It is Alive in the Lab (via Mowser)

February 16, 2012

Scheduled Freewheel down time for Feburary

This is my once-a-month copy/paste blog posting to let you know when Freewheel will be unavailable.

As with last year, and again this year, several times during the year, new functionality is released into Autodeskâ€™s Enterprise Information Systems to enhance the companyâ€™s services to partners / customers and help the organization run more efficiently. The next update is scheduled for three hours on February 18, 2011.

To implement these changes, Autodesk Freewheel will experience planned downtime from 2:00 p.m. PDT on Saturday, February 18 through 5:00 p.m. PDT on Saturday, February 18. In Greenwich, this would be 12:00 a.m. UDT on Sunday, February 19 through 3:00 a.m. UDT on Sunday, February 19.

2012 should be much like 2011 in terms of server maintenance.

We realize that any systems outage impacts the operations of Autodesk, our partners, and our customers. We work diligently to minimize the duration of downtime and appreciate your understanding. So take a three hour break and enjoy the down time.

Updating servers is routinely alive in the lab.

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Technorati Tags: #AutodeskLabs, Autodesk Freewheel, Autodesk Labs, Project Freewheel

February 15, 2012

Autodesk Labs' Place In The Autodesk World

A National Football League (NFL) team has 55 players on its roster. Anyone who has attended an NFL game is familiar with the barking of "Programs. Get your programs! Can't tell the players without a program. Programs..."

"Autodesk. Autodesk. Get your [computer] programs! Can't tell the divisions without a program. Autodesk..." Autodesk has a research division, a labs division, a beta program, and organizations like Global Customer Support & Operations. We don't have 55 divisions, but just the few (of the many) I have listed is a decent number.

As ideas develop over time, they tend to start out as research, appear as technology previews on Labs, get developed further and tested as betas, and then get supported as released products.

Autodesk Research is dedicated to innovation and discovery in helping to solve some of the world's most complex design problems, from pressing ecological challenges to the development of scalable smart infrastructure. The interests range from methods to help users learn powerful digital prototyping tools, to visualization and simulation techniques which enable designers to achieve new levels of performance. Advancing the state of the art in human-computer interaction, computer graphics, and digital design technology, the research team collaborates openly with researchers at leading universities around the world.
http://www.autodesk.com/research/

Autodesk Labs is home to innovative new technologies and collaborative development. Its mission is to involve customers in the progress of design technology solutions. The user feedback provided to Labs is really on product ideas, while they're still in an early conceptual stage. Labs explores and develops technology that is commercially relevant to customers in design â€“ whether they're involved in architecture, manufacturing, civil engineering, movies, games, or other industries. Through an online forum, Labs provides the public with free, early access to prototypes, technology previews, and experimental web services.
http://labs.autodesk.com/

As its name suggests, the Beta Portal is home to the Autodesk beta program. When existing products are nearing a new release, product development teams make builds of the software available for beta testing. This is typically done under nondisclosure agreements (NDA), since the software is not yet completed. The aim of the beta program is to put the software through its paces using real-world customer data, in other words, to do testing above and beyond the dizzying array of tests that quality assurance teams routinely conduct. The emphasis is on whether or not the software works.
http://feedback.autodesk.com/

The Autodesk Subscription Center is the place for customers who are on subscription to go to for software upgrades, licensing, and technical support. Recently the Subscription Center was enhanced to offer rendering in the cloud, optimization in the cloud, energy analysis in the cloud, and collaboration in the cloud. As you can tell from the previous sentence, some of the benefits of the Autodesk subscription program leverage the Autodesk Cloud.
http://subscription.autodesk.com/

Cartography is alive in the lab.

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Technorati Tags: #Autodesk Labs, Autodesk Labs, Autodesk Research, Beta, Subscription Center

February 14, 2012

Has it been 6 years already?

Today is February 14. Yes it's Valentine's Day, but it is also a milestone in my blogging career.

Date Article Event

February 18, 2005 DWF Security first guest submission to Shaan Hurley's blog entitled Between the Lines

February 14, 2006 Why Beyond the Paper? first posting on the first blog of my own entitled Beyond the Paper

April 10, 2006 It's alive. It's alive. It's alive. first posting on the second blog of my own entitled It's Alive in the Lab

Other than my sabbatical (where teammates filled in for me here and there), it's been every business day for 6 years that I have posted at least one blog article on a blog of my own. Thanks to everyone who reads this blog. Without you, this blog is like a tree falling in the woods.

