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Autodesk 3ds Max Design

twoplussoft — Tue, 19 May 2009 00:57:48 +0000

Autodesk 3ds Max Design

Support for Sustainable Architectural Projects One of the key technologies in Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design software is Exposure™ technology, a toolset – exclusive to this version of the product – for simulating and analysing sun, sky, and artificial lighting. Exposure assists architects in evaluating light intensity, part of the process of analysing indoor environmental quality for requirements such as LEED 8.1 certification. Precise Visual Feedback and Professional Final Renders Reveal™ rendering technology, a system that streamlines iterative workflows by giving you very precise control over what is rendered, be it your entire scene minus a specific object, one given object, or a specific region of the Framebuffer. The rendered image Framebuffer contains a simplified set of tools to quickly validate changes in a render, by optionally filtering out objects, regions, and/or processes in order to balance quality, speed, and completeness. The release also contains a new ProMaterials™ library for mental ray® software, which gives you manufacturer-related materials for creating design and building surfaces. Revit 2009 Interoperability…and More With 3ds Max Design Autodesk takes a major leap forward with interoperability between 3ds Max Design and Revit® software. The software’s new FBX®-based Recognize™ scene-loading technology lets you quickly and accurately import geometry, lights, materials, and cameras from your Revit scenes into 3ds Max Design. Interoperability has also been strengthened across the 3D line of Autodesk products through two new user interface and navigation toolsets – the ViewCube™ and SteeringWheels™ technologies. Streamlined Mapping and Animation Workflows Enjoy faster, more efficient workflows with the UV spline mapping tool, and enhanced Pelt and Relax functionality. Additionally, Biped now includes a more efficient workflow for rigging quadrupeds.

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AutoCAD Revit MEP 2010

twoplussoft — Tue, 19 May 2009 00:49:22 +0000

AutoCAD® Revit® MEP Suite combines Autodesk® Revit® MEP building information modelling (BIM) software with the widely used AutoCAD® MEP software.

Key Features of Revit MEP

Building Information Modelling for MEP Engineers
Autodesk RevitMEP software is the building information modelling (BIM) software for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineers, providing purpose-built tools for building systems design and analysis.

With parametric change management technology, modifications are coordinated more consistently across the model.
Choose from multiple auto-layout path suggestions to determine the best path for your design, or modify the auto-layouts and let Revit MEP create the appropriate ductwork and fittings automatically.
The ability to change a schedule and automatically update the model is a key benefit of Revit MEP.

Sustainable Building Design and Analysis
By using the rich building information model, with realistic, real-time design scenarios, MEP engineers can make better decisions and minimise design errors to fit a project’s sustainability strategy.

Autodesk Revit MEP provides support for green building extensible markup language (gbXML). Export the gbXML file for use with Autodesk sustainable building design and analysis solutions such as Autodesk® Green Building Studio® web-based energy analysis service and Autodesk® Ecotect™ conceptual building performance analysis software, as well as third-party analysis applications.
Create high-performance, sustainable buildings based on informed decisions from extensive analysis of heating and cooling loads, lighting/daylighting, thermal energy, and more.

Native Heating and Cooling Load Analysis
Autodesk Revit MEP provides native integrated heating and cooling load analysis tools to help you perform energy analysis, evaluate system loads, and produce heating and cooling load reports for a project.

Use heating and cooling load analysis information and intuitive 3D layout tools to create HVAC ductwork and systems.
Lay out primary and secondary HVAC systems based on integrated, automatically propagated load calculation results.
Route and size complex duct and pipe runs between any two points based on calculated loads and system requirements.

Mechanical Systems and Duct Layout Modelling
Once your air terminals and mechanical equipment are placed, you can create supply, return, and exhaust systems to connect the components of the air system.

Use the System Browser to verify that all of the components are assigned to an air system.
Layout Path tools let you specify routing parameters for ductwork, to view different layout path solutions, and to manually modify layout path solutions for the air system.
Perform duct sizing using friction and/or velocity, equal friction, or static regain sizing methods using Revit MEP duct-sizing tools. The sizing methods used in Revit MEP use the ASHRAE database, which contains information about losses for various duct fittings.

Electrical Lighting, Wire Path Layout, and Power Circuit Layout
Create single and multicircuit wiring for electrical devices, fixtures, and power receptacles automatically, using intuitive circuit creation and automated wire path layout tools.

Increase coordination in your documentation and design layout with specific switch systems topology, independent of lighting circuits and wiring.
Minimise design errors by using circuits to track loads, attached devices, and circuit lengths.
Define wire types, voltage ranges and distribution systems to help ensure compatibility of electrical connections and prevent overloads and mismatched voltages.

Get more details on Autodesk Revit MEP features.

Key Features of AutoCAD MEP

Work in a Familiar AutoCAD Environment
Because AutoCAD MEP is built on AutoCAD, you can access all of the commands that you are familiar with from right within AutoCAD MEP. Commands such as copy, move, and array can be used for duct, pipe, conduit, and cable tray. In addition, AutoCAD MEP has enhanced building systems design tools that enable you to copy, move, and align all in one easy step.

Industry-Specific Task-Based Workspaces
Whether you are a small or a multidisciplinary firm, workspaces apply to you. You can use workspaces to save your unique individual user interface configurations that are tailored around your specific building systems design task. Once the workspaces are created, you can quickly switch between them as needed or work from one individual workspace that’s fully customised to your needs.

Dedicated Tools for Schematic Design
Using schematic tools within AutoCAD MEP, you can quickly create schematic design documentation tools. Riser diagrams and schematic plans can easily be created using tools that are logically grouped together, enabling you to more easily access them whether you are working in a mechanical, electrical, or plumbing schematic design layout. Batch convert your existing AutoCAD block libraries to schematic symbols for quick use in schematic design. The converter creates not only your standard 2D symbols, but also all the isometric symbols you will need for isometric riser diagrams.

