LTCC "To see things in the seed, that is genius". Lao-Tzu

I normally try to summarize BIMForum meetings, but this time I don't have to..because the meeting was popular enough for someone else to! Thanks James.

Last week I attended the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) BIMForum - a focus group for contractors implementing Building Information Modeling.  The group meets quarterly and features John Tocci, Sr. of Tocci Construction of Massachusetts as host/emcee presiding over the intense 2-day agenda of presentations, case studies, breakout workgroups and "rapid-fire technology demonstrations."  A conference of this nature differs from the likes of Autodesk University or the Bentley Empowered Conference in that one won't find 'how to' classes, rather industry professionals - including architects, engineers, subcontractors and fabricators - sharing their experiences and crafting solutions to today's and tomorrow's BIM challenges.  This meeting was held at the Fairview Park Marriott in Falls Church, VA outside Washington, DC and carried the subtitle "BIM With Others."  Because most of the sessions were focused on integrated practice and model exchange best practices, I found almost every session relevant and interesting, amassing 12 pages of digitized notes with my Adapx pen (more on that in a future post).

Some obvious contributors of note included Laura Handler (Tocci), Jan Reinhardt (Adept Project Delivery), John Tocci, Jr (Gilbane) and Davis Chauviere (HKS) who chairs the Designers Subforum.   There were many others who provided valuable content and sponsorship (Autodesk, Bentley, Vico, Solibri, Tekla, Vela Systems, Trimble, etc.) but I cannot list them all.

What Kind of BIM?

Very early in the conference, John Tocci introduced a new nomenclature of "lonely BIM" versus "social BIM."  These concepts would gradually weave throughout almost all the subsequent panels and presentations and seemed to be a clarification of the terminology set forth in the book "BIG BIM, little bim" by Finith Jernigan.  The 'lonely' variety depicts BIM when utilized primarily for production gains within a single company.  In contrast, being 'social' implies the sharing of building information models with others either downstream or upstream in the building lifecycle.

Use Cases

The first presentation was given by Marwan Bakri from the federal division of HNTB.  He illustrated uses of Revit both in the 'lonely' and 'social' sense.  Revit was used in the proposal and early design phase to determine the most economical exterior wall configurations, simply by generating wall schedules with some simple massing models.  On another case study, they illustrated a modification of their modeling techniques to better coordinate with the contractors.  Such techniques include modeling walls for each level - not multi-story, using colored solid fills to indicate wall types for estimating, and modeling individual concrete slab pours.

Next was a group of presenters discussing model exchanges for various disciplines and trades.  Chris Fischer (Schuff Steel), Dan Gonzalez (Swinerton) and Stacy Scopano (Tekla) spoke about exchanges in the steel industry, most telling was Fischer's highlights of what works (wireframes and grids, relative geometry such as top of steel datum, some sizing if the designers modeled correctly, and quantities) and what doesn't work (material grades and sizes when approximation is used by a designer or engineer, column rotation in data translation, lack of curved geometry in SDNF format, editing dimensions/text in lieu of real modeling and anecdotes of Revit to CIS/2 translation taking 24-30 hours).  Dan Gonzalez spoke of the work he supervised on the USC School of Cinema which was a followup project for George Lucas after the much heralded Letterman Digital Arts Center.

For the MEP sector, Randy Richter (Zach Sargent) and Eric Winslow (Superior Air) discussed their use of intelligent duct design software as well as their relationships with engineers.  They frequently work directly in the same files as the engineers in what can be construed as a 'design-assist' effort.  A "Design-Assist Responsibility Matrix" illustrated the planning of coordination in such an arrangement. Furthering the discussion, an interesting quote:  "A trust-based approach rests on the assignment of benefits based on the recognition of risk."

Will Ikerd of RL Goodson, Inc Consulting Engineers spoke of the curtain wall industry.  He had some clear examples of three basic forms of models:

• A dimensional control model - which was merely a Revit massing model which helped determine and manage the overall project geometry
• A structural model - for curtain wall, consisted of generic 'glass' walls with the thickness approximating the overall depth of the curtail wall system.  This is used for clash detection against the structural model.
• A fabrication model - parts of the Revit design model are transferred to Inventor for component fabrication.