Celebration is alive in the lab.

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Technorati Tags: #AutodeskLabs, Autodesk Labs

February 13, 2012

Autodesk Gallery: IDEAS Studio FutureSF Presentation

The Autodesk IDEA Studio is a residency program for students, faculty, and industry professionals who apply design-driven solutions to problems in business, society, and the environment. Autodesk provides residents with a place to work at our Gallery at One Market in San Francisco, free use of software, and access to our design professionals worldwide who serve a variety of industries such as Architecture/Engineering/Construction, Manufacturing, and Media/Entertainment. In turn, IDEA Studio residents address real-life challenges by finding new and imaginative ways to use design technology with compelling and inspiring results. It's a WIN-WIN.

Whinna, Whinna, Chicken Dinna. Senior Marketing Manager, Kimberly Whinna, directs our IDEA Studio program. On Monday, February 6, Kimberly was happy to introduce German Aparicio, who was just finishing up his project in the IDEA Studio. Before becoming a lecturer at the California College of Arts, German did some work at Arup and SENSEable City Lab.

German's IDEA Studio project presentation pointed out that as more people move to cities, it is becoming increasingly challenging to design infrastructures that efficiently support the many changing needs of so many inhabitants. Over half the worldâ€™s population now live in urban areas, and 75% will do so by 2050. While this urban migration is underway, data is being captured today at growing rates. Sensors are being embedded in cars, appliances, cameras, roads, pipelines, medicine, and even livestock. His project explored ways in which such data streams can become tools for designers, decision makers, city officials, project owners, city inhabitants, and additional stakeholders in creating new strategies for urban design. His work can be applied to cities like San Francisco to design a better FutureSF.

German's design project explored emerging technologies like Project Vasari and Project Dasher to help map urban sensor data which can be used for design and facilities operation. Autodesk was happy to participate in this project.

IDEA Studio proposals are reviewed quarterly. The next proposal submission deadline is May 1, 2012. To learn more and submit a proposal, visit the IDEA Studio page on the Autodesk web site.

More than just book learning is alive in the lab.

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Technorati Tags: #AutodeskLabs, Autdoesk Gallery, Autodesk Labs

February 10, 2012

Alameda Sunset - a drink, not the sky

My wife and I like to walk to a nearby bar called 1400. It gets its name from its address: 1400 Central Avenue.

1400 Bar and Grill on Facebook

With real estate plummeting in value, one of the characteristics that is being scored to differentiate various properties is walkability. Our neighborhood's walkability score is 66 out of 100.

Walkability score for Crown Harbor

A walkability score measures how easy it is to live a car-lite lifestyle by awarding points based on the distance to amenities in many categories. These categories include things like restaurants, coffee, groceries, parks, schools, shopping, books, bars, and banking. Amenities within .25 miles receive maximum points, and no points are awarded for amenities further than 1 mile.

Now back to the title of this post. 1400 makes this great drink. Its called the Alameda Sunset. It consists of:

orange juice Hangar One Chipotle Vodka Peach Schnapps Grenadine

St. George's Spirits, the maker of Hangar One Vodka, is right here in Alameda. I sometimes walk there. Much like our Autodesk Gallery, they have a great tour.

The Alameda Sunset is easily my favorite drink, and since it contains orange juice, I practically consider it as cold medicine.

Enjoying a beautiful sunset is alive in the lab.

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Technorati Tags: #AutodeskLabs, Autodesk Labs

February 09, 2012

February 2012 issue of Innovation Edge hits the stands, I mean inboxes

The Autodesk Labs newsletter is called Innovation Edge, coined by Senior Strategic Designer, Doug Look, and is published every other month. Users who opt in will get 6 email messages a year - that's all. We don't want to spam you to death. This month's issue was just sent out.

We know your time is valuable. Each issue highlights only 3 technology previews (out of the 30 or so active technology previews on Autodesk Labs) in as few words as possible to give you a sense of what it does. If you would like to receive our newsletter about our technology previews, you can opt in by:

Visit Autodesk Labs.

Click on the Sign In link in the upper right.

This is the same user name and password used for Labs, Subscription, Education, Manufacturing, and other communities.

Once logged in, click on Newsletter in the upper right to reveal a dialog where you can opt in.

Check the Newsletter box to be added to our list.

