Posts
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Saturday, April 09, 2011
Native Revit Foodservice Families: To Share or not to Share, That is the question
To share or not to share? Reminds me of the early days of Autocad and the integration of CAD based symbols for Foodservice Design. Or even before that when drafters hoarded plastic templates for manual layout. Those of us that are old enough in this industry remember that guy that had one of his large file drawers delegated for his angle finders, french curves (not just one of them but 12), and bazillion layout templates. He may have even had a lock on the drawer. The blades on his mechanical pencil sharpener were tungsten steel, the elbow rest had a picture of Eisenhower embroidered on it. Well... maybe not the last two.
Well it's the early days of the symbol roundup for Foodservice Revit Families. The brand, the Brand, the BRAND. What does that mean. Being brand based entities themselves, the manufacturers, the designers, the consultants, the dealers, (well maybe not so much the dealers), want to be recognized as unique and above the competitors. When a potential client views the 'object for sale' they say, "Wow, when Bardon Wassmith makes a widget you can tell it's theirs!" All fine and dandy until you set these objects together in a project and you find that the differences actually cause confusion, time, and money.
Polarized thinking defeats Progress
The industry has discovered over and over that its standardization that creates the headroom for expansion. Once innovators like FEDA, FCSI, KCLCadalog, and AutoQuotes set standards production boomed and the project document design process was shortened. You got to love it! However there is always the dichotomy of Brand Ego and Standardization that impeded that process.
Now we have Revit Foodservice Families. What's the difference? Well for one they take much longer to produce.
Well it's the early days of the symbol roundup for Foodservice Revit Families. The brand, the Brand, the BRAND. What does that mean. Being brand based entities themselves, the manufacturers, the designers, the consultants, the dealers, (well maybe not so much the dealers), want to be recognized as unique and above the competitors. When a potential client views the 'object for sale' they say, "Wow, when Bardon Wassmith makes a widget you can tell it's theirs!" All fine and dandy until you set these objects together in a project and you find that the differences actually cause confusion, time, and money.
Polarized thinking defeats Progress
The industry has discovered over and over that its standardization that creates the headroom for expansion. Once innovators like FEDA, FCSI, KCLCadalog, and AutoQuotes set standards production boomed and the project document design process was shortened. You got to love it! However there is always the dichotomy of Brand Ego and Standardization that impeded that process.
Now we have Revit Foodservice Families. What's the difference? Well for one they take much longer to produce.
They are like little databases that contain all the information about that object. They have 'DNA'. The manufacturers want to get these into the new wave of 3D development that has started to affect Healthcare, Government projects, and jobs by large contracting firms in the know about the pre-construction savings derived from Revit design.
This time the FCSI took the lead in forming a team that started out of the 2010 FCSI conference in Minneapolis. A task force was created to put together the standards for Revit Families in foodservice that produced a document later that year. Although it is a 'living' document subject to revision and acceptance by the design community it is a good one that focuses on the quality and consistency of Revit Family production.
So who are the innovators that have taken up the task of creating families for the industry. Not surprisingly they seem to have been spawned by the 2010 FCSI conference in Minneapolis. You have RevEquip, Turbosquid, BIM Builders, and KCLCadalog, to mention just a few. Are they in competition? You betcha. And are dancing to the tune of the same drummer? No. Which one is the best? You be the judge.
Next week.... Judging the Standards!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Un-Marketing: Scott Stratton
Here at FEDA listening to a presentation by Scott Stratton. This gentleman is non conformist, loud, un kept... But great listening/viewing. Social media is the topic and the message is "Awesome"! We've heard this message before. It's got to be cool, awesome, viral. Share the content that is cool. Blog, tweet, Facebook, Digg, but only when you have something to say. Don't just do it every Wednesday or weekly or monthly. Do it when you have something to say.
How about search engine optimization? Don't do it until you have something to show. Develop your product into something that gives your potential client value. No half filled product bins, no links to 'under construction'. Social Media is an amplifier that markets what you have. If you don't have anything then don't tweet about it or you'll be tweeting about what you don't have. Don't do it. Not until you have something to talk about. Always talk to the people that talk to you. Respond to your tweeters.
