|
SpecChecker expert cuts through
CAD standards confusion.
By Eiren Smith, Axiom's Vice President
for Technology
There are a million and one different CAD standards: national
standards, client standards, project standards and company
standards, ad hoc standards defined by CAD managers. It's
a very big field. When it comes to enforcement of CAD standards,
even at a small shop, it's hard to get things to hold still
long enough to figure out where to begin.
 |
| With so many CAD standards possibilities, it can be
easy to get bogged down with choices. |
The majority of CAD standards enforcement consists of checking
attributes of individual elements. The most common element
attributes MicroStation CAD managers want to check and enforce
are level, color, weight, style, type, font, text size and
cell name.
By laying out the basics simply, I hope to remove confusion
and help you define the best CAD standards compliance path
for you.
Choose your CAD standards
There are numerous milestones at which users may check their
design files for CAD standards compliance. Some users check
their own files; some rely on others to check their files
for them. Some companies check all submitted design files
for standards compliance upon receipt and some companies check
all files before those files leave their doors on their way
to the client. In addition to these major milestones, many
companies also want to check every element as it is created
or modified, immediately notifying the user when he violates
the current standard.
The first thing you need to do is decide - or find out -
what standard or standards you are going to enforce.
Once you know what standards you'll be enforcing, you're
a third of the way there.
Decide when to check CAD standards
The next step is to decide when you want to check your design
files for standards compliance. Do you want users to be notified
the moment they create a non-conforming element? If so, you
need to use SpecMonitor. Most companies that use SpecMonitor
still use SpecChecker for checking entire files (as
SpecMonitor only checks for violations as they are
committed) or multiple design files all at once. They check
partial and full submittals and, sometimes, entire projects
at regular intervals, such as every two weeks. On the client
end, they often check all submitted files before accepting
the submission. They use SpecChecker to do all of this.
 |
| SpecChecker main dialog box |
As a rule of thumb, it is usually a good idea to at least
check your files for standards compliance whenever those files
change hands, be it from one department to another in your
firm, between you and your client or between you and subcontractors.
It is generally agreed that checking your files for standards
compliance for the first time near the end of the project
is dangerously late.
If you've decided how often to check your files for CAD standards
compliance, you're two-thirds of the way there.
Define your rules
By now you should know which standard you want to enforce
and have decided when you want to check your design files
for compliance with it. Whether you need SpecChecker
or SpecMonitor, or both, you need to tell them what
exact standards you want to enforce. You do this by defining
what we call "rules." Rules are your CAD standards
in a form SpecChecker and SpecMonitor can understand.
SpecChecker and SpecMonitor make it very easy
for you to get your standards defined in rules. Using the
included Rule Wizard tool, which is available from SpecChecker's
main menu or from within the stand-alone rule management tool,
RuleManager, which is delivered with both SpecChecker
and SpecMonitor, you can easily create rules to enforce
your CAD standards. The Rule Wizard will help you create your
rules interactively.
Once you've defined your rules, you've completed the third
and final major step and are officially on road to CAD standards
compliance.
We understand that CAD users' needs vary and there is no
one right way to help all users enforce all standards in all
scenarios - it takes judgement and requires very flexible
tools. SpecChecker and SpecMonitor are designed
to provide you with the means to make your own choices based
on your project demands, personal style and situation.
And to help you further, Axiom has expert trainers and technical
support staff on-hand five days a week to help you get started
with SpecChecker and SpecMonitor and to provide
you with creative solutions to whatever standards enforcement
demands you can think up. If you need any more help, give
us a call.
Call now!
For more information on Axiom's CAD standards tools contact
an Axiom MicroStation Consultant today! Call 727-442-7774
extension 9320, e-mail 9320@axiomint.com or visit Axiom on
the Web at www.axiomint.com now!
« Back
|
