drawing document control database

[jackshield]

walked into a mess, got a jumbled directory of drawings, no database. i need to create database using microsoft access, but not skilled in creating such, only been an end user to now. does anyone have any such templates they could pass along to get me jump statred?

[Anonymous]

Jack,
I'm not posting the database itself (as I put much time and effort into
the building, queries, macros and reports), but, I will show what I have
for my front end and input, to see the type of information that I've
found helpful (used for cad files, blueprints and o&m manuals)

I took two MS Access classes (through a day-training company called
ManPower) and used the help files extensively.

Also, I know it's a pain, but, I reordered most of the drawing directory
after I started here. Noone knew where anything was anyway and it was
good to get it out of the way instead of dealing with the mess in all of
the years since.

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


jackshield wrote:
> walked into a mess, got a jumbled directory of drawings, no database. i need to create database using microsoft access, but not skilled in creating such, only been an end user to now. does anyone have any such templates they could pass along to get me jump statred?

[jackshield]

oh, i definitely have to reorder the directory, all the file names were changed to protect the ignorant. it is a major project, but i have been given card blanc, i know what fields i am interested in, hopefully maintenance will be able to produce an equipment list to help.....i think the cold realization is that i will have to take a class or just muddle my way thru it, i found some tuturiols on the web, but was hoping to slice and dice somebody else's efforts.....all i lack is fundamental skills 😉

[jackshield]

Melanie, have you ever used the Vault product?

[Anonymous]

It's good that they're not trying to stop the reordering.

I would recommend a class. I am adept enough at learning new software,
but, I don't think I could have gotten very far with Access without the
classes to lead me through a few things, that got me comfortable.

I tried learning SQL (using SQL Server Express) on my own, and rebuilt
this database in that... let me tell you... there are a lot of tutorials
and discussion groups available for that one, but, I still floundered
for quite a while tackling it by myself with no direct instruction.

We've got an equipment database here, too, but, luckily, that's not my
problem. We've got a guy that handles a custom work order and
Preventative Maintenance database/website... that's all SQL and .NET, so
it's pretty well beyond my comprehension.

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

jackshield wrote:
> oh, i definitely have to reorder the directory, all the file names were changed to protect the ignorant. it is a major project, but i have been given card blanc, i know what fields i am interested in, hopefully maintenance will be able to produce an equipment list to help.....i think the cold realization is that i will have to take a class or just muddle my way thru it, i found some tuturiols on the web, but was hoping to slice and dice somebody else's efforts.....all i lack is fundamental skills 😉

[Anonymous]

No, I haven't. Is it meant to be a document management sort of thing?

jackshield wrote:
> Melanie, have you ever used the Vault product?

[jackshield]

i dont know, doing search for drawing document management, alot of post seemed to point that way, i know it is available to me, even though not installed, guess i should read up on that too.

[Anonymous]

Hi Jack:

I have also created databases with Microsoft Access for clients who wanted to keep better control of their drawings.

I don't know much about Vault, but in my opinion one of the biggest advantages to creating an Access-based database is that any user can use the database providing they have Access on their machine.

If you choose to create your own database, a course will help as Access can be finicky but also spend some time in the helpfile as well as user forums. I have found invaluable assistance from these forums and quite often you will find answers to specific questions and sample code that someone has already done for you!

Other than that, it's helpful to sketch out the database layout first and figure out how you are going to set up your tables and queries and look into the concept of "front end" vs "back end" for your database. They are two separate entities that will prevent headaches in the future. The quick 'n dirty definition is this: The back-end only stores the raw data in the database and the front-end is the interface that the user sees.

Anyway, good luck with this!

Nick

[Anonymous]

Actually, once the database is created, then the front end can be Active
Server pages and Internet explorer. You will still be able to manage, add,
delete and rename. Then MS Access will not be required on every machine.

This requires this requires Web skills to build it, and consulting will
probably be required. If you're interested in going this direction, please
contact me privately. Since I make a living doing these things,
unfortunately I can't give it away free, but I can provide some advice in
going the right direction.

--
Dennis Jeffrey, AICE, MICE
260-312-6188
Instructor/Author/Sr. App Engr.
Inventor 11 Professional SP2, MDT 2007 SP1
HP Pavillion Zv5000 (Modified)
Geforce Go 440, Driver: .8185, 2GB RAM
XP Pro SP2, Windows Classic Theme
http://www.design-excellence.com
wrote in message news:5554945@discussion.autodesk.com...
Hi Jack:

I have also created databases with Microsoft Access for clients who wanted
to keep better control of their drawings.

