It is Alive in the Lab

Sweet Home Chicago?

Now one and one is two, two and two is four I'm heavy loaded baby, I'm booked, I gotta go Cryin' baby, baby don't you want to go? Back to the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago "Sweet... Read more →

Autodesk celebrates Earth Day with Earth Day Fair

Last Thursday was Earth Day. To celebrate the occasion, Autodesk hosted its own Earth Day Fair. Our Earth Day vendors included: San Francisco Bicycle Coalition - information on organization and upcoming events Edible Love - providing samples of organic chocolate... Read more →

Bridge Modeler for Civil 3D Available Once Again

If the original release made me think of "The Crunge," well the next song on Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy is "Dancing Days," so how appropriate is that. Previously we had a bridge modeling technology preview available for AutoCAD... Read more →

New Tarmac Rule Should Keep Shaan Hurley Happy

Shaan Hurley is my friend on Facebook. He often uses its status updates to chronicle his travel woes when journeying from place to place to represent Autodesk at various events. For example, he will fly to AUGI CAD Camp in... Read more →

Project Butterfly Update Now Available

Software Development Manager, Tal Weiss, sent me an email that the team updated Project Butterfly yesterday. Free Project Butterfly Technology Preview on Autodesk Labs Over the last weeks the Project Butterfly team has worked hard on improving Project Butterfly’s drawing... Read more →

Autodesk Freestyle Graduates from Technology Preview Status

Although it got its humble beginnings on Autodesk Labs as a technology preview known as Project Cooper, AutoCAD Freestyle is officially graduating out of Labs. Overall, feedback from users has been voluminous and extremely positive. Courtesy of my colleague, Noah... Read more →

Computer Graphics World: Autodesk Labs - Lab Report

Autodesk Labs is featured in this month's Computer Graphics World. If you have a CGW account, you can check it out online: CGW: Lab Report Others can get the traditional hardcopy. Read more →

Updated Autodesk Sustainable Design Center Now Available

Yesterday Autodesk launched our new online Autodesk Sustainable Design Center. Autodesk Sustainable Design Center The Sustainable Design Center provides a one-stop shop for customers, employees, channel partners, press, analysts and other stakeholders to find the most current and up-to-date news... Read more →

Autodesk Labs: Rate a Technology or Utility

You can now provide feedback to us by rating the technologies on Autodesk Labs. I grew up watching a teen-dance-oriented TV show called American Bandstand which featured a rate-a-record segment. The host would play a new song and ask an... Read more →

YouTube and non-YouTube Project Snap Videos Available

Yesterday we released Project Snap for AutoCAD via Autodesk Labs. Project Snap provides a unified browse and search platform for helping you find your design content no matter where it is. Project Snap for AutoCAD on Autodesk Labs The best... Read more →

Project Snap Now Available

Software Development Director for Data Management, Mike Robertson, contacted me about making a technology preview available via Autodesk Labs. Project Snap for AutoCAD on Autodesk Labs This tool is intended to make working with your data a snap. It is... Read more →

Rhino Import Translator Add-in for Inventor 2011 Now Available

The Rhino Import Translator Add-in for Autodesk Inventor allows you to import solids, surfaces, wires, and points for modeling in Inventor with no need for file conversion. You can design with vendor or customer data by easily importing their Rhino... Read more →

Labs Site Down from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM tonight

Our IT department reports that all Autodesk Communities will be taken off-line this Friday, April 16th from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm for routine maintenance. During this time, the following sites will be unavailable and users will be redirected to... Read more →

iTunes Music Analysis Part 2

In response to my post, Music in the Year 2009, AE Subject Matter Expert, Jason Pratt, sent me the following link: Free Download of Super Analyzer 2.1 from SourceForge I downloaded the ZIP file, unzipped it, and double-clicked on the... Read more →

Autodesk Homestyler and Project Bluestreak Community-Enhanced Support

I can't get no satisfaction, I can't get no satisfaction. 'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try. I can't get no, I can't get no. "Satisfaction," Out of Our Heads, Rolling Stones, 1965. Many Labs... Read more →

Project Dragonfly graduates to Autodesk Homestyler

Thanks to everyone who has tried Project Dragonfly to create floorplans using just your browsers. This technology preview has been wildly popular with lots of great feedback coming in. Director of Autodesk Content Network Marketing, Mary Hope McQuiston, shared the... Read more →

Book Review: The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

Could you use this: source: http://windpowerexperiments.co.uk/ to make this: The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, page 238. Could you do it without any formal education, conventional tools, or a full stomach? Autodesk Labs Software Developer, John Schmier, loaned me a... Read more →

Configuring Feature Recognition To Suit Your Needs

A Mr. Richard Feder of Fort Lee, New Jersey wrote in: I downloaded and installed the Feature Recognition add-in for Inventor 2011. If you open a STEP file or other containing Base Solids, it prompts for "Do you want to... Read more →

April Fools Fake Press Release Results

By now you've probably read our April Fool's press release: AUTODESK TACKLES ITS TOUGHEST CHALLENGE YET - DESIGNING ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS The idea was the brain child of: Senior Manager, Executive Communications, Bill O'Connor, Autodesk Labs VP, Brian Mathews, Adviser to... Read more →

An exclusive opportunity to learn more about new Autodesk 2011 software

"The man who does not attend and learn from free virtual events is no better off than the man who can't." Senior Manager, Corporate Channel PR, Angela Simoes, shared some information about an upcoming event. I thought I would pass... Read more →

Autodesk Wiki Help Beta Available

Way back in May 2007, I opined that a Wiki for help documentation would be a good idea. Many of you liked the idea. Senior Product Manager for Customer Learning, Victor Solano, let me know that the Autodesk Wiki Help... Read more →

Autodesk Labs login required for some technology previews

Autodesk Labs is all about feedback. Garnering items from all parts of Autodesk, we make technology previews available early in the process to see if a concept should continue or die an early death. We are grateful to all who... Read more →

Inventor Fusion Technology Preview Update Now Available

Our third installment of the Inventor Fusion Technology Preview is now available: Free Download of Inventor Fusion Technology Preview via Autodesk Labs This update includes: The download is available worldwide. You asked. We listened. That's how it works. The subscription... Read more →

The Szechuan Disaster Reconstruction Exhibit at the Gallery at One Market

Photos courtesy of Shaan Hurley Our newest exhibit in the Gallery at One Market is the Szechuan Disaster Reconstruction project. Unless you have been to the gallery since our March 25 launch of 2011 products, you probably have not seen... Read more →

Autodesk Love Maker 2011 Now Available

Some say that love's a game, a random circumstance I'm not the type to leave that kind of thing to chance You might sit back and wait, but I'm taking off the gloves I'm gonna crack this case like a... Read more →

XrefStates for AutoCAD: April ADN Plugin of the Month Now Available

3 states of matter: solid, liquid, gas The April ADN plugin of the month is ready for download. This month's plugin was written by Glenn Ryan of TCG Software and edited by our own Kean Walmsley. Free Download of XrefStates... Read more →