Finally, Laura Handler (Tocci) and Sarah Vekasy (KlingStubbins) spoke of their experiences while co-located under an IPD agreement for Autodesk's new AEC HQ in Waltham, MA.  Before starting out in the design process Tocci and KlingStubbins sought to establish protocols for model organization in Revit.  Worksets would be based on Kling standards, phasing based on Tocci's.  In the end, much of the protocols were hashed out on the fly because the teams were working in the same office.  Of interest is the change in modeling techniques including 'wall splitting.'  The structure and finishes were modeled as separate walls, allowing for more accurate phasing simulation and enabling the coordination of the model with a Trimble Total Station for precise partition layout.  Dimensions on plans were only added where required for building department approval, as there was no method for submitting a 3D BIM within the local municipality.

Breakout Workgroups

In the afternoon of Day 1, the conference participants were invited to participate in one of many focus-based workgroups.  There have been several times in my life I wish I could replicate myself - this being one of them.  I decided to join the Architect's Workgroup, chaired by Davis Chauviere and featuring a lead-off presentation by John Tobin of EYP. (By the way, John has a brand new Building the Future article on AECBytes.com entitled "atomicBIM: Splitting Data to Unleash BIM's Power").  The discussion within our workgroup quickly focused on the concern of BIM hand-offs changing the risk equation.  Do Architect's inherit more risk when they are producing a virtual building rather than heiroglyphics intended to be translated by the construction team?  As I mentioned in a previous post, our firm has crafted a BIM disclaimer to insulate us from this perceived additional risk; however, this stands in the face of collaboration and trust.  What if the Architects started to chip away at the 'disclaimer shield' and identified certain elements within the model that could be trusted.  This would lead to a prerequisite quality assurance process for shared models, but might just start to alleviate the concerns of project constituents not engaged in integrated project delivery.  Of course, designers and engineers would have to be compensated for the elevated integration!

Day 2: More Case Studies and Risk Management

Viktor Bullain of Vico spoke on behalf of an ill Matt Ryan (Webcor) and brought to light the issue of "level of detail" as one of the primary practical concerns with BIM hand-offs.  Vico and Webcor have been collaborating on a "Model Progression Specification" or MPS - which is available as a free download at www.ipd-ca.net under "Tools/Publications."  The MPS outlines the following macro levels of detail and their respective "authorized uses:"

• LOD 100 - Not necessarily 3D, used for cost per area or 'zones' and total project construction duration.
• LOD 200 - 3D, but generic models; locations known, cost can be estimated in ranges; exterior systems selected.
• LOD 300 - Construction means and methods known; dimensions, capacities and connections are specified; clash coordination.
• LOD 400 - Shop drawings and fabrication details; committed purchase prices of assemblies.
• LOD 500 - As-built or record model for facility operations and maintenance.

Next, Doug Green of Marsh delivered a sobering, but profound presentation on "Risk Management Principles applied to BIM."  On IPD agreements, he simply states that the insurance industry does not yet have a policy to cover such a tri-party team.  Insurance is fault-based, but IPD requires a no-fault arrangement.  Who is to blame if someone gets hurt on the job?  One key concept which resonates with my duties at SOM is the risk management concepts of "avoid and transfer" versus "accept and manage."  I think our workgroup discussions on "chipping away" at the BIM disclaimer were bolstered by this comparison.  Green also emphasized a warning to designers that the main risk with BIM is the potential to start defining means and methods, which would lead to responsibility for site safety.  If a project arrangement has the design team participating and coordinating such data, the safety record of the construction manager/contractor and the quality of the subs becomes the paramount concern.

Finally, Damian Hamlin (Beck Group) demonstrated another use of Revit for a GSA courthouse expansion/renovation while Tracy Lee and Amy Kim of Orcutt Winslow and Dan Russell of Sundt Construction discussed their collaboration on a data center project for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Arizona.  What made the Orcutt Winslow/Sundt presentation different was the fact that the project was based on design-bid-build, unlike most of the preceding presentations; however, the CM, electrical and mechanical sub-contractors were pre-selected due to the complex nature of a data center project.  Orcutt Winslow has been using Archicad for some time and continued its use on this project.  Of note was their finding that much of the intelligence within their Archicad models was not translated into Navisworks for use by the extended project team.  I wonder which method they were using to translate the data?

