AEC Tech News (#214)

A Look at Adobe Technical Communications Suite

This new software package will help you supercharge your CAD/BIM technical documentation.

Adobe just released a software collection called the Technical Communications Suite , specifically designed for creating high-end technical documentation. With this package, AEC firms can produce professional-looking CAD standards manuals, tutorials, help files, training videos, and more.

The folks at Adobe gave me a demonstration of the complete suite, which convinced me that this is a fabulous solution to the daunting problem of keeping our CAD and BIM (building information modeling) users well informed and productive. You may have heard of Adobe Creative Suite, a very popular package with marketing and graphic design departments. The Technical Communications Suite, on the other hand, is a publishing solution for IT and CAD departments.

Support, Teach, Test, Inform, Standardize, Promote, Be Effective
If I want to keep my BIM users well informed and in step with company standards, it makes sense to use a really good authoring tool to produce my documentation. I believe we need a really robust technical documentation solution to match our really robust (and complicated) BIM and CAD software, and this product seems to fill that need. Read more>>

Drinking in All That Nemetschek Has to Offer

By Jerry Laiserin

Nemetschek AG likely is best known in U.S. AEC/O circles as its subsidiary, Nemetschek North America, the former Diehl Graphsoft, maker of the VectorWorks series of CAD and building information modeling (BIM) products. However, the Nemetschek Group, as the parent company also is known, ranks among the global leaders in software for all roles and phases of the AEC/O building project lifecycle. Nemetschek AG's flagship software, Allplan, like a virtual Swiss Army knife, offers more than 100 tools or modules that can be mixed, matched, and tailored to suit the needs of any AEC/O participant involved in any aspect of designing, building, managing, and visualizing the built environment. Read more>>

Using GreenBuilding Studio for WholeBuilding Energy Analysis
November 9, 2007
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Peter Gehring of Synergis will discuss how attendees can use a Web-based energy engineering analysis solution that integrates with today's 3D-CAD/BIM applications. Read more

Autodesk University
November 27-30, 2007
Las Vegas, Nevada
Autodesk University offers more than 500 classes, hands-on labs, business-management solutions and strategies, an exhibit hall, briefings on key business trends, and social events. Read more

Building Performance Analysis Using Revit MEP
December 7, 2007
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This Synergis event will focus on using the integrated IES Virtual Environment analysis platform within Revit MEP to conduct preliminary building performance analysis. Read more

BIM Best Practices Training
December 11, 2007
Washington, D.C.
Leading U.S. architecture and design firms, the U.S. Commercial Service of U.S. Department of Commerce, and the General Services Administration will discuss how they are using BIM in their U.S. and international projects. Read more

For Cadalyst's full calendar of events, click here.