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April 2009                           CAD-N-Lighting Design News

   
Design & Drafting NEWS
 

Featured Lighting Designer - Geoffrey Platt


Geoffrey's background is in theatre, corporate events and touring. He specializes in lighting and set design. He's experienced in using today's major lighting consoles: Jands Vista, GrandMA, Avolites Pearl, Whole Hog 500, 1000, II, III and iPC, and he LOVES LD Assistant.


LD Assistant 08.5
Can You Believe No Dongle Is Needed?

Built-in sACN, Art-Net & Pathway Support

No Fees For Profiles No Fees For Blocks No Subscription

Easily Create Your Own Blocks & Profiles

No Wonder Our Competition Is Badmouthing Us!

No setup needed to connect your ETC console
With sACN, you just plug your LD Assistant computer into the same network as your console.

Use JANDS PC & LD Assistant on the same computer
Open JANDS PC on the same computer as LD Assistant is on - without a dongle.

Use any console that supports sACN or Art-Net and
connect to LD Assistant and start having FUN!

All In One Stand Alone Program:
Remote viewing of live events or pre-cueing
Real-time Simulation with Video & Audio Playback
Have multiple independent users walking through a simulation
Walk through in Real-Time with audio, video and lighting all playing simultaneously

Real Autodesk DWG - not a reverse engineered DWG like others
Real Industry Standard 2D Drafting & 3D Modeling tools set
Advanced High End Rendering with FX


Because we are Autodesk Partners using the AutoCAD Real DWG file format, you'll never again have to tear your hair out trying to open an AutoCAD DWG file.


   
News

AutoCAD for the Mac - Autodesk indicated that the world's largest CAD software company is looking for new markets into which to expand its sales of CAD software. Click here to take the online survey.

Autodesk Named In Business Week Top 50 Companies - Business Week includes Autodesk among its annual ranking of top 50 companies that are the "best in class from the 10 sectors of the Standard & Poor's index of 500 stocks." ... Nestled in the rolling hills just north of San Francisco, Autodesk is no Silicon Valley mover and shaker. The company is known mostly among engineers as the maker of the 3D software programs used by everyone from Hollywood animators to the architects designing the newest Manhattan skyscrapers. But Autodesk's bigger contribution to the U.S. economy may not be its role in such movies as Kung Fu Panda or the latest Indiana Jones epic. Rather, it's in helping manufacturers scattered across the Rust Belt compete against foreign rivals.

3ds Max 2010 to Integrate mental ray 3.7+ Rendering - SAN FRANCISCO, CA and BERLIN, Germany, Mar 27, 2009 - mental images, a global leader in rendering software and visualization tools for animators, visual effects artists and professionals who create high quality imagery, today announced that mental ray 3.7+, the photorealistic rendering software that now utilizes MetaSLä universal shader language to easily and efficiently create and deploy shaders across platforms, will be integrated into Autodesk 3ds Max 2010 software.

NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 - quieter graphics card with many connectivity options, supports 30 bit color displays, certified for many CAD applications, Ron LaFon, Cadalyst

Dell Unveils 3 Precision Workstation with Intel's Xeon 5500 - Dell officially unveiled its new range of workstation-class systems today with the launch of the Precision T3500, T5500 and T7500. Like all new workstations being announced this week, the new Precision family is based on Intel's Xeon 5500 Series (Nehalem) architecture, which offers incredible power for multi-threaded applications; particularly those that take advantage of HyperThreading, such as 3ds Max and HyperShot.

ARTICLES
 

CAD Leadership 2008 - key concepts to create environment for positive technology use, CAD manager's personal and corporate assets, road to leadership, Mark Kiker, Autodesk University 2008

Implementation Tools and Techniques That No CAD Manager Can Live Without - streamlining complexities of CAD management when handling multiple releases of AutoCAD-based software used in multiple locations, Steve Bennett, Autodesk University 2008

Preventative CAD Management - developing CAD standard, reviewing it regularly, creating technology plan, organizing server, all data, Mark Kiker, Autodesk University 2008ftware used in multiple locations, Steve Bennett, Autodesk University 2008

Supporting CAD Systems and Users - computer hardware - good hardware system, utilizing network vs. standalone licenses, justifying training, backing up data, Tom Conti, Autodesk University 2008

Finding Those Who Care About CAD - caring people are constant learners, work as team, have transparent agendas, provide input, Mark Kiker, CADDManager Blog

Turning Caring About CAD into Curing CAD Troubles - make group of caring people and move them to work on CAD issues, Mark Kiker, CADDManager Blog

When Should a CAD Standard be Created? - create as soon as possible, start on small scale, one topic at a time, Mark Kiker, CADDManager Blog