I don't know much about Vault, but in my opinion one of the biggest
advantages to creating an Access-based database is that any user can use the
database providing they have Access on their machine.

If you choose to create your own database, a course will help as Access can
be finicky but also spend some time in the helpfile as well as user forums.
I have found invaluable assistance from these forums and quite often you
will find answers to specific questions and sample code that someone has
already done for you!

Other than that, it's helpful to sketch out the database layout first and
figure out how you are going to set up your tables and queries and look into
the concept of "front end" vs "back end" for your database. They are two
separate entities that will prevent headaches in the future. The quick 'n
dirty definition is this: The back-end only stores the raw data in the
database and the front-end is the interface that the user sees.

Anyway, good luck with this!

Nick

[jackshield]

does your schedule allot you the time to allow me to pick your brain on select issues?

[Anonymous]

I recommend using web development for the user interface because it can and
will indeed reduce costs but I don't recommend using Active Server Pages
(ASP) which are an outdated and lame technology in comparison to ASP.NET.

I would also not recommend using the Jet database either as it has been
discontinued noting Access is not the database, it is in effect nothing more
than a user interface builder with query language support including related
features to enable Access to be used to develop desktop applications which
it has been used to do very well over the years.

The era of Access/Jet is basically over. I suspect Microsoft will soon
re-engineer Access to extend its life by improving its use as a front-end to
real SQL databases which it supports now marginally. I think it will still
take another two years when I think Jet will finally be retired once and for
all as Microsoft has just done with FoxPro just this month I recall. Well, I
read in passing the FoxPro developers are begging for continuance but I
don't see much chance of that. Like ASP, FoxPro is simply too outdated in
comparison to contemporary tools and even Microsoft can't afford to continue
supporting these buggy whips like Jet and FoxPro.

The preferred solution for those just getting started on the Windows
platform is the use of SQL Server Express using ASP.NET to develop the user
interface, the data access layer, and the development and enforcement of
business rules to manage who can and who can not access webpages and data
right down to controlling parts of the page using ASP.NET Membership, Roles
and Profiles.

Active Server Pages are so lame in comparison there isn't much comparison
anymore. Microsoft has refined its database strategy so databases and code
developed with SQL Server Express can be reused with SQL Server 2005 and
those releases of SQL Server to follow. There is also a free SQL Server
Express Manager used to create and manage the SQL databases.

Later this year Microsoft will release LINQ (Language Integrated Query)
which enables web developers to do all the database code and web application
code in the same file using the same language used with ASP.NET which is a
significant productivity enhancement. Its well worth every bit of struggle
and hard work to adopt and learn SQL.

Finally, .NET 3.0 has recently been released and CAD Managers are going to
start hearing more and more about one aspect of 3.0 known as Windows
Workflow Foundation which enables business rules to be automated using
ASP.NET. A transmittal can be routed using workflow rules which control who
gets what and when for example. Just imagine this; on the basis of a
transmittal one partner could have a set of drawings zipped up and
transmitted using FTP and another partner a whole different set of drawings
or other documents. All automated using ASP.NET.

There's so much going on hardly anybody can keep up with it but once having
been coding with ASP.NET I'd have to be drugged and dragged kicking and
screaming to go back to ASP.

Many people are going to be doing just fine with what they have developed
using Access/JEt or even those using the most populat "database" called
"Excel" 😉 but what of those who find themselves with their most valuable
assets thrown mumbo jumbo into a shoebox like Excel or the file system. What
then? Web development is the answer...

--
<%= Clinton Gallagher
NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/






wrote in message news:5554815@discussion.autodesk.com...
walked into a mess, got a jumbled directory of drawings, no database. i
need to create database using microsoft access, but not skilled in creating
such, only been an end user to now. does anyone have any such templates they
could pass along to get me jump statred?

[Anonymous]

~shrug~ 🙂 sure... drop me a line at lunch time (11:45 central)

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jackshield wrote:
> does your schedule allot you the time to allow me to pick your brain on select issues?

[Anonymous]

hmm, now that sounds nice. that is one of the difficulties... when
people in my department get new machines, they seldom remember to ask
for the 'full' office suite install, as the standard install on our
campus is no access or photo editor.

vault doesn't come with MAP, does it? does it come with ADT... erm, ACA?
or would some of those uses be covered by the project navigator thingy?

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

Dennis Jeffrey wrote:
> Actually, once the database is created, then the front end can be Active
> Server pages and Internet explorer. You will still be able to manage, add,
> delete and rename. Then MS Access will not be required on every machine.

