Events

Last Chance! Register for 3D Friday Now.

3D Friday Event

20th September 2019 – 1pm to 4pm
Register Now >

Firstsite
Lewis Gardens, High Street Colchester
Essex, CO1 1JH

Register and Attend – Get Free Stuff!

The first 10 people to register and attend will get their choice of Affinity Photo, Designer or Publisher! As an added bonus, anyone who attends will get 5% off their next order with us. Spaces are low now, but you never know who is going to show, so it’s still worth registering and you might be one of the lucky 10!

***Last Minute Offer***
We even have a special attendee discount of 25% OFF new Vectorworks licenses!

Vectorworks Presents “The CUBE”

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is cube-2.jpg

Architect Product Specialist, Luka Stefanovic, will be on hand showing the process of modeling a project in Vectorworks Architect whilst following UK BIM standards. In this live demo, you’ll learn about BIM standards and the framework, as well as be guided through RIBA design stages and follow along with a complete typical architectural design process.

Try Virtual Reality with our Oculus Rift

If you want to know how VR can benefit your business, or you just want to see what it’s like for yourself, come on in and have a go! We’ll be showing 360 degree images rendered in V-Ray, as well as some interactive KeyShot scenes.

Learn About CAD CAM for Engineering

If you’re more of an engineer interested in machining parts, we’ll have BobCAD set up as well so you can take a look at how 3D CADCAM makes milling, turning, nesting and more, easier than ever.

20th September 2019 – 1pm to 4pm
Register Now >

Firstsite
Lewis Gardens, High Street Colchester
Essex, CO1 1JH

Vectorworks Annual Design Day UK 2019

Vectorworks-Design-Day

Date & Time: 1st October 2019 09.30 – 17.00
Location: 30 Euston Square, Euston, London, NW1 2FB

Register Now

Vectorworks Design Day is coming up, and this is a great opportunity to see powerful new workflows in Vectorworks 2020, and so much more.

Explore the future of Vectorworks while enjoying opportunities in the following areas:

• Architecture – Discover how Vectorworks supports the entire design process with 2D, 3D and BIM capabilities. Vectorworks will be presenting project case studies as well as being on hand to show the latest features.

• Interior Design – Learn how to establish a client’s vision using Vectorworks, with presentation boards, immersive panoramas, photo-realistic 3D rendering and augmented reality, while also having the tools required for collaboration.

• Networking – Meet and connect with over 250 of your industry peers, over lunch and through casual networking opportunities. Key personnel from Vectorworks in the USA and UK will be on hand to discuss any questions that you may have.

As an added bonus, customers attending the Design Day are eligible for a Tradeshow Discount (25% off new licenses)!

The venue is a short walk from The Prince of Wales Feathers.

Date & Time : 1st October 2019 09.30 – 17.00
Location: 30 Euston Square, Euston, London, NW1 2FB

Register Now

There’s Still Time to Attend 3D Friday (and collect some freebies!)

3D Friday Event

Vectorworks are joining us this 3D Friday for a live demo walking you through a typical architectural design process. Held at Firstsite in Colchester, you’ll also have a chance to get hands on with our Oculus Rift VR set, browse some 3D modelling and CADCAM applications, and more!

20th September 2019 – 1pm to 4pm
Register Now!

Firstsite
Lewis Gardens, High Street Colchester
Essex, CO1 1JH

Free Stuff?

Useful free stuff to boot! The first 10 people to register and attend will get their choice of Affinity Photo, Designer or Publisher! As an added bonus, anyone who attends will get 5% off their next order with us.

Vectorworks Presents “The CUBE”

Architect Product Specialist, Luka Stefanovic, will be on hand showing the process of modeling a project in Vectorworks Architect whilst following UK BIM standards.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is cube-1.jpg

Try Virtual Reality with our Oculus Rift

If you want to know how VR can benefit your business, or you just want to see what it’s like for yourself, come on in and have a go! We’ll be showing 360 degree images rendered in V-Ray, as well as some interactive KeyShot scenes.

20th September 2019 – 1pm to 4pm
Register Now!

