Attempting to become a CAD Manager

[ryled]

First, let me give you a little background:

I am currently the only drafter at my company, however we have about 5 AutoCAD stations, and we are part of a larger building that contains many other people that work with AutoCAD with many stations in the building.  Neither of these companies however has gone past IT to set up an AutoCAD department.  I would like to effectively insert myself as an AutoCAD manager at my company, with the expectations that with our growth a few more drafters will come on board.  At the same time I hope that if I can insert the system I wish to seamlessly the owner of my company will speak with the owner of the other company in the building and give me the ability to manage both locations.  (Gotta have goals right!) 

What I wish to do is set up a unified system if anyone would have any tips and pointers:

I would first off like everyone to use the same template, which I have set up at my office and linked it as the “QNew” in each individual profile.  This has worked great for the time being (being there only 5 users) but now I would like to insert a ribbon onto each computer.

This ribbon contains the links to many blocks.  Along with special commands.  This leads me to wishing to insert a partial CUI. The users and myself prefer this method over a pallete.

Each user needs the ability to work from the office, and from home if they wish since many users like to take home their stations over the weekend (and I would too, currently I have a completely transferrable CUI on my flash which I can give someone the instructions on how I created that if they wish.  Just e-mail me).  Also the users prefer different displays so I want them to have the ability to customize without messing up any paths/CUIs/templates/menus/other computers the main acad.cui.

Currently this is the thought process I have for doing such, but I believe it can be cleaned up quite a bit: 

My thoughts have been to create a folder in the network/G, drive and a folder path in the local/C drive,  that closely resembles the network drive.  Then put a copy of each block, lisp routines, templates, profile, etc. in each.   The problem with this is if I update a block, I have to make sure each user overwrites the block properly on the local drive, which is fine with a few users but I’m thinking bigger scale here.

Then I will put the following on each computer: 

• A created menu for the network drive and the local drive.  The only problem I have with this is if I wish to put the local menu on the computers each one will have to be personalized as load paths contain a username that is changing. 
• A partial CUI that creates a ribbon with buttons for paths on the network drive, and a separate partial CUI that creates a ribbon buttons for paths on the local drive.
• One workspace that contains the proper ribbon and menu for the network drive, one workspace that contains the proper ribbon and menu for the local drive.  (Remember I would like the user the ability to customize, such as panels and colors).  This would be a part of the Main CUI.
• One profile for the network drive, one for the local drive.  This way the QNEW is customized to load the appropriate Template.   The user would then switch profiles if working from home or work. 

Extra things:

I am going to be creating a plot style, currently we have a modified monochrome.ctb I put in place, which I would like to save as something new, then revert this to the original.  Then in the template edit each page setup to use the custom one.  I also believe I need to put this in a printer support path so it will load with start up?

Lisp routines that load on startup.

I would like to be able to make the changes I wish to make and have them update globally to blocks, templates, cuis, menus, if this is possible. 

I took a class that was suppose to teach this but instead we spent 6 weeks learning macros -__- so now I am  off to it myself.  I’m trying to learn the concept of the enterprise.cui as we speak as well.  If anyone has any suggestions, tips, tricks, links I’m all ears!

Also if this is in the wrong location could a moderator please move and/or inform me.

Thanks,

Dillon

ryled@student.morainevalley.edu

[tedwardspg]

First thing, Don't curse yourself by being a CAD Manager. It has been the worst mistake of may of our lives.

TWO: configure Options thwe way you want it. use the APPLOAD and load all the routines in the startup menu.

DO NOT USE AN ENTERPRISE CUI.

Create too palettes instead of modifing the ribbon. Export your profile to the network. in the AutoCAD icon>properties under target: go to the end or the script and insert /p "Drive:\directory\profile_name.arg"

Copy that icon to the the network

Move to another workstation and find the icon on the network and copy to the desktop.

open acad and all of your setting will be there with all of your tool palettes.

Make the CAD resource directory that has all of your lisps, menus, palettes, blocks etc.. "read only".

when you make a change to any of your setting all the users will get them when they restart acad.

[ryled]

Thank you Tedwardspg,

For the APPLOAD command, I should go to 'Startup Suite' → 'Contents...' and when I add the lisp routines is this a part of the CUI? or the  Profile?

As far as the palletes, we also have commands that are desired on a new ribbon panel.  Also this is preferred over a pallete for block insertion so I would prefer to keep these on here.

