Another RTC North America has come and gone, and as per usual, it was a blur!
This year the RTC North America event was held at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale AZ.
This was one of the nicest resorts I have stayed at, and a great location for the conference….. as long as you didn’t mind the surface of the sun heat of Arizona in July! Once you get past the heat there was a great pool, lazy river, and even a Flowrider, all of which can help you with the heat. If you were brave you could also hit the link on the attached golf course. Well, all of that is well and good the part that had me going OMG was there Scotch Collection!
I also don’t have a bad view from my room, even if it was looking out to the driveway?
My RTC started a day early this year as I was asked to speak at the First ever FormIteering Workshop on the day before RTC NA 2016 kicked off. This was a great event put on by Tom Vollaro and the team from FormIt 360 to give those that haven’t played with FormIt 360 yet a day in a lab to learn how others are using it, as well as an afternoon to play with it hands on.
I kicked off the workshop with my 15 minutes presentation: 5 Reasons SketchUp Users Should Take Another Look at FormIt 360, a quick intro to FormIt 360 and why SketchUp isn’t the only design tool for Architects anymore.
I was glad to go first so I didn’t have to follow any of the all-star group that talked about how they are using FormIt 360 after me. It was an honor to share the stage with this group:
- Tony Caputo – Working while mobile and interacting with Revit team members
- Kimberly Fuhrman – Enabling early energy design decisions with Insight 360
- Philip Rothey – Creating detailed elements within FormIt.
- Sean Burke – A perspective on tiny houses
- Ryan Cameron – Leveraging Dynamo within FormIt
- Jarod Schultz – FormIt 360 Into Tutorial
The workshop ended with an afternoon Tutorial showing all the latest and great FormIt 360 had to offer lead by Tom Vollaro.
And like all good workshops, it ends with some sweet swag, as modeled by Sean.
Day one started as it always does with the Keynote address, this year it was given by Ashraf Habibullah of CSI (Computer and Structures, Inc.). I had never heard of Ashraf, but won’t be able to say that again. This was by far the best keynote speech I’ve heard, and it was given by a structural engineer in a flashing jacket! I think this tweet from Eva says it all.
My first session of RTC was by Steve Shell and was called: Top 10 Revit Presentation Techniques (Advanced Graphics). This was a great session that showed all of the ways you can use out of the box Revit to make your Revit model look good for presentations. The session started off a little rocky with some technical issues, but Steve was a trooper and took it all in stride and made sure we got all we need from his session even it a shorter time frame.
My next session was about moving a team landscape team from ACAD to Revit given by Melonie Beskowiney from DIALOG. This was an interesting class because landscape architecture never gets enough love when it comes to Revit.
I think my favorite session of day one, and maybe the conference was Michael Kilkelly’s Code vs. Node. Not only did he do an AWESOME job on the presentation itself with his “boxing theme” and ring announcer voice over, but I really enjoyed the content too. Basically, he took 3 workflows and compared them as if you did it in Dynamo, or if you did it with code or macros.
Day one ended with Ashraf picking up where he left off on his keynote address by giving a private party for all the RTC NA attendees at a club called the Venue. After going to this I can say for sure that Ashraf and the crew at CSI (Computer and Structures, Inc.) don’t do anything small! The tweet below from Sherman Chu is just a small sample of all the awesomeness that the CSI after party was!
I think Jason Howden said it best with this short and sweet tweet!
Day 2 had a lot to live up to after a pretty amazing day 1, let’s see how it did.
The second day started with a session that everyone attended by Autodesk called “Revit: Today & Tomorrow”. This was a good session to show what’s coming from Revit in the future, and there was even a no holds barred Q&A given by Harlan Brumm.
Next was the Glorious Gadgets session which is always good fun for all of us to geek out at while seeing some new tech.
My first session of the day was a Panel session hosted by Bill Debevc called BIM Stars, and man was there a lot of BIM Stars! You can check this session out on BIMThoughts as a podcast here.
Then it was on to a 2 part FormIt 360 lab – FormIt 360: The heart of a Generative Conceptual Design Workflow by Tom Vollaro of Autodesk. This session when a little further into what some of the new features of FormIt 360 can do, with lots of fun with the Dynamo Studio integration with FormIt 360 Pro.
My last session of day 2 was – Bridging the BIM Gap: The Importance of Sharing Leadership Across Technology & Production Teams by Esmail Kalaf from DIALOG. For those that aren’t doing or haven’t done a BIM implementation in a firm would have found this session a little dry. However, those that are looking to do this in a firm, this was a great session with lots of real-world good, bad, and ugly from a firm that has done it.
The social event at the end of Day 2 was a BBQ and Pool Party. While I didn’t stick around to enjoy the pool party as I was busy prepping for my 2 sessions on Saturday I heard lots of good things. Really how could you go wrong with hanging out by the pool watching “The Holy Grail” as you enjoy an adult beverage and chatting with new and old BIM friends, you can’t. There was also the Flowrider for the lucky/brave few that got one of the 48 spots to play.
Day 3, the final day.
I didn’t actually get to attend any sessions on day 3 because I was busy prepping and delivering my 2 sessions I had accepted for this years RTC NA.
