Cadalyst - December 2007 - (Page 34)

cadmanager Document Management: Is It Still Valid? File and document management can provide very positive results for the CAD workplace. By Robert Green he year was 1989, and I was a CAD manager with 30 AutoCAD and MicroStation users and we’d just passed the 5,000 drawing mark on our network server. That’s when the realization hit us: “We’ve got to start managing this data or we’re going to start losing work!” A search ensued, and we wound up with a documentmanagement system that vastly improved our abilities to manage the onslaught of project information that we were producing. We then moved past 10,000 and 20,000 file milestones without a hiccup because we had a system that worked. Now, 18 years later, most companies I work with have less control over their data than I did back then. These companies have never had that “we’ve got to manage our data” moment that I experienced so long ago. Apparently, it’s time to revisit document management and demonstrate why this problem is still so vexing and why managing your files is a valid concern. T and slippage in deadlines as project teams struggle to figure out which information was actually correct and when. WAN topologies. Wide-area networks (WANs) allow work teams all over the country (or even the world) to share files and work responsibilities, which only amplifies the types of problems already outlined above. Operating system limits. As the problems relating to managing our CAD data have expanded, the operating/network systems we use to manage that data have not. We have a system of folders that contain files with only name and date information, so we must hope that everyone follows the rules! And you wonder why you’re having problems managing your CAD data? Actually it’s a wonder that we don’t have more problems than we do. The reason things work as well as they do usually is because the CAD managers run themselves ragged trying to prevent disaster. Sound familiar? What DM Systems Do A good document-management (DM) system should be able to accomplish these minimum objectives in an essentially automated manner: Organize files. DM systems can name files, automate numbering schemes, keep track of directory paths, and, in 3D systems, control file-to-file relationships without breaks in path linkages. Secure files. DM systems can create an additional layer of security to enable project team members anything from full access to read-only access of files. This security is typically project based rather than globally managed by directory permissions. As such, they are more flexible. The added bonus is that CAD managers can control the file permissions without having to depend on the IT department to do it for them. Build a searchable history. As files are tracked in a DM over time, a database record is built to show what files were revised, when, and by whom. Database search/query tools then allow searching of the database later to find the particular parts, models, or drawings needed based on user names, date ranges, or project variables. Supporting WAN users. DM systems can extend basic document security outside local sites by supporting WANs or remote workers connected via the Internet. They can even allow read-only access to field service personnel. With these basic functions in place, CAD managers can start focusing on increasing productivity because they don’t have to worry about common issues: misplaced files, security lapses, Classic and New Problems Let’s consider the file-management problems we face in CAD environments and think about the tools we use to manage those problems and see what sort of picture emerges. Revision control. The ability to trace the development of a document throughout its lifetime. What did a drawing look like at revision 1, revision 2, etc.? If you’re not actively managing revisions at the filing level, you’re probably relying on notes on the face of the drawings or hard copies to keep up. 3D Assembly control. Like the revision-control problem on steroids! Mechanical 3D CAD tools have parts that create assemblies that ultimately create drawings. Change a part, and the assembly and drawings change. Can you keep track of all those part and assembly revisions? 3D Building information modeling and civil control. Much like mechanical CAD, other 3D design tools for building and site-modeling systems must contend with similar management problems. Change a building’s dimension, and the columns will move to reflect changed ceiling plans. Change a site contour design, and the dirt calculations change, which in turn affects project schedules. Can you manage those scenarios? Parallel revisioning. Actually a work-management problem, parallel revision refers to the possibility that two people may be editing the same file at the same time — usually in different branch offices. This “whoever saves last wins” workmanagement methodology creates uncertainty, rework, 34 December 2007 | cadalyst | www.cadalyst.com http://www.cadalyst.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cadalyst - December 2007

Cadalyst - December 2007 Contents Editor's Window Cad Central Autodesk Gets Digital Top Honors - Saluting Outstanding CAD Products NX 5, Part 2 — CAD/CAM/CAE Software Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 —3D Modeling, Animation, and Rendering Software Document Management: Is It Still Valid? Standardizing 3D Modeling Nomenclature Share and Share Alike Cad Cartoon Issue Indexes Cad Fidential

Cadalyst - December 2007

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