The Glamour of AU

Based on Excel and my log below, here's how I spent my time at AU.

Autodesk University (AU) is a combination of work and pleasure. Autodesk Labs had two Exhibit Hall booths (Reality Capture and Design/Analyze/Share) and a 3D photo booth (123D Catch Beta) in the AU Gallery area. My days were filled with activity.

Monday

• 6:00 am - 7:00 am
  Release Vault Plugin for Microstation on Autodesk Labs
• 7:00 am - 8:00 am
  Breakfast with Shaan Hurley
• 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
  Wire together 3D photo booth
• 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
  Lunch with Autodesk Gallery team at Otto
• 1:00 pm - 7:30 pm
  More 3D photo booth wiring
• 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
  Media / Blogger Social - it was nice to meet customers whose blogs I read
• 9:30 pm - 11:00 pm
  Debugging 3D photo booth

Tuesday

• 4:30 am - 8:00 am
  Release Project Galileo Online R2 on Autodesk Labs
  Release Structure Generator for Revit update on Autodesk Labs
  Add video to Autodesk Labs site for Vault Plugin for Microstation
• 8:00 am - 9:30 am
  Autodesk Keynote Address
• 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
  Debugging 3D photo booth
• 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
  Autodesk Customer Council lunch - it was great to be able to put some faces to customers whom I had only previously known as email addresses
• 2:00 pm - 6:30 pm
  Set up Labs 1 and Labs 2 booths in Exhibit Hall (computers arrived at 2:00 pm but were supposed to be there Monday)
• 6:30 pm - 10:30 pm
  Labs 2 booth duty - it was great talking to customers; many expressed appreciation for Labs; I even got a gift T-shirt from Autodesk Labs enthusiast Luciana Klein
• 10:30 pm - 12:00 am
  appetizers (I had skipped dinner) and drinks at Tao with Labs team members

Wednesday

• 6:00 am - 10:00 am
  Process customer feedback and work emails (not all employees are at AU)
  Start my expense report
• 10:00 am - 10:30 am
  Set up Labs 1 booth for point cloud demonstration
• 10:30 am - 11:00 am
  Update QRCodes for AutoCAD ADN Plugin of the Month on Autodesk Labs site (did it from the booth)
• 11:00 am - 11:30 am
  Set up 123D Catch Beta on Labs 1 booth
• 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
  Labs 2 booth duty
• 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
  Attend Shaan Hurley's Latest Labs Technologies class (class started at 1:00 pm)
• 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
  Process work emails (my day job goes on as if I am not at AU)
  Activity coordination with Shaan Hurley
  Gregory Miller introduces me to world renown archeologist Louise Leakey
• 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
  Personal tour of photo booth for zSpace Team
  Hands-on zSpace demo (very nice 3D viewing and manipulation technology with glasses that make me look cool)
• 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm
  dinner (my first official conference-provided meal)
• 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm
  Labs 2 booth duty
• 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
  AU Gallery Designers Forum
• 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
  Labs 2 booth duty
• 9:30 pm - 10:00 pm
  PSEB Reception
  Make marshmallow gun from Instructables exhibit

Thursday

• 4:00 am - 7:45 am
  Process customer feedback
  Hotel check out and luggage storage
• 7:45 am - 8:15 am
  Breakfast with John Evans
• 8:15 am - 11:30 pm
  Update Simulation Mechanical/Multiphysics web pages on Autodesk Labs site
  123D Catch Beta discussion/demo with Solutions Engineer, Kevin Ketchum
  Process work emails
• 11:30 am - 2:00 pm
  Labs 2 booth duty
• 2:00 pm - 4:15 pm
  Labs 1 and Labs 2 booth take down
  3D photo booth disassembly and packing for transport
• 4:15 pm
  Get luggage from valet
  Depart for airport
• 5:00 pm
  Release Project Parsec for AutoCAD Map 3D / Map 3D while waiting for flight (did it from the airport)
  Start my TPS report (with the proper cover sheet)

AU had so many activities this year, much of it happened simultaneously. I think it was hard for some attendees to choose how to spend their time. My schedule was tame compared to Brian Mathews' and Shaan Hurley's. For people who think this is one big employee party, a lot of work goes into AU. On the other hand, it's not all work and no play. They say Christmas comes but once a year, and so does AU.

Winding down is alive in the lab.