AutoCAD Tip: New in 2025 are Tech Previews – Try the latest Block Object Detection

AutoCAD Tip: New in 2025 are Tech Previews – Try the latest Block Object Detection

by | Sep 4, 2024 | AutoCAD, Tutorial

Tech Previews

Tech Previews, also referred to as technical or technology previews, offer you the opportunity to access new features in AutoCAD before they’re officially released. By participating in Tech Previews, you can explore and test out the functionality of these new features and provide valuable feedback to the AutoCAD product team.

During a Tech Preview, the preview features are fully functional and ready to be used. Since these features are still under development, additional capabilities and improvements may be available for testing. This provides you a chance to evaluate how these features can benefit your workflows and projects.

Unlike Beta programs, Tech Previews are open to everyone, allowing active participation and contribution to the ongoing improvement of the feature’s capabilities. Your feedback is important in shaping the final version of the feature.

AutoCAD is dedicated to continuously improve and evolve the preview feature until it reaches a stage where it’s ready to be released as a regular feature, thereby transitioning out of the Tech Preview phase.

AutoCAD 2025 includes a technology preview that uses machine learning to scan your drawing for objects that can be converted into blocks.

When you start Object Detection, the drawing’s geometry is sent to the AutoCAD machine learning service for recognition. Once the service has analyzed the drawing, the palette will notify you if any objects have been detected that can be converted to blocks. To further inspect and assess the identified instances, click Review Objects.

In review mode, the Detection toolbar is displayed at the top of the drawing window. This toolbar provides various options for navigating and managing detection results. The detection results are grouped into sets of similar objects. A set represents a group of similar detected objects that can be converted into instances of a single block.

Within each set, the primary instance (outlined by a blue border) serves as the block definition when converting into a new block. Alternatively, if you choose to convert into an existing block, the primary instance is used to define the insertion scale and rotation.

You may encounter incorrect sets or instances during detection review. In the following example, a similar object is not detected and included in the set. You can report this error using the Detection toolbar. By reporting errors, you contribute to improving the overall performance and accuracy of the machine learning service.

Key Considerations

Object Detection is a technology preview, which means that the detection capability and functionality will be further enhanced and improved over time.

It’s important to note that Object Detection is optimized for plan-view drawings. The types of objects that AutoCAD can detect are continuously expanding. Currently, Object Detection is best at recognizing the following objects:

  • Single-swing doors
  • Double-swing doors
  • Toilets
  • Bathtubs
  • Urinals
  • Generic lighting symbols
Note: Object Detection relies on machine learning algorithms, so the results may not always be completely accurate or comprehensive.

To optimize detection accuracy as we continue to improve the machine learning algorithm, it’s recommended to set your drawing to real-world units before you start the detection.

While in review mode, the following commands are temporarily blocked:

  • BEDIT
  • COMPARE
  • COUNT
  • COUNTLIST
  • PLOT
  • PUBLISH
  • REFEDIT
  • TRACE
  • XCOMPARE
Simplify building navigation with Mapsted’s Wayfinding technology

Simplify building navigation with Mapsted’s Wayfinding technology

by | Jul 25, 2024 | ARCHIBUS

Wayfinding — guiding people through your space with turn-by-turn navigation — can help to welcome guests to your buildings and enable employees to find unfamiliar locations.

Integrating wayfinding into your Archibus deployment can have several uses. For example:

  • If you have a campus with multiple buildings, employees can access directions from a point in one building to a point in another building.
  • For booked working spaces and meeting rooms, employees want directions that guide them to the location so that they can easily find the booked room and arrive on time.
  • For planning purposes, employees want to see the fastest path to a working space that they booked or a meeting that they must attend.
  • When Workplace is deployed on a lobby kiosk, building visitors can access routes to locations in an unfamiliar building.
  • For the Workplace mobile app, navigation is supported through QR code scanning.

Wayfinding Button

To support these types of scenarios, Workplace can integrate Mapsted’s wayfinding technology by providing a Wayfinding button on the following Workplace pages:

  • Find People and Places
  • Meeting Space Booking Detail
  • Workspace Booking Details

If you have an Archibus Wayfinding license, but you do not have a Mapsted floor plan for a floor, the Wayfinding icon appears in gray, as shown on the below Workspace Booking Details page.

Mapsted Interface

Once you select Workplace’s Wayfinding button, the Mapsted interface overlays Workplace. You can then use the Mapsted interface to enter a destination. For example, in the below image, the user has entered start and destination locations within the same floor, and Mapsted has outlined the route in blue on the floor plan and provided turn-by-turn written instructions.

When through, you can select the Return to Workplace button in the upper right corner to return to the Workplace interface.

Requirements

Wayfinding is compatible with both SaaS and non-SaaS instances. For non-SaaS instances, your company’s IT policy must allow the Workplace application to connect to the external API’s defined in the AbWayfinding.MapstedUrl and AbWayfinding.MapstedSearchUrl application parameters, described below.

