Comparing Miro and Zoom Whiteboard for Cloud Collaboration

Lake|Flato has used Miro for cloud-based collaboration for a few years. We are also all in on Zoom, as it is a great web-based meeting platform that supports sketching (on our tablets and touch-enabled conference room displays)! We also use Zoom Rooms, Zoom phones, Zoom Webinars, and more.

As it turns out, Zoom has an enhanced Whiteboard feature that is essentially Miro... from what I have heard, the Zoom offering is NOT Miro under the hood, but as you will see in today's post, they are essentially the same thing.

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Autodesk Customer Story and Video Featuring Lake|Flato

Autodesk recently stopped by our office and created a video and customer story featuring our own office remodel and some of the tools we used.

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Revit-Provided Material Options for Enscape Users (Enscape blog)

I recently wrote another post for the Ensacpe blog covering the ins and outs of the materials provided with Revit. There are several subtle aspects here that can help speed things up when developing a visualization for your architectural design.

This post also includes a video hosted on my YouTube channel.

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SketchUp Diffusion - AI Extension is Live

Trimble has developed an AI image generator extension for SketchUp, called SketchUp Diffusion, which is now live. I will share my very first use of this tool in today's post, which resulted in a decent set of images based on my model and prompt.

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Understanding and Application of Albedo in Enscape

In today's post, I am sharing an article I wrote for Enscape in 2018 that never made it to their new and updated blog. I collaborated with Enscape co-founder Thomas Willberger on this piece.

The post offers an introduction to material albedo and the impact it has on visualization in general, but Enscape specifically.

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AIA San Antonio COTE End of Year Event

Last night I attended the last 2023 AIA San Antonio COTE event of the year, hosted here at Lake|Flato! I will share the highlights of this event in today's post.

Be sure to scroll to the bottom to see "Red List Free" markings on a local product rep's packaging!!!

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UTSA Architecture 2023 Mini Ice Box Challenge

Yesterday I had the opportunity to watch three groups of graduate architecture students present and unveil the results of their Mini Ice Box Challenge at UTSA here in San Antonio, Texas.

The goal was to design and build a structure that would minimize the melting of ice stored within while set outside for several days.

The presentations were thoughtful, and the results suspenseful:)

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Autodesk University 2023 Selfies Post

Following my Autodesk University recap post, I wanted to share the abundance of selfies I took with old and new friends:) Sorry to those I saw and forgot to grad a selfie... next time!

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Autodesk University 2023 Recap

I recently returned from an action-packed week in Las Vegas for Autodesk University. It was the best one yet, and I will share several highlights in today's post!

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bsi. Webinar - How to use BIM to achieve your sustainability goals

What happens when a practice embraces BIM and industry standards? Opportunities happen. Opportunities to elevate workflows that achieve client goals and benefit the environment and the people who will use the building.

Join us in this session to learn about three industry groups working on standards, bsi, NIBS, and IES, as well as my highlights on BIM-eneabled sustainability workflows at Lake|Flato.

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Autodesk Forma Series - Episode 02 - Noise & Sun Hours Analysis + External Geometry

I am excited to share the second episode of my Autodesk Forma video series, sponsored by Autodesk.

This episode, hosted on YouTube, will cover using Revit and Rhino geometry in simulations such as traffic noise and sun-hours analysis.

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UTSA Lecture on Early Energy Modeling

I had the opportunity to once again present early energy modeling to architecture students at the University of Texas-San Antonio (UTSA) last week. In this post, I will share a few photos and details about the class.

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Conference Recap - TxA 2023 Conference on Architecture in Forth Worth

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend and present at the annual Texas Society of Architects (TxA) conference in Forth Worth, Texas. I presented on early energy modeling for architects, highlighting our workflows at Lake|Flato. I was also representing the national AIA COTE Leadership:)

Today's post is a recap of the event.

