tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8368638348349152402024-03-12T19:09:49.013-07:00CADman-DoPersonal thoughts and opinions on just about anything.David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.comBlogger148125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-14900769857222351082015-11-08T16:48:00.001-08:002015-11-08T16:48:20.877-08:00Moon Over Buffalo Set DesignFor many years, I have been the staff photographer at the <a href="http://www.bellinghamtheatreguild.com/" target="_blank">Bellingham Theatre Guild</a>. My photos regularly appear in the local papers. I have also had the opportunity to act in a few of the BTG productions.<br />
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Lately, I have also been getting re-involved in more of the actual productions at several of the local theater companies. (I've finally confided to several local directors that I am an architect by profession and have "some" past experience in set design.) Last year, I designed the sets for "The Sound of Music" at the <a href="http://www.clairevgtheatre.com/" target="_blank">Claire VG Thomas </a>theater in nearby Lynden, WA.<br />
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Most recently, I designed the set for "Moon Over Buffalo", also at the Claire VG Thomas. This was a relatively straight-forward design endeavor. "Moon Over Buffalo" is what is known as a five door farce, meaning the stage direction clearly calls for five separate doors, and much of the action involves actors entering and leaving through these various doors. Almost all of the play takes place in the green room at the Erlanger Theatre in Buffalo, NY. "Moon Over Buffalo" was written by Ken Ludwig and originally starred Carol Burnett and Philip Bosco. It premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on October 1, 1995.<br />
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The Claire VG production was directed by my good friend and director extraordinaire Teri Grimes and costumed by my amazing wife Genny.<br />
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Since I often search in vain on the web for set ideas, I decided to start sharing my designs so that others might be able to use them as a springboard when developing their own concepts. Of course, each stage is different and will have its own particular challenges. For example, the Claire VG stage is quite small, measuring just 27-feet across at the proscenium and just over 17-feet deep. It also has just a 3-foot wing stage right, although the wing at stage left (which doubles as a shop area during set construction) is more than 20-feet by 20-feet. There is also no way for actors to cross between the wings unless the designer steals some depth and builds a false wall across the rear of the stage. One nice aspect of the Claire VG stage, however, is its 14-foot height to the teasers, but there is very limited fly space above that height.</div>
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For "The Sound of Music", which had more than 25 scene changes, I designed everything on wagons that could be quickly rolled on and off stage. For "Moon Over Buffalo", nothing had to move, so I was able to build the set walls to the full 14-foot height.</div>
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All of the set design/construction drawings were done in 3D using AutoCAD 2016. I like to be able to show the director a three-dimensional perspective of what the set will look like during pre-production so that we can agree on the design of the show. I then give her plan views so she can start blocking the show even before it is cast. It also makes things so much easier when actual set construction begins to have a set of dimensioned drawings to work from, particularly when working with volunteer crews in community theater.</div>
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The only significant challenge with "Moon Over Buffalo" was how to handle the two scenes that don't actually take place in the green room at the Erlanger. These scene take place on the Erlanger stage during productions of "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Private Lives". We simply draped the furniture, lowered a curtain, and quickly moved on several set pieces for these two scenes. We also stole a bit of space and built a false orchestra pit (padded with lots of foam rubber) for George Hay to fall into.</div>
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Since I had recently reviewed the incredible <a href="http://www.deskeng.com/de/review-an-impressive-epson-printer/" target="_blank">Epson SureColor T5270 wide-format printer for Desktop Engineering magazine</a>, I put it to great use during construction of the "Moon Over Buffalo" set. I used it to print "brick walls" that can be seen through the half-glass door upstage-right as well as to print the movie posters, the photo of Ronald Coleman, and the cover of Life magazine that hung on the walls of the Erlanger green room set.</div>
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I also found an old program from the actual Erlanger Theatre and used it to produce prop programs that were used during each performance of "Moon Over Buffalo". I don't know whether the audience even noticed these, since the action was so fast-paced, but the actors loved them, particularly since the program used each night had a different vintage advertisement on the outside back cover.</div>
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Designing and building the set for "Moon Over Buffalo" was lots of fun, and I think the results were quite effective. It may only be community theater, but I want the audience to be wow'd when the curtain goes up.<br />
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Next up is "A Tuna Christmas" at the Bellingham Theatre Guild, which opens November 27 and runs through December 13, with performances every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening at 7:30pm and Sunday afternoons at 2pm. Set construction is nearing completion. I'll share that design in a forthcoming post. And then later this winter, I'll be designing the BTG production of "August: Osage County."David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-10316877690102615012013-10-20T13:50:00.000-07:002013-10-20T14:44:31.402-07:00Jessi Combs Sets New Women's 4-Wheel Land Speed RecordI recently got to travel once again to the beautiful Alvord Desert in southeast Oregon to join the North American Eagle team as they continued their assault on the world land speed record. One of the goals for this year's trip was for new co-driver Jessi Combs to attempt to break a pair of long-standing records, the 308 mph mark set at Bonneville in 1965 by Lee Breedlove, wife of then world record holder Craig Breedlove; and the 512 mph record set at Alvord in 1976 by Kitty O'Neal driving the rocket-powered "SMI Motivator."<br />
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After just two test runs, on Tuesday, October 8, Jessi broke Breedlove's record, with a two-way average speed of 344.002 mph through the measured mile.<br />
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The next day, Jessi climbed back into the NAE vehicle and made two more runs. This time, she went to full afterburner on both runs. With her parents, sister, and "The List" co-host Patrick McIntyre watching, Jessi reached a top speed of 440.709 mph, pushing her two-way average to set a new record of 392.954 mph and making Jessi Combs the fastest woman on four-wheels.<br />
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I have created a video showcasing the second of her two October 9 runs, which I posted to YouTube on Friday.<br />
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There are also a lot more of my photos on Flickr.<br />
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For those curious about the two women's records, Lee Breedlove set her 308 mph mark in her husband's "Spirit of America Sonic 1" jet-powered car, driving on the salt flats at Bonneville. Since Sonic 1 had four wheels, it is considered a "car" and therefore comes under the rules set by the FIA. The vehicle that Kitty O'Neal drove in 1976 had just three wheels and is therefore considered a "motorcycle" and comes under rules set by the FIM.<br />
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Also, since it was powered by a hydrogen peroxide rocket engine, Motivator reached its top speed much faster than a jet-powered vehicle, enabling Kitty to go more than 512 mph on the relatively short Alvord Desert. The North American Eagle team hopes to either "coax" a few more usable miles of smooth desert out of the dry lake bed at Alvord or else find another location so that next year Jessi can beat O'Neal's record, making her undisputedly the world's fastest woman. And NAE owner and co-driver Ed Shadle hopes to break the current world land speed record of 763.1 mph, set in 1997 by Andy Green driving the "Thrust SSC."</div>
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Since I am at work on a book about the land speed record, I plan to be on-hand when this occurs.<br />
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Also, if you would like to learn more about the North American Eagle, Jessi Combs, and the beautiful Alvord Ranch (where the team was graciously hosted by Paul and Toni Davis) check out the following links:<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.landspeed.com/" target="_blank">North American Eagle Supersonic Land Speed Challenger</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/the-list/" target="_blank">The List: 1001 Car Things to do Before You Die</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/JessiCombsOfficial" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/JessiCombsOfficial</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/NorthAmericanEagle" target="_blank">North American Eagle Facebook Page</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.martinblack.net/alvord.php" target="_blank">Alvord Ranch School</a></li>
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David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0Alvord Desert, Oregon 97721, USA42.5354464 -118.456013317.013411899999998 -159.7646073 68.0574809 -77.1474193tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-59837252449120370572013-09-10T21:37:00.000-07:002013-09-10T21:37:48.890-07:00HP Expands its Z Workstation PortfolioWhile most people were waiting today for Apple to make official what most people already assumed was coming, I was patiently waiting to be able to write about some really cool new stuff that I learned about last week but couldn't write about until today.<br />
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Last week, I spent a day in the Big Apple at an HP press and analyst event at which the company unveiled a number of new workstations and display products, including the world's first workstation ultrabook, the HP ZBook 14.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new HP ZBook 14</td></tr>
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Unlike other ultrabook computers, the new HP ZBook 14 is a true mobile workstation complete with an AMD FirePro M4100 discrete graphics card with 1GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory. HP will be offering a choice of Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors. One of the really cool features is that the system automatically switches from the integrated Intel HD Graphics 4400 to the more powerful AMD GPU when needed. Since it's an ultrabook, it comes with a 10-point multi-touch screen. But since it's also an HP workstation, it's ISV certified and comes with HP tools including HP Performance Advisor and HP Remote Graphics Software. It may just be the perfect portable for engineering professionals on the go.<br />
