You’ve been given the responsibility to manage CAD within your department and/or organization, but your job title does not include “CAD manager.” You do not or cannot dedicate all of your time to this task. So how do you do this? We’ll use my transition from reseller to mining equipment manufacturer as a way of examining how to get buy-in from management, how to get participation by the users (and your peers), where to start, and how to proceed, as well as reviewing my continuing development with time and project management. Let’s talk processes, procedures, training, CAD, management, and continual leadership.

Get on board with the enterprise product lifecycle management (PLM) team at D3 Technologies and learn from experts who configure and support Fusion Lifecycle software for some of the largest implementations in the United States. If you are a Fusion Lifecycle user or administrator, or you want to get in on the action and see (within 60 minutes) all the cool things this amazing technology can do, this class will deliver. Be warned, some topics may include terms like API, REST, and computed fields—but not to worry, we will do our best to keep it consumable and interesting for all user levels. Each team member plans to present at least 10 tips for improving your Fusion Lifecycle tenant or user experience. Setting the stage, we’ll have at least one solution architect, Fusion Lifecycle system administrator, implementation consultant, developer, and even a project manager. That is quite a team with a ton of experience implementing every type of field, script, workspace, project, and integration that connects to Fusion Lifecycle.

Do you find yourself behind on design projects? Do you want to better familiarize yourself with AutoCAD software to improve your efficiency? In this class, we’ll discuss how to manipulate settings and options to improve speed. We’ll discuss how to set up drawings using Xrefs and utilizing paper space and model space. We’ll also look at how layer commands and object display settings can reduce clutter in your drawings to make it easier to manipulate drawing components. This class will help you become more familiar with some of the options in AutoCAD, and help you take that next step in your career using the many tools AutoCAD has to offer.

Most AutoCAD users have either taken an AutoCAD course or have been trained by existing users within their business. Very rarely do they get to explore some of the tools that aren’t standard. This session will address those “I wish I knew that” statements. This fast-paced class will introduce users to 45 important tips and tricks that can be achieved across “vanilla” AutoCAD software. We’ll categorize the tips across each area of AutoCAD, from navigation through to output—including Render, Creation, and Modify. The session will have a question-and-answer session at the end where the audience will be able to ask any questions that arise from the session.

Are you interested to learn more about modeless Revit plug-ins? Yes? Great, this class is for you. User experience and accessibility are becoming trends while developing software. How do you achieve that? You can achieve user experience by using Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) instead of Windows forms, and achieve accessibility by using modeless dialogs. This class will present the advantage of using WPF and modeless dialogs while developing your Revit plug-ins. Users can see the actions and data flows between Revit and plug-ins. In this session, we’ll show a demo of the workflow consisting of multiple steps that depend on each other to show the features that WPF provides.

This presentation describes how to solve a problem within 5 days. It shows how to find ideas and concepts, build a prototype and have it validated by 5 customers. The method combines the best of Design Thinking, Lean Startup and Agile to develop and test products and services in less than a week with guaranteed success. If you are not afraid of innovation and your team wants to improve, you should try this method in your projects (services, products,...). As a team member you do not need any previous knowledge, only the desire to create something! And a competent Design Sprint moderator at your side, or you can train yourself as a moderator. You can act in different roles, e.g. as decision maker, moderator or expert. For the creation of the prototype, doers, writers, prop master, composer and interviewer are needed. Choose the role that best suits you or your experience and helps your team and make sure that the decision maker and moderator are equipped with the necessary skills.

In this session, we will present a powerful service for automatic generation of process simulation models from 3D plant models (for example, AutoCAD Plant 3D software). The simulation service is based on the Open Ontology-based Integration Platform “Simantics.” Information of a 3D model is extracted to generate and configure a dynamic simulation model and to calculate pressure-loss coefficients. The Forge model can be used for process and control design, control system testing, operator training, and process optimization and troubleshooting. The generated simulation-based virtual twin can be connected automatically to the Forge platform, capitalizing on the OPC UA standard, and simulation data can be visualized in Forge. We will also show how one can interface measurement data to the same system and do comparison between simulated and measured data, enabling fault diagnostic and troubleshooting services in Forge. We will demonstrate a case example using a small laboratory process.

Can AutoCAD P&ID software save time? In a word? Yes! In this class you will learn the information needed to make a case for upgrading to AutoCAD Plant P&ID software. Maybe you’ve mentioned the value of this upgrade to your manager or project managers and they’ve agreed. Then how do you justify it in the budget? What about training? Will it disrupt how you work? Why change programs if AutoCAD software is working fine? By the end of this class you will have the information needed to make a convincing argument that leaves everyone asking, “Why didn’t we do this sooner?”

As technology rapidly evolves, it is important to develop a technology adoption strategy. This session, jointly presented by WSP, HNTB, and Eagle Point Software, explores their journeys through developing a technology strategy for operational staff. We will share helpful techniques to assist with the development and implementation of an effective technology adoption strategy, leveraging best practices and standards for applied training, and information on industry tools for assessing skills gaps, which can be used to create a skills taxonomy and personalized approach to training. The presenters' goal is to inspire viewers to think outside the box and consider the importance of developing a technology adoption strategy that will accelerate technology adoption, increase productivity, and drive growth across an organization.

Who hasn’t had this situation—receiving data from a planning partner who’s also using AutoCAD Architecture software or AutoCAD MEP software and content that should be added doesn’t display. Or, content that is displayed doesn’t look like you expect, or doesn’t meet the firm’s graphical design standards. So, where should you start the modifications, and, more importantly, how do you apply them? The class will walk through how to navigate through the swamp of settings that are possible within the Display Manager, showcasing its possibilities and perks. We’ll explain an effective workflow when starting from scratch, or when dealing with data coming from an outside source who’s also working with AutoCAD Architecture and AutoCAD MEP, without losing what others might have defined.