[Anonymous]

I have six websites driven by this lame technology 🙂 the ASP pages on
those sites are bullet proof and fast.

While ASP.net also works just fine, it is not required to connect with
either MS access or full SQL. The big difference to most users there is the
size of the data storage, not the filestore.

If you want to be on the leading edge of the technology, that's fine but you
can't knock what works either.

ASP or ASP.net, they both work

--
Dennis Jeffrey, AICE, MICE
260-312-6188
Instructor/Author/Sr. App Engr.
Inventor 11 Professional SP2, MDT 2007 SP1
HP Pavillion Zv5000 (Modified)
Geforce Go 440, Driver: .8185, 2GB RAM
XP Pro SP2, Windows Classic Theme
http://www.design-excellence.com
"clintonG" wrote in message
news:5555732@discussion.autodesk.com...
I recommend using web development for the user interface because it can and
will indeed reduce costs but I don't recommend using Active Server Pages
(ASP) which are an outdated and lame technology in comparison to ASP.NET.

I would also not recommend using the Jet database either as it has been
discontinued noting Access is not the database, it is in effect nothing more
than a user interface builder with query language support including related
features to enable Access to be used to develop desktop applications which
it has been used to do very well over the years.

The era of Access/Jet is basically over. I suspect Microsoft will soon
re-engineer Access to extend its life by improving its use as a front-end to
real SQL databases which it supports now marginally. I think it will still
take another two years when I think Jet will finally be retired once and for
all as Microsoft has just done with FoxPro just this month I recall. Well, I
read in passing the FoxPro developers are begging for continuance but I
don't see much chance of that. Like ASP, FoxPro is simply too outdated in
comparison to contemporary tools and even Microsoft can't afford to continue
supporting these buggy whips like Jet and FoxPro.

The preferred solution for those just getting started on the Windows
platform is the use of SQL Server Express using ASP.NET to develop the user
interface, the data access layer, and the development and enforcement of
business rules to manage who can and who can not access webpages and data
right down to controlling parts of the page using ASP.NET Membership, Roles
and Profiles.

Active Server Pages are so lame in comparison there isn't much comparison
anymore. Microsoft has refined its database strategy so databases and code
developed with SQL Server Express can be reused with SQL Server 2005 and
those releases of SQL Server to follow. There is also a free SQL Server
Express Manager used to create and manage the SQL databases.

Later this year Microsoft will release LINQ (Language Integrated Query)
which enables web developers to do all the database code and web application
code in the same file using the same language used with ASP.NET which is a
significant productivity enhancement. Its well worth every bit of struggle
and hard work to adopt and learn SQL.

Finally, .NET 3.0 has recently been released and CAD Managers are going to
start hearing more and more about one aspect of 3.0 known as Windows
Workflow Foundation which enables business rules to be automated using
ASP.NET. A transmittal can be routed using workflow rules which control who
gets what and when for example. Just imagine this; on the basis of a
transmittal one partner could have a set of drawings zipped up and
transmitted using FTP and another partner a whole different set of drawings
or other documents. All automated using ASP.NET.

There's so much going on hardly anybody can keep up with it but once having
been coding with ASP.NET I'd have to be drugged and dragged kicking and
screaming to go back to ASP.

Many people are going to be doing just fine with what they have developed
using Access/JEt or even those using the most populat "database" called
"Excel" 😉 but what of those who find themselves with their most valuable
assets thrown mumbo jumbo into a shoebox like Excel or the file system. What
then? Web development is the answer...

--
<%= Clinton Gallagher
NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/






wrote in message news:5554815@discussion.autodesk.com...
walked into a mess, got a jumbled directory of drawings, no database. i
need to create database using microsoft access, but not skilled in creating
such, only been an end user to now. does anyone have any such templates they
could pass along to get me jump statred?

[jackshield]

hey mel, quick question? did you have more than one table in your drawing database?

[Anonymous]

in the first build i did in access, no... I kept it 'simple' and in on
table (had forms and reports with queries to easily break it down)


in the 2nd 'testing' build I did in SQL... yeah...
one for campus, related to one for building, related to floor
then the master documentation list that tied them all together and
provided the blueprint details

If you're interested in planning out multiple tables and how they
could/should relate, I believe, Scott MacFarlane, did some good DB
classes at AU, and you can download the older class handouts at
augi.com/education.
I could try to find my notes over the weekend to tell you which class
specifically I'm thinking of... it was really good (so much so that it
inspired me to redesign my database during happy hour that night. boy,
I'm non-stop fun!).

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



jackshield wrote:
> hey melANIE :-), quick question? did you have more than one table in your drawing database?