Autodesk FM

[#1]

Jace,
Off the shelf there isn't a solution. However, a solution could be
created with just a few hours of progamming effort using either
attributes that are a part of the workstation block or extended entity
data attached to the block.

Is there a source for the information, namely a listing (Excel?) of
names to desks? If so, then this could even be extracted into the
drawing (all part of the customization process).

We have done exactly what you described, but using ARCHIBUS. I'm
certain that this could probably be possible with some of the other
AutoCAD centric CAFM packages out there.

I'd be happy to work you through some of the steps here in this forum or
via email, so that you can see how to code it yourself.

Good luck!

Bob Visser

Jace Paddleford wrote:
> the firm i work for has been asked to do some facility management. what the
> client is wanting (they have autocad) is to be able to click on a
> workstation on the floor plan and it give them the information of that
> employee. i have no earthly idea how that is going to work. is there some
> autodesk software that is designed for this type of work? any help????
>
>

[#2]

Jace,

If the firm has AutoCAD you should use that. Almost everything you want to
do can be accomplished with AutoCAD's database connectivity features
(specifically dbConnect) combined with a little of AutoCAD's Visual Basic
for Application programming to create the some SQL statements to call
recordsets from the database. I assume the reason you want to use .dwf's is
so that all can view these floor plans with IE, correct? It will get more
complex if you want the viewers of the .dwf to have the ability to modify
the data as is a graphical interface.

See the following thread for some example code related to this topic
although using MS Access:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&group=autodesk.a
utocad.customization.vba

Another good source of information is Scott McFarlane's "AutoCAD database
connectivity" book which also comes with example code on a CD.

Dirk Weber


"Jace Paddleford" wrote in message
news:71AE9F63108EBA740959014D968F733E@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> the firm i work for has been asked to do some facility management. what
the
> client is wanting (they have autocad) is to be able to click on a
> workstation on the floor plan and it give them the information of that
> employee. i have no earthly idea how that is going to work. is there some
> autodesk software that is designed for this type of work? any help????
>
>

[#3]

Hi,

With 2000 seats it's a big enough company to justify using MapGuide and the
ability for you to spread this application to many more users than you can
do with simple DWG files connected to a database in AutoCAD.

I'm sure there is more than one user for this system, and there is many
other potential users out there.
Just add the IT department, I'm sure they love to add the cabling and IT
infrastructure to it, so they quickly can find and locate any equipment,
2000 employeees must add up to much PCs, software licenses, cabling etc.
Let the IT department handle their own equipment, I'm sure your CAD manager
won't manage all the equipment and maintenance, so he is happy to give the
job to the department that needs it.

The HR department want another set of info for each employee, so there you
need a connection to another DB, how to manage that in AutoCAD? Btw, AutoCAD
cost a bomb to put where the users are, they are not experienced CAD
users...

With MapGuide you have a web page for login, and each user will only see
data that are valid for them, not anything else.
The IT dep. should not see the HR dep. data but both should see the internal
white pages/directory/location maps with names, photos and contacts for all
employees.

With MapGuide you get some samples exposing drawings over internet/intranet
in a webbrowser, with ability to edit and update the data with just the
browser and the plugin, no need for AutoCAD except for changing the
underlaying floorplan.
There is also some simple example online at:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/index/0,,939407-123112,00.html
Check the link to Facility Management, simple but I'm sure it fit your bill,
and you will have full sourcecode, Javascript and ASP or ColdFusion.
Any webdeveloper can develop this demo further, and you just change the
drawings and add a tree-view for changing floorplans.

FM is not something for the CAD department, it's a useful tool for the whole
organisation.
Add ability to search for users, locate them, add direct email, and maybe
online chat and document management... it's just the start...

Good luck!
Best regards,
Jocke


"Dirkasaurus" wrote in message
newsA7283C6C1FEE84CA5105060486A4623@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Jace,
>
> If the firm has AutoCAD you should use that. Almost everything you want to
> do can be accomplished with AutoCAD's database connectivity features
> (specifically dbConnect) combined with a little of AutoCAD's Visual Basic
> for Application programming to create the some SQL statements to call
> recordsets from the database. I assume the reason you want to use .dwf's
is
> so that all can view these floor plans with IE, correct? It will get more
> complex if you want the viewers of the .dwf to have the ability to modify
> the data as is a graphical interface.
>
> See the following thread for some example code related to this topic
> although using MS Access:
>
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&group=autodesk.a
> utocad.customization.vba
>
> Another good source of information is Scott McFarlane's "AutoCAD database
> connectivity" book which also comes with example code on a CD.
>
> Dirk Weber
>
>
> "Jace Paddleford" wrote in message
> news:71AE9F63108EBA740959014D968F733E@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > the firm i work for has been asked to do some facility management. what
> the
> > client is wanting (they have autocad) is to be able to click on a
> > workstation on the floor plan and it give them the information of that
> > employee. i have no earthly idea how that is going to work. is there
some
> > autodesk software that is designed for this type of work? any help????
> >
> >
>
>

