Success Story: BIM in Italy

Italian design firm Lissoni Associati Milano provides architecture, interior, industrial and graphic design services in addition to art direction and corporate image services. Autodesk recently honored the firm with the Revit BIM Experience Award for its use of building information modeling.

Lissoni Associati Milano used BIM on the interior redesign of an historic Italian palazzo on Lake Garda, and the Brillia Tower Grand-Suite in Nagoya, Japan. The Revit model for the palazzo, which will become a four-star hotel, simplified the process for the demolition and replacement of interior walls and the generation of a large set of construction documents.

For the new 29-story Brillia Tower Grand-Suite project, the firm used Revit Architecture to quickly produce a concept design and meet a demanding construction schedule. The Revit model was used in conjunction with 3ds Max to create photorealistic visualizations of the residential structure for client and design team reviews.

With a staff of more than 70 architects, industrial designers and graphic designers, Lissoni Associati Milano's projects range from luxury hotels and residences to custom furniture, kitchen and bathroom systems and accessories, as well as lighting design, corporate identity, signage and packaging.

www.lissoniassociati.it/index2.htm

Monthly Building Solutions Webcasts

IMAGINiT Technologies invites you to join our monthly informational webcasts.

November Schedule:

• BIM Presentation and Demonstration - 11/03/2008
• Revit Demonstration - 11/07/2008
• Revit Automated Specs Using e-SPECS - 11/07/2008
• AutoCAD Electrical Webcast - 11/14/2008

December Schedule:

• BIM Presentation and Demonstration - 12/01/2008
• Revit Demonstration - 12/05/2008
• Revit Automated Specs Using e-SPECS - 12/09/2008
• AutoCAD Electrical Webcast - 12/12/2008

For more information and to register for the following webcasts click here.

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Free Revit 2009 Online Video Tutorials by ArchVision

IMAGINiT's Architectural Blogger, Daniel Hughes, shares his insight on Autodesk architectural software including Revit Architecture and AutoCAD Architecture. In this month's newsletter, Daniel shares an excerpt from his blog:

Lexington, Kentucky, September 30, 2008 – Launched earlier this month, ArchVision Revit video tutorials are designed to provide users with tips and tricks for everyday workflow. Revit 2009 users have access to over 100 licensed RPC Trees, Shrubs and Grasses and may easily access ArchVision Revit video tutorials via the Autodesk Communication Channel. ArchVision Revit video tutorials focus on a variety of topics including rendering with mental ray, swapping and modifying RPC Content, and placing RPC Content.

Chapter 1.
Revit Content Using Trees in 2009

Chapter 2.
Revit 2009 Modifying RPC Content and Using mental ray

Snippet from ArchVision's September 2008 Press Release| ArchVision Launches Revit Content Video Tutorial Series

To find out what Daniel will be sharing next, visit his blog at: www.rand.com/imaginit/architecturalblog

Blog: Revit Resource Center

IMAGINiT's Architectural Blogger, Daniel Hughes, shares his insight on Autodesk architectural software including Revit Architecture and AutoCAD Architecture. In this month's newsletter, Daniel shares an excerpt from his blog:

How does an architect start the conversation and demonstrate the value of using the BIM design process to their MEP consultants?

ESA-Chicago facilitates their discussion of "Why use BIM or Revit MEP?" by sharing this Revit MEP Resource Center. It includes streaming videos, MEP consultant case studies, online quick tutorials and webcasts that focus on a few of the best design/production processes automated within a BIM design process.

"We were looking for methods to communicate the value of the BIM process to our MEP consultants. As we expand our use of BIM (Revit Architecture) we see the value of working with MEP consultants that also use a BIM design process."

To find out what Daniel will be sharing next, visit his blog at: www.rand.com/imaginit/architecturalblog

Blog: Camera Match by Eye

IMAGINiT's Media & Entertainment Blogger, Mark Gerhard shares his thoughts about the entertainment and design visualization industry. This month, Mark explores the benefits of design visualization:

I've been doing a lot of camera match lately. Frequently I'll get a client who will send me a photograph, let's say an interior of a room. The client wants me to use 3ds Max to add geometry into the scene, and create a rendering of how the room might look with the new additions.

