Standard layer/ctb evolution thoughts?
@rspearYL2SX wrote:
So long story short, I'm with a new company and have been tasked with bringing our optimizing standards, CAD environment and improving civil 3d efficiencies.
There is a lot to examine here... most of it doesn't even begin getting into the meat of the technical aspects you are asking about. Having the new guy set standards... sounds like they set you up for failure haha. In my experience CAD standards can be a tough road especially if your company is built of several companies who have their own internal and conflicting standards.
Changes like these can be a mine field. I would say before you make any moves that you have 100% buy in from management. I would make it clear that the first instance of waffling from management it will trigger the end to the effort. They have to take ownership of that and you have to hold them to it! There is no middle ground. You have to have their support across the board. My guess is that once you start peeling back that onion you will find that a lack of a unifying CAD standard is more of a symptom of an un-unified corporate structure more than anything. This is where i urge upmost caution, you cant solve organizational disfunction from the point of a CAD standard.
I have found that rule implementation (Standards) is best when its organic and meets the needs of the users. Its easy to adopt a standard that solves a problem for them, its hard to adopt a standard that makes them work harder (different) than they are used to. What i would do for first step is start making a standard on what they already agree on and what they have a a common ground already. This may help get end user buy in and start the dialogs for the tougher conversations.
If there is no urgency or no need to make changes aside from consistency I would work to setup the standard you think best and get that put into the training and onboarding channels. That way there will be natural adoption. You will also need to make sure that any new people are not trained on any non-conforming standards. Eventually your standards will be adopted, but that is a long process and will not be the quick win anybody wants.
You can also create two standards, or rather create one standard with options. If everyone's systems are working but they are just different, is it really worth breaking entire offices functioning systems? (this is why management buy in is crucial!)
I don't know your company or how they are managed but you will probably find the best answer to be just write down what everyone is doing now that is working. If its working don't break it. make that the standard. if you have different standards between offices, you may just have to live with it until you can get a consensus on change. If you want to see changes from there, make sure you have proper buy in and involve the stakeholders in the conversation on how this should change.
That said if your company hired you to overhaul the system at all costs, go nuts haha! Just know that your tenure may be cut short so make sure your compensation includes that level of risk.
CADnoob
We use the the two layouts. 11X17 and 24X36. We mostly plot to 11X17 but occasionally need a "Full Size" set.
Also we use a CTB but all of the Lineweights are set to Bylayer. That way the standard layers plot at what the layer is set for. I set that up years ago because I always had user who "couldn't" see yellow of blue that well. Now they can make the layer any color they want as long as the layer lineweight isn't change.
Allen Jessup
CAD Manager - Designer
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