Construction Document Representations
AutoCAD MEP gives you the ability to represent single-line and double-line piping at the same time in your construction documentation. Lay out mechanical systems in single line with unsized parts early in the design process, and then use duct-sizing tools to convert the layout to double line more easily. The enhanced pipe display combined with duct-sizing tools help to increase drafting productivity.

Smart Annotation of Objects
Annotate once for all scales. Annotative text and symbols automatically adjust based on the scale of the view. You can annotate objects with labels that consist of text or block definitions. The information in the label comes from object properties, such as duct, piping, or conduit size.

Get more details AutoCAD MEP features.

MEP AutoCAD CAD BIM Revit Twoplus Soft reseller CAD Engineering LEED Machanical Engineering Plumbling

AutoCAD CIVIL 3D 2010

twoplussoft — Tue, 19 May 2009 00:45:36 +0000

AutoCAD® Civil 3D® software provides a range of features that help civil engineering project teams complete land development, transportation, and environmental projects faster and with improved accuracy.

Geospatial Analysis & Mapping
Geospatial analysis and mapping functionality included in AutoCAD Civil 3D integrates processes in the civil engineering workflow.

Stormwater Design & Analysis
AutoCAD Civil 3D includes integrated functionality for stormwater hydraulics and hydrology, including storm sewer design, watershed analysis, detention pond modelling, and culvert analysis. This stormwater software functionality enables you to address crucial parts of your workflow and increase the value of your design information to better predict project performance.

Surveying & Coordinate Systems
Survey functionality is fully integrated into AutoCAD Civil 3D software, providing a consistent design environment from surveying to creation of construction documentation. Use the end result – your points, survey figures, and surfaces – throughout the design process. If you introduce additional field data into the project, design elements will update automatically.

Documentation
Complete your civil engineering project by creating and delivering construction documentation faster and with fewer errors. AutoCAD Civil 3D helps speed up this phase of your project by dynamically connecting design and documentation, automating much of the process. Whenever you enter a change order, the documentation and reports update automatically – helping to reduce errors and omissions.

Data Management & Team Coordination
With AutoCAD Civil 3D, your entire team can work from the same consistent, up-to-date model. Team members can stay better coordinated throughout all phases of the project, from survey to construction documentation. This scalable approach to data management and team coordination addresses the needs of any organisation, regardless of size or organisational structure.

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AutoCAD Structural Detailing

twoplussoft — Fri, 01 May 2009 11:56:10 +0000

AutoCAD® Structural Detailing software enables you to quickly and efficiently generate detailing and creation of fabrication shop drawings for reinforced concrete and steel structures.

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Intelligent Structural Objects
In AutoCAD Structural Detailing, engineers and drafters can create structural steel models or rebar drawings using intelligent objects such as beams, plates, columns, walls, and reinforcement bars, rather than lines and curves. You can virtually cut, lengthen, bend, split, and merge objects. They dynamically react to changes and automatically update material takeoffs.

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Powerful Macros
AutoCAD Structural Detailing provides special tools and smart macros that enable fast automation of time-consuming structural tasks. Use macros to generate typical parts of steel structures (including connections, roof trusses, stairs, railings, and ladders), automatically place elements (such as grates or purlins), or generate complete concrete reinforcement drawings of typical parts of structures, together with rebar descriptions and material takeoffs.

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Country-Specific Detailing Templates
Shop drawing documentation strongly depends on regional codes and detailing methods characteristic for each country (especially for reinforced concrete drawings). AutoCAD Structural Detailing software offers concrete reinforcement and steel detailing templates that are based on regional detailing practices such as designations and hatching patterns, in a multitude of countries, helping to ensure adherence to local detailing methods and appropriate elements or material schedules.

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Regional Databases of Steel Profiles, Materials, and Reinforcement Bar Shapes
AutoCAD Structural Detailing includes multiple databases from a wide range of countries to help ensure that users have the proper locally required elements, such as steel sections, materials, or rebar shapes.

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Automatic Views, Cross-Sections, and Details
AutoCAD Structural Detailing helps to prepare shop drawings by automatically generating elements or building cross-sections and elevations, complete with dimensions and descriptions.

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Automatic Generation of Complete Shop Drawings
AutoCAD Structural Detailing generates complete workshop drawings (with single parts and assemblies), schedules, and material takeoffs. When design changes are made, the software helps you streamline time-consuming updates of descriptions and dimensions, offering more data coordination throughout your shop drawings set.

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Schedules and Material Takeoffs
AutoCAD Structural Detailing can produce all schedules and material takeoffs automatically from the drawings, or allow the user to export them to Microsoft® Excel® or Microsoft Word® software. Schedules are updated automatically to reflect changes made in your drawings.

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Customizable Detailing and Shop Drawing Styles
Styles enable users to more freely adjust the look of final shop drawings. You can change almost any aspect of the drawing, including descriptions, symbols, dimensions, and tables. Create new styles or modify existing ones easily to make your drawings look exactly the way you want.

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Interoperability with Structural Analysis Software
AutoCAD Structural Detailing software seamlessly imports structural steel models created in Autodesk® Robot™ Structural Analysis software, as well as CIS/2 files, for more rapid 3D assembly and further detailing. The reinforcement detailing capability also imports reinforcement data from Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis for automatic generation of reinforcement drawings for particular elements. Several formats are available for data export. Structural steel drawings can be sent to computer numeric controlled (CNC) fabrication machines.

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Import Revit Structure Data
Using the Reinforcement Drawing Extension, you can export reinforcement data from Revit® Structure software and generate 2D reinforcement drawings with AutoCAD Structural Detailing’s reinforcement detailing capabilities. A reinforcement drawing can be generated based on a selected national code. You can import a structural steel model created in Revit Structure and exported to CIS/2 and finish detailed modeling by adding necessary details such as connections, ribs, plates, stairs, and railings in AutoCAD Structural Detailing.

