AutoCAD CAD Manager Certification

[Anonymous]

What are your thoughts on a new level of AutoCAD Certification?

AutoCAD Certified Associate

AutoCAD Certified Professional

AutoCAD Certified CAD Manager

I'm not talking about everything a CAD Manager knows, but more along the lines of everything AutoCAD related that a CAD Manager should know. Like: How do you access the acad.pgp file? Which settings will affect your System Performance? Which folder are your LISP files located in?

I know I can come up with hundreds of questions that pertain to CAD Managers alone (given enough time, of course). But why has Autodesk not done this already?

Thanks!!

[pendean]

"cad manager" is not a well defined role, never has been, and most likely never will IMHO: in most offices it's the unrecognized/overworked/under-appreciated most experienced AutoCAD user that fills the position. In many smaller firms that's also the entire I.T. / phone / networking department too.

BTW, your first and third questions are very much in the realm of power user and less about 'manager'.

[Anonymous]

For some of us in a small office, the Cad Manager does everything from problem resolution (fixing others mistakes), setting up and maintaining templates, drafting, lot grading (yes, outside, not on the computer) construction inspection, answering phones, design work, etc.  We have to be fluent in acad, LDD, C3d, eaglepoint, and microstations, and know how to file and transfer phone calls.

Basically, we are the "go to person" for just about anything. 

I really don't think this is something that could be certified.

[Anonymous]

No, you couldn't be certified although you would have to be certiably crazy to do it.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your input.

I understand it's not a well defined role, but my thoughts are that a certification would help define the role by defining the type of questions/materials that go into the exams.

But again,  I'm not talking about everything a CAD Manager knows or does in the office. I'm ONLY talking about the things that AutoCAD can test users (managers) on, such as system variables, settings, folders, file locations, and such -  primarily the stuff that a Certified Associate or Certified Professional doesn't know.

Additionally, the Certified Associate and Certified Professional Certifications would be prerequisites to the Certified CAD Manager Certificate.

[Anonymous]

Ok, what would be the benefit to this?

what program would you use to test this?

how would you take into account ie file locations vary?  (here I have everything set up on the W drive)

how would you take into account the different system variables used depending on discipline? 

What about add on programs?  That is a huge part of many offices.

What would this tell a potential employer about this certified person that would make them better than a power user?  (and when can I go back to just being a power user?)

[Anonymous]

The problem is that being a cad manager means vastly different things in different offices, and often doesn't even require that the manager is the most competent user in the place. Sometimes it's the person charged with enforcing standards and assigning workload. In other places they're the person doing IT work such as installs, while in still others they may be the person writing routines and scripts to automate processes.

[Anonymous]

For instance:

(WITHOUT LOOKING) Can you answer any of these:

1. Which folder is the acad.pgp file located?

2. Where can you find the AutoCAD Fonts?

3. Which command will load a LISP file?

4. How do you suppress the LINETYPE error prompts?

5. How doyou suppress the display of file navigation boxes?

6. How do you Import profiles?

7. Where are your CTB files located?

8. Somehow a user of yours is looking at an Old MTEXT editor with very few editing options. Which system variable will change the MTEXT editor to the new "Internal" viewer?

[Anonymous]

WOW!! Thanks. Excellent questions!!

Ok, what would be the benefit to this?

 For the user: Acknowledgement of CAD Manager status. Another certification to hang on you "I love me" wall.

 For the company: Acknowledgement that they have CAD Managers on staff.

 For AutoCAD: Another group of certifications for people to buy into.

what program would you use to test this?

 The same program they use to test users on the AutoCAD Certified Associate Test.

how would you take into account ie file locations vary?  (here I have everything set up on the W drive)

 My thought is that they would test on GENERIC values, just like they do with the AutoCAD Certified Associate Test.

how would you take into account the different system variables used depending on discipline? 

The VALUE of the variable has no bearing on whether or not you know what it is or how to use it.

If you're talking about certain verticals having different variable, then that would be the same as getting your AutoCAD Civil3D CAD Manager Certification, or your AutoCAD Revit CAD Manager Certification, no?

What about add on programs?  That is a huge part of many offices.

