CAD Garage Blog

Artlantis AIA 2012 Special

Earlier this month, thousands of architects and design professionals convened in Washington, D.C., for the AIA 2012 National Convention and Design Exposition. 

 

In the spirit of this great event, CAD Garage is offering  20% off new Artlantis purchases and12% off Artlantis upgrades through June 30th, 2012.

 

But wait, there's more: Between now and the end of June we are also offering 12% off the following Artlantis Media:

 

 Architectural Details

 Interior Details

 Antique Furniture

 

Artlantis is hands-down the fastest stand-alone 3D rendering application available to architects and designers. The tool is ideal for creating quick and easy high res 3D renderings, iVisit 3D Panoramas, QuickTime VR Objects and animations. And it's super easy to learn so your whole staff become experts.

And Artlantis is compatible with your favorite CAD / BIM applications such as ArchiCAD, Vectorworks, SketchUp, and Revit with direct plug-ins or import 3D using some of the most common formats such as DXF, DWG, DWF, OBJ, FBX or 3DS.

Happy Rendering,

Greg

 

 

ArchiCAD Best Practices and Quick Start Courses

A lot of you have been inquiring about current ArchiCAD training materials lately and unfortunately there isn't much available in printed books. But we have something we think is a little better!

We've just added Eric Bobrow's "ArchiCAD Quick Start Course" and "ArchiCAD Best Practices Course" to the Cadgarage website HERE. These are perfect for those of you that don't have time to attend a 2 or 3 day class or where traveling to the nearest training centerisn't convenient.These online video tutorials are available 24/7 and allow you the flexibility to take training when the time is right for you-evenings, lunch breaks weekends or all day!

I can't say enough good things about these but if you visit Eric's ArchiCAD Best Practices website you can read plenty of recommendations from users that have taken these. The Best Practices alone has more then 24 hours of online video tutorials.

Get Started with some FREE ArchiCAD Tutorials:

Eric Bobrow's Free ArchiCAD tutorials and ArchiCAD-focused blog

After that you can jump into somemore freebies:

The 7 Keys to Best Practices in ArchiCAD video series

Ready to get in a little deeper and get going fast:

The ArchiCAD QuickStart Course

And if it's time to go from novice to expert:

The ArchiCAD Best Practices Course

Improving your ArchiCAD skills-what's not to love?

 

Happy modeling,

Greg

 

 

 

 

 

Artlantis 3D Cars Daytona Discount Days

The roar of the engines. The smell of gasoline and scorched rubber. It can only mean one thing...and before you say it, no, the police aren't chasing us again. It's Daytona Discount Days! That time of year when you can get 3D cars for Artlantis at a great, no-haggle discounted price. That's right! The price you see is the price you pay. If you've been telling yourself that your renderings need a new set of wheels, now is the time to take action.

We've got two of the new volumes for Artlantis 4 on sale: 3D Cars 2010 Asia and 3D Cars 2010 Europe. These sets have cars from the major players on both continents...Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Audi, Jaguar, Mercedes, Renault, Saab, Volkswagen, and many more. The vehicles are represented in stunning detail, optimized and able to take advantage of Artlantis 4's new Fresnel shader made especially for metallic car bodies.

For those of you out there who rock to the world beat, we've also got 3D Cars 2007 on sale. This collection features popular vehicles of car manufacturers from around the world, including Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, Ford, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes, Opel, Peugeot, Pontiac, Saab, Skoda, and Toyota. All of them peacefully co-existing in one virtual showroom and compatible with Artlantis 2 or higher. If you don't have this collection, you need it!

And because we started this sale the day after Valentine's Day, we're showing you the love by discounting new and additional licenses of Artlantis Render 10%, now through the end of March 2012. Like a fine-tuned street machine, Artlantis perfectly balances ease-of-use and rendering speed. Take the 30-day demo for a spin and see what we mean.

 

Happy rendering,

Greg

Artlantis Render & Studio sale-new and upgrades ends soon

Artlantis is the fastest stand-alone 3D rendering application developed especially for architects and designers and we have an incredible sale going on until December 31st, 2011 on Artlantis Studio & Render. Our end of the year sale includes new and additional license as well as upgrades and some of the media libraries that you might want to add as a belated stocking stuffer.

If you are looking to produce high quality photo realistic renderings and animations and don't want to rely on "specialists" to get the job done Artlantis is the tool for you. Create stunning iVisist 3D Panoramas for stunning client presenatations on your iPhone or iPad. It's fast, easy to use and the preview window technology allows you to see what you will be getting without waiting for the rendering to complete. Artlantis is available on both Macintosh and Windows platforms and works with most modelers used in the Architecture profession. Plug-ins for ArchiCAD, Vectorworks, SketchUp and Revit are available.

To take advantage of these savings visit the CADgarage Artlantis section HERE.

If you have any questions give us a call or send an email-we'll here to assist you!

