AU 2009 – Twitter Channel

If you are going to AU, or just interested on keeping up with things, follow the Autodesk University twitter feed at AU_Online.

http://twitter.com/AU_Online

This year they are planning various things for the AU twits, including some fun things.  If you suddenly see 20% of the population run in the direction of the vender expo area, it’s probably AU twitter, and someone announced a ‘blue light special’. 

Log into your Autodesk University profile, and in the edits select the twitter setup button. 

Be sure to include the tag #AU2009 it in your tweets.

Community AU Twitter scan

If you don’t have a profile (and don’t want to set it up), you can still watch all the AU tweets using a tag scan.  I could see all AU_Online tweets, but not the rest of the community. Here I am using twhirl to illustrate.  It took me awhile to figure it out. 

Just go to search, and swap over to tweetscan, then scan for #AU2009.  The list will come up.

Then check the Add to home and Notify boxes.

Now on your home box, you’ll see them, even if you don’t follow the author.  Pretty sweet.

 

I still have not figured out what to do with Facebook, but twitter has become part of my daily life.  I’m looking forward to how it will shake out this December.

Now, if I can just figure out how to get this functionality on my WM6 phone…

Autodesk University – LinkedIn

Are you going to AU this year? Stop by the LinkedIn AU group and tell us what you have planned, and what you are looking forward to. 

Come join he discussion and help me figure out who is going where and when ( and where I am supposed to be next). 

Autodesk University LinkedIn Group

Will work for AU, the reality show!!!

That’s right ladies and gentlemen…  I got a sponsor, so…

I’m goin’ to Autodesk University 2009!!!

No one here would take a picture of me tap dancing on my desk, and no video either. 

Now all I have to do is figure out how to get there…ummm.

In an attempt to fill in the gaps, I’ll also be working my oshiri off as a lab assistant.  It appears as though I will be assisting in the following classes:

• CV214-4L Designed for Success
• CV118-6L  Making the Grade
• CV204-1L  Making the Grade

I was unable to get any manufacturing labs, sorry folks.  But that’s ok, I’m happy to get any of them. It’s kind of like going off to college and getting a part time job.

If you will be nearby, check me out after the class (just not during please, as they will string me up if I am chatting during duty hours, very strict).  Manufacturing, Education, and Civil Engineering, everyone.

The fine print on the lab assistant agreement was real small and hard to read,  so if you see me dressed in a bellhop getup, carrying some Autodesk tech’s luggage, don’t worry.  Just laugh and point, and get a cold one ready. 

Autodesk University Video Contest

Recently Autodesk released the Free trip to AU contest.  3 winners chosen from popular vote will be given a free pass to AU 2009.  Now that’s cool. 

Why AU?

Everyone knows I am a nut for AU.  I mean over the top.  Why?

• The technical classes
• The instructors
• The people you meet
• Mentors
• The awesome amenities
• The ability to reach Industry people that were normally ‘out of reach’
• The new business and personal relationships built
• The advertisement and networking
• Vegas
• Free Certification opportunities
• Amazing shows, food, and meetings
• Chance to solidify a relationship with AUGI JP
• Did I mention Vegas?

The classes I attended in 2006-2007 helped propel my career forward.  People I met there advised me through the years, and continue to be valuable sources of advice and encouragement.  I used all the awesome information and notes, and began pushing what I learned to new levels, and applying it in ways that was not part of the mainstream application. 

Certifiable

I got certified.  It is possible that those wonderful people in training and certification that I met at AU would work so hard for anyone, but I sincerely believe meeting them at AU made a difference.  They bent over backwards to get me through my tests.  For a week I was some kind of freakshow novelty.  ‘There is this guy who wants to take 4 tests in 1 day…’.  ImaginIt and Autodesk did a jam up job.  Awesome group.  Make sure you thank them if you see them at AU…Barbara, Nancy, and Michelle.

New Possibilities

By the grace of God I still have my Civil Engineering job at GCT.  They have permitted me the flexibility to pursue my troubleshooting/ manufacturing authoring career in parallel with my daily routine.  AUGI World Mag has picked me up as a columnist; Dennis Jeffrey has invited me into the Tekni fold; I just got up a new client via raw motivation and performance.  None of this would have been possible without cementing the relationships and skills developed while attending AU. 

Emotions, AU, and Poker

Most of my followers know I love blackjack and poker.   Some of us Autodesk community peeps even get together to play now and then.  When I watch poker pro’s on TV, my wife shouts, “Hey, this must be like Entertainment Tonight for poker nuts”.  You damn skippy. 

Phil Helmuth, a popular pro is repeatedly shown putting a guy on notice, saying “It’s just poker to you, but to me this is my life!!!”

Well folks that is EXACTLY how I feel about AU.  For me it is the goalposts, endgame, the finale for the year, the icing on the cake.  It’s not reaching the top of the mountain; it’s sitting on it and looking at where you just climbed all year long (with a beer in hand).  That’s AU to me.

Civil 3D – This week

8/12/2009

I have been bogged down with problems getting valid information out recently.

