Blog: Numerical Expression Evaluator

IMAGINiT Virtual Event and Autodesk 2010 Product Launch

Autodesk has announced the release of AutoCAD® 2010 and the Autodesk® 2010 products. To learn more about the new products join the IMAGINiT Technologies Virtual Event April 7th - 9th. Registration is required but attendance is free. Don't leave the office to see the new 2010 products; save gas, save time, save money, and help save the planet by attending this free virtual trade show.

Register Today!

Success Story: ADEPT Airmotive

Autodesk  has named ADEPT Airmotive, a South Africa-based manufacturer of general aviation engines for the light aircraft market, the Autodesk Inventor of the Year.

ADEPT relied on Autodesk Inventor software to develop the 320T, a 320-horsepower general aviation engine with a compact design that offers low vibration levels and high structural integrity. The 350-pound engine is more than 130 pounds lighter than a traditional piston engine of comparable horsepower, allowing the 320T to reap fuel savings of about 30 percent and decrease environmental impact.

Inventor software's digital prototyping capabilities helped ADEPT produce accurate 3D models of the 320T before anything was actually built, reducing the number of physical prototypes that needed to be constructed. Processes that once took hours -- such as changing the wall thickness of an engine component -- were completed almost instantaneously with Inventor software.

The company is based at Virginia Airport in Durban, South Africa, where it has its design and administration offices and an R&D/Testing facility.

www.adeptairmotive.com 

IMAGINiT Technologies has implemented a rigorous certification program for IMAGINiT application specialists who take their clients through TakeAIM, IMAGINiT's four phased Assured Implementation Method program.

Read the full Press release here

IMAGINiT Technologies invites you to join our monthly informational webcasts.

April Schedule:

• Inventor Tips and Tricks - 04/02/2009
• IMAGINiT 2010 Virtual Event - 04/07/2009 - 04/09/2009
• Introduction to Inventor - 04/20/2009
• Showcase - 04/27/2009
• AliasStudio - 04/27/2009
• Autodesk Vault/ Autodesk Productstream - 04/23/2009

May Schedule:

• Inventor Tips and Tricks - 05/07/2009
• AutoCAD Electrical - 05/08/2009
• Introduction to Inventor - 05/18/2009
• Showcase - 05/25/2009
• AliasStudio - 05/25/2009
• Autodesk Vault/ Autodesk Productstream - 05/28/2009

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

IMAGINiT's Manufacturing Solutions Blogger, Mark Flayler, shares his insight on Autodesk's manufacturing software including Inventor, Mechanical Desktop and Mechanical. In this month's newsletter, Mark shares an excerpt of his blog:

As more and more companies switch to 3D modeling the question of utilizing existing 2D data and referenced 2D data from collaborative sources frequently arises. Users go through the gamut of questions including but not limited to:

• How valid is my 2D data?
• What are the benefits of migrating 2D geometry into 3D?
• How do I quickly create 3D models of 2D data?
• How much data can I reuse?
• How much data will need to be recreated?:

To read the rest of Mark's article, visit his blog at: www.rand.com/imaginit/ManufacturingBlog

Blog: Numerical Expression Evaluator

IMAGINiT's Visualization Solutions Blogger, Mark Gerhard, shares his insight on Autodesk's visualization software including 3d max, Maya, and Alias. In this month's newsletter, Mark shares an excerpt of his blog:

Did you know that you can use equations and expressions in any numeric field in 3ds Max?

Go to any field where you would enter a number, press CTRL + N and voila the Numeric Evaluation dialog appears. Here you can use your math skills to put in complex math equations or expressions you want to calculate. The Result is displayed in the Result field. Press the Paste button to enter that result into the field you started in.

Bet you never knew you can use 3ds Max to balance your checkbook!

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

Currently, there is no way to insert watermarks into Inventor files. This feature has been added to our wishlist for future releases. In the meantime, you can use of the following methods as a workaround:

Method 1

Create a sketched symbol that uses text with an open or unfilled style (for example, ROMAND text). This will allow you to insert the symbol "stamp" without obstructing any geometry. Note: This method does not work with images.

Method 2

Use the DWF file format. This will allow you to mark up and share the DWF file without changing the original file.

Green Design: Designers Going Green

The first annual sustainable design-trend watch survey jointly commissioned by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and Autodesk  found that two-thirds of respondents have worked on designing sustainable products.

Sustainable engineering refers to the design and manufacture of an ever-increasing volume of goods and services while using the earth's resources more efficiently and producing less waste.

A key trend highlighted by the survey is that more than half of the practicing engineers responding reported they expect to increase their use of sustainable design practices in the next year. Primary design concerns focused on using less energy, reducing emissions and complying with environmental and regulatory standards.

Along with creating designs that use less energy, reduce emissions and comply with regulatory standards, respondents also indicated that design priorities include using renewable, recyclable and recycled materials, reducing material waste in manufacturing and improving manufacturing processes to use fewer resources.

The online survey  was conducted over a two-week period in December 2008 and generated nearly 3,500 respondents in
the U.S.

For more information on the ASME/Autodesk Sustainability Survey, visit www.autodesk.com/green.

Design and engineering productivity is a key component to how well business thrives. That's why IMAGINiT Technologies provides ProductivityNOW, a resource and service for Autodesk®, AutoCAD®, and select CAD/Design software users. Our service is designed to get the answers you need for your program and IT challenges, when you need them. Whether your team needs assistance with an installation, access to technical tips, or simply an answer to a question, IMAGINiT's ProductivityNOW program is the ideal solution for you.

ProductivityNOW

Still designing in AutoCAD® Release 14, AutoCAD® 2000, AutoCAD® 2000i, AutoCAD® 2002, AutoCAD® 2004, AutoCAD® 2005, AutoCAD® 2006 or other retired Autodesk software? Keep your software current with the Autodesk Legacy Program, which gives loyal customers, like you, an easy way to keep your software up to date.

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This promotion offers up to a 20% discount on eligible Autodesk® Maya® product purchases from August 11, 2008 until April 17, 2009.

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From August 11, 2008 through April 17, 2009, clients with eligible licenses of Autodesk® Maya® Complete 7.0.1 software or Autodesk® Maya® Unlimited 7.0.1 software, may purchase the latest Autodesk Maya Unlimited product at up to 30% off with Autodesk® Subscription.

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