Clarity for Revit Server

It's been a while, but I have a really good excuse! I've traveled the world, told tales, explored, and ate well. From the shores of western Ireland, to the South of France and Monaco and onward to the beaches of Dubai, I have now returned. What a trip, indeed, but that is for another post perhaps.

Seriously, this is what aquariums look like in Monaco.

Upon my return, I find my new love, Clarity, has finally been made public. LINK

Built upon the Autodesk® Revit® Server platform, IMAGINiT Clarity enables better collaboration between Revit users (both inside and outside an organization). By using IMAGINiT Clarity you can control your Revit Server setup, automate repetitive tasks, and provide valuable data to non-Revit users – all with simple setup, easy administration and secure connectivity.

We've been toying around with this tool for the past couple months and I have to say, it is the bomb. Almost everything that needs fixing in Revit Server, Clarity addresses.  Permissions, task automation, web access, VPN are all there. Head on over to their press release and check'em out. Tell Beau I said hi!

My Non-BIM Hobby

We all do something else, hopefully, outside of work that makes us happy. Maybe it's kickball or something. The point is, technology, architecture, BIM, et al, are great, but we need to step away now and then.

Seriously, who doesn't love kickball?!

Some background; I've played music most of my life. Starting with the saxophone in 6th grade, my love for playing music has only grown. I picked up the guitar for the first time in 1995 and haven't put it down. More recently, however, I've been exploring new musical avenues. Last April, I decided I was going to learn the banjo.

Every Thursday night since then, I've been playing in a 'jam' group with guys from around DFW. I believe the best way to learn is to play with other people as often as you can. Last night a few of us got together to play an 'open mic night' where one of the guys work and the rest is history.

We'll probably be famous soon...

Apply Dependent Views

You spend so much time getting your dependent views set just like you like them. You get the cropping regions all set, with just the right amount of overlap, and then you remember this is a 30 foot tower.

 queue dramatic music

Well don't fret, little buddy. You can take all that hard work and apply it to every other floor in seconds! Just right-click on the parent view of the set you just finished and choose "Apply Dependent Views", choose the views you want to apply that set to, and you're all set. This is yet another great example of "do it once, do it right". You will have to take some time and rename the new dependent views, but the hard work is done. Apply your view template for that type of view, and get back to work!

The views you apply your set to must be the same scale as the original.

I tell my employees all the time that if you find yourself doing something menial repetitively, there is another way to do it.

Back to Reality

What a great break! 12 days of Christmas, quite literally, and it absolutely flew by. Great time with the fam, but unfortunately, it's back to real life. While I was away, I played, I thought, I slept (a lot), and I contemplated where we go next as an industry. Many changes are coming our way to be sure, and if Ray Kurzweil is to be believed, the Singularity is truly near.

Your next project

Technology is changing so rapidly now that I feel like it's a full time job just playing catch-up. With tools like Revit Server coming into maturity, enterprise cloud solutions for email, documents, and storage, and teams growing ever more complex and dispersed, our life is about to change big time.

I though about the challenges we face this year and created a very short list. Some of these aren't new technologies, but on the spectrum of 'Impossible' to 'Required', these just moved into the 'Practical' realm.

1. Security: Central files based in the cloud (or at least, outside access given to consultants).
2. Preparedness: Owners finally realizing BIM's potential and turning the screws on those who aren't ready.
3. Communication: Central files that aren't central files at all, but a data-hub of sorts.
4. Process: Simulation (energy, logistics, personnel throughput) for high-performance design will become commonplace.
5. Cost: Subscription-based cloud tools and services (think rendering).

If we make it that far.

This list is by no means complete, but just a series of thoughts I had whilst sipping Egg Nog at my 11am breakfast. Here's to a great 2012!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I'm off for the rest of 2011. Here's to a great 2012! Everyone stay safe and enjoy the break!

The Architect Geek

These last few years have taught me many things about the profession I have dreamed about since the 3rd grade. I have seen more massive changes (or at least, potentially massive) in the last 3 years than all of my previous 11 combined. One thing has stuck out the most in my mind, and that is, what are we turning into? The subtitle of my blog here is "BIM is changing us into something different". I really mean that. I wonder what the future holds for the hold-outs. Can those of us early adopters push hard enough without marginalizing the cause? I recently asked a question of my team to see what they thought. I have since asked the same question to those in my office who would listen.

"Is the future architect a geek?"

Not pictured: Horn-rimmed glasses, vests, or fedoras.

Not surprisingly, I didn't get an answer. It's not so easy to say yet. Will the technology one day become so easy that anyone can and will understand it? AutoCAD has been around for more than 20 years, yet companies still need support. It pains me to hear someone talk about technology like it is a burden. I realize that I may be in the minority here, but the problems posed currently by our industry are most easily solved with technology. Do you want to house your own energy modeling database internally? Can you adequately describe the best solution for your building skin without tangible metrics? Metrics give us something to prop ourselves up against when everyone wants to throw us under the bus. Using scripting languages to better optimize our design, sending a model into the cloud to render or for analysis to free up resources so we can continue to work, or simply bending a particular tool to our will is our future, isn't it?

So I ask again, does understanding those concepts make me a geek? Is the merging of IT and AE such a bad thing? Are we the future for the industry, or are we the back of house sweaty programmer types that keeps everyone's shared parameter files and Revit warnings in order? 

Please make sure you check your worksets! Gah!

Enjoy your weekend.

Vasari Love

I love Project Vasari. I love that it's free (for now). I love all what it stands for. I love what it means for designers who love technology. I am excited for the future (scripting anyone?) and the power that comes with it. My hope is that tools like Vasari become so ingrained in our design process, that we cannot image life before it.

Also, I love Monkey Island

I was toying around with Google Earth the other day and remembered something useful. You can actually download all of those wonderful models directly into Sketchup for your very own use; for free, no less! You can head right over to Google's 3D Warehouse from within Sketchup and choose your building(s) to download. Armed now with some simplistic model, the sky is the limit in terms of what I can do next.

Pro Tip: If you want faces analyzed, they have to be native Vasari; the other buildings are imports only

For starters, all of that great context our high performing buildings so desperately need are right there, perfectly scaled and located, ready for anything. The perfect integration of Vasari's Location and Google Maps & Earth make for some fantastic sun / shadow studies. Wind analysis through the spaces are also useful for figuring out where not to put the picnic tables.

Or, to analyze one's capabilities to make a Kessel Run (Thanks, David)

Ultimately, this post is just to bring to your attention some really cool, yet simple things to do with Vasari. Enjoy and remain motivated.