Draw 3D Walls with Polysolids - using existing objects in AutoCAD, Ellen Finkelstein.com

Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2010 - The New UI - quick access toolbar, viewports with menus, graphite modeling tools, Mark Gerhard, IMAGINiT Manufacturing Solutions Blog

Autodesk Design Review 2010 - Application Window - key tips for keyboard, progressive tooltips on application menu, quick access toolbar, ribbon, Volker Joseph, Beyond the Paper

Your, Recession-Proof - responsibilities of CAD manager , users to make organization more efficient during recession, Dennis Jeffrey, AUGI

How to Standardize Everything in Your Corporate Environment - customizing standard software deployment installation setup, using standard user profiles and shortcuts, CAD standards checker, placing block libraries on tool palettes, Eric Bogenschutz, Autodesk University 2008

Tangible View Cube - small, wireless hand held device used for controlling orientation of on-screen 3D model in Autodesk products, Sunith Babu, CAD Professor

Collapse Layer Filters Pane - AutoCAD tip, Kate Morrical, LT Unlimited

Reload all References - AutoCAD method to reload referenced file, Kate Morrical, LT Unlimited

   
REVIEWS
 

HP Z600 Workstation - innovative design based on Intel Xeon X5560 processor, quiet and compact mid-range product with excellent engineering, Ron LaFon, Cadalyst

HP's New Z Line: Breakthrough Workstation Technology - Z line of workstations with Intel Xeon 5500 series chip sets was announced, Robert Green, Cadalyst

HP Workstation Event: Z Series Take Serviceability to New Levels - innovative mechanism, tool-less in design, effective power saving mode, Greg Corke, Develop 3D

PolyStation iQ470 - compact but noisy workstation with expanding options, good warranty, $699, Ron LaFon, Cadalyst

Thank You

Design & Drafting appreciates your interest in our products.  Please forward this newsletter to your friends and associates, however, NO part of this newsletter may be used without permission. 

(C)Copyright 2009 by Design & Drafting.

 
 

The interface that POWERS
LD Assistant is used by more that 8,000,000 Designers and Architects around the world.
----
You can pick up a book on how to use CAD at your local book store.

You can even take a class on how to use CAD at your local community collage.

Our competitors can't make these statements.

See What $2,495.00 Will Buy
You!
No Dongle Needed
Send And Receive
   sACN, Art-Net & Pathway
Real time Movie Playback
Real time Audio Playback
Multiple Light Source
   Fixtures (Showgun, etc.)
Photometric Lights
IES Files Support
Advanced Rendering
   Radiosity, Raytrace,
   2D Wireframe, 3D Hidden,
   3D Wireframe, Conceptual
   and Realistic
Volumetric Lighting
Atmospheric Effects...
   Noise, Glow, Ray, Ring,
   Manual Secondary, Streak,
   Auto Secondary, Star & Fog
3D Props & Image Props
Next Generation Mapping
Background Images
Auto Renumbering...
   Unit, Channel, Dimmer,
   Circuit and Cable ID
AutoBuild...
   Lighting Systems, Truss,
   Rooms, Ladders & Trees,
   Doors, Walls, Projectors,
   Risers, Tables, Chairs,
   Racks, Cameras, Windows
   and Seating Layouts
Auto Replace Fixtures
Automatic 3 point lighting
Focus, lights and cones
Find & Replace Instrument
Advanced Schedules
Append Attribute to Block
Viz Link
Replace Block Reference
Change Attributes Size
Change Attributes Color
Copy Style to Block
Close Scene
Open Scene
Built-in Visualization
Rx 64 Universes of DMX
Tx 64 Universes of DMX
House Lights
Rope Lights
Stage Stairs
Curtains (Real)
Security Post & Line
Wire & Cable
Real-Time Camera View
Real-Time Pre-Render View
Real-Time Visualization
Real-Time Pre-Animation
Nudge-it
Smart Alignments
Smart Context-Menu
WYSIWYG Library
Native DWG/DXF
Mult-circuit Fixtures
Seating Layout
Built-in Scripting Language
Room Layout
7,000 Blocks/Symbols
Over 3,000 Gobos
Use JPG & BMP as Gobos
Use JPG & BMP as Texture
Render Metal Gobos
Render Glass Gobos
FX Rendering
2D/3D Light Beams
2D/3D Sound Beams
2D/3D Video Beams
Project Video Movies
Supports Lightwrite
Supports Open GL
Supports Excel Export
Built-in i-drop®
Use Online Blocks
No Subscription
No Fees For
    New Profiles or Blocks
Easily Create Your Own
    Profiles & Blocks
... and a lot more!