Sustainable Design Analysis and Building Information Modeling

twoplussoft — Fri, 01 May 2009 11:12:30 +0000

Sustainable Design Analysis
and Building Information
Modeling
The white paper explores how Autodesk® Ecotect™
Analysis software helps architects and other users
analyze the performance of their conceptual building
designs.
The world is changing, the economy is changing, and the architectural practice is
changing. Designing energy- and resource-efficient buildings, in many locations, is no
longer optional, but mandatory. While owners have always sought designs that are costeffective
to operate and that will command premium lease values, research shows that
green buildings (for example, LEED®-certified) are more likely to deliver on these criteria.
A 2008 report from McGraw Hill Construction finds a 13.6 percent decrease in operating
costs from green building and a 10.9 percent increase in building values as reported by
architects, engineering firms, contractors, and owners over the past three years. (McGraw
Hill Construction September 19, 2008) More pressing is the growing number of local and
national regulations that mandate targets for energy and resource efficiency as well as
carbon emission reductions in new and renovated buildings. These government
initiatives—such as the 2007 U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act or the
European Union’s Energy Performance Buildings Directive—are certainly put in place to
help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow our impact on climate change, but they
are also instituted to reduce dependence on unpredictable markets for oil as an energy
source and, most recently, to help stimulate the global economy.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), buildings contribute roughly one-third
of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, primarily from electricity consumption; in the
United States, 76 percent of all power generated is consumed by buildings. As voluntary
goals—such as the AIA 2030 Challenge to achieve carbon neutral buildings by 2030—
become the basis for regulation, improving building energy performance presents an
enormous opportunity for innovative architecture, engineering, and construction practices.
Building professionals can help dramatically reduce the negative environmental impact of
new and renovated buildings by employing sustainable design principles.
Sustainable Design in Practice
Design decisions made early in the process can deliver significant results when it comes
to the efficient use of the vital resources. Employing sustainable analysis tools helps
architects and engineers to make better informed decisions earlier in the design process
and enables them to have a greater impact on the efficiency and performance of a
building design. Historically, analysis software could be complex and require special
training—making it unsuitable for infrequent users such as architects or designers.
Sustainable analysis tools, such as Autodesk Ecotect Analysis helps users to become
proficient faster by providing access to immense stores of data and the ability to more
quickly iterate for optimal sustainable designs.
Designing and delivering more sustainable projects can be complex. It requires close
coordination across different project stages, from design through construction and
operation. Many firms are looking for the best way to integrate building information
modeling (BIM) technology with sustainable design and analysis tools. BIM is core to
Autodesk’s sustainable design approach for building performance analysis and simulation.
Analyzing a Building Design
BIM enables architects and engineers to use digital design information to analyze and
understand how their projects perform before they are built. Developing and evaluating
multiple alternatives at the same time enables easy comparison and informs better
sustainable design decisions.
A computable Autodesk® Revit® Architecture design model is devised for sustainability
analyses—even during early conceptual design. As soon as the layout of a building’s
walls, windows, roofs, floors, and interior partitions (elements that define a building’s
thermal zones) are established, the information employed to create a Revit® model can be
used to perform analyses. Performing these analyses in a CAD workflow is a fairly difficult
undertaking as the CAD model has to be exported and carefully massaged to work with
analysis programs. Using the Autodesk Ecotect Analysis to analyze early building designs
emerging from a Revit-based BIM process can simplify the analysis process.
Whole Building Energy, Water and
Carbon Analysis
Subscribers to Autodesk Ecotect Analysis can get access to the Autodesk® Green
Building Studio® web-based service for the duration of their subscription. The web-service
enables faster, more accurate whole-building energy, water, and carbon emission
analyses and helps architects—the majority of which are not specially trained in any of
these analyses—to evaluate the carbon footprint of a Revit-based building design with
greater ease.
The Green Building Studio web service was first introduced in 2004. Today, its analysis
results meet ASHRAE Standard 140 and are qualified by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The service received the Microsoft Ingenuity Point Award in 2008.
Built specifically for architects and using green building extensible markup language
(gbXML) for easy data exchange across the Internet, the web-based service was one of
the first engineering analysis tools to deliver easy-to-use interoperability between building
designs and sophisticated energy analysis software programs such as DOE-2.
The link between the Revit platform and the Green Building Studio web service is
facilitated through a plug-in that enables registered users to access the service directly
from their Revit Architecture design environment.
Inline Energy Analysis
The Autodesk Green Building Studio web-based service enables architects and other
users to perform faster analyses of a Revit-based building design, from within their own
design environment, directly over the Internet. This helps streamline the entire analysis
Figure 1:
The Autodesk Green
Building Studio web-based
service enables faster,
whole-building energy,
water, and carbon
emission analyses of a
Revit-based building
design. The building
location (being defined
here) drives the resulting
electricity and water usage
costs.
Figure 2:
The link between the
Revit platform and the
Autodesk Green Building
Studio web-based service
is facilitated through a
plug-in that enables
registered users to
access the service
directly from their
Autodesk Revit
Architecture design
environment.
process and enables architects to get faster feedback on their design alternatives—
making green design more efficient and cost-effective.
Based on the building’s size, type, and location (which drives electricity and water usage
costs), the web-based service determines the appropriate material, construction, system,
and equipment defaults by using regional building standards and codes to make intelligent
assumptions. Using simple drop-down menus, architects can quickly change any of these
settings to define specific aspects of their design; a different building orientation, a lower
U-value window glazing, or a 4-pipe fan coil HVAC system.
The service uses precise hourly weather data, as well as historical rain data, that are
accurate to within 9 miles of the given building site. It also uses emission data for electric
power plants across the United States and includes the broad range of variables needed
to assess carbon neutrality.
Analysis Results
Usually, within minutes the service calculates a building’s carbon emissions and the user
is able to view the output in a web browser, including the estimated energy and cost
summaries as well as the building’s carbon neutral potential. Users can then explore
design alternatives by updating the settings used by the service and rerunning the
analysis, or by revising the building model itself in the Revit-based application and then
rerunning the analysis.
The output also summarizes the water usage and costs, and electricity and fuel costs;