Happy rendering,

 

Greg

2 for 1 Promo! Cadimage Tools for ArchiCAD

There's just a few days left to take advantage of this incredible offer. Cadimage tools stand out from the pack as the best add-ons for increasing office productivity with ArchiCAD. Categorized for Design, Documentation, Structural and Specialties there are tools to meet the needs of the most demanding ArchiCAD user and improve work flow and efficiency. 

Until December 15th 2011 buy one ofe the Cadimage tools and receive another one for free-and there’s no limit on how many you can snag. Meaning if you buy two tools you get two free. If you buy three tools you get three free. If you buy 100...

Here are the not-so-hairy T&Cs: The free product has to be of the same or lesser value as the purchased one and the promo doesn’t apply to upgrades or books.

Purchase the higher priced tool and at checkout let us know which tool of equal or lower price you want in the comments field. Thats all!

Choose from Slab Edges, Extrusions, Coverings, Keynotes, Doors + WIndows, Detail Elements, Revisions, Wall Frames, Cabinets, Planting, Stairs or Sites + Massing.

Stop in to CADgarage HERE to unleash your ArchiCAD today!

Greg

Artlantis Render & Studio 4: Increased Quality, Speed & Productivity

The exciting new version of Artlantis is here!  Equipped with a new rendering engine, Artlantis 4 is now faster than ever.  It also introduces the new iVisit 3D technology for easily sharing virtual tours of models through the internet and on all mobile devices including iPhones and iPads.

For upgrades and new license pricing head HERE.

The new features of Artlantis 4 are the following:

Quality Improvements:

The new radiosity engine improves images for a better perception of colors, textures, and materials.  A new Fresnel Shader has been added to the library. Watch the video here!

Performance Improvements:

 
Artlantis 4 is faster than ever. The average rendering time is TWO times faster, and SEVEN times faster if the project uses many Neon Shaders. In order to better handle large projects, Artlantis 4 is now optimized for 64-bits on Macintosh and Windows. Watch the video here!

Productivity Improvements:

The most important new productivity tools are the Horizontal projection, the Gravity for Objects and the Split by Mesh tools.

iVisit 3D Panoramas:

 
Artlantis Studio 4 is able to create a true, virtual tour inside your project with multi-node panoramas. The player is free of charge and based on Flash™ technology.  Watch the video here!

iVisit 3D Application:
iVisit 3D allows iPad and iPhone owners to view and share panoramas created with Artlantis Studio 4.  iVisit 3D is available in two versions (Lite and Pro) from the App Store. Watch the video here!

Artlantis Objects, New Media Librairies Available:
5 New media libraries are available as follows.

 

• Dosch Design 3D Cars 2008

• Dosch Design 3D Cars 2009

• Dosch Design 3D Cars 2010 Asia

• Dosch Design 3D Cars 2010 Europe

• Dosch Design 3D Transport 2010

That will get your motor running!

 

Happy rendering,

Greg

 

Wacom Bamboo - Connect, Capture, Create

Possibly we should have titled this "Wicked Wacom Wonders" for the season but the names of Wacom's new Bamboo series tablets "Connect", "Capture" and "Create" are a bit more descriptive.

The entry level model, "Connect", is great for sketching ideas, marking up documents or connecting with others using a new type of communication. It works with dozens of applications and a full version of Autodesk® SketchBook Express is included.

Bamboo "Capture" features multi-touch input and includes Autodesk SketchBook Express, Adobe Photoshop Elements and Nik Color Filters allowing you to take your digital imaging to the next level.

The Bambbo "Create" has about twice the workspace of the other Bamboo models and also features multi-touch input. The included DVD contains Autodesk SketchBook Express, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter Essentials, and Nik Color Filters providing an outstanding toolset for expressing your ideas.

For our Architects and renderers my favorite application to use with the Wacom Bamboo is Informatix's "Piranesi" the amazing non-photorealistic rendering program. I find it's faster to work with the pen (instead of mouse), more natural feeling and the pressure sensitivity of the pen allows you to create more expressive brush and pen strokes.

Here's our complete line of Wacom Tablets.

 

Happy rendering,

Greg

 

Awards, Awards, Awards!

Well it's that time of the year again when awards programs abound. I was surprised this last week when my inbox had so many emails about the big one out there. For many years we have supplied the digital tools to assist many Architects and Designers to visualize their dreams in 3D and create suberb renderings. You might call us an "Award Enabler"...

To help you in showcasing your design talents we carry formZ / bonzai 3D, Cinema 4D, Artlantis Render / Studio & Piranesi and a few other goodies. All of these tools are known for their ease of use-the ahrd part is creating award winning projects! If you've got what it takes read on for some great awrds programs.