In order to integrate the wayfinding features:

  • The Archibus Wayfinding license must be enabled.
  • You must have a license to access or use Mapsted services during the current subscription term.
  • You must have created digital maps stored in Mapsted with room-level attributes including ”floorId”,”buildingId”,”propertyId” that enable the location to be displayed in the Archibus Wayfinding page using the Mapstead API.
  • In order to enable building-to-building navigation within a site, the buildings within a single Archibus site should be configured in a single property in Mapsted.
  • You must set the below application parameters.

Application Parameters

Set the parameters with: System / Archibus Administrator – Application Configuration / Configure Application Parameters.

AbWayfinding.MapstedUrl

This URL is used in Workplace to redirect to Mapsted’s Wayfinding feature. The default value works without configuration. The values in the <> brackets will be derived from Workplace.

The default value is:
https://maps.mapsted.com/<propertyId>?building=<bl_id>&floor=<fl_id>&entity=<rm_id>

AbWayfinding.MapstedSearchUrl

This URL is used in Workplace to find the Mapsted attributes for a specific room. The values in the <> brackets will be filled out in Workplace. The default value work without configuration, except that you must set “provider” with your company’s unique Mapsted ID.

The default value is:
https://public.mapsted.com/api/v1/integration/search?provider=archibus&property=<bl_id>&longName=<rm_id>

We at Robotech understand the challenges organizations face in optimizing navigation within their facilities.

If you want to reach us for any questions, please send us a message below or call 201-792-6300 to to schedule a demo, or email the team at [email protected].

Schedule a Call
Test Drive ARCHIBUS
Request a Demo
Visitor Management System with Eptura

Visitor Management System with Eptura

by | May 16, 2024 | ARCHIBUS, Eptura, Facilities Management

Simplify check-in for everyone

Secure your workplace and make hosting clients and visiting employees completely seamless with fully integrated visitor management.

 

Streamline your visitor experience

Create a great experience for everyone while protecting the health of your people and the security of your business.

 

Ensure a secure working environment

Welcome visitors into the workplace with an experience that doesn’t compromise your company’s health, security, or compliance objectives

 

Automate visitor management

Sync visitor and employee data with your access control system, send unique QR codes to grant access at the right time, and get real-time information about who is in the building.

 

Reduce operational costs

Save time with an automated visitor management system, allowing office staff to dedicate more time and resources to other projects.

 

Check-ins made easy

Get everything you need to make welcoming visitors a breeze.

Remote registration

Save time by allowing your visitors to answer key questions ahead of their visit and generate a custom QR code for easy check-in and building access when they arrive.

Workplace security

Secure the work environment and protect your people with integrated watchlists, ID matching, and the ability to pre-approve visitors.

 

Autonomous check-in

Increase visitor satisfaction and save time with self-service check-in capabilities by integrating with the systems that already exist in your building.

Seamless integration

Offer a touchless experience and let visitors breeze through access control systems with integrations such as email invites, e-sign NDAs, RFID access cards, and mobile QR codes.

Data security

Comply with local and international privacy regulations with customizable data retention and deletion rules.

Digital logbook

Get real-time detailed audit reports of visitor flow across your location.

Emergency management

Conduct digital roll calls in the event of an emergency or drill situation to account for everyone in the building.

Choose how you work your world

Mobile app

Make visitor check-in a breeze with easy registration, unique QR codes for every employee or guest, and helpful wayfinding tools.

 

Web portal

Get a full overview of who’s coming and going from your buildings, approve or reject scheduled visitors, and get notified when guests arrive to ensure a warm welcome.

Visitor kiosks

Sync visitor and employee data with your access control system so everyone can get where they’re going without any friction.

Want to know more?

Set up a demo to see how these tools provide the security, data, and management features you need to take control of your workplace.

Schedule a Call
Request a quote
Download Trial

Optimize Your Co-Working Booking with Mapsted

Optimize Your Co-Working Booking with Mapsted

by | May 10, 2024 | Uncategorized

Maximize desk bookings with your co-working space using Mapsted’s intelligent mapping system and increase your customer’s productivity by enhancing their office environment experience.

Mapsted’s advanced digital indoor map of your co-working space identifies available desks and offices which your customers can book online from anywhere, anytime.

Mapsted optimizes your co-working space in three fundamental ways:

  1. Enhance your current reservation booking system by showcasing an online real-time digital map of your co-working space that customers can view to choose the location of the desk that best suits their needs, such as a private office or a more collaborative desk setting.Your customers will now be able to confirm their booking with the confidence of knowing the exact location of their desk or office ahead of time.
  2. After booking your, customers can find their new desk space on their smartphone using Mapsted’s digital floor plan and turn-by-turn wayfinding.
  3. Once your customers have set up their physical desk space they can easily share their location by using a URL, email, QR code, or SMS.
    Instant communications that include wayfinding information for colleagues and visitors saves time and guarantees meeting arrangements are hassle-free.Mapsted’s intelligent mapping system utilizes an interactive digital floor plan of your co-working space and becomes a valuable tool for your business to generate more desk bookings and minimize wasted assets.
    Maximize your revenue by offering customers special upgrade incentives based on Mapsted’s automated visualization of currently available desks and offices.

Mapsted’s cutting edge mapping system does not rely on a separate app that your customers have to download. Easily integrate Mapsted’s customized digital map into your existing website, application, and kiosk.