidated by the amount of things I would have to learn just to get started have conspired to keep me from starting that journey. From what I have seen so far of Dynamo, there is a much lower entry barrier, and I am excited to learn more and apply that knowledge to real-world, useful projects.

As I discover things (or have others show them to me), I expect I will be documenting them here. Until then, here are links to the Dynamo website and other related resources.

Dynanmo Website
Dynamo Downloads
Dynamo Tutorials
Dynamo Blog
Dynamo Gallery
Dynamo Community (discussion forum)

I would also like to express my thanks to Zach Kron, Marcello Sgambelluri, Nathan Miller, Ian Keough, Michael Hudson, Andrea Vannini and Nuri Miller, who taught one or more of the classes I took at Autodesk University this year. Check out the materials that are available on line:

AB6644: Dynamo: The Future is Wide Open - Zach Kron (session recorded)
AB6542: Explore the Possibilities with Computational BIM - Ian Keough (session recorded)
AB6557: Practically Dynamo: Practical Uses for Dynamo Within Revit - Marcello Sgambelluri (session recorded)
AB6545-L: Dynamo for Dummies: An Intro to Dynamo and How It Interacts with Revit - Marcello Sgambelluri
AB5482: The Great Dynamo Dig: Mine Your Revit Model with Computation - Nathan Miller (session recorded)
AB5492: White-Glove Packaging: Creating Custom Dynamo Nodes - Nathan Miller
AB6495: Dynamo Hero: Using Revit Scripting Tools to Optimize Real-World Projects - Michael Hudson and Andrea Vannini
SD5132-L: Automation Prototyping: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Dynamo and the Revit API - Nuri Miller

Early AU Registration for AU Members

"Early" registration for AU 2011 is now open for AU members. Regular registration starts September 7. Register at the AU website.

Autodesk University 2011 Course Catalog

The class catalog is out for Autodesk University 2011.

Anyone still wondering where Autodesk's priorities lie may want to consider that setting Autodesk Revit Architecture as the Software and leaving all other filters set to All (or, for Keywords, blank) returns 137 hits.

Doing the same for AutoCAD Architecture returns 22 hits. Of those 22 hits, a number are actually Revit Architecture classes incorrectly classified or are about making the transition from ACA to RA. Two are AMEP classes. Quite a few others are about some other topic but mysteriously list AutoCAD Architecture as the software.

So ACA actually only has one hands-on lab and four lectures (one of which mentions ACA in the title but lists Navisworks as the primary software). Yet somehow they managed to set up the schedule such that there are two time conflicts, so at most you could take three ACA-related classes. Hardly worth the cab fare from the airport.

No doubt there are misclassifications in the 137 hits for Revit Architecture, and there are unconference and virtual classes in there too, but I bet you can fill just about every class slot with something related to Revit Architecture.

AU Registration Later This Year

Those planning to go to Autodesk University 2010 who have not spent much time on the AU Online site lately may not be aware that, unlike recent years, registration this year will not open in August but instead will start on September 14.

If you are not already registered at the AU Online site, do so now, and you will be able to register a week early, starting September 7.

Writing on the Wall?

I can not say I looked very closely at the class offerings for AU 2008, but my recollection from AU 2007 and earlier was that there was a relative parity in the offerings for AutoCAD^® Architecture and Revit^® Architecture (even if Revit had a "Power Track" and ACA did not).

For AU 2009, if you use the search feature on the class catalog and specify AutoCAD Architecture as the "software", there are all of thirteen AutoCAD Architecture classes (one lab) and one unconference session listed, if you count Matt Dillon's "two-part" class on scheduling as one class and eliminate the "Digital Tools" unconference and Revit Visualization class that are clearly mis-associated with AutoCAD Architecture. There are no AU Virtual classes on AutoCAD Architecture. Thanks to double-booking in some time slots, you could not schedule an entire slate of ACA classes this year, as there are time slots that do not have an ACA class offered.

Searching on Revit Architecture, on the other hand, yields a bumper crop of seventy-six classes (including four labs) and eight unconference sessions. I did not check through all of those classes to see if any were miscategorized or to check for repeat offerings. There was at least one class in each time slot and many slots with multiple choices. There are also nine AU Virtual sessions covering one or more versions of Revit, including one specifically covering Revit architecture. So if you were wondering which program Autodesk wants you to learn, wonder no more.

