What you describe below as a working experience is a good example of what
I'm talking about.
I know a lot of experienced people that are close to retirement age that have simply gotten out of the business due to the complexity of working with CAD and all the accompanying confusion.
Design/drafting/engineering communication via graphics has been going on for hundreds of years. It would be a great loss if the baby was thrown out with the bathwater simply because of near-sighted managers that can only understand bottom line.
Things go to hell in a handbasket pretty slowly when engineering budgets are cut. By the time the problem is identified, it's usually too late.
Paul
PS to all: The list mailing address has been trimmed. If you are reading this, you have either contributed in the past or have explained why you want to be on the list. Membership has never been very high, but I figure it is better to have fewer, but better subscribers.
> A couple of years ago my company took on another piping designer to help
me
> with the workload and the guy they got was spot on. He'd designed a whole
> variety of packages over the years but he was lacking in CAD skills
because
> nobody had given him the chance the learn. Between the two of us we made a
> good team, I know the CAD but lack the piping experience and he knew the
> piping but lacked the CAD. At the end of the job his CAD had really
improved
> and I'd like to think that my piping had come along too.
> So now I firmly believe that every DO should had an "old timer" to show us
> "snotty nosed kids" how its done and we'll show them how to do it,
although
> I sort of fall in the middle as I did 6 manual draughting before going
into
> CAD!
>
> I don't believe it requires a simpler interface for people to learn you
just
> have to give them time.
>
> Although I have to agree, when looking for work the first thing they
always
> ask is "What CAD system have you used?" and not "How long have you been a
> piper?" !
>
> Nathan.
>
> ===== Original Message from PipingDesign@egroups.com at 26/07/00 21:47
> >What follows is a personal rant of mine. Sorry in advance.
> >
> >You are certainly right about there being many piping design programs.
> >
> >But fundamentally, the interfaces and the operation of the programs have
to
> >be similar (if ease of use is a major concern). Maybe this is like the
> >"Microsoft argument", I.E., "Well, it's not the 'best' OS, but at least
the
> >vast majority of users knows how to use it, and it will improve over
time."
> >
> >It's too bad, but unavoidable, that designers are often selected due to
> >their experience with specific software rather than their knowledge of
the
> >piping field in question. This fragments the market of who is available
for
> >any given project and thus hurts both employers and job-seekers.
> >
> >Maybe companies should re-think how they organize engineering projects
and
> >how personnel are assigned. And for God's sake, bring back the checker's
job
> >somehow...make the computer interface simpler so that the older, more
> >experienced guys can navigate around inside the models.
> >
> >[For those that are on this list that are not aware of what I'm talking
> >about, "in the old days", the checkers took the G.A.'s and verified them.
> >Then they used the G.A.'s to verify the isometrics. Now we go straight
from
> >3D model to isometrics (later to G.A.'s, since now they are really only
> >required as instructional documents for construction personnel) and the
> >checker position is mostly eliminated. This is a pretty abbreviated
> >history, so your mileage/experience may vary]
> >
> >Paul
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: Menashe Barad <mbeng@ibm.net>
> >To: <PipingDesign@egroups.com>
> >Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2000 12:33 PM
> >Subject: RE: [PipingDesign] PlantSpace Schematics
> >
> >> Hello Nathan
> >>
> >> If i understand you are working very hard to be produce piping
drawings,
> >> but still happy with your MicroStation; Take time and look around, may
be
> >> found something else more sample. In past and also today, you can found
> >lot
> >> of piping design programs based on Autocad 14 or 2000.
> >>
> >> First try AUTOPLANT 3D (Rebis).
> >>
> >> In AUTOPLANT 3D you can design very fast 3d piping and then can send to
> >> Autoiso or
> >> Isogen to be produce Piping isos.
> >
> >[snip]
Received on Thu Jul 27 08:09:00 2000
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