[#4]

Look at FM Desktop www.dtitech.com


"Jace Paddleford" wrote in message
news:71AE9F63108EBA740959014D968F733E@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> the firm i work for has been asked to do some facility management. what
the
> client is wanting (they have autocad) is to be able to click on a
> workstation on the floor plan and it give them the information of that
> employee. i have no earthly idea how that is going to work. is there some
> autodesk software that is designed for this type of work? any help????
>
>

[#5]

You might take a look at this. We're still working on a demo script, so you
probably won't see everything it can do. What do you think.....?

http://mobile.autodesk.com/fm2002/

Andy


"Joakim Rylander" wrote in message
news:ED9260D4AF2BBE706CA290ED4195F880@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Hi,
>
> With 2000 seats it's a big enough company to justify using MapGuide and
the
> ability for you to spread this application to many more users than you can
> do with simple DWG files connected to a database in AutoCAD.
>
> I'm sure there is more than one user for this system, and there is many
> other potential users out there.
> Just add the IT department, I'm sure they love to add the cabling and IT
> infrastructure to it, so they quickly can find and locate any equipment,
> 2000 employeees must add up to much PCs, software licenses, cabling etc.
> Let the IT department handle their own equipment, I'm sure your CAD
manager
> won't manage all the equipment and maintenance, so he is happy to give the
> job to the department that needs it.
>
> The HR department want another set of info for each employee, so there you
> need a connection to another DB, how to manage that in AutoCAD? Btw,
AutoCAD
> cost a bomb to put where the users are, they are not experienced CAD
> users...
>
> With MapGuide you have a web page for login, and each user will only see
> data that are valid for them, not anything else.
> The IT dep. should not see the HR dep. data but both should see the
internal
> white pages/directory/location maps with names, photos and contacts for
all
> employees.
>
> With MapGuide you get some samples exposing drawings over
internet/intranet
> in a webbrowser, with ability to edit and update the data with just the
> browser and the plugin, no need for AutoCAD except for changing the
> underlaying floorplan.
> There is also some simple example online at:
> http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/index/0,,939407-123112,00.html
> Check the link to Facility Management, simple but I'm sure it fit your
bill,
> and you will have full sourcecode, Javascript and ASP or ColdFusion.
> Any webdeveloper can develop this demo further, and you just change the
> drawings and add a tree-view for changing floorplans.
>
> FM is not something for the CAD department, it's a useful tool for the
whole
> organisation.
> Add ability to search for users, locate them, add direct email, and maybe
> online chat and document management... it's just the start...
>
> Good luck!
> Best regards,
> Jocke
>
>
> "Dirkasaurus" wrote in message
> newsA7283C6C1FEE84CA5105060486A4623@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > Jace,
> >
> > If the firm has AutoCAD you should use that. Almost everything you want
to
> > do can be accomplished with AutoCAD's database connectivity features
> > (specifically dbConnect) combined with a little of AutoCAD's Visual
Basic
> > for Application programming to create the some SQL statements to call
> > recordsets from the database. I assume the reason you want to use .dwf's
> is
> > so that all can view these floor plans with IE, correct? It will get
more
> > complex if you want the viewers of the .dwf to have the ability to
modify
> > the data as is a graphical interface.
> >
> > See the following thread for some example code related to this topic
> > although using MS Access:
> >
>
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&group=autodesk.a
> > utocad.customization.vba
> >
> > Another good source of information is Scott McFarlane's "AutoCAD
database
> > connectivity" book which also comes with example code on a CD.
> >
> > Dirk Weber
> >
> >
> > "Jace Paddleford" wrote in message
> > news:71AE9F63108EBA740959014D968F733E@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > > the firm i work for has been asked to do some facility management.
what
> > the
> > > client is wanting (they have autocad) is to be able to click on a
> > > workstation on the floor plan and it give them the information of that
> > > employee. i have no earthly idea how that is going to work. is there
> some
> > > autodesk software that is designed for this type of work? any
help????
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

[#6]

Andy,

It looks like a good start for a Space Management app (portal?), but FM is a lot more. I see the visibility for assets to be hooked in, but then your mech and electric rooms are specifically not mapped. Although this may be a difference between what certain FM offices consider "assets."

IMO, the accessibility to info concerning maintenance work orders/real property/energy mgmt/etc is what "transforms" a SM app into a full FM app.

Respectfully,
Joe Tilman