Autodesk FMDesktop

[#1]

A couple of points here...

I don't have all of the information with me since I am travelling, but I would suggest that you look closely at spaces in ADT 2007. ADT 2007 actually has rules to automatically create BOMA standard spaces. It can also implement the DIN standard in Europe.

Second, dig deep into Revit 9.1 and you'll find an option panel to control how rooms are defined: face to face versus centerline, etc.

Finally, if you have polylines already for FacilityCenter, don't touch them. You can use them again in FMD. Use the Facility Link application with your AutoCAD. You can pretty darn quickly load those polylines straight into FMDesktop. If you decide to switch to ADT spaces or build a new building with Revit, just do that for the new construction. FMDesktop doesn't care what mix of various CAD or models you use. Mix ACAD, ADT and Revit all.

Watch soon for a couple of whitepapers on the FMDesktop web sites. One describes the various tools you can use to define the spaces. A new one will talk about how to implement BOMA standards.

Mark Evans

[#2]

Will you recomend to go with FMD ? My current CAFM software licence is costing me too much.

[#3]

lol... just to clarify... do you know Mark works for Autodesk?
I would certainly hope he'd recommend going with the product. ;-p


Also, Thanks Mark, I'm happy to know that about Revit, after the
discussions at AU, I thought it was all just paint to paint with no
choice, but, technology moves forward! I look forward to the whitepapers.

Melanie Perry
***not all who wander are lost***
http://mistressofthedorkness.blogspot.com

josrios wrote:
> Will you recomend to go with FMD ? My current CAFM software licence is costing me too much.

[#4]

LoL To myself!!!

I should have noticed that, but I was so concentrated in my needs. Well, then Mark is the one who can help me to obtain a trial version of FMD. My actual FM tool is costing me too much and Ii'm looking for a replacement. FMD is 1rst in line for evaluation and then Archibus. So Mark, Help me here!

[#5]

Jos,

I am the Product Manager for FMDesktop. If you will send me an email (mark.evans@autodesk.com) with your contact information, including your location, I'll put someone in touch with you about a trial.

Mark Evans
Autodesk

[#6]

Bob - It should be mentioned that if you are actually reusing polylines you previously linked in another CAFM program, you should strip the extended entity data before linking to FMD.
-Robert

[#7]

Hi:

Can you go deeper on this? I want to know!

[#8]

Sure thing josiros. Almost every cad/database linking program ever made uses the "extended entity data" feature of AutoCAD. Apologies if I get too technical here: In the background of AutoCAD, there is quite literally a "database" of entities that make up your drawing file. For each kind of entity there are "group codes" that define the object. A Line will have two group codes that define its start and end. For example, a line that goes from 0,0 to 10,5 would have a group 10 code defined as "0,0", and group code 11 defined as "10,5". Do a little research on this topic if you're interested - I'm really simplifying it here.

Long story short, there is another set of group codes called "extended entity data" whose group codes being with 1000 and above. Those codes can hold longer string and numerical values and are used by programmers to tie a polyline to a database. When you are planning to move polylines from one CAFM system to another, it is important (but not always required by the manufacturer) to clear the polylines of the data from your old system. There are several ways to do it, the easiest of which is the XData Strip routine in the "Toolpac" third-party AutoCAD add-on.

You're welcome to contact me if you want to discuss this in detail. Promise I'm not trying to sell you anything

-Robert
FM Desktop User's Group
http://www.fmdugi.org

[#9]

Hi!

I understand your point and the AutoCAD DB . What I dont get is why to clear -up the p-lies? You write: -"When you are planning to move polylines from one CAFM system to another, it is important (but not always required by the manufacturer) to clear the polylines of the data from your old system." Why do I need to do that? The way I see it, the P-line object has many records. Each p-line object has its own ID code, thats how the CAFM software relates to it. The information will be extracted from it and incorporated to the CAFM DB almost all the times by data sync. But once your data link between your CAFM system and your p-line is terminated, you can related it to anything else. I'm not an expert but I'm almost sure that you can related it to multiple applications as you do with regular DB records. I have not mastered this topic. Can you bring some light? I will love to learn more about this!

[#10]

An excellent question. While it is true that the polylines could hold multiple definitions from different CAFM system (or other data-related apps), it becomes a question of minimizing the potential for a problem. If one day you are having a problem with your FMD cad link and the support guy says, "hey, there's this other EED in your polylines", you may face unforseen challenges. A quick polyline strip is cheap insurance. Few if any CAFM makers have created routines to simply re-use the EED created by a competitive product.

Having done this very conversion (FC to FMD), I'll shed a little more light. Moving drawings from Facility Center to FMD goes like this (just the highlights for brevity's sake):

Create a label in your FC setup that simply has the Room Number. Save out each drawing's polylines and Room Number labels to new drawings. Run an EED strip routine on the polylines.

Convert your database from FC to FMD (no small task, have an experienced professional do this step).

In FMD, follow the standard Data Link/New FM Layout/Drawing Log procedure to connect the drawing. Then use Convert to Spaces, selecting the "old" FC labels as the Room Number text. FMD will then connect the polylines to your converted db and you're ready to rock.

-Robert
FM Desktop User's Group
http://www.fmdugi.org