Autodesk Unveils 2010 Software Portfolio for Building Information Modeling

2010 Autodesk Revit Platform
The Autodesk Revit platform based products for BIM feature an aligned user interface, giving the entire range of products a consistent look and feel. The updated Autodesk Revit platform also allows a greater level of interoperability for green building analysis, providing support for the green building extensible markup language (gbXML) format. Updates to the products based on the Autodesk Revit platform include:

Autodesk Revit Architecture 2010 software (BIM for architects and designers) enables customers to more accurately capture early design concepts with improved conceptual design functionality via:

• An intuitive conceptual design workspace to create complex geometry more easily.
• A new user interface (UI) that works the way designers think, providing a smoother and more continuous design workflow.
• Improved interoperability with programs such as AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010 software, Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2010 software and Autodesk Inventor 2010 software.

Autodesk Revit Structure 2010 software (BIM for structural engineers, designers, and drafters) integrates a multi-material physical and an independently editable analytical model, to help provide for more efficient, more accurate documentation, analysis and design. Users will experience:

• Enhanced conceptual design, modeling and analysis to handle more complex architectural forms.
• Improved user interface with a new customizable ribbon toolbar.
• Improved performance and interoperability, including native 64 bit support.

Autodesk Revit MEP 2010 software (BIM for mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers) provides customers with optimum tools for system design and building performance analysis helping engineers to make better informed decisions. The 2010 release provides new functionality including:

• Native heating and cooling loads analysis enabling MEP engineers to determine the energy demands of the building.
• Enhanced gbXML export with the ability to examine an analytical model of the project before exporting to a gbXML file.
• Improved performance of the application enabling users to see significant performance enhancements while handling and working on large project files.

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Show Off Your Revit Talents: Win Money!

TurboSquid is holding a contest for Revit Families! Show off your talents and maybe you can even win some money!

The contest started December 2nd, 2008, but will run through March 31st, 2009.

Prizes will be awarded in three categories:

• Individual/Freelancer - Professionals submitting their personal creations
• Corporate - Submissions on behalf of a company or other entity
• Student - High school, university, or community college students

1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes will be awarded in each category:

• 1st prize: $2500
• 2nd prize: $1000
• 3rd prize: $500

All nine winners will get promotion on TurboSquid and a TurboSquid T-shirt.

You may submit as many entries as you like, and the can be interior, exterior, MEP, or any other kind of Revit design.

Entries will be judged on three criteria:

• Quality of design (aesthetics, structural)
• Number of published Revit families used in scene
• Quality of published Revit families used in scene (correct flexing and parameterization)

Enter the Contest!!!

Winners will be notified by April 15, 2009.

Back to Basics: Grid Lines Dissapearing?!?!?

Have you ever had Grid Lines dissapear for no apparent reason? Well, here are a few reasons this would occur, and how you can aleviate the issue:

1. Grid lines can be affected by the “View Range” settings of the view. A Grid Line must be touching the Cut Plane of the Level to be seen within the Floorplan View. To fix it, either go to the Elevation View and extend the Grid Line to touch or extend above the Level, or change the View Range of that Floorplan.

2. Grid objects visibility can be controlled with “Scope Boxes”. This also applies to other “Datum” objects such as levels, and reference lines. To do this:

-Create one or more scope boxes [“Drafting”, “Scope Box”].
-Apply a scope box to datum elements (grid lines, levels, or reference planes). Highlight the Grid Lines, “Element Properties”.
-Lastly, you can set the Scope Box visibility, by highlighting the Scope Box, “Element Properties”, “Views Visible”, and changing the “Override” setting.

This will give you View by View control over groups of Grid Lines.

Note: There is additional information in the Help file if you search for “Controlling Visibility of Datums Using Scope Boxes”.

3. You can also “Hide” the grid lines using the typical highlight, right-click, “Hide in View”, “Elements” or “Category”.

4. There is some additional documentation in the Help file, if you search for “Customizing Grid Lines”. This specifically covers adding break lines or changing the display.