Buy One get One Free Deals at Packt Publishing Until March 26th

Book deals at Packt Publishing Until March 26th.
Català - Castellano - Deutsch
The friends at Packt Publishing are celebrating the 2000th Title they have published and for that they are offernig special deals on purchases until March 26th.

During this offer Packt is giving its reader a chance to dive into their comprehensive catalog and Buy One, Get One Free across their entire range of eBooks.

The campaign will continue up until 26th-Mar-2014.

You can benefit from the offer directly at Packt Publishing's Website.

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Revit 2014 Books

Revit 2014 Books are now available
Català - Castellano - Deutsch
If you already updated to Revit 2014 or if you are starting your BIM modelling path using 2014 Revit Software, you might want to consider some of these books that have been recently published. All of them focus on Revit 2014. Some are more intended for beginners, others for more advanced users. The focus of the books is also split by Specialty. If you know of some more good Revit 2014 books, please do share in the comments and I'l add them to the table.

COVER	TITLE	LEVEL	SPECIALTY	BUY FROM
	Autodesk REVIT Architecture 2014 Essentials	Begginer	ARCH	.
				AMAZON US
				AMAZON UK
				AMAZON DE
				AMAZON ES
				.
	Mastering Autodesk REVIT Architecture 2014	Advanced	ARCH	.
				AMAZON US
				AMAZON UK
				AMAZON DE
				AMAZON ES
				.
	Autodesk Revit Architecture 2014: No Experience Required	Beginner	ARCH	.
				AMAZON US
				AMAZON UK
				AMAZON DE
				.
				.
	Mastering Autodesk Revit MEP 2014	Advanced	MEP	.
				AMAZON US
				AMAZON UK
				AMAZON DE
				.
				.

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Book Review: Instant Autodesk Revit 2013 Customization with .NET How-to

A brief review on this book that introduces you to .NET programming to create Revit Add-ins
Català - Castellano - Deutsch
The people at Packt Publishing have published a book about customizing Revit using the Revit API and .NET programming language. The title of the book is Instant Autodesk Revit 2013 Customization with .NET How-to by Don Rudder.

The book is a very packed guide to creating your first Revit Add-ins. It is actually the type of book that is a bit hard to follow, but in a good sense. It does not waste time explaining you basic stuff you would already know (or that you can easily find online) if you want to create Revit Add-Ins. So from the first lines you have to pay attention to what you are reading or you get lost after two pages.

I have not had the time to try the code samples provided but the book (many), but overall it seems to me as a good introduction to the basics of Add-in programming, its logic, language and basic steps. If I had a say on the book editing, I must confess I would have given it a bit of a more refined look and a bit less intense pace, for it seems a bit intense to me, jumping from one example to the next one without much time to assimilate what you are learning.

If I end up finding the time to actually program something, then I'll update this post with that experience.

Book is very affordable, selling for $11.99 at the Publishers Page for the Ebook version. Yo can also buy hard copies of the book at Amazon (links below).

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Currently Reading: BIM and Construction Management

Very interesting Book on the BIM process focused on the Construction Management practice
Català - Castellano - Deutsch
Someone I like to call my mentor, for I have learned so much in the last months talking to him, recomended me (and gifted me) the book I am currently reading. "BIM for Construction Management. Proven Tools, Methods and Workflows" by Brad Hardin, LEED AP, AIA.

I am half the way through the first chapter and I am already extremely satisfied about the book. The book starts with an introduction to the benefits of BIM (brief) and an overview of the most common construction delivery methods with their strong and weak points. The rest of the book is a compilation of how to plan ahead, how to organize the processes and how to manage the huge amount of information that is generated through BIM. A must read if you are into BIM and Construction Management or Process Improvement, or both or if you simply want to read a great book related to Construction. Some links below if you are interested in getting a copy.

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I can't say I read all of it, but I can say I recomend it based on the part and bits of chapters I have read. It talks about processes and I think BIG BIM is all about that: Process, process, process...

For more Book recomendations check here.
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Book: Constructing the Future: nD Modelling

A reference book for many scholars writing and researching about BIM. A must read to understand the full potential of BIM.
Català - Castellano - Deutsch
On my process to write my master thesis about BIM as a project management tool I found many scholars referencing this book in their papers so I decided to get a copy.

Constructing the Future: nD Modelling. Despite being a book published in 2006, it is worth reading, for it is very comprehensive in scope and deals with all aspects of Building Information Modeling, from its role as an Estimating tool, to its use for Construction Management or how to use it by Facility Managers. It also mentions the importance of International Foundation Classes for better cooperation, and many more aspects I would recommend you to discover by yourself.

There are many blogs out there that post tutorials about how to model complicated things using Revit, ArchiCAD or other BIM packages. To me what is more relevant about BIM is its potential as a Catalyst to change and improve the design and construction process. I think this book is key to understand this.

To get a copy for yourself click on any of the images below to buy it directly on amazon.

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Book of the Month: SketchUp 7.1 for Architectural Visualization

Learn How to get the most out of SketchUp and other free tools to achieve professional quality renderings and visualizations
Català - Castellano - Deutsch
June's Book of the month goes back to th previous trend of Software related books. A few weeks ago I got a copy of this great book. "SketchUp 7.1 for Architectural Visualization. Beginners Guide" and with the brief time I had to review it I can strongly recommend it.

The book is excellent for those aiming to produce architectural visualizations without willing to spend thousands in software or training lessons. From the very beginning the book states one of its main motivs "if it is not free don't waste your time with it". Following this statement the books shows you how to work smarter using free tools like SketchUp for modeling, Kerkythea for rendering and Gimp for image processing to mention just the most relevant.

