EastCoast CAD/CAM News
Letter from the editor, Dave Quigley
My name is Dave Quigley and I am the other Dave at EastCoast CAD/CAM. My primary responsibilities are business development and marketing. I am also the newsletter editor.
So, why am I so excited about being the editor?
I was born into the HVAC plumbing and piping business. My dad returned from the Pacific after WWII and bought a small 2 truck plumbing and heating business that came with one steam fitter and lots of old parts and fittings. Twenty-five years later he had built it in to one of the largest and most respected shops in Western, Massachusetts. I started working in the shop as soon as I could tie my shoelaces. I had a union card when I was 18 but left after a year to follow another path.
So that’s my journey. Here I am, thirty-five years later, and I’ve found myself in an industry that is part of my heritage. My dad would be very proud. As I speak to our customers, I hear so many stories of generations of families who have not only been major forces in the heating and piping of America but have contributed in so many other ways to their communities; businesses like Jerry’s Sheet Metal in Grand Island in Nebraska, and LADCO Sheet Metal in Cedar Rapids Iowa.
If you have a family story to share of your heritage in this industry, check out my blog at http://spaceandelevation.blogspot.com/ called, Space and Elevation.
If you’d like to be taken off this newsletter list it’s not a problem at all. Please drop me a note and I’ll remove your email address.
Best regards,
Dave Quigley
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AutoCAD MEP Training
Randy Swaim, VP Technical Sales at EastCoast has teamed up with two highly respected AutoCAD MEP instructors; Beth Powell of EDSI and Derek Renn of Kelar Pacific to facilate a two day training program in:
East Coast - Roanoke, VA - Dec. 10-11th
West Coast - San Diego, CA - Dec. 13-14th
Beth (East Coast) and Derek (West Coast) have been working with Randy over the past few months retooling the existing Autodesk AutoCAD MEP training course with contractor relevant detail and tutorial. The result is a new comprehensive AutoCAD MEP based-instructional course designed to bootstrap new users into proficiency.
There is no course like this in North America. If your shop is thinking AutoCAD MEP this is something for you to seriously consider. For $250/day, you receive two full days of training from the best the industry offers, attendees will leave with the ability to complete real work with the tools as soon as they arrive back to work the next day.
There are only a few seats left so contact us as soon as you can
Please contact sales@eccadcam.com for more details
Also follow-this link to see the AutoCAD MEP Fabrication Course Overview.
For specific details on the two training sites contact:
West Coast: Martha Navarro, Kelar Pacific
6020 Cornerstone Ct.
San Diego ca 92121
310-827-1200
East Coast: Mike Motty Engineering Design Systems, Inc.
3780 Peters Creek Road Ext., SW
Roanoke, VA 24018
540-345-1410
Course Outline:
How to Draw Duct For Coordination and Fabrication using AutoCAD®MEP 2008
Day 1, Part 1 - Overview:
- Process of Designing and Drafting an HVAC System
- Starting a Project.
- Drawing a Duct System
- HVAC Construction Document demonstration
- Download for Fabrication detail
Day 1, Part 2 - Creating an HVAC System
- Display Properties
- Layout Preferences
- MEP Snaps
- Adding and Modifying HVAC Equipment
- Adding MvParts.
- Adding 1-Line Ducts and Fittings
- Verifying Connections between Objects
- Connect Equipment to a Duct System
- Sizing Ductwork Systems
- Adding Rigid Ductwork and Fittings
- Adding and Configuring Hangers
- Collision Detection between Crossed Objects
Day 2, Part 3 (as time permits) - Creating Construction Documents
- Creating and Managing Plotting Sheets
- Single line diagrams and schematics
- Annotating Drawings
- Annotation Data
- About Label Styles
- Adding and Modifying Tags
- Working with Schedules
- Property Set Definitions
- Process of Creating Schedule Tables
- Guidelines for Creating and Editing Schedule Tables
- Sections and Elevations
- Creating MvParts
- Modifying MvParts
Day 2, Part 4 - EastCoast CAD/CAM fabrication
- Preparing drawing
- Breaking HVAC system down
- Exporting to EC-CAD
- Modifying/Editing
- Creating as-built drawing
- Exporting to fabrication
- Exploding and nesting fitting blanks on sheets
- Labeling and Reports
Follow-on Web-based training modules to be provided on a weekly basis until the above criteria and workshop objectives are met.
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Special invitation - Autodesk University - November 27- 29 Las Vegas, Nevada
Randy Swaim (featured above), was invited by Autodesk to teach a 90 minute lab entitled, “Design to Fabrication in AutoCAD MEP – Why should engineers care about downstream fabrication?” at AutoCAD University 2007. The conference gets underway this coming Tuesday through Thursday in Las Vegas, Nevada. Randy’s session explores the powerful features available in AutoCAD MEP allowing engineers and draftsmen to build higher quality models that can be fabricated. Randy will demonstrate how an AutoCAD MEP design to fabrication methodology results in better coordination and significant project benefits.
For those interested and attending the conference, Autodesk Product Development is sponsoring an exclusive after-hour get together for a special group of EastCoast customers and friends. This will be an opportunity to hear directly from Autodesk how important EastCoast is to their MEP business. Please contact me, if you're planning to attend and I will forward you an invitation.
Also, If you would like more information about Autodesk University please follow this link or contact EastCoast.
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Matt Dickens interview
Job Title: CAD Service Manager
Problem: In AutoCAD MEP the standard "out of the box" fitting defaults do not match how I fabricate ductwork in my shop. This causes a lot of extra editing in EC-CAD when I am ready to fabricate.
Solution: In EC-CAD make sure to setup both your Manufacturer Defaults and your AutoCAD MEP Import Defaults. In AutoCAD MEP 2008 the standard AutoCAD MEP fittings are generic and as described do not match the fabrication preferences of most shops. However by setting up your Manufacturer Defaults and AutoCAD MEP Import Defaults correctly the fabrication model will automatically be converted to your shop's standard preferences. Generic fittings will be converted to real fittings and the amount of editing required for fabrication will be greatly reduced.
For example a generic AutoCAD MEP round concentric transition will be converted to fabrication based simply on the diameter in and diameter out values specified. If you take the steps recommended above, you will setup your standards for the straight in, straight out, and length parameters based on the way you fabricate or based on the way the manufacturer specified fabricates these fittings.
The general rule for approaching your setup in EC-CAD is to first setup all of your round and oval fitting preferences by selecting Setup Tool - Environments - Defaults; here you will see a list of fittings that can be customized.
Once the defaults are defined, select View - AutoCAD MEP Import Defaults. Here you will setup your rectangular fitting preferences and a few extra preferences for the round and oval fittings as well.
More information is available in the product manual, in our online documentation or by calling an EastCoast CAD/CAM support representative.
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