Ideate, Inc. Features Lionakis in Its First Ideate Explorer for Revit Study in Success

SAN FRANCISCO, California – 11/19/2013 - Ideate, Inc., a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer and Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry with a special focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM), today announced the publication of its first Ideate Explorer for Revit-focused Study in Success, “One Secret Ingredient in Lionakis’ Quality Control—Ideate Explorer for Revit.”

California-based Lionakis has played a significant role in shaping the built environment throughout the State of California for more than a century. The multi-disciplined privately held firm specializes in architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, sustainability and graphics, and ranks in the top 25 of California’s leading architectural firms.

The firm’s Quality Control (QC) process provides a system for verifying and maintaining a desired level of quality in its BIM files by planning, continued inspection, and corrective action as required. Lionakis’ approach to its BIM projects includes firm-wide standards and a Revit-strong design staff. It also includes an in-house Design Technology (DT) team of Revit experts who create and maintain the Lionakis Revit master template and help the entire staff keep their Revit projects standardized and clean.

In the same way that the DT team peers deeply into Lionakis’ Revit files, the Study in Success peers deeply into Lionakis’ QC processes, with special attention to the ways Lionakis ensures confidence and trust in ever more complex and potentially error-prone BIM models. AEC firms of all sizes and members of related industries will have special interest in the Study in Success.

Kirk Cox, Design Technology Application Manager, Design Technology Studio, Lionakis, explains the vital nature of QC by saying, “It is always best to get the project back on the right path so the team can be as productive as possible. Having an effective QA/QC process translates to dollars and cents at the end of the day.”

Bob Palioca, President, Ideate Inc., says, “While we have published many articles about Ideate BIMLink, this is our first Ideate Explorer for Revit-focused Study in Success. We are gratified that our solution is helping to ensure project accuracy, reduce errors and save time, and we are pleased that Ideate Explorer for Revit has become indispensable for Lionakis’ staff training. We are overwhelmingly delighted with our customer’s success, and we are honored to share Lionakis’ valuable QC insights with the AEC community.”

Ideate has published “One Secret Ingredient in Lionakis’ Quality Control—Ideate Explorer for Revit” online. Download the Study in Success at http://www.ideateinc.com/ideas/case.html.

Ideate Software will be at Autodesk University, December 3-5, 2013, Booth 1913, The Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada.  

About Ideate, Inc.
Ideate, Inc. is a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer with 25+ years’ experience in software development and specific focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and is an Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the AEC industry since 1992. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and operating five Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) in the northwestern U.S., Ideate is recognized as an Autodesk Gold Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, one of Autodesk’s highest levels of authorization.

Ideate BIMLink lets users pull data from an Autodesk Revit file into user-friendly Microsoft Excel and push Excel data into Revit with equal ease. www.ideatebimlink.com. Ideate Explorer for Revit is a simple, powerful Autodesk Revit add-on to explore, quantify and manage the 100,000+ building elements in a Revit model. www.ideateexplorer.com

Autodesk, ATC, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Microsoft Excel is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

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What's in a Multi-Category Schedule?

Ever wondered what’s in a Autodesk Revit Multi-Category schedule? Here’s the skinny…while a regular Revit Schedule reports on a single category of data such as Doors, Plumbing Fixtures, or Structural Foundations, a Multi-category schedule can report on many of the Revit model categories at once, which can be useful for quantity takeoffs. Sounds straightforward, but the catch is that some of the model categories are being excluded. What’s missing are the system families such as Walls, Floors, etc.

The good news is that Ideate BIMLink not only includes all the model category data that you need to do a comprehensive takeoff, but it also lets you select, on a per category basis, which elements you want to include. Furthermore, you can include not just the Length and the Volume, but also the Area, which is slightly important.

Here are the steps required to use Ideate BIMLink to quickly extract your quantity data from a Revit Building Information Model:

1.    Within Ideate BIMLink create a New Link that is based on <Multi-Category> 

2.    On the Multi-Category tab review the items to decide which you need for your takeoff. 

3.    Export to Excel. 

4.    Ideate BIMLink will create a row of data for each instance within your Revit project. If you want a summary, to include counts and totals, you can use Excel’s Pivot table – see video

That’s it. You now have a comprehensive list of the model elements and proceed with your estimating with confidence.

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Glynnis Patterson is a registered architect and the Director of Software Development at Ideate, Inc.

