Re: Web-Based Work

Be forewarned that I am an advocate of AutoPLANT. I choose to support it because it works on AutoCAD, AutoCAD being the most widely-used software package for CAD on the planet.

In my opinion, AutoCAD got to where it is today by offering "free software" to users. Well, it wasn't really "free", but Autodesk tolerated piracy as long as they got market penetration, assuring that future generations would be familiar with the product. That's pretty smart marketing.

Otto's view of piping design is essentially correct, but there is more to be said about the profession, and how projects should be approached.

Maybe I'm overestimating the experience level of the average subscriber, and maybe I'm just blabbing on the cusp of a new year.

Paul

Otto Weiberth wrote:

> Chris,
>
> You mentioned that you want to do engineering and design over the internet,
> but just managing AutoCAD drawings is not really engineering and design, it
> is drafting. The real power of piping design comes from the database. The
> way that piping design is typically done is that the data is becoming more
> important than the drawings and the drawings are a graphical view of the
> database. For example, design is spec driven, therefore all piping
> components on a dwg are per spec. When using a piping design software
> module, the software will not allow a designer to place a component on the
> drawing that is not within spec. Also, Isometric's are produced
> automatically from the database. The pipe stress analysis is done by
> automatically extracting the piping data into a pipe stress program, not
> having to manually input the piping data again; etc.. So you can see that
> with the piping tools (If you want to use AutoCAD, then the Rebis AutoPLANT
> would be the piping software that utilizes AutoCAD as its graphics engine),
> there is a considerably manhour savings. The key to manhour savings is to
> automate the engineering and design and not just the drafting. Doing a test
> project over the internet and learning how to do a virtual project
> (Engineering; design and analysis) could prove fruitful to all involved).
Received on Fri Dec 31 20:01:00 1999