Project Octopus: Autodesk

About:

Project Octopus is a free technology preview that allows designers and engineers using Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis to seamlessly access data and results with Microsoft Office Excel.

Overview

Project Octopus helps designers to easily develop "user defined" calculations that complement Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis results. Project Octopus is fully integrated in Microsoft Office Excel as an Addin and allows accessing data and results from an Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis model using simple Excel formulas. Users are able to select a formula from a predefined list using wizard dialogs or using typical Microsoft Office Excel workflows. Each formula takes as arguments a set of parameters that can be written directly inside the formula, which may come from specific cells or from an active selection within Robot Structural Analysis. Once the link has been made with Project Octopus, data is available for post processing with Excel formulas, graphs, pivot tables, and other methods present in the application.

With this approach, Project Octopus enables a dynamic link between Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis and Microsoft Office Excel, eliminates copy/paste or CSV import/export steps, and removes the need for programing skills and knowledge of Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis API to extract data for use in spreadsheets.

Availability

Project Octopus will be available until June 1, 2014.

System Requirements

- Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional 2014

- Windows Platform

• Windows 8 (64-bit)
• Windows 7 (64-bit)

- Microsoft Office

• Microsoft Office Excel 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Microsoft Office Excel 2010 (32-bit and 64-bit)

The system requirements for the Project Octopus are the same as the 64-bit version of the System Requirements for Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional 2014 software. Note that it is highly recommended to keep software up-to-date.

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Exploring Autodesk Revit MEP 2014: Available on Amazon

Exploring Autodesk Revit MEP 2014

Exploring Exploring Autodesk Revit MEP 2014 textbook covers the detailed description of all basic and advanced concepts as well as the usage of the tools and commands of Autodesk Revit MEP 2014. It explores the processes involved in Building Information Modeling.. The topics covered in this textbook range from creating building components, HVAC system, electrical system, plumbing system. fire protection system to designing conceptual massing, performing HVAC heating and loading analysis, and creating rich construction documentation.

In this textbook, special emphasis has been laid on the concepts of space modeling and tools to create systems for all disciplines (MEP). Each concept in this textbook is explained using the detailed description and relevant graphical examples and illustrations. The accompanying tutorials and exercises, which relate to the real world projects, help you understand the usage and abilities of the tools available in Autodesk Revit MEP. In addition, the chapters in this textbook are punctuated with tips and notes to make the concepts clear, thereby enabling the readers to create thier own innovative projects.

Click on the link https://www.createspace.com/4641465 to get a copy now.

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New Feature: Autodesk 360 Structural Analysis

New Feature in Autodesk 360: Structural Analysis

here is a new  feature  available for users of Structural Analysis 360, the cloud based analysis service for Autodesk Revit Structure.  

Users of the service are now able to view and investigate the analytical model used by the analysis service directly from within their WebGL enabled web browser.

Once a model has been pushed to the cloud for analysis, users will be able to access a convenient 3D model viewer at anytime to view the analytical model that has been submitted to the cloud. The model will show nodes, bars, panels, meshes, supports, and loads that have been previously defined. The viewer also contains tool to allow you to inspect warnings and errors in the analytical model, allowing you to edit the source design to address issues that may have been created during the design process. Users can access this feature from within the online results report, or the projects dashboard.

Try Structural Analysis 360 today, and let us know your experiences with the convenient feedback tool available directly from the service dashboard.

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Autodesk Flow Design

About
Project Falcon will be moving forward into the world as Autodesk Flow Design. The product itself is an updated version of Falcon with an improved user interface for the stand-alone version (PC and Mac) and some upgrades inside Inventor and Revit. The AutoCAD plug-in may come back later. A lot of the work that went into it was motivated by feedback from the Autodesk Labs users. The team has tried to make it easy to access Flow Design as well. It is sold on e-store on a monthly and annual basis for a relatively low price. It will also be on the Education Community site for students and faculty free of charge.

Here are the features honed by the Autodesk Labs community:

• 64-bit solver process with greater access to memory
• Expanded graphics card and driver support
• Voxel size and overall tunnel size information
• Solution status indicator
• Ability to key-in specific values for velocity, resolution, orientation, etc.
• Expanded CAD imports (ipt, iam, sldprt, prt, x_t, STEP, etc.)
• Ribbon-style controls, standard menus, and model navigation cube
• Color banding and contour display options
• Revised tunnel and flow line seed box size controls
• Improved video recording controls and feedback
• Simplified iso-surface controls
• Saved run configurations for fast recall of past runs
• Multi-axis wind tunnel orientation control inside Inventor
• Pressure shading on building surfaces inside Revit
• Wind velocity profile option inside Revit.

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Creating Roof in Revit

A roof is a structure that covers the uppermost part of a building. The function of a roof is to protect the building and its contents from the effects of weather. The primary function of a roof is to protect the building and its contents from rain.

In Revit Architecture, you can create roof structure using tools provided in the Roof drop-down in the Build panel of Architecture tab. 

Roof by Footprint 

The roof footprint is a two dimensional sketch of the perimeter of a roof. In Autodesk Revit, you can create a roof footprint by drawing lines or picking walls that will define the perimeter of the roof to be created. If you are in the Level 1 and wanted to create roof on second floor then on choosing the Roof by Footprint tool; the Lower Level Notice dialog box is displayed prompting you to create a roof on second floor. Choose Yes; the Modify | Create Roof Footprint tab is displayed. Now, create roof using the sketching tools, as shown in Figure 1. While creating, you will notice a triangle on each line which represents slope. If wanted to remove slope from any plane just select that plane and clear the Define Slope check box from the Options Bar.  Now, choose the Finish Edit Mode tool to complete sketching of roof.

Figure 1 Sketched roof

Use the Default 3D tool to view the model in 3D view, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 3D view of roof

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SCHEDULE

Schedule is a format for providing project information. Schedule primarily provide information in a tabulated form. Schedules are created by extracting information from a building model. In Autodesk Revit Architecture, all elements are parametric. This means that they have several properties associated with them. When you use these elements, the associated information is automatically added to the building model. This information can be then extracted for the creation of schedules.

Schedule is basically a view. So, you can find this tool from the Create panel of the View tab; the New Schedule dialog box is displayed.

From this Category area, you can select any category to create schedule. Select the Wall from category and create Wall Schedule. Choose OK; the Schedule Properties dialog box is displayed. In this dialog box, select the Area, Count, Family, and Type and add them to the Schedule fields area using the Add button. You can add other fields also using the Add button. To arrange their order, you can use the Move Up and Move Down button.

                                     
You can use other tabs to set various settings or directly, choose OK to close the dialog box. After choosing the OK button.

You will see your schedule like this-

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Design Options: An Introduction

  In this article, we are going to take you through what Design Options are, when would you use them.

The Design Options provides you with the flexibility of choosing several alternatives for your design. As a designer, you need to come up with multiple design ideas, so that you can select the best option that suits the functional, aesthetical, and economical requirement of your project. Therefore, you need to develop and evaluate several design options and then execute the best possible design option for your project.

The majority of your project will be fixed- this is what will constitute the “Main Model” with regards Design Options. All Revit elements that are designated as being in the Main Model will be common to all Options. This is a very important concept and one that you need to fully understand. If there are certain parts of your scheme that will vary (depending on which Option you are exploring), you need to move them out of the “Main Model” and into an “Option”.

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