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New Course on Revit Lighting Fixture Content Creation Hosted by ElumTools

I will be providing a live training session on Revit lighting fixture content later this month. I have presented on this topic in the past, including at Lightfair!

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AIA/ACSA Intersections Research Conference - Recap

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend the AIA/ACSA Intersections Research Conference in Amherst, Massachusetts. In today's post, I will recap the event and recommend you attend the next one!

From a hands-on workshop making hempcrete (photo below) to a beautiful mass timber school of architecture building and fantastic presentations, the conference was a huge success.

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San Antonio Deconstruction Ordinance In Action

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit two deconstruction sites in San Antonio with my colleagues Evan Hotary and Caroline Kraska.

We got to chat with Katie from Re:Purpose Savannah, who was in town training local contractors to become "certified deconstruction contractors," which is required per city ordinance. 

Photo (L/R): Dan, Evan, Caroline, Katie)

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Autodesk Forma Series - Episode 01 - Introduction and Solar Energy

I am excited to share this Autodesk Forma video series, sponsored by Autodesk.

This series, hosted on YouTube, will cover a wide range of features and workflows within Forma, including the just-released Solar Energy analysis.

FYI: Forma, a cloud-based solution, is included with the Autodesk AEC Collection.

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Circular San Antonio kick off meeting at Lake|Flato

Circular San Antonio (CSA), a not-for-profit organization, held a kickoff meeting that we hosted at Lake|Flato last night!

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University of Minnesota - Lighting Design Presentation 2023

Last week, I had the opportunity to present on lighting design at the University of Minnesota. 

Today's post will highlight my presentation, where I discussed:

• Design Performance at Lake|Flato
• Workflow (electric lighting): Lighting design using Revit + Elumtools
• Workflow (daylighting): Access and glare using Rhino + Climate Studio
• Presentation: Revit/Rhino/SketchUp + Enscape

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Lighting Design - Coefficient of Utilization Calculation in Revit

When Revit 2019 came out, it included an enhancement that corrected the Coefficient of Utilization Calculation for Absolute Photometry. However, there are still some things to be aware of, which I will cover using Revit 2024 in today's post.

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AU 2023 Sustainability Sessions

If you will be attending Autodesk University 2023 in November, you will want to check out these sessions with a sustainability/design performance focus. 

A list of great presentations by industry experts such as my friend Ian Molloy (Autodesk), as well as Phil Northcott  (C-Change Labs/Building Transparency). Don't miss the "hidden gem" session by the folks from PSD Consulting. 

Photo: Marta Bouchard, Autodesk AEC Sustainability Lead (AU 2023)

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2023 AIA/ACSA Intersections Research Conference: Material Economies

I am looking forward to attending and presenting at the AIA/ACSA Intersections Research Conference: Material Economies event at the University of Massachusetts Amherst later this month.

I am excited to represent Lake|Flato and share some of our work on embodied carbon and research (I lead our research program, called Investigations), as well as representing the national AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Leadership!

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IES Monterrey Mexico - Lighting Innovation Symposium 2023 - Recap

I had the great pleasure of attending and presenting at the first annual Lighting Innovation Symposium hosted by the IES Monterrey Section last week. In today's post I would like to share the highlights and encourage lighting design professionals to put this event on their radar... to support a great chapter and visit an amazing city.

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Rhino Inside Revit - Step by Step for Beginners

Lucas Denit, a colleague of mine at Lake|Flato gave a great presentation on Rhino Inside Revit for beginners recently. He agreed to let me share the video, which I think a lot of folks will benefit from!

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Prairie View A&M University Career Fair Fun!

I got to attend the career fair at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) yesterday with Lake|Flato associate Sophia Razzaque, AIA, IIDA, NOMA, LEED AP!

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How Autodesk User Accounts Work

A quick post pointing to a YouTube video I created on how Autodesk User Accounts work.

Did you know your employer cannot make an Autodesk account for you, and creating a new account between firms is NOT a best practice?

