Pre Conference Bulletins

Pre-Conference Bulletin for ACUE, 22nd August

Latest edition of the Workshop program

Please keep an eye on the workshop listing and programme as we get closer to the date.

Bertrand Audinet's workshop - GDL in AutoCAD

We have expanded the workshop description to be "A Sideways Look at GDL". This is not only about GDL objects in AutoCAD, its also about exchanging objects with Sketchup, and perhaps even programming GDL in Autocad and 3NF. It's also about Publishing GDL objects on the Web. We hope to include mention
XML converter.

Added ArchiPhysik

We are lucky enough to get Gerald Faustenhammer coming from Vienna who has spent much time in recent years developing ArchiPhysik, the Building Physics software Addon for ArchiCAD. Participants will be able to run ArchiPhysik on their own laptops and try worked examples.

Graphisoft workshop

Simon Gilbert ran a great workshop last year on New Features in ArchiCAD, he will be doing this again, at least 3 times. But as we have 7 people from Graphisoft, we envisage it more informally as a chance to meet GS people and discuss product development, import export, IFC etc with a panel of GS development staff, chaired by Simon Gilbert.

I want to emphasise the strength of the Graphisoft team. We have Mark Sawyer Vice president for worldwide Sales who was in ACUWest in March 2004 the head of GS-US. We shall have Bence Kovacs, VP of ArchiCAD product management (who was also with us in 2003). With their colleagues from Swindon and Budapest, this is a very good team - who have some very valuable product developments to tell you about.

Bring Electrical Adaptor. Bring Extension Lead

If coming from abroad, Please dont forget to buy yourself an adaptor for use on UK sockets - Buy them at the airport, or before.
If bringing a laptop, bring an extension lead, preferably of the 1 to 4 variety.
Bring a continental one-to-four extension lead with a single adaptor, and you can plug in 4 continental plugs in without needing adaptors.

Driving Notes

Get here safely - if you are from outside the UK and renting or driving a car, please remember to drive on the LEFT!
If coming from the south to Nottingham by car, you may have to enter Nottingham from the A52 junction, the Nottingham south A453 (first sign for Nottingham) junction has been closed for maintenance for about 2 weeks.

Bring the Lycra or the Swimming Cozzie!

Dont forget, Nightingale hall shares the same car park at the University Fitness Centre and just beyond that is the Swimming Pool, to which you all have free admission!

Pre-Conference Bulletin for ACUE, August 25

Workshops

If it's relevant bring examples of what you have been trying to do in the same genre as the workshop topic you have chosen.
e.g. for the Flythroughs workshop, Bring a small project to run a flythrough through (on your laptop or CD).  Sketchup users might bring models for the Advanced Sketchup workshop; people can bring difficult site plans to see if Fabrizio Diodati can do some magic with Architerra 2.

Download it first!

If you are bringing a laptop and you plan to do the Sketchup or Rhino or Ecotect or Cigraph workshops (or other ones where anything is downloadable and installable), please attempt to download the installer software and get it installed. This will save time at the start of the workshop sessions.

Coordinating Flights - notice to flyers

Flyers, please tell me flight times and landing times, and departure times. There is a chance I can apply some linkages and help people to meet up in trains or buses, share car rental, give each other lifts etc. e.g. from Stansted.
For example, we have 2 coming from Strasbourg to London Stansted about the same time as one from Aarhus. Good opportunities for time and cost savings here.
For long distance travellers, please read the "Joining ACUE" webpage carefully before asking me questions like "How do I get from Luton to Nottingham?". Almost everything you need is on the website already!

Abvent, Paris

I have a note from Abvent that they may be sending a team of THREE from Paris in addition to the magical Ildiko Szabo who is coming here from Budapest - Xavier Soule, the CEO of Abvent, Gérard Bomer, the general
manager, and Eric Mercher the marketing director. This is an exceptionally strong team and they have something very important to announce at ACUE.

Cigraph, Venice

I have a note from Cigraph that they will be sending a team of two: Fabrizio Diodato, the genius who thinks up all these ideas for plug ins (and writesthem), and Silvia Rallo, the international sales manager. We can expect an outstanding performance in the Cigraph workshop! This is the premiere outing for ArchiStair, you saw it here first!

More new versions....

ACUE is also the scene for the first public outing for new products from @Last and Informatix, we shall see Sketchup FOUR and Piranesi FOUR. We shall also see the launch of Herbert Peter and Bob Martens new english language book on ArchiCAD, "ArchiCAD Revealed".