How about search engine optimization? Don't do it until you have something to show. Develop your product into something that gives your potential client value. No half filled product bins, no links to 'under construction'. Social Media is an amplifier that markets what you have. If you don't have anything then don't tweet about it or you'll be tweeting about what you don't have. Don't do it. Not until you have something to talk about. Always talk to the people that talk to you. Respond to your tweeters.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
It's Foodservice Paloosa at FEDA
Okay I guess I'm going to bite the bullet and make the big run down to Phoenix Arizona from March 30 to April 2 for the 92nd annual FEDA convention. It's really a food service Paloosa in the grandest fashion. You have all your largest food service equipment manufactures all at one place for the dealers to back slap, poke at, make jokes with, get drunk with, and a variety of other things we shouldn't even talk about. I'm really looking forward to it I think that FEDA is a great organization and it's been supporting food service in a very broad sense for design and standards.
My friend Rick Ellingson (of Bargreen Ellingson fame) was telling me about how the FEDA standards for Foodservice were developed. FEDA has always been in the forefront for setting design standards for our industry and it wouldn't surprize me that they would be working to set the standards for the newly emerging dealer Revit conversion. I will find out soon what they are up to at the conference in Phoenix.
And with that... Happy Reviting Reviteers!
My friend Rick Ellingson (of Bargreen Ellingson fame) was telling me about how the FEDA standards for Foodservice were developed. FEDA has always been in the forefront for setting design standards for our industry and it wouldn't surprize me that they would be working to set the standards for the newly emerging dealer Revit conversion. I will find out soon what they are up to at the conference in Phoenix.
And with that... Happy Reviting Reviteers!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Who Cares if I have Revit
The smell of the ammonia printers, the joy of updating elevations, sections, floorplans, titleblocks...
Yeah those were the glory days. A place for hand draftsmen too. 2D world was a place for the old guard of trimming, pasting, copying over, and tools like templates, french curves, mechanical pencils. Standing by the water cooler in the morning and talking about those new fangled CAD machines. Wow 2D on a black screen like the twilight zone.
Mastering dos...
Yeah I was there I have to admit it. I'm proud of it in fact. But I was one of those early CAD addicts that actually had 4 megs of RAM in my machine. I can't even remember what the first program I used was. Eventually early versions of AutoCAD. The first blush of parametrics I ran into was with a program called Autocad Designer. You started with a sketch, assigned global parameters. It was so slowwww.... Great concept by not yet ready for prime time.
However things started to pickup steam. Eventually the guy with the tri-square and sliderule retired to the Moose lodge leaving his legacy of D, E1, and E sized velum's for future archaeologists to discover faded and yellow.
Standards were set, software was developed, and the 2d world of electronic drafting flourished.
Who needs Revit? Bah... well off to the water cooler. :) No.... I better demo the new BIM addon for Revit Architecture 2011 instead. I'll pick up a latte later.
Yeah those were the glory days. A place for hand draftsmen too. 2D world was a place for the old guard of trimming, pasting, copying over, and tools like templates, french curves, mechanical pencils. Standing by the water cooler in the morning and talking about those new fangled CAD machines. Wow 2D on a black screen like the twilight zone.
Mastering dos...
Yeah I was there I have to admit it. I'm proud of it in fact. But I was one of those early CAD addicts that actually had 4 megs of RAM in my machine. I can't even remember what the first program I used was. Eventually early versions of AutoCAD. The first blush of parametrics I ran into was with a program called Autocad Designer. You started with a sketch, assigned global parameters. It was so slowwww.... Great concept by not yet ready for prime time.
However things started to pickup steam. Eventually the guy with the tri-square and sliderule retired to the Moose lodge leaving his legacy of D, E1, and E sized velum's for future archaeologists to discover faded and yellow.
Standards were set, software was developed, and the 2d world of electronic drafting flourished.