 

 

Architect Magazine 59th Annual P/A Awards

Categories Include:

• 1.Commercial
• 2. Cultural
• 3. Educational
• 4. Governmental
• 5. Industrial
• 6. Religious
• 7. Health-Related
• 8. Multifamily Housing
• 9. Recreational
• 10. Single-Family Housing
• 11. Urban Design

Click HERE to register
Deadline: October 28th, 2011 

 

Hanley Wood 2012 CUSTOM HOME Design Awards

Categories Include:

• 1. Custom Home / Less Than 3,000 Square Feet
• 2. Custom Home / 3,000–5,000 Square Feet
• 3. Custom Home / More Than 5,000 Square Feet
• 4. Custom Kitchen
• 5. Custom Bath
• 6. Renovation
(residential remodeling or addition)
• 7. Architectural Interiors
(build-outs, interior renovations)
• 8. Accessory Building
(pool house, stable, garden house, guesthouse, etc.)
• 9. Custom Detail 
(a specific detail from a custom home)
• 10. Outdoor Spaces
(built outdoor areas such as pool decks and outdoor kitchens)
• 11. On the Boards 
(any unbuilt custom residential project not yet completed)

ELIGIBILITY:
Projects must be completed after Jan. 1, 2007.

Click HERE to register

Deadline: November 14th, 2011

Contract Magazine 33rd annual Interiors Awards

Categories Include:

• 1. Large Office (25,000 sq. ft. and up)
• 2. Small Office (up to 25,000 sq. ft.)
• 3. Hotels
• 4. Restaurants
• 5. Healthcare
• 6. Retail7. Education
• 8. Public Space
• 9. Showroom/Exhibit
• 10. Sports/Entertainment
• 11. Spa/Fitness
• 12. Historic Restoration
• 13. Adaptive Reuse
• 14. Environmental (Green) Design
• 15. Student/Conceptual

Click HERE to register

Deadline: October 7th, 2011

Builder & Custom Home Magazine Watermark Awards

Categories Include:

• 1. Kitchen in a Custom Home

-Less than 3,000 square feet

-3,000 to 5,000 square feet

-Over 5,000 square feet

• 2. Kitchen in a Production Home

-Less than 2,000 square feet

-2,000 to 3,000 square feet

-Over 3,000 square feet

• 3. Kitchen in a Remodeled Home

-Less than 2,000 square feet

-2,000 to 3,000 square feet

-Over 5,000 square feet

• 4. Master Bath

-Custom Home

-Production Home

-Remodeled Home

• 5. Multifamily

-Kitchen

-Bath

• 6. Powder Room

-Custom Home

-Production Home

-Remodeled Home

• 7. Special Focus

-Innovative use of materials

-Lighting • Custom details

-Other

Click HERE to register

Deadline: November 4th, 2011

ELIGIBILITY Builders, architects and designers may submit residential kitchens and baths from projects completed after January 1, 2010.

 

Good luck!

Greg

 

Artlantis Shaders & Media Top Ten 10% off

A lot of our Artlantis users ask "what shaders & objects should I purchase" and my usual recommendation is to first use the ones that come with Artlantis and then see what you need for a particular project or what might fit the type of work that you do. But it made me a little curious so after a little checking around we got a list of the top ten based on sales figures for the last 3 years.

So we now present you with the Artlantis Media Top Ten Sellers:

1. Artlantis Shaders: Construction Materials
2. Artlantis Shaders: Cultured Stone
3. Artlantis Objects: Exterior 3D Plants 1
4. Artlantis Objects: 3D Pines & Conifers
5. Artlantis Objects: Dosch Design 3D Cars 2007
6. Artlantis Shaders: Ground Pro
7. Artlantis Objects: Animated 3D People, Business 1
8. Artlantis Objects: Animated 3D People, Casual 3
9. Artlantis Objects: Interior Details
10. Artlantis Shaders: Floor Marble

It's a nice little mix and I think all of these are really useful on a range of project types. And so for you, our dearest blog readers, we are offering 10% off on any (or all!) of these Top Ten Artlantis Shaders and Objects from now until September 30th. Sorry, 11 and beyond don't qualify...

Prices are hardwired into the store so no need for the Coupon Code anymore!

Just a little back to school deal for you!

 

What are your favorites?

 

Happy Rendering,

 

Greg

 

Books and DVD's for our friends overseas...

Here at the 'garage we have had an increasing number of request to ship overseas which in the past was on a case by case basis. Most of the requests have been for books or DVD's (usually on ArchiCAD) with a little bit of downloadable media (usually Artlantis) thrown in now and again. Australia takes the record for the most requests (good economy + all those ArchiCAD users!) with Canada a close second. So we have decided to open the CADgarage doors just a little bit for now on select products for our foreign friends.

You can now order on our webstore without having to jump through hoops from Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and US Virgin Islands. This is limited to select books, DVD's and downloadable media so email us ahead of time if you have any questions on what we can ship. And if things go well we will open up the door a tad bit more to a few other countries. And if you do live in a country we don't currently ship to and you want a copy of the "Step by Step Training Guide for ArchiCAD" or the "Virtual Tutor for Cinema 4D" let us know and we'll see what we can do.

 

Greg