It's just that easy.

Extra, extra! Reading all about it is alive in the lab.

Posted at 05:00 AM in Technology | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: #AutodeskLabs, Autodesk Labs, CAD software, newsletter

February 08, 2012

Project Vasari Talk is Today

I will ask yet again "Who remembers Coffee Talk with Paul Baldwin or Linda Richman (Mike Myers) on Saturday Night Live?" Well it's time for Vasari Talk.

Project Vasari is our technology preview of an expressive design tool for creating building concepts. Project Vasari goes further, with integrated analysis for energy and carbon, via the Autodesk Cloud.

Project Vasari on Autodesk Labs

The Project Vasari team is conducting a periodic series of webinars where you can have some "face time" with the Project Vasari development team. There are demos, tutorials, and answers to your questions. The next session is today, Wednesday, February 8 at 11:30 AM Eastern (UTC-5).

I'm feeling verklept. Dialog is alive in the lab.

Posted at 05:00 AM in Project Vasari design and analysis | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: #AutodeskLabs, Autodesk Labs, free technology preview, Project Vasari

February 07, 2012

Is it raining?

Fotolia_5137535_XS

I discovered a site:

http://isitraining.in/alameda

Actually you substitute a desired city name for where you would like to know if it is raining. The Bay Area is characterized by microclimates. So although it may be raining in Moraga, it wouldn't be in Oakland. So have fun with this for your local areas. It was raining a while ago, but isn't right now.

Our daughter works in Public Relations for Hyatt Regency Hotels. Although she lives and works in Chicago, today she is in New Orleans on business. I wonder how her day is going.

http://isitraining.in/neworleans

Checking the weather is alive in the lab.

Posted at 05:00 AM in Technology | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: #AutodeskLabs, Autodesk Labs

February 06, 2012

February's free ADN Plugin of the Month: Level Generator for Revit Architecture Now Available

got source?

Ever wonder how Revit add-ons work? Ever wonder what source code looks like? Of course you have, who hasn't? You can find out with the Autodesk Developer Network plugins of the month. These free nuggets of extra functionality are downloadable from Autodesk Labs and include the source code. Even if you're not a programmer, you can peruse the lines of code and get an understanding of what goes on under the hood.

This month's plugin is brought to you by China DevTech Supervisor, Joe Ye. As the plugin's name suggests, this plugin can be used to generate multiple adjacent levels with one command. It is compatible with Revit Architecture 2012.

// Download Level Generator for Revit Architecture via Autodesk Labs

In addition to the source code, the plugin comes percompiled so it's ready to use right away. It also includes a Read Me file with all the gory details. Please give this a try and let us know your thoughts at labs.plugins@autodesk.com.

Taking it up a level is alive in the lab.

Posted at 05:00 AM in Plugin of the Month | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: #AutodeskLabs, ADN, Autodesk Labs, free, plugin of the month, Revit Architecture

February 03, 2012

Autodesk Labs: bigger and bolder than FY12

The Autodesk fiscal year runs from February 1 through January 31. So we just completed FY12 and are now in FY13. Looking at the number of new, updated, and technology previews as documented on What's New, I see that FY12 was the biggest year yet for Autodesk Labs.

If history is any indication, you can expect even more technology preview activity on Autodesk Labs this fiscal year. Normally our technology previews are related to CAD software, but Project Photofly reached out to prosumers. Thanks to the entire Autodesk Labs community for making our technology previews work. Your experience does indeed shape the future of our technology.

Getting trendy is alive in the lab.

Posted at 05:00 AM in Graduates and Miscellaneous | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: #AutodeskLabs, Autodesk Labs, CAD software

It is Alive in the Lab

Scott Sheppard

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February 16, 2012

Scheduled Freewheel down time for Feburary

February 15, 2012

Autodesk Labs' Place In The Autodesk World

February 14, 2012

Has it been 6 years already?

February 13, 2012

Autodesk Gallery: IDEAS Studio FutureSF Presentation

February 10, 2012

Alameda Sunset - a drink, not the sky

February 09, 2012

February 2012 issue of Innovation Edge hits the stands, I mean inboxes

February 08, 2012

Project Vasari Talk is Today

February 07, 2012

Is it raining?

February 06, 2012

February's free ADN Plugin of the Month: Level Generator for Revit Architecture Now Available

February 03, 2012

Autodesk Labs: bigger and bolder than FY12

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