 What about them? Do they test about the add-on programs for the current certifications?

What would this tell a potential employer about this certified person that would make them better than a power user?  (and when can I go back to just being a power user?)

If you earned the CAD Manager certification, that would say that you already have the knowledge of the professional (earned separately) . So if you wanted to act as a professional and not a manager, then you could do that. No?

[Anonymous]

WOW!! Thanks. Excellent questions!!

Ok, what would be the benefit to this?

 For the user: Acknowledgement of CAD Manager status. Another certification to hang on you "I love me" wall.

 For the company: Acknowledgement that they have CAD Managers on staff.

 For AutoCAD: Another group of certifications for people to buy into.

what program would you use to test this?

 The same program they use to test users on the AutoCAD Certified Associate Test.

how would you take into account ie file locations vary?  (here I have everything set up on the W drive)

 My thought is that they would test on GENERIC values, just like they do with the AutoCAD Certified Associate Test.

how would you take into account the different system variables used depending on discipline? 

The VALUE of the variable has no bearing on whether or not you know what it is or how to use it.

If you're talking about certain verticals having different variable, then that would be the same as getting your AutoCAD Civil3D CAD Manager Certification, or your AutoCAD Revit CAD Manager Certification, no?

What about add on programs?  That is a huge part of many offices.

 What about them? Do they test about the add-on programs for the current certifications?

What would this tell a potential employer about this certified person that would make them better than a power user?  (and when can I go back to just being a power user?)

If you earned the CAD Manager certification, that would say that you already have the knowledge of the professional (earned separately) . So if you wanted to act as a professional and not a manager, then you could do that. No?

[Anonymous]

The problem is that being a cad manager means vastly different things in different offices, and often doesn't even require that the manager is the most competent user in the place. Sometimes it's the person charged with enforcing standards and assigning workload. In other places they're the person doing IT work such as installs, while in still others they may be the person writing routines and scripts to automate processes.

Once again. What the CAD Manager does in the office would have no bearing on what AutoCAD would test you on. This certification would only be to prove your skills as an AutoCAD CAD Manager...meaning that you know your way around the AutoCAD environment better than any of your coworkers.

[Anonymous]

Depending on the office, and discipline the job description and what you need to know changes.

I can't see this as a benefit.  In the end, the job is what it is, and the pay is what it is.  A title is just a title. 

Here, if someone approaches me saying their project has a problem with the database, I have to be able to fix it.  Noone cares about the pgp file (except me) but would rather have icons all over thier screens.  (I'll stick to my key codes)

The assumption is if you can trouble shoot the big problems you will be able to find the solution for any problem if you don't already know the answer.

[Anonymous]

I am not a beliver in certifications. We hired an out of country engineer and the boss set it up for him to get certification in our industry since we wanted to be able to claim that we had a certified member of our staff. He passed 2 tests to get to an advanced certificate. Then we fired him because he didn't have the slightest clue how to do the work and didn't seem to be capable of learning even though we had 3 different people try to teach him. Could pass the test, but had no clue what those questions he answered right meant.

[Anonymous]

Depending on the office, and discipline the job description and what you need to know changes.

 Ok, for the 4th time, what you do in the office would have absolutely no bearing on the AutoCAD exam. If, however, you're talking about your Office running Civil3D, they wouldn't it make sense that your "CAD Manager" have a knowledge of the Civil3D environment? The same thing would fall true for a company that is running Revit Architecture. Wouldn't it make sense to have a "CAD Manger" who is certified in managing a Revit run office?

What you think is important to know, I may not.  What I have to know you may never have heard of.

What you or I think is important also should have no bearing on what you're tested on. Have you ever taken a certification test? I'm sure you've taken a college exam, or at least a high school test, right? Well, did they care what you thought was important? No, they told you to study everything and we'll test you on what we think is important.

My question is still What would be the benefit, and what would it tell a potential employer.

The benefits I outlined (although not completely, I know, but I'm hoping others will see more benefits and chime it at some point). What it would tell a potential employer is basically the same thing the "AutoCAD Certified Professional Certification" would tell them in regards to your skills/abilities. Exactly what those are at this point, I don't think I could answer, but if Autodesk were to ever follow up on such a thing, the definition of exactly what would be in the exam.

