If you’re going to need that workstation more than once, make it a block. If you’re going to utilize that square footage in multiple configurations, make a Component block. And if you think you’ll need any of those on more than one drawing, you best save it as a Favorite. You’ll also learn how to Clone ‘em, Replace ‘em, and Edit ‘em.

Tips on expediting applying material to components with a quick review of Schemes. Of particular interest will be the application of a COM on a standard part. Fundamental tips on Rendering in Photo Lab will also be presented, including the use of the Characters extension and Office Accessories and images on a laptop screen. [Requires the Characters, Lights, and Office Accessories extensions]
MEMO: The content for the Material & Rendering workshop is expanded upon in the Photo Lab workshop.

Initially intimidating, this session begins with drawing comparisons between what we know – 2020 Worksheet – and where the equivalents are in Calculation. Saving and Loading an Article View (‘Template’ in 2020), sorting by Tag or Catalog, and applying Discounts will all be presented.

The Picklist is particularly useful for what I call ‘Workstation Giblets’; things we need on the truck but not necessarily graphically placed in the drawing. The Picklist is also an excellent way to bring in the same parts for another floorplan, but in a different configuration, such as in a private office. And we’ll look at a few ideas on what you need when you launch CET and set up what’s commonly referred to as a ‘Seed File’. Yes, similar to an AutoCAD template (.DWT).

Will the immersive light work just as well as sunlight, or will you need to add an Omni light …and where? Before getting too wrapped up in complicated lighting, we unpack a few of the simpler approaches that may do just as well. Along the way, we’ll look into some of the key settings under the Advanced sections in Photo Lab such as the benefits and adjustments for the Outline Overlay, where to ‘stand’ when doing the rendering, and adding the customer’s watermark/logo in the corner. Flowers and Office Accessories and a terrarium may be necessary to ‘add realism’.

Before you do a fly‐through, you’ll need an environment to, well … fly …through. We’ll start with the fundamental steps in creating walls with windows and doors to create an environment with a city/landscape scene out the window. Then we’ll bring in a couple favorites to populate the space, then lay out a path and go from there. [Requires the Movie Studio extension]

‘Categorization’ is basically the equivalent of AutoCAD’s Layers … and is often a moving target. It is also manufacturer‐specific, so what you may find in one extension’s settings, you won’t necessarily find in another. Implemented most commonly in a viewport, this workshop unpacks the fundamentals to enable you to create what you know as ‘Layer States’ in AutoCAD or View Modes in your view ports/view clips.

Every Dealership approaches a project differently. I’ve also found that Install drawings needed for a project at Dealership A may be different than the Install drawings needed at Dealership B. This workshop takes what you may currently know about CET and offers some expansion upon that understanding. Using relevant bits from the other nine workshops, we use your Extension to build and edit several workstations, incorporating Blocks, Favorites, Part Tagging as well as generating different categorized views in Paper
View. Cost for this session is $2,730 (14 hours @ $225/hour).

You can customize your Ribbon in AutoCAD … and you can customize your 2D and 3D toolbars in CET! Choose which tools are displayed, add other ones, then you can create a ‘Work Group’ to toggle between custom arrangements. The Custom Tools toolbar may also be something you would want to consider. And although my Level I training covered how to edit your Extension tabs using the Configurator, we’ll go back over that, too.

Taller, wider, more shelves, add a leg, ad infinitum. And although I can’t cover all scenarios, I can introduce you to (most of) the tools in Edit Graphics (Meshes), and Edit Graphics (Symbols). There’s still more for me to learn, but I can show you everything I know, and I’m finding that’s what most of my Designers simply need. We will include smart‐parts from your MFG Extension, as well as from ProjectSymbols

Materials, Lighting, and Visual Styles

Why take a drawing into SketchUp when you have immensely more power in AutoCAD? This 7-hour session will get you looking at AutoCAD in a whole new light. We cover the creating and editing of 3D Surfaces and 3D Solids, applying materials, positioning lights, and how to create your own visual style.

AutoCAD 3D Review for Designers Table of Contents (PDF)

This 7-hour training includes the Autodesk University® 2013 award-winning customizing exercises. You create a custom Panel on the Ribbon and also see how to add the same command to the Quick Access Toolbar. Editing hot keys, how to create a one-line lisp, and how to edit the ACAD.PGP file are also here. Even customizing of Rollover Tips and the content of Quick Properties! In addition to some quality time in the Customize User Interface [CUI], ‘Gold Star’ tips are also presented along the way.

Customizing AutoCAD Table of Contents (PDF)

From the Facility Planners in Manila, to steel mills in Tennessee, to an island in the Caribbean, I’ve presented AutoCAD fundamentals to thousands over the last 30 years. Whatever your application, knowing the basics will vastly improve your productivity. Although typically recommended for at least two days (the fundamentals training for Chevron in Angola, Africa was two weeks!), I’m flexible! Always presented using your drawings or projects, whatever you can make time for, it will be time well spent.

AutoCAD Essentials Table of Contents (PDF)

Over the last several years, dozens of your peers have already partaken of my 7-hour, Revit for Dealership Designers onsite, hands-on seminar. Covering the fundamentals of when you first launch Revit, through importing Families, at the end of this session, you will feel much more confident in navigating through and speaking about this forceful software in our industry.

Revit Fundamentals for Dealership Table of Contents (PDF)

When I sorted through the hundreds of topics in the Index of my book – The AutoCAD Workbench, Final Edition – I came up with seven “Must-Know” concepts from each of the six chapters of the book. For those of you wanting to ‘know-what-you-should-know’ if you’re a Designer at a contract furniture dealership – or in any discipline requiring fundamental AutoCAD skills – take a look at my list of the 42 topics I consider ‘Must Know’ concepts and features everyone should know if they’re using AutoCAD in a production environment.

42 Must Know Concepts in AutoCAD (PDF)

My 2020 Worksheet training is a 4-hour session and is equally helpful for Sales & PMs, as well as Designers.

20-20 Worksheet Short Table of Contents (PDF)

The training is a 4-hour review of this powerful rendering software. If you’re interested in more information, please let me know!

Visual Impression Review Table of Contents (PDF)