SketchUp in the Classroom

This is a great example of how SketchUp is making it's way into the classroom for the next generation. In the architecture business, we use SketchUp as a tool to create new buildings... but there is a whole other community out there of people creating existing buildings (and not just for context). Being able to add a real-life location, model a building from Google Street View and showing the surrounding terrain are just a few ways that the earth is being modeled one building at a time.

In Hartford, VT, they are using it as a teaching aid in a history class. What better way to understand the history of your town, then to visit it's buildings, take pictures, research the history and draw what you see. Google Earth is allowing geography and history students the opportunity to "travel" to any place on the glove to view the history and the landscape of other countries. What was only seen before in picture, can now be seen in 3 dimensions.

Students are also using it in their Integrated Technology class. SketchUp lets them model components and items in 3D that before would have been impossible.

YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4FMGJQ4zfc

Creating Hartford Web Page:

http://creatinghartfordvt.com/

Revit 2012

Is here! Here's a link to Autodesks website: http://usa.autodesk.com/products/

What's New??

1. Construction Modeling Tools
2. Point Cloud Tools
3. Conceptual Energy Analysis Tools
4. Revit Server
5. Enhanced Worksharing
6. Performance Enhancements
7. Model Linking Enhancements
8. Citrix Ready
9. Material Appearance Library
10. Improved DWG Export
11. Visualization Display Option
12. Dimension Customization
13. Enhanced Families

Showcase 2012

Project Newport is a program that has just graduated from the Autodesk Lab. No... I didn't make up "graduated from the lab," that's an Autodesk saying. Anyway, this software has some great presentation potential. It has been incorporated into Autodesk Showcase 2012! Here's a quick video about what Showcase can do:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ioP0CVRJvUI#at=541

This would allow anyone in a design development meeting or early CD meeting to review materials, plan changes, spacial relationships, etc. with the owner. It looks to be a grate 3D presentation tool and could bridge the gap as far as post-SketchUp/pre-finished Revit model renderings!

Default template location in Revit

It's very east to forget to change your template to the correct one. I got a new computer and installed Revit 2011 and forgot to do it myself. All of the standard notes, symbols and other things that you may never notice are in the template so if you need to verify it, here's the procedure below.

Go to the big "R" in the upper left hand corner of the screen and click options from the drop down.

Click on the "File Locations" tab that pops up. From there make sure that your "Default template file" is J:\Revit\Template\BLDD default-2011.rte.