I hope I understood your questions correctly.

[Anonymous]

I am not a beliver in certifications. We hired an out of country engineer and the boss set it up for him to get certification in our industry since we wanted to be able to claim that we had a certified member of our staff. He passed 2 tests to get to an advanced certificate. Then we fired him because he didn't have the slightest clue how to do the work and didn't seem to be capable of learning even though we had 3 different people try to teach him. Could pass the test, but had no clue what those questions he answered right meant.

I hear ya, ig, you're not the oly one...and certifications aren't for everyone. There's nothing wrong with that. But certifications do help people, and they do help companies. If they didn't, then more than 300 companies wouldn't have them and more than 3,000,000 people worldwide wouldn't be certified. (I'm not talking just AutoCAD)

The problem with alot of people is that they think certifications will teach them how to do the work. That isn't what certifications are for, they are there to prove you have the knowledge to perform the tasks of a .... (enter a title here).

Another big issue is Braindumps... but I'm not opening that can of worms here. Needless to say, that your "engineer" was probably a braindump user and cheated his way though the system.

[Anonymous]

Depending on the office, and discipline the job description and what you need to know changes.

Wow, how many times does this need to be said: What you do in the office has no bearing on what you know about managing your AutoCAD environment. The certification I'm talking about would ONLY test a user on what they know about AutoCAD.

I can't see this as a benefit.  In the end, the job is what it is, and the pay is what it is.  A title is just a title. 

And I wouldn't expect you to see it or understand it. The point of my post here is to (hopefully) get the attention of the ONE Autodesk employee who does see the benefits and thinks that a series of CAD Manager certifications would be good for their Certification Program. If you are that person, then keep asking questions and I'll keep answering until you do see it. 🙂

Here, if someone approaches me saying their project has a problem with the database, I have to be able to fix it.  Noone cares about the pgp file (except me) but would rather have icons all over thier screens.  (I'll stick to my key codes)

The assumption is if you can trouble shoot the big problems you will be able to find the solution for any problem if you don't already know the answer.

As I mentioned previously, certifications aren't for everyone. If they're not for you, then hey, that's great, you don't have to worry about getting a certification or hiring anyone who does have it. But there are people who like certifications, and there are companies who prefer to hire people with certifications.

[Anonymous]

Depending on the office, and discipline the job description and what you need to know changes.

Wow, how many times does this need to be said: What you do in the office has no bearing on what you know about managing your AutoCAD environment. The certification I'm talking about would ONLY test a user on what they know about AutoCAD.

I can't see this as a benefit.  In the end, the job is what it is, and the pay is what it is.  A title is just a title. 

And I wouldn't expect you to see it or understand it. The point of my post here is to (hopefully) get the attention of the ONE Autodesk employee who does see the benefits and thinks that a series of CAD Manager certifications would be good for their Certification Program. If you are that person, then keep asking questions and I'll keep answering until you do see it. 🙂

Here, if someone approaches me saying their project has a problem with the database, I have to be able to fix it.  Noone cares about the pgp file (except me) but would rather have icons all over thier screens.  (I'll stick to my key codes)

The assumption is if you can trouble shoot the big problems you will be able to find the solution for any problem if you don't already know the answer.

As I mentioned previously, certifications aren't for everyone. If they're not for you, then hey, that's great, you don't have to worry about getting a certification or hiring anyone who does have it. But there are people who like certifications, and there are companies who prefer to hire people with certifications.

[Anonymous]

Sorry pendean, I missed your response completely.

"cad manager" is not a well defined role, never has been, and most likely never will IMHO: in most offices it's the unrecognized/overworked/under-appreciated most experienced AutoCAD user that fills the position. In many smaller firms that's also the entire I.T. / phone / networking department too.

