Beyond the Paper

Autodesk Design Review 2010 Won't Open

Recently, a customer reported that after upgrading from Design Review 2009 to Design Review 2010, launching Design Review 2010 didn't seem to launch, even though DesignReview.exe appeared in the Task Manager's Processes tab. Design Review Lead Engineer Dony Chen suggested that there may be an application compatibility issue in the registry.

Here’s the solution he provided to the customer:

1. Open the Windows Registry Editor (regedit.exe)
2. Navigate to "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers". *
3. In the Registry Editor's right pane, locate and delete Explorer.exe and DesignReview.exe. (If necessary, click Yes to confirm each deletion.)
4. Next, navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers".
5. In the Registry Editor's right pane, again, locate and delete Explorer.exe and DesignReview.exe. (If necessary, click Yes to confirm each deletion.)
6. Exit the Registry Editor.
7. Restart the computer.

*Note: If the keys are not in the registry, application compatibility isn’t the issue.

Warning!

Problems caused by improperly editing the Windows registry could render your computer operating system unusable. Microsoft has provided a wealth of critical information you need to know about the registry in the Microsoft Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com/support.

Use the Microsoft® Registry Editor only at your own risk and only after backing up the registry as well as the system.dat and user.dat files as outlined in ARTICLE-ID: Q132332 "How to Back Up the Registry" in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. Additional information about the registry is also contained in the Help topics in the Microsoft Registry Editor.

Autodesk Design Review Usage and Features Prioritization Survey

Every year we release a new Autodesk Design Review. Though each release is feature rich, people lament their one or two personal wishes that didn't get into the release. What to do? What to do? You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but... In an attempt to get insight as to what will please most of the people at some point in the future, please share your thoughts with us.

Autodesk Design Review Usage and Features Prioritization Survey

Your feedback directly helps Design Review go beyond the paper.

-- Scott Sheppard

Disable AutoUpdate - Autodesk Design Review 2010

Some customers chose to disable the AutoUpdate functionality in previous releases. This was a workaround if the product started up very slow, initially or even locked up.

We did take note of that when finalizing Autodesk Design Review 2010, unfortunately we did not have enough time to implement a solution for both, standalone and network deployments. In the end, only network deployments did benefit from an update.

To summarize, the AutoUpdate functionality is disabled by default in Autodesk Design Review 2010, once the application has been deployed - however, it still exists when installed as standalone application.

Users can, once more, workaround the issue by setting the following values:

• InitialCheck  1
• DoNotShowAgain  1

Different registry locations are applicable, so we have listed the most common ones here:

Windows XP 32bit

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\Design Review\Settings\AutoUpdate
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\Design Review\Settings\AutoUpdate

Windows XP 64bit

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6423Node\Autodesk\Designreview\Settings\AutoUpdate
• HKEY_CURRENR_USER\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\Design Review\Settings\AutoUpdate

Windows Vista 32bit

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\Design Review\Settings\AutoUpdate
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AppDataLow\Software\Autodesk\Design Review\Settings\AutoUpdate

Windows Vista 64bit

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Autodesk\Design Review\Settings\AutoUpdate
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AppDataLow\Software\Autodesk\Design Review\Settings\AutoUpdate

Note: It is recommended that you start the application at least once, else there is a good chance that the values of InitialCheck and DoNotShowAgain have not been created yet. If you decide to edit the registry prior to starting Autodesk Design Review 2010, you will have to create those keys manually.

Warning!
Problems caused by improperly editing the Windows registry could render your computer operating system unusable. Microsoft has provided a wealth of critical information you need to know about the registry in the Microsoft Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com/support.

Use the Microsoft® Registry Editor only at your own risk and only after backing up the registry as well as the system.dat and user.dat files as outlined in ARTICLE-ID: Q132332 "How to Back Up the Registry" in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. Additional information about the registry is also contained in the Help topics in the Microsoft Registry Editor.

Thank you.

Top Five Reasons to Choose Navisworks for Construction

What would you consider the top 5 reasons that made you choose Navisworks for your Construction project?

Here is our selection:

 

1. Easy Interactive Design Review & Visualization

The large and complex models generated for 3D building information modeling (BIM) projects are often difficult to view, explore, and analyze. Autodesk® Navisworks® 3D project review software products use innovative technology to compress files for interactive visualization and smooth real-time walk-through, so you can navigate, explore, and review even the largest and most complex 3D models on standard PCs, without having to master CAD skills or design software.

2. Design & Model Coordination in One Place

Construction professionals frequently need to visualize and coordinate designs in a single, whole-project view with other design consultants or construction disciplines. Autodesk Navisworks 3D project review software products offer compatibility with most major native design and laser-scan file formats, which means that 3D design data created in 3D BIM applications such as AutoCAD® software and Autodesk® Revit®-based products can be combined with geometry and information created with other design tools and then easily reviewed. 

