Monday, September 1, 2008

As a CAD User, what are your issues?

Tell me your problems. I don't mean problems in using CAD, like how do I divide a line into three equal parts? I mean work related issues. For example:

  • How do I deal with a difficult CAD Manager?
  • How do I deal with difficult CAD Users?
  • My boss knows nothing about CAD but tells me how to use it?
  • Our CAD Standards are awful.
  • My hardware is unreliable, what do I do?
  • How do I improve my skills?
  • My boss is a jerk, now what?
  • I need a job, so what do I do?
I am looking for questions from a CAD Technician's point of view, or from a CAD Users perspective. I am not looking for CAD Managers issues, though the two often share the same problems.

So, what are your problems? And how do you handle them?

6 comments:

  1. One problem I have is people underestimating the value of my work.

    How do you convince the unwashed masses that, while you may not be a licensed Engineer, you're certainly more than office help, as a highly trained technician?

    (not talking paywise, if that's the issue, you can prove it, or leave for better pay, my issue is simply coworkers that don't work closely enough to realize what it is that I do)

    ReplyDelete
  2. good one. I have struggled with this too. I mean no offense to engineers or architects, or any other licensed design professional. But I often find myself offended when I am told "you are JUST a CAD TECH!" I too am a professionally trained employee. I agree that I am not legally liable for a design, BUT I am highly trained and my job is highly technical. CAD has become a very highly complex system of creating construction drawings and thus it is required to have a high trained individual running the software. That is my job and I can operate the software better than the average "professional". PLUS, by having me (or anyone) create the drawings, that frees up the professionals to work on other aspects of the project.

    ReplyDelete
  3. A problem that I have encountered, and has been touched on here, is that most people, and most often co-workers, underestimate the amount of work and time that goes in to each and every project. Even something as "simple" as a small 2D detail could take some time and effort depending on what is required. Then there are the more involved projects.

    I have been charged with "re-drawing" all of my companies products in full 3D for both in-house and web viewing. This is no small task and it seems that management and those who don't understand think that I am able to "whip up" some drawings (I loathe that phrase).

    So the major point I think we will find here is a lack of understanding of the duties of a "CAD Tech" and of AutoCAD itself.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great point Ron. I worked on a project for the main office where I worked because the regular CAD Tech had a family emergency and was out of town. I met with the engineer and the CAD Manager. After reviewing the work, the drawings, etc. I told them it would take three weeks. They said they were told it would take three DAYS!!! I agreed that the project was very simple, but everything had to be developed and drawn. They were hung up on the fact that the project was one 16" pipe 2 miles long. I said yes, that part will take three days, but I need to model the existing conditions, set up files and label them, etc. I needed two weeks to create the initial drawings, allow them to review them and then address any of their comments. Three weeks. They said no, 3 DAYS. After three days I showed them my work and they were clueless. Anyway, I met my original time estimate and still had to explain myself. I spent half a day going through the steps required to create these drawings.

    I can remember another instance were my boss was trying to create a proposal for work and had no idea what the drafting time would be. It is the only time in my five years there that a CAD Tech was consulted on CAD time required for a project. He didn't like the number I gave him, but my number was right.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've encountered this too. I think the misconception comes in part from television shows where complex computing tasks that take days or weeks in the real world are done in a matter of moments with only a few keystrokes and mouse clicks. People unfamiliar with CAD may have the unrealistic expectation that it's automatic, just like what they see on TV.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think you are right Jen. I have also found that to be true for non-technical CAD Users. I mean like engineers/architects that do little cad work beyond basic design. I mean no offense to anyone here by any means. What I mean is that casual users have a far less understanding of CAD than full time , nothing-but-cad users do. It's not that they can't know, or never know, it's that a full time CAD Technician uses CAD all day long, and often nothing but CAD. So they should have a better understanding of the tool.

    I don't know how many times I have been asked by an engineer "Can't you just make a button for me?" I often can, so thus I become their enabler!

    One method to complaints that I have used is to ask the "complainer" to show you how he/she would do it faster in CAD. If they really can then fantastic!! If not, then they now have a better understand of what it takes to get the work done as required.

    ReplyDelete

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