LT Unlimited

Autodesk in the news

Two media features on Autodesk have run in the last two weeks -- one short one on sustainability and a much longer show covering a variety of topics.

First, the award-winning broadcaster Dave Graveline, host of the technology talk show “Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline,” interviewed Autodesk leaders and customers at the Autodesk Gallery at One Market. He covered plenty of topics in the 3-hour show -- you can see pictures from the recording and listen to the show here (segmented by interviewee for your listening convenience). A lot of Autodeskers and customers were able to participate, talking about education, gaming software, sustainability, and more.

Also, CNBC included at short (1-minute) segment on Autodesk's commitment to sustainability on its "People, Planet, and Profit" show.

Watch the clip

E-Learning available on the AutoCAD Exchange

In our continued effort to help AutoCAD LT users get the information they need to be productive, we've added several e-Learning courses to the AutoCAD Exchange.

Under Online Learning you'll find courses targeted at both AutoCAD LT 2009 and 2010, with lessons on Dynamic Blocks, Annotation Scaling, Tables, and more.

You do have to register to access the content, but don't worry, it's free.

Project Dragonfly at Autodesk Labs

Some of you may already be familiar with Autodesk Labs, a place where we put new technologies for people to explore and provide feedback on. (If you haven't seen the Labs yet, it's worth a look.)

One of those technologies is Project Dragonfly, a web-based 2D and 3D interior design program. It lets you build rooms with walls, floors, windows, and doors, and then furnish them with pre-loaded design content for everything from living rooms to kitchens.

I recently had the opportunity to help out the Dragonfly team by creating a short video from the Amazon shareholders meeting. In it, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos talks about Dragonfly as an example of software-as-a-service (an application of cloud computing).

You can watch the video on YouTube or in non-YouTube format over at Scott Sheppard's Labs blog, It is Alive in the Lab.

Dragonfly is a lot of fun and very easy to use -- I even used it recently to help me plan the layout of my new apartment...saved a lot of trial and error placing the furniture in real life. :-)

A New Way to Get Subscription

Historically, the only way to get your Autodesk products on Subscription was to work through a Value Added Reseller (VAR). But we know that many AutoCAD LT users in the US and Canada prefer to get their software elsewhere, sometimes through one of the e-commerce partners listed on our How To Buy page.

So, beginning June 14th, we're trying something new. That's when we're launching a pilot program with Amazon where you can buy a new seat of AutoCAD LT 2010 plus a year's worth of Subscription all at once. To check out the deal, click here.

If it goes well, we'll look into expanding with our other online retail partners.

In case you don't know what comes with Subscription, here's a short list of benefits:

• Free upgrades
• Additional license/usage options (prior version use, home use)
• E-Learning materials
• Personal, web-based support

And for more details and links, go to the AutoCAD LT Subscription page.

What do you think? Would you be willing to purchase subscription this way?

New benefits added to Autodesk Assistance Program

The Autodesk Assistance Program has been very well received so far, with over 4500 members and 5000 product downloads.

It's going so well that they've decided to add more benefits to it:

• Employer Discount: Discounts on Autodesk software for companies that hire program participants
• New Term License: 12-month stand-alone license of AutoCAD 2010 for

  $1,995

  (in case you think you'll only need it for a while)
• Firm Resources: Links related to Digital Prototyping (DP) and building information modeling (BIM) to help companies evaluate their workflow
• Products Available: Many more products added to the program, including software for AEC, Manufacturing, Geospatial, and Media & Entertainment
• New e-Learning Materials: Two more online resources added:
• • Membership to Autodesk University (AU) Online including full access to session videos
  • Subscription e-Learining

AutoCAD LT Webcast -- Register Today!

The next in the AutoCAD LT webcast series is coming up soon -- it's now less than two weeks away!

Join me on June 23rd at 10:00 Pacific for "External References: DWG and Beyond". We'll cover a wide range of xref functions, from file types through path formats and Attach vs. Overlay, all the way to Data Links.

Register today, and tell all your friends!

Networking event TODAY at the Autodesk Gallery

If there are any blog readers out there looking for work in the Bay Area, you may be interested in an event this evening at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco. Here's the scoop:

Meet, greet, and learn.

In partnership with Ideate and Ketiv, Autodesk is hosting a networking event for job-seeking architects, engineers, and designers in the Bay Area. Meet potential employers in your field, network with peers, and learn more about how you can benefit from the Autodesk Assistance Program.

Date: Tuesday, June 9
Time: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Location: One Market, second floor

Please RSVP to Angela Simoes at +1-415-547-2388 or angela.simoes@autodesk.com.

$400 Rebate Available to Legacy Customers

If you're using an old version of AutoCAD LT (2000 to 2006) and have been considering an upgrade, now might be a great time to make the move.

That's because from May 1st through July 31st, qualifying new seat purchases are eligible for a $400 Legacy Rebate. It's a great deal -- 33% off the MSRP.

If you need a place to buy your new software, the How to Buy page is here to help, with links to our e-commerce partners and to the Locate a Reseller page.

And trust me, if you haven't upgraded since LT 2006 (or before!), there's been a ton of new stuff added that makes a lot of tasks much easier. (But if you're reading this blog, you probably know that already...) :-)

Finally jumped on the Twitter bandwagon

I've been resisting Twitter pretty steadily for a while, but as the number of people using it continues to grow, it seems as though resistance may be futile. So I signed up. I didn't tweet, though, just started following a few fellow AutoCAD folks. (Sounds sort of like I'm stalking them, doesn't it?)

But then I discovered that you can push blog posts to your Twitter feed, so I thought that would be a good way to get my feet wet, and maybe reach a few people who like getting their news that way. This is the first post that should appear over there as well as here. We'll see if it works!

If you're a Twitter-er already, or if you think you might want to be, you can find me at katemorrical. I can't promise very frequent updates, at least for now, but we'll see where it goes.

See you in cyberspace... :-)

Virtual Imagine Tour tomorrow -- sign up today!

If you haven't had a chance to see the 2010 family of products in action yet, tomorrow may be your chance!

We hold an Imagine tour every year in various cities around North America. This year's tour was scaled a bit -- although there are still a few events left -- so the online event is going to be even bigger. Check out the schedule and sign up here.

Here's a quick run-down:
When: May 19th, 7:00 to 5:00 Pacific
Where: Your computer! (Sign up here.)
What: Webcasts, chat sessions, a virtual exhibit hall with vendor and product booths...TONS of Autodesk and other CAD-related people to talk to and ask questions.

Some sessions my readers may be particularly interested in:
9:00 Pacific: Take Design Further: Lynn Allen's AutoCAD 2010 Tips & Techniques (30-minute webcast)
10:00 Pacific: AutoCAD LT 2010: PDF output and underlays (30-minute chat)
10:30 Pacific: 3D Conceptual Design inside AutoCAD 2010 (30-minute webcast, see what all the fuss is about)
1:00 Pacific: Straight Talk about AutoCAD 2010 Benefits (30-minute chat)

Did you like how I snuck the LT session in there? Of course it's hosted by yours truly, so if you have questions about the new PDF functionality in AutoCAD LT 2010 (or about anything else in LT 2010...or if you just want to say hi), sign up and stop on by!

See you tomorrow!