This class will be an introduction or reintroduction to Inventor software. It will also go into general detail about a lot of the common issues that come up on the Inventor Forum. It is generally understood that there are many intermediate and advanced Inventor sessions at Autodesk University; however, sometimes you need to go back to the basics and introduce or reintroduce people to some of these features they might or might not know or understand—whether it’s how to find them, or how to use them. This session features Inventor Professional 2020—2017 software. (The handout will have some Inventor 2016 information)

Whether you are new to AutoLISP programming or not, the right editor can make a big difference. There are many different editors that you can use to edit AutoLISP (LSP) files; some are plain text editors with no specialized features, while others are specially designed to understand the syntax of the AutoLISP programming language. There are two specialized editors that Autodesk currently supports for AutoLISP development: Visual LISP integrated development environment (IDE) and Microsoft Visual Studio (VS) Code. Both editors offer several tools for editing, formatting, and debugging AutoLISP files. During this session, you will learn about the many features that the Visual LISP IDE and VS Code editors offer to improve the writing and managing of LSP files. If you are already a user of the Visual LISP IDE, you will learn how to use VS Code to work with AutoLISP files.

Do you find yourself fighting with large or very large assembly files? This class will build on the previous Autodesk University classes (“CADZilla” and “CADZilla Jr.”) and we will cover best practices in opening/closing large assemblies, related drawings, tips and tricks on settings, and processes that will make you victorious over these monster-sized files. There’s been such interest in this class and subject matter that the speaker wanted to offer it yet again with the updates provided by the 2020 release, as well as giving those who couldn’t make the previous classes a chance to attend this one.

Some CAD managers have to balance their “real work” (as billable employees) with their CAD management responsibilities (often considered nonbillable time). This can be a daunting and thankless assignment. Billable work and deadlines consume your workday, so the needs of CAD management get squeezed in between projects, during lunches, or after hours. But it’s possible to capitalize on some simple (and a few not so simple) AutoLISP tricks to make AutoCAD software do some of the heavy lifting or tedious tasks of CAD management so you can get back to your work (and back to your life). Like many tools, AutoLISP can be intimidating, frustrating, dangerous, and powerful—all at the same time. But as with any tool, understanding how it works and how to work it makes a huge difference. In this session, we’ll look at some real-world scenarios, a number of examples, and a variety of resources you can capitalize on back at your company.

Studies show the average cost of rework in civil engineering projects to be above 5%, occasionally exceeding 15%, even passing 30% among the worst cases. As a civil engineer and CAD manager designing projects such as sanitary landfills I found customers, contractors, and stakeholders asking for changes regularly. Rework was just routine. Then one project forever changed my tolerance of rework, and exposed the root of the problem; an incomplete understanding of real-world project site conditions, even after surveying. In this talk you’ll see how a tool created to use Google Earth in AutoCAD has now developed into a powerful platform, giving users access to high-resolution and up-to-date aerial and satellite imagery from the world’s premium image providers. See how in the early stages of projects such imagery helps you make better and faster design decisions, speeding up workflow, gaining greater insight and confidence, all while reducing the waste and cost of rework.

So many CAD managers came to their position because they were expert CAD users. However, CAD skills are only a part of what it takes to be a good CAD manager. This award-winning panel is back to share important lessons they’ve learned from decades of experience. Learn from this panel of diverse CAD managers who are widely respected as leaders in their field. Hear their unique perspective and solutions to challenges faced by CAD managers from organizations of all sizes and backgrounds. Topics include CAD standards, keeping up with rapidly changing technology, managing users, communicating with management and other nontechnical people, budgeting, working remotely and supporting remote users, and more. Join us for a panel discussion that’s become an anticipated Autodesk University tradition. Take this opportunity to learn from four CAD managers who have been there—and done that.

A functioning CAD standard is a must. Not enough of us (or our organizations) use CAD standards in our daily AutoCAD workflows. A CAD standard must be developed, documented, and, more importantly, used every day. An ever-decreasing amount of time—and the hard work it takes to make that CAD standard into an entity—gets in the way. LinkedIn Learning [in]structor Shaun Bryant (CadJedi) will show you how to implement a CAD standard and develop it to suit your team, and identify which CAD standards are needed (BS1192, NCS, AIA, and so on). Once built and agreed, it then needs to be deployed. You will learn some of the tips and tricks you’ll need to get you through this rigorous process of CAD standardization, and, more importantly, you’ll discover how to document the process to ensure that milestones are met, and that your CAD standard becomes second nature for your CAD team.

This class will look at overall management, administration, and troubleshooting for BIM 360 software. We’ll demonstrate tips and techniques for managing larger number of BIM 360 projects (200-plus), and cover areas such as project governance, management of local collaboration cache, initial setup techniques, and best practices. We’ll point out some common areas of confusion for project administrators, and we’ll delve into common issues with using Revit software and the Autodesk Desktop Connector with BIM 360 and discuss how to mitigate those issues. We’ll also cover some unique ways of utilizing BIM 360 Document Management and BIM 360 Design Collaboration for internal uses such as Revit Content Management.