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The company also announced two other new mobile workstations, the HP ZBook 15 and ZBook 17. These mark the latest iteration of the company's mobile workstation line, with a name change to clearly identify them as members of the HP Z-workstation family (as opposed to the older EliteBook moniker). The new ZBook 15 will include an option for a super-high-resolution QDH+ 3200x1800 display. Both the 15 and 17 feature a Thunderbolt port as well as optional DreamColor Display panels.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entire new HP ZBook mobile workstation family</td></tr>
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The new ZBook mobile workstations feature 4th Generation Intel Haswell dual- and quad-core processors and next generation technologies from NVIDIA and AMD, including the newly announced Keplar-based professional graphics from NVIDIA. And all three ZBook mobile workstations feature innovative new tool-free chassis for easy upgrades and serviceability.<br />
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HP also unveiled updates to the Z420, Z620, and Z820 workstations to include the latest Intel Xeon E5-1600v2 and E5-2600v2 "Ivy Bridge" families of processors as well as memory running 16% faster and 2nd generation Thunderbolt ports for data transfer speeds 4 times faster than USB 3.0.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new HP Z workstation family and new Z27i and Z30i IPS displays</td></tr>
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Lastly, HP added to its line of professional displays, announcing the new HP Z27i and Z30i displays, which incorporate IPS Gen 2 panels that deliver 100% of the Adobe RGB color space while offering power savings of up to 37% compared to HP's first generation IPS displays.<br />
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The HP ZBook 15 and 17 are already available, with the ZBook 14 scheduled to be released in October. The updated Z420, Z620, and Z820 workstations as well as the new displays will also become available in October. I hope to be able to review all of the new workstations and displays as soon as I can get my hands on them, so stay tuned.<br />
<br />David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-82199029232828791632013-04-16T16:00:00.000-07:002013-04-16T16:00:10.631-07:00File Tabs in AutoCAD 2014One of the coolest new features in AutoCAD 2014 are the new File Tabs. Located across the drawing area (just below the ribbon), the new File Tabs provide a fast and visual way to switch between open drawings or to create new ones.<br />
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When you first start the program, you will see a file tab across the top of the drawing area. With just a single drawing open, you see just one file tab, which corresponds to that drawing. But as you open additional drawings, you will see additional file tabs, one for each open drawing.<br />
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File tabs are just one of the new features included in my new iBook, <em>AutoCAD 2014 New Features and Enhancements – Revealed!</em>, published by 4D Technologies/CADLearning. I've uploaded the entire lesson video on File Tabs to YouTube so that you can see for yourself how File Tabs can make it much easier to work in AutoCAD, particularly if you have multiple drawing files open.<br />
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If you have an iPad, you can actually download the entire iBook for <strong><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FREE</span></strong> from the Apple iBookstore. That's right, 4D Technologies/CADLearning has decided to make my new iBook <em>AutoCAD 2014 New Features and Enhancements – Revealed!</em> free this year. So, grab your iPad, open up the iBooks app, and hop on over to the iBookstore. As of today, this is the only iBook available for AutoCAD 2014. So just search for "AutoCAD 2014".</div>
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Now that AutoCAD 2014 is shipping, I can finally update my blog with news, tips, and tricks about AutoCAD and some of the other new software from Autodesk (including the new Autodesk ReCap software). So check back.</div>
David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-16635304899128607802012-06-19T12:20:00.001-07:002012-06-19T21:34:01.324-07:00Rendering in AutoCAD: Ralph Got It WrongJudging from Ralph Grabowski's response to an email I sent him yesterday, I don't think he has any intention of publishing my response to an article in this week's edition of his Upfront Ezine. So I'll share my response here.<br />
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I have a great deal of respect for Ralph. He is usually quite thorough and calls it as he sees it. But this week, he simply got it wrong.<br />
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In this week's lead article, Ralph claimed to have done a head-to-head comparison of AutoCAD's built-in rendering command with Autodesk's new cloud-based rendering service and concluded that the Autodesk 360 rendering was much slower than built-in local rendering. (You can read Ralph's article at <a href="http://www.upfrontezine.com/2012/upf-740.htm" target="_blank">http://www.upfrontezine.com/2012/upf-740.htm</a>.)<br />
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After reading Ralph's article, I wrote the following email:<br />
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<blockquote>
I
really must take issue with the methodology you used in comparing AutoCAD's built-in
rendering command with the new cloud-based rendering. A rendering that takes
only 4 seconds on your local machine is hardly a valid test.<o:p></o:p><br />
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As
you know, I have been testing computers and graphics cards and writing about
AutoCAD about as long as you have. My reviews are regularly published in
Desktop Engineering magazine, and I have taught numerous classes about
rendering at Autodesk University. I also recently added more that 3 dozen
lessons on rendering, both local and cloud-based, to the<a href="http://cadlearning.com/" target="_blank"> CADLearning series ofvideo-based tutorials for 4D Technologies' AutoCAD 2013 course</a>.<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As
part of my reviews for Desktop Engineering, I perform a rendering test using a
drawing I obtained from Heidi Hewett at Autodesk. Although the drawing itself
is relatively simple, it includes numerous materials and multiple light
sources, all of which result in much longer rendering times. On a relatively
fast dual-core workstation, it is not unreasonable for the rendering to take up
to 5 minutes, whereas on a system equipped with two 8-core CPUs with hyper
threading enabled, the rendering might be completed in less than a minute. In
addition to the number of materials and light sources, the resolution of the
rendered image as well as the render quality will also impact the overall
rendering time.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Again,
this is for a relatively simple model. It would not be unreasonable for a
highly detailed model with multiple light sources, all casting shadows, to take
30 minutes or more even on a very fast system with multiple CPUs. While I have
not performed any benchmark tests yet comparing local rendering of such a model
to Autodesk's online rendering service, I would expect the online service to be
considerably faster.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While
you do make some mention of the fact that it does take some time to initially
transmit the model to the Autodesk 360 service (and you experienced some
problems in doing so), it is also worth noting that the online service can
render multiple scenes from the same model, whereas to do this on a local
system, you would need to render each scene individually. Furthermore, when you
render locally, you cannot do anything else in AutoCAD while the rendering is
being computed, whereas when you use the online rendering service, you can go
back to work in AutoCAD as soon as the online render request has been
processed.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
also suspect that most people who use the Autodesk 360 service log in when they
first start AutoCAD. They would therefore already be connected when they
clicked the Render Online button and therefore would not experience the same
delays as you. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From
the image you supplied, I can see that you rendered the model at a resolution
of 640x480 using the Medium render preset, settings that are hardly
representative of real-world situations. In my tests, I typically render at a
resolution of 1280x1024 using the Presentation Quality preset. It's also
apparent from the lack of shadows and materials, that you likely rendered using
the default lighting mode and that the Oil Module drawing contained no
materials.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>I suggest that you come up with a more realistic test
before you start publishing results that are purported to be representative of
real-world results or typical user experiences.</blockquote>
And what was Ralph's reply to my email?<br />
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"<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I clearly laid out the specifications for the
benchmarking so that readers could take it at face value. Thanks for your input!"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">That's hardly a useful response and I think it does his readers a disservice. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Come on, Ralph. You got it wrong.</span>David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-67084554459828528692011-11-29T10:38:00.000-08:002011-11-29T10:38:10.924-08:00AU Opening KeynoteAU kicked off this morning with one of the best keynotes in recent memory. After an intro by Jeff Kowalski, in which he outline 5 disruptive trends, a series of Autodesk customers, starting with a young engineer that has helped build a new lunar lander, came to the stage and delivered truly moving presentations.<br />
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They were followed by Autodesk President and CEO Carl Bass, who continued the theme of disruptive technology and explained in broad strokes how Autodesk is taking advantage of those trends.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9bUHe91Dcw/TtUlue8ebmI/AAAAAAAAA2g/7VQxsBD9U-I/s1600/6425953101_bc50f3366b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9bUHe91Dcw/TtUlue8ebmI/AAAAAAAAA2g/7VQxsBD9U-I/s320/6425953101_bc50f3366b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>I shot video of most of the keynote and will be posting portions of it later this week. So stay tuned.<br />
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Now it's time for me to finish prepping for the first of my two presentations this afternoon.David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-65193840111203444412011-11-28T13:41:00.000-08:002011-11-28T13:44:12.530-08:00Join me for Coverage of Autodesk University 2011It's the week after Thanksgiving, which means that I'm back in Las Vegas attending the 18th Annual Autodesk University. Today is dedicated to special meetings, including a press and blogger briefing that is just getting started.<br />