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Are You Executing on Your Workset Plan?

You’ve spent the time to devise a great way to organize your Autodesk Revit project with worksets. Your plan is excellent and will decrease time wasted opening unnecessary information and ensure that only the desired information will be printed within the deliverables.

BUT… are you actually executing on this plan?

Ideate Explorer for Revit knows, so take a peek at your project today and be sure that you are executing on your workset plan!

Try the Ideate Explorer for Revit Free Trial today.

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Glynnis Patterson is a registered architect and the Director of Software Development at Ideate, Inc.

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Autodesk InfraWorks R2 – .RVT Import

Here at Ideate, Inc. we are always trying to stay one step ahead of the game in order to provide the best information to our customers. With that in mind, whenever we hear about a new product or update from Autodesk, we do our best to test the new features and let you know what we think.

If you haven’t already heard, Autodesk has released a Subscription based Product Enhancement for Autodesk InfraWorks called Autodesk InfraWorks R2, and Autodesk InfraWorks +Ultimate R2. These are available via the Autodesk Subscription Center for customers who have Building Design Suite (BDS) Ultimate, or Infrastructure Design Suite (IDS) Premium or Ultimate (+Ultimate R2 is for IDS Ultimate subscription owners). You can download the R2 installation package by logging in to Subscription Center and downloading it from the Product Enhancements section (not part of the standard program downloads). Expand downloads to find Product Enhancements, as shown below.

One of the new features included in the R2 versions is the ability to import Revit .RVT files directly into the InfraWorks model without having Revit installed on the same workstation. Up until now, only IDS Ultimate customers who installed InfraWorks along with Revit were able to use Revit .RVT files as a data source. With the R2 product enhancement, all Revit file processing is handled via the cloud when the .RVT file is added so we no longer need the side by side installation. This also adds the .RVT file option as a data source for BDS Ultimate customers, who did not have it as part of their original installs.

Keep in mind, this new feature does come with some requirements.

First, you will need to have and be signed-in to your Autodesk 360 account in order to use the cloud-based processing capabilities. When you launch Autodesk InfraWorks, make sure you’re signed in to Autodesk 360, and you’ll be all set. If you are not signed-in, the application will prompt you to login before you can proceed with the .RVT import.

Second, we are currently limited to the “Local Origin” option when using Interactive Placing in the Data Source Configuration window. Although there are four different placement options, Local Origin is the only one that is currently working in Autodesk InfraWorks R2 and +Ultimate R2. Ideate has tested, submitted, and confirmed with Autodesk that this is a bug in the application and it is being escalated to the Autodesk Development Team for further research.

Here are some screenshots of the options and the error that you’ll run into if you choose something other than Local Origin.

Select LOCAL ORIGIN as the Position option for model placement

Selecting Center 2D, Center 3D, or Lower Left Front all produce this error when the model tries to refresh with the new data source.

Refresh Failed error (Center 2D, Center 3D, or Lower Left Front options)

As mentioned earlier, we have confirmed this as a bug with Autodesk. But don’t worry; as long as you keep using the Local Origin option, you’ll be fine importing .RVT files into your InfraWorks models.
 
On a side note, the pre-R2 version of Autodesk InfraWorks installed from the Infrastructure Design Suite Ultimate along with Revit works with all position options when importing .RVT files.
 
If you’re interested in finding out more about the different features and flavors of Autodesk InfraWorks (there are currently four!) check out the post from Kate Ming, one of our ISD Techs in the San Francisco office. 
 

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Matt Miyamoto, P.E.
Ideate AEC Application Specialist
Matt is a licensed Civil Engineer in the state of Hawaii. Matt obtained a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and has 7 years of private sector design experience which he applies in his role as an application specialist with Ideate, Inc. His project experience includes residential and commercial site development, private and public sewer, water and drainage systems, harbors improvements, and roadway improvements. While in Hawaii, Matt was involved in multidisciplinary projects for City and County agencies, State Departments, the Army COE and private developers. @MattM_PE

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BIM Workflow for Roads and Highways

This year, Ideate is offering a new class based on the BIM for Road and Highway design to go along with Autodesk’s new BIM Specialist: Roads and Highways certification. 

Although the concept of BIM or Building Information Modeling has been around for years, its integration into the world of Road and Highway design has been relatively slow when compared to that of Building design. The 2014 Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suite provides users with core products for use in BIM modeling for Roads and Highways. In this article, we’ll talk about the products involved, and some the roles they play in the BIM Workflow process.