 Ok, and do you really think that someone in the IT department is going to attempt to earn a CAD Manager certification if they don't work with AutoCAD on a regular basis? Do you not think that the "unrecognized/overworked/under-appreciated most experienced AutoCAD user" in the office deserves his (or her) own Certification? Again, this isn't for everyone, just for those who want it. At least if it's out there on the table, then people will have the option of earning the certification IF they choose to. If they don't want it, then (just as any other certification) don't go for it, ignore it, do whatever you want to it.

BTW, your first and third questions are very much in the realm of power user and less about 'manager'.

What's a power user? Is that another certification? The only two (levels) I know of are Associate and Professional; and although a Certified Professional probably should know that information, I don't recall it being on the test that I took.

[dgorsman]

You keep saying "its not specific to an office" and the like, but most of those questions *are* specific, varying from office to office:

1. PGP file is stored on the users network drive, but other offices have it in the default ACAD folder; some that use scripts mandate a "fixed" PGP whic could be on a read-only network drive or use a copy-local scheme.

2. Fonts files are located where they should be.  We have a number of locations depending on the program and client, which may be "wrong" by your standards but work for us.

3. Users don't load LISP files.  Period.  We have custom loading to ensure the correct files are loaded each time, every time.  Others may allow the users to do whatever they want, APPLOAD, start-up suite, and so on.

4. We don't have LINETYPE error prompts; perhaps you mean missing shape files?  Which aren't supressable prior to AutoCAD 2011 (or was it 2010?), but does it matter?

5. Supress file navigation boxes?  Why?  Most LISP functions do this anyways for automation, if the user is responsible they find it easier to use the GUI as they are used to with other appplications.

6. Users don't import profiles.  Period.  Some companies let users create their own, some use ARG files, some use registry merges, some use copy-local schemes.

7.  CTB files are located where they should be, according to discipline, application, and client.

8. Not something that most CAD Managers would need to know offhand; thats what help files are for.  And also assumes thats in fact what the problem is, rather than the user trying to run a rogue profile, load a LISP they found on the internet, etc.

I'm not buying it.  Certification is a good idea in theory, but the varied nature of the job as well as yearly releases for the core AutoCAD program, verticals, *and* third-party applications make it impractical.

[Anonymous]

You keep saying "its not specific to an office" and the like, but most of those questions *are* specific, varying from office to office:

Do you have anyone in your office who is an AutoCAD Certified Professional? Did you hire them for their certification thinking they would be certified based on your specific office products? No, because that's not how certifications work. What any certification tells (or is supposed to tell) an employee is that I have some prior proven knowledge of the subject. It doesn't tell the employer that they know everything your office does.

1. PGP file is stored on the users network drive, but other offices have it in the default ACAD folder; some that use scripts mandate a "fixed" PGP whic could be on a read-only network drive or use a copy-local scheme.

Remember, this is for the CAD Manager, not the user. Lets say, the CAD Manager is tasked with making sure that all of the Commands across ALL machines in the office are identical. (And yes, I have had to do this, so I know it is necessary). Then making sure a CAD Manager has this knowledge would be pertinent to a CAD Manager certification, no? It doesn't matter if the office's ACAD.pgp file is in a different location, the important part is that the CAD Manager knows where it should be...he can learn the new location just as easily.

2. Fonts files are located where they should be.  We have a number of locations depending on the program and client, which may be "wrong" by your standards but work for us.

That great. The point, once again, is that the CAD Manager prove he knows the standard location for the certification. If he can't do this, then he would probably have a harder time trying to figure out where your office keeps theirs. Again, certifications aren't office specific, they're industry specific.

3. Users don't load LISP files.  Period.  We have custom loading to ensure the correct files are loaded each time, every time.  Others may allow the users to do whatever they want, APPLOAD, start-up suite, and so on.

Exactly! USERS DON'T. But a CAD Manager may be tasked with making sure that a specific LISP file is working on ALL Machines in the office and having the knowledge of how and where to set that up may be pretty important, wouldn't you think?

4. We don't have LINETYPE error prompts; perhaps you mean missing shape files?  Which aren't supressable prior to AutoCAD 2011 (or was it 2010?), but does it matter?

Maybe the LINETYPE error statement wasn't the best example, but come on, what CAD Manager hasn't used the EXPERT Command. This would obviously have to be one of the basic questions (there are easy questions on all exams, right?)