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I'll be posting as much information as possible this week...basically whatever I can tell you about that isn't under non-disclosure. So stay tuned.David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-85208397681425583472010-08-21T23:00:00.000-07:002010-08-23T16:49:03.126-07:00Tech Day at Infineon RacewayToday was an absolutely incredible day here at Infineon Raceway. The IZOD Indy Car Series organized a Technology Day for writers.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/4914945703/" title="_MG_2941 by dscohn13, on Flickr"><img alt="_MG_2941" height="266" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4914945703_0161ee6db3.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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After arriving at the track and shooting photos of the Indy Lites practice, we met at the Media Center and were assigned to one of the team's pits for the morning IndyCar practice. This meant that we were sort of captive in the pits rather than being out around the track taking photos, but we got a first hand look at what goes on as the teams work to make final preparations to their cars before the afternoon qualifying session.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/4914986435/" title="_MG_2964 by dscohn13, on Flickr"><img alt="_MG_2964" height="266" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4914986435_bc96d38d5b.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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After the practice session, we had lunch in the Honda Hospitality tent, hosted by Erik Berkman, President of Honda Performance Development. I've got lots of notes from our lunch meeting, many of which will be included in my forthcoming article.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/4915007941/" title="_MG_2977 by dscohn13, on Flickr"><img alt="_MG_2977" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4915007941_13da8a130c.jpg" width="266" /></a><br />
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Then we were driven up the hill to the Versus TV Compound, where Robby Green, VP and General Manager took us through the many tractor trailers that house the various television production facilities, including one trailer containing cameramen operating the numerous remote controlled cameras scattered around the racetrack, and the main control room where the director and producers control the on-air broadcast.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/4915695140/" title="_MG_3001 by dscohn13, on Flickr"><img alt="_MG_3001" height="266" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4915695140_7daaa1ee07.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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Then we went back down to pit row where we were met by Bryan Herta, former IndyCar Series driver and owner of Bryan Herta Motorsports. We each received Motorola headsets so we could hear all of the race team communications and also ask questions.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/4915763776/" title="_MG_3021 by dscohn13, on Flickr"><img alt="_MG_3021" height="266" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4915763776_21eecfe8b8.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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Then we met with Jack Arute, the primary on-air commentator for Versus' coverage of IndyCar racing.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/4921831842/" title="IMG_1483 by dscohn13, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1483" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4921831842_3d35b68f7e.jpg" width="266" /></a><br />
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Next, we went to the pits of deFerran/Dragon Motorsports, where we met with Eric Zeto, the team's race engineer (who I also interviewed yesterday for my article) and Raphael Matos, driver of the #2 HP deFerran Dragon entry. They explained how the team collects and analyzes telemetry throughout the race.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/4921217629/" title="IMG_1433 by dscohn13, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1433" height="266" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4921217629_ce7f7e2077.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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We then had a bit of a break, so I went back trackside to take photos of the Historic Grand Prix cars during their final practice session.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/4915581568/" title="_MG_2958 by dscohn13, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4915581568_fc59a9510b.jpg" width="266" height="400" alt="_MG_2958" /></a><br />
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To round out the day, we were driven up to the IZOD IndyCar Series Paddock Club, where we met with Gil deFerran, 2003 Indy 500 winner and owner of deFerran/Dragon Motorsports, and Tony Cotman, the project manager of the 2012 IndyCar. We also met with Matt Ellis, the manager of Infineon Raceway.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/4921840476/" title="IMG_1510-1512-PANORAMA by dscohn13, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1510-1512-PANORAMA" height="90" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4921840476_2d9b90669a.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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It was an incredible day.<br />
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I've also got a bunch of videos that I shot throughout the day that I'll be uploading later once I can edit them down. So check back again later next week.David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-39636976260684970042010-08-20T22:49:00.000-07:002010-08-21T23:09:50.952-07:00Racing in SonomaFriday was the first day of practice here at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway. I climbed up the hill to watch the action in turns 2 and 3. Shooting late in the afternoon, this proved to be a dramatic location, with some excellent photo opportunities of cars as they crested the hill.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/4912520904/" title="IMG_0888 by dscohn13, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0888" height="266" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4137/4912520904_fa1e07c6c1.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
Here's Marco Andretti, driving the number 26 car for Andretti Autosport. Marco already has a career win here at Infineon.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/4912700918/" title="IMG_0969 by dscohn13, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0969" height="266" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4121/4912700918_8158457478.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
Will Power, driving the number 12 Verizon Team Penske car had some demons to vanquish. Coming over this hill during the race last year, he collided at full speed with the stationary car of Nelson Philippe, who had just spun. He broke two vertebrae in his back and missed the rest of the season. Power now leads the points total for the 2010 Indy Racing League season.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/4912357489/" title="IMG_1054 by dscohn13, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1054" height="266" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/4912357489_25436f1126.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
Power had no problems negotiating the turn during practice, and would go on to clinch yet another pole position during Saturday's qualifying session.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/4913047936/" title="IMG_1092 by dscohn13, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1092" height="266" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4913047936_d9da7e3140.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
I'm here this weekend to work on an article on how de Farran Dragon Racing uses technology from its primary sponsor, HP, in the preparation and operation of its car, driven by IRL rookie driver Raphael Matos. I attended the Indy 500 this year as a guest of HP and will use the opportunity afforded by this weekend at Infineon to complete the research for my article.David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-56187829152561555502010-08-19T22:08:00.000-07:002010-08-23T23:51:08.711-07:00The Most Fun I've Had With My Clothes On<p>I've got to admit right off the bat that today, I felt like the proverbial kid in a candy store. I finally got to do something that I've wanted to do for a long time. I got to ride in an Indy Car 2-seater race car.</p><p>I watched other people doing this at several tracks, most recently when I was in Indianapolis for this year's Indy 500. At that time, I was ready to pay to ride, but then learned that all of the opportunities were already sold out for the entire weekend. Well, today, I finally got my chance.</p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oQCmT5CCeLk/TG4JV8pE9oI/AAAAAAAAA10/CBFtGTPBbec/s1600/46226_462164391348_720206348_6381931_5353278_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oQCmT5CCeLk/TG4JV8pE9oI/AAAAAAAAA10/CBFtGTPBbec/s400/46226_462164391348_720206348_6381931_5353278_n.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<p>Here I am all suited up and waiting for my turn.</p><p>I'm at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California to photograph the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, the last road course race of the 2010 Indy Racing League season.</p><p>Thanks to my friends at HP, today I got to partake of the "Indy Racing Experience." What's more, my driver today was Davey Hamilton, one of the drivers with Dragon Racing, the team sponsored by HP. I'm currently working on an article about the team.</p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oQCmT5CCeLk/TG4Je9NesRI/AAAAAAAAA18/9Uig5D8CLZs/s1600/40979_462177126348_720206348_6382259_2972247_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oQCmT5CCeLk/TG4Je9NesRI/AAAAAAAAA18/9Uig5D8CLZs/s400/40979_462177126348_720206348_6382259_2972247_n.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<p>The 2-seater is a larger version of an actual Indy car. It's got the same engine that they ran last year. The only difference is that it's longer, with a second seat behind the driver.</p><p>After arriving at Infineon Raceway at 9am, I signed several pages of release forms and then went into a changing room to don my firesuit and boots. Then, I waited until it was my turn to put on a balaclava, helmet, and gloves and climb aboard behind Davey. After the crew strapped me in and surrounded my head with a Hans device, they started the engine and we took off.</p><p>What a kick. Going from zero to more than 100mph in a few seconds and then braking through the corners and up the hill at Infineon (still Sears Point as far as I'm concerned) was an incredible rush.</p><p>If there was any downside, it was that the two laps were over way too quickly. I talked with Davey afterwards and told him next time I want to drive.</p><p>I shot some video while at the track and also got some onboard video shot from a car-mounted camera. I've edited the footage together and posted it on YouTube. Here it is. Enjoy.</p><object height="321" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DmdU0_EmjzU?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DmdU0_EmjzU?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="321"></embed></object><br />