Firstsite
Lewis Gardens, High Street Colchester
Essex, CO1 1JH

LIVE ZBrush Sculpt-Off to Start 2019 ZBrush Summit.

ZBrush Summit

Only a matter of days after our 3D Friday event (which you should definitely register for), Pixologic are back with the 2019 ZBrush Summit! Kicking things off is the LIVE Sculpt-Off on Thursday 26th September.

24 contenders, 3 hours, only one champion. Who will walk away with the glorious ZBrush heavyweight belt this year?

You can watch the event all around the world as you’ll find it streaming on ZBrushLive, Twitch.tv, Facebook and YouTube.

From September 26th to 29th, Pixologic will be taking over Hollywood’s prestigious Gnomon School facilities to deliver the ultimate ZBrush experience.

The live sculpt-off will lead into 3 days of presentations, which is a great way for digital artists to connect not only with the Pixologic team, but also with prominent figures across a range of industries. Many of the demonstrations feature assets previously unseen outside the studios, and presented by talented artists using a variety of techniques relevant to real-world applications.

If you’d like to try ZBrush for yourself, contact us today about a free trial!

Our Free to Attend 3D Friday is Back this September

3D Friday Event

3D Friday is back, and this time we have Vectorworks joining us for a live demo walking you through a typical architectural design process. Held at Firstsite in Colchester, you’ll also have a chance to get hands on with our Oculus Rift VR set, browse some 3D modelling and CADCAM applications, and more!

20th September 2019 – 1pm to 4pm
Register Now!

Firstsite
Lewis Gardens, High Street Colchester
Essex, CO1 1JH

Vectorworks Presents “The CUBE”

Architect Product Specialist, Luka Stefanovic, will be on hand showing the process of modeling a project in Vectorworks Architect whilst following UK BIM standards.

In this live demo, you’ll learn about BIM standards and the framework, as well as be guided through RIBA design stages and follow along with a complete typical architectural design process.

The presentation will show various parametric tools, along with some new features from Vectorworks 2019. We might even see a preview of some brand new features ahead of Vectorworks 2020… Once the presentation is over, there will be plenty of time for Q & A, and an opportunity to see what else we have.

Try Virtual Reality with our Oculus Rift

If you want to know how VR can benefit your business, or you just want to see what it’s like for yourself, come on in and have a go! We’ll be showing 360 degree images rendered in V-Ray, as well as some interactive KeyShot scenes.

Learn About CAD CAM for Engineering

If you’re more of an engineer interested in machining parts, we’ll have BobCAD set up as well so you can take a look at how 3D CADCAM makes milling, turning, nesting and more, easier than ever.

20th September 2019 – 1pm to 4pm
Register Now!

Firstsite
Lewis Gardens, High Street Colchester
Essex, CO1 1JH

Vectorworks Annual Design Day UK 2019

Vectorworks Design Day

Meet Vectorworks in London on Tuesday, 1st October, 2019.

Register Now

The powerful new workflows in Vectorworks 2020 will be presented, and you can explore the future of Vectorworks while enjoying opportunities in the following areas:

• Architecture – Discover how Vectorworks supports the entire design process with 2D, 3D and BIM capabilities. Project case studies will be presented, as well as being on hand to show the latest features.

• Interior Design – Learn how to establish a client’s vision using Vectorworks, with presentation boards, immersive panoramas, photo-realistic 3D rendering and augmented reality, while also having the tools required for collaboration.

• Networking – Meet and connect with over 250 of your industry peers, over lunch and through casual networking opportunities. Key personnel from Vectorworks in the USA and UK will be on hand to discuss any questions that you may have.

Don’t wait—mark your calendars now for an event guaranteed to inspire your future designs!

Please note that only 1 Annual Design Day ticket is required per person and will allow access to all presentations on the day.

Register Now

Don’t forget, you can get 30% OFF licenses and upgrades until July 26th!
Vectorworks Offer

3D Friday is Back! Come and see us June 14th in Colchester

3D Friday

We’re opening our doors again for another 3D Friday this June in Colchester!