calculates an ENERGY STAR score; estimates photovoltaic and wind energy potential;
calculates points toward LEED daylighting credit; and estimates natural ventilation
potential. Unlike most analysis output, the Autodesk Green Building Studio report is easier
to understand—giving architects and other users actionable information they need to help
make greener design decisions.
Figure 3:
Architects and other
users can explore design
alternatives by updating
the settings used by the
Autodesk Green Building
Studio web-based
service and rerunning
the analysis, or revising
the building model itself
in the Revit-based
application and then
rerunning the analysis.
Figure 4:
The Autodesk Revitbased
software
application user views
the output of the
analyses in a web
browser, including the
estimated energy and
carbon emission
summaries (shown left)
and a detailed LEED
water efficiency guide
(shown below).
Detailed Environmental Performance
The desktop tools in Autodesk Ecotect Analysis provide a wide range of functions and
simulations, helping architects and other users to understand how environmental factors
will impact building operation and performance in the early design phase.
Working with the Environment
To mitigate a building’s impact on the environment, it is important to first understand how
the environment will impact the building. Built specifically by architects and focused on the
building design process, Autodesk Ecotect Analysis is an environmental analysis tool that
enables designers to simulate the performance of their building projects right from the
earliest stages of conceptual design.
Autodesk Ecotect Analysis combines a wide array of analysis functions—including
shadows, shading, solar, lighting, thermal, ventilation, and acoustics—with a highly visual
and interactive display that presents analytical results directly within the context of the
building model. This visual feedback enables the software to communicate complex
concepts and extensive datasets more effectively and helps designers quickly engage
with multifaceted performance issues—at a time when the design is sufficiently “plastic”
and can be easily changed.
Figure 5:
Early stage Autodesk
Revit Architecture
models can be analyzed
with Autodesk Ecotect
Analysis to help
determine the optimal
location, shape, and
orientation of a building
design—based on basic
environmental factors
such as the
overshadowing of a
particular building
(highlighted in red)
shown here.
Analyzing a Design in the Context of BIM
Revit-based design models can be exported to gbXML format and imported directly into
Autodesk Ecotect Analysis for simulation and analysis throughout the design process. At
the onset of the design process, very early stage Autodesk Revit Architecture massing
models can be used in combination with site analysis functionality in Autodesk Ecotect
Analysis to help determine the optimal location, shape, and orientation of a building
design—based on fundamental environmental factors such as daylight, overshadowing,
solar access, and visual impact.
As the conceptual design evolves, whole-building energy, water and carbon analysis can
be conducted using the integrated access to Autodesk Green Building Studio in order to
benchmark its energy use and recommend areas of potential savings. Once these
fundamental design parameters have been established, Autodesk Ecotect Analysis can be
used again to rearrange rooms and zones, to size and shape individual apertures, to
design custom shading devices, or to choose specific materials—based on environmental
factors such as daylight availability, glare protection, outside views, and acoustic comfort.
Visual Feedback
Perhaps the most unique aspect of the software is its visual and interactive display of the
analysis results. The inability of the designer to easily interpret the results of analyses is
often the biggest failing of building performance analysis software. Autodesk Ecotect
Analysis provides actionable feedback to the designer in the form of text-based reports as
well as visual displays. These visual displays are more than just charts and graphs. The
analysis results are presented directly within the context of the model display: shadow
animations resulting from shadow casting analysis; surface-mapped information such as
incident solar radiation; and spatial volumetric renderings such as daylight or thermal
comfort distribution in a room.
Figure 6:
Autodesk Ecotect
Analysis can also be
used for detailed design
analysis. For example,
the visibility analysis
displayed here shows
the amount and quality
of views to the outside
mapped over the floor
area of an office.
This type of visual feedback lets designers more easily understand and interact with
analysis data, often in real time. For instance, a designer can rotate a view of surfacemapped
solar radiation looking for variations over each facade, or watch an animated
sequence of solar rays to see how sunlight interacts with a specially designed light shelf at
different times of the year.
Figure 7:
Using Autodesk Ecotect
Analysis, architects can
see the results of their
analysis displayed in the
context of a building
model, such as the
surface-mapped results
of this solar radiation
analysis.
Figure 8:
Autodesk Ecotect
Analysis software also
displays analysis results
using spatial volumetric
renderings, such as this
analysis of the visual
impact of a building
within an urban site.
Ongoing Building Performance Analysis
During conceptual design, Autodesk Ecotect Analysis and the Autodesk Revit Architecture
model can be used for a variety of early analysis. For example, the designer can perform
overshadowing, solar access, and wind-flow analyses to iterate on a form, and orientation
that maximizes building performance without impinging on the rights-to-light of
neighboring structures.
As the design progresses and the elements that define a building’s thermal zones are
established (the layout of the walls, windows, roofs, floors, and interior partitions), the
Revit model can be used for room-based calculations such as average daylight factors,
reverberation times, and portions of the floor area with direct views outside.
Eventually the Revit model can be used for more detailed analysis—such as shading,
lighting, and acoustic analysis. For example, the designer can use Autodesk Ecotect
Analysis in conjunction with a shading louver design modeled in Autodesk Revit
Architecture to simulate how the design will work under different conditions throughout the
year. Or the architect can use Autodesk Ecotect Analysis to help assess the acoustic
comfort of a Revit-based design, and then adjust the location of a sound source or adjust
the internal wall layout or the geometry of sound reflectors for optimal comfort.
Summary
The consistent, computable data that comes from Autodesk Revit Architecture combined
with the breadth of performance analysis and meaningful feedback of Autodesk Ecotect
Analysis work in combination to help reduce the cost and time to perform energy modeling
and analysis. The feedback from these analyses helps architects and other users to
optimize the energy efficiency of their designs and work toward carbon neutrality earlier in
the design process—a key ingredient not only for incorporating energy efficiency into
standard building design practices but also for mitigating the carbon footprint of our built
environment.
About Revit
The Revit platform is Autodesk’s purpose-built solution for building information modeling.
Applications such as Autodesk Revit Architecture, Autodesk® Revit® Structure software,
and Autodesk® Revit® MEP software built on the Revit platform are comprehensive,
discipline-specific building design and documentation systems supporting all phases of
design and construction documentation. From conceptual studies through the most
detailed construction drawings and schedules, applications built on Revit help provide
competitive advantage, better coordination and quality, and can contribute to higher
profitability for architects and the rest of the building team.
At the heart of the Revit platform is the Revit parametric change engine, which
automatically coordinates changes made anywhere—in model views or drawing sheets

