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AEC Newsletter archive:
Geoffrey Moore Langdon
CADENCE AEC Tech News # 34 (September 15, 2000)
AEC Tech News 9/15/2000
In This Issue:
OfficeWeb
DataCAD 9 "Test Drive" version
Bricsnet Architecturals 2.0
ChiefSymbols Library for ChiefArchitect
ShadowFX for Architects
NeatLine for MiniCAD/VectorWorks
Lego Creator
OfficeWeb
So let's say you regularly read AEC Tech News and occasionally run across a real tip, trick, or website lead relevant to your practice, but cannot use it right this minute -- where do you put it ? or do you just make a mental note of it and later try to sleuth it out from among hundreds of emails ? What if you just hired a new person, who really needs to know what your CADD office layer standards are, and the previous new person still hasn't brought that old overstuffed three ring binder office manual back in ? What if a contractor sent you weblinks to several product manufacturers to check out - where do you store them ? There are hundreds of tutorial, shortcut, tip, plotting/scanning, user group, and newsletter sites specific to your particular CADD software, do you save them ? An OfficeWeb, by whatever name (intranet, office database, online resource library), is simply a place to store all these things unique to your office in an easily organized way retrievable from any of the systems in your office. After using many different approaches over the years we have found that the easiest way to solve this issue is to simply use interlinked html web pages - a sort of not-on-the-internet internal web site which can accommodate text, tables of numbers, scans, drawings, image files, and, of course, links to outside "real" web sites.
Essentially, all we do is create a folder (in one place) that is visible to any of the systems on our office network, and save html pages there. We want everyone, not just our webmaster who works on our primary web site, to be able to add to it, so we just make sure everyone has a current version of MS Word (which has saveas html web) or has downloaded the free Netscape Communicator (which has PageComposer). Whenever they need to change anything, such as update their own phone number in the office list or let us know about a CADD usergroup meeting they just found out about, the simply hit EditPage, add the note and hit save. If they put something on a whole new page, they go to a previous page and link it. It all sounds so ridiculously simple and free - and it is - that, as each design office discovers this way of working, they quickly wonder how they ever got AEC tech work done before.
For offices that need a kick start or at least a good example, The CheapTricksWare network (a source for symbol libraries and add-on programs for DataCAD) offers an OfficeWeb by Don Parker ready to pop onto your server for just $15. There are already links to your CADD Office manual, explanations of your project number system, office policies, computer tips, and much more. Architects and contractors will love the add on module for the entire ADA Guidelines. There is also an add on module specific for DataCAD offices.
DataCAD 9 "Test Drive" version
The DataCAD site now has a downloadable free evaluation version of their new DataCAD 9, which will run for 45 days. You can try out, save, and print all those new features from xrefs to hyperlinks except for that new saveas PDF function. David Giesselman, Senior VP, CTO & Principal Author of DataCAD gave us a tip for a "secret" back-door to the old 2D Views menu as a migration path for users of the older 2D Views to the newer 3D GoToViews - You may access them by pressing Ctrl-F12.
Bricsnet Architecturals 2.0
Bricsnet.com has released the first version of Bricsnet Architecturals for AutoCAD, which includes a number of improvements over the old version which worked only with IntelliCAD, such as XML support, Frame Builder, and automatic cost/quantity/door and window schedules. Bricsnet Architecturals uses ACIS solid modeling to model the most complex buildings easily with dynamically modifiable control surfaces. It uses smart 3D architectural parametrics which enable the software to generate all the plans/sections/elevations automatically. Custom objects use the Microsoft COM object technology behind the scenes (as opposed to Autodesk's ArX functions) so that the drawings are completely interchangeable between the version of Bricsnet Architecturals for IntelliCAD and AutoCAD. You can now download a 45 day evaluation version from the bricsnet.com website. The releases for ACAD 2000 (and IntelliCAD 2000) are currently available and the release for ACAD R14 is scheduled for the end of September.
ChiefSymbols Library for ChiefArchitect
A new 3D library of kitchen symbols is available for the ChiefArchitect CADD software. This is the third 3D symbol library by Cardiff Consultants Limited who developed this new one in cooperation with the Viking Range Corporation.
ShadowFX for Architects
The ShadowFX software (also available via a free downloadable evaluation) is an easy to use sun study program oriented as a schematic design tool for architects. It allows a designer to easily pop in buildings graphically, or to design overhangs in a building section view, and produces shadow plans, diagrams, and tables based on the buildings location.
NeatLine for MiniCAD/VectorWorks
NeatLine is an external MiniCAD/VectorWorks procedure which can eliminate all redundant overlapping between segments in 2D drawings. This utility is particularly useful when importing AutoCAD drawings or whenever you need to convert a MiniCAD 3D view to 2D lines.
Lego Creator
We got a lot of mail on our note about the architectural CADD software at the core of The Sims game, but at the moment, don't count on being able to use it outside the game itself. We discovered a fascinating similar modular CADD program, with which you can indeed download and build exportable CADD models, called MLCAD, which is essentially a Lego Creator. You develop a model in a 3D view using a simple palette of building blocks, and windows/doors/objects cars/ trees/people are all included and fully editable. Making flythrough movies and renderings is extremely simple - easier than snapping together lego blocks !
Links :
CheapTricksWare OfficeWeb = http://www.world.std.com/~eshu/ctw/ctw.htm
DataCAD = http://www.datacad.com
Bricsnet Architecturals = http://www.bricsnet.com
ChiefSymbols = http://www.ChiefSymbols.com
ShadowFX = http://www.shadowfx.co.uk/shadowfx.htm
NeatLine = http://www.ets.it/Sintec
Lego Creator = http://www.ldraw.org
About Geoffrey Moore Langdon, AIA
Prof. Langdon is a registered architect and is the principal of Architectural CADD Consultants, a firm that specializes in helping architectural firms with computing and CADD. He has taught Design, Solar Energy, and Architectural CADD at a number of colleges in the Boston area. He is the author of Architectural CADD: A Resource Guide to Design and Production Software Appropriate for Architects, a guest speaker at many AIA events, and the founder and organizer of the Designers 3D CAD Shootout competition. contact him at aectechnews@architecturalcadd.com, or through his website: http://www.architecturalcadd.com
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