IFC and the Tower of Babel
Quaint, sad, and yet hopefully. The first IFC promotional video from 1994. A big thanks to Stephen Hamil for finding this and sharing it on Youtube. I have a feeling I'll be talking a lot more about IFC and OpenBIM
Ownership of the BIM Model
What do fluffy kittens and vile blog posts trashing software have in common? Their hatred for the phrase BIM model. In days past, those of us using ArchiCAD or Revit didn't talk about BIM. We just worked in a superior way
Mac Application Switcher + ArchiCAD
I just started using Command-Tab to pull up the Mac Application Switcher. I've accidentally used it before, but never intentionally. It's AWESOME for quickly switching between multiple ArchiCAD files. Which happens to be something I'm doing a lot of right
ArchiCAD 16 Hotfix #2 released
ArchiCAD 16 Hotfix-2 package (build 3270) was released today. You can read about all the details and download the hotfix (if your ArchiCAD isn't set to automatically notify you) here. I know this hotfix solves an OpenGL anti-aliasing issue with
The Sound of Doom, Reflections, and What’s Next
I figured out how to easily change the tag-line on the website. One more thing to experiment with. The Sound of Doom Stippling. If you've heard me talk about being an architect in the 21st century, then I've probably referenced this. I've
What’s your Horrible BIM blog name?
Rebranding and Evolution I've been spending a lot of time working on what's next with my career, my company and my writing. This year has been one of upheaval, risk, and experimentation. Remember the last two weeks? I think next week
More lessons from children’s TV
Don't talk about the brontosaurus in a room full of dinosaur lovers The other day on Sesame Street they did a segment on dinosaurs. They mentioned a brontosaurus. Dinosaur Train would never mention a brontosaurus. Why? Because it's not a real
Two models for ArchiCAD vs Revit
I don't know why the two software packages are on my mind so much recently. Probably because of recent stories about people being scared or bullied into using a particular software, municipalities requiring a proprietary file type, clients demanding deliverablesÂ
The beast with 1,000 heads
This week's posts definitely have a theme: ArchiCAD vs. Revit. I hope to keep it above board. I've no interest in really trashing a program I don' know or getting Reviteers to jump ship. I just want to raise awareness for
My first overtly ArchiCAD vs Revit Post, sort of.
I'm trying some new things on the blog, now that I have more time and more outlets for writing about ArchiCAD. So just like last week, I'm trying for 5 posts in 5 days. And to have them all within
THIS is how Architecture and Jazz relate.
There are a few things that really get my blood boiling. This for instance. Here's another: People talking about how Architecture is like Jazz enrages me. I HATE when people make this comparison. I want to ask, okay so you say architecture
OpenBIM and IFC? Listen to Bond Bryan Architects
You shouldn't be allowed to use the acronym BIM if you can't collaborate. That's just one of the many awesome BIM and IFC related tweets you'll get if you follow Bond Bryan Architects on Twitter. I've been following them for awhile
Michael Graves and the Cult of the Pencil
So this Michael Graves New York Times opinion article has been making the rounds. I would like to state here that his argument is BULLSHIT. We should all be up in arms that this is how our profession is being represented
Nemetschek and CABR Technology Sign Strategic Partnership
Munich/Beijing September 4, 2012 — Nemetschek AG (ISIN 0006452907), worldwide leading developer of award-winning BIM software solutions for the Architecture, Engineering and Construction Industry (AEC) and CABR Technology Co., Ltd, leading enterprise of the construction industry software, signed a strategic
BIMx & The Porsche Design Tower Webinar
So you've all read my BIMx article on ArchDaily by now, right? Here's a link in case you haven't (or if you just want to reread it). Now that you've done that, you're ready to learn some more and see
A lot safer, a lot more secure…
Over the past week you might have noticed some strangeness on the blog. Especially if you visited on Monday or tried to share some posts on Facebook, LinkedIN, etc. Let me assure you, I haven't changed the blog to start
AIA Minnesota Homes by Architects, 5 out 16 ain’t bad
Every year I like to count the number of houses on the AIA Minnesota Homes by Architects tour that were designed in ArchiCAD. This year my back of the envelope calculation says 5 out of 16. That's essentially 1/3. Not
Advice from one of my ArchiCAD Heroes
Remember my recent ArchiCAD Heroes post? In it, I mentioned my five favorite posters on the ArchiCAD-Talk Forum. If you haven't taken the time to start searching out their posts and learning from their experience, that's okay. In time I
Comment on the AIA BIM and Related Digital Practice Documents
This is important. Find time in the next few weeks (before September 24th, 2012) to download and comment on the updated AIA BIM and Related Digital Practice Documents. If you're using BIM, or thinking about it, then these changes are
Finith Jernigan, Awards, and an Original Goal of the Blog
Finith Jernigan's latest book, Makers of the Environments recently won a Global Ebook Award. That's great. Congratulations Finith! Very much deserved. Read more about the award here. Finith's writing and the Origins of Shoegnome Back when I started Shoegnome (now almost 2
And the To Do List gets smaller… Shoegnome on ArchDaily
When I quit my day job in February, I started living off To-Do lists. Some items were minor: go to Target, do the laundry, e-mail the neighbors. Most where things related to my daily work life: write two blog posts,
BIM for Small Projects – AIA Minnesota Continuing Education Lecture
Wednesday, September 12, 2012, 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM International Market Square 275 Market Street, Suite 512, Minneapolis, 55405 Continuing education AIA. This program meets the AIA/CES criteria and qualifies for 1.5 LU hours of continuing education credit. IDP. This program qualifies as 1.5 IDP
One reason why your PDFs might be Huge
The difference between the 2 PDFs in this image? One fill Left without vectorial fill = 12 KB. Right with vectorial fill = 1.6 MB. This is one of those semi-secrets of ArchiCAD. 3D is better than 2D. We all know that.
ArchiCAD Heroes
Shoegnome would never have existed if I wasn't such a huge fan of Onland.info. I've gushed over James Murray's blog before. He stopped updating his site about the time I started writing mine, so I feel a responsibility to carry
Boston ArchiCAD User Group… come see how Shoegnome runs a meeting
Boston Area ArchiCAD User Group Date: Tuesday August 14, 2012 | 6:00 PM — 7:30 PM | Location: designLABÂ architects 35 Channel Center Street, Suite 103 Boston, MA 02110 RSVP HERE Clear your schedule Join us for the second (and final) user group meeting of the summer here in Boston,