3. Improved Project Collaboration

Navisworks allows you to share your 3D designs with other project stakeholders and offer a single, whole-project view for review or viewing. The single Navisworks whole-project view can be published in both Autodesk Navisworks native NWD format and 3D DWF™ format, giving all stakeholders access. Autodesk Navisworks Freedom software is the free* viewer for both file types. In addition, Navisworks provides design insight and construction or operational predictability with a powerful toolkit that includes measure, mark up, and comment to aid project model understanding and analysis.

4. Save on Project Time & Costs

Autodesk Navisworks allows you to leverage your existing construction planning software to simulate time or planning schedules with 3D models to create 4D construction sequences that can highlight and resolve on-site issues. Both Navisworks Simulate and Navisworks Manage help create an easier-to-understand visual simulation of work processes by linking existing 3D model data and project schedules. In addition, Navisworks Manage can analyze any of the file formats that it can read and delivers more effective identification, inspection, and reporting of interferences in a 3D project model, which means that you can help ensure your design is issue-free before construction begins.

5. Realistic Project Visualization

Navisworks allows you and your project stakeholders to walk-through and experience designs in real-time before they are real, and to rapidly validate and present intent at the early bid or tender stage as a 3D interactive proposal. Open existing CAD or 3D files for real-time walk-through of your projects. Navisworks quickly creates high-quality rendered images and animation that you can realistically visualize and present easily in 3D. The experience can be extended, giving all stakeholders access to the whole-project view using Autodesk Navisworks Freedom software.

Do you have any questions that were not covered by the above stated content?

Write us!

Thank you.

Attend Autodesk University 2009 Virtually

The event itself remains a not-to-be-missed experience, but Autodesk recognizes that many of our customers will not be able to attend this years AU 2009 event in Las Vegas, NV.

Said that, Autodesk University Virtual promises the "best of AU right on your desktop".

Here are the details for the event:

• Event date: December 1-4, 2009.
• 50+ Classes and Sessions- streamed “live”  http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=virtual_class_listing .
• A “Premium Pass” (full access) is only US$99.
• All Subscription customers receive a free “Premier Pass”. 
• A “Free Pass” (limited access) is available to anyone.
• How AU Virtual compares with AU “On-Site”.

Find additional information here at the Autodesk University Virtual Website

Thank you.

Autodesk Design Review 2010 & Windows Server 2003

Many of our customers have and are attempting to run Autodesk Design Review 2010 on the Windows Server 2003 platform.

Few customers have been successful and many are experiencing an unresponsive application or one that simply terminates early. As a matter of fact, this specific problem is one of the most reported CER problems to date.

Autodesk Design Review 2010 is not designed, nor has it been tested for the Windows Server 2003 platform. Please see the system requirements for information as to what platforms are supported for this particular application.

Please let us know should you have any follow up questions to this particular subject.

Thank you.

Navisworks FLEXnet & Licensing Problem Solutions Available Now

Our licensing team has posted two new updates to the product support site.

• FLEXnet Licensing Side-by-Side Hotfix

This Hotfix repairs a problem that occurs during the side-by-side installation of two different licensing products. During the installation of stand-alone licensing products with previously installed network licensing products, an error occurs indicating that the installation failed.

You can find the Hotfix and additional information here

• Failure to check out a license when running a network product on the same machine as the network license server

You configured a machine to be a network license server and then installed an Autodesk product on the same machine.  When you launch the product, it tries to check out a network license and fails. 

On Windows, the FLEXnet Finder dialog displays and, when dismissed, is followed by a license error dialog displaying the error code [-15.570.36]. In the Mac OS, a license error dialog displays the same error code but it does not display a FLEXnet Finder dialog.

This happens on all operating systems where an IPv6 stack is installed.

You can find the solution and additional information here.

Please let us know should the above solutions not resolve stated issues for you.

Thank you.

Project Cooper - Feature Overview Video

Try the preview of Project Cooper software for free at http://www.autodesk.com/projectcooper .

This video provides a brief summary of the application and shows you how simple it is to start making drawings with Project Cooper.

Video Link

Send us your feedback, comments or suggestions!

Thank you.

Brilliant Navisworks 2010 Enhancements

Navisworks 2010 now also offers a Subscription Advantage Pack for their 2010 relase version. 

There are three notable additions available through the Subscription Center:

• Autodesk FBX File Format Support
• Batch Processing Utility
• NWC Export Utility

Remember, you need to be a Navisworks subscription customer to be able to download these additions.

Note: Autodesk Navisworks 2010 Subscription Bonus Pack 1 can only be applied to Autodesk Navisworks Review 2010, Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010, and Autodesk Navisworks Simulate 2010. It cannot be applied to other products. You need to have Navisworks 2010 Service Pack 1 installed first before you can install this bonus pack.

I will talk more about each of the items in the coming days.

Thank you.

Windows 7 Support Announcement by Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. has announced support for Windows 7. Effective October 22nd 2009, 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.

Thank you.