Autocad File System

[Diesel]

Does anyone have a good filing system for cad files. I just got a bunch of files from the other cad guy that left and his system is some what all over the place.... Any thoughts

Thanks

[ReMark]

File by project number?

[SLW210]

What type of work do you do?

I work for a manufacturing facility and we sort files By Type (G=General, S=Structural, etc.) and Area of the facility (10, 20, 25, etc.), then by the drawing (001, 002, etc.).

Example: S-25-001 = Structural-Area 25-Drawing 1

If you do work for us, you will need to follow that system or job incomplete=no paycheck.

At other places I have worked, the prevalent would be by project number or follow customers requirements.

[rkent]

Does anyone have a good filing system for cad files. I just got a bunch of files from the other cad guy that left and his system is some what all over the place.... Any thoughts

Thanks

You will have to tell us more about the kinds of files and the kinds of work you do. A/E consulting, manufactured parts, Files for existing building, etc.

[Diesel]

Well, I work at a Security Firm and we have multiple Bldgs with multiple panels inside each bldg.

[ReMark]

And these buildings are identified by client name?

[Diesel]

Oh sorry yes they are.....

[ReMark]

How do you currently keep track of your drawings? Is it just by client name with an incremented number for each building or panel?

[rkent]

Well, I work at a Security Firm and we have multiple Bldgs with multiple panels inside each bldg.

There are several different ways to go, one might be.

So you are tracking existing installs or you do new install projects, or both?

[Diesel]

As far as I can tell from browsing around in the folders the previous guy has Client name folder sub-folders with building and then a dwg for each panel. On top of that every time a Revision comes along he has another dwg and so forth. With all the pdf's right in the mix. It just looks messy and is a pain to see 50 dwgs with revision 1, 2, 3 and ect. then dates behing them as wll, thought I might put all of one building panels in the same dwg. Then have a folder for pdf's with sub-folders for specifics dates.

[ReMark]

I definitely agree with the Client name > Building (name or number) part of his system. Multiple panels in one building though. These panels are not necessarily all the same type are they?

[Diesel]

No they are not. I am thinking that all of one building will be inside a specific dwg with it all labeled as acp#1, #2 ect... Also if someone could help me with Sheet Set Manger....

[ReMark]

Would there be any advantage to separating the panels by type? How many panels could one client/one building have?

[Diesel]

No that would just make my open multiple dwgs for one specific building, instead I was thing all the APC's in the specific building in one dwg.

[ReMark]

You'll be using a paper space layout for each panel right?

[Diesel]

Yes, I have rectangles around each APC and title them also....

[ReMark]

I'm just wondering what happens when you have a building with 20 panels in it and only one changes. If all 20 panels are contained within a single drawing then the date of the drawing naturally changes but what tells a person which panel the change was made to? Do you put the rev number on the layout tab?

[Diesel]

Put the revision in the title block with a description. The other guy never put descriptions in the rev block at all.

[ReMark]

Yes, the revision goes in the title block for one of the 20 different layouts contained in the single drawing. Quick. Click on the layout tab of the last panel that was revised.