The main focus of the Orcutt Winslow/Sundt presentation seemed to be the benefits of the collaborative BIM process - owners, subs, engineers and designers all involved in design coordination meetings enabled quicker resolution of issues, subs gaining a better understanding of the design intent, and the design team better understanding construction techniques.

Summary

In closing, my evolved role as Senior Manager of Virtual Design + Construction at SOM has allowed me to focus more on our 'social' BIM aspirations.  We have completed a number of BIM-based projects, but we are currently reaching out to our construction management partners in an effort to enhance the overall design delivery process.  In contrast to other efforts within our industry the AGC BIMForum seems to be chugging along at full-steam to address difficult and complex issues.  Anyone can join the BIMForum and discuss the issues online or sign up to attend the next meeting at www.bimforum.org.

Table of contents for Email

1. Email Guidelines - Part 1
2. Email Guidelines - Part 2 - Writing emails
3. Email Guidelines - Part 3 - Attachments
4. Email Guidelines - Part 4 - Options
5. Email Guidelines - Part 5 - Reading Email

Now I turn to the part where you actually read your email…

Don’t let the emails pile up in your inbox. If you get behind - it takes a long time to dig out.

I did a poll on this site and asked how often you check your email and most of you are always checking. But I am hearing that some set aside specific times in the day to check and reply to email. If you know this to be the case with someone that you are emailing, then do not expect a prompt reply. Maybe you should give them a call if it is urgent.

If you choose to deal with each email as it arrives:
• You could file it in a topic or project folder to read later
• Carry out the actions requested by the sender (and then either filing it or deleting it)
• Delete it

My approach is to respond right away if I can. If I can’t then I flag the email for later review.

Develop a procedure for saving email. Do you really need those emails that just say “thanks” from people?

My approach is that I save them all chronologically. Most people to not do this. They put them into folders by topic. I do not. Now that I am on Office 2007, I can easily search my emails to find things by topic. My mind stores things by date and time, so I also do that in my email inbox. They stay in my inbox in that order that I get them.

I offload my inbox to a personal PST file that is archived. I do not keep email more than a month old on the email server.

You can also set up filters and rules for incoming mail; this is useful for organizing mail from mailing lists and deleting spam.

Be careful about what emails you open. Apply common sense and reality checks before assuming any message is valid - even if you think you know who it came from. Never open an attachment unless you know what it is and you are expecting it. Even then it is wise to be cautious as many email viruses play on the very human trait of curiosity to spread their viral payloads.

Previous in series

So, the 64-bit versions of Revit Architecture, Structure and MEP 2009 have been released - finally shattering the 4 GB RAM ceiling.  We're currently using workstations with 8GB of RAM, but I have a 'testing' machine with 16 GB of RAM (sweet!).  After installing the new Revit version, I opened the Freedom Tower model with all worksets on...yeah, I was feeling naughty.  Virtual Memory usage crept up to around 7 GB when I opened up a full 3D view, then...I rendered.  The VM didn't seem to change, but I didn't realize the rendering engine in 2009 runs in a separate process...ringing up another 5 GB of VM.  So, if 16 GB is barely going to cut it, I decided to price out a Dell T5400 with a 3.0GHz quad core Xeon with 32 GB of RAM and a 1.5 GB video card.

$11,516 ... nice.

Yes, clash detection is a low hanging fruit. Anyone with all trades modeled and a license to NavisWorks can do it. But here’s the thing about it – it’s really really satisfying.
We just finished “clashing” design-intent systems for the Crate&Barrel project. The process is straightforward (although a bit tedious): Clash, Review, Discuss, Report, Resolve, Recheck Clashing is the easy part. Select the disciplines and click go.
Reviewing is one of the most time consuming steps; the VC modeler found hundreds of clashes in each batch, so had to review each, clean-up the view to actually see the clash, locate the clash in comprehensible terms (Level 2; Grids Y & 8A versus Navis’ x/y/z: 345.7, 10.2, 627.4), and then determine is the issue is legitimate (i.e. is it a supply pipe running through the cavity of a wall or a sanitary pipe running through a piece of duct work?). Many clashes are also reported several times, so those are grouped (by renaming them). We also like to group clashes based on location). This generally whittles clashes down from 200 to 20.
The team (including PM & super) discuss the actual clashes, so they can recommend the solution they would like to see. Since this is design-intent coordination, we don’t actually have subcontractors on board – if we did, they would definitely be part of the discussion. The other time consuming part of this is reporting. The VC modeler put together DCRs, and then sent those to the design team for review. Since the design team is still hosting the model, they will take care of the ‘resolve’ part.
After they’ve resolved the issues, they send us an updated model, so that the VC modeler can do a quick ‘reclash’ and make sure that all issues were resolved, and that no new issues have come up. Sometimes is nice to work on something linear, with a well-established process and a clear deliverable.
We just finished “clashing” design-intent systems for the Crate&Barrel project. The process is straightforward (although a bit tedious): Clash, Review, Discuss, Report, Resolve, Recheck