Autodesk Ecotect Analysis 2010

twoplussoft — Fri, 01 May 2009 11:07:55 +0000

Autodesk Ecotect Analysis 2010

โปรแกรมวิเคราะห์พลังงานอาคาร

Environmental Analysis and Simulation Shadows and Reflections Display the sun’s position and path relative to the model at any date, time, and location. View shadows over the model, isolate individual shadows from selected objects, and assign colors in order to differentiate the effects of different objects or buildings. See how sunlight enters through windows and moves within a space. Tag objects in the model as solar reflectors and track movement of reflections across the site. Autodesk Ecotect Analysis: Shading Design View Larger Shading Design A wizard helps you design shading devices to meet complex shading requirements. It can also generate a shape to optimally shade a window for any specified period. Generate cutting planes that follow the path of the sun in order to cut profiles and produce site solar envelopes. Once you model a complex shading system, more quickly calculate how much solar radiation hits any part of the window or over time. Autodesk Ecotect Analysis: Solar Analysis View Larger Solar Analysis Visualize incident solar radiation on windows and surfaces, and show the differential incident solar radiation calculated over any period. Take advantage of site overshadowing to treat different parts of the facade. Compare incident gains during different seasons, more clearly showing variations in solar resources available to the building at times when heating or cooling is required. Calculate solar availability over the spaces around buildings and in highly overshadowed urban sites. Photovoltaic Array Sizing and Load Matching Calculate the amount of solar radiation falling on any object, along with shading and reflection percentages. Combine this information with total annual radiation to help determine the best location and orientation for solar panels. Calculate the solar radiation incident on any solar collector and estimate its likely energy production throughout the year. Autodesk Ecotect Analysis: Lighting Design View Larger Lighting Design Calculate daylight factors and illuminance levels at any point in the model or over the analysis grid. Once you calculate daylight factors in your model, use the advanced daylighting features to help determine potential savings due to daylight-linked lighting. Autodesk Ecotect Analysis: Right-to-Light View Larger Right-to-Light Analyze site projection angles, assess obstructions, calculate vertical sky components for any point or surface, and visualize the no-sky line in any space. Generate angled test planes from each window or facade you are studying, or physically project and color exactly the parts of a structure that are infringing. Autodesk Ecotect Analysis: Acoustic Analysis View Larger Acoustic Analysis Acoustic analysis options range from simple statistical reverberation times to sophisticated particle analysis and ray tracing techniques. Autodesk Ecotect Analysis: Thermal Analysis View Larger Thermal Analysis Calculate heating and cooling loads for models with any number of zones and with any type of geometry. Assign detailed material properties to all objects and annual hourly operational schedules to occupancy, internal gains, infiltration, and individual items of equipment. Autodesk Ecotect Analysis: Ventilation and Airflow View Larger Ventilation and Airflow Generate geometry and analysis grids and export them directly into computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools. Complete your calculations and import results back into Ecotect Analysis for display within the context of the original model. Choose from a variety of visualization and presentation options, or view volumetrically as you move around in 3D. Use the same process to calculate airflow both through and around buildings and complex urban environments. Whole Building Energy, Water, and Carbon Analysis Customers who add subscription to Autodesk Ecotect Analysis can get integrated access* to Autodesk Green Building Studio web-based service for whole building analysis of energy, water, and carbon emissions. Energy and Carbon Results The engineering results pages on the Autodesk Green Building Studio web-based service provide extensive information on a building’s energy performance. They also offer resources to help compare the relative energy costs of building design scenarios at the conceptual design stage. Whole Building Energy Analysis Help to determine and reduce a virtual building’s total energy use and carbon footprint. Break down annual energy use, including all electricity and fuel, into lighting, HVAC, and other equipment, with hourly analysis simulations that use the DOE-2.2 simulation engine. See breakdown and display of energy use in graphical format and percentages associated with each category in a few clicks of your mouse. Carbon Emission Reporting The web service reports on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for nearly all aspects of the building, including on-site fuel use and emissions at power plants that supply electricity to the building. The analysis also summarizes the power plants that generate electricity for the electric grid that serves the building by fuel type. Water Usage and Cost Evaluation Get a summary of the estimated water use in and outside the building, based on the number of people and building type. Water usage analysis enables you to apply a variety of water savings measures, including more efficient fixtures, water catchments, and native vegetation. Ecotect Analysis can tell you the potential LEED credits available for these measures. Photovoltaic Potential Get a high-level summary of your building’s photovoltaic potential. Analyze every exterior surface on your building to determine how much electricity photovoltaic panels could generate. ENERGY STAR Scoring Each building design receives a United States Environmental Protection Agency ENERGY STAR® score. The ENERGY STAR score is the basis for the Architecture 2030 goals for carbon and fossil fuel reduction. Daylighting Every analysis details your qualification for LEED daylighting credit. Get a summary of each room’s glaze factor calculations to determine what actions you can take to increase eligibility for LEED daylight credits. Project Locating A Google Maps™ view displays weather stations, distances, and land and water features, so you can precisely locate your project. Weather Pinpointing Designers can simulate weather associated with a location using an extensive collection of hourly U.S. weather data, available within a few miles of any building site. Detailed Weather Analysis Review extensive, easy-to-read weather reports for your project site, including wind speed and direction for any time period. Wind Energy Potential The software can calculate the amount of electricity a 15-foot wind turbine can generate each year, based on a selected weather location. Natural Ventilation Potential Figure out how much mechanical cooling the current building design requires. Then, estimate the number of hours the current design could use outdoor air to cool the building naturally. More quickly determine if mechanical cooling is necessary if your site is in a mild climate. Analyzing Design Alternatives The Design Alternative (DA) feature on the Autodesk Green Building Studio web service, assists you in determining variations that will help improve energy efficiency. This powerful feature helps you to make significant design decisions more quickly. File Download Formats Interoperability between Autodesk Ecotect Analysis, building information modeling (BIM) tools, and other software programs is provided with various file download formats, including: * gbXML * VRML * DOE-2 * EnergyPlus * Weather File (binary) * Weather File (csv) VRML is a 3D model that shows what the gbXML export has extracted from your project. It can be useful for establishing a good representation of the whole building.

