Attempting to become a CAD Manager

Anonymous · ‎07-01-2014

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

Anonymous · ‎07-17-2014

Thanks guys. I wound up going with a solution that worked for what I have here. Each computer was given a local and network profile that was pathed to the correct support, cui, and qnew paths. I had the main cui as a custom 'user' cui with the partials being 'content explorer' and 'acad.' I then had the enterprise CUI being a seperate custom cui that started as a copy of the acad.cui. This has the partial paths of express, autocadws, acfusion, and my custom menu cui.

For workspaces there was the enterprise CUI workspace, which is all most of the users here need, as well as the drafting and annotation, 3D modeling, 3D basics and AutoCAD Classic that were transfered in from the ACAD.cui. The last workspace is a custom workspace that has one of the ribbon tabs from the enterprise incorporated. This is the one that I and any user who feels comfortable customizing a workspace will use.

clindner · ‎04-29-2022

I know this is a really old thread, but I wanted to weigh in on @dgorsman's post for any future readers.

@dgorsman wrote:
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.

This is one of the limitations of profiles that I discuss in my Programming the Work out of CAD Management AU class. The limitation can be handled using AutoLISP.

I wish Autodesk would treat profiles the way the treat CUIs; there should be (using the CUI terminology) an Enterprise profile & a Main profile. This would allow CAD managers to maintain control over global system settings without completely overwriting the user preferences that are intermingled throughout the current profile mechanism. Would be so helpful for both parties involved.

Please use the Accept as Solution or Kudo buttons when appropriate

Chris Lindner
CAD Technology Consultant @ onebuttoncad.com
AUGI Board of Directors