Table of contents for BAD CAD Management Habits

1. BAD CAD Management Habits – Jumping to Conclusions
2. BAD CAD Management Habits – Attacking the Person not the Problem
3. BAD CAD Management Habits – Allowing others to make your decisions
4. BAD CAD Manager Habits – Offering False Hope
5. BAD CAD Management Habits – All or Nothing
6. BAD CAD Management Habits – Being Too Flexible

When we make a list of what we desire to do and what we actually can do – it may be a different list. Getting from the “desire” to the “done” of a project requires us to negotiate with others. When our desires come into conflict with someone else’s area, there may be some dialog on means, methods and movement. Getting something done demands working with others.

Working with others is often frustrating and can be disheartening. It can cause you to want to give up. When progress gets strained the achievement of the end goal can get compromised. When it comes down to talking it through with others some have taken an All or Nothing attitude.

All or Nothing is a negotiation method that might work in some cases, but not very often. It is seen as an ultimatum. It is seen as a challenge to someones authority. It can backfire and get you nowhere. When you slide over into an All or Nothing attitude you are playing an end game card. You are moving to the bottom line and asking others to give up. You are saying, “my way or the highway”.

This kind of perspective can truncate your forward movement. Especially if the other party can throw the Nothing card. I feel that nothing is over until its over. Even a hard “no” today can be softened over time. Calling for an end to the negotiations by deciding in your head or out loud that you are going for broke can cost you the game.

CAD Managers do this when they make statements like…

“The CAD Standard must be followed without any deviations, no matter what your client says”

“We never will allow nested XRefs in this office”

“There is no way that we can do what you are asking unless we throw out all of our customization”

These statements may have a place, but being flexible and continuing to talk allows for the creation of a win-win compromise. A slight deviation from a standard might allow a project to be profitable. (Don’t panic… I am not throwing out the standard, but allowing for a one project variance from the compliance. No global waiving of the standards). Finding a project type that could take some advantage by using “managed” nested XRefs may work out well. (Hotels, etc.) Adjusting the customization could yield added benefits to the overall workplace.

All I am saying is that the CAD Manager should not be the one that is stomping their feet, demanding their way or threatening to take their ball and go home. They may be the one that ends up with Nothing…

My company has heavily customized ADT2004, ALL the tool palettes, menus, toolbars, dimscale etc!

When we jump to Architecture 2008 this year we would like to install it right out of the box and just add our Cad Standards (layers, linetypes, font style, etc.), custom routines, and LayerStates.

How hard is this? I am not a programmer.

Michele

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Michele,

I think that the emerging flavor of running CAD is to use it as much as possible “Out of the Box” (OOTB). The heavily customized installations tend to be those that have a long history of customizing and have nurtured their tools along for many years. Some even run custom routines in place of the OOTB tools and have not moved to the OOTB commands because they have habits that will not die.

My advice is to run as much as you can OOTB and customize when you need to or when it really saves time. Another reason to customize is that there is a need for a fix to a consistent problem. Customizing the tools that support your standard and make it easier for users to comply.

When you customize you should not remove any of the OOTB commands or tools. You should separate your custom tools from the standard tools. Clearly mark the custom stuff so everyone knows whats what.

All in all, a blending of some custom and mostly standard tools is the best. New hires can come up to speed quickly and old hands can have some custom tools.

Creating custom menus and such is fairly easy once you understand the flow of creating them. It is different now with the CUI tools. Tool palettes are easy to make, menus are a little tougher. It is not impossible, but you will need to focus some time to the process.

Get some good solid information on customizing and have a go at it. You will learn quickly. Sign up for AUGI at www.augi.com and go to the link at http://www.augi.com/education/auhandouts.asp to get some good customization tips.

Good luck,

CADDManager

Here are my guidelines for short key in names…

• Keep them on the left side of the keyboard – close to the left hand that usually rests on the keyboard
• Keep them key-able with one hand. Don’t make me take my other hand off the mouse.
• Keep them somehow associated with the command name or function. (an abbreviation)
• Feel free to double up on characters
• Do not use numbers in the name
• Use three characters if needed
• Use grouped letters that are close to each other on the keyboard
• Do not make me move my hand back and forth on the keyboard if you use three characters
• It is easier to move from left to right on the keyboard than the other way
• It is easier to go from top to bottom on the keyboard

By following a few tips about naming the abbreviated command you can gain even more speed by reducing the thinking and typing required.

But if there are visibility problems – it may have become corrupted. You may start getting layers not showing up, or layers that are the wrong color. Detach the offending xref. Set VISRETAIN to “0” (off). Purgeall. Then reattach the XREF. See if that fixes it. Be sure to set VISRETAIN back to “1”.

By the way, when you set it to “0” – you will loose all of your layer ON/Off settings for all xrefs, not just the one that was not working right.

The default dialog box for MText is complex. There are some who want a simple interface for this command. There is a single line dialog box with the ability to bring up the full editor if needed. To set it up enter a new value for the system variable MTEXTED.

“:lisped” (be sure to include the “:”)

Command: MTEXTED

New value for MTEXTED, or . for none <”Internal”>: :lisped

the next time you use MTEXT you should see…