<p>All I can say is, if you've ever thought of doing a 2-seater ride, go for it. And thank you HP for making my ride happen.</p>David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-12064119693011356812010-08-12T15:08:00.000-07:002010-08-12T19:35:39.638-07:00Did You Know That I Am "Renowned"?For the past several months, I've been working on a productivity study comparing AutoCAD 2008 to AutoCAD 2011. The basic idea behind this study was to attempt to quantify the potential time saved - or productivity improvement - that a typical user could reasonably expect to achieve by upgrading from their current version of AutoCAD to the latest release.<br /><br />In order to quantify this improvement, I devised a series of tests involving timing the repeated re-creation of a selection of drawings using both AutoCAD 2008 and AutoCAD 2011. The drawings I used were representative of those that would be produced by typical AutoCAD users.<br /><br />By upgrading from AutoCAD 2008 to AutoCAD 2011, I reduced the time required to create these drawings by 31 percent, reducing the overall time from 13.5 hours to 9.25 hours. When I then switched from AutoCAD 2011 on an older workstation running Windows XP to a newer workstation running Windows 7, the time required was reduced further. On the more modern system, it took just 7.5 hours to create the same eight AutoCAD drawings, an overall reduction in time of 44 percent from AutoCAD 2008.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oQCmT5CCeLk/TGR62eTLiFI/AAAAAAAAA1s/qw6HKW9YUYM/s1600/blog-graphic-01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 194px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oQCmT5CCeLk/TGR62eTLiFI/AAAAAAAAA1s/qw6HKW9YUYM/s320/blog-graphic-01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504659720818624594" /></a><br /><br />I thought that was pretty dramatic. So did Autodesk. And so did the folks at HP and NVIDIA, co-sponsors of the study.<br /><br />The complete productivity study is <a href="http://offers.autodesk.com/offercenter/general_design_drafting/AutoCAD_2011_Productivity_Study.pdf">now available on the Autodesk website</a>.<br /><br />I'll also be participating in a webcast next Tuesday, August 17, from 10:00-11:00am Pacific time. I hope you'll <a href="http://www.autodesk.com/productivity">join us for the webcast, hosted by Heidi Hewett</a>.David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-13128829682428408792010-07-26T17:00:00.001-07:002010-07-26T17:09:20.889-07:00One of My Photos Wins Photo ContestI was just notified that one of my photos from the Vancouver Winter Olympics has won first prize in the 5th Annual Quicksilver Photo Contest.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2702/4398829754_086f6ded9e.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2702/4398829754_086f6ded9e.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />My photo of the USA 3 bobsled driven by Mike Kohn flying past spectators at the Whistler Sliding Center during the final heat of the 4-man bobsleigh competition at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics was taken on February 27, 2010 using a Canon 10D and a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens at 1/500 second, f/8, 70mm, and ISO-1600. The winning image is cropped just slightly from the original.<br /><br />This photo, along with winners in other categories, will be on display at <a href="http://www.quicksilverphotolab.com/">Quicksilver Photo Lab</a> beginning on Friday, July 30, 2010.David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-31552904845175735662010-06-01T11:43:00.000-07:002010-06-05T13:55:10.774-07:00The 94th Indy 500With all of my travel this past week, it's taken me a few days to sort through all of my photos and post this report on the actual race. What an incredible experience.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4658031542_d64d382d7c.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4658031542_d64d382d7c.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />There's something magical about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Indy 500 is truly the greatest spectacle in motor racing, and everything about this track, including the new Pagoda at the start/finish line, is iconic.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4657707288_d834b59a6e.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4657707288_d834b59a6e.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />On Sunday morning, before the race, I got to hang out in the de Ferran Dragon Racing garage and spend some time talking with drivers Rafael Matos and Davey Hamilton and the rest of the team. What an incredibly gracious group of people.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4657541978_92bf209100.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4657541978_92bf209100.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I watched the start of the race and the first round of pit stops from the Dragon Racing pits and then moved over into turn 1 to shoot some of the early race action. With a 500-mile race there would be plenty of time to move around to the different vantage points afforded by my press credentials.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4658002110_c87d09a0f8.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4658002110_c87d09a0f8.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I think a lot of people were rooting for Tony Kanaan, who started in 33rd position, the very last car on the starting grid, but quickly moved up through the field, eventually getting as high as second place before he had to stop for fuel just 4 laps from the end, finishing in 11th place. What a performance.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4657537960_80a46bc770.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4657537960_80a46bc770.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Dario Franchitti quickly put his Target Chip Ganassi car into the lead and led the race for more than 150 laps.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4656906903_3bf996a24d.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4656906903_3bf996a24d.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />They say that you can't win the Indy 500 on the first lap, but you can lose it on the first lap. That was certainly true of Dragon Racing today. Davey Hamilton was forced into the wall leaving turn 2 on the very first lap to avoid a collision with Tomas Scheckter and was out of the race almost before it began. Pit stops also proved to be problematic for many cars, including the usually unshakable Penske team. Here pole sitter Helio Castroneves and second-row qualifier Ryan Briscoe leave the pits during an early pit stop.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4656759315_bddf252685.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4656759315_bddf252685.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Roger Penske seemingly couldn't believe some of the problems his team experienced in the pits, but theirs wouldn't be the only problems.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4657489978_1ba089f452.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4657489978_1ba089f452.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Standing behind the barrier in the short shoot between turns 1 and 2, I was very excited to watch as de Ferran Dragon Racing driver Rafael Matos moved up through the field from his 12th starting position to 3rd overall.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4657493218_afa151d587.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4657493218_afa151d587.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Dan Weldon in the number 4 National Guard car entered by Panther Racing was also doing very well, moving up from his 18th starting spot on the outside of row 6.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4657520760_4cc5ee43fb.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4657520760_4cc5ee43fb.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Pole sitter Helio Castroneves stayed up in the mix throughout the early action, a favorite to win his fourth Indy 500. He seemed quite happy to stay back a few positions and just run with the leaders.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4656932647_86ec4a9823.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4656932647_86ec4a9823.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Things seemed to be playing out smoothly, and then came a series of mishaps. Rafael Matos pitted on lap 67. Both he and Scott Dixon had problems during their stops, with both cars losing wheels. For Matos, the long stop dropped him way back in the field. He returned to the pits three laps later for a wing adjustment. Once back on the track, he pushed a bit too hard. On lap 73, Matos spun coming through turn 1, slamming the rear end into the Safer Barrier amid a shower of sparks. His car came to a stop in turn two, his day over.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4657494223_a938c1fa95.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4657494223_a938c1fa95.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />With both of the de Ferran Dragon Racing cars out of the race, I was ready to move to a new photo location. I shot for a while in the now empty Dragon Racing pits, but decided to move higher to watch the final stages of the race. On a tip from a fellow photographer, I made my way up onto the roof of the grand stand just about the start/finish line. From there I could see most of the track and had a great view of all the action on the main straight.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1284/4657515399_d92ef7002d.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1284/4657515399_d92ef7002d.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />My roof-top vantage point proved to be an excellent position, as I was able to watch the drama continue to unfold on pit lane. While the leaders battled, Danica Patrick continued to move up through the field. She would eventually finish 5th.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1266/4657497753_7d36a4a677.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1266/4657497753_7d36a4a677.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />But things would continue to be nuts in the pits, with several more cars touching wheels late in the race.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4658065908_c42ac4a233.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4658065908_c42ac4a233.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />At other tracks I've been able to actually shoot pits stops from the pit wall at ground level. With cars flying by at more than 230mph on the front straight at Indy, however, I was quite happy shooting down from my higher vantage point.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4657635152_98526f5a68.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4657635152_98526f5a68.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Here Ryan Hunter-Raey's number 37 Izod car gets serviced during the final round of pit stops on lap 163. He would eventually finish in 18th position.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4657668367_d8e096a8fd.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 333px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4657668367_d8e096a8fd.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Being directly above the start/finish line had other advantages, as I had a perfect view as Dario Franchitti and Dan Weldon took the checkered flag at the end of the race.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4657699705_7fc7215094.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4657699705_7fc7215094.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And once race winner Dario Franchitti brought his number 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car to a stop in pit lane, I had a birds-eye view as his team rushed to congratulate him.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4657709617_5e0ca7675d.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4657709617_5e0ca7675d.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Here's Dario as he celebrates his victory, with his wife Ashley Judd looking on.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4658334660_a7545ccc0f.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 333px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4658334660_a7545ccc0f.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And yet another photo of Ashley Judd and Dario Franchitti in victory circle.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1301/4658340248_47af2f24e2.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1301/4658340248_47af2f24e2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />With temperatures reaching 98 degrees, making the 2010 Indy 500 the hottest on record, I was quite happy to sit in the air conditioned press center for the post-race press conference. Here, Chip Ganassi describes what it's like to win both the Dayton 500 and the Indy 500 in the same year. "I didn't drive the car. I didn't put fuel in it. I didn't change any tires," said Ganassi. "I'm just a lucky guy to be in this business."