April 27, 2022

Issue # 489

Back-to-Basics Boot Camp:
Don't Make These Mistakes 

If you avoid these pitfalls, you will make your own job easier, help CAD users be more efficient, and get more work done.

I’m often asked, “What are the responsibilities of a CAD manager?” or, “What should I do to be the most effective CAD manager possible?” Of course, these questions have many answers which I’ve attempted to cover during our Back-to-Basics series. But perhaps one of the biggest responsibilities we have is actually to ourselves: Don’t make your own job harder by reinforcing errors that users make. Sometimes knowing what not to do can be the biggest time saver of all.

In this final edition of Back-to-Basics Boot Camp, I’ll share some of the most common mistakes I see CAD managers make and I’ll offer suggestions for how to avoid each of them. Hopefully you’ll find this list as useful in your day-to-day work as I have over the years. Here goes.

Image source: 22091967/stock.adobe.com.

Don’t Accept Laziness

CAD managers have a knack for making software do almost anything and users know it. But just because you can fix errors and make your CAD/BIM software do great things doesn’t mean you always should. Consider the following types of requests:

• Can you create a routine to re-path all our XREFs for us?
• Can you figure out why all the files in our ongoing site project aren’t aligned to the same coordinate system?
• Can you help us figure out how to capture PDF files from our BIM projects?

Of course, you could answer, “Yes,” to all of these requests and then start working 60-hour weeks to make it all happen. But, perhaps the better answer to these questions would be, “It seems like you’re not following our established standards, procedures, and project kickoff instructions. I think you should fix your own issues and learn why the mistakes were made, rather than expecting me to save you.”

Why? Because you want them to focus attention on why problems like these persist. If you always wave your magic wand to fix issues, you inadvertently create a culture of standards violations — after all why do things the right way when somebody else can always fix things later, right?

Here’s how to handle the above questions in a better way:

• Let’s go over our procedures for getting XREFs setup properly again.
• Let’s review our procedures for getting all projects coordinated up front.
• Let’s have a quick show and tell review session on how we capture/collate PDF file sets.

You may still have to help fix these problems in a pinch, but at least you’re putting everyone on notice that making the same mistakes over and over isn’t acceptable and you are training people to do things the right way as you go along.

Don’t Be Unreasonably Rigid

This may seem contradictory to the point above, but CAD managers can sometimes be so focused on following a bad standard that they don’t really hear what the user is saying. Consider the following hypothetical scenarios:

• If I follow our DOT standard template, I’m forced to use super long layer names that don’t translate to the MicroStation DGN files that our contract forces us to deliver for our new clients.
• If I follow our XREF pathing standard that uses absolute UNC pathing, I can’t eTransmit the files properly to our new client who needs them to be relatively pathed.

In both of these cases, the user is pointing out an unforeseen flaw in a standard that is impeding their ability to deliver work product to a client. Please note, these users are following your standards but the standards simply don’t consider the contractual requirements for DGN translations or electronic submittal of XREFs on client projects.

The overly rigid CAD manager would say, “I don’t care — follow the standard and we’ll deal with this later.” The better answer would be, “Clearly this is something we haven’t taken into account, so let’s see what we can do that’ll work for everybody in-house and make the client happy as well.”

This approach solves the short-term problem and creates a better standard that’ll pay you back on future projects. Win-win

Get out of your own way! Find out how to roll out solutions that solve problems the first time, keep management informed and communication open, and prioritize deadlines to insure success!   Read More >>

Tools & Resources

Lenovo ThinkPad P1

The new ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 (starting at $2,329) delivers offers double the storage capacity (up to 8TB Gen 4 Performance SSD) and providies a boost in read and write speeds according to the company, all in the same thin and light form factor. The newest version of the ThinkPad P1 is equipped with the latest 12^th Gen Intel Core H-series processors and professional graphics support up to the NVIDIA RTX A5500 GPU. The company states that the new ThinkPad P1 is well-suited for design workflows across industries such as architecture, engineering, automotive and beyond. The latest generation of the ThinkPad P1 is ISV certified and tested at the highest level to pass MIL-spec standards. This mobile workstation also features 5G² connectivity, a 90WHr battery, a 165Hz refresh rate display option, faster DDR5 memory, and a high resolution FHD camera. Read more >>

