LT Unlimited

One more way to get to AU

There are now THREE ways to see AU 2009 content and events (and that's not even counting all the stuff that's already available at AU Online).

1. AU in Vegas
Of course there's the live event. You get in-person classes, networking, the AUGI Beer Bust, etc.

2. AUv
There's also AU Virtual, which is a way to see live classes and events over the web. No security lines to get to this one, and it's free. (Or $99 for a Premier Pass.)

3. AU Extension
Last but not least, there's AU Extension, which combines expert-led class content from AU in Las Vegas with face-to-face interaction with local instructors. With over 90 Authorized Training Centers participating, in 35 countries, chances are pretty good there's one near you. Even better, AU Extension is free, and comes with the option to purchase additional training at a discount.

I hope one of the 3 AU options works for you!

Project Cooper Needs a Name

Project Cooper is a fine name for a technology preview, but it was never intended to be a permanent name.

To pick Project Cooper's real name, we need your help!

Try it out, then take the survey here.

Can't make it to Vegas? Come to AU Virtual!

I know that a lot of you won't be able to make it to Autodesk University this year, so I'm happy to help spread the word about a new alternative -- AU Virtual.

AU virtual provides some of the best of AU content, delivered right to your desktop. We'll be streaming over 50 virtual sessions live over the web, plus product clinics where you can get answers to questions from experts on a variety of topics. (Full session listing.)

If you're already a member of AU Online (and why not, it's free), you can attend any keynote or product clinic absolutely free.

If you want more, $99 gets you an AU Virtual Premier Pass. The Premier Pass includes all the keynotes and clinics from the Free Pass, plus the 50+ virtual sessions I mentioned earlier, where you get to interact with other attendees as well as with the presenter. The Premier Pass also includes post-conference on-demand access to recordings of over 350 classes from AU 2009, for viewing at your leisure.

Even better, if you're a Subscription customer, the Premier Pass is free. And everyone who registers for AU in Vegas gets 4 free Premier Passes to share with friends, so that's one more way to get to AU Virtual for free.

And in case you need one more reason to register, if you sign up for an AU Virtual Premier Pass by November 13, 2009 you'll be entered in a drawing for a full pass to AU 2009 or AU 2010 in Las Vegas (your choice)—a US$2,395 value!

Still have questions? Check out the AU Virtual home page, the FAQ, and the comparison of AU On-Site and AU Virtual.

Hope to see you in Vegas, or at least in cyberspace!

A Few More Thoughts on Windows 7

We're all excited about the support for AutoCAD LT 2010 (among other products) on Windows 7, and we hope you are too.

There are always a few things to consider and/or keep in mind with any upgrade, though, and two new Knowledge Base articles help you understand what you should expect if you transition to Window 7.

Windows 7 Support

Here are the highlights:

• AutoCAD LT 2010 is compatible with and supported on 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7.
• Older versions are not officially supported, but may work if you use Windows compatibility mode.
• You should check for Windows 7 versions of drivers for your printer/plotter, mouse/digitizer, etc.
• If you migrate to Windows 7, it's recommended that you reinstall AutoCAD LT, just to be on the safe side.

There are also a couple of known issues -- all minor, and most just occasional problems. For details, here's that knowledge base article:

Known Limitations with Windows 7

If you've already made the switch, I hope you're enjoying it!

Project Cooper -- New Technology Preview from Autodesk

Know someone who would like to be able to create simple yet polished drawings but doesn't have time to learn a new software program?

Point them to Project Cooper, a new sketching and drawing program from Autodesk, currently available as a FREE technology preview.

Download it at www.autodesk.com/projectcooper and start sketching today!

(Tiny bit of fine print: Project Cooper is currently available only to US and Canada residents.)

Announcing Support for Windows 7

I'm pleased to share the news that AutoCAD LT 2010 is now officially supported on Windows 7, which launched today. No patch required.

Excerpts from the press release:

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Oct. 22, 2009 — Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), a leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, has announced support for Windows 7. Effective today, Autodesk will support customers using nine products including AutoCAD 2010, AutoCAD LT 2010 and the Autodesk Inventor 2010 family of software, on Windows 7.

For the 2010 product line, Autodesk will support nine products on Windows 7.  These products are Autodesk Inventor 2010, Autodesk Inventor LT 2010, AutoCAD 2010, AutoCAD LT 2010, AutoCAD Architecture 2010,  AutoCAD Electrical 2010, AutoCAD Mechanical 2010, AutoCAD MEP 2010 and Autodesk Algor Simulation 2010 software.  Autodesk will support Windows 7 for most of its other products as updated versions are released.

Windows 7 offers many powerful new features and functionality that will benefit Autodesk customers, including full support for 64-bit computing, Windows search and improved performance. Multi-touch support has also become a core capability of Windows 7, and Autodesk is developing new software to take advantage of this technology. At the Windows 7 media launch event, Autodesk will demonstrate Project Cooper, a preview of new technology for simple drawing and drafting that has been engineered to take advantage of the multi-touch capabilities of Windows 7. The Autodesk Project Cooper Technology Preview is now available for free download at www.autodesk.com/projectcooper.

Technical difficulties, please stand by

I apologize for the posting hiatus -- assuming you noticed, of course. ;-) A combination of logistic and technical difficulties put my computer out of commission for the last few days. But now I'm up and running again, and back to posting as usual.

Webcast tomorrow -- are you registered?

The next in the AutoCAD LT webcast series is tomorrow -- are you registered?

We have over 500 people registered, and it should be a good show. If you're not one of the 500 yet, it's not too late. Here's the link.

We'll be going "Back to Basics", with everything you ever wanted to know about drawing and modifying objects. If you've been following my rectangle posts from last week, you've seen a preview. You'd be surprised how much hidden stuff there is even in what seems like a simple command -- tune in tomorrow to see what you didn't know you didn't know!

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On a side note, I'd like to thank all my blog readers for making September my best web stats month to date.  Average daily RSS subscribers topped 300 for the first time, and we came awfully close to 4,000 visitors and 8,000 pageviews for the month.

This blog wouldn't be what it is without readers, so thank you for visiting!

SketchBook Mobile now available for iPhone and iPod Touch

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you may want to head over to the App Store today to check out the new SketchBook Mobile app. For just $2.99 (and yes, that's where the decimal point belongs) you can get the power of SketchBook wherever you are.

SketchBook Mobile uses the same paint engine as SketchBook Pro, and takes advantage of the iPhone/iPod multi-touch navigation and on-demand user interface, and includes 25 preset brushes that can be used on up to 6 layers.

For more information, visit the SketchBook Mobile home page or watch this YouTube video.

When you decide to buy, just hop over to the App Store and pick it up! Apparently we're also offering a free version, "SketchBook Mobile Express", but even for my value-conscious readers, I can't imagine that $2.99 will break the bank. :-) It's always nice to have options, though.

Autodesk Content Search Beta

Okay, the Search beta is a few weeks old by this time, but I think it's still worth a post.

Autodesk is currently testing a new search engine that trawls not only our own website but related ones including:

• Community Sites (AutoCAD Exchange, Autodesk University)
• Discussion Groups
• Blogs
• YouTube

You can filter by any of the above sources, as well as by publish date. The search box includes some "type-ahead" functionality, which provides you with suggestions for completing your word or phrase.

The content is currently AEC-focused, but will be expanded as the project continues.

To give it a try, check out http://searchbeta.autodesk.com.