Also, when adding " /p "Drive:\directory\profile_name.arg" to the end of the icon, then this will only work if they are connected to the local network, not if they leave if I understand correctly, which I was hopng to avoid. 

Thank you!

[Mistress0fTheDorkness]

CUI:
http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?18955-Notes-on-the-philosophy-of-CUI

http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?116980-LISP-Routine-to-Edit-the-Enterprise-CUI


I'd also recommend perusing the CAD Management class handouts here: http://forums.augi.com/forumdisplay.php?1271-Autodesk

[tedwardspg]

You do not want users to have full control to these items. It is just a bad move. They can connect through a VPN if you set that up for them.

[ryled]

Wanderer-MOTD

Thank you for the links, the notes on the philosophy of the CUI will be helpful here.

Also, I looked through many of the classes in 2007(the latest year I saw) and realize that i need to set up a standard.  This will be my next task after getting all the computers in the office to function with the same ribbon set up, template, plot styles and startup.  I'm still struggling trying to find the most efficient way to do this to allow the user full customizability of their workspace, as well as having a seemless change from working at home and working on the network while making it a simple update to any changes to the template/blocks.

When I arrived 3 months ago (first drafting job out of college), there wasn't a template, consistent titleblock, or any type of standards.  Each drawing was from scratch and on layer 0, so you can imagine that I will be making some changes to this as I gain more drafting experience and learn more about the company.  Not having any type of drafter in the building with experience has me trying to build this from the ground up without leaving any major holes in its execution.

[tedwardspg]

As ffor a template, start by adopting the AIA layer standard. Create all of the layer and set the starting layer on anyone of them you choose. You also want to start the template on model space. The AIA layer standard is simply as follows

Example:

A-DOOR-EXTR

A-DOOR-INTR

A-WALL-EXTR

A-WALL-INTR

ECT..

Same with electrical mechanical and every other disipline. you can modify this to meet your needs.

When a user logs on to the network you can write a script so that the CUI that is on the network gets copied to their local drive. this will ensure that they can customize all of there own workspaces w/o compromising the main one. Be sure that you have the user save their workspace to the cui you will have saved to the server.

[dgorsman]

I follow most of what Wanderer posted (excellent CUIx reference), with a couple of modifications.  The core "stuff" is in a read-only location and is loaded through the Enterprise, while each user has their own personal network drive for a stack of empty Main's (one for each application we run).  All automation is loaded for users using a combination of acad.lsp/acaddoc.lsp and demand-loading of dotNET customizations.  That way they can concentrate on the design and less on that "PHANTOMX2 linetype except for Project Ferrum, unless the drawing was completed the third Thursday after April Fools..." type of standardization.  Above all, I try to make the correct way to do things the *easiest* way.  Makes it that much harder for them to NOT do what they should.

[ryled]

I am going to read through the entier "Notes on the philosophy of the CUI" forum today, but I had an idea last night and I am curious if it seems plausable.

If I understand correctly, there is an "acad.lsp" that runs at startup and if it is defined with  ("S:: Startup) then it will be the last part of what loads at startup.  Would it be possible to do something like this in the lisp routine?

If

Connected to G drive Load
lisp1 (path to G)
lisp2 (path to G)
lisp3 (path to G)
etc...

Start with profile "G drive profile"

Else

Load
Lisp1 (Path to C)
Lisp2 (Path to C)
Lisp3 (Path to C)

Start with profile "C drive Profile"

End If

 I could then create a lisp routine that I put on the g drive, and put a command to run it in the G drive menu.  When this lisp is ran it would look something like:

Open
Shape 1 (G drive path) 
SaveAs Shape 1 (C drive Path)(Would overwrite existing block file)

Shape 2...

Shape 3...

MSlide 1...
MSlide 2...

Template...

 This way I could continually update this lisp when I have a new block or something to add to the data base.  (Shapes refer to each Wblock I have).  Then when this lisp was updated on the G Drive I could send out an email asking the users to run this command. 

I would have the G drive menu on the G drive and the G drive cui on the G drive as read only and would have to put each individuals own personal C drive CUI at this point on there computer which I believe I might have the possibility of working around if I was able to rewrite the macro to someone say "Username" = "actual user name" to allow the paths functionability. 

Does this sound like it would work?

[Mistress0fTheDorkness]

---

@ryled wrote:

Wanderer-MOTD

Thank you for the links, the notes on the philosophy of the CUI will be helpful here.

