Sun VirtualBox

I found this little gem before Christmas. I have been running Virtual PC for Windows for the last 12 months using it to test and try alpha and beta software. It was OK, but I found it a little slow especially in relationship to graphics. I could have gone down the route of Virtual Machine such as Parallels, but then it would required me to get my credit card out and its not something I use all the time on my works laptop.So a bit of Googling and I came up with Sun’s VirtualBox, although I am sure there are others out there as well. This is a free VM, details can be found here;

 http://www.virtualbox.org/.

I found it very easy to setup and within an hour or so I had it working with Windows 7 (64bit) with a Windows Vista (32bit) VM running.

The VM supports Direct X and OpenGL as well as the ability to connect USB devices.It seems to offer many of the features that Parrallels has to offer and it is supported on Windows, Mac and Linux. How bizarre would that be…to run Linux as your, host with a Windows VM running Revit???? So if you are looking for a free VM, its certainly worth trying out.

Challenges with Revit 2010 massing environment !!

Many of you will know that I am very passionate about Revit and you will have noticed over the last 9 months, since the release of 2010, I have been a big fan of the new conceptual massing tools. However, these new tools are not without their challenges! I have watched long term Revit users in our office try to grapple with the new concepts; some have been successful, others have failed. In most cases the overriding complaint is the lack of sketch mode. Long term Revit users fell in love with this approach; the ability to create a sketch and then extrude, with the added bonus of going back to the sketch to change it when required…it became the fundamental to the way you worked with Revit. Now the in 2010 we have lines or reference lines, whilst reference lines go some way to match the sketch mode process, they still fall short. Lets hope Autodesk see fit to reintroduce this powerful approach in a future release.

So if you to hunger for the “old” sketch mode in 2010, what to do in the meantime?

One possible solution is to create a series of mass families in 2009 and then use these in 2010. This will retain the sketch mode facility but editing will have to be done in the family editor and then the family reloaded back into the project. This can be problematic when trying to align buildings with site context.

An alternative solution is to start in Revit 2009, create a series of inplace masses. Then migrate the project over to Revit 2010. Copy these masses around and you will find that you can edit the sketch in 2010 as you would have done in Revit 2009.

A more complicated solution if you have already started your project in Revit 2010 is to do the following; start another project in Revit 2009 create a series of inplace masses and then save the project. Then migrate this project up to Revit 2010. Next link this upgraded project into the project you originally started. Then bind the linked file, which will turn the link into a group; ungroup the bound masses and then you will be able to use the inplace masses in your project where you will once again be able to use the sketch mode on these masses.

Please don’t think that I am criticising this new way of working, far from it. I have always consider these new tools a first step and it will take a couple of releases before we get them working exactly how we need them to……over to you Autodesk. :-)

A Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !

I would just like to wish those of you that follow my blog a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It been an interesting yet difficult year. The downturn has introduced new challenges; Revit 2010 has excited some, disappointed others, yet its popularity seems to go from strength to strength. I look forward to 2010 and the next release of the Revit story, it looks set to be another exciting rollercoaster year! :-)

AU2009 – Tuesday the 1st

Class starts in a few hours, but before that we will have the AU2009 keynote speech……

However, for me, the cut and paste design slam will be the highlight of the day. William Lopez Campo (winner of the Berlin design slam) will go head to head with two other Revit contestants, in a slam entitled Dangerous Liaisons. They will be required to create a design on an existing 18th French neoclassicism site….and I have a good feeling about this one.

AU 2009 – Monday the 30th

Got up early to attend the second Design Symposium events hosted by Robert Aish. To be honest, it was a little slow in the morning, but the afternoon session was better. The guy who showed the Maya plugin development and the principles absolutely rocked! Algorithmic design is the future, without doubt, trust me….

Went to the AEC mixer in the evening and saw so many faces who I communicate with virtually, but only get to see once a year when I attend AU. Steve S was on form; spent time with Jeffrey McGrew and his wife Jillian Northrup plus his “whole” company discussing allsorts… discussions ranged from Ian Flemming to the state of French sewers.:-)

Off to bed early…..big day Tuesday, first time assisting in a class…….

Well I have arrived….at AU2009

Well I have arrived in Vegas for AU2009. Flight was good, all be it rather long. This years event is at the Mandalay Bay, which I think is a first, in previous years its always been held at the Venetian. Hotel is a monster, its huge! I have been coming to AU for a number of years now and the view from my room this year has to be the best ever! Directly over the airport, with the strip to your left….. although sleeping at height it a bit weird.

 

Today's a chillout day, but I will be preparing datasets and text for the two classes I am doing on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Happy holidays and see you at AU2009

Just want to wish my North American readers a happy holidays!

I’m heading out to AU2009 on Saturday from a damp/wet UK. I am assisting in two classes this year, this is a first for me and although I have done many presentations over the last 5 years, I must admit I’m a little nervous!

I will be assisting Paul Woddy of Revit Guru in his Autodesk Revit: Setting Standards class (CM114-1) on Tuesday. On Wednesday I join Lee Miller, HOK Firm Wide BIM Manager and Han Hsi Ho in a class  on using Autodesk Revit for Urban Design (AB208-3). We will show case how we are using Revit for large scale master planning as well as tricks and tip on how to deal with large sites for this type of work.

I will be attending the Design Symposium on Monday and the AEC Mixer in the evening. Be sure to say “hi”, if you see me; in the words of Steve Stafford, I’m the short guy how looks like Nick Kershaw! :-)  See ya……

Pumpkin heads to Las Vegas

Remember the pumpkin modelling competition run by Zack Kron back in October?

From this…….

To this…….

Well as a winner of the Goodest category, he has kindly produced a printed 3d version of my winning designing. Unfortunately Zack can’t be at AU in person, which is disappointing, but he is having the pumpkin model sent to AU where I will pick it up. A big thanks to Zack for this and my kids are gonna love it!