It is Alive in the Lab

My Million Dollar NFL Broadcasting Idea

With the NFL Super Bowl® coming up, here's something I thought I would share: The video shows, Autodesk Flow Design, formerly Project Falcon on Autodesk Labs, being used to show what the wind might be like in the Super Bowl... Read more →

Autodesk Freewheel Graduates to Autodesk 360 Public DWF Sharing

First there was Project Freewheel. Then there was Autodesk Freewheel. Now there is Autodesk 360. As I mentioned earlier in the month (// more), Autodesk Freewheel is retiring tomorrow, January 31, 2014. The functionality of sharing a design via just... Read more →

Mesh Enabler for Inventor Graduates from Autodesk Labs

The Inventor Mesh Enabler enables Inventor users to work with imported mesh data. As shipped, Inventor 2012 can import mesh data from Catia files. In addition to Catia files, Inventor 2013 can import mesh data from STL files and from... Read more →

Coming soon: Daylighting Analysis for Revit will be extended to February 28

The current build of the free technology preview of Daylighting Analysis for Revit expired today. David Scheer, SW Developer/Building Energy Engineer, sent me this note. The Daylighting Analysis for Revit technology preview FREE analysis period will be extended to 2/28.... Read more →

Leap Motion Controller Plug-in for MotionBuilder retires from Autodesk Labs

Autodesk MotionBuilder lets you capture, edit, and play back complex character animations in a responsive, interactive environment. The Leap Motion Controller senses your hands and fingers, follows their every move, and allows you to control your computer using the air... Read more →

System Requirements for DWF Viewing on Autodesk 360

I am in the process of trying to get the word out that Autodesk Freewheel is being shut down on January 31. Share Your Autodesk 360 Designs on Company Web Sites Last Scheduled Downtime for Autodesk Freewheel on January 18... Read more →

Our robot is learning to draw

In a previous blog post I talked about my colleagues' work with robots: Evil Robot Under Construction? Because I had an eye doctor's appointment, I worked from home two days ago. When I let my team know I was working... Read more →

Q: What would make #AutodeskLabs more compelling?

Yesterday I saw this tweet: Although I am now working in the confines of what the Autodesk Feedback Community platform has to offer, I am open to suggestion. Visit the Autodesk Labs site on the Autodesk Feedback Community Yourself What... Read more →

Over 200 #au2013 classes are online

A while back i got an email from Writer/Editor, Jenny Greeleaf, letting me know that the AU 2013 classes are now online. Visit site. What skills could advance your career? We’ve posted recordings of over 200 classes, along with presentations... Read more →

Autodesk Gallery at One Market: Botanical Blueprints Exhibit

When we worked on Project Photofly, our aim was for architects and engineers to use photographs to create "as built" models for designs where the original CAD drawings were absent or out of date. We knew it was not always... Read more →

In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King...

Autodesk employees in the United States have the day off in honor of the strides Dr. Martin Luther King made towards establishing equality of civil rights for all Americans. My wife teaches second grade. Last week her class completed an... Read more →

Most Popular It's Alive in the Lab blog posts of 2013

Earlier I shared my favorite It's Alive in the Lab blog posts of 2013. That was based on my bias. I use Google Analytics for my blog which means I can tell which blog posts were your favorites. Not you... Read more →

2013 Update: The Dollars and Cents of My Home Energy Audit

My wife, Sheryl, and I have a condo at Crown Harbor in Alameda: Crown Harbor In a series of blog posts, I outlined the process we followed to make some energy improvements to our home: A Modest Proposal: Results of... Read more →

Project Falcon graduates from Autodesk Labs to Autodesk Flow Design

Project Falcon will be moving forward into the world as Autodesk Flow Design. The product itself is an updated version of Falcon with an improved user interface for the stand-alone version (PC and Mac) and some upgrades inside Inventor and... Read more →

Last Scheduled Downtime for Autodesk Freewheel on January 18

"It's an orange sky Always with some other guy It's just a broken lullaby Bye bye love" — "Bye Bye Love," The Cars, The Cars, 1978. This is my last copy/paste blog posting to let you know when Autodesk Freewheel... Read more →

List of Expiration Dates for Active Autodesk Labs Technology Previews

I blog about this every once in a while. Most technology previews are like milk cartons. They have expiration dates on them. When a technology preview expires, the technology preview no longer operates. A preview has a time bomb in... Read more →

Share Your Autodesk 360 Designs on Company Web Sites

Many of you recall Project Freewheel when it was on Autodesk Labs. Project Freewheel allowed anyone to view a DWF file using just a browser. Our goal was to see if 3D designs could be viewed using just the browser... Read more →

Facebook Opens My Eyes to Wassily Kandinsky

"Me and Gaugin used to party down I was hung in the Louvre, I was Renoir's pal Vincent Van Gogh used to joke with me Now they don't come 'round So I wander the left bank every day Searching for... Read more →

Remember this page if you encounter a broken link

This blog post is something to have around for posterity. It contains a mapping of the URLs from the old Autodesk Labs site to the new Autodesk Feedback Community site. Most of the URLs are mapped to the generic graduates... Read more →

Carl Bass: How I Spent My Holiday Break

In the case of this chair: IMAGINE: Gregg Fleischman // more DESIGN: Gregg Fleischman // more CREATE: Carl Bass // more When I came back to work after the holiday break, there was a new chair in the conference room... Read more →

December [January] issue of Autodesk Labs newsletter now available

There's another issue of Innovation Edge, the Autodesk Labs newsletter, available for your perusal. This brief publication highlights technologies and utilities available on Autodesk Labs. Something people don't always know is that technology previews are free. All we ask is... Read more →

Updated Project Shapeshifter Now Available

We continue to develop desktop applications. In fact, we are working on the 2015 versions of our HERO applications; however, in parallel, we are also working on cloud-based solutions. Project Shapeshifter is our free technology preview from Autodesk Research group... Read more →

Design Night on February 6: Making Movie Magic

Past Design Night is open to the general public, It is an events program at the Autodesk Gallery. At each event, guests explore a different theme — such as biomimicry, light, or robotics — that challenges the conventionally narrow definition... Read more →

My Favorites of My Blog Posts of 2013

As 2013 has ended, it's time for all of those lists of items from the year. In this spirit, here are my favorite It's Alive in the Lab blog posts from 2013. Although posts about the new, updated, retired, and... Read more →

Autodesk Labs: We Are Back To Work

Hi ho, Hi ho, it's back to work we go. We have returned from our holiday vacation. We're now back in full swing responding to your feedback about technology previews on the Autodesk Feedback Community. Visit Autodesk Labs on the... Read more →

Happy New Years from Autodesk Labs

Happy New Year. We look forward to examining the possibilities for design, sharing more technology previews with you in 2014, and getting your feedback. Visit Autodesk Labs. Annual renewal is alive in the lab. Read more →