Clashing is the easy part. Select the disciplines and click go.
Reviewing is one of the most time consuming steps; the VC modeler found hundreds of clashes in each batch, so had to review each, clean-up the view to actually see the clash, locate the clash in comprehendible terms (Level 2; Grids Y & 8A versus Navis’ x/y/z: 345.7, 10.2, 627.4), and then determine is the issue is legitimate (i.e. is it a supply pipe running through the cavity of a wall or a sanitary pipe running through a piece of duct work?). Many clashes are also reported several times, so those are grouped (by renaming them). We also like to group clashes based on location). This generally whittles clashes down from 200 to 20.
The team (including PM & super) discuss the actual clashes, so they can recommend the solution they would like to see. Since this is design-intent coordination, we don’t actually have subcontractors on board – if we did, they would definitely be part of the discussion.
The other time consuming part of this is reporting. The VC modeler put together DCRs, and then sent those to the design team for review. Since the design team is still hosting the model, they will take care of the ‘resolve’ part.


















After they’ve resolved the issues, they send us an updated model, so that the VC modeler can do a quick ‘reclash’ and make sure that all issues were resolved, and that no new issues have come up.

Sometimes is nice to work on something linear, with a well-established process and a clear deliverable.

Table of contents for Email

1. Email Guidelines - Part 1
2. Email Guidelines - Part 2 - Writing emails
3. Email Guidelines - Part 3 - Attachments
4. Email Guidelines - Part 4 - Options
5. Email Guidelines - Part 5 - Reading Email

Use of read receipts, high priority and URGENT

Don’t globally request a read-receipt - this may annoy your recipient before they have even read your message.   I get these a lot and usually never say yes - send them a read receipt.  Many people consider this an invasion of privacy and usually click cancel (like me). If you need a read receipt, then use it on individual emails only.  I do this when I want to know if people have actually opened the email.  This is still not a guarantee that they have read it.   Most email clients have a  way of setting it so that you donot automatically send a read receipt.

In Outlook - go to Tools > Options > Email Options > Tracking Options to get the dialog box below.

Don’t overly set emails as high priority or urgent when you send them, some people may have lots of emails to deal with.   I tend to overuse the “exclaimation point” from time to time.  And don’t use the words URGENT or IMPORTANT in the subject line of an email as if you expect an instant reply. If your message really is urgent or important then email is not the correct communication method to be using in the first place; the telephone is probably better option.  or better yet - Instant Messaging.

Previous in series Next in series

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} One of the ways we are using the model in the field on the Autodesk project is layout. Rather than rewrite an explanation of what we did, here is what Rich (the APM on the project) put together to communicate the process.

Design Phase: It all begins with a site survey (or this case, an integrated site survey & laser scan)…

Once the survey & laser scan are complete, they are imported into the model, to provide both existing conditions and tie the model into real world coordinates. The laser scan allows the team to understand the exact geometry in the existing structure so that as they lay in components, there are fewer size inaccuracies.

In short, the laser scan is the world’s best as-built; down to a fraction of an inch!

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Layout Prep: Model & Robotic Equipment

First, the team must decide what geometry will be extracted from the model and marked in the actual building: floor opening, partition locations, penetrations, lighting fixtures, critical ductwork, and the list goes on. After the components are selected, points are marked in the model. [LH add– for the first layout mobilization, we are only laying out partitions and demo work; we will do RCP components] These points become the basis for layout once in the field. Once all points are identified, the information is imported into a robotic total station, layout equipment. Since the process began with a site survey, the total station can translate the points in the model to points in the building.