My first session was also my first time delivering a lab at RTC : Dynamo – Everyone’s Doing It! The lab was standing room only so I think that’s a good sign. The idea behind this lab was to have a hands-on session for people that haven’t used Dynamo. I tried my best to make the exercises in the lab simple and straightforward, but still showing what Dynamo can do. I didn’t get all my exercise done, so I had to give my homework, hopefully, the attendees didn’t hold that against me. I also want to send a big THANK YOU shout out to Jason and Marcello for helping out as lab assistants, much-appreciated gentlemen!
Below are a couple of tweets from lab session from Brian Binkley and Marcello Sgambelluri
My last session of day 3 was an updated version of my 25 Add-ins class from last years RTC NA: 25 Apps & Add-ins for Revit and the Revit Workflow – RTCNA 2016 Edition. This was the 3rd time I’ve done a session similar to this, and every time I have fun finding out about the apps and add-ins. It also seems to be a class that people like, as there is always a full house. It would be nice if once I didn’t have the last session of RTC NA thought, 3rd year in a row……I guess I must be a good closer.
I seem to always be talking with my hands, maybe it comes from watching all of Marcello’s sessions at past RTC and AU events.
Day 3 came to an end (for most) with the Gala Dinner, this year sponsored by BIMsmith. As always the Gala had good food (this year it was great in fact), great emceeing by Lynn Allen, and live music to boogie the night away too. This year there was a costume shop on site so lots of people had great costumes for the theme, which this year was the Wild Wild West.
Nancy McClure and Brian Payne let everyone know about the “Sinners and Saints” that you might find at the RTC NA Gala Dinner.
This tweet from my great lab assistant Jason Boehning letting everyone know who won, great works Kate!
Remember how I said the Gala Dinner was the end of Day 3 for most………well Mirra wanted to share some that missed the end of Day 3 and just went straight to Day 4.
Which is nothing new for RTC boss man of Wesley Benn who is always one of the last ones standing!
And that was all she wrote for RTC NA 2016, one of the best ones yet! Now the hard part waiting the 372 days until RTC NA 2017
If my recap of RTC NA 2016 and how much fun it was and all the cool stuff you learn and awesome people you meet is not enough to get you to sign up for RTC NA 2017 then maybe some of these other Blog posts about RTC NA 2016 will do the trick.
Before you recap what happened at RTC, you need to know what to expect. (CAD Panacea)
Revit Technology Conference 2016 – Turn Up the Heat!
This excellent wrap up of this years RTC NA 2016 is from Michael Kilkelly over at ArchSmarter, and let’s just say when it came to his sessions this year he was “Ready to Rumble”!
RTC North America 2016 Wrap Up
Another great recap of RTC NA 2016, but this time in Podcast form, from Marcello, John and Jason of The Simply Complex Podcast.
Still more Podcast fun with another RTC NA 2016 Recap this time from Bill and Carla of BIMThoughts.
Now for a day by day approach to all the glory that was RTC NA 2016, this time from Mathew Miller over at Revittize.
More good stuff on RTC, this time about the Pre-RTC FormIt event from the FormIt 360 Blog.
A dispatch from Arizona – RTCNA 2016
Have you ver thought about all the cool add-0ns that are at RTC, well Tim from Revit Add-Ons has.
RTC 2016 NA from an Add-ons Perspective
Just to be clear After-Thoughts are not the same as second-thoughts, After-thoughts are all good! (BLAUGI)
More fun with BLAUGI and RTCNA 2016
We’re Halfway There – RTC NA Midweek
I attended one of Steven Shell’s sessions and it was great (as they always are) read what he had to say about this years RTC on LinkedIn.
Presenting at RTC – NA again! Great fun!
Like at all RTC events Harry Mattison of Boost Your BIM fame grants Revit API wishes, and this year was not different. Here are the wishes posted to the Boost Your BIM Blog.
What are your #RTCNA2016 API Wishes? (be sure to check the comments on this post)
#RTCNA2016 Wish 2 Granted! (part one)
#RTCNA2016 Wish 2 Granted (part 2)
#RTCNA2016 Wish Granted – Load Group from RVT
#RTCNA wish granted (sort of) – slab edges on all floor edges
#RTCNA wish almost granted – clear keynote when duplicating types
#RTCNA wish granted – Design Option Set info
MallerComplexity Family tool goes open-source
What’s better than a Blog post about an RTCNA Class, well a YouTube video of the class of course! Check out this video of a session that was given by Paul Aubin & Zach Kron.
The Architect’s Dynamo: Getting Non-Revit Users Involved!
If the YouTube isn’t your thing then you should check out this Podcast from Bill Debevc and BIMThoughs of his BIM Stars sessions.
Let’s learn what The Revit Kid thought of his time on the Sun…or at RTC NA 2016 as it was.
5 Days on the Sun: #RTCNA Recap
For some RTC is more than a conference it’s their summer vacation! (CADLearning Blog)
What I Did on my Summer Vacation or RTC NA 2016 – The Best Little Conference in Arizona
Second last, but for sure not least here is an RTC North America wrap-up from the chairman himself Jim Balding over at the RTC News Blog.
And I will end with my post on the Top 10 tweets of RTC NA 2016 just in case you missed it (The BIMsider)
RTC ROUNDUP – NORTH AMERICA 2016 EDITION – TOP 10 TWEETS
Well, I think you get the idea, people who attend RTC NA LOVE IT, and those that have been in the past and couldn’t make it this year missed it. So start planning for RTC NA 2017 now and I will see you next year in Toronto, Ontario, Canada Aug. 3rd – 5th, 2017.
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