Autodesk Newsletter

twoplussoft — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:27:17 +0000

Issue 10 – April 2009

What if AEC 2010

IN THIS ISSUE

Community

- Join The AutoCAD® Exchange

Focus On

- Stay Competitive with Autodesk 2010 Design Solutions for Architecture, Engineering & Construction
- Guide to Sustainable Design for Architecture, Engineering & Construction

Tips & Techniques

- AutoCAD® Architecture: Wall Styles and Material Definitions Start
- Autodesk® Revit® Architecture: Panels
- AutoCAD® Civil 3D: Browser Troubles When Running Report in Vista

What’s New?

- Join us on YouTube™

Subscription News

- New Extensions for Autodesk® Subscription Members

Customer Success

- Revit BIM Experience Award Winner: SENER Engineering Group
- Architectus Optimise Design Documentation and Increase Productivity with Autodesk Revit Architecture

It all starts here

Quick Links to Website

- Previous Issues
- AEC Solutions
- Product List
- Support (US Web site)
- Locate a Reseller
- Locate a Training Centre
- Request a product trial CD
- Autodesk Loyalty Program
- Customer Stories
- Events
- Subscribe to the Newsletter

Revit User Group Links

- Singapore Revit User Group
- Philippines Revit User Group
- Malaysia Revit User Group

Welcome to Architecture, Engineering & Construction News

Dear [customer first name],

Hello and welcome to the April 2009 issue of Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC) News.

In this issue, find out more about the newly launched AutoCAD Exchange community site, discover the potentials of the latest releases of Autodesk 2010 software to help you stay competitive, and gain better understanding on how to create and deliver sustainable design projects through the “Guide to Sustainable Design for Architecture, Engineering & Construction”.

We also invite you to check out our very own Autodesk YouTube channel and view videos on product features, demos, customer stories and much more.

As always, we’ll share our dose of tips and tricks and in our customer showcase, we’re featuring SENER Engineering and Architectus on their success with Autodesk BIM solutions.

If you would like to share your comments on how we can improve this newsletter, please send them to keepintouch@autodesk.com.

The AEC News Editorial Team
community

Join The AutoCAD Exchange

We just launched AutoCAD Exchange, a centralised location for CAD Managers and end users to gather and share information, network and have some fun. This is an interactive portal that will be constantly updated with fresh, relevant information just for them. In a single, customisable information hub, it presents our users with the best tips and tricks for AutoCAD® software, eLearning courses, blog posts, and more from across Autodesk – and beyond. Learn more.
Focus On

Stay Competitive with Autodesk 2010 Design Solutions for Architecture, Engineering & Construction

The latest Autodesk 2010 design solutions with improved tools for Building Information Modelling (BIM) , Infrastructure Modelling, sustainable design and analysis, give you the ability to design, visualise and simulate your design, before they’re built. Compete and win in the global economy by increasing your productivity, reducing errors and accelerating project delivery with Autodesk Solutions. Read more.

Guide to Sustainable Design for Architecture, Engineering & Construction

This interactive, online guide highlights sustainable design principles and technologies for every phase of the project life cycle – whether new construction or renovation. Autodesk developed the guide to help AEC professionals better understand which decisions are critical, what steps to take, and how Autodesk solutions can help to create and deliver more sustainable designs. Users can explore each project phase to see the opportunities for impacting the efficient use of land, water, energy and materials, then dive deeper to learn more. Check it out at www.autodesk.com/sustainabledesignguide

Guide to Sustainable Design
Events & Promotions

Tip 1: AutoCAD Architecture: Walls Styles and Material Definitions Start

Learn how to use materials to control the display properties of a wall style in this article by Tharakesh Ananthakrishnan, Technical/Project manager for OMNIX International – Dubai
AutoCAD Architecture: Wall Styles and Material Definitions

Tip 2: Autodesk Revit Architecture: Panels

With the new Ribbon we now have panels. Panels are really groups of tools and they have titles. These titles are not very big, but screen space matters so you can get rid of those panel titles if you want. Learn how.
By Harlan Brumm, Global Technical Lead, Autodesk Product Support

Tip 3: AutoCAD Civil 3D: Browser Troubles When Running Report in Vista

If you are one of the many people who are using a default web browser of anything other than Internet Explorer, you may have seen this message when running a report from the toolbox:

“Error displaying report in registered browser.”
Browser Troubles when Running Report in Vista

Autodesk Civil 3D needs to have Internet Explorer as the default browser, and for some reason this is a little more difficult / hidden in Vista. Simply choosing to “set as default” won’t work. There is another step you need to take. Find out how.
By Justin Ziemba, Autodesk Product Support Specialist
What’s New

Join us on YouTube

Autodesk has launched Autodesk YouTube Channel. See the latest videos from the Building Industry Playlist which includes:

* Kelcey Lemon of Autodesk demonstrating how architects and designers can use new features within Revit Architecture 2010 for Conceptual Design.
* Marie Olivares and Scott Hammond of Autodesk, demonstrating how MEP and Structural Engineers can remain competitive today with new analysis and simulation features within Revit MEP and Revit Structure 2010.