When looking at the list of products in the Infrastructure Design suite – Ultimate version, we’ll find applications for many stages of the project lifecycle. For the purpose of our blog, we’ll break this down into three main areas.

Stage 1: Planning and Preliminary Design
Stage 2: Detailed Design and Documentation
Stage 3: Construction Simulation/Management

For Stage 1, Autodesk InfraWorks is available to combine both existing and proposed data sources and create a virtual 3D model of a planned development. Autodesk InfraWorks is compatible with GIS, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Revit, Point Cloud and other data types and also includes tools for creating proposed features and cloud-based profile optimization for road design. 

Once models are created, Autodesk InfraWorks also includes tools for creating storyboards, virtual fly-throughs, and scenarios for communicating design concepts. Finally, Autodesk InfraWorks models can easily be exported and imported into Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D for continuing on to the next stage of the design process.

The Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D modeling tools provide civil engineers with the ability to add large amounts of information to the models for use in the BIM process. Built-in analysis tools like Storm and Sanitary Analysis and Hydraflow, along with  plan production tools to automatically cut Plan and Profile and Section Sheets make AutoCAD Civil 3D an excellent program to use for Stage 2 of our workflow. Additional tools for Quantity Take-offs, earthwork, and material volume calculations also provide the necessary data for construction cost estimates based on the information contained in our models.

Once designs are finalized, we can move on to Stage 3 of our BIM Workflow.  Model components can be exported back to Autodesk InfraWorks for high quality visualizations of the final design, and imported into Navisworks Manage for construction management and simulation. Both applications are also compatible with files from Autodesk Revit as well as other software packages, giving us the ability to create realistic composite models using data received from all parties involved in a project.

Within Navisworks Manage, the Timeliner tool can be used for creating 4D and 5D construction simulations by linking model components to timelines created in project scheduling software like Microsoft Project or Primavera.

Along with the Timeliner, Navisworks Manage also includes Clash Detection for detecting clearance violations and hard clashes between model components.  Simulated construction sequencing and virtual clash detection help save time and money through early detection of issues that could lead to costly redesigns and change orders if found during construction.

So there you have it, Autodesk InfraWorks for preliminary planning stage design, Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D for detailed design and construction documentation, then back to Autodesk InfraWorks or into Autodesk Navisworks Manage for advanced visualizations, construction simulation, clash detection and construction management. A BIM Workflow for Road and Highway design using applications included in the 2014 Autodesk Infrastructure Design Suites.

Interested in finding out more? Visit our website for the next open enrollment class on BIM Workflow for Roads & Highways and to find out more about Autodesk’s BIM Specialist: Roads & Highways certification.

Matt Miyamoto, P.E.
Ideate AEC Application Specialist
Matt is an Application Specialist at Ideate, Inc. and is a licensed Civil Engineer with over 10 years of industry experience. He has successfully completed the BIM Specialist: Roads & Highways certification and helps to provide training, consulting and technical support services for our customers at Ideate, Inc. @MattM_PE

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Ideate, Inc. Earns Autodesk Construction Specialization

San Francisco, CA, 10/7/2013 – Ideate, Inc., (ideateinc.com), an Autodesk Gold Value Added Reseller, today announced that it has earned the Construction Specialization designation for value added resellers from Autodesk, Inc., a world leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software. 

As an Autodesk Specialized Partner, Ideate has shown that it provides a high level of expertise, experience and support to customers, has made a significant investment in its people, has a solid business plan specific to its specialization areas, and has customer references. Ideate offices including San Francisco and Sacramento, CA, Portland, OR and Seattle, WA have achieved the Construction Specialization. 

The AEC industry as a whole, and Construction within it, are adopting Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools. Ideate has been at the forefront of AEC design technology innovation for decades. As a pioneer in BIM and an expert in Autodesk BIM solutions, Ideate has a long-standing history of providing solutions, training, support and custom consulting services to the industry. Earning Construction Specialization is confirmation that Ideate has been and continues to be ready for the transformation underway in Construction. 

Construction Specialization is only one of many Autodesk Partner Specializations Ideate has earned. Such Autodesk Partner Specializations enable Autodesk value added resellers to highlight and brand their expertise in delivering services in key industry areas. By completing the required curriculum and training, as well as meeting required levels of service and standards set by Autodesk, Ideate demonstrates through its strong customer service and support in sales what it means to be a trusted adviser to Autodesk customers. 

