IA Submission 9 August 2022 How to Rapidly Update Title Blocks in AutoCAD The project is ready to go to the client. You’ve nailed the deadline, and you feel like the AutoCAD® king. And then Chris semi-casually tells you there are two new sheets that need to be added before it goes to the client. Any hope you had of joining the family for dinner this evening evaporates. The project is already 367 sheets long. The two new additions are sheets 12 and 49. The title block on every sheet from sheet 13 onwards is going to have to be updated. Manually. One at a time. The other guys star ..read more

CAD/BIM Tips & Tricks Brilliant BIM Series MicroStation vs AutoCAD: The Square-Off 15 May 2023 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin The minute you get into a comparison, you run the risk of it sounding like a playground squabble. “My brother could kick your brother’s a**.” “My skateboard’s faster than yours.” “My Barbie is prettier than yours.” But that’s a loser’s game and we’d like to keep it classy, so this comparison is not about which platform is better, but about the valued features of each. And if we say something controversial with which you happen to dis ..read more

CAD/BIM Tips & Tricks Brilliant BIM Series MicroStation vs AutoCAD: The Square-Off 15 May 2023 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin If you're looking for a shining example of how BIM can help realize even the most complex of projects, look no further than the Randselva Bridge in Norway. This incredible bridge, which spans 2,080 feet (634 meters), was made possible thanks entirely to the use of BIM. But what was the Norwegian approach to this project and what made it a BIM world first? No Trolls Allowed The country that gave us Vikings, the three billy goats gru ..read more

CAD/BIM Tips & Tricks Brilliant BIM Series BIM’s Funny Funnel: The Alto Tower, Paris 04 April 2023 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin The next time you’re in Paris, strolling around with a fresh croissant and a coffee, head over to the financial district, La Défense. If you need to ask for directions, simply ask how to get to the landmark Alto Tower. On arrival, however, don’t expect to find a typical financial institution. The unusual architecture of the Alto Tower is singularly pleasing: It’s one part glass and steel and two parts Dolly Parton. You’ll kno ..read more

CAD/BIM Tips & Tricks Brilliant BIM Series BIM Only? The Randselva Bridge, A World First 04 April 2023 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin If you're looking for a shining example of how BIM can help realize even the most complex of projects, look no further than the Randselva Bridge in Norway. This incredible bridge, which spans 2,080 feet (634 meters), was made possible thanks entirely to the use of BIM. But what was the Norwegian approach to this project and what made it a BIM world first? No Trolls Allowed The country that gave us Vikings, the three billy g ..read more

CAD/BIM Tips & Tricks Bold Bridges Series State-of-the-Art BIM Design and the Glass of Red 04 April 2023 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin In the early pre-dawn hours of Thursday, 2 February 2006, some ashes (presumed to be cold) that had been disposed of in a dumpster, smoldered their way into a roaring blaze that caused millions of dollars in damages to the Silver Oak winery in Oakville in the famed Napa Valley, California. Devastated by the destruction, the owners nonetheless seized the opportunity to design and build a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility ..read more

CAD/BIM Tips & Tricks Re-Engineering Plastic: It’s Fantastic! 27 March 2023 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin We’ve heard it a thousand times before, from the likes of Greta Thunberg to the talking heads at various environmental conferences that occasionally make the news headlines: What are we going to do about plastic? We’re bombarded with catchwords and phrases that are hurled out into the ether in an endless barrage: single-use, marine life, sustainability, landfills, the great Pacific garbage patch, on and on and on until we’re numb and deaf to it, at whic ..read more

CAD/BIM Tips & Tricks Building a Giant with BIM: The Shanghai Tower 20 March 2023 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Towering over the hustle and bustle of Shanghai’s financial district is a gleaming giant. The Shanghai Tower is an awe-inspiring sight, but what’s even more impressive is the story of how it was designed and built using BIM. When it comes to cutting-edge architecture, few buildings can rival the Shanghai Tower in China. Standing an impressive 2,073 feet (632 meters) tall, it’s the third tallest building in the world — and it’s all thanks to BIM ..read more

CAD/BIM Tips & Tricks Futuristic Healthcare Thanks to CAD Star Trek Sick Bay Is Almost Here 20 March 2023 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin If you’d suggested — just 30 years ago — that the things mentioned in this article would one day be a reality, you’d probably have been diagnosed as delusional. But you’d have been right and the diagnosis would have been wrong. The increased adoption of 3D CAD in the healthcare industry is having truly profound effects. New CAD-based techniques are often life-changing — even life-saving — for patients, and some of the ongoing ..read more

CAD/BIM Tips & Tricks Accelerate Your MicroStation: What’s in Your Garage? 14 March 2023 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin The Sultan of Brunei may have over 7,000 drool-worthy vehicles in his car collection, but none of them can do the things made possible by what’s in the garage we’re exploring today. Guaranteed. Look, you could drop an internal combustion engine into a cardboard box, add four wheels and call it a car, but — and this is a big but — who the heck would want to drive it? When it comes to choosing a dream vehicle, there are safety issues ..read more