5. Supress file navigation boxes?  Why?  Most LISP functions do this anyways for automation, if the user is responsible they find it easier to use the GUI as they are used to with other appplications.

I don't remember where I was going with this question, but what CAD Manager doesn't know about the FILEDIA command. Another easy question. 🙂

6. Users don't import profiles.  Period.  Some companies let users create their own, some use ARG files, some use registry merges, some use copy-local schemes.

Again, this is for CAD Managers, not users. What if (and I have had to do this) the CAD Manager were tasked with making sure that ALL Machines in the office had the latest office standard profile installed on them. In our office, the office standard profile was used as a guideline for new employees and it had our most commonly used features and functions. Having a CAD Manager who knew how to import them and set them up, was important.

7.  CTB files are located where they should be, according to discipline, application, and client.

Exactly!! But where is that? Wouldn't a CAD Manager with this knowledge have an advantage over a user who doesn't? Testing the CAD Manager on this knowledge would prove that he does know it. No?

8. Not something that most CAD Managers would need to know offhand; thats what help files are for.  And also assumes thats in fact what the problem is, rather than the user trying to run a rogue profile, load a LISP they found on the internet, etc.

The point of this question was the ability to troubleshoot ANY problem that a user throws at a CAD Manager. Troubleshooting is a LARGE part of the CAD Manager's Role, is it not? If you're a good CAD Manager, then you should be able to sit down and isolate the problem as fast as possible so that the user can perform his/her job to the best of their ability in the most efficient way. A Certified AutoCAD CAD Manager would have been tested on various troubleshooting techniques (on a simulated system like the Certified Professional) and have proven that he has this ability.

I'm not buying it.  Certification is a good idea in theory, but the varied nature of the job as well as yearly releases for the core AutoCAD program, verticals, *and* third-party applications make it impractical.

Again, I don't expect you to "buy it", but you are helping me explain it a little better so that Autodesk will hopefully at least look at it from a different angle.

The varied nature of the job wouldn't affect the standard knowledge that a CAD Manager should have.

There are various verticals, so there would have to be various AutoCAD CAD Manager Certifications. In addition to the AutoCAD CAD Manager (having a basic knowledge of AutoCAD without verticals), there could be the AutoCAD Civil 3D CAD Manager, Autodesk 3ds Max Design CAD Manager, Autodesk Inventor CAD Manager, Autodesk Maya CAD Manager, and the Autodesk Revit Architecture CAD Manager. And yes, each year the programs change, so the certification tests would have to also be changed.

Third party applications wouldn't be tested, but wouldn't a CAD Manager have to have that internal knowledge of the 3rd party application anyways?

Thanks for your input. I'm looking for more if you have it?

[Anonymous]

You keep saying "its not specific to an office" and the like, but most of those questions *are* specific, varying from office to office:

Do you have anyone in your office who is an AutoCAD Certified Professional? Did you hire them for their certification thinking they would be certified based on your specific office products? No, because that's not how certifications work. What any certification tells (or is supposed to tell) an employee is that I have some prior proven knowledge of the subject. It doesn't tell the employer that they know everything your office does.

1. PGP file is stored on the users network drive, but other offices have it in the default ACAD folder; some that use scripts mandate a "fixed" PGP whic could be on a read-only network drive or use a copy-local scheme.

Remember, this is for the CAD Manager, not the user. Lets say, the CAD Manager is tasked with making sure that all of the Commands across ALL machines in the office are identical. (And yes, I have had to do this, so I know it is necessary). Then making sure a CAD Manager has this knowledge would be pertinent to a CAD Manager certification, no? It doesn't matter if the office's ACAD.pgp file is in a different location, the important part is that the CAD Manager knows where it should be...he can learn the new location just as easily.

2. Fonts files are located where they should be.  We have a number of locations depending on the program and client, which may be "wrong" by your standards but work for us.

That great. The point, once again, is that the CAD Manager prove he knows the standard location for the certification. If he can't do this, then he would probably have a harder time trying to figure out where your office keeps theirs. Again, certifications aren't office specific, they're industry specific.

