The Future of Making Things Event in Los Angeles - That's a Wrap!

Last week I attended the Future of Making Things Event in Los Angeles, hosted by KETIV and Autodesk.

Why?  I was supposed to be there!  But more importantly, I was excited to be there.  I was more excited than I've been in a while.  The concept of the Future of Making Things is something I not only find appealing, but invigorating.

First of all, the event was held at the California Science Center.  Just the location was enough to make me want to start building something!

In the parking lot was a Lockheed A-12.  What a way to be greeted!

The Lockheed A-12.  It looks fast just sitting there. 

But I was here for the Future of Making Things event, so in I went though the museum lobby past the T-38 Talon and F-20 Tigershark and into the event.

I can actually tell you which is a T-38 and which is a F-20 from here. 

After meeting and greeting everyone, and naturally getting coffee, it was time for the presentations to start!

Andrew Anagnost kicked things off with his presentation.  The information was flowing.  But one simple statement made me take a moment of pause.

Five years ago, nobody owned an iPad. 

Wow.  I had to think about that.  iPads are commonplace now, I've used it to store recipes, there are videos of  pets playing games on them!

Many of us have seen an iPad replacing a cash register, or seen it used to take notes in lieu of pen and paper.  Regulatory agencies like the FAA are placing their regulatory books, many of which are hundreds of pages long, online in a downloadable formats!

This Advisory Circular from the FAA can now be contained on an iPad, along with a myriad of other books.
Image from Marv Golden Pilot Supplies

And much of that change has come within the last decade!

But there's even more.

Andrew spoke about a 20 story building in China that was assembled on site in fifteen days.   How?  It wasn't built onsite.  The building was modular, with major components assembled offsite, then assembled onsite.

An entire 30 story building, in fifteen days!



Naturally 3D printing was a topic for discussion as well.  It's pretty well known that 3D printers are becoming more and more common.  Autodesk has their own version called Spark.

But did you also know that the 3D printing of metals is another frontier being developed?  A 3D printed heat sink was shown, purely designed and optimized by computer and printed in metal on a 3D printer.  By using these methods, they were able to create geometries never before imagined!

A heat sink designed by computer, and 3D printed in metal. 

The presentation moved on to connected devices.  Imagine a world where cars can talk to the infrastructure they're driving on.  Imagine traffic signals adjusted to traffic realtime.  How?  The cars themselves report it.

Andrew used the Skully motorcycle helmet as an another example.  Imagine a bluetooth enabled, fully connected motorcycle helmet with a review camera and a heads up display.  Ten years ago, this was the realm of the fighter pilot, now it's a device used to make motorcycle riders more connected and safer than before.



It was said "We are living in a connected world".  No doubt of that now!

Next, came the CAD demonstrations, Jorge Fernandez and Jeff Brown showed how data from different CAD vendors, obtained through this connected world can be tracked in Autodesk Vault, brought into Inventor, and edited and modified.

They demonstrated how legacy data, the knowledge built of experience,and captured in AutoCAD 2D could be brought into Inventor and reused via DWG Underlay.



Then they tested the data in Nastran In-CAD to validate the design.

Specifically they tested the part in fatigue.  After all, it's one thing to be strong enough once, it's another thing to be strong for hundreds of thousands, or even millions of cycles!

All of these tools that used to be exclusive to the specialist are now becoming easier to use and more available.  Now they're not limited to the select few of trained individuals, but available to more and more designers, so they can interact with the specialist more effectively.

The data is then returned to Autodesk Vault for safekeeping, and can also be distributed via A360 through connected devices to far flung places in the world for their consumption.

It's a web that's ever expanding, and becoming more powerful than the sum of its individual pieces.

Then after seeing all that awesome technology, the event wrapped up.  After saying my goodbyes to some great people, I was lucky enough to visit the Space Shuttle Endeavour, and gain some inspiration from the giants of design who have gone before me.

The future of making things is certainly here, and I think we're all fortunate to be able to be a part of it.

