CAD Manager's Newsletter (#184)
23 Oct, 2007 By: Robert GreenAnalyzing the CAD Manager's Survey
A preview of the annual survey results indicates some market changes — but not all the ones we expected.
A few weeks ago I concluded the CAD Manager’s Survey for 2007, and I've been looking at the results. The main statistics on salary, job responsibilities, and statistics on user support will be published in the November edition of Cadalyst magazine. But given that there's only so much space in the printed edition of Cadalyst and there's so much information coming from the survey, I wanted to expand the coverage in CAD Manager's Newsletter.
In this prequel to the CAD Manager's Survey report, I'd like to share some of the results regarding software usage, 3D design, and technical metrics that CAD managers have reported. I hope you find the results interesting and thought provoking. Here goes.
CAD Software Overview
Since software trends shape CAD managers' careers, I surveyed these trends again. In the survey I asked respondents to indicate both their primary CAD system and their secondary (if applicable) CAD system. The reason I've split the survey into primary and secondary systems is to gauge how many offices manage multiple CAD tools and to draw conclusions about where the market is moving.
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Some days it seems like everything is out of control and that I'm fighting the same fires I fought the day before. How do I break the cycle of repeating problems and make some progress?
Robert Green replies: I know the problem well. The good news is that there is a methodology that we can all use to help make things better. The process requires you to identify the real cause of your repeated problem, find a way to attack the cause of the problem, and then solve the problem based on what you've learned. Let's look at an actual example I worked on recently:
I was going nuts because every project a client worked on seemed to have improperly managed Xref files. It seemed that, no matter what they did, they would always have some weird Xref problem that popped up near the end of the project, causing rework, stress, and time delays. Read more>>Submit your questions to Robert Green atrgreen@greenconsulting.com.
Add Blocks and Update a List of Materials (AutoLISP Solutions Tutorial)
This program automatically populates blocks with part numbers, quantity, vendor, and description. The AutoLISP Solution is ADD-BLOCKS.LSP and ADD-BLOCKS.DCL. The routine is flexible enough to handle blocks being added in any order and for the drawing to be revisited later if you want to add new blocks or modify existing blocks.
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Send us the address of your favorite Web site or other resource and a few words about why you like it. If we publish it, we'll send you a Cadalyst t-shirt! E-maileditors@cadalyst.com.
AUGI CAD Camp
November 1, 2007
Portland, Oregon
This Autodesk User Group International (AUGI) regional learning and networking event will be packed with interesting courses and opportunities to network with fellow "campers" and browse the exhibit area. Read more>>
Using Green Building Studio for Whole Building Energy Analysis
November 9, 2007
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
At this Sustainable Design Lecture Series event, Peter Gehring, director of building solutions at Synergis, will discuss how attendees can use a Web-based energy engineering analysis solution that integrates with today's 3D-CAD/BIM applications. Read more>>
Autodesk University
November 27-30, 2007
Las Vegas, Nevada
Autodesk University is a multilevel experience in training and networking, which over four days offers a choice of more than 500 classes, including advanced classes, hands-on labs, business-management solutions and strategies, and more.
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Click here to view the complete calendar of events at Cadalyst.com.