Who needs Revit? Bah... well off to the water cooler. :) No.... I better demo the new BIM addon for Revit Architecture 2011 instead. I'll pick up a latte later.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Nausea and Revit
I've always wondered about people that write about blogs. As they are blogging about blogs they put it on their blog or even as I speak I'm blogging about people that blog about blogs. Just think about it. What if somebody were to write something about me they would be blogging about people that blog about bloggers that blog about blogs and so on ad nauseaum. I remember the big universal mistake people made when they were talking about the Internet in the early days they said when we were all going to be interconnected and our heads were going to be joined at the top what a wonderful world it would be. We would be able to cure cancer and send three men to Mars but did that happen? It didn't. So anyway what it turned out to be is just a bunch of people who say anything that's on their mind just opening their mouths and whatever pours out of their tiny little brains goes on to the blogosphere or on the Internet or webpage or some personal social thing.
Well this blog is about Revit. Specifically about Revit and Foodservice. The latest thing there. Things are slow to change in the arena. I still remember the smell of ammonia from the copy machines from my first drafting jobs. The sound of the pens as they scrapped merrily along the pen plotters. Architects are also notoriously slow when it comes to change. It took their industry 15 years to do what the Aircraft and Automotive industry had been doing as soon as the technology was available.
Well this blog is about Revit. Specifically about Revit and Foodservice. The latest thing there. Things are slow to change in the arena. I still remember the smell of ammonia from the copy machines from my first drafting jobs. The sound of the pens as they scrapped merrily along the pen plotters. Architects are also notoriously slow when it comes to change. It took their industry 15 years to do what the Aircraft and Automotive industry had been doing as soon as the technology was available.
Revit Tools and Watermarks
GUID's and shared parameters files have always been a bit of a mystery to me. Downloaded the Revit Family Tools from CTC and it looks helpful. Have done some simple pasting and combining. Looks like it can be helpful. http://bit.ly/gkwVlQ
My Philippines crew has been asking about protection for Revit Families. Remember seeing something out there that would protect the file like a watermark. Can't remember where. Most of these products go for a pretty penny.
Producing a video a day using Camtasia Studio 7. Nice little app makes it easy to do demo's for potential clients.
My Philippines crew has been asking about protection for Revit Families. Remember seeing something out there that would protect the file like a watermark. Can't remember where. Most of these products go for a pretty penny.
Producing a video a day using Camtasia Studio 7. Nice little app makes it easy to do demo's for potential clients.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
The Gadget Guy Meets Logger Jim
As I'm typing this I'm surrounded by 16 track Mackie mixer, Crown amps, Motu, Ipad, Droid, Jabra (charging), and Tom Tom (downloading content). What can I say? I'm a gadget guy. I'm notified, tethered, and GPS'd sitting in my home made DJ Man Cave. Laptop on the TV hooked into Hulu, Comcast, Netflix, Facebook, and Youtube. Oh yes, theres my family that walks by off and on. The dogs look for attention.
I've had people tell me that I'm crazy to flap my ass out here like this. The 'others' will break through my security, steal my identity, and become Dennis Martinez. I think I have more of a chance being beaten up at a Starbucks. Last week I was pulling up to my favorite Starbucks before work. Two other Starbuckians (is that a word?) are turning in from other directions. Ha! I step on it and cut into the lane crooked. A woman pulls up next to me and starts yelling at me through her window. I have my music up so all I can see is this irate woman cussing (i think). I must have taken her spot. She flips me off, I flip her off, I put my thumbs in my ears and wiggle my fingers while wagging my tongue at her. A week passes by and after I've pulled out of the pass through window at Starbucks I see someone has parked in the exit lane with a truck. Some Neanderthal with a checkered logger shirt comes up to my window and says, "Remember that woman that you wagged your tongue at last week?" I looked at him with a vacant look. "Well that woman was my wife you asshole! Come on get out of the car I'm going to kick your ass!" No way am I going to tussle with some logger dude out in from of Starbucks. I hit the gas and make it through the small space behind his truck.
My point is: You're more likely to have some kind of problems with someone road raging you, breaking into your house, dog biting you, than someone pilfering your identity online.
Just sayin.....