Want to know “What’s New” in the latest 2010 releases of our Revit® family of products? Watch the “What’s New” Screen Casts!
YouTube
Subscription

New Releases for Autodesk Subscription Members

Eligible Autodesk® Subscription members, as part of their benefits, can now download the following extensions via the Subscription Centre:

* Globe Link for Autodesk® Revit® 2010 English
* Batch Print for Autodesk Revit 2010 English
* Worksharing Monitor for Autodesk Revit 2010 English
* Revit Extensions for Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2010
* Revit Extensions for Autodesk® Revit® Structure 2010
* Revit Extensions for Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2010
* Bridge Toolkit for Autodesk Revit Structure 2010
* GENIO Import/Export Extension for AutoCAD® Civil and AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009

Not an Autodesk Subscription member yet? Take the Autodesk Subscription Tour and learn why Autodesk Subscription is a smart investment. From product downloads and updates to online tutorials and personalised web support, Autodesk Subscription will extend the value of your software and enhance your productivity.

Events & Promotions

Revit BIM Experience Award Winners – SENER Engineering Group.

“Using traditional 2D software, we wouldn’t have been able to finish our design entry at the same level of quality within the tight time frame required for the Cracovia competition. Combining the Revit platform with Inventor and Civil 3D has helped us ensure successful project completion.”
- Ramón González, manager of architecture, SENER Engineering Group
SENER engineering group

SENER Engineering Group is one of the world’s largest and most successful engineering and technology firms.

Together with Estudio Lamela architects, SENER won the city-sponsored design competition to design and reconstruct the new 25,000 square-meter Cracovia stadium in Krakow, Poland in time for the 2012 European Cup tournament. Using BIM, the firm’s small multidisciplinary project teams have been able to deliver higher-quality work—projects that are more reliable and coordinated, with fewer problems during construction. Read more.

Architectus Optimise Design Documentation and Increase Productivity with Autodesk Revit Architecture

“Architecture is a competitive environment, and the purpose of any technology is to allow us to make the best use of the skills and experience of our professional staff. Revit Architecture eliminates many tedious tasks, and our staff are very enthusiastic about using it.” – Rodd Perey, Design Technology Director , Architectus Sydney
Architectus

A multi-award-winning practice, Architectus is an international professional services company with more than 200 leading architects, urban designers, and planners, with offices in Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne, Shanghai, and Sydney.

Using Autodesk Revit® Architecture software, Architectus consistently delivers intelligent architectural solutions, notable for their simplicity and performance. By extending its Autodesk investment with building information modelling (BIM), the company is realising immediate competitive advantage by optimising the design and documentation process and capitalising on intelligent 3D design. Read more.

Legal Notice & Trademarks l Privacy l asean.autodesk.com

vico 5D

twoplussoft — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:38:17 +0000

The “I” in BIM

With the “M” in BIM approaching a commodity status, let’s examine the “I.” The “I” in BIM stands for Information. This information includes geometry, means and methods, quantities, scheduling details, and costing details. Vico helps GCs and Owners benefit from the “I” they already have in their estimating and scheduling departments by tying it to the model.

4D BIM or model-based scheduling: quantities, labor productivity rates, labor costs. With this information, GCs can derive a construction sequence and schedule from the model. Vico’s Control scheduling software incorporates flowline scheduling theory to deliver an optimal schedule for crew sizes that is based on the amount of labor and materials by location. Typically, customers see an immediate 10% reduction in schedule time, as well as improved quality from the reduction in crew stops and starts.

5D BIM or model-based estimating: quantities, materials, material costs. With this information, in addition to your schedule info above, you can build a highly accurate estimate and budget.

Vico Office allows GCs and Owners to utilize the many types of models on the market today, like Tekla, Revit, and ArchiCAD. So for example, users can synthesize the MEP models from Revit, the structural steel model from Tekla, and the archtectural model from ArchiCAD. Now GCs can start building out the information for each piece of geometry. And that starts with a quantity takeoff.

Once inside the Vico Office environment, a Quantity Takeoff is automatically performed on the model. Vico Office reads the model geometry, applies construction-detailed algorithms, and extracts very precise quantities. Now, with each piece of the building identified as a “bill of materials,” users can start adding cost details, schedule details, means and method details. This builds out the 4D and 5D aspects of the BIM.

And now the project stakeholders can start “asking questions of the 5D model:”
• What happens if we change the façade to glass?
• What happens if we add a parking garage?
• What happens if we substitute concrete for steel?

In real-time, the model works with the project team to provide the answers of what happens to the schedule and what happens to the budget.

Want to learn more about the “I” in BIM? Be sure to sign up for the next two courses in our BIM series:
May 1st: Model-Based Scheduling
May 15th: Model-Based Estimating

The two webinars will round out the BIM 101 series and focus on the location breakdown structure. By dividing the building into discrete sections, it is easier to sequence and schedule materials and crews, and it follows, easier to perform cost planning exercises. Learn from your peers with your peers on Fridays with Vico.

Don’t Forget This Friday’s Webinar

Legal contracts in the construction industry are developed to serve two purposes: to recommend best delivery practices and to properly allocate risk among the project stakeholders. With the advent of BIM technologies and methodologies, it has become increasingly important to identify who or what holds key project details: the Architect or the GC, the model or the drawings. And with that ownership, comes great reward or risk. In this webinar, we’ll discuss the various types of models as identified by the AGC and AIA, the best practices for handling the model and its changes, as well as the legal ramifications (and rewards) of entering into these project relationships.

BIM 301: Contracts
Friday, April 17th from 12 Noon Eastern

Did You Miss BIM 201?

Last Friday’s webinar focused on 3D/4D Coordination.
The Vico methodology for proper coordination includes planning, specification, execution, contracts, sequencing, and an iterative workflow. In the end, a well-coordinated building in preconstruction means a focused construction effort on site resulting in a project kept on schedule and on budget… and zero change orders.