Bob Palioca, president of Ideate, Inc. says, “We keep abreast of advancing technologies and know where the industry is heading. This specialization underscores our dedication to helping the Construction industry in BIM processes and guiding our customers to preferred technology solutions for their respective industries. Autodesk Construction Specialization affirms the value of our commitment to customers as they leverage new technologies to enhance efficiencies and increase their return on investment.” 

About Ideate, Inc.
Ideate, Inc. is a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer with 25+ years’ experience in software development and specific focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and is a leading Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the AEC industry since 1992. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and operating five Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) in the northwestern U.S., Ideate is recognized as an Autodesk Gold Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, one of Autodesk’s highest levels of authorization. 

Autodesk and ATC are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. 

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Ideate BIMLink and Facilities Management 101

1. Your engineer/architect has modeled your new facility in Revit and the building is done
2. Get your hands on the Building model, you own it, right?
3. Open up Revit (trial version works fine – get it here).
4. You launch Ideate BIMLink and you export the COBie_Type and COBie_Components to an Excel file. Whether you intend to do COBie or not these links are a great way to quickly get all of the asset list that you need to get started.

 

5. If your budget permitted, you required the model to be updated to reflect as-built conditions. Congratulations, you get to skip ahead to Step 7.
6. If the model does not reflect the as-built conditions then you should pay your architect and engineers to fill out the Excel files from step 4 above or have your own staff fill out any missing info. This can be done with a tablet as outlined in this earlier post.
7. Congratulations, you now you have a complete list of all the building assets for use in managing the building’s maintenance and operations. That was easy!

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Glynnis Patterson is a registered architect and the Director of Software Development at Ideate, Inc.

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Ideate, Inc. Launches an Extensive Online Learning Program, the Ideate CADLearning Portal

San Francisco, CA, 9/17/2013–Ideate, Inc., an Autodesk Gold Value Added Reseller, today announced the launch of the Ideate CADLearning Portal, an expansive online learning resource that enhances Ideate Classroom, Custom and On-site Training.

Ideate CADLearning is designed to provide on-demand training to architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC), and media & entertainment (M&E) design professionals at every skill level. Access to the Portal is available around the clock and around the world from any computer. Ideate CADLearning tools provide:

• Self-paced training to further knowledge and maximize performance with Autodesk BIM and CAD solutions, and Ideate-developed Autodesk Revit-based solutions.

• A ‘knowledge search for targeted training’ feature that guides the user to immediate, highly selective help for specific aspects of a project, and includes recommendations for training modules.
• Assessment, including exams that pinpoint areas for skill strengthening and applicable trainings.

The Ideate CADLearning Portal has been developed to meet increasing demands for specialized AEC and M&E design software training. Design and creation software technology is fast-advancing. Design professionals work and learn remotely while they face compressed schedules. Ideate CADLearning complements more traditional Ideate Classroom Training and provides the flexibility for customers to train and learn on the software they use in the ways that benefit them most.

“We are very pleased to launch our Ideate CADLearning Portal,” says Bob Palioca, president of Ideate, Inc. “Blended learning opportunities are integral to our customers’ training experience. Whether they want to fine tune skills, keep abreast of the most recent design software advances, or address a specific design hurdle through targeted knowledge, Ideate CADLearning will help our customers maximize their productivity in today’s highly competitive environment.”

For more information, call Ideate Education at 888.662.7238 x1012, email education@ideateinc.com, or visit the Ideate CADLearning Portal.

About Ideate, Inc.
Ideate, Inc. is a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer with 25+ years’ experience in software development and specific focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and is a leading Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the AEC industry since 1992. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and operating five
Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) in the northwestern U.S., Ideate is recognized as an Autodesk Gold Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, one of Autodesk’s highest levels of authorization.

Autodesk, Autodesk Revit and ATC are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.

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eLearning – Upcoming Classes

Join the Ideate Tech Experts for eLearning – live online classes that provide your entire organization with easy access to premium education. 

9.16.13::Ideate Software 101:
Revit Project Management with Ideate BIMLink

9.17.13::Revit 201:
Documenting your project in Revit MEP

9.19.13::Infrastructure 201:
Analysis for Master Planning

9.20.13::Revit 201:
Revit MEP and Low Voltage Systems MEP

9.23.13::Revit 201:
Conceptual Design

9.30.13::Ideate Software 201:
Ideate BIMLink for RMEP Projects

Each class is designed to give you specific, improved results in a particular topic. You can interact with the instructor right from your own office, while eliminating travel time. Because the class schedule rotates, you can easily select your topics of interest and choose the day which best meets your schedule.