D-Ray
I've had people tell me that I'm crazy to flap my ass out here like this. The 'others' will break through my security, steal my identity, and become Dennis Martinez. I think I have more of a chance being beaten up at a Starbucks. Last week I was pulling up to my favorite Starbucks before work. Two other Starbuckians (is that a word?) are turning in from other directions. Ha! I step on it and cut into the lane crooked. A woman pulls up next to me and starts yelling at me through her window. I have my music up so all I can see is this irate woman cussing (i think). I must have taken her spot. She flips me off, I flip her off, I put my thumbs in my ears and wiggle my fingers while wagging my tongue at her. A week passes by and after I've pulled out of the pass through window at Starbucks I see someone has parked in the exit lane with a truck. Some Neanderthal with a checkered logger shirt comes up to my window and says, "Remember that woman that you wagged your tongue at last week?" I looked at him with a vacant look. "Well that woman was my wife you asshole! Come on get out of the car I'm going to kick your ass!" No way am I going to tussle with some logger dude out in from of Starbucks. I hit the gas and make it through the small space behind his truck.
My point is: You're more likely to have some kind of problems with someone road raging you, breaking into your house, dog biting you, than someone pilfering your identity online.
Just sayin.....
D-Ray
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Dell Sucks
Spent most of Friday working with my new souped up PC for Revit. I have a bitch about what Dell has been doing sending out incomplete PC packages. For one they have 3 connections for monitors but only 2 will work at the same time. What's up with that? These guys will scrimp to save money any way they can at the expense of the consumer.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Spotting a cheating Wife!
Last evening I attended the 'Make a Wish' Gala with my Wife at the Westin. Third year in a row for me sitting at the Macy's table. It was all for a great cause and the children that get their wishes fulfilled tug at my heart strings and there are dewey eyes moments. This has been the case every year. However during the first two years aside from the heart felt moments I was bored out of my mind sitting in my Monkey suit with other suits bored listening to the war stories at work or making small talk to my wife's coworkers and managers. But I know it is my yoke to bare for my Wife.
But this year it was different. After seeing the same people for the past three years I started getting aquainted with them and comfortable. Big laughs and funny quips from the men. Intimate inside chat between the women. Drink a little bit more. One husband got so carried away that he donated $2500 to the charity while his wife was doing her insider chatting. She was stunned. The husband was staring off into space not realizing that he held up his card for the $2500 donation. I think he was just trying to flag down a waiter for another bottle of wine. We ended up dancing in the next room with my wife's manager and husband. There was a DJ and women dressed to the 9's. A great time was had for all.
But this big event this year was seeing my next door neighbor's wife, Lady X (I withhold her name for obvious reasons), with a man that was not her husband! My wife and I were entering into one of the side rooms at the silent auction that they have every year when we came face to face with X and her new boyfriend. Honestly I didn't even recognize her (in true Dennis fashion) but my wife did. I looked up at the tall guy to get a close look at the culprit that was escorting her. It was a funny moment for all around. The look on the beau's face, the stunned initial silence, the shocked look on X's face; was a made for TV moment. After the intial silence X decided to come clean. She told me that she was divorcing her husband of many years, moving in with her new beau, putting the house on the market ("Oh, and you'll see a for sale sign in a couple of days..."), so on and so on. I started thinking about the yard sale that might be coming up. Hmmm... he has a nice trimmer and edger that might be on the sales block! After she came clean we reacted like it was no big deal, ("Oh how very nice to meet you!" To the boyfriend. "Oh we're going to miss you so much! Remember July the 4th? What a great time we had!"), wished them well and moved into the auction room.
This brings me to the today's point of the blog. My neighbor Mr. X (husband of Mrs. X) came to be more than an aquaintance with me. We talked about sports and the yard. Always chatted each other up in passing. I liked him! Should I mention anything about seeing Mrs. X to him? Divorces can be messy afairs of course. Lots of things in the balance; cars, furniture, house, all forms of possesions. My values and sense of fairness come into play. Woman cheating, moving out, forcing a divorce, etc. What I tell my neighbor X may help him with his break! Should I get involved when I know she will be taking him to the cleaners?
How well do you need to know a neighbor to get involved? Should anyone get involved at all. Should I tell a friend of the neighbor? You tell me.
Friday, March 12, 2010
To be Formal, or not to be Formal
Friday afternoon the first blush of my vacation. Nine days counting the weekends. I of course have a laundry list of things that I plan on attending to this next week. Route an ethernet cable into the conjugal bedroom. Relocated the family desktop and computer center there so that there is room for the new formal dining room.
