For some time, its been obvious that paper still rules on a site, despite the arrival of the iPad, iPhone and a plethery of equaly good electronic devices, why, well they are easily damaged and cost a lot, so why risk it, ask for a paper copy, or take one with you onto site. OK you might argue, protect the iPad with one of those cases, good answer, and for some jobs thats exactly what happens, I to have gone this route, adding a water resistant, mind my words here, water resistant, not water proof case to my iPad 3 and it works fine, ok the touch screen need a little more patience, but it means I can walk forests and the like, in the rain if I have to, and my precious iPad is dry.

But this is not the same as a building site, subject to the rigours of builders, equipment and water, again note the word used, water, as water is more common than rain, ie burst pipes, etc. I can understand contractors sticking to their paper prints rather than an Ipad they can store within their tool kit

Entre stage left, LG’s Flexible E-Paper Display, the article claims it’s reasonably robust, having past some drop tests and had the advance of a small plastic hammer, and given that it’s flexible, it might just swing site operatives into the electronic world. Sites are mostly wifi’ed now so at long last the  real power of pdf can be used, sending updates direct to the site worker.

Reality is that site managers might balk at their bypass and issue controls to stop this, quite right really, but you see were I’m going with this, paper might just have turned a corner on site if this LG product is as robust and flexible as they claim. Add a small camera and suddenly we move forward into the 21 century completely.

Why not turn the corner completely and insert it into a site permanently, add a small solar PV cell, instant power for ever, instand monitoring of the building structure at little or no cost, I know its already available, but in this flexible form with some degree of robustness, I think not.

Not realy CPD, but you might argue, your keeping up with the ever advancing electronic world.

Don’t forget, I will host a tech hangout every Thursday @ 12:30 pm, call in to chat, moan,find out something, anything to do with Architectural Technology. follow me on Google + “+stevescaysbrook”

Visit Vectorworking

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The post Architectural Technologist – LG’s Flexible E-Paper Display appeared first on Konstrukshon CPD Weblog.

BIM is the buzZ word in our industry, but it depends on who you talk to as to the meaning if the word, most, if not all have their own thoughts on it, CAD companies seem to think, only they understand it and their software, in a new format, is the only way to understand it, and use it. They keep telling me only 3D can be used for BIM, rubbish, 2D is more than capable of achieving a high level of BIM

Do you really think I’m that gulable, BIM has been about for Ages, In the form of notes and class or layering structure withing the CAD program’s, so why do the CAD companies seem to think its worth spending money buying their software, I know that 3D takes BIM to a much higher interaction, than can be achieved with current 2D CAD, and the generation of sections and elevations suddenly becomes so quick, and interactive, but the effect to create a 3D model is so often out of place in my level of work, extensions and small cut an carve work. Plus my contractors would still required the same information, my 2D plans provide. so at what point do I change from 2D to 3D, there is no real answer, at my age change like this requires a major upheaval of systems I have put in place that work, but that should not be the answer, it should be now, change, 3D will take longer short term, but the benefits will out way the pain !!, so yet again I pledge to make some move over to 3D, but please, all the CAD companies, I will not buy new program’s, the one I have is more than adequate, but if, and only if, they introduce a program that does not involve updating all my files, I might look at it.

So I was quite please to receive a note from Birmingham City University, promoting a BIM event that gives the users, a chance to show and talk about their current use of BIM, with a panel that is not just selected CAD developers, but real construction proffesionals who are day to day, in the construction business.

The event, if I can call it that, is on the 4th July, it will present BIM in action, focusing on design, cost and construction, with the hand over of the BCU building as the focus, a real live building.

The speaker list is like a who’s who of construction in the West Midlands and to be honest, worth attending just for the social contact and possible work, yet alone the BIM angle :

The cost of £25 is small fry, and must surely represent the best value for money event ever, ok £30 for those of you who have not taken up CIOB membership.

If you would like to attend, , reserve a place via Georgina Floyd on wdandish@ciob.org.uk

Or go to the http://ciob.org.uk/events/bim-action web site

 Don’t forget, I will host a tech hangout every Thursday @ 12:30 pm, call in to chat, moan,find out something, anything to do with Architectural Technology. follow me on Google + “+stevescaysbrook”

Visit Vectorworking

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The post Architectural Technologist – BIrmingham City University – BIM event appeared first on Konstrukshon CPD Weblog.

About 3 years ago I found a video, about a strange man builds a world using holographic tools for the woman he loves. This award winning short was created by filmmaker Bruce Branit, widely known as the co-creator of ‘405‘.the landing of a jet on a motorway with a guy in a car getting lumped as the nose wheel. World Builder was shot in a single day followed by about 2 years of post production. Branit is the owner of Branit VFX based in Kansas City.

Why bring up this video from three years ago, simple, I was moved by the sentiment of the video, but even more taken by the science and futuristic vision of the CAD building resources. Has computing power moved on , can any of this be done now., it has logged over 2.8 million hits in the  three years, although considder that this film was using current thinking about a year before this, so maybe 4 years ago.