Make of the above observations what you will. I did not have the pleasure of attending AU in 2008 or 2009. Perhaps the ACA classes offered in 2008 were sparsely attended, and the drop in the number of classes offered simply reflects market demand. Or perhaps it is simply an extension of the marketing push to Revit. Given how much I still have to learn about Revit, I suppose I should be glad there will be a lot of learning opportunities once the recorded sessions are posted to AU Online.

Vote for AU 2009 Sessions

Public voting on the sessions that have been proposed for Autodesk University 2009 is now open. You do need to be registered with the AU Online site in order to participate. Go to this page and login using you AU Online user name and password. An access code is not required for public voting. You can submit votes (including comments) on up to twenty sessions. But hurry - there are a lot of session descriptions to read through (even if you limit yourself to the software you use or the topics that interest you) and the voting deadline is this Friday, May 8, at midnight, US Pacific Daylight Time.

If you are planning to attend AU 2009, here is your chance to influence what will be offered. If you can not attend this year, you can still offer your opinion. There will be a "Virtual AU" this year as well, where those who can not attend in person will, for a fee (no information on the cost on the AU Online site as of yet), be able to view virtual sessions that will be video recorded at AU 2009. These sessions will also be "broadcast" at AU, so physical attendees will also have a chance to see them.

Not registered on the AU Online site yet? It is free, and gives you access to AU year-round from your desktop. You can easily create an account here. If you (or your firm) are on Subscription, register through the Subscription website, for access to more (and more recent) AU content.

Equal Lights in the AU Newsletter

October 26, 2009 Update: The links to the article on the AU Online site no longer work and have been removed. The article has been republished in this blog article. The link below to the drawing file used for the images in the article remains valid.

The September 2008 edition of the AU Quarterly Newsletter is out. This issue adds links to technical articles, along with the usual AU news, including one on creating Door/Window Assemblies and Curtain Wall Units with equal light openings.


You can find the file with the Door/Window Assemblies that generated the images for the article in this thread in the AutoCAD^® Architecture Content Discussion Group.

AU Online Newsletter

Even if, like me, you will not be attending AU this year, you can still bennefit from the event and its year-round, 24/7 component, AU Online. You may be aware of AU Online from a previous blog post or because you have attended a recent AU and joined as part of the registration procedure. Becoming a registered member at the site gives you access to the class handouts from 2006 and 2007. If you are on Subscription for your Autodesk product, and you register for AU Online through the Subscription site, you should also have access to the most recent year's screencasts (a recording of what was shown on the screen at the session, plus audio of the presentation) of sessions that were recorded. Attendees of the last AU should also have access to that year's screencasts.

If you are not yet a member, or if you are, but chose not to receive the quarterly newsletter, I would urge you to join now or edit your profile and, on the Basic Profile tab, check the toggle to subscribe to the quarterly newsletter. Previous newsletters have been mostly focused on announcing times, dates and tips for the next AU, but I am told that starting with this month's newsletter, there will also be technical content included. So sign up and then look forward to the next newsletter.

Help Pick AU 2008 Courses!

In his BLAUG blog, Autodesk's Joseph Wurcher has posted a link to a survey where you can help select the courses offered at AU this year. They have uploaded all of the course proposals and divided them up into categories. You can vote for up to 15 courses that you would like to see at this year's AU. You can vote in more than one category, but the overall limit of 15 courses applies.

But hurry - voting closes on Saturday, May 3, 2008!

AB114-4 Class Materials and Webcast

UPDATE: Autodesk has decided to drop hosting of "old" AU content, but AUGI has stepped in and is hosting the content from Autodesk University 2000 through 2007 and is making it available to all members, including those at the "free" level (current as of 11/01/2013). My class can be found here: Forum > English Forums > Conferences > Autodesk > Autodesk University 2007 > Building Design > AB114-4: Get Fully Equipped in AutoCAD® Architecture. There is a ZIP file you can download which includes the class handout and the sample files that were previously available at the Autodesk site. The screencast is not available.