Click here to view the archived BIM 201 Webinar on 3D/4D Coordination.

Did You Miss BIM 101?

We’ve got it archived for you! Watch this webinar if you want to better understand the progression from 2D drawing sets to a 3D model to a model augmented with 4D scheduling data and 5D costing information.

Watch BIM 101 in conjunction with the McGraw-Hill BIM SmartMarket Report and you’ll be up-to-speed with the technologies and methodologies available for GCs and Owners.

วางแผนรับมือภัยพิบัติ

twoplussoft — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:30:04 +0000

ICOR Promotes International Networking & Problem Solving

April 2009

ICOR ListServ

ICOR’s

Ask an Expert & Listservs Help You to Network with Professionals Internationally

The International Consortium for Organizational Resilience

P.O. Box 1171

Lombard, Illinois 60148

1.866.765.8321 / +1.630.705.0910 International

www.theICOR.org

Questions? Lynnda@theicor.org

Learn from Experts and Grow Professionally

Do you have a particular issue or problem where you could benefit from the opinion of an expert in that field? ICOR’s Ask an Expert feature is free!

ICOR has professionals in the disciplines that support resilience who are willing to volunteer their time to answer questions you may have in a particular subject area.

Been asked to benchmark your business continuity program?

Need to purchase a UPS system for your data center and not sure where to begin?

How do you best bincorporate your safety and security program into your business continuity program?

At a loss on how to handle the emotional needs of your workforce?

Does your community need a plan that meets federal guidelines?

Looking to understand and mitigate your supply chain risks?

How can you use negotiation and conflict resolution strategies to help manage a crisis or conflict in the workplace?

These are just a few of the questions you can get anwers to by Asking an ICOR Expert! This is a free feature on ICOR’s website open to anyone to use.

Ask a Question Today!

ICOR’s ListServ & Center for Crisis Management Lessons Learned

A New Members’ Only Benefit

ICOR is committed to making the membership experience a positive one. As part of our mission to provide networking and learning opportunities for our members, we have replaced our Forum with a Listserv and a Center for Crisis Management Lessons Learned.

All ICOR members can join – but it is voluntary. In respect for your overflowing email accounts, we will not be automatically adding you to the groups, but ask you to sign up.

We are currently adding 2 groups, but hope to add more as you express an interest.

1. ICOR Data Center Management Group: http://groups.google.com/group/icor-dcm

2. ICOR Center for Crisis Management Lessons Learned: http://groups.google.com/group/ccmll

The Data Center Management Group

The focus of this group is for data center professionals to be able to ask questions of their peers throughout the world. Networking and sharing of lessons learned is an essential element of growing professionally and problem solving in the day to day operations of the data center.

Center for Crisis Management Lessons Learned

One focus of this group is to learn from others in the discipline of crisis management and communications.

Another focus is to develop a body of useable tactical knowledge for all participants. Submissions operate on the principal of non-attribution (no names of managers/executives required).

You no longer have to be out there all alone in the middle of a crisis – let’s share the knowledge we’ve gathered and help each other out.

You can also get real time tactical and operational technical assistance from an ICOR Expert, Jim Helton. He is also available via phone call or e-mail at no cost (or minimal cost for more extensive assistance). Please contact Jim at jhelton@theicor.org for more information.

How to Join the ListServs
To join either of the ICOR groups, go either of the addresses listed above, please sign in and complete the application form. Remember, this is a Members’ Only Benefit.

If you do not have a Google account, you will need to create one to join the group.
To create an account, click here: https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount

Our staff will verify your ICOR membership status before you have access to the listserv. Then, upon approval to the group, you will have full access to the messages posted as well as the ability to post your own messages to the group. Verification may take up to 24 hours.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions. This list is administered by Dan Koeller (dkoeller@theicor.org) and Scott Bruzek (sbruzek@theicor.org).

Sincerely,

Scott Bruzek
Membership Services
sbruzek@theicor.org
PO Box 1171
Lombard, IL 60148 USA
Phone: 630-705-0910 / 866-765-8321
www.theICOR.org or www.build-resilience.org

Not a Member?Join Today!

An annual ICOR General Membership is only $195.00 USD and includes the following benefits:

ICOR ListServ

Save 10% on ICOR courses & 20% on in-house training

Save on professional conferences

Full access to ICOR Library Resources

Save on ICOR Certification Fees

Full access to ICORrespondence Newsletter Archives

Free resume postings in ICOR’s Career Center

Save 10% in ICOR’s Bookstore

Join Today!

VICO constructor – Virtual Constructio

twoplussoft — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:23:51 +0000

The “I” in BIM

5D BIM or model-based estimating: quantities, materials, material costs. With this information, in addition to your schedule info above, you can build a highly accurate estimate and budget.

In real-time, the model works with the project team to provide the answers of what happens to the schedule and what happens to the budget.

Want to learn more about the “I” in BIM? Be sure to sign up for the next two courses in our BIM series:
May 1st: Model-Based Scheduling
May 15th: Model-Based Estimating

Don’t Forget This Friday’s Webinar

BIM 301: Contracts
Friday, April 17th from 12 Noon Eastern

Did You Miss BIM 201?

Click here to view the archived BIM 201 Webinar on 3D/4D Coordination.

Did You Miss BIM 101?

Watch BIM 101 in conjunction with the McGraw-Hill BIM SmartMarket Report and you’ll be up-to-speed with the technologies and methodologies available for GCs and Owners.

For more information on Vico Software, 5D BIM service offerings, or the AGC BIMForum, please visit the Vico Software website or contact Holly Allison directly at +1-978-882-0170 x118.

Vico Software >< 120 Washington Street, Suite 202-C >< Salem, MA 01970 >< +1-978-882-0180

You have received this email because of your interest in virtual construction and BIM initiatives. If you wish to stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe here.