blog.cadalyst.comCADspeed: Optimize Your Hardware for CAD Applications

img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=157406051691882ev=PageViewnoscript=1"Contact Us Building Toward BIM, Part 3 Posted by cadhardware Mar 21, 2016 2:34:20 PM Tweet Small architectural firm triples in size and increases profits thanks to the efficiencies of its new building information modeling workflow. By Cameron Kruger, ArcWest Architects Editor’s note: This post is part of a series sponsored by Autodesk, highlighting how Autodesk® Revit LT is improving the design workflow and overall success of small architectural firms. Click here to view the full series as well as other Revit-related blog content. Walking into the office these days, I know things are going to be more streamlined than we’re used to. Dropping off my lunch, powering up the computer, and taking a moment to make a carafe of coffee, there is no rush to get started. We no longer feel behind. There is no need to refuse valuable projects or inflate our fees. I have time to respond to the plethora of email that magically appears overnight, and even to squeeze in a project like writing this blog series! Read More Topics: Autodesk , AutoCAD , Revit , Building Information Modeling , 3D , CAD Software , CAD , Visualization Building Toward BIM, Part 2 Posted by cadhardware Mar 14, 2016 2:07:00 PM Tweet A small firm’s transition from AutoCAD to Autodesk Revit LT wasn’t a piece of cake — but it has paid big dividends. By Cameron Kruger, ArcWest Architects Editor’s note: This post is part of a series sponsored by Autodesk, highlighting how Autodesk® Revit LT is improving the design workflow and overall success of small architectural firms. Click here to view the full series as well as other Revit-related blog content. How does a small architectural firm update a design workflow that has been established for nearly a decade? How does a small firm keep up with the changing standards and increasing demands of the AEC industry? Those were the tasks ahead for our firm, ArcWest Architects , and Autodesk® Revit LT was our answer. Armed with rented software, an enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff, and an existing workflow not much different than the one we would be adopting, our firm set out on what we thought would be a daunting task but in reality became a small but advantageous challenge. Read More Topics: Autodesk , AutoCAD , Revit , Building Information Modeling , 3D , CAD Software , CAD , Visualization Building Toward BIM, Part 1 Posted by cadhardware Mar 8, 2016 1:51:08 PM Tweet A small architectural firm shores up business with a move to Revit LT. By Cameron Kruger, ArcWest Architects Editor’s note: This post is part of a series sponsored by Autodesk, highlighting how Autodesk® Revit LT is improving the design workflow and overall success of small architectural firms. Walking down the streets of Denver, peeking past the small gaps in the covered chain link fence of a construction site, you can’t help but notice a sense of vitality in the hard concrete surfaces and piles of bent steel around the unfinished building. Life has yet to begin in this building, but you seem so aware of the energy the building was designed to project. I was walking toward the building when it hit me: The energy is coming from the thin sheet of vinyl wrapping the chain link fence, which reads, Future home of. …” Above the text, an image shows a building yet to exist, a 3D rendering produced through a computer program that gives life to this area even before the occupants arrive. Read More Topics: Autodesk , AutoCAD , Revit , Building Information Modeling , 3D , CAD Software , CAD , Visualization Webinar: SOLIDWORKS 2016, Realistic 3D Without Compromise Posted by cadhardware Jan 12, 2016 12:53:50 PM Tweet Optimize your CAD workstation for SolidWorks 2016 — see the difference and experience the power! Thursday, January 21 • 2 p.m. ET WATCH THE RECORDED WEBINAR SOLIDWORKS 2016 brings a new user interface, new tools and new design workflow enhancements — features you can take to the next level with the right workstation hardware! Read More Topics: Workstations , SolidWorks , Hardware , 3D , Graphics Cards Webinar: CAD Power + Mobility — You CAN Have It All Posted by cadhardware Dec 10, 2015 2:56:38 PM Tweet Can a mobile workstation really deliver the performance CAD users need? Read More Topics: Workstations , Mobile Workstations , Laptops Server-Hosted Workstations for CAD, Part 4: Economic Analysis Posted by cadhardware Sep 28, 2015 11:00:00 AM Tweet www.intel.com Sponsored by Intel Do GVT-hosted workstations make financial sense for your company? By Robert Green In the first three installments of Server-Hosted Workstations for CAD we talked about the technical aspects of running CAD applications on server-hosted workstations built on Intel Graphics Virtualization Technology (GVT). If you’ve decided that server-hosted workstations are a good technical fit for your company, then it is time to perform an economic analysis to see if you can achieve a positive return on investment (ROI). In this final installment of our series on GVT solutions we provide guidelines for you to perform your calculations. Read More Topics: Workstations , Hardware , Intel , CAD , Integrated Graphics Server-Hosted Workstations for CAD, Part 3: CAD Application Certification and Network Specifics Posted by cadhardware Sep 21, 2015 11:00:00 AM Tweet www.intel.com Sponsored by Intel How do you know your CAD tools will work on GVT-hosted workstations? By Robert Green In the first two installments of Server-Hosted Workstations for CAD we introduced the concept of using Intel Graphics Virtualization Technology (GVT) to move workstations to a data center-hosted environment and how users would perceive using a hosted workstation in your company’s network topology. To continue examining how GVT would work in your company’s environment, you need to know what CAD applications are certified to operate on Intel GVT workstations, plus let IT staff know how to prepare your network. Given these final metrics, everyone in your IT/CAD team should have a solid idea of what hosted workstations could mean for your business. Read More Topics: Workstations , Hardware , Intel , CAD , Integrated Graphics Server-Hosted Workstations for CAD, Part 2: User Reaction and IT Planning Posted by cadhardware Sep 14, 2015 11:00:00 AM Tweet www.intel.com Sponsored by Intel What is Intel GVT, and how can it help speed up the design process? By Robert Green In the first installment of Server-Hosted Workstations for CAD we introduced the concept of using Intel Graphics Virtualization Technology (GVT) combined with Citrix XenDesktop and HDX 3D Pro software to virtualize CAD applications to remote users from servers in your data center. To explore GVT solutions for your company, you must complete several phases of investigation and discovery — with user experience and perception of the remote workstation as a high priority. User perception is key to making any changes in your computing environment, so in this part of our series we’ll focus on the core issues surrounding user interaction with and response to workstation virtualization. Read More Topics: Workstations , Hardware , Intel , CAD , Integrated Graphics Server-Hosted Workstations for CAD, Part 1: Introduction Posted by cadhardware Sep 8, 2015 11:00:00 AM Tweet www.intel.com Sponsored by Intel What is Intel GVT, and how can it help speed up the design process? By Robert Green Our day-to-day workstation power problems are common: CAD users work in branch offices all over the country (or world), slow WANs make sharing CAD files difficult, workstations with widely varying equipment specifications slow design work, graphics drivers act cranky, and all of our work must be backed up and secure. If you’re a CAD manager or IT administrator you’ve likely wrestled with most of these issues at some point. Server-hosted workstations — built on Intel Graphics Virtualization Technology (GVT) and...