I have brought it back into view, just because I think of it as a mile stone, a way to view progress in the industry, a marker, as when this was produced it was little scifi, I had seen serval demo systems at universities, of holographic systems, they are so cool to use, you soon get the hang of the gloves and specs, heavy and cumbersome as they are.

Some of the film is still scifi, but bits, no a lot of the items I think have moved out of the realm of Scifi into possibility. Take for instance the keyboard and colour pallet used, just by tapping all his fingers together, why this gesture, well it’s a movement we would not generally make, but what about the holographic keyboard, well look about the net and you will see several projected keyboard, perhaps not totally holographic, but close the Celluon Magic cube is one such item, how long will it be before the gestures of a keyboard become the gestures on pulling a wall up in Sketchup, or pulling up a colour pallet, not long I think

There are several prototype mock ups of the new iPhone 5. Many implying the holographic keyboard, certainly the computing power is there, put in the projection, I’m sure apple can do better than the Celluon and from the iPhone to boot.

Next  Take the google eyepiece or glasses, surely this a development that could come easily, we know there is a front facing camera, will it be possible to augment a building using sketchup, whilst looking at the building, I think we are at that point.

 

Don’t forget, I will host a tech hangout every Thursday @ 12:30 pm, call in to chat, moan,find out something, anything to do with Architectural Technology. follow me on Google + “+stevescaysbrook”

Visit Vectorworking

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The post Architectural Technologist – World Builder by BranitVFX appeared first on Konstrukshon CPD Weblog.

I, like many of you out there, use OS maps a lot. I buy from a shop in Stourport on Severn, I phone, give them an address, or  post code and I get a file by return on email, I like this service, The Map Shop, who I use, have a nice friendly atitude, I know I could go to one of the online electronic store but to be honest, I use a mac and original they the online services did not support us, so I used the Map Shop, and stuck with them, besides I like the banter and chat.

But thats not what I wanted to draw to your attention, its the battle thats now waging between Google and Apple, on their respective map services. I use maps from Google, I print to pdf any site, and use it as a background to outline a site boundary and features before I go the THe Map Shop and order n OS map. Vectorworks has a nice abitity to rescale and ones a known dim is used to pull the map into line it’s good enough to use for a quick scheme.

But now we have tow major players looking to get my attention, Apple have or will remove the google links and rely upon their own data, Gizmodo have an excellent article outlinging the two different maps although the Apple map  is till under Beta, I quite like the scrisp look of their maps, but I use Google not for just the basic map, but the street view which has helped out many a time, and all the embeded data, will Apple come in at the same level, I can’t think so, although the 3D map looks very promising.

3D also adds another question as to how I can add my building to it, several great videos on youtube outline this and I will do a little research to show how to do it, in another article, ok with a Vectorworks biast, but as general as I can.

Don’t forget, I will host a tech hangout every Friday at 3 pm, call in to chat, moan,find out something, anything to do with Architectural Technology. follow me on Google + “+stevescaysbrook”

Visit Vectorworking

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The post Architectural Technologist – Maps with Apple or Google appeared first on Konstrukshon CPD Weblog.

English: An Acer Chromebook showing the introductory screen walking news users through the touchpad's features. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have been waiting for this announcement for some time, the google chromebook has been updated to be, as Gigaom say a fine machine, lightening fast and very usable. Long ago the pundits predicted this style of machine, and it’s now here, but what impact has it on the Architectural practice, or us the Architectural Technologist, well take me for example, although I use Google Docs an awful lot, I can’t see me going out to buy one, my Mac does all I want and more, and on the move, my new iPad is so good, but should I be setting up an office, then secretary staff and perhaps researchers would be ideal people to use this machine. The apps available on the Google store allow just about every type of work, from simple writing to viewing and using a dwg drawing, video, and photowork, spreadsheets, and all social network stuff via a browser.

The same goes for the Chromebox, a small Apple like box that is the desktop version, just add a screen and keyboard and your away.

Overall it look a nice machine, but my path is clear with my Mac and iPad, and if the offline google docs comes as predicted in a few weeks, then I’m made. Oh yes nearly forgot, I found a nice little app for the iPad that accesses the Google drive and displays all content, with a nice writing section I can easily use, check out  gDocuments, I have it loaded and will be testing this week on my travels, and at I think £1.60 not bad.

Don’t forget, Im away at present so no  tech hangout this Friday at 3 pm, but back next week, call in to chat, moan,find out something, anything to do with Architectural Technology. follow me on Google + “+stevescaysbrook”

Visit Vectorworking

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The post Architectural Technologist – Google Chromebook appeared first on Konstrukshon CPD Weblog.

Image via CrunchBase

I suddenly had one of those thoughts today, where I realised that some of my CPD records related to other topics, the record in mind was the Venice video yesterday an excellent technical overview of the city, it had so many different aspects from brickwork, to damp, to structure, to timber piles, to the far end of the list in water entering the lagoon in a tidal way.