<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4658347980_ecec7b7411.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4658347980_ecec7b7411.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And then it was Dario Franchitti's turn to answer questions. When asked whether winning the Indy 500 twice finally put him in the same league as his heroes Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark, he replied that "I could could win the Indy 500 for the rest of my life, until I'm 70, and I still wouldn't be in the same league as Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart."<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4658358492_002ff3cc22.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 333px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4658358492_002ff3cc22.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Dario's wife, actress Ashley Judd, looked on during the post-race press conference, at one time cracking up with laughter when, in response to a question, Dario said that having to now choose which of his two Indy wins was his favorite would be like having to choose which of his two dogs he liked best.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1273/4658007684_4743d74641.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1273/4658007684_4743d74641.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Ever wonder what a car looks like after hitting the wall at nearly 200mph. I wandered back to the de Ferran Dragon Racing garage after the race for a look at the remains of the number 2 car of Rafael Matos...pretty ugly. Now it remains to be seen whether the team can make repairs in time for next week's race at the Texas Motor Speedway.<br /><br />Of course, it was tough selecting just these photos to share with you. If you'd like to see more, you'll find more <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/sets/72157624054316819/">race-day photos on my Flickr site</a>.David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-39008211279844574262010-05-30T12:00:00.000-07:002010-05-31T22:33:43.884-07:00Indy 500 Pre-RaceIt's race day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It's still hours before the race, but already things are happening.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4657111985_3989661a98.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 333px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4657111985_3989661a98.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Bands are playing and the Borg Warner Trophy has been rolled out onto the strip of bricks that comprise the start/finish line.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4657740876_d9e7e82569.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4657740876_d9e7e82569.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Also lined up on the grid are four former Indy 500 winning automobiles that will be part of the pre-race parade.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4657849308_e25a724a97.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4657849308_e25a724a97.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />There are plenty of celebrities on hand. Jack Nicholson strolled down through the starting grid to get a close-up look at the 33 race cars. He'll be the honorary flagger for today's race.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4657879610_e417b5ab0f.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4657879610_e417b5ab0f.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />David Letterman and Bobby Rahal, co-owners of Rahal Letterman racing are here. Bobby's son Graham is now driving for the team.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4657301605_5e123aa6c1.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 333px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4657301605_5e123aa6c1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Mark Wahlberg is also here. He will get to ride in the Indy 2-seater, driven by Michael Andretti, ahead of the rest of the grid during the warmup laps.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1279/4657909954_4deaa0e8df.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1279/4657909954_4deaa0e8df.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />While the cars were being moved to the grid, Mark Wahlberg and Mario Andretti went up to the front and chatted while sitting on the 2-seater.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4657322077_3cb116de89.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4657322077_3cb116de89.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Then the drivers were all introduced and took seats at the start/finish line for the rest of the pre-race festivities.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4656808099_041c752e2d.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 333px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4656808099_041c752e2d.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Florence Henderson sang "God Bless America."<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4656810001_6f9ded6b68.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 333px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4656810001_6f9ded6b68.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Jewel sand the Star Spangled Banner.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4657438668_37da5f5671.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4657438668_37da5f5671.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Then four fighter jets flew down over the length of the main straight away.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4656821665_f4ebd6051a.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4656821665_f4ebd6051a.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Finally, Jim Nabors sang "Back Home Again in Indiana".<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4656799997_5fc326ed6e.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4656799997_5fc326ed6e.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And then it was time for Jack Nicholson to wave the green flag to start the most famous auto race in the world.David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-90695478299705963432010-05-29T21:37:00.000-07:002010-05-31T22:04:39.480-07:00Indianapolis - Day 2It's day 2 here in Indianapolis. There's nothing much going on at the track today, so it's the perfect opportunity to sit down with the Dragon Racing engineers to gather material for my article. It's also a perfect chance to soak up some of the history that is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4651087523_09d960792c.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4651087523_09d960792c.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The Administration Building looks pretty new. This is where I had to go first thing Friday morning to pick up my credentials for the race. The speedway is celebrating its centennial. It's 100 years old, but since there were no races for several years during the world wars, it's not yet the 100th running of the Indy 500. So the Brickyard will celebrate its centennial for several years.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4651383055_9709c66325.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4651383055_9709c66325.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />One of the most distinctive aspects of this place is the main gate. It's just iconic. I had to stop and take a picture.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4651361245_1bf9785a68.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4651361245_1bf9785a68.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Then I went over to the Hall of Fame. This building houses one of the finest collections of race cars and other automobiles in the world, and they all still run. It was a fascinating visit for me, not only to see the former Indy 500 winners, but also because a number of the vehicles on display factor into my upcoming book on the land speed record. Here's a Patent Benz, one of the very first automobiles.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4651932278_678345b911.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4651932278_678345b911.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And this Delage, while the 1914 Indy winner in its own right, was also a land speed record holder in its day.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4651961308_04facd0dd5.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 333px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4651961308_04facd0dd5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Of course, one of the high points for me was to see this car, one of the three STP turbine cars that ran in the 1968 Indy 500. That was the last time I came to Indianapolis. My cousin Jerry took me to the race when I was 15 years old. We sat in turn 4 and watched the turbine cars dominate the race only to break down just a few laps from the end.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4651206131_9bf06dd1c5.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4651206131_9bf06dd1c5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />After spending several hours in the museum, I spent a few more hours in the Dragon Racing garage, talking with the engineers and admiring a beautiful example of today's modern open-wheel race cars.David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-538216997226832382010-05-28T06:07:00.000-07:002010-05-31T22:06:03.510-07:00Indy 500 Day 1I'm in Indianapolis this weekend for the Indy 500. I'm working on an article that will be published later this summer in Desktop Engineering magazine.<br /><br />It's been a pretty interesting trip so far. I was seated on my fligh from Salt Lake City to Indianapolis with members of the band Rival Sons, who played on pit row yesterday during the Pit Stop Challenge.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4649541430_f62705ddef.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4649541430_f62705ddef.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The challenge competition was won by Helio Castroneves, who is seen here accepting the $50,000 winner's check.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4649523196_d233b74142.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4649523196_d233b74142.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I had a chance to get down and kiss the most famous bricks in the world, the strip of bricks at the start/finish line, the last ones remaining from the original "Brickyard."<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4649583134_25d808651e.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4649583134_25d808651e.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Danica Patrick was also entered in the Pit Stop Challenge. And yes, that is fellow CAD journalist Bill Fane. He's also here this weekend.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4649578376_770d755a4a.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4649578376_770d755a4a.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The 35-lap Indy Lites race was a nice tight competition after a crash on lap 3 took out the pole sitter.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4648866485_7a20d29fcd.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4648866485_7a20d29fcd.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here's the HP-sponsored car of Raphael Matos. HP is responsible for getting me to Indy. I'll be talking with team engineers today in preparation for the article.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3399/4649505684_f5b54ce23e.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3399/4649505684_f5b54ce23e.