Now that brings me to my main gripe. This formal thing that my wife insists that happens to this house. When I finish washing my hands (yes I do that from time to time) and I reach around to get a towel I do not care if its the emblem encrusted King of all towels I'm a gonna wipe my paws on it. Or a glass display cabinet in which we show all the nik naks of our past that will collect dust and be forgotten. Faces of porcelin dolls staring out from the lonely box. Now its the formal dining room. A place where we do not sit unless Royalty happens to visit. Well we can probably use it for storage. It's close to the front door so the girls books can land there when they get home from school or where we can throw the mail. Soon it will be like all the other places in the house that we don't use. Strewn with our day to day litter. Well maybe I can change it into a card table later on. Or a work bench.
Initially I thought that I was going to start a blog in which people can come to me with their problems, questions, rants, etc. Now who's going to comment on something like impotency or a deep seeded insecurity to someone out of the blue. Not going to happen. So I guess I'll throw a question out there for my faithful one subscriber to answer.
Why do women want formal things in the house?
By formal I mean things that aren't going to used day after day. Furthermore, if I was visiting a friend and they started dragging formal stuff out to dine with me I would balk! I would feel like I wasn't a friend of theirs. Take it from me if a friend starts dragging out formal dining ware on you they either are trying to set you up with their spinster sister or have found out (before you) that you only have three years to live.
So. Given that the question stands. Why do women want formal things in the house?
Now that brings me to my main gripe. This formal thing that my wife insists that happens to this house. When I finish washing my hands (yes I do that from time to time) and I reach around to get a towel I do not care if its the emblem encrusted King of all towels I'm a gonna wipe my paws on it. Or a glass display cabinet in which we show all the nik naks of our past that will collect dust and be forgotten. Faces of porcelin dolls staring out from the lonely box. Now its the formal dining room. A place where we do not sit unless Royalty happens to visit. Well we can probably use it for storage. It's close to the front door so the girls books can land there when they get home from school or where we can throw the mail. Soon it will be like all the other places in the house that we don't use. Strewn with our day to day litter. Well maybe I can change it into a card table later on. Or a work bench.
Initially I thought that I was going to start a blog in which people can come to me with their problems, questions, rants, etc. Now who's going to comment on something like impotency or a deep seeded insecurity to someone out of the blue. Not going to happen. So I guess I'll throw a question out there for my faithful one subscriber to answer.
Why do women want formal things in the house?
By formal I mean things that aren't going to used day after day. Furthermore, if I was visiting a friend and they started dragging formal stuff out to dine with me I would balk! I would feel like I wasn't a friend of theirs. Take it from me if a friend starts dragging out formal dining ware on you they either are trying to set you up with their spinster sister or have found out (before you) that you only have three years to live.
So. Given that the question stands. Why do women want formal things in the house?
Galaxy Machine Rehearsals
Spent the evening at Temple House Studios rehearsing for the 20th Show at the Tiger Lounge. Before going I dropped by Little Mark Productions and picked up an 8 song demo of Uncle Porkchop. Great! Now we have new material for the Website. I'll upload them tomorrow.
Reporting from the fat mattress and pillow that I rest my weary head. My wife is reading a new cookbook and I'll be drifting off soon. Yawn.
Dennis R. Martinez, FCSI
Messenger Corporation: M3 Division
dennisraymartinez@gmail.com
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Tweet from: @seattletimes
I'm sorry but after the rash of cop killings we have had here in Puget Sound I am having a hard time having any sympathy for this guy. I know he is 'acquised only' but the over whelming evidence is stacked up against him.
UPC
From: @seattletimes
Sent: Mar 11, 2010 4:52p
Man charged with killing a Seattle police officer lashed out at a former King Co. sheriff's deputy today in court: http://bit.ly/duc31n
sent via web
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/seattletimes/status/10347770787
Dennis R. Martinez, FCSI
Messenger Corporation: M3 Division
dennisraymartinez@gmail.com
Maddening Voices
Uncle Porkchop would especially like to here from anyone who hears unwanted voices. In their head to be specific.
Dennis R. Martinez, FCSI
Messenger Corporation: M3 Division
dennisraymartinez@gmail.com
Dennis R. Martinez, FCSI
Messenger Corporation: M3 Division
dennisraymartinez@gmail.com
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