AU 2012 is finally over and it ended as one of the best AU Conferences to date. Missed the Event? Don’t fret; I’m here to fill you in. The first day of events started off with the keynote at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. The keynotes speakers included Jeff Kowalski, CTO of Autodesk, who spoke on “Beyond Form: The Whole Design Process. Then there was Dezso Molnar, CTO of Molnari, Inc., who explained his innovative Gyrocycle. Christine Furstoss, Technical Director of Manufacturing & Materials Technologies at GE spoke about the Third Industrial Revolution. The audience was then treated with a surprise guest, Schuyler St. Leger who is a 12 year old boy that specializes in energy. Autodesk CEO, Carl Bass, hoped on stage to join Schuyler in a very entertaining presentation. Lynn Allen, Autodesk Technical Evangelist ended with tips for AU and upcoming events.

Technically News: Government Closes More Data Centers, NetApp Links to Amazon’s Cloud, Cybersecurity Needs of the Borderless Enterprise, Agency Saves $500 Million Through Technology, and More

Government manufacturing spans the entire spectrum of the product development value chain – from research and technology invention to deployment and acquisition. However, innovation and production on such a scale brings with it inevitable challenges. Agencies face constant pressure to improve tactical and technological advantage, while saving costs and reducing manufacturing lead times. They are also seeking ways to leverage next generation manufacturing processes to address the key challenges inherent in the design and manufacturing process.

It’s that time of year again! The annual Autodesk University is approaching and Autodesk Partners are gearing up for travel. Our long-time sponsor, DLT Solutions will be one of the 165 vendors at the Autodesk University Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas. Stop by booth # 538 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino to learn about Autodesk Master Government Reseller and the products and services they offer, all available on a variety of federal, state and local government contracts.

With roadway design and construction outsourcing costs rising and growing pressures to maximize tax dollar value, state and local governments are increasingly looking for better ways to improve transportation design projects – on a lower budget. Outsourcing has its advantages, providing convenient access to skilled expertise while helping agencies ease their workload. The process, therefore, of moving this function back in-house is often easier said than done.

With over 800 classes and 775 speakers, Autodesk University 2012 promises to be the ultimate learning event for anyone who uses or is interested in using Autodesk software. Held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Autodesk University (AU) this year takes place from November 27-29 and ROI is expected to be high – “there is no other place where you will find the best of the best across all Autodesk products and industries in such a large concentration,” explains Shaan Hurley, Technologist for the Office of the CTO, Autodesk and a speaker at AU.

Writing in the National Defense Industrial Association’s President’s Perspective, Lawrence P. Farrell Jr wrote that, “Defense manufacturing is like the weather. Everyone talks about it, but no one does anything.” This was two years ago, yet many of Farrell’s concerns about defense manufacturing issues coupled with manufacturing concerns at large – still stand true today. The issues that affect overall manufacturing in the U.S. also impact the defense industrial base – to the point that manufacturing concerns have become national security issues.

By Joe Hedrick, LS, EIT Infrastructure Solutions Team Manager, IMAGINiT Technologies Some of the largest states and construction firms in the United States have begun to adopt 3D modeling software such as AutoCAD^® Civil 3D^® software for engineering design. Many state departments of transportation are already looking at the benefits of 3D modeling over traditional 2D programs. This trend has also begun to percolate from the national and state level down to cities and counties. DOTs and engineering consultants who have made the move to 3D have begun to explore some of the opportunities for greater efficiency, improved designs and better cost management that the use of 3D models provide. Here are some of the ways modeling software has transformed large transportation project design and development.

Ever wished you could give project teams and stakeholders a better view of what a project will look like before it’s even built? Instead of using a combination of foam board, superimposed computer graphics and aerial photographs to present a make-shift model of future projects, what if you had access to sophisticated visualization tools that can help you truly convey design intent?

How does BIM help the City of New York champion design and construction excellence across its $6 billion portfolio? As the primary capital construction project manager in the city of New York, New York City Department of Design and Construction (NY DDC) works with over 20 agencies and numerous contractors to design and build the city’s public facilities and street infrastructure. This portfolio is valued at over $6 billion. A fast moving city doesn’t wait for anyone, which is why the NY DDC turned to building information modeling (BIM) technologies and best practices to help it overcome the fundamental challenge of doing more with less.