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
Construction Phase: The Layout Begins

Tocci, armed with a model containing the latest (and final!) design content, begins the layout process. First step: establish the same control points that were used during the initial survey/scan of the building. Once the points are established, the layout team begins marking all points that were preselected in the layout drawings. As these points are marked, the design team takes a few choice points to check and compare with their design – simple check and balance. Once the architect blesses the layout, all points are connected, lines are snapped and the layout is complete and ready for construction.

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

The benefit: layout can be completed prior to any interruption from construction activity, allowing for a greater level of detail, not to mention that it is being extracted directly from the team’s model.

About a month ago, Revit released a few plugins for Revit MEP & Architecture – I think they have been available for Revit Structure for a while. We were particularly interested in one tool called Model Compare, which “provides a functionality of comparing two projects defined in Revit products. The comparison results will be provided in a form of an html report and differences between projects will be highlighted.” (I can’t remember where I found that description, but I won’t pretend to plagiarize.) Sounds particularly promising because we are desperate need of something that can help us compare two models.
As it turns out, although the tool does compare two Revit projects, I don’t think the VC modeler who tested the tool would use the term “functionality” when describing it.

After reviewing and discussing the tool, we found a few issues with it, which we brought up to Autodesk:
- It is difficult to tell what has changed regarding a particular object. The tool only supplies Family, Type, & Revit ID of each “changed object”. The tool does indicate if an object is new to a model, but other changes aren’t called out – it would be helpful if it could define whether something moved or was joined or type changed or something.
- It is really difficult to identify where the object is located. If nothing else, add Level (and other parameters – selected by the user). OR, include a ‘Create a new view in the Revit model that zooms to the specific object and hides any objects that are in the way’ button – kind of like Architectural Design Studio. I love that button.
- It would be helpful if users could (easily) customize and select rules to look for only specific objects or specific changes (i.e. find out what walls have moved). We would also be interested in using rules to group changes (i.e. group all changes within 6” of each other that are the same type of change as a single change).
- Reports should be customizable to fit in the reporting standards of various companies. Although, we take the output as is, if we could add other parameters to the items.

One good point that Autodesk brought up in our meeting (and we agreed) was that the tool was originally designed for structure, so it contains the functions needed for comparing structural models. I think this tool could be very valuable, especially since we are starting to receive models from designers, but aren’t necessarily sharing in real time for all projects. How else can we quickly evaluate what has changed since the last submission? At the same time, it needs a little it of work to make it ready for use in production for models created in Architecture and MEP.

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

When we started the Autodesk project, we assumed that the project would use a single model (comprised of several Revit files, of course) during design and construction. Not the case.

The short answer: M/E/P/FP

The long answer: Our subcontractors, who are “BIM-enabled” and have been using 3D programs for quite some time, cannot use Revit MEP. There are the obvious reasons of the lack of content in the library, but the real reason is software functionality: Revit MEP cannot do the appropriate calculations and Revit MEP doesn’t support spooling, an important function for pre-fabrication.

Because of this, for the past few months, two models have been developing concurrently and separately: the engineering model (Revit) and the fabrication model (CAD-MECH, Hydra-CAD, etc.). Coordinating the content to make sure they are identical has been quite an effort, and we have had issues with it from the start. It is near impossible to verify that every tweak and change that KlingStubbins made was communicated to the subcontractor - tools like Model Compare work in concept, but not in reality, when design is moving so quickly.

The solution came from the subcontractor and ended up being quite obvious and simple – short-term co-location. For two days last week, the HVAC engineer and subcontractor worked side by side at KlingStubbins Cambridge (the engineer is actually based in Philadelphia), right next to the rest of the team. In that time, we devised a method to transfer information between the two, which includes marking-up paper documents in pen with information that takes less time to jot down than it does to model. We also managed to completely turn over a floor from engineering to fabrication, and compress the schedule for turnover for the rest of the floors. We were able to work through areas much more quickly, because the subcontractor was informed of design constraints and the engineer was give constructability feedback.

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

It was the most logical thing – and it was definitely an “IPD success moment”.

