Watch your license usage

For better or worse, nearly all Autodesk programs use Macrovision's FlexLM licensing system.
Sam Report is ok, but if you want to really watch usage, Here's a tool that provides a graphical interface.

FLEXlm License Statistics 2.3

Wall Panelization for Revit Structure

This is really nice looking! - : A Metal and Wood Framing module for Revit. Great features, includes built-in QTO, and even CNC output for framing fabrication.

An argument for keyboard commands

Many pieces of software today are going to great lengths to improve the GUI... ribbon bars, Right-Click menus, etc.

That may be nice, especially for new users and people who don't understand computers, but we shouldn't forget the power of keyboard shortcuts.

If I assume I never let go of the mouse because I'm using a CAD or Drawing-type application, and I'm not using anything fancy like a 3D mouse in the left hand, that leaves my left hand resting on the keyboard and ready to instantly start commands.

For keys in Home Row, you can create

560 3-key combinations
120 2-key combinations
016 1-key combinations

696 total commands

this is for the following keys

qwert
asdfg
zxcvb
[Space] (16)

Back in the day I had a killer PGP file for AutoCAD that leveraged about 200 of those options to make me really, really fast. Only 50 of them were used very often, and I still remember them, they're so embedded now. Too many programs now take away my screen space for icons and forget that a daily user will eventually be able to memorize a few shortcuts and be much more efficient than a mouse-clicker.

Goodbye Pownce

I'm sorry to see Pownce going away. I appreciated it's position in the space between tweet and blog. Since it's going away, i'll be transferring all my old pownce over here. At least then there'll be some posts on this old thing...