www.hp.com/go/eprintandshare
HP ePrint & Share is new, free software that provides architects, engineers, constructors, and those in other design fields with a single interface for easier printing and sharing of drawings and plans. According to HP’s introductory video, most architects spend more than 24 hours preparing for a project, and ePrint & Share is designed to help cut down on that time. Among the perks of the software: print files directly from email attachments with a right-click; automatically create a PDF by clicking print (the PDF is then automatically stored in the “cloud,” an online database of files that can be accessed from anywhere); print to any HP Designjet printer from wherever there is a wireless connection, and without installing new printer drivers; and get a printout that appears exactly as it does onscreen. One of the downsides? ePrint & Share currently only supports Windows, although Mac OS users can access shared files in the “cloud.” <

www.leedforhomes.org
The U.S. Green Building Council has created new online tool designed by BuildingGreen, Inc. to help assess whether residential projects will be eligible for LEED certification, and tips for how to achieve it. The tool is deceptively simple; the interface is clean and bright and the questions are easy to answer, but the program behind it is complex. It results in credit requirements that vary by location, and scoring thresholds that change based on the size of the home. Users can choose from two “paths”: “Quick Score” introduces users to construction actions in LEED for Homes, while a “Credit-by-Credit” option takes users through the rating system. It’s difficult to stump the program. When an already built residence broken up into apartments was entered, the site told me that renovation and remodel jobs that don’t involve total reconstruction are rarely eligible for LEED, and to check out www.regreenprogram.org