Table of contents for Email

1. Email Guidelines - Part 1
2. Email Guidelines - Part 2 - Writing emails
3. Email Guidelines - Part 3 - Attachments
4. Email Guidelines - Part 4 - Options
5. Email Guidelines - Part 5 - Reading Email

Attachments

Don’t attach files unnecessarily. Do not forget to attach files prior to sending. I see this a lot.  Take a moment before you send an email to make sure that you have actually attached the file.  Are you absolutely sure your recipient can read the attached format you are about to send them? Are they expecting the attachment from you?

Instead of sending an attachment, consider covering short topics in the body of your email. If you really do need to send an attachment, make sure that the recipient of your email can open the attachment you send. It is best not to use newer versions in MS Word, PowerPoint, etc unless you are collaborating on a document and all parties have agreed on the format to use.

Use HTML or PDF for document exchange instead.

Attachments that are used to send files back and forth should be used only when sending outside of your office. Internal documents can be shared via your server. Send only the location, not the document.

Large attachments may not make it to others who have limits on sizes.  If you are sending large attachments, make sure you mention the fact that there should be an attachment and also the size.

Signatures

A signature is a short piece of text added to the foot your emails usually containing pertinent contact details about yourself.

Try not to be too formal when sending replies.  First exchanges need full signiture lines.  Subsequent emails may not need that level of detail.  I always include a phone number in every reply.

Do not double sign your email.  If you use a signature, do not end your message by signing your name.  Use your name only once.

Previous in series Next in series

Table of contents for Email

1. Email Guidelines - Part 1
2. Email Guidelines - Part 2 - Writing emails
3. Email Guidelines - Part 3 - Attachments
4. Email Guidelines - Part 4 - Options
5. Email Guidelines - Part 5 - Reading Email

More on the proper use of email…  again, if I have not given credit for something that is contained here, forgive me and let me know where it is located so I can link to it.

Writing Email
Keep your email short - it is best to limit yourself to five or six bullet points or a couple of paragraphs. If the recipient has to scroll down to read the whole message – you have written too much. Long topics should be covered with attachments.

Try to have only one topic or action point per email.
If email is used as an approval process, print the email that includes the approval and add it to your job folder.

Do not send your email to people who don’t need to know about it. Do not use emails as a means of reporting your tasks to someone who will not contribute to the conversation.

Use the CC and BCC fields where appropriate.

Cc stands for carbon copy which means recipients addresses appearing after the Cc: header would receive a copy of the message. The Cc header would also appear inside the header of the received message for every recipient to see.  Don’t pass out peoples email addresses this way.

Bcc stands for blind carbon copy which is similar to Cc except that the Email address of the recipients specified in this field do not appear in the received message header. The recipients in the To or Cc fields will not know a copy sent to these bcc addresses. Be aware the blind copies can also be forwarded and the recipient may let others know that they received a copy. The point of BCC is not secrecy. Use BCCs when addressing a message that will go to a large group of people who don’t necessarily know each other and you do not have permission to share email addresses.

Do not use BCC to tip someone off about something that you are hiding from others on the email distribution.

Just as it is not polite to give out a person’s telephone number without his or her knowledge, it is not polite to give out someone’s email address. For instance, when you send an email message to 30 people and use To or CC to address the message, all 30 people see each other’s email address. By using BCC, each recipient sees only two–theirs and yours.

Stationary and Background images

Do not use stationary or any background images or sidebar images. These tend to annoy some recipients and can cause problems when someone replies.  These kinds of things really bug me.  Colored background also bug me.

Do not use colored fonts in email. Some people may not be able to see the differing colors. Use underline or bold (sparingly) to highlight text. Understand the these highlights may be lost if the recipients email client does not recognize them.

Courtesy and politeness

Email combines some of the worst features of written communication. You can respond immediately without time for thinking it through, but have none of the advantages of a face-to-face conversation, such as being able to read facial expressions, or quickly correcting misconceptions.  One person I know has a delay on his outgoing emails so he can catch them before they go out if he has made a statement that he rethinks.

Don’t write in CAPITALS as it is considered to be SHOUTING. Avoid sarcastic comments, as these can be taken out of context and be very hurtful. Use emoticons or smilies sparingly (if at all), more than a couple in a message look tacky. They are never totally appropriate or professional in email communication. Never use emoticons as an excuse to write something you would not say to someone face-to-face.  Do not circulate emails which are critical of someone’s conduct to people who do not need to know - this constitutes bullying or gossip.

