AUGIWorld Magazine - November/December 2008 - (Page 16) Current methods of production need to be evaluated and revised accordingly. Personnel should also be evaluated to make sure their skill sets are utilized to their fullest degree. Initially, software training should be given to those who will be using Impression first. A small group of key employees should be the starting point. This training should provide them the skills needed to use the software. Once these skills have been acquired, a pilot project should be undertaken. This project should be very basic in nature. The proper steps, methods, and processes needed to use the new software will be determined at this time. Once the pilot project has been completed and the process determined, training of the remaining employees can commence. It might be wise to conduct a second pilot project—one that is more complicated and involved. Autodesk Impression is a powerful program that requires specific levels of training to get the most out of its abilities. If both skill sets can’t be found within a single person, you might consider hiring two individuals, one artistic and one technical. Together they could make a great team—combining both skill sets to create powerful and client grabbing imagery. When is the proper time for your employees to learn the new skills necessary to best utilize Impression? Before you need it. Before your client needs the product, before your competitors get the new skills or services and win new projects, before your competition does and steals your current clients, before your current employees seek the skills on their own and leave your employ. Oddly enough, even the decision of whether or not to train employees isn’t something you can take lightly. If you decide to train them, they could take their new skills and go to work for your competitors. If you don’t train them, they could stay and your competitors would steal your jobs because of your employees’ lack of skills. There is no doubt that training is key. New technology means that companies must conduct regular training sessions for their employees. Keeping employees up to date is a necessity. Of course, one big difference between using Impression and these other software packages is cost. Unlike Impression, they are not free. Therefore, if you are already paying for AutoCAD and its subscription why not use a free and powerful technology—Impression? Proper resources Conclusion New technology often carries new needs. For example, one requirement of new software is often the need for new hardware and, here, Impression is no different. Current workstations may not be able to drive this new and very powerful software, thus requiring revenue to be spent in upgrading hardware. This is true for most new software and must be considered before any upgrade or update. The cost for upgrading to Impression is lessened in that the software is free to Autodesk Subscription members. As you can imagine, this makes Impression desirable. When used on a workstation, Impression will require more memory, more harddrive space, and a powerful video card. After all, Impression was designed to create visually stunning presentation drawings. Therefore, users require more computing power to create more powerful drawings. The more powerful the drawing, the easier it is to “impress” potential clients. User education Similar non-Autodesk software Autodesk Impression is a powerful program that requires specific levels of training to get the most out of its abilities. Graphic artists who are trained in traditional manual techniques will have artistic skills that can be utilized in Impression, but they may lack the technical experience to fully apply the software. On the other hand, drafters, architects, or engineers are likely to have the technical aptitude, but may lack the artistic training. Impression can be used by either type of user, but the best drawings will be created by users who have both technical and artistic skill sets. 16 Autodesk Impression is not the only player in this artistic game. There are other technologies and software that perform similar functions including M-Color, Corel Draw, and Adobe Photoshop. There are others, but these are among the most popular. Of the three, M-Color is the most similar to Impression in terms of functionality. It works directly with AutoCAD in that the line work is created in AutoCAD and imported into it. Change the AutoCAD file and re-import it into M-Color. Photoshop and Corel Draw work this way too, but require specific plot drivers and extra steps to import the data. We often look at new software with dread. All we see are increased costs, lost time, upgrades, and learning curves. Is it smart business practice to wish that new technologies like Autodesk Impression don’t happen, or at least don’t happen often? Is it wise to avoid the costs of upgrading, only to be forced to spend time and resources playing “catch-up?” Yes, updating and embracing Impression to create your company’s design presentation documents does come at a price. There are issues that must be addressed. But how does that compare to the cost of not updating your practices? Autodesk Impression is in its second release and will soon be in its third. Are you and your company ready to compete? This is the challenge we all face, whether we are employees or company managers. We can make sure that we are knowledgeable about today’s and tomorrow’s technology or we can be forced to make the move in order to stay afloat. Why follow when you can be leading? Why allow your competition to determine your industry’s course when you could be the one showing the world how things should be? Brian C. Benton is a CAD technician and designer based in Fort Myers, Florida. Brian has been working with AutoCAD since release 10 in the mechanical, structural, and civil engineering fields. He has been a detailer, drafter, designer, IT assistant, CAD software manager, protector of standards, and proverbial “Help Desk.” He can be reached at benton.brian@gmail.com. w w w. A U G I . c o m http://www.augi.com
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