HyperPics: Beyond the UI

Autodesk 3ds Max 8 Now Shipping

If you are a subscription customer on 3ds Max, you should be receiving your upgrade shortly as it has begun shipping.

This latest release of Autodesk 3ds Max 8 provides new and enhanced functionality in four key areas:

• Character Development – Craft and refine your character animation with advanced rigging tools, motion mixing, and motion retargeting.
• Advanced Modeling and Texturing - Create realtime shaders inside the 3ds Max viewport with DirectX® and .fx support. Accurately texture a 3D model in less time with our new UV pelt mapping feature. This pelt mapping feature drew thundering applause from the crowd at our SIGGRAPH 2005 User Group meeting!
• Comprehensive Development Framework - Customize your pipeline and improve workflow with our robust, well-documented SDK. Build solid MAXScripts in less time with our new MAXScript debugger. Efficiently exchange scene and animation data with XML and use the free, downloadable Autodesk® DWF™ Viewer for review and approval collaboration.
• Data & Asset Management - Share, control, and manage your work-in-progress assets using Asset Tracker and Autodesk® Vault, a full-featured data management and asset tracking solution.

For more information visit the Autodesk Media & Entertainment Solutions web page or contact your local reseller. If you are upgrading from a previous release of 3ds Max or are new all together to 3ds Max, get training from some of the best in the industry like Master Level instructor Ted Boardman at Virtual Partners Training Center.

Sincerely,
  Lee

Autodesk set to Acquire Alias

Autodesk has just announced that it is in the process of acquiring Alias.  So who or what is Alias you might be wonder?  Alias develops award-winning software, custom development and training solutions for the file and video, games, web, interactive media, automotive, industrial design, education and visualization markets.

The company's entertainment customers include: CNN, Digital Domain, Disney, Electronic Arts, Industrial Light & Magic, Factor 5 LLC, Midway Games, Nintendo, Pacific Data Images (PDI)/DreamWorks SKG, Pixar, Sega, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Square Enix Co., Ltd., Warner Feature Animation and Weta Ltd.
Our design customers include AT&T, BMW, Boeing, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Italdesign, Kodak, Kwikset, Mattel, Price Pfister, Renault, Rollerblade, Sharp, Trek Bicycle, Teague and Timex.

To read more about this announcement:
  Go to Autodesk.com
  Read the posting on Between the Lines by Shaan Hurley an Autodesk Blogger

Sincerely,
  Lee

Looking for some articles on AutoCAD Customization?

Are you looking for some articles on AutoCAD Customization?  If you are, you have come to the right place.  I have decided to build a listing of all the customization articles and contributions that I have been involved with over the last couple of years (or more).  Many of these articles were published in AUGIWorld or AUGI HotNews.  I have been involved with some other publications that range from the latest release of the AutoCAD 2006 Instructor book by James Leach and white papers on the new CUI feature found in AutoCAD 2006.  The articles that I wrote for AUGI date back to Jan 2004 till present.  Click here to access the list of contributions and publications that I have been involved with.  As time goes on I will continue to add to the list and add things that I might have missed, and categorize the page so it is easier to navigate.

Sincerely,
  Lee

New Dynamic Blocks White Paper

Autodesk has just released the second part of a three part set of white papers on Dynamic Blocks written by well known author Ellen Finkelstein.

Part 1: Dynamic Block Overview and Quick-Start Tutorial

Part 2: Inventory of Block Editor, Commands, Parameters, Actions, and Parameter Sets

Sincerely,
  Lee

Autodesk Listens to the Voices of its Customers

Still have a few choice things that you would like to say about AutoCAD even after the newest release of 2006?  Maybe you have one of the best ideas and you are waiting for it to be added to a future release.  Both of these are valid reasons that you might want to think about getting involved in the beta programs that Autodesk puts together around each release of its software.

Don't have lots of time to spare?  That's Ok... you give what time you can.  Each person that participates in the beta programs have different reasons for being part of it.  Some just want to get ahead start on learning the ins and outs of the migration process so they have a small learning curve once the final product ships.  Some really get heavily involved with the software because they have a passion for technology and for the products that they use on a daily basis.