Endeavour on display.

This engine was once part of the Future of Making Things.
The Torch has been passed on now. 

Living the Future of Making, and Learning Things

About two years ago, I decided to return to school in the evenings and began taking Aircraft Maintenance Classes at Mount San Antonio College.

The practical, hands on nature is at times stressful and frustration, but most of all, inspiring and rewarding.

I realized that I miss having "dirty hands".  It's also teaching me to be a better designer.  After installing mounting bolts purely by feel, I look at Inventor 3D models in a renewed light of practicality.

The best way to learn how a jet engine's fan is assembled?
Take a wrench and take one apart!

  

It's been nearly 20 years since I've taken classes that contain a heavy theory component, in addition to labs.  I'm amazed that in many ways, college hasn't changed.  But moreover, I'm impressed at how much has truly changed. 

The Internet.  AKA the "cloud" has found away to change how I'm learning with a device nearly all of us carry around now. 

A connected smart device.

The new window to learning.

My homework is no longer written out in long hours spent at a desk.  I keep them safe and sound with Google Docs.  I can even have them archived for years to come!

My homework, online in the cloud instead of on paper. 

I've sat on a patio enjoying lunch, and thought, why don't I answer a couple of homework questions?  

No looking for a book, no wishing I had brought a pen.  I just pull out my smart phone, and start working. 

When I wanted to get more practice building and understanding electric circuits, I was able to find a cloud based simulator that allowed me to build circuits at test them even when I don't have access to the lab with it's physical simulators.

The physical electric circuit simulator with a digital multimeter on top.

I showed it to a few of my fellow students, and I was met with various forms of the phrase "Where did you find that?!?"

Relay Activated Transistor switch - EveryCircuit

Cloud based applications, and connected devices are giving me a competitive advantage in improving myself.  Most of all, it's doing it right now, in my every day life. 

It left me realizing one thing.  The Future of Making Things may not be revolutionary.  It's happening every day, all around us.

It's not necessarily about making things.  It's about how we interact with the information we use to make things.

It's not a revolution.   It's an evolution.  

And it's not the future.  It's here, now, in an evolving information age.. 

I bet your using it, and don't even know it! 

Remove Unwanted AutoCAD Links when importing into Autodesk Vault

One of the biggest challenges when trying to get data loaded into Autodesk Vault are dealing with missing links.

They can't be loaded into Vault while broken, and resolving them can be difficult when the associated files may have been long lost to antiquity. 

One thing I see a lot of, is the notorious "lost logo image".  These are images linked into a drawing, many times these are nothing more than image files representing the logo for a company. 

I've seen many, many times! 

They were linked into these drawings at some point, but during some part of their lives, the original image files were lost.  The links were never repaired, because it wasn't a big issue before Vault came along.

In my example, I've created several AutoCAD files representing that exact condition.  Company logos that have been lost.  

If you try to push them through Autoloader stands in the path and like Gandalf the Gray shouts "You shall not pass!".  

Broken links  We never want to see these in Autoloader, but often do. 

You can't push them in through Autoloader, so now you're now stuck.  Fixing the files manually can be a daunting task.  So what options are there? 

I have one trick I can offer, and while far from an all encompassing solution, it can ease the pain a bit if you have a lot of AutoCAD files that have the "linked logo" problem. 

First, it's very important that the files meet the following criteria. 

The only link that exists in the file, is the link you want removed.  

That's it, the biggest consideration. But it's a doozy.  The method I'm about to show you will break every single link your file has.  That includes external references in AutoCAD as well as Inventor parts, assemblies, drawings, and presentations.

So make sure the links in the files are links you want broken! 

I'm going to show you how to do something Vault tries very hard to talk you out of.  But if you're crazy enough to try it, it's crazy enough to work. 

So here it goes. 

Log in as the Vault Administrator. Go to the Tools>Administration>Vault Settings, and on the Files tab, uncheck "Disable Check In of Design Files".  

Time t work without a net! 