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Construction Brothers Podcast - I was a Guest on Episode 181

I was a guest on episode 181 of the Construction Brothers Podcast. Today's post points you to my episode, where I discuss the fun stuff we are doing at Lake|Flato:)

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IES Mexico - Lighting Innovation Symposium 2023

Later this month, I have the opportunity to attend and present in person at an Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) event on lighting design in Monterrey, Mexico. The local IES chapter is hosting a symposium, and I will be presenting alongside a great lineup of professionals in the lighting design industry.

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Enscape Blog Post on Lake|Flato Technology Strategy

I recently wrote a blog post for Enscape that features our cutting-edge design technology strategy at Lake|Flato... highlighting how real-time visualization is integrated and utilized at every turn.

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AIA Austin Design Excellence Conference 2023 Recap

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend and present at the annual AIA Austin Design Excellence conference. In today's post, I wanted to share the highlights of this event, including the two sessions Lake|Flato was represented in.

Photo: Me, Sophia Razzaque, AIA, IIDA, NOMA, LEED AP (Lake|Flato & AIA Austin president-elect), and Javier Sanchez, Hon. FAIA (JSa, Keynote speaker)

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Dell Features Lake|Flato Technology Strategy in New Video

Dell, with support from NVIDIA and Intel, produced a video featuring Lake|Flato's technology strategy within our newly remodeled office in San Antonio, Texas.

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NDSU - First Week of School - Fall 2023

The first week of another school year has begun at NDSU in Fargo, North Dakota, USA. Employing synchronous learning, I have taught remotely for 12 semesters now (from Minnesota and now Texas), where all the graduate architecture and landscape architecture students are on campus.

Here is a screenshot of the students in my class this semester:)

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Revit Tutorials - Moves with Nearby Elements

Have you heard of the Autodesk Revit feature Moves with Nearby Elements? 

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NVIDIA VCR tool used by the Enscape Development team

NVIDIA recently published a blog post featuring NVIDIA VR Capture and Replay (VCR) and how the Enscape development team uses it to streamline VR regression testing. The article features Lake|Flato's San Antonio, Texas, office remodel project.

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AIA Repository of Firm Sustainability Action Plans (SAP)

Did you know the AIA has an open-access Dropbox folder with every firm's Sustainability Action Plan (SAP), including the one recently updated by Lake|Flato?

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NVIDIA Customer Story on Lake|Flato's use of Innoactive for Streaming VR

NVIDIA just published a case study highlighting Lake|Flato's use of Innoative, a service that facilitates streaming an Enscape VR experience across the internet to a wireless Meta Quest 2 headset.

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AIA Austin Design Excellence Conference 2023

I am excited to be representing Lake|Flato (and AIA national COTE!) while attending and presenting at the prestigious AIA Austin Design Excellence Conference later this month! I will be presenting with Emilie Hagen from Atelier Ten.

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Creating a Hybrid Energy Analysis Model (EAM) in Revit

I created an 8-minute video highlighting the opportunity to develop an Energy Analysis Model (EAM) using both massing and building elements within Revit.

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Why Revit Rooms Don't Delete From Your Model

Ever wonder why a Revit room element does not delete from the model when you tell Revit to delete it? I created a short YouTube video explaining why this is the case... which relates to the bigger picture use case for Rooms in the design of buildings.

Learn more about how Revit rooms work in this short YouTube video:

Why Revit Rooms Don't Delete From Your Model

Have some related tips? Share them in the comments below.

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

Lighting design professionals: check out my Revit & ElumTools training https://bit.ly/3NJjhCV

AIA NY COTE Event - Circular Economy and Design Part 2 – Disassembly and Reuse

I am excited to participate in this AIA NY COTE presentation and share Lake|Flato work, some exciting local municipal policy work, and more!

keep reading to learn more...

