Can't find the right file? Fix your filing system

Image credit:qwasyx / 123RF Stock Photo 

It hurts me to see people in an engineering office (or any office) fumble around in a hurried bustle trying to find a drawing(s) for a very important client meeting while freaking out!  Seriously…I want to cry.  I hurt from the inside.  You know that scene in Star Wars, A New Hope, when Obi-Wan Kenobi is training Luke Skywalker on route to Alderaan via the Millennium Falcon?  You know…when Obi-Wan is suddenly faint, is forced to sit down under the weight of death caused by the sudden destruction of an entire planet and says, “as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced” ?  That’s how I feel when I see or hear this kind of story.

File Naming Conventions are Really Data Management Rules

How you name your files is important.  In fact, it is crucial that you name them properly.  Since file naming procedures are so important why do so many companies (and individuals) do it so poorly?

In our design process we need and use many different types of files.  We share files.  We send files.  We receive files.  We use files like crazy!!  How do you know which file is the right file?  Which one is the latest version?  Which file goes with which submittal package?  Is it a concept plan?  Is it just a “one of” exhibit?  Does it need to be updated when the design is updated?  How do we collaborate with other departments?  How do we incorporate third party files?  File naming conventions are difficult to manage because there are many issues to consider.  That’s why so many of us do poorly in this part of the design process.  Yes, file naming is part of the design process, unfortunately.

The name of your file is irrelevant.  It can be as simple as FILE-01.dwg.  Your next file can be called FILE-02.dwg.  It really doesn’t matter.  What matters is that you are using the correct file at the correct time in the proper place.  If you have created a list of file names to use then you have started off on the wrong step.  Instead, create a method to name your files that includes their saved location.  The method is in the method, not in the naming.

AUGI Drops

INTRODUCING:
AUGI Drops 
AUGI Launches Free Secure File Sharing

AUGI announces its newest offering to members—a Web-based private file sharing and collaboration tool. AUGI, in collaboration with drop.io, now provides its members with a place to share files, drawings, models, photos, video, audio and more.

As an AUGI-member, you can create unlimited 100mb drops to share files with full SSL security.

• Each drop has a phone number and extension. Call the drop, talk all you want - it is converted to an MP3 and left right in the drop on the fly. Listen to it on the drop, or send it out via email, RSS, MMS, or basically anything else you want.

• Every drop has its own free conference call number automatically assigned to it. The drop's conference call number stays the same, so consider it for long term use as your drop is active.

• Each drop has its own e-mail address. Send a notes or attachments to the drop from a computer, Blackberry, or any e-mail or MMS enabled phone. If you send a file, the text of the e-mail will be posted as a comment on the file. If you send just text, it will be added to the drop as a note.

Go to http://drop.io/home/augi and get a free drop today!

Read the Presslift interactive press release

Members also get Discounts on Premium Plans 

Members have access to an exclusive discounted premium plans.   Along with the free offer, drop.io and AUGI have collaborated on a reduced fee service… drop.io Manager.

Premium Features:
•   Make drops larger than 100 MB
•   Easily manage multiple drops
•   View full activity stream across all drops
•   Encrypt drops for added security with SSL
•   Enable custom branding for groups of drops

http://manager.drop.io/signup/augi

Quick TIP - Open an Xref

In AutoCAD, you can open a file that is referenced into your drawing file very quickly, even if you don't know what or where the file is. In your working file, select any part of the xref'ed file, it could be a line, text, or any object. Right click, then select the OPEN XREF option. This will open the referenced file.

Very quick and easy.

Or, open the XREF Manager. Select the desired file and right click. Then select the OPEN option and there you go.

Happy CADDING

Quick Tip - Start up

The best and worst thing about AutoCAD is that any user can customize the software to work almost however the want it to. There are hundreds (this might be an exaggeration by the way) of ways getting something done. How I do it and how you do it are probably two different ways, or perhaps even more. This is good and bad.

It is nice that I can do things my way, but it is annoying when I have to go and help somebody with an issue and they want to do things their way!! All kidding aside, lets look at one of these settings.

How do you start a new file? Many of use use the QNEW command. While others use it to, they just don't know about it. What? I'd know if I used that or not. Clicking on the NEW icon in the STANDARD toolbar (or in the quick access tool bar if you are using AutoCAD 2009), invokes the QNEW command.

If yo use the QNEW command, you can assign a specific template file to be used every time. A real time saver. If you use the NEW command, then you get options. How are those options displayed for you? Do you get a dialog box allowing you to browse to a DWG file or a template file? Or do you get the Create a New Drawing wizard? I like the browser type functionality, others like the Wizard. Which is better? Neither. They both get the job done, just pick the one that suits your needs best.

The Wizard gives you these options: Open a Drawing, Start From Scratch, Open a Template, and Use a Wizard. the other lets open a file, you pick between DWG, DWF or DWS (DWS is a standards file in case you weren't familiar with the extension.) I don't want to start a file from scratch (typically) because I need my files to work with the rest of the company files that I work for. I need a template or an existing drawing. Others need to start from scratch often, so they leave this option available to them.

You can chose which method to use by changing a systems variable in AutoCAD. Don't worry, it is very easy to do, and there are only two choices. You can't mess it up. If you don't like it, switch it back. Ok here's how: at the command line type in STARTUP. There are two possible settings for this command, 0 (that's a zero not an "O") and 1. Set it to 0 to turn off the wizard. Set it to 1 to turn on the wizard. That's it. See, that didn't hurt.

I know I said that this is a QUICK TIP, but it really is, it just took me a while to get there. Perhaps next time I will write a fast tip. We'll see where that takes us.

Happy CADDING.

AutoCAD 2009 – Quick View Drawings

Here is another CAD-a-Blog edition of AutoCAD 2009 Tips & Tricks.

This time I want to look at the new Quick View Drawings feature. It is virtually identical to the Quick View Layouts feature we talked about before. The main difference is that instead of displaying images of the files layout tabs, it displays images of the drawings you currently have open. BUT (there’s always a but), when you hover your cursor over one of the drawings images, that drawings layout tabs will be displayed as if you just activated the Quick View Layout feature! You get a two for one deal here.

All of the options for the Quick View Layout feature are here and similar features for the Quick View Drawing feature are there two. You can save or close a file, open a file, or create a new file. The QVD (Quick View Drawing) feature is started the same way the Quick View Layout feature is. Click the icon for it on the status bar. Very easy, very quick. The QVD images can be pinned and closed by clicking on the icon for it in the QVD Control Panel (that’s the row of icons just below the drawing images), just like the QVL.

That’s it in a nutshell.

Happy CADDING J

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