Lynn Allen's Blog

Autodesk University Virtual!

With the economy in a slump, it seems tougher than ever to convince upper management that you need to go to Autodesk University in Las Vegas!  Kudos to those of you who are able to attend the live event, but we don't want the rest of you Autodesk product users to miss out!  Why not attend Autodesk University Virtual (AUv)?

For starters...there is no charge.  (Free - don't we all love free?)

You'll get a chance to enjoy the AU Mainstage presentations, the popular Design Slam, the Industry Mainstages, the exhibit hall, etc.  You get to experience AU without ever leaving your desk!

When?  December 1-4 and for more information - watch my video covering all of the ins and outs of Autodesk University Virtual.

If you'd like to participate in some of the 50+ technical classes that will be streamed live, you can sign up for the AUv Premium Pass.  There's a charge for the Premium Pass (but it's only US$99).

Good news - if you are a Subscription customer - you get a free Premier Pass anyway!  And if you are actually attending the live AU event in Las Vegas - you get 4 Premier Passes you can give away to your coworkers (or anyone of your choosing).  

Even the tightest of budgets can afford FREE- so sign up today!

 

The See the Difference with AutoCAD 2010 Tour has come to an end...

The See the Difference with AutoCAD 2010 tour is over and Shaan Hurley and I enjoyed a nice lunch with CADD Microsystemsafter our final presentation in Washington DC. Apparently one of CADD Microsystem's instructors, Daron Moore, won North American Instructor of the year (out of 1600 ATC instructors) and they had a life-size cardboard cut out of him at the luncheon (apparently he was busy).  Shaan and I got such a kick out of the cut-out we decided to have our picture taken with it (or should I say with "him"?).

 

Many moons ago, before joining Autodesk, I too won the Instructor of the year award (and there were much fewer instructors back then) so I can truly appreciate Daron's award.  Good work Daron!  Does that mean CADD Microsystems is going to give you a nice big raise now?
 

From Washington DC I was whisked off to Richmond, VA by fellow blogger Donnie Gladfelter.  There I presented to the Richmond AutoCAD Manifest user group (busy day!).  The evening was topped off by a great dinner with the RAM board of directors (I believe a good time was enjoyed by all).

While I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the tour - I am VERY much looking forward to being home for a couple of weeks and catching up on all those other projects that were pushed by the wayside as I traveled.

A great big thank you to all who came up and introduced themselves to me during the Tour and maybe we'll see you again next year. Hopefully you gained some great insight into AutoCAD 2010 and the AutoCAD family of products.

Remember that you can try AutoCAD 2010 for free for 30 days...(it's always nice to try it before you buy it!).

 

Last Week of the See the Difference with AutoCAD 2010 Tour and a Plug for Certification

Only one more AutoCAD 2010 presentation as part of the See the Difference Tour left in Washington DC.  In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month Shaan Hurley graciously wore a pink shirt as he spoke.  Way to go Shaan!

 

Believe it or not - that is his laptop and it's actually that large! 

Shaan spoke about the AutoCAD family of products such as AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Mechanical and AutoCAD MEP.  He also showed us a glimpse of AutoCAD 2.18 (amazing!).  How did we even use the product back then? 

I've enjoyed the tour but it hasn't left me much time to blog.  I promise to blog more in upcoming weeks as my travel schedule lightens up for awhile.

I met up with Autodesk Certification queen Barbara Bowen last night.  Have you ever thought about getting certified on the Autodesk product you use every day?  Certification is a great help when searching for a job - or might even lead to a higher salary in your current job!  For more info about Certification check it out HERE.
 

I'm off to catch my flight to Washington DC now!  Will blog later...
  
 
 

Columbus Day in Columbus (Ohio) and an AutoCAD Hip Tip on Easy Access to the Layer Drop-Down List

I've been demoing the new features in the AutoCAD 2010 User Interface quite a bit lately and it occurred to me that the Quick Access Toolbar would be the perfect place to harbor the Layer list for quick access (hence the name!).  The Quick Access Toolbar is always on the screen and super easy to get to.  I don't want to have to go to the Home tab on the ribbon every time I need to switch layers - I want that drop-down list at my fingertips!  (I've also heard other people mutter about this added inconvenience).

It is super easy to put the layer list on the Quick Access toolbar.  Here are the steps.

1.  Right click on the Layer drop-down list and select Add to Quick Access Toolbar

2.  Enjoy your new easy to access tool!

3. Look...I don't know how much easier that can get!  Give it a go if you are on AutoCAD 2009 or 2010 and you'll always have your layers at your fingertips!

I'm enjoying Columbus Day in Columbus!  Week 2 of the AutoCAD 2010 See the Difference Tour is just starting.  Shaan and I are going to wear pink this week in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month - I'll definitely send pictures!d

 

The See The Difference Tour has Begun (and some AutoCAD Video Tips!)

For those of you who are just after tips - be sure to check out my latest Video Tips on the AutoCAD Exchange:

 

Shaan Hurley and I have been on the road all week with the See the Difference with AutoCAD 2010 Tour!  It has been great working with these audiences filled with AutoCAD users and showing them the latest Tips and Techniques for AutoCAD 2010!  Shaan, as usual, has taken plenty of great pictures including the ones displayed below.

So far we've hit three different cities:  Orlando, Atlanta and San Diego.  All great audiences - all gave us a wonderful reception.

Below is the crowd in Orlando (stop #1) and I'm the little person standing in the very front.

And Shaan took this picture of me scavenging for food in the Exhibit Area (San Diego).  Can I just say those were the best breakfast sandwiches I have EVER had?

I am really loving this opportunity to talk to so many AutoCAD users.  I seem to learn something new at each event - and I absolutely love that!

Next week we are off to Columbus, Montreal and Edmonton.  So this week was the sunny leg of the tour - next week I expect will be quite chilly!

Thank you all for the comments on the Trans Am...I still crack up when I see the car in the driveway (what was I thinking?).