Subject line

Always include a subject line in your message. Almost all email programs present you with the subject line when you browse your mailbox so it is often the only clue people will get as to what the email is about. Make sure the subject line is meaningful and descriptive (e.g. “Today’s meeting of the training committee - an agenda”, not “Hello”). Messages without subject lines are also more likely to be identified and tagged as SPAM or deleted before being read by the recipient.  Be sure to include something that will tip of the recipient that it is legit.

Consider including a preface in your subject line to flag for ease of understanding and sorting. Use the project number or name (e.g. “3102 – Project Status”)

Others have used Codes in the subject line, like ACTION: or INFO:, before he subject.   This lets people know what they need to do.

Formats

There are many different mail programs running on a number of different platforms such Apple Macs, PCs, or Linux/Unix computers. Messages do not necessarily translate well between different programs or platforms. Be aware that fancy formatting, columns, tables and such may get scrambled.

Again – no wallpaper, background images or stationary. A plain white background is a good standard.
Remember that what you create in your compose window is not necessarily what the recipient sees - they may not have color or font-style formatting in their email program, for example.

If your standard format will be RTF or HTML, then understand that your message may loose formatting if someone is using a plain-text reader.

Previous in series Next in series

Table of contents for Email

1. Email Guidelines - Part 1
2. Email Guidelines - Part 2 - Writing emails
3. Email Guidelines - Part 3 - Attachments
4. Email Guidelines - Part 4 - Options
5. Email Guidelines - Part 5 - Reading Email

In August I asked about your email habits.  Here are the results…

Here are some general guidelines I use for email.  I have developed many of these and collected them and just picked them up here and there.  If I have copied them from the net and not given credit it is because I do not remember where I got them.  Some of these are common knowledge and some are lessons learned.  Most of them are focused on correctly transmitting information, being polite and not having your emails mangled by others who do not share your email client.

Executive Summary

If you read nothing else, at least read this.

• Keep your e-mail short and to the point

• Do not use stationary, background images or wallpaper

• Do not use colored or fancy fonts in e-mail

• Never reply to SPAM or junk mail – ever

• Do not use personal e-mail accounts for company business.

Guidelines

An e-mail can be anything from an informal one-liner to a formal letter. However, because of the nature of e-mail, it is best to consider the purpose of your message before writing. E-mail is not always the best or most effective communications medium to use.

Be careful what you write - e-mail is neither private nor secure. Sending an e-mail is like sending a postcard so messages must be treated with caution. Do not use e-mail to discuss confidential or sensitive information. An e-mail is a permanent record and can be easily forwarded to others or intercepted on the way. Check and double check all addresses and content before you send.

Do not use personal e-mail accounts for company business.

We will look at more this week - stay tuned…

Next in series

Some users push the envelope - do you appreciate this?

Some want to go farther with the software that they use.  They want to continue to move forward even when others are having trouble following.  They just keep finding new ways to use the tools that others do not understand.

Some will push you forward before you are ready.  Maybe you need a little push now and then.  But what if you don’t need the push forward?  What if you are pushing at the right pace for your firm and additional pushing will frustrate your users.

What do you think of these folks?  Maybe you need to push back.

Keep them close. I have said this before - but you need to enlist them on your team.  Talk to them more than you do to others.  Encourage them to talk to you.  Try to keep them on your time line, not theirs.

Help them understand that others are slower. Have them help support others.  When they see how others struggle - it may help them see things from another point of view.

Let them know where you are going. Some will fall in line if you just share where you are going and when you are going to get there.

Lay down the Law. I seldom say this, but there are times when you need to remind them about who makes the rules.  If you do not want them introducing advanced processes until you say so - tell them.  You are the CAD Manager after all.  You have been given the final responsibility for running an orderly house.  The authority that has been invested in you has to be exersized occasionally.  Make sure that everyone knows that you have to give approval before processes are changed or expanded.  You need to do it respectfully, but you may have to do it.

Autodesk just partnered with Ambercore to incorporate it into future releases of Autodesk software. Hopefully Revit?

Ideally, this will enable us to import laser scan data into Revit and (easily?) convert it to an object-oriented model. In any case, it's a good sign.

CAD Management: CAD Upgrades - Push and Pull

Published in AUGI Hot News for September…

There may not be a “perfect time” to move forward with an upgrade. Will there be a time when all of the positives draw you forward and none of the negatives are there to slow you down? Here are some points to consider.