Virtual Event: Experience Stratasys: Manufacturing

11 May (USA) or 12 May (Asia, Europe) 2022, 1pm EST

Stratasys is hosting this online event where product leaders, application engineers, and industry-leading end-users will discuss how 3D printing improves the way they operate. You can learn how 3D printing removes traditional barriers to manufacturing, how to set up your factory to improve efficiency, and see Stratasys' new products and materials. Register for free >>

In-Person Event: Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE FORUM

Nominate a Project for Bentley's Going Digital Awards 2022

Bentley's Going Digital Awards in Infrastructure is a global competition that recognizes the digital advancements in infrastructure. Since 2004, the awards program has recognized more than 4,400 of the world’s outstanding infrastructure projects. Open to all Bentley software users, the award categories encompass all forms of infrastructure projects and stages — from design, to construction, to operations. Nominating your project can offer unique opportunities to network and promote your organization. All finalists will get a chance to present their projects at the Going Digital Awards in Infrastructure celebrations in London this year.  Nominations are due by 23 May, 2022. Find out more >>

TRADESHOW: PLM Road Map & PDT North America 2022

24–25 May 2022, Tysons Corner, Virginia.

Digital Transformation and PLM — a call for PLM Professionals to re-define and re-position the benefits and value of PLM. A sampling of topics includes: The Digital Transformation of PLM: Where are the Humans; The Digital Twin/Digital Thread and BOM View Capabilities of the US Navy’s Enterprise PLM Program; Digital Transformation of Systems Engineering: Challenges and Opportunities; and more.

Find out more >>

What's New from Our Sponsors

Visualization Technology Helps Infrastructure Projects Come to Life

Highlighted at this year’s NVIDIA GTC, virtual reality, metaverse, and other concepts are gaining traction and changing how AECO and infrastructure professionals work.  By Cadalyst Staff  Read more >>

The Equipped Mold Designer:
Collaboration in the Cloud Can Accelerate the Mold Design Cycle

Read the next installment of the Equipped Mold Designer Series: Collaboration in the Cloud Can Accelerate the Mold Design Cycle. Follow one mold designer's path to success and find out how Siemens NX Mold Connect helps get products to market faster and easier. By Cynthia Kustush  Read more >>

ZW3D 2023: Becomes the Launching Pad for New Possibilities

ZWSOFT releases new version of its 3D program.  Read more >>

What's New at Cadalyst

NEW COLUMN:

Mechanical CAD’s Zigzag Path to Model-Based Design

MCAD Solutions: The merging of 2D drafting, 3D modeling on the desktop, and cloud-enabled 3D modeling bring together the best of all design worlds. Find out more where we are and where we’re heading. By Cadalyst Staff  Read more >>

AMD Looking to Turn a Foothold for
Workstation CPUs into Long-term Market Success

Herrera on Hardware: But the company’s second generation of Threadripper PRO will face a far more competitive landscape than the first. By Alex Herrera 
Read more >>

Dynamo Code Blocks Harness Advanced Features

CAD Programming: Dynamo, Part 3. Learn how to use Dynamo code blocks in Civil 3D and Revit. By Andrew G. Roe  Read more >>

Free Resources

White Paper

Mobile vs. Desktop Workstations for CAD

The Evolving Role of the Mobile Workstation  

It comes down to physics — a deskside can always outperform a mobile workstation. Cadalyst hardware expert, Alex Herrera, looks under the hood of both to break down the pros and cons of each form factor.

Cadalyst Pro Tip:
Training Checklist for CAD Managers

Training is an essential task on every CAD manager's to-do list. But with all those little details to remember, preparing a clear, informative training session can ve overwhelming. Use this handy checklist from CAD management expert Robert Green to help you be successful.