a_w Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 A number of you are in Chicago but did you go out to the demonstration of Max9 and Maya8 at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts this past Tuesday (Oct. 24)? *raises hand* Is anyone going to the "Mac for Architects" seminars at the Apple Store on Michigan Ave., Nov 1st, 15th, or 22nd? Do we have any active Chicago user groups for Max? Maya? ArchVis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickG Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 no - no. Not aware of any user groups. NG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jophus14 Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 It would interesting to have a Chicago based User group on this board. I know the ASAI just had their conference here in Chicago. Eric Brightfield held a lecture at the Apple store to discuss architectural visualizations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfahy Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 I also would be interested in a Chicago based user Group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtutaj Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 I'd be interested as well. I didn't hear about the ASAI coming to chicago until the day it started. Oh well. I know that a few years back there was a discreet useres group that would meet in schaumburg every other month at the Art Institute building I thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Alexander Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 oohhh Now someone decides to do a users group in Chicago.....now that I'm in Texas..... Farg LOL WDA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richmondlu Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 i am a maya user in milwaukee working at a arch firm if i could i would love to be a part of this group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaron-cds Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 I went to the launch. Max 9 is awesome. I hope they incorporate some of the performance improvements in viz 2008. I'm on viz 2006 with vray 1.5 currently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_w Posted October 26, 2006 Author Share Posted October 26, 2006 Yes! This was the type of response I was hoping for. NickG: I believe we've met. I used to visit my wife at DPCA. (think: long hair/Cubs game/Joy Blue/pencil on shirt collar) Aaron-CDS: The arch+design materials, mrSun and mrSky, directX and CG shaders/viewport effects; all blew me away. Plus the Combustion demo is always a treat. Thank goodness viewport response-time is finally where it should be. Let's knock out a few details to see how feasible starting a Chicago ArchVis group would be. List your opinions on: Location: loop-area, N/W/S-side, N/W/S-suburbs? Day: after-hours business day, weekend? Frequency: bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly? Software Covered: 3DSMax, Viz, Maya, Cinema4D, Rhino, AutoCAD, ADT, Revit, Sketchup, others? Topics Covered: Limit it to architecture or open it to other forms of 3D visualization? Perhaps we could use this forum to keep a tally of events going on in the Chicago area. If that's ok with Jeff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy L Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 im interested, i guess my colleagues would be too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jophus14 Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 I work in the Loop but live in the south suburbs so either one of those locations would work for me, but I'd be willing to travel if it were on the weekend. I use Max/VIZ & Vray along with SketchUp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackb602 Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Count me in. I'd like to keep the focus on arch. viz. rather than specific software to make the group more inclusive. I primarily use FormZ and Cinema 4D. I'd also vote for a downtown or north side location for meetings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richmondlu Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 I would vote for northside being from milwaukee. Also I might be able to have meetings here at our firm during the day. Just call it a lunch and learn to get paid for it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaron-cds Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 The arch+design materials, mrSun and mrSky, directX and CG shaders/viewport effects; all blew me away. Plus the Combustion demo is always a treat. Me too. I didn't realize combustion packed so many features. Another 1k down the drain . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtutaj Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 I can get ahold of the the discreet Combustion Specialist for Combustion and set up a time for a demonstration if needed as well. He is local as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtutaj Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 why don't we call it the Chicago Cgarchitect Users Group (CCUG). if its ok with Jeff. It covers all the bases then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_w Posted October 27, 2006 Author Share Posted October 27, 2006 I would vote for northside being from milwaukee. If the meetings were located in the loop, close to Union Station, would the Amtrak Hiawatha be convenient for you? It's $42 roundtrip and if meetings weren't too frequent, let's say 6-8/year, maybe your company would let you expense the $336/year as training costs. I wouldn't mind a trip up to Milwaukee's Art Museum, with laptop, to just sit and model the interior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richmondlu Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 I could do that, the train isn't that bad now that you can drink on it!! haha Also I got the okay on the lunch and learn here to, if anyone would be interested? There is alot of people here that would love to sit in and see how we actually do things. Milwaukee is a little behind the times. But we are trying to catch them up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtutaj Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 I would say move it around to give the most people access. one month chicago, one month the burbs, one month Milwaukee. that sort of thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_w Posted October 27, 2006 Author Share Posted October 27, 2006 OK, so if we travel to different locations for each meeting, let's think of what we would need in a venue hosting regular meetings. I think if we have maybe four definite locations for larger meetings it'll make it easier for users to plan their attendance/transportation weeks in advance. We could still use smaller venues for the more occasional affairs between greater Chicagoland users: So for a regular meeting location, if you have a place in mind, how does it measure up to the following: seating capacity: 5-10 / 10-25 / 25-50 / 50+ transportation options nearby: train station / bus stop / L-platform / parking lot / cab / carpool? ambient noise level? Availability of: projector / PA system computer(s) with software? which software? electrical outlets Feel free to add to this criteria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richmondlu Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Who is going to head up what is going to be done at these meetings? Are we going to have an agenda? or is it going to be all ad lib? for milwaukee I would say 50 people give or take 10 miles from train but cabs at train station. Plenty of open street parking. Not many noises at all actual learning center in our building. Projector with lap top hook up and 8'x4' touch screen plenty of jacks for lap tops. That is what we can offer up here. Also right across the street from mid wests best strip club!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_w Posted October 27, 2006 Author Share Posted October 27, 2006 richmondlu: I would be interested in watching your Maya workflow for archViz projects. I enjoy using Maya, but right now I'm tied to Max/Viz primarily for the file link manager and -- I know it's petty -- units that show feet and inches. As a staple of each meeting, what if all users were given access to the same DWG weeks ahead of time and could willingly demonstrate/describe their workflow at the meeting. Of course, that wouldn't be the only thing discussed at each meeting, but I know I always feel I could be doing something faster, smarter or in a different piece of software. How about you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickG Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 AW - DPCA... yes, you should know me I am not sure who are though... send me a PM at ng@visualizedconcepts.com NG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Vestal Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 I do not know how I missed the start of this thread. I am about 35 min from the loop. I am interested if you can let a Indiana guy in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_w Posted November 3, 2006 Author Share Posted November 3, 2006 Hey all, just providing a bump so this idea doesn't get lost. It looks like we have a good number of people interested; so now we just need to turn that interest into results. richmondlu: I envision a 4+ hour meeting where 2-3 hours is topic-driven lecture/discussion and the remaining time is for socializing. Because we have this message board, I don't think so much time would be necessary for socializing but I think it's only natural that if we discuss something like Mental Ray optimization that Maya users will probably want to group together after the formal discussion, as will Max users, and discuss/test things amongst themselves. A portion of the socializing time could also be used to choose the next meeting's topic. To accomodate different skill levels, I wouldn't mind starting as a whole with a general discussion (45mins - 1 hour), then breaking into smaller workshop groups based on interest/personal skill level (2+ hours). The topics for each workshop should be posted a minimum of two weeks in advance on CGarchitect, so members can sign up for the various levels and group mentors can be assigned. Anything less than four hours, IMO, wouldn't be worth traveling up to two hours for the meeting. Also, I believe that by making meetings topic-driven, corporate members could convince their firms to think of meetings more as training courses and provide funding for transportation. How do you all feel: Formal/informal time ratio: 0/100, 25/75, 50/50, 75/25, 100/0? First meeting in Jan/Feb 2007? Have you told your non-CGarchitect archViz friends about our proposed user group? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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