ACEC-MN Design Technology Forum - Augmented Reality in AEC

Yesterday, at the regional ACEC Design Technology Forum, I had the opportunity to share our work at LHB in the AEC space (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) with Augmented Reality (AR) using the Microsoft HoloLens. Thanks to BARR for hosting this month's meeting.

This post will share the highlights from the meeting, including my slides and video links.

Keep reading to learn more...

Living Wall Example in Revit

I occasionally receive Revit-related questions from professors who use my books in academia. Yesterday I received one concerning performance; a small model around 30 MB. I figured right away it would have something to do with a complex family, and I was right, sorta. The main issue was using Realistic mode in Revit, more on that in a moment, and the number of RPC shrubs placed in the project.

Turns out, the RPC content was being used to create a living wall in an interesting way. This post will show how that was done and talk about a "cure" for realistic mode.

Read on to learn more...

Daylight Factor with Solar Tubes in ElumTools

Here in Minnesota, where I live and work, there is a requirement that all publicly funded projects comply with the B3 program, which is similar to USGBC's LEED program. One of those requirements relates to Daylight Factor. We use ElumTools to run a simulation to derive this value. This post will touch on this more, and a challenge the ElumTools developers helped us overcome!

Read on to learn more...

Revit 2020 - Path of Travel Tool

I posted a link to my AECbytes "What's New" article in the Out There section in RevitFourm.org recently.

Lots of good discussions about the tool, how it works and its limitations... I am sure this V1 feature will be improved to accommodate some of the things discussed, like AHJ (authority having jurisdiction) and codes requiring specific things like all turns be 90 degrees and not going through an electrical room. Jeff Hanson, from Autodesk, has chimed in to respond to a few questions and "set the record straight" comments:)

• BTW, Jeff is also my co-author for this book; Autodesk Revit 2020 Architectural Command Reference

Continue reading to learn more...

Two Revit 2020 Hotfixes

Many firms wait until the first major Update (e.g. 2020.1) or 3-6 months before deploying a new version of Revit into production; that is what I do. For those that have, or want to, jump right in there are two hotfixes you should probably install. One addresses an issue where Revit starts in Viewer Mode and the other has to do with Autodesk 2020 products, in general, not playing well with systems set to hibernate or go to sleep. BTW, hopefully hibernate/sleep mode are common. On a related note, LHB participated in a plug load study that resulted in the following report and info-graph:

• Impacts of office plug load reduction strategies
• Powering down, powering off

Keep reading to learn more about the hotfixes...

Introducing the MEPPP Universal Lighting Fixture Family for Revit

We recently rolled out an updated version of CTC Software's MEP Productivity Pack (MEPPP). One significant development on the electrical side is around lighting fixtures. Over the 8+ years this product has been sold, a lot of customers (electrical engineers and contractors) have requested an un-hosted version of the content. I don't like the idea in principle, and we would almost never use them in our multi-discipline practice here are LHB, but there is always the exception (e.g. architect working in 2D AutoCAD). The main issue deflecting effort in this develop was that we would essential need two families for every fixture; face based and level based (aka un-hosted).

I am happy to report we were able to develop a hosted and un-hosted set fixtures in a single family. It even has a native, non-nested, light source to making modifying the photometry simple and facilitate a smooth workflow for lighting analysis (using ElumTools, for example).

BTW, we have been collaborating with Steven Bunker on this content. A electrical engineer and Revit guru I met in an Autodesk beta meeting! He is fairly active in the Autodesk Forums - click here for that.

Keep reading to learn more...

Phasing Versus Design Options

Quick and simple post today... a reminder for some, and new information for others. The topic is defining the difference between phasing and design options. Read on if you want to learn more...

A Visit to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

Earlier this week we took my son, who is a junior in high school, on a college visit to the #1 art school in the USA... the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Who knows if he will get accepted or if we can afford it, but I suggested we 'shoot for the stars' and see what happens... especially given his passion for art. BTW, he created the mascot for this blog when is we 15.

I decided to share some photos I took from the visit, even though they to not do this campus justice; it has an amazing vibe and immense character. I have a few photos of a quick tour of the RISD school of architecture as well, which I initiated as my son is not interested in following me... which is perfectly fine. Given I am an architect, teach graduate architecture students at NDSU and have the #1 Revit textbook in the USA academic market, you can imagine why I would stop in to say hello:)

Read on to learn more...