Also, I looked through many of the classes in 2007(the latest year I saw) and realize that i need to set up a standard.  This will be my next task after getting all the computers in the office to function with the same ribbon set up, template, plot styles and startup.  I'm still struggling trying to find the most efficient way to do this to allow the user full customizability of their workspace, as well as having a seemless change from working at home and working on the network while making it a simple update to any changes to the template/blocks.

When I arrived 3 months ago (first drafting job out of college), there wasn't a template, consistent titleblock, or any type of standards.  Each drawing was from scratch and on layer 0, so you can imagine that I will be making some changes to this as I gain more drafting experience and learn more about the company.  Not having any type of drafter in the building with experience has me trying to build this from the ground up without leaving any major holes in its execution.

---

Excellent, glad you found it useful.

(I don't know what the delay is on the rest of them, some type of missing metadata or something, check back later to see if he's got more up.) I must say, for the average joe on the street, I wouldn't be as concerned with allowing them full customization ability... the vast majority of users I've supported over the years have an OOTB setup, or one customized toolbar. As the others said, remove the worry about tool setup from them, so the right way to do it is the easiest way to do it.

Ooooh, I have so much familiarity with where you're coming from. Many of the drawings I took over when I was in college were still being drawn to a scale, forget paperspace and titleblocks and proper layering. You've got your work cut out for you, but, at the same time, actually implementing all of this yourself will give you a deeper understanding, and that translates to an ability to suss out problems that arise.

Best of luck.

Oh, also on the AUGI site, I'd recommend perusing the archives of the magazine (the Library goes back further and also has HotNews articles), seems to me there were a couple of issues on cad management and implementation... one great thing about doing this now, versus doing this a dozen years ago like me, is there is SOOOOOO much information out there now... articles, blogs, forums to search through. Many people are just great about sharing what they've done, and you can take advantage of that.

[tedwardspg]

Anytime you write a log-on script, there is not "Username" = actual username. Its in the form of %userneame%. this will apply to all users that log-on. and then you get to learn about the "IF", "IFNOT", "WHEN" and a few other goodies and switches /p, /q, /c, etc..

For someone that does not have a whole lot of experience using the program whether it be drafting or figuring out how the program actually work you sure are biting off a pretty big chunck.

You may want to see if your company would be alright with you hiring a consultant to assit you with setting this up. At least you will be able to have someone there to explain to you the why, when, what and how's of this complex issue.

[ryled]

Wanderer,

Thank you, I will look into those magazines once I get through the couple forums you gave me yesterday.  It will be nice to finally have this at a point of completion.  I'm on version 7 of the template, fourth version of the title block, and have created about 40 blocks for drafting, and it seems like each time I finish something they feel like they can let me in on new information and then changes have to be made. 

Each user here likes to change their display colors, and I would like to keep that functionallity for any user because if they're staring at the screen all day they should be able to have some control over their display for their preference.  As far as ribbons however I wasn't intending them to have the ability to customize them, I should have made this clearer earlier.

Tedwardspg,

I was referring to a menu I had written up.  I am unsure if this counts as a script, despite my best efforts the teacher in my CAD manager class would never give me a clear distinction between when its a script vs. macros and menus and lisps.  I've cleared this up for myself to some degree.

In my menu, there are multiple macros that path to the C drive, if I was to change "username" to %username% in each line I would then not need a custom menu per C drive is what you are saying correct?

I'm really not a fan of doing things the wrong way and since there is no system in here I feel compelled to put it in the right direction, though it is a lot more then I expected.  (Thank god for the forums) 

As far as a consultant, they didn't care about consistent title blocks when I arrived so I doubt they see the importance in this so that is nothing but a dream haha. 

Thanks again for both of your help!  Still I am curious if the idea of the startup script seems plausible.

[tedwardspg]

The reason why I said a CAD consultant was not for them to create Title Blocks, CAD standards etc.. It was just to simply show you those advanced part of CAD management that you need to know when going into this area of your career. I had 10 years of drafting experience before I even thought about doing CAD support much less CAD Management. There is a huge saying in this field, "Less is more". Once you understant the full meaning of that saying the easier this task that you are diving into will be.

You should learn how to write LISP, Scripts and you should also learn as much as you can about network administration and network engineering. It will help you quite a bit in the end.

[pendean]

A good CAD Manager is a control freak with management support to be that control freak. Are you there yet?

Once you have that then creating all the customizations, bacvkgrounds, templates and other things ought to come naturally after that (great tips above).

If you don't have that now and in the future regardless of who is hired then you're just wasting your time.

My 2cents worth.