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here Raphael discusses results of today's final practice run with team owner Gils de Feran.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4649555844_6ac59f3c6a.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4649555844_6ac59f3c6a.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A high point for me was a party last night at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Outside in the sculpture garden, some people were passing around an Olympic gold medal. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was a medal from the Vancouver Games and a few seconds later I realized that I was standing next to Steve Holcomb, the driver of USA 4-man bobsled #1, who I watched win that gold medal up at the Whistler Sliding Center back in February.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4648939161_9ecb30487f.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4648939161_9ecb30487f.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />What a thrill to meet Steve and actually hold the medal.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4648936533_a29aa23735.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4648936533_a29aa23735.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There were lots of other interesting people at the party, including Mario Andretti, NFL hall of famer Lynn Swann, and Bruce Jenner.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4648984305_5d366b1d70.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4648984305_5d366b1d70.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Oh, and did I mention that the entertainment at the track after the practice and Indy Lites race was ZZ Top? Not a bad start to what should continue to be a very interesting weekend.<br /><br />As always, there are lots more photos on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/sets/72157624159278430/">my Flickr site</a>.</div>David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-87961317820177136162010-03-25T11:18:00.000-07:002010-03-25T11:43:36.551-07:00More Details on AutoCAD 2011We're continuing our day here at Autodesk. I'm now in a breakout room with several dozen bloggers and Autodesk personel, going into more detail on the features in AutoCAD 2011.<br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452638642507593090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_oQCmT5CCeLk/S6up9L87tYI/AAAAAAAAA1k/XXIXFxt0o7o/s320/IMG_6277.JPG" border="0" />It's now much easier to modify objects in AutoCAD with a simple right-click. For example, when you select a polyline, new grips appear on the vertices and polyline segments. You can then hover over a grip and move a vertex, add a vertex, or delete a vertex. You can also convert straight-line polyline segments into curved segments, or curved segments into straight-line segments.</p><p>Several tools that were available in subscription packs for AutoCAD 2010 are now part of the core functionality of AutoCAD 2011. For example, you can select an object and then right-click and choose to select similar objects, or create a simialr object.</p><p>There is also a new set of tools to hide or isolate objects separate from layer control. You can select objects and then isolate those objects by hiding everything that was not selected or hide the selected objects, leaving unselected objects visible. You can do this repeatedly until just the desired objects remain visible. A new button on the Status bar indicated when objects have been hidden/isolated. You can then easily restore object visibility when you're done working. By default, object visibility does not persist between drawing sessions, but there is a new system variable that enables you to retain the visibility between drawing sessions.</p><p>AutoCAD also now supports transparency on both an object and layer basis. You can also include transparency as part of a hatch object. The one thing to watch out for is transparency when plotting. If you want to plot with transparency, you must turn on a specific setting within the Plot dialog. This causes the resulting plot to be rasterized. This setting is off by default because it adds time to the plotting process. But as pointed out during our session, rasterization can cause problems when creating a DWF file. DWF files are typically vector files. If you bring a DWF file into an AutoCAD drawing as an underlay, you can snap to geometry in the DWF file. But if you rasterize when creating a DWF file, you won't be able to snap to geometry in the resulting DWF file.</p><p>It's worth noting that the hatch, polyline, and transparency features are all now available in AutoCAD LT. In addition, AutoCAD LT now has gradient fills, just like AutoCAD.</p><p>One other new function that I really like are inferred constraints. In AutoCAD 2010, you had to create all constraints manually, although you could use the AutoConstrain tool to apply a bunch of constraints in one step. But now, in AutoCAD 2011, there's a button on the Status bar that turns on Inferred Constraints. When inferred constraints are enabled, appropriate geometric constraints are created automatically as you work. So if you were to draw a rectangle, for example, parallel constraints would automatically be applied to opposite sides and a perpendicular constraint to one corner, so that the rectangle would remain a rectangle when grip editing (rather than just a closed polyline).</p><p>I'll continue to report on today's events. Over the next few days, I'll start posting short videos illustrating many of these features. You will certainly find similar videos posted by others, including Heidi Hewett (on her <a href="http://heidihewett.blogs.com/">AutoCAD Insider blog</a>).</p>David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-66867372002412871302010-03-25T09:13:00.000-07:002010-03-25T09:32:07.230-07:00New Features in AutoCAD 2011The Autodesk webcast started off this morning by lifting the curtain on the newest release of AutoCAD. AutoCAD 2011 extends on the 3D capabilities added in previous versions with the addition of associative surfaces.<br /><br />Associative 3D surfaces can be based on 2D curves that remain associated with the surfaces. When you modify the curves, the surfaces on which they were based are updated automatically. In addition, the 2D parametrics introduced in AutoCAD 2010 can now be extended to 3D thanks to these associative curves. If the curves were defined using geometric and dimensional constraints, you can use those constraints to drive the curves, which in turn drives the 3D model.<br /><br />Another big improvement is direct manipulation of objects. For example, you no longer need to go into a Hatch dialog to create or edit a hatch patter. The Hatch dialog has been replaced by a Hatch contextual ribbon. As you make changes to the hatch settings, you immediately see the resulting hatch pattern in the drawing, making it much easier to get the desired results. If you do need to edit a hatch object, when you select the hatch, the Hatch Edit contextual ribbon is immediately activated, and again, you can immediately see the effect of each change within the drawing. You can also right-click on the hatch object and adjust many aspects of the hatch, such as hatch angle or scale, instantly using a shortcut menu.<br /><br />I'm sure that we'll see more details of AutoCAD 2011 later today. But right now, the presentation is moving on to Inventor 2011.David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-36797778683367539772010-03-25T08:43:00.000-07:002010-03-25T09:01:03.229-07:00AutoCAD Turns 25I'm in San Francisco at Autodesk today for the launch of AutoCAD 2011. This is the 25th release of AutoCAD. There will be a live webcast starting shortly at <a href="http://www.autodesk.com/webcast">www.autodesk.com/webcast</a>. I'll be in the audience at that webcast along with a number of other bloggers, authors, and analysts. I'll also be blogging throughout the day. So please stay tuned.<br /><br />In the pre-briefing this morning, the main points raised were:<br /><br /><ul><li>76,000 man hours spent on Q/A of the new release</li><li>6,000 total code reviews of new release</li><li>2,000 commands tested</li><li>4,600 Beta customers involved in AutoCAD 2011</li><li>1.4M lines of old code were removed </li></ul>Autodesk will also announce Alias Sketch for AutoCAD, which will also be launched today as a plug-in. The program adds sketch rendering capability right inside AutoCAD. A single inte4grated environment enables you to combine 2D paint with AutoCAD geometry with a 3D model as an underlay.<br /><br />I'll provide more details as the day developes.David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-49285342325757499102010-03-19T10:44:00.001-07:002010-03-19T10:52:46.381-07:00The CAD BrothersI just spent a very enjoyable week in Texas, speaking at AUGI CAD Camp events in Austin on Tuesday and Dallas on Thursday. I also dropped in on the Dallas AutoCAD User Group meeting on Wednesday night.<br /><br />Since we figured we'd need a rental car while in Austin (the event hotel was quite a ways from the airport), we decided to drive from Austin to Dallas on Wednesday. When we arrived at Austin airport on Monday, Budget didn't have any full-size cars available, so after some debate, they upgraded us to a premium vehicle, which turned out to be a fully-loaded Lincoln Town Car.<br /><br />Well, put a bunch of CAD geeks in a big piece of Detroit iron for a 4-hour drive across Texas and strange things are bound to happen. The AUGI national speaker team is no longer four individuals. We are now "The CAD Brothers" and we're on a mission from AUGI.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oQCmT5CCeLk/S6O4I3PSGII/AAAAAAAAA1c/I57fM9Qu8D8/s1600-h/The+CAD+Brothers.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450402436454946946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 274px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_oQCmT5CCeLk/S6O4I3PSGII/AAAAAAAAA1c/I57fM9Qu8D8/s320/The+CAD+Brothers.jpg" border="0" /></a> Here we are on our arrival in Dallas. From left-to-right: Bill Fane, me, Rick Ellis, and Robert Green.<br /><div></div>David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-18632036552970783332010-02-28T20:14:00.000-08:002010-02-28T20:55:43.123-08:00We're On TV...Don't Blink or You'll Miss ItI've spent a quiet Sunday afternoon watching the gold medal hockey game and we were just sitting down to watch the closing ceremonies. Of course, NBC's coverage is still terrible. It's already nearly 8:30pm. The closing ceremonies have actually been over for several hours but have been delayed here on the west coast so that they can be aired in prime time. What a crock.<br /><br />There was one upside from the coverage. NBC aired some gold medal highlights, one of which was the Ladies' Figure Skating Free Skate program. We were there that night, so we didn't see it on TV and our DVR was so filled that by the time we had a chance to watch it, it was no longer there.<br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2765/4396682391_6b8aba17cf.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 375px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 500px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2765/4396682391_6b8aba17cf.jpg" border="0" /></a>As we watched the coverage of Kim Yu-Na, the camera cut to a shot taken way up in the stands, and there was none other than Clarice holding one end of our American flag.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4396662675_ecc9ae63a4.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4396662675_ecc9ae63a4.jpg" border="0" /></a> Then, while watching the coverage of the final two runs of the 4-man bobsled, I managed to spot myself and Genny's brother Mike standing at the finish line.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2715/4396662193_81d4e42a37.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2715/4396662193_81d4e42a37.jpg" border="0" /></a> That's Mike with his head turned, wearing a blue Team USA cap and my right arm reaching out with my small digital camera. I'm wearing my blue USA jacket with a red stripe down the arm, so it was easy for me to spot myself.