Revit 2020 Books - Free Exam Copy for Instructors

Today I am pleased to  announce my line of Autodesk Revit 2020 textbooks are updated and will be ready for Fall 2019 semester. I have a textbook for every user level, covering a variety of disciplines and uses. Many of my books include training videos and instructor support material. Instructors, request your free examination copies today, and SDC Publications will send you copies as they become available (see eligibility statement below).

Residential Design Using Autodesk Revit 2020 Beginner, 688 Pages ISBN: 978-1-63057-256-3 Starts at an introductory level Project based tutorials design a house from start to finish Includes access to extensive video training Bonus material covers Insight 360, finding missing elements, and much more Helps you prepare for the Autodesk Revit Architecture Certification Exam     Request Exam Copy

Interior Design Using Autodesk Revit 2020 Beginner, 850 Pages ISBN: 978-1-63057-254-9 Written specifically for interior designers No previous experience with Autodesk Revit is required Uses a project based, tutorial style approach Includes access to extensive video instruction and bonus content Helps you prepare for the Autodesk Revit Architecture Certification Exam     Request Exam Copy

Design Integration Using Autodesk Revit 2020 Beginner, Intermediate, 898 Pages ISBN: 978-1-63057-250-1 Covers all three disciplines of Autodesk Revit in one book Guides you through creating a two story law office while teaching you the BIM process Uses step-by-step tutorials and starts at an introductory level Includes access to extensive video instruction and bonus chapters Bonus chapters include an introduction to lighting design, multi-story stairs, building performance analysis and much more     Request Exam Copy

Commercial Design Using Autodesk Revit 2020 Beginner, 624 Pages ISBN: 978-1-63057-248-8 Starts at an introductory level Project based tutorials design an office building from start to finish Includes access to nearly 100 video tutorials Bonus material covers multi-story stairs, Insight 360, ElumTools, and much more     Request Exam Copy

Autodesk Revit for Architecture Certified User Exam Preparation (Revit 2020 Edition) Intermediate, 136 Pages ISBN: 978-1-63057-261-7 This book will prepare you to pass the Revit Certified User Exam on your first try Designed for users with about 150 hours of instruction and real-world Revit experience Gives an overview of the exam process Describes the main topics you need to be familiar with to pass the exam Comes with practice exam software that simulates an actual exam Includes access to a discount on the actual certification exam     Request Exam Copy

Autodesk Revit 2020 Architectural Command Reference Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, 750 Pages ISBN: 978-1-63057-246-4 Comprehensive coverage of Autodesk Revit’s commands and features Includes access to nearly 100 video tutorials Contains expert user tips and tricks throughout the book Essential desk reference for users of all levels Organized in the same way the Revit user interface is presented     Request Exam Copy

Who can request exam copies? 
Only educators in the United States and Canada may request examination copies. All requests are subject to approval and only legitimate requests will be fulfilled. SDC respects your privacy. For more information you can read their privacy statement.

---

For BIM Chapters updates, follow @DanStine_MN on Twitter or connect on LinkedIn

I also write blog posts for Enscape - a new paradigm in rendering, animation and VR for AEC.

My Annual AECbytes.com Article - What's New in Revit 2020

It's that time of year again... the new version for Revit has just dropped. Not only that, but you can learn all about the new Revit 2020 features in my AECbytes article.

Sneak peak... three new features are:

#1 Path of Travel...

Read on to learn more...

Promoting Industry Standards for Revit MEP plus Free User Guide, Shared Parameters & More

Please consider the following information which promotes BIM standardization within the AEC industry for Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP). I highly encourage you to share this with your colleagues, consultants and resellers to help promote this ambitious effort!

This is not a sales pitch for the MEP Productivity Pack (MEPPP) per se, but a call to action. We are giving away, for free, our Shared Parameters file, User Guide and some reference material to promote and facilitate this cause.

" Imagine a world where an engineer or designer can use any manufacturer’s family to drop in the model, and have the family tag and schedule instantly or even better yet by having the schedule already filled in with actual selection information"

Read on to learn more...

Enscape V2.5 plus Two New Enscape Blog Posts

Enscape Version 2.5 just dropped! This includes a material editor in Rhino, a ton of new high quality assets, a new clearcoat material type, video editing improvements and more! I also wrote two blog posts on the Enscape site covering the asset library and the Rhino material editor!

Click the images to follow the links.

Keep reading to learn more...

My Interview on Business of Architecture

I had the good fortune to be interviewed on Enoch Sear's Business of Architecture podcast, and that episode went live yesterday. So, if you want to hear my go on about training, book writing, teaching, VR/AR and more, be sure to check it out...

keep reading to learn more...