If you were not lucky enough to attend Autodesk University 2007, like those below who attended my Equipment Schedule class, you can still benefit from the session handouts and, for many classes, additional materials and screencasts of the presentations that were made.
If you are not already a registered user of the Autodesk University website, your first step will be to register and set up a login and password, on the Join page. If you have already registered or attended AU 2006 or 2007, you can login on the Login page. Login and/or Join links occur in the upper right corner of the various Autodesk University website pages, also.
Once you have logged in, click on the Sessions link,and then use the Search Sessions area to help you find the session and session materials you want. For example, to find my session, set the year to 2007 and the Speaker to "David Koch".Click on the Search button and a list of the sessions that meets the criteria you set will be displayed. In this case, that would be just one session, AB114-4.Click on the Session Name / Track link to go to a page that has details about the session, and links to the available handout, sample files and screencast. The screencast consists of the audio part of the presentation along with what was projected on the screen during the session. This year, you can also choose to download a screencast, in addition to streaming it.

AU Early Bird Deadline Coming Up Fast!

The early-bird registration deadline is October 7, 2007. That is little more than two weeks from now. If you have been considering going to AU this year but have not yet registered, get your ducks in a row and do so before October 7, or it will cost you an extra $500 US.



This message brought to you as a public service by Get Fully Equipped in AutoCAD Architecture (AB114-4), Tuesday, November 27, 3:00 - 4:30 pm. I hope to see you there.

AU 2007: Get Fully Equipped in AutoCAD Architecture

Just a reminder for those of you fortunate enough to be registering for AU, I will be teaching a course called Get Fully Equipped in AutoCAD Architecture (AB114-4), which is scheduled for Tuesday, November 27, from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm in Murano 3203. It is the only AutoCAD Architecture class currently scheduled in that time slot, and I hope to see you there.

Come see a method of creating and scheduling equipment that I have used for several health care projects and which could easily be used on laboratory projects or adapted to any other project type where you need to show equipment or furniture in plan, with identifying tags and then create a schedule to list those items and related data. Equipment not your thing? Then come to see how to analyze a scheduling task and apply the schedule features in AutoCAD Architecture to meet the needs.

Be sure to check out Matt Dillon's Schedule Anything in AutoCAD Architecture or AutoCAD MEP, on Friday, November 30, from 8:00 am - 11:30 am and leave AU 2007 a scheduling pro!

AU 2007

Having attended three of the last four Autodesk Universities - I missed the 2005 edition in Orlando - I can attest to the fantastic opportunities to learn from and network with the best of the best. Even if you could afford to have Matt Dillon or Paul Aubin fly in and give you three-and-one-half days of one-on-one training, you would still miss out on all of the informal learning opportunities and the chance to meet fellow users, any one of whom might have a solution to an issue that has been giving you problems. Not to mention being able to "corner" members of the AutoCAD^® Architecture development team, and provide some direct feedback.

If were thinking about going this year, but you have not yet started laying the groundwork, there is no better time than the present to start. Registration opens in "August", according to the Autodesk AU website. That is likely to be early in August, going by past years. If you need to make the case to your employer or a spouse, you will want to do so well before October 8, when the fees go up $500. Many of the more popular classes may be filled by that time, anyway.

If you need an additional incentive, and were hoping to be able to take a class that goes beyond the basics of the ACA Schedule feature, I am pleased to announce that my class proposal titled Get Fully Equipped in AutoCAD Architecture (90-minute class) has been accepted. I will be presenting a method of creating and scheduling equipment that I have used for several health care projects and which could easily be used on laboratory projects or adapted to any other project type where you need to show equipment or furniture in plan, with identifying tags and then create a schedule to list those items and related data. If that sounds interesting to you, and you are going to AU this year, I would appreciate you taking this class into consideration when selecting your classes.

If you are looking for a course that covers the basics of the ACA Schedule feature, Matt Dillon will be presenting Schedule Anything in AutoCAD Architecture or AutoCAD MEP in a 3 1/2 hour tutorial. If you have never taken Matt's Schedule Anything class before and are looking to master the basics of the Schedule feature, I can assure you that it will be well worth your time.

I do not know where on the schedule either of these classes fall at this time, but I hope that Matt's class is offered first, so that anyone wanting to take both, but who would benefit most by learning about the overall feature first, can do so.

Not Quite 7500...

...but really close. The official tally is in - 7447 total in attendence at Autodesk University 2006. That number includes 5166 attendees, 311 instructors, 648 Autodesk employees and 1322 investors, media, guests, exhibitors (from 89 companies), staff, and other attendees.

