Lynn Allen's Blog

An AutoCAD Hip Tip on Super Speedy Dimensioning!

The Americas launch events are slowly winding down with with one last reseller event (Avatech) this week in Dallas.  Next week I move on to the Autodesk Imagine Tour in China where I'll get the opportunity to demo the new features in AutoCAD 2010 using the Chinese version of the software (wish me luck with that one!)

Last week I had the splendid opportunity to have dinner with fellow blogger Heidi Hewett and her super technical husband Nate Bartley while in Denver.  Definitely one of the highlights of my week for sure!  Below is a picture of fabulous Heidi and myself (she's just a tad taller than I am). When you travel all the time - a dinner with friends can make all the difference in the world and I appreciate them taking time out of their very busy schedules to have dinner wtih me!

 

Heidi is the one at Autodesk who trains me (and others) on the new release each year and she's never too busy to help me figure something out in AutoCAD.  I tell her constantly how I could never do my job without her (maybe some day she will actually believe me).  Be sure to check out her blog which is always filled with great infomation and AutoCAD tips.

Roger from TotalCAD also took me out to dinner while I was in Houston and that was much appreciated as well.  The Houston event had to be cut off at 220 registrations due to room constraints - really great event!  And hey - now I know my structural i-beam chart is incorrect (they are very detailed in Houston I'm told).

An AutoCAD Hip Tip on Super Speedy dimensioning!

Many years ago the fantastic QDIM Express Tool entered the world of AutoCAD.  QDIM, for Quick Dimensioning, is absolutely amazing and can really help you out with a tight deadline.  Why dimension one at a time when you can knock out multiple dimensions at once?  I always promote being the lasiest AutoCAD operator ever and this is certainly one means of doing it!  You'll leave your coworkers in the dust if you can wrap your arms around the QDIM command. 

Be sure to chck out my latest Cadalyst video and give QDIM a try - you will wonder how you lived without it!

A Few AutoCAD Hip Tips on Dimensioning!

The Imagine tour is over..(insert sad face here) and now I'm on to do some reseller events.  While in Calgary last week I had the most charming, brilliant 12 year old in my presentation who already knows Inventor, AutoCAD and is working on AutoLISP - amazing!  Alex Puddifant (seen below) completely stole the show and it was a delight having this young genius in my AutoCAD 2010 presentation.  Keep up the good work Alex and you can have my job some day (If you want it of course).

Thursday of last week we had the final stop on the Autodesk Imagine Tour in San Jose.  The computer gods were not smiling kindly upon me as my hard drive chose to fail about 30 minutes before my presentation.  Thankfully I had several white Knights who rode up on their gallant horses to save the day!  A big thank you to Scott Davis and John Janzen of Autodesk who managed to transfer my data across to another hard drive...and to Jorge of Ketiv who was kind enough to let me use his laptop for my presentation - Thank you Jorge!  (pictured below).

Everyone really jumped in and saved the day (and it was GREATLY appreciated!).

If you haven't checked out my latest Cadalyst video on Dimensioning Tips...be sure to check it out!

You'll hear all about DIMBREAK, DIMJOGLINE and DIMSPACE!  Check it out...

I'm off to catch a flight to Kansas City...(delayed of course)

The Autodesk Assistance Program

 Only two stops to go on the Imagine Tour - Calgary, Canada and San Jose, California.  Then it's on to a week of reseller events in Kansas City, Houston, Denver and Dallas.  Check out my speaking schedule on the left and join me if you live nearby!

As I've been traveling around I am surprised to hear how few of you are familiar with the fantastic Autodesk Assistance Program!  If you are out of work and need a little extra help be sure to check it out!  You'll be able to download Autodesk software for 13 months, free of charge, take free e-learning classes and get discounted Certification.  Some of the Autodesk Training Centers are also offering discounted classes to help you expand your Autodesk software knowledge!  Here's your chance to work on those technical skills - maybe even learn a different Autodesk product.  And how great would it be to go into a job interview with a Certification that assures your potential employer that you are guaranteed to have a certain level of expertise?

 

I'm very excited about the Autodesk Assistance Program - definitely check it out!

I'm off to onpack and repack for the next step on the tour...maybe I'll see you there?

Let the Autodesk University Planning Begin!

This is the week of Autodesk University planning!  The proposals are in, the votes from the public have been tallied and its now time to nail down all the great classes we believe will make Autodesk University 2009 the best yet!  Joseph Wurcher and I will be working with all the various content leaders all week as we rifle through a record number of submissions. 