Part Builder

Part builder had come along, but faded when I could not get 2 things recently:

1. A clandestine meeting with the Wizard, and
2. The stinking thing to repeat what I had finally forced it to do. 

The amazing breakthrough just kind of faded.  I have so many things to solve, I had to take a break.  I know you are waiting, but the issue is painful across he board, and take a great deal of time.  Bill Niell experienced the same results when his successes would literally disappear the next time he used the parts.  I am experiencing the same thing here.

Bottom line is we are trying to get the information to force the user created ‘Required’ parameters that are passed down through the catalog, into the model parameters. 

This is the key!!  If we can get that, we can do some amazing and STABLE customizations.  We are already able to do create the models, we just can’t control them as ‘advertised’.

Google Earth

An article has been done twice on this, ad each time the results prove to be erroneous.  Final new article coming this week.

Civil 3D 2010 Update 1

Still having problems with this update.  Will repost new info if I can get a positive resolution.  If anyone is still having problems, please post those issues to the update page so that we (and THEY) know.  update article

AU 2009

Still an issue that comes and goes.  Just when I think I get it solved, well…..let’s just say I plan to yell pretty loud about the last thing that went wrong, unless some kind of resolution gets made.

AU 2009 – Speaker Confirmation Update

6/11/2009

Autodesk sent out a notice last night stating that the AU speaker confirmations would be forthcoming.  All those hopeful people that submitted their proposals, be prepared. 

Just as soon as the confirmations come out, you will need to flip the handouts back to them quickly.  Get ready!

Autodesk University 2009

AU 2009 – Public Voting Deadline May 8!

That’s right ladies and gentlemen, step right up. Cast your votes for the classes you want to see the most.

It’s your civic duty!

No longer will you be able to slump over in your chair with a hang over, complaining about the class you got stuck with.  Do something about it!  Slump over in a class that you and your hangover CHOOSE to.

I have submitted 3 classes:

• Part Builder in AutoCAD® Civil 3D®
• Passing the AutoCAD® Civil 3D® Certificate Exams
• Derived Components in an Autodesk® Inventor® Assembly

Please take a moment to consideration them.

…..if you vote for my classes, please don’t fall asleep in them.

私の授業を見てかんがえて下さい。おねがいします。AUGIJPの人、わせらないで下さい。さいごの投票日は平成二十一年五月八日です。

Autodesk sent this out

“Last year, for the first time, we asked the AU Community to help us select the best 600-plus sessions for AU 2008, and the response was invaluable. This year we’d like to do it again.

If you are considering attending AU 2009, please take a few minutes to vote for those sessions that you absolutely want to see. Your votes will help us select not only the best sessions, but will also give us some insight into the most popular ones to help us schedule them at the best times and locations.

How to Vote

To vote for sessions, go to the Autodesk University Session Selection page and log in using your AU Online username and password. If you do not have an AU Online account, it only takes 15 seconds to register as an AU Online member .

Topics can be looked up by product, speaker, or industry. You will be able to read the entire submission (unedited) and vote on several criteria. Please limit your votes to approximately 20 sessions.

The voting deadline is Friday, May 8 at midnight PDT.”

AU 2009 – Class Outline Submittals

Ok, Yesterday was the deadline for class outline submittals. 

AU should be a very interesting this year, and I am really looking forward to some of the classes, and hope that my favorite instructors will be teaching.

I submitted 3 outlines; Part Builder, Civil 3D Certifications, and Derived Components.

Now the voting will begin.  I am new to this process, but as I understand it, the community leaders will stand in and vote on who will be delivering.  If there is something I have offered that you would like to attend, support the classes with your vote. 

This will be my first year teaching, so they will likely only allow 1 class (to see if I suck).  Should I be relegated to only 1, then I’d hope for the Certification exam class.  I spent a load of time preparing for mine.

…the journey to the Mothership

Welcome.  ようこそ。

AU 2009! I might be able to help you with something now, and you might be able to help me at AU.  If you need something, we can make a deal.

I am please to announce my partnership with Dennis Jeffrey at Tekni as a consulting author.  I have been quite involved this year with various articles and books.  Check out the publications page for my latest…

Everyone has been very supportive of this work, including Autodesk, Civil3d.com, BIM on the Rocks, and Tekni.  I occasionally write for Civil3d.com as well.

If you want to see something, please post to the Civil3D or Inventor product pages.  I will continue do my best. みんあさんがんばれ。

AU 2008 – Thursday and Friday

Ok, I’ll wrap this up so I can get back to the other things that were important.

Ok, the Boy Scouts finally got me this year, so I marched in the parade that I normally avoid every year, sitting in the Vegas airport.  I stood waiting longer than I walked.  It was fun.

Well, the first place I saw the announcement was on Civil3D.com, thanks to Joshua Modglin….Next year AU will be at Mandalay Bay, Dec 1-4.  Why Mandalay?  Seems kind of off to the side, but I still think it will be great.

Check out the design slam…Corr77 AU Design Slam – Day 1

Shaan Hurley has a nice write up on the end of AU, and seems to wrap up a lot of topics…Http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2008/12/autodesk-university-2008-is-over.html

The Lazy Drafter has some party pics…http://www.lazydrafter.com/tag/autodesk-university/

AU 09 is looking like a better prospect for me, so I look forward to seeing you all there!!!