2012: Installer crashes when creating cross-platform deployments with multiple language packs added in a single session of setup.exe

Luke Johnson

Issue
You were creating a cross-platform deployment, i.e., a 32-bit deployment on a 64-bit OS or vice-versa, and you added two different language packs to the deployment causing the installer to display the following error message and crash:

Solution
When creating a cross-platform deployment, only add one set of language packs to the installer per session of setup.exe. If you need to create the deployment in an additional language, you should do so in a separate session of setup.exe by launching the installer from the media and then adding a single language pack.

Autodesk – Autodesk Revit Architecture Services & Support – 2012: Installer crashes when creating cross-platform deployments with multiple language packs added in a single session of setup.exe

Add a Logo Watermark to Walkthrough before uploading to Youtube

Luke Johnson

In order to protect your intellectual property, it may be wise to add a watermark to any animations you upload to Youtube.

One method using VirtualDubMod is described at the link below:
Put a custom watermark on your video

I used Paint.NET to delete the background from our company logo image and save as a TGA file. This was then used in the logo filter of VirtualDubMod.

Here are some animations we have produced here at Dimond Architects:

Xeon Revit workstation vs Custom Built Revit workstation

Luke Johnson

Interesting little exchange on Twitter recently, with regard to Revit hardware and benchmark performance:


Bizz
@ Dell top of line Xeon workstation $3,500 benchmarks at 180. My built system $2,800 benches at 122.
22 Apr via Plume 

Bram Weinreder 

@ 8. Yes 2012 really helps you push the limits now. Glad we invested in Xeon workstations rond year’s change.
22 Apr
Bizz 
@ We went with full custom built systems. Built by yours truly lol. AUGI bench tool for helped determine what hardware
22 Apr via Plume

Twitter / @Bizz: @Bramdotcom We went with f …

RAID on the Cheap: Windows 7 Software RAID

Luke Johnson

Here’s an idea – if you have two old but similarly sized hard drives sitting around, plug them into your Windows 7 PC and create a Striped Volume.

Striping increases the access speed of the drive.

This could be useful when working on a local version of a Revit central file – local disk access speed becomes important in this situation.

Here’s how:

  1. Plug the two extra hard drives into your PC.  Then turn the computer on…
  2. Go to Disk Management (right click on ‘Computer’, then go ‘Manage’)
  3. Delete all unnecessary volumes from these extra drives.
  4. Right click on one of them – New – Striped Volume
  5. Basically follow the prompts – make sure you pick the two correct drives to become part of the Striped configuration.
  6. Choose quick format / NTFS Default allocation size
  7. Enjoy the increased speed of your striped volume.

Please be careful with this process – make sure you understand the pro’s and con’s.  If you do, it can be a inexpensive way to increase your performance while using Revit.

This guy did a comparison on the speed of Windows 7 ‘Striping’ vs hardware RAID0 – and surprisingly, the results were similar.
RAID on the Cheap: Windows 7 Software RAID vs. inexpensive “fake RAID” � Kevin’s Blog

Microsoft Office File Validation Add-in Free Download

Luke Johnson

Office files… have been the major loophole exploited by malicious hackers to inject malformed data such as malformed data to spread malware.

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Office File Validation add-in is available for free download from Microsoft Download Center, or directly download with the link below. Note that there are several prerequisite architecture updates to Microsoft Word and Microsoft Publisher before you can install Office File Validation as specified in KB2501584, which should have delivered automatically via Microsoft (Windows) Update.
Microsoft Office File Validation Add-in (KB2501584): SFV.exe

From:
Microsoft Office File Validation Add-in Free Download � My Digital Life

Engineering giant GHD adopts Autodesk's BIM offering

Luke Johnson

A $5 MILLION deal with Autodesk will underpin the growth plans of Australia’s GHD, one of the world’s largest engineering companies.

Building software to slash costs: an engineering giant adopts Autodesk’s BIM offering | The Australian

Key to the contract renewal was a new licensing model dubbed MultiFlex, allowing every GHD user, no matter their location, to rely on a single agreement.

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Under the deal GHD will be able to access 25 Autodesk products, an increase from 15 applications previously.

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Read entire article:
Building software to slash costs: an engineering giant adopts Autodesk’s BIM offering | The Australian