3ds Max has an automatic system for generating a camera that matches the photo, but it requires that you have some precise measurements. But more often than not you don't have these measurements, so what can you do?

Here are the steps I got through..

Read the full Camera Match by Eye entry.

To find out what Mark will be sharing next, visit his blog at: www.rand.com/imaginit/visualizationblog

You receive the following error message from Revit:

Linked file [File Name].rvt cannot be saved because it has changes in more than just shared coordinates and therefore can invalidate Local Files owned by you.

This error occurs when linked RVT files contain a linked DWG file (or other CAD file), and that DWG file has been changed on disk since the last time the linked RVT file was saved. When you load the RVT file as a link, the DWG file is reloaded and Revit detects that it has been modified.

As long as you will not be making any changes related to the shared coordinates, this error message is not relevant and you can ignore it.

However, if you are making changes related to shared coordinates—including moving an RVT link that uses shared coordinates—these changes will not be saved.  

As a workaround, you can open the linked RVT file referred to in the error message, save the file, and then close it. Doing so will update the DWG links contained in the RVT file. Of course, the message will reappear if the DWG file is modified again, until you resave the RVT link.

Green Design:Environmental Design in Middle East 

Autodesk's solutions, such as Revit, enable architects and developers to minimize water and electricity usage. This leads to significant savings for property developers over the long-term and the lessened production of harmful pollutants.

Louis Khoury, the industry sales development manager of Autodesk Middle East, noted that the United Arab Emirates is witnessing a record number of innovative and landmark projects, which have adopted designs in line with the government's move towards sustainable development. Dubai and Abu Dhabi alone have at least 70 buildings awaiting green-building certifications.

Autodesk said that a UAE building complying with the principles of sustainable development may save energy consumption of up to 50 per cent. Some 70 per cent of the average 30,000 kilowatt hours of electricity being used up by a building in the UAE is allocated for air-conditioning.

Source: Khaleej Times

On March 14, 2009, Autodesk will be retiring upgrades from AutoCAD® 2006, AutoCAD 2006-based products, Autodesk® VIZ 2006, Autodesk® 3ds Max® 8 and Autodesk Inventor® Series 10 software. Upgrade from October 18, 2008 through January 16, 2008 and you could save up to 10%

Retirement Program details

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Still using AutoCAD® R14, 2000, 2000i, 2002, 2004 or 2005? Save up to 30% off your new Autodesk software license with the Autodesk Legacy Program, from October 18, 2008 through January 16, 2008. Autodesk Legacy Program.

Finance up to 100% of your software, subscription, or services purchase.

Cash-flow constraints can keep businesses large and small from realizing their full potential. So if concerns about managing costs are keeping you from purchasing the technology, subscription, or consulting services you need to be successful, take advantage of our flexible financing options – for up to 100% of your investment!

The long-standing partnership with Key Equipment Finance allows you to break down large technology acquisitions into manageable, fixed monthly payments over 12, 24, or 36 months. Quarterly payment plans are also available under certain circumstances, but higher interest rates may apply.*
Favorable Financing

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Autodesk Maya 8 Promotion

The Autodesk Maya 8 Promotion is a three-phase discount program for customers using Autodesk® Maya® Complete 8 software and Autodesk® Maya® Unlimited 8 software who want to move to the latest Autodesk Maya version available. This promotion offers up to a 20% discount on eligible Maya product purchases from August 11, 2008 until April 17, 2009.

Autodesk Maya 8 Promotion FAQ

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Autodesk Maya Unlimited - Autodesk Mudbox 2009 Promotion

The Autodesk® Maya® Unlimited -- Autodesk® Mudbox® 2009 software promotion is designed to provide customers with a free download of Autodesk® Mudbox® 2009 (expected to be released in October 2008) for each new seat of Maya Unlimited 2008 software or Maya Unlimited 2009 software (when available) or each cross-grade from Autodesk® Maya® Complete 2008 software or Autodesk® Maya® Complete 2009 software (when available) to Maya Unlimited 2008 or Maya Unlimited 2009 (when available) respectively, that is purchased from August 11, 2008 through January 16, 2009.

Maya -- Mudbox 2009 Promotion FAQ
Maya -- Mudbox 2009 PromotionTerms and Conditions

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