May require registration for AUGI to read…  but hey - you can sign up for free!

Working with people is the most important talent that you can add to your technical skills.  Developing people skills will move you fast and farther toward your goals than just waiting for things to happen.  Here are two that you could work on:

1.  Understanding others. “The single most important principle in the field of interpersonal relations is this: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Most people listen, not with the intent to understand, but with the intent to reply.” Steven R. Covey

This is so  true.  I find myself constantly developing my response before the person is even done telling me what the issues are.  I need to focus on listening completely to the comments others are making.  I have seen in others (and myself) an exchange of perspectives and words, but no responses to the ideas presented.  In conversation, we often just swap stances without seeking to find the compromise in the middle.  We need to first ask questions to clarify the other persons point of view and make sure we fully understand, then formulate our reply.

2.  Express yourself. Make sure that you have fully thought out what you have to say - before you say it.  Some people think while talking.  They talk things out.   They just start talking and talk until they have it all work out.  This works for some.  But most people do not have the time to allow others to talk it through (return to number 1 if this is your trouble).  So make sure that you are offering the most information in the shortest amount of time.  Get to the point.

Another point on this topic… Speak your mind.  Make sure that when you have an opinion, that others know what it is.  You, as CAD Manager,are expected to have a perspective on things.  Get it out there. Respectfully and not forcibly, but get it out there.

Last week, we had an underground coordination meeting for C&B with a PM who has never worked on a VDC-enabled project before, so I asked him for some feedback on the meeting:

Everything went as I hoped and planned. It took what might have been two days of coordination with all subs involved to a 4 hour meeting and 1 sub. It was a big help to see what could impact a decision by looking ahead and seeing what was in place or going to be in place. I hope that answers your question.

In the future if I have a problem, I know where I am going for help.
So glad I asked!

10 CAD Management Problems You May Not Know You Have

Most CAD Managers have a good handle on their environment.  Most have a good “feel” for what shape their files are in.  Most have a positive perspective on things going well.

But what about the things that you may not know about.  What about those hidden things that pop up at the most inopportune times. What is happening that you don’t know about…

By keeping your radar tuned into the things that you may overlook, you can find and fix some of the unspoken troubles that may come up. Stay on your toes and don’t let smooth sailing lull you into a sense of “everything is alright”. There may be an iceberg just under the surface looming on the horizon.

Click on the links below to read the list… in two parts…

Ten CAD Management Problems - the First Five

Ten CAD Management Problems - The Second Five

August Poll Results - checking email?

See it as published

I have been waiting for this a long time…

From the Autodesk site

Upcoming Release of AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite to Include AutoCAD Architecture

The latest release of AutoCAD® Revit® Architecture Suite software is scheduled for shipping on September 15. This release expands the software applications that comprise the suite to include AutoCAD® 2009, AutoCAD® Architecture 2009, and Revit® Architecture 2009 under a single license. There are no changes to the features and functionality in the products themselves.

Autodesk is including AutoCAD Architecture 2009 software in the AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite 2009 product to make it easier and more cost-effective for AutoCAD Architecture customers to transition to building information modeling (BIM) using Revit Architecture software.

As part of their Autodesk® Subscription benefits, AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite 2009 subscription customers will automatically receive the release of AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite 2009 that includes AutoCAD Architecture software when it becomes available. Customers who are not on subscription will not be entitled to this benefit and will need to purchase subscription to gain access to the new product offering.

AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite is a Subscription Only product.

Chances are you already have a significant investment in AutoCAD® or AutoCAD® Architecture software, but you also want the competitive advantage of building information modeling (BIM). With AutoCAD® Revit® Architecture Suite software, migration is easy.

• Add a state-of-the-art BIM solution to your tried and true AutoCAD or AutoCAD Architecture software, and allow your project teams to choose the right tools for the job.
• Implement BIM using Revit® Architecture gradually, while not disrupting your existing AutoCAD or AutoCAD Architecture software projects.
• Reduce your license subscription fees by purchasing a single license that includes AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, and Revit Architecture.

more here…

Here we go with 9MB of Filtering goodness. (You may want to click the "Play" button!!!)



Can't be easier than that, huh??? I hope it was worth the wait!!!