Friday Reprieve #20.5

Because this site just cracks me up.......

Beyond the ring of scorched earth from last night’s landing, he could see that this new world was soft and green. He immediately prepared for lift-off.

Friday Reprieve #20

In the wake of Phil purchasing a new home and the raging house party James and I are planning there the minute he goes on vacation (you're all invited) we can't forget to come up from air from time to time from writing, spending, or whatever it is we do during the day. For many of us, it's architecture, which means the creation of space, form and functionality, and the love of design. Part of the beauty of all this (and the use of Revit) is the ability to visualize space that doesn't exist. It's one way of looking at the world through different glasses than the ones you're used to wearing.
Which is why I love this. It's an urban art installation which focuses on semi-permanent urban art at a truly micro scale. Imagine the world from a very smaller perspective. This one is entitled "They're not pets, Susan"

Whistle While You Work

If you look closely and squint, the above pattern kinda resembles the splatter resulting from the beating of a dead horse. Image above links to the software that makes it possible.

Why might this be interesting? For comparing dead horse splatter circa 2009 to splatter circa 2010. Perhaps journal files from the same project by two team members (one in CM and the other in DLM) would speed the analytic process significantly and make a really interesting visual comparison.

Even interesting enough to make a t-shirt.

Daylighting

As we continue to plug along in this process we call 'authoring a book' we promised some regular updates about content. I offer you this peak:

Hate Ecotect? yeah, me too. My daylighting class at AU this year was almost 100% full of people who wanted to find a new way to do daylighting. So, to help all of you (ok, all three of you) who didn't attend the daylighting class at AU, I've just finished adding it to the book. You can now perform Ecotect free daylighting analysis in less than 1/2 a day. Which is a big deal. It's easy, it's fast, and more importantly, it's accurate.

Here's a couple of clips of what we show how to make.

The Deed is Done

Long story. Cool ending. Between rugby concussions and facial fractures (not mine) and arguing with the wife (mine) about the required repairs and upgrades - I didn't touch the book for the whole weekend.

Sorry Eddy. Sorry James. Sorry Willem. Next time you're in Charlotte, drop by and I'll show you around. You'll understand.

Intent to acquire is announced on Feb 21. Acquisition to be complete by April 1st.

What an amazing coincidence. :)

The New Arch | Tech

Eddy, Phil and James are proud to announce a new address for the Architecture | Technology blog: architecture-tech.com  The old address (architechure.blogspot.com) will still function for awhile until our provider phases it out and it redirects to the new site.
Along with the creation of this new domain, we have a new email address for tips, suggestions and commentary on our upcoming book: Click here

Feel free to drop us a line and share your thoughts.

PLUS

Midway reminder

It's Feb 15th which means we're about 1/2 way through the month and 1/2 way through our requests for your best Revit tips. If you haven't seen this yet, take a look.

Offer only good while supplies last.
Not available in stores.

Friday Reprieve #19

Just a little binger to brighten your Friday. If you're like me, it's cold, grey, and icy. Which means you can't bike. Which is always a bummer. So, in the dull drums of winter, I've found this most excellent bike website. Rapha. It's what Apple would be if they sold bicycles. Purely glorious. You're not buying a bike, you're buying into the lifestyle and the brand. (Cyclist is the one on the bridge. that little dot. probably carrying an iphone)


What's funny about that? Nothing. But I like it and I wanted to share, so stick it.

However, if you're looking for the joke here I've found this other blog clearly written by the children of modern architects. Why the children of them? Because if you read between the lines, they must have been strict modernist, elitist architect parents - maybe even as bad as studio professors - to raise a child who thinks this way. Welcome the Unhappy Hipsters.

Mastering Revit: Walls, Floors and Roofs

As the snow falls in the Northeast today, I’m still churning out high quality content for Mastering Revit Architecture 2011. Now, don’t get me wrong…the editing process isn’t for the faint-hearted or those with weak intestinal fortitude.  Last night was a long night of writer’s block and a complete redeux on one chapter’s development edits - “but then, in the midst of my preparations for hari kari, it came to me”…the throngs of gurus and wizards in the global Revit community!  We continue to seek your input to make this tome the best source of valuable Revit knowledge to date. 

From my desk so far, I have drafted Templates and Standards, Working with Consultants (Revit-to-Revit), and Interoperability: Working Multiplatform.  The next few chapters on my plate cover complex modeling of Walls, Curtain Walls, Floors and Roofs.  As the outlining process is just beginning for me, I’d love to hear suggestions from any of our readers.  If you have some frustrations, success stories or even some wicked cool samples, please drop us an email at:

masteringrevit AT architecture-tech.com

Thanks Dave!

It was exactly nine years ago today I started my first day of work at a start-up-that-would in Waltham, Mass.

Want to know what's scarier than finally working up enough courage to ask your wife if it'd be okay to go to work for a little known (and much maligned by the mainstream) technology start up?

When she immediately replies, "Well - you love technology and architecture and you're convinced this software is the future. So you have to do this. Because if you don't, you'll never know what could have been."

And if you guys think Revit is cool, wait till you see what's behind curtain number two. Cause in a little while, things are going to get very, very interesting. I'll put it this way: if your first impression of Revit created a definable sense of well-it's-about-time joy, this is gonna restore your sense of child-like wonder.

Seriously. :)

Don't Push That Button

Especially if your iPhone is unlocked (via DevTeam|Pwnage or GeoHot|Blackra1n) - it'll kill your unlock and jailbreak.

You have been warned.

Think Different

Spot the difference.

Wrong - it's not that different. ;)

Quoth Du Jour:

"Man isn't a noble savage, he's an ignoble savage. He is irrational, brutal, weak, silly, unable to be objective about anything where his own interests are involved—that about sums it up."

- Stanley Kubrick

Game On

So, the three of us are feverishly working, slaving away on content for the 2011 Mastering book. Phil was working it so hard that his laptop flickered out into nothingness. It blew a gasket. Or a video card, depending on your point of view. Regardless, he still managed to pound out 56 illustrious pages on Stairs and Railings. A must read for any Revit aficionado.


While we might be self-stylized gurus, we do recognize that we don't know it all. (although we'd never admit that publicly). So to you, the four readers of this blog, we offer the following contest:

We'd like your best Revit tip. If you voted Obama, think of this as a socialist outreach to better humanity through a collection for the common good. If you read 'Going Rogue' and not for irony, think of it as us trying to get free sh*t out of you.

Here's the deal: For the month of February, email your best Revit tip to MasteringRevit@architecture-tech.com. If we use your tip in the book, we'll give you props for it (so make sure to include a name, firm name, and blog if you have any of those). And the absolute best tip gets a free copy of the book. Signed by Phil in red ink - just like Marlyn Monroe.