New YouTube Videos - Early Energy Modeling Course

I've added three new videos to the Early Energy Modeling series on YouTube.

See the new videos, and the entire series, via this YouTube Playlist link: https://bit.ly/3O9ZtuK

The new videos were created using Revit 2024 and recorded in 4k.

Internal Loads

Learn how to manage light power density, latent/sensible heat per person, set points, ACH, schedules, & more.  https://youtu.be/n0oG3bkti3E

FYI: I will create another video soon showing how internal loads can be defined on a space-by-space basis.

Building Evenlope Settings

Learn how to apply and manage the building envelope's thermal resistance and thermal mass properties. This demonstration looks at both a Revit model and a Revit mass and the various ways these properties are applied to the energy analysis model. https://youtu.be/HMUwTRD8w54

Defining Glazing

This video shows how glazing can be defined very accurately... including custom SHGC, VLT, and U values. https://youtu.be/ARijTvuOw7E

I plan on doing another video looking specifically at glazing.

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

Lighting design professionals: check out my Revit & ElumTools training https://bit.ly/3NJjhCV

Early Energy Modeling with Autodesk Insight - Free YouTube Course

The third of three courses I am making freely available is fully uploaded: Early Energy Modeling with Autodesk Insight!

This course covers the same workflows we use at Lake|Flato, which results in the data we enter into the AIA 2030 Committment DDX... all of which is free if you already have Autodesk Revit.

Course highlights:

• 14 Videos
• 1.0+ hours

This course is ideal for anyone interested in early energy modeling in an architectural practice. Even experienced Insight users will find value in the tips and tricks offered throughout the course.

keep reading to learn more...

A'23 Recap - National AIA Conference on Architecture

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2023 conference on architecture in San Francisco. In this post, I will share a recap of my experience.

Photo: National AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Leadership

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Enscape reception at A'23 this week in San Francisco

Chaos (Enscape/Vray) is hosting a gathering Tuesday, June 6, from 5:30 - 7:30pm PDT, during the 2023 national AIA conference in San Francisco later this week.

If you are in town, I recommend you attend, as they have some great info to share, from what I have heard. Not only can you meet their CEO, Christain Lang, and many others from the Chaos team, but also their new Cheif Product Officer, Kam Star, who has a degree in AI... https://blog.enscape3d.com/new-chief-product-officer-joins-chaos-kam-star.

Registration link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aia-a23-enscape-happy-hour-reception-tickets-630810249437

On a related note... I just published a free course on getting started with Enscape, which you can read about in my previous post: Getting Started with Enscape (for Revit users) - Free YouTube Course.

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

Lighting design professionals: check out my Revit & ElumTools training https://bit.ly/3NJjhCV

Getting Started with Enscape (for Revit users) - Free YouTube Course

The second of three free courses I am making available is fully uploaded: Getting Started with Enscape (for Revit users)!

Course highlights::

• 25 Videos
• 3.0 hours
• Several required/resource files

This course is ideal for anyone interested in using real-time rendering in an architectural practice. Even experienced Ensacpe users will find value in the tips and tricks offered throughout the course.

keep reading to learn more...

UpCodes adds AI to Building Codes via CoPilot

This week UpCodes announced their implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within their building code tool... which is an excellent application of AI within the AEC industry.

As an UpCode customer, I had early access to this tool while in beta. In today's post, I will share some of my experience... which, overall, was excellent.

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Enscape Blog Post - Adjustable Assets: New Customization Options for Designers

My latest Enscape post is live over on the Enscape blog. It covers an exciting new feature that allows some assets to be adjusted.

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Revit 2024 Updates Enscape Users Should Know About

I recently wrote a post for the Ensacpe blog highlighting Revit 2024 feature Enscape users might want to know!

Follow this link to read the post:

https://blog.enscape3d.com/revit-2024-updates

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

Lighting design professionals: check out my Revit & ElumTools training https://bit.ly/3NJjhCV