I wanted to post a couple of past pictures that I promised I'd include in my blog.  These were from my two weeks of presenting in Australia.  I had the good fortune to work with KarelCAD and Imaginit and below is a picture of Phillip Amato of Imaginit!

 

I had to wear my glasses (which I don't like) due to a scratched eye (do I look any smarter?).  The crowd in Adelaide was fantastic and below is a pic from that event as well.

 

I also love a newspaper article that Phillip sent me regarding a customer account, HMPS, who is using Autodesk Inventor to design their food and beverage machinery.  There is an embedded video which is interesting - I noticed that they mentioned they were using AutoCAD but they are quite clearly using Autodesk Inventor (fyi).

Click here to see the video

Well I'd better get back to working on Autodesk University (or else Joseph will let me have it!)

Be sure to Join Us for the Autodesk Imagine Virtual Event on May 19th!

The Autodesk Imagine Tour (launching the 2010 product line) only made 8 stops this year (as compared to over 20 one year!).  So the Virtual version of the Imagine Tour will be more important than ever.  Join us for this very green event on May 19th where you can watch the tour from the comfort of your own desk!  No traffic to fight (lucky you) and you can choose whichever presentations suit your needs.

 

There will be a virtual exhibit hall where you can visit various booth and meet up with Autodesk employees (get all your questions answered!, chat sessions, networking opportunities and a chance to win a 32mb ipod Touch! 

You'll also get a chance to attend all the great sessions we took on the road.  So visit the Autodesk Imagine Virtual Event and sign up today! 

I'll be presenting part of my AutoCAD 2010 Tips and Tricks session during the Virtual Tour and Heidi Hewett will be doing a session focusing completely on the new features in 3D AutoCAD.  I know I'm definitely going to be tuning in to Heidi's session to see if I can pick up any cool 3D tricks!

So don't miss this great opportunity - it's a day of learning and enlightenment! 

Tips and Tricks Tuesday - New AutoCAD Video Tip

It's Tuesday so it must be time for another AutoCAD Tip!  This week's video tip is focused on Layer Properties per Viewport.

Before AutoCAD 2008, if you wanted an object to display in two different colors in two different viewports you were in for many tedious steps to get that to happen.  You'd probably make a copy of that object - copy it to a different layer and then assign the second color to the object.  Flip the layers on and off in each viewport to get the correct colored object and Voila!  That's lots of work for such a simple task.

AutoCAD 2008 introducted the fabulous new VPCOLOR column in the Layer Manager (along with VPLinetype and VPLineweight).  This new column allowed you to assign colors per viewport and that was huge!  Watch this week's Cadalyst Tips and Tricks video to see it in action!

 

The Autodesk Sydney Solutions Day Event!

First of all...if any of you are living near Dallas...please be sure to join me for the Dallas Fort Worth AutoCAD User Group meeting on Monday night, May 11.  Or you might choose to go to the Autodesk Imagine Tour event the following day (also in Dallas). 

Second of all...I want to wish our good AUGI friend Bill Adams well as he was recently hospitalized and could use all of our thoughts and prayers.  Other than being an active member of the Autodesk Revit community and on the AUGI Board, he is an all around wonderful person.  As luck would have it I was actually in Adelaide, Australia, right after he entered the hospital and I managed to squeeze in a visit between events and flights to wish him well.  He seems to be getting better daily (thankfully) but still has a long road to full recovery and would definitely welcome any emails you could send to him.  He is posting updated info on Bill Adams's blog if you want to follow along.

Send a nice email to Bill Adams to keep his spirits up at bladams@wja.com.au .

As promised...here are some pictures from the spectacular Autodesk Sydney Solutions Day 2009 event!

First pictures are of people signing in for the event.

 

Below is a picture of their Exhibit Hall (which was always bustling!)

 

There was quite a crowd going into the event

 

Pat Williams, Senior. VP of Asia Pacific, offered a nice welcome on behalf of executive management. 

 

Guri Stark, VP of AutoCAD and Platform Solutions, did a presentation on all things AutoCAD!

Buzz Kross, Senior VP of Manufacturing Solutions Divison, (below) delivered a fantastic manufacturing message covering all of our powerful manufacturing products.

 

and last, but not least, I was the emcee for the morning's mainstage event.

 

Those in attendance were thrilled with the day's presentations (or at least that is what they told me) and I enjoyed talking to so many different people about their experience with Autodesk products.  Even though it was hard work, I was quite pleased I had a chance to participate and hope this becomes an annual tradition!