You've just turned off the safety switch!  This allows you to drag and drop files into Vault.  

But now, take the files with the unwanted links, and drag them into a Vault folder. 

Dragging the files into Vault

The standard Vault Check In dialog box appears.  Enter a comment, and adjust any settings you want, and hit OK. 

The standard check in dialog box.

A warning appears advising you that any depending relationships, meaning file links, will be lost.  But the only links here, are one's we need to get rid of.   

Now the warning that links will be lost.  This time, this is what we're after. 

So shave your head, put on your best accent, and say, "Engage". 

The files will checked in.  In the meantime, Vault will be stripping away the links to the unwanted images. 

The files are getting checked in. 

Once the files are checked in, the "Used" functionality can be used to show that the links are all gone. 

Now, before you do anything else, turn the Disable Check In of Design Files back on! You don't want just anyone trying this, that is unless you want herd of files with broken links roaming free in your Vault! 

In this case, this functionality becomes a filter that cleans out the unwanted links, and while it may not be something that can be used when links you want to keep do exist, it can still help get important files into Vault.  

So keep this in mind when you need to add some files into Vault.  The next time there are a bunch of files with "lost logos", you can be the CAD guy who says "I know a trick..." 

Learning Electricity with EveryCircuit - The Future of Making Things

A few days ago I posted about how I'm taking a class in electricity at Mount San Antonio College as part of my slow journey through the aircraft maintenance program.

After two weeks, it's been a challenge, but it's also been very rewarding as I've studied and applied my knowledge both in the classroom, and in the lab.

The physical simulator in the lab.  It's a great learning tool, but it's not very mobile.

Part my goal in getting as much as I can out of the class was looking for tool to help me study and learn circuits.  I really only wanted to meet three goals. 

I wanted it to:

1. Be mobile.
2. Be able to run simulations.
3. Be inexpensive.

The first place I started looking was at mobile apps.  I didn't think I would get all three of my bullets.  That was my best hope of meeting as many of my requirements as possible. 

It took me only a few minutes to find an app called EveryCircuit, and it hit all three bullets. 

It runs on Android and Apple devices, as well as in the Chrome browser, so I could have it anywhere I had one of my mobile devices.

Practice Relay Circuit - EveryCircuit

A relay circuit I created in EveryCircuit.
Much more mobile the physical simulator! 

It has functions I could use to "quiz" myself., I can place voltmeters, ammeters, and ohmmeters into my circuits, mimicking functions I'm required to perform in class.

It also has a community where I can get additional circuits that I can use as tools to make myself better.

And all at the price of 1 U.S. Dollar per month.  A year can be purchased for 10 U.S. Dollars.  I've spent more on lattes in a week!

I haven't finished the trial period yet, but I'll be making a purchase.  It's already helped me immensely, and I can see where it will keep helping me.

If you design electric circuits, I'd suggest taking a look at this program too.

So here it is.  The Future of Making Things taking a hand in my life.

And why?  Just look at the connectivity coupled with mobility.

The app is accessible on my mobile devices.  I can also save circuits to the cloud, and access my circuits on any one of my devices.  With the Chrome extension, I can even get to my circuits on any computer that has Chrome.

Think of it as Gmail for circuits!

It's data shared via the cloud.   It's shared between devices, and it can be shared in a community at large.  It's increasing the accessibility to information.

An example of some of the circuits shared by the community.
There are examples from all over the world!

And this is just one portion of the Future of Making Things.

And speaking of that, I'll be attending the  Future of Making Things Roadshow at the Los Angeles Science Center with a new perspective, and excitement, based on my experience with EveryCircuit's capabilities.

I'd encourage all of you out there to seek out events in your area, and attend them if your able.  If you can't, keep an eye out on how mobility, and accessibility is changing how we make things now.

To quote William Shakespeare, "What's past is prologue, what to come, in yours and my discharge".

Expanding My Comfort Zone by Facing My Old Foe - Electric Circuits

This post is a little different from my usual posts. It's not about software, it's about a lesson I learned that to my surprise, applies to my software world.

