AutoCAD....the right software?? ...please help

[hangingsystem]

Hi Everyone! I am a very newbee in this matter and maybe I am using the wrong software but please try to help if you can!

I have a company dealing with picture hanging system. The hanging system consits of rails which are installed on the walls. Usually when I have an order I get the plans of the building. The customers tell me on which walls should I install the system. So I need to calculate how mach rail do I need! There are two type of rails: 3 meters and 2 meters. Of course some times customers ask me to not install the rail sytem over the doors, or small windows or whatever. So I need to cut the rails in small parts. So far I have done this manually. I was sitting home hours and hours just to calculate how many, and how long rails do I need to carry there.
But I think there must be a software which could help me on this. I mean… I type in how long the walls are and where do I need to install the system…. And the software automatically calculates how many rails do I need, and how long should they be!

Right now I have AutoCAD 2002 installed on my comp but I dont have a clue how should I calculate or draw there. Anyway can AutoCAD help me? Or is there a more simple software for that?
Please try to help if you can!

Thank you a lot!

[hendie]

if you have the full version of Autocad 2002 and not the LT version, then it is possible.... BUT.... the caveat ~ not without some custom programming.

A program could be written which would prompt you for the start point and end point of each rail, it could then draw the rails automatically.
Once you were finished creating the rails, the program could count each indivdual length and give you a running total and a complete parts listing (even down to the number of fixings).
I did a similar program some time ago which then exported all the details to a spreadsheet for costing.

If you don't want to go down the custom programming route, I would suggest using a spreadsheet for your calculations

[hangingsystem]

i am not quite good at programing.... even with spreadsheet...
i have to sit down and really think over how could I solve this problem with excel... i really hoped that there is such a program which could help me with this problem (just like the cutting optimizer programs)
..
anyway thanx for the reply

[hendie]

if you wanted to learn programming, there are plenty of willing teachers out there, alternatively, you could hire someone to write the program for you

[Mr T]

Ye of the olde LISP language man called FUCCARO would give you pointers.

Nick