At Lands End

Project Galileo Online updates! Web and mobile preview tech for Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler

We are excited to announce a significant update to Autodesk Project Galileo Online that will be available today.  Project Galileo Online is a free technology preview, released on Autodesk Labs, that extends the desktop workflow of Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler 2012 Service Pack 1 into the Autodesk Cloud.  This update improves upon the collaboration capability of Project Galileo Online that was released back in August to add Cloud-based web and mobile scenario viewing capabililty.

So, YES! You can now publish your really cool infrastructure models to the Cloud so that your coworkers and stakeholders can see them in web browsers or on iPad 2 tablets!

To access the preview, check the Project Galileo Online site later today and follow the instructions to get started.

The general workflow for using the technology preview after getting set up is:

1. Create a model in Infrastructure Modeler 2012 Service Pack 1
2. Use the Scenario creator to select a part of a model that will be packaged into a Scenario
3. Publish the Scenario locally to disk or publish it to the Autodesk Cloud

The mobile app works on Apple iPad 2 machines and users can either retrieve scenarios off the cloud, or load them on their local iPad 2 using iTunes.

Here are a couple of slides that show the general workflows possible with Project Galileo Online for Web and Mobile:

This technology update is an unsupported preview, so be sure that you're not using it for production applicatinos.  However, we'd love to see any projects you try out with it!

Infrastructure Modeler 2012 Service Pack 1 is Now Available

We have released Service Pack 1 for Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler 2012 to address some reported issues from customers.

The Service Pack may be found at the bottom of the Infrastructure Modeler Product Center on Autodesk.com.  Visit http://www.autodesk.com/infrastructure-modeler and  click on the Updates & Service Packs link at the bottom of the page.

 

Counting all assets in your Infrastructure Modeler model

One of the most basic questions that I'm getting about some of the models that we're showing off is, "How many assets are in that model?"

It turns out that there is no easy way to get this information from the user interface, but it's a pretty simple task with a JavaScript.

Here's what you do:

1. Open Infrastructure Modeler and load a model of choice

2. Select Window-->Scripting Window and 

3. Paste the following code snippet into the window:

// Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler 2012 JavaScript example
// Name: Count All Model Assets

var tcount = 0;
var db = app.ActiveModelDb;

print();
print("Counting all assets in model");
print("----------------------------");

//Loop through the tables
for (i = 0; i < db.TableCount; i++){

	//This line skips some internal tables that don't need to be counted
	if (db.TableNames[i].slice(0,4) != "__jo"){

		//Sum the number of records in each relevant table
		count = db.Table(i).QueryRowCount();
		if (count > 0){
			print(" "+ db.TableNames[i] + " " + count);
			tcount += count;
		}
	}
}
print();
print("Total selected: " + tcount);
print();

4. Click Start Script

5. You should see some output like this:

This post has also been posted to the Infrastructure Modeler 2012 WIKI Help system.

 

How's your French? Infrastructure Modeler interview at BATIMAT 2011

Really nice interview (in French) featuring Autodesk's Gwenael Bachelot at BATIMAT 2011, a well attended construction informatics conference in France.

    Watch the video here

It probably really helps that now Infrastructure Modeler 2012 is available en Francais!

Infrastructure Modeler classes at Autodesk University 2011

If you're attending Autodesk University 2011 or checking out the virtual classes that might be available, I'm excited to tell you that we have 7 different sessions just on our brand new product, Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler 2012.  

It's fantastic that we have customers presenting already and I can't wait to drop in on some of the sessions. My session is a beginner class, but I hope it turns into as much discussion as lecture.  I hope I learn some things from those of you who attend it!

We all look forward to seeing you at AU 2011!

Session ID		Title		Speaker		Class Type		Date/Time
GS4570		Be a Hit: Work on your A.I.M. with Autodesk® Infrastructure Modeler 2012		Lynda Sharkey		Virtual		November 29, 2011
CI4018		AIM at Perfection: Create Conceptual Designs Faster with Autodesk® Infrastructure Modeler 2012		Scott Kent		Lecture		December 01, 2011 1:00PM
CI5669-L		Autodesk® Infrastructure Modeler (AIM) for Success		Keith Warren		Hands-On Lab		December 01, 2011 5:00PM
GS4396		Geometry On Demand: Tap into the Power of 2.5D Data with Autodesk® LandXplorer®, Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler, and Autodesk 3ds Max®		Dan Campbell		Lecture		November 29, 2011 10:00AM
CI8480		Autodesk® Infrastructure Modeler: Building a 3D City		Keith Warren		Lecture		November 29, 2011 10:00AM
GS4630-L		Infrastructure Conceptual Design with the New Autodesk® Infrastructure Modeler 2012		Christopher Andrews		Hands-On Lab		November 30, 2011 10:00AM
CI5578		Building Cities and Infrastructure Projects: Integrating Autodesk® Infrastructure Modeler into a BIM, Geospatial, and Visualization Workflow		Mark Kauffman		Lecture		November 30, 2011 10:00AM