</div></div>David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-81707031409035963782010-02-28T11:00:00.000-08:002010-02-28T22:03:18.186-08:00Our 7th Day - 4-man Bobsled at WhistlerToday is our last day at the 2010 Winter Olympics, but what a day. We left Bellingham around 8am and drove up to Whistler, BC to watch the final two heats of the 4-man bobsled. Once we confirmed that Mike and Kate were going to be able to join us for the bobsled, we sold the tickets I had originally bought to take the bus from BCIT up to Whistler and instead bought a driving pass for the Sea to Sky Highway and drove to Whistler.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4396396628_d5806b1f5f.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4396396628_d5806b1f5f.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />After waiting in a long line to get through security and into the Whistler Sliding Center, we watched the first sleds take to the course for heat 3. The first sled on track was USA 1, driven by Steve Holcomb. Steve's family was out in force to cheer him on.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4396397796_05292f9ab4.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4396397796_05292f9ab4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />He had a successful third run and remained in first place. I noted that the steel columns supporting the roof over the finish line were now covered with pads after the death of the Georgian luger prior to the start of the games. Last year during the World Cup events, and prior to the start of the Olympics, these columns were exposed.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2777/4396400646_bc3002dd8b.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2777/4396400646_bc3002dd8b.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The thirteenth sled down the course was USA 2, driven by Mike Kohn.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4395631971_56a3ee3068.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4395631971_56a3ee3068.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />By the time Mike finished, we had a ring side seat at the finish hut, directly in front of Mike's parents. I couldn't help but remark to them on the similarity of our last names.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4396409820_b325b59ab2.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4396409820_b325b59ab2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />We watched a few more sleds come to a stop in the finish hut. I had a chance to meet a number of these athletes during last year's World Cup event at Whistler, so I already knew how big these guys are. Many of them played football and college. They're all built like linebackers.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2719/4396399472_26a28d210a.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2719/4396399472_26a28d210a.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Our original plan had been to get to Whistler early enough to climb to the top of the track so that we could watch the first sleds start the third heat and then work our way down toward the bottom during the fourth and final heat. Since that didn't happen, we instead started working our way up the course during the later stages of heat three, stopping as each sled came down the track. Here the Serian sled flies by.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4395646129_304b86e9c3.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 319px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 425px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4395646129_304b86e9c3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The 4-man bobsled finals drew the largest crowd ever to attend a sliding event, including this guy who was already prepared for Sunday's gold medal hocket match between Team USA and Canada.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2586/4395648251_3d63699d70.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 319px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 425px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2586/4395648251_3d63699d70.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I came prepared to cheer on the USA sleds. Here I pose for a rare photo opp at turn 1 just below the start during the lull between heats 3 and 4.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4396401174_80a89e78e5.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4396401174_80a89e78e5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />After watching several sleds start the fourth and final heat, we quickly made our way down toward the bottom of the course, again stopping to watch each sled, including one of the Latvian sleds.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4395635717_0bd9cc74c5.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4395635717_0bd9cc74c5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The Whistler Sliding Center is the fastest track in the world, with 4-man bobsleds reaching nearly 100mph. Capuring these vehicles is quite an accomplishment, so I am no doubt incrediby happy with some of my photos, such as this one of one of the Canadian sleds.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2688/4396404862_94ba21701a.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2688/4396404862_94ba21701a.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />With just three sleds left, the crowd watched anxiously as the Canada 1 sled rocketed into second place, only to be surpassed by the Germany 1 sled by .01 second.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4396406636_e6b595048a.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4396406636_e6b595048a.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Then we waited for the USA 1 sled of Steve Holcomb.<br /><br /><p align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='425' height='353' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxQZ6fy5CkHlKIXqTpbrDnJoeeIZsMhdRNls33zspVXX7wt7R5_Wl1xSctkAFM4toPvGBJZc_PPLSr3Urkp_g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><br />Being able to move around the course, you get all sorts of vantage points. Although one could again argue that you can see the bobsled better on TV, since at any given spot along the track, you only see the sled rocket past for a split second. But unlike almost any other event, spectators can get incredibly close to the track. You just can't experience the speed of a bobsled from the safety of your living room.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2683/4395639365_dc33b91823.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2683/4395639365_dc33b91823.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Once all 21 sleds had completed the fourth run, it was USA 1 sled of Steve Holcomb in first place, continuing to maintain the .4 second margin he had built in his early runs. Germany finished second and Canada took the bronze, just .01 seconds behind Germany.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4395635121_ce82fd4476.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4395635121_ce82fd4476.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Genny, Kate, Mike and I had a great time. When the event was over, we joined the huge crowd walking back down below the Wizard chair on Blackcomb and made our way back to Whistler Village. We got into the line for standby tickets for the Medal Ceremony, but in spite of getting very close to the entrance, we did not manage to get inside before Holcomb and the rest of the USA team were awarded their gold medals. Standing outside the medals plaza, we flew our own American flag and sang the Star Spangled Banner.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2783/4396420386_e1003f50e6.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2783/4396420386_e1003f50e6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Then we made our way to the Irish Pub in Whistler Village and hoisted a few before getting back into the car and driving back to Bellingham.<br /><br />We got home just before 1am, having had an incredible time at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. I considered driving up to Vancouver on Sunday morning and watching the USA/Canada gold medal hockey game in a bar and then trying to get tickets to the closing ceremony. But after four straight days at the games, I was exhausted. So I'll watch the hockey game and closing ceremony at home.<br /><br />There are even more photos on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/sets/72157623458536790/">my Flickr site</a>.David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-83135518440441784202010-02-26T23:55:00.000-08:002010-02-28T19:31:56.256-08:00On the Streets of Vancouver on Friday NightToday we were back in Vancouver to attend short track speed skating at the Pacific Coliseum. Before the event, we took the Skytrain into downtown Vancouver to eat lunch at a great Indian restaurant and to do some shopping.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4395623035_c8fa76b26c.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 319px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 425px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4395623035_c8fa76b26c.jpg" border="0" /></a>Canadian spirit is everywhere. Here a huge Canadian flag is reflected on the front of the Toronto Dominion Tower.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2746/4395627481_e92f8d628b.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 319px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 425px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2746/4395627481_e92f8d628b.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />After tonight's short track speed skating, we took the Skytrain into downtown Vancouver and hung out on Robson Street. The Canadian men's hockey team had just beaten Slovakia in a semi-final game, and the crowds on Robson street were celebrating.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4396388046_d819f6ac09.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4396388046_d819f6ac09.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />We also wandered over so that Kate and Mike could see the Olympic Flame. The barrier has been moved closer and larger gaps and Plexiglas have been added to the chain link fence, making the barrier a bit less obtrusive, but it's still a shame that the view of the flame has to be obscured in such a draconian fashion.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4396390492_12f94a4e6d.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4396390492_12f94a4e6d.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I hope these young Canadian girls didn't use Sharpie markers to create those tattoos, or they may not be quite so temporary. Such is the enthusiasm of our Canadian hosts at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4396387532_e493c40543.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4396387532_e493c40543.jpg" border="0" /></a> The International Broadcast Center, housed in the new Vancouver Convention Center, is a beautiful sight, particularly at night, with the Olympic Rings glowing in the background.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aOeJy6taYk4&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aOeJy6taYk4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p><p></p><p>This video captures a bit of the enthusiasm in downtown Vancouver. Back on Robson Street, we watch the crowd as we wait for our crepes at a wonderful little restaurant that has become a popular night spot. </p><p>There are more photos on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/sets/72157623458536790/">my Flickr site</a>.