3. Users don't load LISP files.  Period.  We have custom loading to ensure the correct files are loaded each time, every time.  Others may allow the users to do whatever they want, APPLOAD, start-up suite, and so on.

Exactly! USERS DON'T. But a CAD Manager may be tasked with making sure that a specific LISP file is working on ALL Machines in the office and having the knowledge of how and where to set that up may be pretty important, wouldn't you think?

4. We don't have LINETYPE error prompts; perhaps you mean missing shape files?  Which aren't supressable prior to AutoCAD 2011 (or was it 2010?), but does it matter?

Maybe the LINETYPE error statement wasn't the best example, but come on, what CAD Manager hasn't used the EXPERT Command. This would obviously have to be one of the basic questions (there are easy questions on all exams, right?)

5. Supress file navigation boxes?  Why?  Most LISP functions do this anyways for automation, if the user is responsible they find it easier to use the GUI as they are used to with other appplications.

I don't remember where I was going with this question, but what CAD Manager doesn't know about the FILEDIA command. Another easy question. 🙂

6. Users don't import profiles.  Period.  Some companies let users create their own, some use ARG files, some use registry merges, some use copy-local schemes.

Again, this is for CAD Managers, not users. What if (and I have had to do this) the CAD Manager were tasked with making sure that ALL Machines in the office had the latest office standard profile installed on them. In our office, the office standard profile was used as a guideline for new employees and it had our most commonly used features and functions. Having a CAD Manager who knew how to import them and set them up, was important.

7.  CTB files are located where they should be, according to discipline, application, and client.

Exactly!! But where is that? Wouldn't a CAD Manager with this knowledge have an advantage over a user who doesn't? Testing the CAD Manager on this knowledge would prove that he does know it. No?

8. Not something that most CAD Managers would need to know offhand; thats what help files are for.  And also assumes thats in fact what the problem is, rather than the user trying to run a rogue profile, load a LISP they found on the internet, etc.

The point of this question was the ability to troubleshoot ANY problem that a user throws at a CAD Manager. Troubleshooting is a LARGE part of the CAD Manager's Role, is it not? If you're a good CAD Manager, then you should be able to sit down and isolate the problem as fast as possible so that the user can perform his/her job to the best of their ability in the most efficient way. A Certified AutoCAD CAD Manager would have been tested on various troubleshooting techniques (on a simulated system like the Certified Professional) and have proven that he has this ability.

I'm not buying it.  Certification is a good idea in theory, but the varied nature of the job as well as yearly releases for the core AutoCAD program, verticals, *and* third-party applications make it impractical.

Again, I don't expect you to "buy it", but you are helping me explain it a little better so that Autodesk will hopefully at least look at it from a different angle.

The varied nature of the job wouldn't affect the standard knowledge that a CAD Manager should have.

There are various verticals, so there would have to be various AutoCAD CAD Manager Certifications. In addition to the AutoCAD CAD Manager (having a basic knowledge of AutoCAD without verticals), there could be the AutoCAD Civil 3D CAD Manager, Autodesk 3ds Max Design CAD Manager, Autodesk Inventor CAD Manager, Autodesk Maya CAD Manager, and the Autodesk Revit Architecture CAD Manager. And yes, each year the programs change, so the certification tests would have to also be changed.

Third party applications wouldn't be tested, but wouldn't a CAD Manager have to have that internal knowledge of the 3rd party application anyways?

Thanks for your input. I'm looking for more if you have it?

[pendean]

Your list of 1-8 questions here ought to be in the AutoCAD User certification IMHO, not a "CAD manager".

Power User: an AutoCAD user that's totally familiar with your 8-questions.

[dgorsman]

I think you missed my point, and those of others, completely. I am pointing out it can, and is, done differently everywhere so there can be little in the way of standard testing.  There is no location a PGP, PC3, CTB, etc. file "should" be.  Asking that question of a candidate is irrelevant since there is little in the way of a wrong or right answer.

I am interviewing a person on Tuesday, and if I asked them where any of those files "should" be the correct answer is "I don't know, I don't work here." not "Under the Documents and Settings/All Users path" (because thats how they did it at the previous office).