 

Updates coming to Project Galileo Online: Beyond collaboration

 

Project Galileo Online

wll be unavailable from

November 25 until November 29th

 

The Project Galileo Online team is getting ready to release some very cool updates to the Labs version of this technology preview.  We can't go into too many specifics yet, but let's say that web browsers and alternative platforms may be involved.

Project Galileo Online is a technical preview, first released in August 2011, that extends the workflow of Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler from the desktop into the Autodesk Cloud, enabling collaboration and cloud-based data storage.

A model of a solar cell field shared with me through Project Galileo Online

by Keith Warren at VTN Consulting

To support this update, it's important to note the following:

• Project Galileo Online wll be unavailable from November 25 until November 29th

• On or shortly after November 29th, users will be required to visit the Autodesk Labs Project Galileo Online site and download the updated plug in for Project Galileo Online

For users who already have installed Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler 2012 and Project Galileo Online, they will have to:

1. Make sure that you have installed the latest Infrastructure Modeler service pack
2. Visit the Autodesk Labs Project Galileo Online site 
3. Download and run the new Project Galileo Online installer
4. Read the getting started materials which will be available on the Labs site
5. Launch Infrastructure Modeler and begin trying out the new preview

Users who have never installed Infrastructure Modeler will have to:

1. Install the Autodesk Infrastructure Modeler trial (or the full version if you have already purchased it)
2. Make sure to install the latest Infrastructure Modeler service pack
3. Visit the Autodesk Labs Project Galileo Online site and download and run the new installer
4. Read the getting started materials which will be available on the Labs site
5. Launch Infrastructure Modeler and begin trying out the new preview

All users should send us feedback either by commenting here, on the Labs forum, or by emailing us at infrastructure.modeler.support@autodesk.com.

2nd Annual Carbon Disclosure Project Cities Questionnaire Launched!

As many of you know, one of the sustainability-oriented programs that Autodesk partners with is the Carbon Disclosure Project Cities Program.  Last year we saw fantastic interest from the C40 cities and affiliates, with some important additional volunteer cities contributing carbon emissions data plus information about climate change-related strategies, risks, and opportunities.  

This year, at a time when we've just hit 7 billion people on the planet, CDP is expanding their questionnaire to the 150 most populous cities.  Additional cities are welcome to report their carbon emissions data and will benefit from seeing their name and information displayed and summarized right alongside data from the largest cities in the world.

What can you do?  You can:

• Encourage your city to report data to the CDP Cities 2012 program

• Spread the word on twitter, LinkedIn and other social media sites

• Read the 2011 report and tell us what factoids you'd like to hear about in the 2012 report that comes out next spring

Some statistics for you...

• 7 billion people exhale approximately 7 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide per day
• It would take almost 222 years to read the name of every person alive today at a rate of one per second
• If we were to line people up on all 46,000 miles of US highways, the US highway system would be covered by a line of people end-to-end and 28 people across (assuming people are no thicker than a foot...)
• If every person was an average American, we would consume 7010 million cubic yards of water per day
• If every person was an average African, we would consume 201 million cubic yards of water per day
• There are approximately 534 million US tons of humans on the planet
• If we all stood on top of each other (like Yertle's poor minions) we would stretch to reach 1x10^-6 light years.  That's approximately 8% of the distance from the Earth to the Sun.  Nuts.
• Those alive today will collectively experience almost 500 billion years of human experience. 
• If every person consumed bottled water at the rate of US consumers, all 7 billion of us would consume 1.1 trillion (10¹²!) bottles of water per year equalling almost 14 million tons of plastic (estimating with 16 ounce bottles that each weigh approx. 12 grams when empty).

(If anyone finds any errors in my calculations, let me know...)