To get a copy for yourself click on any of the images below to visit the publisher's site or to buy it directly on amazon.

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You can also take a look to a sample chapter that is available online

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Book of the Month: Building the Empire State

Learn How the most famous Skyscraper was built. A must read to know how things can be optimized and sped up to the n power
Català - Castellano - Deutsch
Thanks to last month's "Book of the Month" I came across this great book called "Building the Empire State" Edited by Carol Willis and based on notebooks from the 1930s describing the planning and construction process.

If you consider that still nowadays the Empire State is the tallest Building in NY (of course after the fall of the World Trade Center) and the 3rd tallest building in US, it is more and more impressive to read how the building was planned and built in no more than 22 months, and that actual construction time was 11 months.

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The book is an easy read. The first 46 pages describe the construction process, the next pages (47-187) are the reproduction of the Notebook from the 1930s that describes the construction of the Building. This notebook has no signing author, its a compilation of notes from someone or from several people working for Starrett Brothers and Eken, the general contractor in charge of building the skyscraper. Together with the scanned (or reproduced) pages of the notebook, there are pictures of the time portraying the different constructions systems, machinery, etc and explanations about them.

On the Next Book review, I'll be talking about the book "SketchUp 7.1 for Architectural Visualization: Beginner's Guide". A book about how toCreate picture-perfect photo-realistic 3D architectural renders for your SketchUp models.



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Book of the Month: Location-Based Management for Construction

A book about a better way to Schedule and Control construction projects.
Català - Castellano - Deutsch
On the lecture I am following about Schedule Management we've been taught so far only CPM (Critical Path Methodology) and PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique). These are the mainstream methodologies nowadays to schedule and control projects. These methodolies could be described as "activity-based" methodologies.

Because a possible job opportunity I was asked to get into an alternative way of Scheduling projects. What it is known as Location-Based Management Systems (LBMS). To learn about this there are many sources online, but the best way is with no doubt with this month's "Book of the Month". "Location Based Management for Construction. Planning, Schedulling and Control" by Kenley and Seppännen is the new "Bible" to learn about Location Based Techniques.

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The idea behind Location based techniques is that they allow a better continuity of tasks, they let you see if different crews would interfere with each other and allow you to get forecasts of the project evolution (based on controlling and reviewing project status) and to see if deadlines will be achieved or not. LBMS are also very much related to techniques such as Model Based Estimates (Quantity Estimations from BIM Models) and Virtual Construction Techniques.

The book is not only good to learn about LBMS, but it also gives a good introduction to Critical Path Method (CPM), Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), the Arrow Diagram Method (ADM), Precedence Diagram Method (PDM) and other mainstream Schedulling techniques. It is expensive, but half the way though it I think it is worth every Dollar/Euro you invested in it.



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Book of the Month: LEED Visual

Study for the LEED GA exam from this great book.
Català - Castellano - Deutsch
If you are studying or thinking to study for the LEED GA Exam, you need to get this book in your hands. The amount of information to memorize is not few. This book turns all that information into useful and easy to remember and understand diagrams. LEED Visual is a new publication that aims to help everyone who wants to study for the LEED GA exam. The book is available via Amazon (click on the picture below)or directly on the LEED VISUAL website.




Some of the customer reviews say "it's the best book available currently for LEED GA. By converting the pages and pages of written information from the official USGBC study guide into easy to remember visual diagrams, this concise book is a fantastic guide for the exam. Visually Appealing, Easy to carry, Compact and Graphically rich, this is a MUST BUY for anyone planning to give the Leed GA Exam".

Find more information and a preview of the book at www.leedvisual.com


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Mastering AutoCAD Architecture

Become a Pro of AutoCAD Architecture with this book.
Català - Castellano - Deutsch
Jason left our office last week and he gave me his "Mastering AutoCAD Architecture Book" by Paul F. Aubin as a farewell present. I've been browsing through it and it seems I am gonna get some nice tips to post here.
The book is divided in 18 Chapters plus several Appendix with extra exercises. The language is clear and concise and it seems to go to the point right away. Tips like "in case of doubt, right click" can give you an idea of the type of plain and direct language used. I've got the edition for the 2008 version of ACA "Mastering AutoCAD Architecture 2008". For those looking for the latest version of the book follow the links below.

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SketchUp Books: The Missing Manual

Another Manual to learn SketchUp.
Català - Castellano - Deutsch
If you are looking for a cheap Book to learn SketchUp this might be the one you are looking for. Priced at only $24 dollars, it seems a good choice for those starting with SketchUp who prefer to work with a Manual near the computer.
The Missing Manual offers a good insight on SU's interface, it gives some tips on what the program is best for and has a detailed Index of Menu Entries for reference.
Remember that there is plenty of information about the Program for free on the internet, but if you prefer to learn with a manual to back you up, maybe you want to give this a try.

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If you want to check other Books about SketchUp, you can go to the SketchUp section of the CAD Addict Bookshelf.


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SketchUp 7 Hands-On: Beginner and Advanced Exercises

A new Book for those wishing to learn more about this amazing 3D Software. A bit expensive, but the author has other great books already published.
Català - Castellano - Deutsch
Author Bonnie Roskes has Published a new set of 2 Books on SketchUp 7 called SketchUp 7 Hans-on: Basic and Advanced Exercises. The set is expensive (over 120 dollars for both books or around 60 for each one separately) but promising. Bonnie Roskes already published a year ago several sets of very good Books to teach SketchUp to Kids.

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