[tedwardspg]

"A good CAD Manager is a control freak with management support to be that control freak. Are you there yet?

Once you have that then creating all the customizations, bacvkgrounds, templates and other things ought to come naturally after that (great tips above).

If you don't have that now and in the future regardless of who is hired then you're just wasting your time.

My 2cents worth."

Oh so true!!!

[ryled]

Pendean,

Only being here for 3 months, I've yet to earn that support from management but the engineers here are in full support of every change I make to AutoCAD and to our styles of drafting.  I am attempting to put in place this system that I can update with a few clicks when need be so they can see the power of AutoCAD when utilized to save time and hopefully give me the support I do need.

I'm not foreign to networks and I understand the concept of the intranet here so that should be all I need to put in place what I'm wishing to.   Also I am taking classes to learn how to write lisps.  I really would like to tackle all of this if not for anyone but myself.

Thank you for your guy's advice. Im pretty sure I have decided the direction I would like to go if this sounds logical?

Each user will have a network and local profile on their computer. 

On startup the acad.lsp will run and depending on network location being available or not they will start with the corresponding profile, loading the correct paths to lisps. This profile will grab the network or the local template.  EDIT: "Also the profile will have the correct workspace that loads the correct CUI with the ribbon set up."

There will be a read only, network enterprise cui as the main cui for the network profile.  This way all changes I make will update automatically to the users.  Changes will mostly be to the menu. Also all blocks, templates so forth will be read only.

There will be a selection in the menu that will run a lisp that will A) open a block path to the network drive, B) saveas this block to the same path on the local drive which the local CUI loads the block from, then C) close the drawing.  This will run through each block, and the template so if I am to make an update I can send an e-mail out asking them to at some point run this command.  Since this will be a part of the enterprise CUI I can update this lisp as more blocks are created to 'save as' them to a correct path on the local drive.  This will allow each user to work from home with the updates needed.

If I am over looking something please let me know, I know its a lot of work but I'm willing to put the time in to get it done.

Dillon

[dgorsman]

I think you need to start a separate thread - you are branching a bit here between profile management and block management.  Both are sufficiently complex to warrant separate attention.

First, for the profile: it exists before the acad.lsp loads.  If its provided to the EXE using the /p argument that profile is used.  If that profile doesn't exist, or if no profile is specified the last-used profile is used.  I'd recommend sticking to a few standardized, application-specific profiles.  User-named or per-user AutoCAD profiles are shortcut to baldness.  And all of that starts before it can start checking network presence.  If its that critical to be mobile, use Offline Files to replicate the critical support files.

Second, for the blocks: beware automatic replacement of blocks in drawings.  This *always* ends up doing bad things to us.  If you only work on internal drawings you might be a bit better off, but having the contents of a drawing changed automatically can easily be missed by a user.

[ryled]

dgorsman,

Thank you, since these blocks are being used as buttons on our ribbon I felt it important to have them update to keep the CUI(s) current.  (Ex. - Layer names get altered/changed, layers in the block then must be updated).

If I understand correctly, you would recommend a few standard profiles.  However wouldn't that keep the users from changing things such as cursor and background color?  Because that is something I would like everyone to be able to change to personal preference.  My thoughts were there would be two profiles per user, a network and an local, that would call up the corresponding CUIs, which would still allow personal - display alterations.  Is there a large disadvantage to this?

If it isn't possible to detect network presence before selecting a profile, I would prefer to default this to the network profile per computer because I wouldn't want a user to accidentally alter a path to blocks on their C drive, which would cause issues if this was the main profile.  Also by support files you are referring to files such as templates or blocks correct or something else?

Also I was thinking that if these blocks were updated that would just update a file, but not all the drawings, unless of course the block was redefined.  If it will make a global change I will have to rethink the whole theory here.

Thanks for your help!

[tedwardspg]

Profiles and workspaces are not the same thing at least not anymore.you would be able to set up a standard company profile. then let the user set up their own workspace. The will be able to change anything in their own enviroment. You then save everones workspace to a CUI on a network location. When the user needs to re-import a profile (it does happen) then they can open the CUI and select the transfer tab. Then they can copy their workspace back to their cui at their local workstation and still have all the settings they like.

[dgorsman]

Yup.  I've got a hundred plus users with standardized profile names.  While some parts of the profile are automatically managed, things like background color are not.  These are all stored on the computer so each user can set them as they see fit.  Everybody also has their own personal Main CUIx for each application, so they can have their own workspaces.