</p>David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-82469284482988522472010-02-26T22:00:00.000-08:002010-03-01T07:48:46.542-08:00Our Sixth Olympic Day - Short Track Speed SkatingToday brought us to another one of those events that we really looked forward to, the finals of the short track speed skating.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4396391502_cee44bea9a.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 319px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 425px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4396391502_cee44bea9a.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Joining us for this event was my sister Lori and my brother-in-law Mike and his wife Kate. Here they posed with one of the Royal Canadian Mounted Policemen who would later participate in the Medal Ceremony.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4396392050_dcb613ed22.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4396392050_dcb613ed22.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Once up in the stands, Kate and Mike used one of the signs I had made to help us cheer on the USA speed skaters.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4396352584_d885af8a91.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4396352584_d885af8a91.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Of course, one of the stars we had come to see compete was Apolo Ono. He competed twice tonight, in the Mens' 500 meter and then again in the Mens' 5000 meter relay.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2745/4395586747_44d4c0bea2.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2745/4395586747_44d4c0bea2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Also competing was Katherine Reutter, who made it into the finals of the Ladies' 1000 meter short track event. She did very well in her semi-final and quarter-final heats.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4396351020_3314a01a33.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4396351020_3314a01a33.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Here Katherine makes a move to the front in her quarter-final heat.<br /><br /><p align="center"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='425' height='353' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzNP0npK72TJh1zYe0VBbkz1JD6WKGABj5cnHxFHp6lhzet5Zm10dZUAiqO2fqrln_z6iT3pITZXn__yyyBnw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><br />Anyone who says that you can experience an event like this better on television has obviously never been to a short track speed skating event. I am now absolutely in love with this sport. Instead of competing against the clock as in long track speed skating, short track has 4 or 5 athletes on the ice at one time, with the two fastest in each heat continuing on to the next round. The action is intense, and you just can't experience the excitement from the confines of your couch. <p></p><br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4396353150_975ceef69e.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4396353150_975ceef69e.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Apolo Ono also advanced through his semi-final and quarter-final heats, although he had a bit of a tougher time, including a race in which he had to leap over two skaters who got tangled up and fell in front of him. He eventually made it to third place in the final, only to be disqualified for impeding a skater in his final heat.<br /><br /><p align="center"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='425' height='353' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyROtqehLtjAVJoSnEU39ydHpu7PVkAli8J43dm0uqEQCYqwzmPeUk-DqxhDqD1I8M0m2QckxCmXwMEsoWH7w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><br />Here's Ono in his quarter-final heat. You can see how fast moving and exciting this sport really is. I think the excitement comes across better in this crude video, shot on my pocket camera, than in the overly-packaged television coverage on NBC.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4395592453_7a6efc2a81.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4395592453_7a6efc2a81.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />In the finals of the Ladies' 1000 meter, Katherine Reutter fought her way to the front.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4396366066_22a2b9fa58.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4396366066_22a2b9fa58.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Reutter ended up in second place, winning the silver medal in the Ladies' 1000 meter short track speed skating event.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2781/4395606721_54f07f5d31.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2781/4395606721_54f07f5d31.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The final event of the evening was the Mens' 5000 meter relay. This was by far the wildest thing I ahve ever seen, with four skaters from each team on the ice at the same time. Over the course of 45 laps, they switch off, with the next skater entering the ice ahead of the current skater, who then pushes them forward.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2776/4396378742_69051d4168.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2776/4396378742_69051d4168.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Canada took the gold medal, followed by Korea in second place and the USA team of JR Celski, Travis Jayner, Jordan Malone, and Apolo Ono capturing the bronze.<br /><br /><p align="center"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='425' height='353' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwcxQTIC9uB4TwU6zplmNhsK7YgBu9omKhurUlIeQWmuk0g9FkpHlOdHwNemp-GEt3VtzzjIeAY62oaHOgLpw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><p>Here's a chunk of the race, as well as the medals ceremony. It was an incredible display.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4395618701_bcaf0279fb.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 283px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 425px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4395618701_bcaf0279fb.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />We stayed for the medal ceremony and then took the Skytrain back into downtown Vancouver.</p><p>There are even more photos on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/sets/72157623458536790/">my Flickr site</a>.</p>David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836863834834915240.post-9530995324756029512010-02-26T00:53:00.000-08:002010-02-26T08:24:28.708-08:00Our Fifth Day - Women's Figure Skating Long ProgramToday was one of the BIG events. We drove up to Vancouver for the Ladies Free Skate, the final program in the women's figure skating competition. This is one of the premier events at the Winter Olympics and it was even more special since today was Genny's birthday.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4389541704_d4f409e823.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4389541704_d4f409e823.jpg" border="0" /></a> We posed for a photo outside the Pacific Coliseum before heading inside to find our seats.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4388773039_a2be92e433.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 221px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4388773039_a2be92e433.jpg" border="0" /></a> We were fairly high up, but with a great view of everything.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4389543010_e36082ffec.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4389543010_e36082ffec.jpg" border="0" /></a>My sister Lori came along with Clarice, Genny, and me. This is one event that is definitely better in person. You might see it closer on TV, but you don't see it all unless you're there. What a thrill.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2770/4388774857_9614366dfe.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 319px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 425px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2770/4388774857_9614366dfe.jpg" border="0" /></a>I still can't believe that we actually managed to get tickets to this event. It was an incredible experience to get to see all 24 competitors. On television you only get to see the top 4 or 5.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4389544660_0182cbe1c9.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4389544660_0182cbe1c9.jpg" border="0" /></a>Of course, we were rooting for Rachael Flatt, who went into the free program in 5th place. She skated first in the final group of 6 women. Here she is in the kiss and cry booth after her performance.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4388775569_e34cf8093f.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4388775569_e34cf8093f.jpg" border="0" /></a> Of course, the sentimental favorite was Canada's Joannie Rochette, who got a standing ovation when she came out onto the ice, and then again at the end of her program.<br /><br /><p align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='425' height='353' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dysIH0PWQPbnMJ87oSh_ARbzBK5rn22ucnyxYNHujHQn3fHNAeHjOGX86lpEeEUM0fJ3UvhNHdJL8ljm1kKNA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><br />But there was no question that Kim Yu-Na from Korea had won the competition. We had been transfixed watching her short program on TV two nights ago. Her long skate was incredible.<br /><br /><p></p><p><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2686/4389545194_eefe3886b7.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2686/4389545194_eefe3886b7.jpg" border="0" /></a>After waiting in the kiss and cry booth, Kim Yu-Na scored an incredible 150.06 in the long program for a total of 228.56, more than 20 points ahead of Asada Moa from Japan in second place and Joannie Rochette in third. Mirai Nagasu, who had been in 6th place after her short program, finished in 4th, with a performance that we thought was equal to or better than Rochette's.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4388778741_c7f51e78fe.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4388778741_c7f51e78fe.jpg" border="0" /></a> Unlike most of the other events we've attended, they actually held a full medal ceremony after the end of the figure skating.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4388779605_68734fed54.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 319px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 425px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4388779605_68734fed54.jpg" border="0" /></a> Then the three medalists stayed on the ice and posed for pictures until most of the crowd had a chance to see them up close. Can you tell that we really enjoyed ourselves?<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4388779977_afbaccddb9.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 425px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4388779977_afbaccddb9.jpg" border="0" /></a> We also got a chance to see the NBC commentators up close. But we still hate the way NBC packages the Olympics. More than 30 minutes after the end of the event, they were still producing their commentary, since they had not yet actually aired the final skaters' performances.<br /><br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4389548490_597b0a65f1.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 319px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 425px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4389548490_597b0a65f1.jpg" border="0" /></a> Back outside, we had just a short walk to a bus and then a Skytrain ride back to where we had parked our car. Once again, we were back in Bellingham well before midnight.</p><p>Tomorrow we're back to Vancouver for Short Track Speed Skating.</p><p>By the way, I've got more photos on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dscohn/sets/72157623458536790/">my Flickr site</a>.</p>David Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580647892997592420noreply@blogger.com0