Click here for class descriptions, times and registration link. Questions? Contact education@ideateinc.com

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Classroom Training – Open Revit Classes

Know It. Ideate Training.

Position yourself to land dream projects. Tap the full potential of your software solutions. Increase your facility, fluidity and capability to maximize the value of your precision software tools.

9.18-19::San Francisco
3ds Max Design for Architects

9.23-25::San Jose
AutoCAD Fundamentals

9.24-26::Seattle
Revit Architecture Fundamentals

9.24-26::Seattle
Electrical Fundamentals

 Know your software. Sign up now!

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Classroom Training – Open Revit Classes

Know It. Ideate Training.

Position yourself to land dream projects. Tap the full potential of your software solutions. Increase your facility, fluidity and capability to maximize the value of your precision software tools.

8.27-29::Seattle
Revit Architecture Fundamentals

9.11-13::Portland
Revit Architecture Fundamentals

9.23-25::San Francisco
Revit Architecture Fundamentals

 Know your software. Sign up now!

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eLearning – Upcoming Classes

Join the Ideate Tech Experts for eLearning – live online classes that provide your entire organization with easy access to premium education. 

8.26.13::Revit 201:
Revit MEP and Low Voltage Systems MEP

9.5.13::Civil 3D 201:
Section Sheets Code Set Styles

9.9.13::ISW 101:
Revit Auditing with Ideate Explorer for Revit

9.10.13::Revit 201:
Residential Construction in Revit Architecture

8.19.13::ISW 101:
Ideate BIMLink for RMEP Projects

9.11.13::ISW 101:
Revit Project Management with Ideate BIMLink

Each class is designed to give you specific, improved results in a particular topic. You can interact with the instructor right from your own office, while eliminating travel time. Because the class schedule rotates, you can easily select your topics of interest and choose the day which best meets your schedule.

Click here for class descriptions, times and registration link. Questions? Contact education@ideateinc.com

Get It. Know It. Use It.

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Early Cost Estimating with Revit and Ideate BIMLink

Being able to provide early, high-quality cost estimates for Building Information Models (BIM) is an important aspect of integrated project delivery and is an invaluable service being offered by tech-saavy virtual design and construction firms.

Within the Revit model environment most cost estimating hinges upon the use of the Assembly Code field as the database “key” that connects the Revit model to the cost estimate, but managing that data can be cumbersome and up until now, an in-depth knowledge of Revit has been a requirement to manage this data.

With Ideate BIMLink access to this information is via Excel, so your cost estimating team can simply fill out the correct Assembly Code values in the spreadsheet and then return the file to the design team and have them import the assembly codes back into the Revit model objects. See how:

If you are using the assembly code data to facilitate your construction estimating (or specification processes) then using Ideate BIMLink to edit this data will return these benefits:

• You will save time because editing the information within Excel is significantly faster than within Revit, which does not allow copy/paste or other advanced editing methods. 
• You will also save time by editing all the information from a single source.  In Revit, multi-category schedule excludes walls, floors, ceilings, and other system family objects, so multiple exports are required. With Ideate BIMLink the mulit-category method extracts all the model data, as well as Design Option and Phasing information that may be crucial to the estimate.
• Ideate BIMLink lets you edit the data in Excel, so you’ll eliminate the need to train your estimators or specifiers on how to use Revit.

Having the one-to-one correspondence between your BIM data and your cost estimating is essential to stay on top of the game. Use Ideate BIMLink to quickly and easily manage your cost estimating data.

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Glynnis Patterson is a registered architect and the Director of Software Development at Ideate, Inc. In a previous life Glynnis spent many hours looking at blueprints with a scale, highlighters, and a scratch pad to develop detailed cost estimates.

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Classroom Training – Open Revit Classes

Know It. Ideate Training.

Position yourself to land dream projects. Tap the full potential of your software solutions. Increase your facility, fluidity and capability to maximize the value of your precision software tools.