Agents of Change - Autodesk University 2006

I had the good fortune to attend Autodesk University 2006 as a last-minute substitute for someone else at my firm who was unable to go. AU returned to Las Vegas for 2006, but at a new venue, The Venetian. Despite a record-breaking number of participants - 7500 was the last number I heard announced - the facility was up to handling it, making an exception for Tuesday's lunch, when the exhibit hall was not yet open to help spread out the arrival time. No one seemed to miss the long haul that had to be made at previous Vegas AU's between the hotel and conference center at the MGM.

This year's theme was "Agents of Change", based on the idea that AU attendees tend to be early adopters of Autodesk's anually-changing software as they deal with the ever-changing challenges and opportunities in the world in general and their particular industries in specific.

This year not only the curriculum, but the physical location of most classes was broken up into industry-specific campuses. For example, the Building campus was located at one end of Level 3, and a lounge dedicated to the Building campus was located directly opposite the classrooms and staffed by Autodesk BSD employees armed with computers to demonstrate the BSD program offerings during the time that classes were offered. This made it much easier to find others in your discipline, both those you already knew and those you wanted to meet.

The Building Industry Main Stage presentation was held Wednesday morning. While I was glad to hear a renewal of the promise to continue developing both the Architectal Desktop and Revit platforms, I was annoyed at the ongoing marketing spin that equates "2D", "CAD drafting" and "AutoCAD for Architects" with Architectural Desktop and "3D" and "Building Information Modeling (BIM)" with Revit. I say that without any animosity toward the Revit product. The class schedule I inherited had mostly Revit or Revit-based classes and I came away impressed with Revit's capabilities. The main stage example for how you can leverage the Revit Building BIM model was the ability to link to 3ds Max and import the cameras and materials, then do renderings and light level analyses in 3ds Max. What a pity that "2D" Architectural Desktop can not do the same. I suppose they forgot that Architectural Desktop files can also be linked to Viz and Max and that, since the 2004 release, Architectural Desktop has shipped with VIZ Render.

Each industry group had its own reception in various venues on Wednesday evening. The Building reception was held at the JET Nightclub in the Mirage, billed on the invitation as "one of the coolest hotspots" and "architecturally stunning". I found it dark (save for pulsating lights on the main floor), loud, crowded and no more architecturally interesting than most any other night club I have visited. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves, so it is probably safe to say the problem was with me, not the event.

The Thursday evening entertainment was fantastic. Engineer/comedian Don McMillan was every bit as funny as he was two years ago, and the Blue Man Group performance was excellent. Autodesk's Shaan Hurley was chosen from the audience to "participate"; you can see photos in this article in his blog. You can find additional photos from AU 2006 in Shaan's AU 2006 Photo Gallery.

Overall, I had a great time at AU 2006 and came away with a lot of valuable knowledge. I was able to meet many people that I only "know" from the Discussion Groups or AUGI forums and chat with some of the people at Autodesk who help produce the software I use at work, Architectural Desktop. If you have a passion for one or more Autodesk products, I would highly recommend attending Autodesk University. At the Thursday night event, Lynn Allen announced that AU 2007 would also be held at The Venetian in Las Vegas, November 26 - 30, 2007. Mark your calendars and start working on a way to get there!

Learning From Las Vegas

I returned home yesterday, after an exhilarating week of Autodesk University and an extended weekend stay in Las Vegas. I enjoyed the opportunity to meet with and learn from many with whom I otherwise only have contact in the Autodesk Architectural Desktop Discussion Groups.

My only minor disappointment was the lack of intermediate to advanced level courses. I took a few classes that dealt with customizations involving programming that were a bit over my head, but most of the ADT classes were targeted primarily at the novice user. I fully understand the need to appeal to as broad an audience as possible - if insufficient numbers sign up for a class, it may be cancelled or, at the least, not be considered for the following year - but if return visits to Autodesk University are to be encouraged, there need to be courses that will engage the intermediate to advanced user, too.

I will try to find time to post gems from the courses I took, once I get caught up at work and at home.

Autodesk University

I will be leaving for Autodesk University tomorrow, so it is unlikely that I will be making any new entries here for at least another week. I hope to have a wealth of new information to record here when I return.