Week Two of the Aussie Launch Tour

I feel as though I have just been running from one place to the next for the past week!  No time to blog...barely time to catch my breath.  We had a lovely Autodesk Solution Day 2009 in Sydney with attendance of nearly 500 people.  I was too busy to take any pictures myself - but am hoping some will be sent to me so I can post them.  The event, which occured in the very cool Powerhouse Museum, was much like a mini-AU and I was very happy to assume the roll as Emcee for the morning's worth of great presentations.  After lunch I did my usual AutoCAD 2010 Tips and Tricks presentation to a very hospitable Aussie crowd!

I also enjoyed a great customer visit and presentation with the lead CAD managers of Parsons Brinckerhoff who came together from around the world to their Sydney office.  AutoCAD and Platform Products VP Guri Stark (of Autodesk) also joined me.  This was an extremely sharp group who had fantastic feedback for us both to take back to Autodesk.

Tomorrow will be a stop in Brisbane for an event with KarelCAD.  If you are local be sure to join me!

Over the weekend I did get to play tourist a little in Noosa where (by sheer coincidence) they were having the Noosa Wine and Food festival.  Having eaten at the great restaurant Aria several years ago, which arguably has one of the most spectacular views in the world, I was delighted to meet Matt Moran of "The Chopping Block" fame (and Chef and owner of Aria).   Below is a picture of myself and Matt (we're on a first name basis now)  :-).  He's a tad messy because he had just finished an awesome cooking demonstration (and those of you who know me - you know how much I love to cook!).

 

Marcia Hines also performed for the festival - who I understand is quite the Australian star (even though she was born in Boston).  I understand she is a judge on the local Australian Idol as well! She was really incredible.

I am also a big animal lover and I had the goal of seeing a Koala in the wild...not in a zoo.  Rumor had it they could be spotted in the local Headlands and so off I went in search of a Koala!  Within five minutes of my search a nice man pointed out a Koala for me...(so it wasn't much of a search now was it?).  It started pouring rain about one minute later so I suppose it was just as well.

 

I also went to the Steve Irwin's Australian Zoo where I found great amusement in the sign they have in front of the Crocodile exhibits..I think it definitely makes a point.

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And last but not least...I was delighted to feed the kangaroos. I stayed clear of the wallabies though (some of you might remember the "wallaby incident" I had the first time I visited Australia!)

 

So that is an overview of my trip to Australia so far and a nice weekend - this upcoming week is filled with many AutoCAD 2010 presentations!

Check Out My AutoCAD 2010 Tips and Tricks Screencast!

I'm happy to report that my AutoCAD 2010 Screencast is finally available for all to see!  Be sure to check it out!

 

A lot of hard work went into the screencast (some of you might remember the picture of my coat shoved under the door to keep the outside noise down) and I was pretty excited to see the final results.  Check it out - I hope you like it!

View the AutoCAD 2010 Tips and Tricks Screencast

This week was the first week of the Imagine Tour - Toronto and Minneapolis.  I absolutely love the Americas launch tour (and I hope they always invite me to participate).  While in Toronto I finally met Kevin from India who corresponded with me a few years ago who has since moved to Toronto.  I also met someone who was in one of my Bahrain classes many, many, many years ago and had a picture of the entire class!  He left before I had a chance to talk to him at all.  If you are reading this - please send me an email (pretty please!).

This week I'm off to emcee and present at the Autodesk Solutions Day 2009 in Sydney, Australia.  I am looking forward to this great event and if any of you are reading from the Sydney area I hope you join me.

My flight is taking off soon - I'll be back at the blog after I'm "down under"!

An Interview with Novedge (and a Tax Day AutoCAD Tip!)

I was recently interviewed by Novedge - and enjoyed seeing the interview go live today.  Be sure to check it out!.  I enjoyed answering the questions and tried to keep the answers short and sweet (so as not to bore everyone).  Do you think it's a bad sign that this was posted on the dreaded Tax day?

  

Ugh I just dread taxes every year.  It seems that no matter how much I take out of my paycheck - it just isn't enough - any of you out there feel the same way?  Each year I get to write out that very painful check...ouch!

To help cheer you up - be sure to check out my latest Cadalyst video Tip from Tuesday.  This tip will really help you out if you want to quickly add one or more dimensions to a drawing but don't want to try and figure out the dimensions style, overrides etc.  Give this video tip a try!

I think my allergies were really kicking up when I recorded this video - so please forgive my sniffles!