8.12-14::San Francisco
Revit Structure Fundamentals

8.13-15::Portland
AutoCAD Fundamentals

8.19-20::San Francisco
3D Max Design for Architects

8.20-22::San Francisco
AutoCAD Fundamentals

8.20-22::San Jose
Revit MEP Electrical Fundamentals

8.27-29::Seattle
Revit Architecture Fundamentals

 Know your software. Sign up now!

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eLearning – Upcoming Classes

Join the Ideate Tech Experts for eLearning – live online classes that provide your entire organization with easy access to premium education. 

8.12.13::ISW 101:
Revit Auditing with Ideate Explorer for Revit

8.13.13::Revit 201:
View Properties:Controlling Visibility

8.15.13::Civil 3D 201:
Object & Label Styles

8.19.13::Civil 3D 201:
Working with ReCap

8.19.13::ISW 101:
Ideate BIMLink for RMEP Projects

8.20.13::Revit 201:
Impression in Revit

Each class is designed to give you specific, improved results in a particular topic. You can interact with the instructor right from your own office, while eliminating travel time. Because the class schedule rotates, you can easily select your topics of interest and choose the day which best meets your schedule.

Click here for class descriptions, times and registration link. Questions? Contact education@ideateinc.com

Get It. Know It. Use It.

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Classroom Training – Open Revit Classes

Know It. Ideate Training.

Position yourself to land dream projects. Tap the full potential of your software solutions. Increase your facility, fluidity and capability to maximize the value of your precision software tools.

8.5-6::San Jose
AutoCAD Beyond the Basics

8.12-14::San Francisco
Revit Structure Fundamentals

8.13-15::Portland
AutoCAD Fundamentals

8.19-20::San Francisco
3ds Max Design for Architects

8.20-22::San Francisco
AutoCAD Fundamentals

8.20-22::San Jose
Revit MEP: Electrical Fundamentals

 Know your software. Sign up now!

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Ideate, Inc. Welcomes Eugene A. O’Day, IX, to Tech Expert Team

San Francisco, CA, 7/31/2013 – Ideate, Inc., an Autodesk Gold Value Added Reseller, today announced that Eugene A. O’Day, IX, has joined Ideate, Inc. in its Portland, Oregon office as Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) Application Specialist. Ideate is also currently seeking qualified candidates for additional positions.

O’Day brings more than 25 years of architectural and mechanical experience to the Ideate Tech Expert Team, and he has special expertise in all things Autodesk Revit and Building Information Modeling (BIM).

Teaching is also a passion of O’Day’s. He has been an instructor in undergraduate degree programs, has traveled worldwide teaching Autodesk solutions to major corporations, has taught at accredited Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) throughout the Northwestern region, and is a frequent and popular instructor, speaker, and presenter for AUGI® CAD Camps, Revit- and related product user groups. He has also been a trusted public school district advisor on new drafting instructor hires.

“We are pleased to have Eugene on board. His years of professional experience in advanced design solutions and as a training expert are sure to enrich our AEC customers’ opportunities to achieve their best success,” says Bob Palioca, President, Ideate, Inc. “Eugene’s breadth of skills and extensive background dovetail perfectly with our Ideate Tech Expert Team.”

Ideate is growing and looking for talented qualified candidates to join the Ideate Tech Expert Team. Complete details on job descriptions and the application process can be found on the Ideate, Inc. Careers page.

About Ideate, Inc.
Ideate, Inc. is a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer with 25+ years’ experience in software development and specific focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and is a leading Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the AEC industry since 1992. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and operating five Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) in the northwestern U.S., Ideate is recognized as an Autodesk Gold Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, one of Autodesk’s highest levels of authorization.

Autodesk, ATC, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.

AUGI is a registered trademark of Autodesk User Groups International, Inc.
 

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The Pain of Jobsite Inspections

All of us who have gone to a jobsite to do an inspection, whether as the Architect doing a contract required review, or as part of a construction team (Construction Manager/Superintendent), or as an Owner’s representative; the process has always been the same. Carry to the jobsite all the drawings and a camera, maybe a recorder, but always your trusty pad and pen to record the issues/concerns and notes required. I speak of this experience because the jobsite visits are engraved into my brain as having one ever-lasting memory – that of frustration.

Frustration of having to first record, then document, then usually having to input the information into the computer; then comes the real frustration – do it all over again in the next inspection.  There must be a better way! 