We shall begin with two alignments, a general plan, profiles, and several subassemblies for Subassembly Composer. Step by step, we will start with a simple corridor and will finish with a complex intelligent model in Navisworks software with landscaping, external engineering networks, and traffic management.

Ever wanted to get hands on with CAM in Fusion 360 software but felt a bit intimidated or didn't know where to begin? Want to see a job set up and run live during the session? Well, this is the class for you! Throughout the last 10 months, the speaker has gone from knowing nothing about machining or CAM to knowing slightly more about machining and CAM! This is the class for CAM newbies! We will go through the process of posting out your first computer numerical control (CNC) job without assumed knowledge. This will involve opening the Manufacture workspace in Fusion 360, creating a setup, creating tools, generating toolpaths, and posting out to machine G-code. We will even have a live demonstration of the running of the CNC job on a machine at University of Warwick's Engineering Build Space!

Why should you be using Dynamic Blocks? Quite simply, Dynamic Blocks can greatly reduce the number of blocks in your library, improving your efficiency. While it does take a little more time up front to create a Dynamic Block, the timesavings on the back end are well worth the effort! Even better news: if you are a proficient user of AutoCAD software, you should have no problem converting those boring, static blocks into shiny, new, Dynamic Blocks.

Dynamo for a long time has been the go-to tool of Revit users to quickly script solutions to time-consuming routine problems. However, there is much more that Dynamo can do beyond scripting. There is a whole world to explore with packages and integrations which you may not be aware of. See what is possible with AI, geometry manipulation, coding, generative design in Autodesk software, and document updates, as well as accessing web APIs with Dynamo. If you think you know Dynamo, then you’ve only scratched the surface. Check out this class to see the true potential of Dynamo and visual scripting.

As CAD managers, we face a variety of challenges when developing, supporting, and coordinating adoption of a company’s CAD standards package. These tasks can include a variety of considerations, such as user acceptance, change management, production impacts (or disruptions), training prerequisites, collaboration techniques, solution architecture, rollout strategies, feedback protocols, and, of course, user pushback. Join the speaker for this roundtable discussion as we explore strategies that have worked (and those that have not) and discuss what you need to know as a CAD manager when “selling” the standard—from the single drawing-production staff member through upper-tier management. This is an opportunity to share your CAD management experiences with others in attendance. Participation is expected.

The United Kingdom (UK) is experiencing an exponential demand for rail travel, combined with demands from passengers for safer, faster, more reliable trains. The only way to meet this demand today, and for future generations, is to invest heavily in the UK's rail infrastructure. However, in today’s economic climate, rail infrastructure owners have to spend available capital wisely and ensure better outcomes, based on quality design and construction. This class looks at how UK rail infrastructure owners are adopting Building Information Modeling (BIM) as a key enabler to making informed business decisions throughout the life of the asset, based on accurate, complete, and unambiguous information. To achieve this, they are developing standardized processes and providing client leadership for their supply chain to build integrated teams with the capability and capacity to deliver their requirements.

As a working Geospatial/CAD manager on a military installation, it is a juggling act to manage all aspects of the job. The U.S. Air Force 3E5X1 (Engineers) career field’s increasing requirement for Autodesk® training has changed the way we manage our CAD as-built and geospatial enterprise data. This class will cover a combination of how going back to basics streamlined the Nellis Air Force Base business process and limited IT support challenges. We will present an overview of our “how-to” approach in managing construction as-builts, surveying methods, and GIS using AutoCAD® Map 3D® and AutoCAD® Civil 3D® software as well as products from ESRI® and Trimble®.

Fusion 360 software is a complete product-design tool that enables users to go from concept to production with integrated CAD, CAM, and CAE technology. We hear that a lot, but in reality, what does it actually mean? Is it the Swiss Army knife of design software? Can it do everything? This class will take attendees through the complete design and manufacturing process, from initial concept scribbles all the way through to generating files for 3D printing and toolpaths for a computer numerical control (CNC) job. We'll kick off with bringing some drawings into the Fusion 360 environment and using them as template. Then we will move on to some basic simulations, carrying out a design change and generating some communication visuals with custom materials. Finally, we'll hit up the Manufacture workspace to generate some toolpaths for CNC machining and potentially fire up a CNC machine (using Fusion Team to share tool libraries).

When it comes to CAD, "plotting" refers to everything around printing and page setup, while "publishing" refers to electronic output. These techniques are intertwined in AutoCAD software. The goal of both is to clearly communicate design intent to the contractors, architects, and engineers involved in the project. Watch this course to learn how to plot and publish your own drawings effectively, using the appropriate tools and settings within AutoCAD 2016 software. We will cover scaling views, customizing page setups for layouts, and assigning plot styles to change the appearance of your drawings when they go to plot or publish. You will learn how to adjust individual settings in the Plot and Publish dialogs so you end up with smart, readable printouts, DWFs, and PDFs. This session features AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, and AutoCAD for Mac. AIA Approved

Technology is rapidly changing our world, specifically in the last year we’ve seen a significant increase in the use of virtual reality (VR) within the manufacturing and construction industries. VR is being adopted in manufacturing to train employees more thoroughly and efficiently, and it’s being used for training in construction in a number of areas including workplace safety, basic simulation, and extreme task simulation. Both of these industries are primed to implement VR at a massive scale, because they are extremely hands on in nature and can also be very dangerous without the proper training and experience. HTC VIVE, NVIDIA, and DELL will explore several use cases on increasing construction and manufacturing safety through VR, the benefits of VR for training and how the technology is changing the way the AEC industry works from design, to simulation, to implementation.