So I sat and thought I need to add a separate column to my CPD activity list to allow me to add tags to the various other subjects covered, much the same way I can in evernote, in fact I have also added this video to Evernote and added a load of different tags. I’m not yet sure how I will make use of the tags, but be sure I will sort out a way. In fact there must be a way to link in my Evernote pages and tags, but perhaps thats another day.

Don’t forget, I will host a tech hangout every Friday at 3 pm, call in to chat, moan,find out something, anything to do with Architectural Technology. follow me on Google + “+stevescaysbrook”

Visit Vectorworking

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The post Architectural Technologist – CPD Records updated with Tag’s appeared first on Konstrukshon CPD Weblog.

Image via CrunchBase

I woke today and realised I had little to blog about, my mind was blank, I could have talked about my lesson at Tewkesbury, which was centred about the Shard Channel 4 video, just excellent, I ran the interactive whiteboard over the top of the video, and stopped the film to show and expand upon point, the interactive whiteboard, is great for highlighting and sketching.

But and as always there is a but, John Pickup of Archoncad  skyped me, complaining I had not talk or attended his online talks recently, he did how ever point out the purchase Penultimate by Evernote for the iPad at £0.69  its a real snip, so easy to use and link into Evernote, so I can easily draw details, write and a host of things, but the best is it saves to Evernote, I like this, it’s so easy to see a detail or make a note. I use a small pen for the iPad to write with and its very good, and fits so well my use of Evernote.

By the way, I will be online with Jon attending his online class tonight at 9:30 pm UK time  looking at :

Building a Conceptual Model of a building

3D Modeling in Vectorworks is a lot of fun , and it can be productive if you apply the basic tools and techniques we covered in february 2012. Some people use other software to create conceptual models, but I believe that Vectorworks has powerful techniques for this.
In this workshop we will look at applying the techniques we learned to a building site. I will be using a city building site for this, but you can apply these techniques to landscape, urban design, exhibit design and architecture.

If your attending I see you there tonight.

Don’t forget, I will host a tech hangout every Friday at 3 pm, call in to chat, moan,find out something, anything to do with Architectural Technology. follow me on Google + “+stevescaysbrook”

Visit Vectorworking

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The post Architectural Technologist – No CPD today appeared first on Konstrukshon CPD Weblog.

Image via CrunchBase

I send out a lot of PDF documents for both my Architectural business, and my VantagePoint Cartographics company, in general the Architectural side manages quite well on the normal PDF readers both on the iPad, iPhone and of course the laptops and stand alone machines, but in certain cases I am finding that some of the large atlas PDF books we are sending out, iPads are having trouble loading and using them, so we started to look about for an alternative to the current Goodreader and dropbox built in reads.

Entre stage left Plangrid, I will admit that it does not have all the bells and whistles of Goodreader, but, and as always there is a but,  it deals with our large plan sets with ease, and for the most part has most of the tools I want to use for markup, it has a nice photo insert tool, and version tracking of atlas sheets revisions. There are some wants, like search and layering of markup, but  I’m pleased to say when we talked to them direct, we got a response almost immediately, and a skype call to air our wants, which we are pleased to report having been acted upon. But the real beauty of Plangrid is that it handle large files so easily,and also manages the drawing update revisions as well.no longer do we have to wait for files to generate, or even fail to load.

If your in London today and are attending the Grand designs live exhibition, drop by and say hello, I’m on the Ask the Expert stand, I’m there all day today, representing CIAT

Don’t forget, I will host a tech hangout every Friday at 3 pm, call in to chat, moan,find out something, anything to do with Architectural Technology. follow me on Google + “+stevescaysbrook”

Visit Vectorworking

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The post Architectural Technologist – PlanGrid – a fast and easy way to read PDF files on the iPAd appeared first on Konstrukshon CPD Weblog.

SolidWorks (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Have a look at the iPad app store for edrawings, its priced at I think £1.49 a snip. The quality of the drawinings is just excellent, the solidworks examples turn and rotate in full 3D, and the one example of a dwg drawing is not bad, very crisp and clear, the small pop out menu to the side allows the flip between paper and design space, there are not to many tools, but what do you want other than to see the drawing.

Don’t forget, I will host a tech hangout every Friday at 3 pm, call in to chat, moan,find out something, anything to do with Architectural Technology. follow me on Google + “+stevescaysbrook”

Visit Vectorworking

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The post Architectural Technologist – eDrawings for the iPad appeared first on Konstrukshon CPD Weblog.

Image via CrunchBase

I some time wonder if Technology, that is computer technology and me were ever ment to meet, so this is a blog to test my latest twitter feed update has worked, and I’m glad to say it has, so every blog will produce a twitter feed, something I wanted to achieve ages ago.

This completes most of my basic social network feeds, Google+, twitter, Linkedin and facebook. All being fed by my Konstrukshon CPD weblog page.

Don’t forget, I will host a tech hangout every Friday at 3 pm, call in to chat, moan,find out something, anything to do with Architectural Technology. follow me on Google + “+stevescaysbrook”

Visit Vectorworking

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The post Architectural Technologist – Technology and me appeared first on Konstrukshon CPD Weblog.