There is a solution.  Autodesk BIM360 Field provides a solution that fits today’s technology and jobsite-specific issues. Autodesk BIM360 Field provides a Web and Tablet based (iOS) construction jobsite information management system.  Checklists/Punchlists, Equipment/Assets, Reports, and Issues are all tracked from a tablet, while being able to record/document jobsite conditions.

Why should you care?

• How much time are you, or your company, spending writing and re-writing lists, and then distributing them to the project team. Count the hours – they rack up each month.

• Have you ever left important information back at the office (a specific set of plans, or shop drawings). That is a waste of precious time.

• Have you not had the most up to date information at the jobsite and made judgments/decisions based upon out of date information – that is certainly risky.

• Have you ever wondered if an issue got resolved, who resolved it, and when? Lack of accurate, timely information (data) can lead to rework, redo, re-decide and other time delays. Delays cost money.

The great thing about BIM360 Field is that you don’t need to be BIM-enabled (though if you are, there are some additional benefits). If you currently work with 2D plans, and using pad and pen to document jobsite events/issues/concerns – look into BIM360 Field. The costs are reasonable - the value is great.

BIM360 Field has benefits for Architects (who do jobsite review), General Contractors, and Subcontractors (who have large teams on a site). Owners who take an active role in construction activities can also find great benefit.  For further information, visit our website (http://www.ideateinc.com/products/bim_360_field.html).

Ideate, Inc. is an Autodesk VAR, one of a select number of Autodesk resellers who have be selected to sell Autodesk BIM360 Field to customers. Call us at 888-662-7238, or talk to your Ideate Account Manager about discussing Autodesk BIM360 and your needs. (www.ideateinc.com).

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David Haynes, NCARB, PMP, LEED AP
Ideate Director of Consulting

David is a Registered Architect, Project Management Certified Professional, who previously had his own architectural practice and was President of a commercial design-build construction company for 15 years. A graduate of University of Arizona, he has worked as an Architect, contractor, developer and as a national construction manager for a national retailer. David currently provides business process analysis, virtualization and change management solutions for AEC clients across the United States involved in the design and building industry. Follow David on Twitter: @dhaynestech

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Autodesk InfraWorks Tips and Tricks: JavaScript Support

Here at Ideate, we are always on the lookout for helpful tips and tricks that might be of value to our customers. While attending Autodesk Technical Academy this year, we were able to get a first-hand look at some of the additional features of Autodesk InfraWorks. One of these was the support of JavaScript for use when configuring data and for adding Tooltips to existing objects in the model. The Autodesk techs hosting the session were kind enough to share those scripts with us, and now we would like to share them with you.

The first of our scripts deals with Building Randomization. In many cases, our InfraWorks model may start with building footprint information that locates and defines areas that the buildings will occupy. In order to create buildings in the model, we can apply a user-specified height to those footprints to produce an extruded 3D model. Although this is a quick and relatively easy solution, it does not provide much in terms of variety. All buildings are generated at the same height, giving it an unnatural look. With the Building Randomization script, varying height, façade, and roof styles are assigned to the buildings based on pre-defined case criteria. To use the script, simply delete the default script and paste it in as a replacement.

Here are some screenshots of a sample model with the defaults, then with the randomization script applied.

Default: All Buildings are the same height

After Randomization Script Applied: Varying Height & Styles

Our second script was created to add a custom Object Tooltip that includes a Google Maps link in it. This script can be applied to buildings in your InfraWorks model and automatically launches and locates those buildings when clicked. It also includes user-defined Name, Description and User Data fields that can be edited for each object when the Tooltip is applied. It can also be copied and pasted, however this script is added to the Tooltip cell in the Object Properties palette for each individual object rather than applied to the entire data source like in our first example.

The screenshot below shows the Tooltip that appears when the object is hovered over in InfraWorks as well as the user-defined properties and link to Google Maps.

Google Maps Tooltip

You can download a copy of the scripts here: 

Building Randomization

Google Maps Tooltip

To see a video on how these are applied, visit our website at www.ideateinc.com/2014.

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Matt Miyamoto, P.E.
Ideate AEC Application Specialist
Matt is a licensed Civil Engineer in the state of Hawaii. Matt obtained a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and has 7 years of private sector design experience which he applies in his role as an application specialist with Ideate, Inc. His project experience includes residential and commercial site development, private and public sewer, water and drainage systems, harbors improvements, and roadway improvements. While in Hawaii, Matt was involved in multidisciplinary projects for City and County agencies, State Departments, the Army COE and private developers. @MattM_PE

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