Elf on the Shelf boards ferry in Alameda to Autodesk Gallery

My wife has decorated our Alameda home for Christmas. This includes an Elf on the Shelf. As the lore goes, the Elf magically moves about, acting as Santa Claus' scout, to determine who has been naughty and who has been nice. Well, the other day he snuck into my laptop bag.

After boading the ferry at Main Street Alameda and arrivaing at work, the Elf escaped into the Autodesk Office at One Market. Af first he was content to move about the office. For example, recall that Autodesk University experience where Exhibit Hall visitors voted on which technology they were most excited about regarding the future of their work. Well, although those mini-balls were used for voting, the Elf thought he was in the ball pit of a Chuck E. Cheese:

He also skulked his way into the Office of our CTO and hung out among generatively designed parts — parts generated by a computer algorithm under the guidance of a human designer instead of being designed by-hand.

The Elf then headed towards the Autodesk Gallery.

Autodesk makes software for people who make things. If you've ever driven a high-performance car, admired a towering skyscraper, used a smartphone, or watched a great film, chances are you've experienced what millions of Autodesk customers are doing with our software. The Autodesk Gallery at One Market in San Francisco celebrates design — the process of taking a great idea and turning it into a reality. With about 60 different exhibits regularly on display that showcase the innovative work of Autodesk customers, the gallery illustrates the role technology plays in great design and engineering.

In true Bonnie-less and Clyde fashion, he commandeered a red Ferrari (what a naughty Elf):

Autodesk partnered with Ferrari to hold a contest to challenge students to design the supercar of the future: super-light, super-fast, ecologically responsible, and technically superior. Hongik University of Seoul Korea students used Alias Automotive, Alias Surface, Maya, Showcase, and Sketchbook Professional to create their winning entry.

Apparently, he dumped the stolen vehicle as witnesses reported seeing him on foot, crossing a bridge:

MX3D is using 6-axis robots to 3D print metal in mid-air, literally building a bridge as the robots walk across it, taking additive manufacturing from small to large scale. Autodesk believes machine intelligence and robotic fabrication will herald a new age of construction and is using the technologies to develop tools that will enable the creation of more human-centric designs with more freedom of form, faster build times, reduced waste, and increased safety.

After crossing the bridge, in King Kong fashion, he scaled the Shanghai Tower:

The Shanghai Tower represents a "vertical city" with 8 stacked neighborhoods (128 floors) where each one is an open-to-the-public park with 14 stories above it. Autodesk analysis tools were used by Gensler architects to: reduce energy consumption 30-40%, reduce water usage 40%, and require 35% less material due to its twisted tapering shape (optimized via Autodesk Ecotect wind tunnel analysis).

Although there was an all-points bulletin out for his capture, he remained on the loose. Knowing this, he was able to hide by blending into the Media & Entertainment section of the gallery:

Although not as widely publicized, Autodesk is a dominant player in the film, games, and television industries. For the last 22 years in a row, all Oscar nominees for the best visual effects category have used Autodesk software for the films that were nominated. For example, using a device representing a "virtual camera" puts "what a movie looks like" in the hands of the director, in this case, James Cameron, instead of the animator. As such, Autodesk MotionBuilder is the software behind the process used for Avatar.

Being on the run must be a tiring process as the Elf was seen resting on a chair:

Using software that mirrors the design process of Nature, the resulting chair design (far right) is of equal strength but dramatically reduced weight — requiring less material. The Living, part of Autodesk, has been working on research and development projects in the fields of architecture, art, industrial design, aerospace, computer science, engineering, manufacturing and synthetic biology to create new types of buildings, public installations, prototypes, and architectural environments.

As his little sit-down was obviously not enough to fully recharge, he took a nap in a warm location:

Unsatisfied that 450 low-birth-weight and premature babies die each hour, many in developing countries, two Stanford students developed a low-cost (only $200) incubating blanket for newborns. Autodesk provides its software free to faculty and students as part of our Educational programs. We also have a foundation.

As the gallery has LEED Platinum Certification, the HVAC is turned off at night. The Elf was seen warming himself in the wee hours of the morning:

The BioLite HomeStove consumes 50% less wood than traditional cook fires, reduces smoke emissions by 95%, and can convert heat to electricity so it can recharge cell phones, LED lights, and other devices via a USB port. Autodesk Simulation CFD and other simulation software helped BioLite engineers evaluate the relative design decisions, reduce the number of physical prototypes required, and avoid overbuilding — helping the team save both time and money.

Apparantely his earlier flirtation with the Ferrari wet his appetite for cars:

The Biome car concept is that the symbiosis vehicle would be built from BioFibre, grown in the Mercedes-Benz Nursery through proprietary DNA, that collects energy from the sun and stores it in chemical bonds. Although most car manufacturers use Alias Automotive or Alias Surfacing, Mercedes-Benz used Autodesk Maya to pattern the shape of the vehicle after skeletal systems found in biology.

The Biome car brought him to the Bay Bridge:

One of the three busiest bridges in the world, the eastern span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge is the longest self-anchored suspension bridge in the world. Autodesk 3DS Max visualization software was used to gain legislative approval, bring contractors on board, and inform the public — often changing their behavior dramatically.

Perhaps the Ferrari and Biome experiences wet his appetite for riding in general, as he was seen atop the LEGO Dinosaur:

Playing with LEGOs has been the initial inspiration for many of today's architects and engineers, and the dinosaur mega model (62,500 bricks) is a replica from the LEGOLAND theme park that helps spur the imagination. The LEGO Group designs initial brick shapes using Maya, feeds that into a proprietary brick builder application, and then uses AutoCAD to create plans for LEGO exhibit construction.

After dismounting the LEGO Dinosaur, the Elf found his way into a foldable canoe:

Inspired by the ancient art of origami, the double-layered ORU polypropylene kayak needs no internal frame and folds into a carry-on sized box when not in use. Designed using both 2D AutoCAD (the folding pattern) and Fusion 360 (the 3D components), architect Anton Willis was able to start his manufacturing business with a Kickstarter campaign after designing/creating 25 prototypes at TechShop.

The Elf paddled over to the instructional section of the gallery where he took a 3D-design-and-printing class:

The Autodesk Gallery Workshop at One Market in San Francisco is the perfect place for designers and makers of all ages — including students and educators — who want to get their hands on the latest design and 3D printing tools and equipment. The general public can experience what it's like to take an idea from design through fabrication by scheduling a visit by contacting galleryworkshop@autodesk.com.

As you can see above, lots of 3D-printed parts are possible via the workshop.

Satisfied with the knowledge that he had acquired while at Autodesk, he turned himself in and is safely back in my laptop bag for the trip home:

By the way, based on his experience, the Elf put Autodesk on the NICE list.