It's about how I had to revisit an old nemesis of mine.  The Professor Moriarty to my Sherlock Holmes....  The Joker to my Batman....

The name of that nemesis is "Electric Circuits".

Circuits.... My old adversary... We meet again.

When I was earning my engineering degree way back during the last century (the 1990s to be specific), I was required to take a class in electric circuits.

I passed it adequately. If my memory is good, I think I got a B.  But I hated that class.  I remember complaining and grumbling through the whole class.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I often said "I don't do electricity", or "I don't want to be an electrical engineer".

I think I still owe an apology and a strong drink to my lab partners in that class for putting up with me!

To my lab partners.  I owe you a few of these! 

In the last few years, I've felt the compulsion to return to the technical, "hands on" side of my profession.  To put my mouse down and pursue a passion to get my hands dirty again.

This desire has manifested in the form of taking aircraft maintenance classes at the local community college.  And the experience has been rewarding.  It's made me a better designer, and has re-stoked my passion for my trade.

But this summer, I've faced against my old nemesis again.

I'm currently taking a course in electric circuits.

The relay...  I remember you...

I started out nervous and intimidated.  I thought about taking the summer off and taking the class later.

But eventually, I found myself sitting in class with my notebook and calculator at the ready, repeating "I think I can" over and over again.

I told myself not to let electric circuits intimidate me.

I will not be cowed by this electrified panel of "nope"!

As class started, I came to realize that it isn't so bad.  Naturally, there are challenges as I relearn amperage is constant and voltage varies in a series circuit, while conversely, voltage is constant and amperage varies in a parallel circuit.

And then there are series-parallel circuits that are combinations of both circuits that must be simplified into their basic components before you can completely solve them.

It hasn't been a walk in the metaphorical park though.  I've cursed myself for making basic mistakes in arithmetic.  But instead  of grumbling about how I'm not "an electrical guy", I've stuck it out and told myself "take your time and step through the circuit".  I've built relay circuits doesn't of times in the lab, using that repetition to understand what the circuit is doing.

And what did I find happened?  I started to understanding it!  I started looking at a circuit, and building it up on the simulator, and it made sense!

After that particular class session, I came home at 11PM, and sat down for a moment to wind down.  I felt energized. I was learning circuits! I was understanding circuits!  I could even explain a basic circuit to someone else.

I was befriending my nemesis!

There's a circuit breaker, and relay integrated in this circuit.
And they all worked to turn on the blue light! 

And now I'm actually looking forward to going back to class!

I had to asked myself, "Why was this so hard back when I was in college?  What changed?"

The only answer I could come up with was "I changed".

But what changed?  I'm two decades older.  I've gained a few pounds.  I've lost more than a few hairs.  Naturally, I'm also wiser and more mature.

That begs another question, "So what?"  What does this lesson that I've learned matter to the world at large?

Time and time again, I've seen this reflected in the extended technological world.  That user who stubbornly sticks to old software like a drowning man clinging to his suitcase full of his worldly possessions.  The engineering manager who proudly proclaims, "I'm not going to change what has worked since I was a designer!"  Or that CAD Manager who says "I looked at that technology five years ago.  I didn't like it then, I don't need to look at it now!"

Upgrade?  But I upgraded in 1986?!?!?

Are these users wrong?  Perhaps. Perhaps not.

It's not about making changes.  Change isn't always a good thing.  But staying safe and sound with the known can be just as costly reaching to far and coming up short.

It's about being willing to make the right changes.

Technology is changing fast.  The best of us have to aspire to be open to it, look at it positively and objectively.  We shouldn't embrace it blindly, but we also shouldn't shun it because "that's not important right now".

The Future of Making Things is like a wave.  Learn to ride it, and it will carry you far.

Step one?  Just be open to what the future has to offer.

Photo Credits:

photo credit: Opening Day 2007 - Astros via photopin (license)

photo credit: Geography Department, 1986 via photopin (license)