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AEC Tech News (#257)

The Print Factor

When selecting a wide-format printing system to streamline workflows, AEC firms must take market trends into account.

By Penny Holland

Now more than ever, AEC professionals are striving to streamline operations. At the same time, they face market trends such as increasingly decentralized printing, expanded use of color, and dedication to environmental responsibility, and are grappling with tighter budgets, shorter project deadlines, and stricter standards of accountability.

Such conditions can be daunting for even the most seasoned AEC teams. But the good news is that technology is on your side. Paper-based documentation remains a key part of AEC workflows, and advances in wide-format CAD printing can help alleviate common pain points and automate printing tasks to save time, reduce risk and mistakes, and simplify the print order and submission process. But today's wide-format systems are very different from their predecessors; how do you begin to understand the latest capabilities and determine which wide-format printing solution is right for you? Here, I'll provide some background and tips to help you compare options and ensure you're equipped with the information you need to choose the right system.

Addressing Market Trends
To meet the demands of today's AEC market, consider the following trends and how wide-format printing solutions can support your efforts in these areas. Read more »

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Penny Holland is the director of business development for the Wide-Format Printing Systems Division of Océ North America.

What's the BIM Deal? Part 2

By Robert Green

In the first article in this series, I began with deciphering BIM (building information modeling), learning its key terms, and understanding how to prepare for a BIM transition. It turns out that a lot of readers were wondering about these topics, as I received a great amount of reader feedback. The reader questions I received were so good that I've decided to make them the focus for this issue.

What are readers wondering about when it comes to BIM? Here goes.

About BIM Hype

Several reader questions were along the lines of this one:

"I see an awful lot of information about BIM, but I see very few real BIM-based projects being completed. Is BIM a reality, or is it just marketing hype at this point?" Read more »
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Robert Green is Cadalyst's CAD management expert. You can subscribe to his
CAD Manager's Newsletter here.

Mark Your Calendar: AEC Events

The Five Pillars of Engineering Document Management
September 22–24, 2009
Various times
Engineering software provider First Trace is presenting this live webinar about the basic functional areas necessary to implement an EDM solution in an enterprise. Read more »

URISA Annual Conference and Exhibition
September 29, 2009–October 2, 2009
URISA's Annual Conference and Exhibition features management and policy discussions of IT/GIS issues affecting urban and regional governments. Read more »

2009 Bentley Roads and Bridges Conference
October 19–21, 2009
Charlotte, North Carolina
This conference offers new and experienced Bentley road and bridge software users opportunities to increase product knowledge, refine skills, and network with industry colleagues, specialists, and Bentley professionals. Read more »

For a complete list of CAD meetings, conferences, training sessions, and more, check out our calendar of events on Cadalyst.com. Are you hosting an event that you would like to include in our calendar? Submit details at least two weeks in advance to news@cadalyst.com.

What’s New at Cadalyst.com

Drawing Connections between GIS and Design
Wacom's pen display technology supports geodesign tools in ESRI's ArcGIS 9.4.
Read more

Laptops and CAD
CAD Manager's Toolbox: Can a laptop replace a workstation? For some CAD users on the move, the answer is yes. Read more