Graphisoft would like to see your material

Introducing Dominic Turnbull, press officer for Graphisoft Hungary. The Graphisoft international newsletter carries a profile of prominent users. They chose me on the first occasion, they have also featured Kimon Onuma and Dwight Atkinson. They are on the lookout for more talent to write about. Dominic writes:

 "I wonder if it's possible for attendees to bring along materials which we can use to promote their activities using ArchiCAD. Perhaps having the opportunity of bring forward their materials and presenting them in person to GS may benefit the participants."
  "Ideally for a successful case study, or customer success story, I'd like to see good quality photos, company logo, any project information on which we can expand later. Of course I can discuss these with them in Nottingham, but the lure of receiving publicity among their peers and, ultimately, using this as a hook for new business, potentially globally, should appeal to some (or many I hope!). It will focus minds on the event, and help us consider which success stories are most appealing to shout about."

Pre-Conference Bulletin for ACUE, August 27

New workshop title

We are adding to the programme: "ArchiCAD for TOTAL beginners" : this will be for Friday morning at the request of some new delegates who have booked in the last week or two. For the remaining 3 workshop periods, there are enough opportunities for newcomers to ArchiCAD to choose what interests them.

Vote for your workshop choice

I only have about 50 replies out of 125 bookings for choices of workshops. A vote for the 8 most likely workshops greatly helps with the allocation of space, projectors etc. So I would be grateful for some more samples (even though 4 is only possible on the day).

Cigraph Addons - special pricing for ACUE

On the vendor stand, we intend to have a good stock of Cigraph addons - the range includes Archiforma 2, ArchiRuler, ArchiTerra 2, ArchiFacade, ArchiTabula, ArchiTiles, ArchiPaint, ArchiSketchy, ArchiTime and ArchiWall and now ->
ArchiStair! Great Add-On products for the ArchiCAD community! We shall have Fabrizio here to show them off.

We shall have the SINGLES for a special show price of £ 100 plus vat (instead of 120). We shall have the NETWORK versions on a special cost of £ 280 (plus vat) instead of the usual £ 340 - which gives you unlimited numbers.
Networks only work with a network AC_dongle, Singles versions work with single AC_dongles, please email me for an explanation if that isnt clear. This price applies to Plugins purchased or ordered during the 48 hours of the event, or
pre-ordered from now until then by ACUE delegates only. If you have an inkling that you might want any of these wonderful things, please email me with a provisional order!

Buses from the Nottingham Railway Station

In case anybody is averse to using Taxis, I have posted more information on the Travel and Joining web page on the ACUE website. You need number 13, 33
or 34 buses to get to the Campus from Collin street, 2 blocks north of the Railway station. Tell the driver you are going to the "West End of the University Campus".

Which University do you go to?

Note that there are 2 universities in Nottingham. You are going to "University of Nottingham", NOT "Nottingham Trent University".

Parking on the space next to the Conference Centre

There will be too many cars for the normal Car park of Nightingale Hall. Please do not overfill it, as it is also shared with the nearby Fitness Centre. There is plenty of parallel parking on circulatory road around the campus, opposite the Conference Centre and near to Nightgale Hall.

My phone number (emergencies only)

Please do not ring these for ordinary things which can be solved by asking at information kiosks or by asking a policeman.
* Numbers are: land line 0115-981-0237 and if you use a non-UK cellphone, you ring 0044-115-981-0237.
* Numbers are: cellphone 07970-059525 and if you use a non-UK cellphone, you would ring 0044-7970-059525.

Weather for the coming week

The wonderful website http://www.windguru.cz forecasts weather by combining Land and Satellite data with computational fluid dynamic real-time calculations while you are on line. It is a remarkably accurate 7 day forecasting centre for Windsurfers the world over. Enter UK-Rutland Water as your location, which is near enough to Nottingham to give a result. Weather is predicted to be fine for Thursday and Friday, but becoming rainy or showery on Saturday (but not cold). Saturday Sleepover delegates should bring light showerproof jackets or light umbrellas.

Statistics of bookings

Bookings at September 6, 2004 are good, in addition to the UK bookings, we have bookings from East and West United States, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Austria, Hungary, Holland, France, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Australia, Latvia, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Kosovo, Iran. We have passed the140! This is a truly international event, with over 40% overseas participation. We can take NO MORE BOOKINGS!
Come on Mexico and Finland! Join the party!