For 3D architectural, urban, interior and product design we’ll be showing SketchUp and Vectorworks. To complement 3D modelling, we’ll also have some renderers including KeyShot and V-Ray. We’ll even have a full Oculus Rift setup with KeyVR for you to try demonstrating how virtual reality can be used for business.

If you’re more of an engineer, we’ll have BobCAD available as well as some exciting new software packages to explore.

Our resident fused filament 3D printer will make a return too so you can see how they work up close.

Whether you’re brand new to CAD, or you’ve been using it for as long as you can remember, this is a chance to get together with other designers and CAD enthusiasts to discuss your models, share tips and tricks or test new software.

 

Everyone is welcome and you can find us at:

Colchester Business Centre
1 George Williams Way
Colchester, CO1 2JS

Friday 14th June  –  1pm – 4pm

 

We recommend you use the public parking nearby – Britannia Way, Colchester CO2 7EF.

Leave the carpark and go left, take a short walk up the hill and you’ll find George Williams Way opposite Aldi. Mention at reception that you are here for CAD Software Direct’s 3D Friday where they will direct you to us. We hope to see you there!

V-Ray – Behind the Scenes at Zaha Hadid Architects, Blur Studio and WeWork

Total Chaos

Total Chaos Masterclasses are an incredible opportunity to find out about the technology and techniques the world’s leading studios use to create astonishing content every day.

On May 16, Chaos Group welcome professionals to Sofia, Bulgaria for three Masterclass tracks. Pick from design, VFX or architectural visualisation and deep-dive into industry practices from the likes of the world-renowned Zaha Hadid Architects, Love, Death & Robots VFX firm Blur Studio and startup-nurturing coworking company WeWork — plus many more.

Tickets are selling fast, so secure yours now.

Get Your Masterclass Ticket

 

You can also become a V-Ray Certified Professional (VCP) by attending one of the V-Ray Certification exam sessions. Located in the same venue as the Masterclasses, they’ll run between 5.30 PM and 8 PM.

The VCP exam is now available for both V-Ray 3.0 and Next.

Get Your VCP Exam Ticket

Altair: Developing a Bladeless Wind Turbine

Altair Wind Turbine

David Yáñez, Co-Founder of Vortex Bladeless has joined the line-up of speakers at the 11th Altair Technology Conference on May 21st.

Register now to see how Vortex Bladeless is reducing manufacturing costs by 53%, operating costs by 51%, and maintenance costs by as much as 80% compared to traditional wind turbines.

11th Altair Technology Conference
May 21st at the British Motor Museum, Warwickshire, UK

Register Now

 

Vortex Bladeless is a Spanish start-up developing an innovative wind energy technology that does not rely on blades, minimising the mechanical elements in a traditional turbine that can be worn by friction.

The presentation will showcase how Altair’s solutions are being deployed to investigate both fluid-structure interaction and the behaviour of the magnetic fields in the alternator. A general vision of the technology, the strategies used for the integration of the different physical phenomena involved and the path travelled so far during its development will be discussed.

Register Here

A New Year with SketchUp Pro

SketchUp Pro 2018

A section-slice animation

Skill Builder – Animating a Section Slice

Learn how to animate a slice through your model by following along with this tutorial on the official SketchUp YouTube channel.

Watch the video >

 

Pop culture props modeled in SketchUp

Watch SketchUp Modeling – Live!

Cast your vote now to help decide what object will be modeled live on Twitch in a few weeks.

Cast your vote >

 

A Star War’s Hoth hanger

Low Polygons, Big Worlds

Game artist and illustrator, Rodrigo Oliveira Cerci, creates 2D pixel art that starts in SketchUp. Meet his eclectic characters and take a tour of the low-polygon design world.

Read more >

 

3D Basecamp 2018

Reliving 3D Basecamp

In 2020, 3D Basecamp will be stopping in Vancouver. For now, relive 3D Basecamp 2018 over on YouTube.

Watch the video >

 

SketchUp Pro 2018 is available now (including 1 year’s FREE maintenance and support) at CAD Software Direct.