Did you know that AutoCAD software has a CAD Standards Manager included within? You can find the CAD Standards panel on the manage tab of the ribbon. Standards within drawing files define a set of common properties for named objects such as layers and text styles. Consistency in design and drafting are very important for maintaining and sharing drawings internally and externally in AutoCAD. The CAD Standards Manager can help you check, correct, and maintain standards within your company. At the end of this class, you’ll be able to configure template files for standards, attach those standards files to a drawing to check consistency, use the batch checker to create a violation report, and understand how to use the powerful layer translator. Let’s investigate these tools together to help provide a more efficient approach to producing and checking design drawings for consistency and standards.

How often have you made a simple change to a part file in Autodesk Inventor, only to return to the assembly and have it explode? I know that this has happend to you. It's happened to me too. In this class, we will learn simple and effective strategies for building parametric, stable assemblies that can easily be updated. We will discuss best practice for structuring assemblies and how to scale when working with large assemblies. We will learn how to use relationships effectively, and when to use the alternatives. We will learn how to prepare a design for top-down parametric change, and how we can trigger changes using iLogic. Finally, we will learn how to document our design intent to ensure that our colleagues can work with our assemblies as effectively as we can.

If you already have the basic knowledge of the Sheet Set Manager and want to take it to the next level, then this class is for you. We will build on the basics of sheet sets and move into more-advanced topics of the software. The Sheet Set Manager (SSM) in AutoCAD software is your ultimate document management tool. In this advanced class, we will create a standard template using fields and links to populate the data throughout the entire design package. We will organize all of the sheets, add views including labels, and publish the entire set to a PDF, DWF, or plotter output when complete. At the end of this class, you will be able to take your existing company title blocks and create a template to use on all projects, increasing your productivity and efficiency on all current and future design projects

If you’ve used the Sheet Set Manager effectively and want to take your drawing management to the next level, then this class is for you. We’ll build upon the basics of sheet sets and move into more-advanced topics of the Sheet Set Manager. The Sheet Set Manager in AutoCAD software is your ultimate document management tool. In this advanced lab, we’ll create a standard template using fields and link those fields to populate project data throughout the entire design package. We’ll organize all of the sheets, add views with labels, and publish the entire set to a PDF, DWF, or plotter output when complete. At the end of this class, you’ll be able to take your existing company title blocks and create a template to use on all projects, increasing your productivity and efficiency on all current and future design projects. The time is now to advance your skills in the lab with the Sheet Set Manager.

This class will be an introduction or reintroduction to Inventor mechanical design and 3D CAD software. It will also go into general detail about many of the common issues that come up on the Inventor forums. It is generally understood that there are more intermediate and advanced Inventor software classes at Autodesk University; however, sometimes you need to go back to the basics to discover or rediscover some of the features you might not know about or understand—whether they be hard to find, or confusing to know how to use. This session will feature Inventor Professional software.

In the early days of CAD, we made 2D creations of designs. Then came the era of creating models in 3D. Now, the next phase is connected BIM (Building Information Modeling). This era is about building applications and solutions that connect a community of people to a project or product, and to the new means of production. In this era, you can optimize a design not only for how it functions, but for how it is built and interconnects with other systems, as well as in the cloud. This class will showcase how users can utilize the power of the cloud using Revit software and BIM 360 software. It will also showcase how the users can customize the information present in BIM 360 using Forge and how they can make their own customized apps.

Throughout the speaker’s 21 years of using, managing, and teaching Inventor software, some interesting things have been done with templates—everything from having predefined solids in a part file to having iLogic rules in a template. Let’s get together and talk about some of the things that we can do to help inspire you to maximize your Inventor templates. A couple of the topics we will look at are iLogic rules in templates, predefining parameters in a template, defined Level of Details in an assembly template, and of course Styles and Standards.

Moving from a MicroStation to a Civil 3D platform is a shift. We will review the data presented to senior leadership, arming them with information to make the switch. Not all projects are equal; hence, we will discuss the types of projects that are suitable for the change. Equally, teaching data management, BIM principles, and Civil 3D is key to a successful platform migration. We will cover the pedagogical theory and techniques used to empower users with new skills. We will consider key strategies to facilitate this shift across different offices in the United States. Data is central to a Civil 3D project. We will examine the data management tools and techniques used to make the learning curve less steep. This will include types of data that are typically necessary for a design project with Civil 3D. In this talk, we will consider how data was created, managed, and shared in Civil 3D 2019/20. Finally, we will review a few technical and non-technical challenges encountered while making the shift.

In this class, a panel of Autodesk experts will share productivity tips and tricks, and answer audience questions about real-time challenges. Attend this class for expert AutoCAD advice. The class will start with a brief presentation to introduce the support organization, the speakers, and the current customer support options. Before the class, attendees will be able to submit questions so the experts can research and provide dependable answers. There will also be dedicated time for attendees to ask questions that were not submitted beforehand. A computer will be set up in the class with AutoCAD 2019 software for any attendees who need to demonstrate their issues. Panel experts will include members of the Technical Support, Quality Assurance, and Licensing Teams. This class is primarily a question-and-answer format, with the majority of the questions coming from the audience in real time.