So will you be part of AutoCAD 2007 (or whatever the next version is called) before it ships?  Autodesk values feedback from its customers, both good and bad alike.  So get involved today with surveys, usability studies and beta testing.  It is also a great way to network with others in the industry as well, I have met many great people through this experience.

Sign up at the My Feedback Portal by clicking this link.

Sincerely,
  Lee

What to Help Make AutoCAD Even Better?

I have been participating on many different levels over the years that revolve around improving AutoCAD.  Autodesk is always looking for customer feedback in the form of beta testers and even quick surveys.  Even at events like AU they try to set up times and meetings to talk to their customers about things that could be improved to help your work flow.

When I first started participating I thought it was just simply a way for Autodesk to make their customers feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside, but if you look at the latest releases of AutoCAD.  The product speaks for itself and all of the many customer asked for enhancements that come directly out of things like the AUGI Wish list and feedback from its customers.

So get out there and make a New Year resolution (its not too late yet) and contribute to the tool that you use on a daily basis.

Hardware Survey
AutoCAD Survey

In the Denver area... Autodesk is conducting a research project on AutoCAD 2006.
Click to enroll

Have more time that you would like to give back in the form of feedback.... then why not sign up to be a beta participant.  Signup at the My Feedback site that is hosted by Autodesk.

Sincerely,
  Lee

AU is Just Days Away

AU is just a matter of days a way and I am making my final preparations before leaving for Las Vegas tomorrow morning.  This will be my 6th AU that I will be attending, I have attended all previous ones in Las Vegas and on in Chicago.  This one will by far be the largest AU yet with what I have heard to be over 4,200 attendees.  The number of attendees has caused Autodesk staff and some attendees to be located in other hotels around the MGM Grande, like New York, New York and Excalibur.  See yeah at AU... I know I will be very busy with things.  I will try and post pictures to my blog as I can during my time out there. I will be attending the ADN Conference on Monday and will be out there until Saturday afternoon, just look me up.

Sincerely,
  Lee

Welcome Lynn Allen to the World of Blogging

It is great to see Lynn getting into the spirit of blogging.  It will be great to follow her postings and tips that she will most likely share about AutoCAD and other Autodesk products.  Have fun Lynn and I'm sure you will pass Shaan up in number of visitors quickly, sorry Shaan.  Click here to go to Lynn Allen's blog.

Shaan Hurley is a great friend that works for Autodesk and has many great postings from Technology to AutoCAD.  Shaan hosts the Autodesk blog Between the Lines.

Sincerely,
  Lee

Less than one week to AU

Ah, less than one week to AU... time to kick into panic mode; run here run there. Ok maybe its not that bad, this should be another fun year and what looks like the last one in Las Vegas.  I have enjoyed getting out of the cold of the Midwest at this time of the year, but change will be nice.  I still remember my first year going to AU, which was almost the last one Autodesk organized.  It was 1999 and Autodesk had decided to hold it in four different countries around the US.  There were many complaints from attendees about this due to it being a shortened event by one day and lose of network with members of the around the industry.

Anyways, getting back on track now... I will be at AU starting Sunday and will be there through Saturday.  I will be involved in my different places at the event from teaching, to helping out in a class, to volunteering at the AUGI booth.  I tend to get involved with a lot of things that some don't.  If you see me in the halls of the Conference Center at AU, feel free to talk to me.   Below are a couple nice postings that Shaan Hurley has done recently on AU.

Autodesk University 2005, Where?
Only One Week Until Autodesk University

Sincerely,
  Lee

Heading to Chicago for a Couple Days

A couple months ago I was asked to come down for a couple days in Chicago and sit in on a Visual Basic for Applications, more commonly referred to as VBA, session in AutoCAD. This is an Introduction for people that might have some or no experience with customizing AutoCAD using VBA. VBA was added back in AutoCAD R14 on the install CD as a Preview Edition and then later it was released as part of the main install in AutoCAD R14.01. I have been using VBA since R14, so I am interested on how this session and its presentation will go.

The course is being offered through Taylor Technology. For me this will be a mini-vacation after spending a week in San Rafael in ObjectARX training. Taylor Technology offers both standard and custom classes for its customers. Their training schedule can be found at the link below for future classes.

Training offered from Taylor Technologies and the locations they are being offered at.

Sincerely,
  Lee