The Kung Fu Drafter

Career: After CAD, Part 1 ...

Kung Fu Drafter — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 02:24:11 +0000

So the Mayan Apocalypse turned out to be a spectacular dud. Not that we seriously expected the world to end in 2012, but let’s face it: That’s a whole lot of buildup for not a whole lot of happening. That got us to thinking that there are plenty of people that we know who are sort of in a career version of the Mayan Apocalypse.

If you are like us, then you have been in the CAD racket for a good while. You’ve done the click-drone redline work and you’ve done the sweating the details design work. You’ve been on the business end of deadlines and on the inside of more workstations than you care to recall. Now, after all that build-up, you are the “lead drafter”. Or maybe you are the “CAD manager”. Whatever your title is you may be waiting for special day to come when something mystical will happen to you career. Something amazing. Something transformative. In many ways, there are plenty of people out there waiting for their own Mayan Apocalypse.

And then what? That is the real question that all CAD professionals need to be asking themselves today. What is it that comes after CAD?

Before we get too far into this, let’s clarify something: This is not a “BIM vs. CAD” debate. This isn’t about BAM or IPD. This isn’t about AutoCAD versus ArcGIS. This is about your career, not migrating from one form of CAD to another. So we will say it again … “What is it that comes after CAD”?

Or, is there anything after CAD? Will you finish your career in a production CAD position? Will you call it quits before you get called up to the next round of the big game? And if any of that is true, is that really how you planned things when you first saw a digitizer tablet or a mouse? Are you ok with that?

If you aren’t ok with crossing the finish line as a CAD drafter, CAD manager, or whatever your job is, then our next few articles are for you. We are going to look at what comes after CAD and why we think there is something “after CAD” for every CAD professional we know ...

- KFD -

Image credit: Backofthenapkin.

Light the New Year Up with Some Laser Scanning Lessons …

Kung Fu Drafter — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 02:05:22 +0000

Well the new year is officially here and that means that it is time for us to get up off our Kung Fu butts and get to some writing! Well the truth is that we have been writing, but more on that later. So … writing, but … what should we write about?

Well thanks to our good friends at Leica Geosystems, we didn’t have to worry about it for long. If you are thinking “Leica? Aren’t those the guys that make survey and geolocation stuff?” you would be right! So you probably know that they also are experts in the laser scanning industry!

What’s that? You don’t know much about laser scanning? Well don’t let it get you down little buddy. Now you can visit Leica Geosystems’ YouTube channel and get yourself a entry level education one what laser scanning is all about!

After watching these three videos on the topic of laser scanning you are probably ready to run out and get a laser scanner and just go nuts scanning everything! What … were we the only ones?

Well, now you can check “Learn something new” off your list of resolutions. Let us know what you think or if you have links to other great “learn something” videos, link us up …

- KFD -

Image credits: Leica Geosystems.

Tech: Could the Future of Road Maintenance Be a Magic Carpet …

Kung Fu Drafter — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:21:44 +0000

Well, strictly speaking it's not a "magic carpet" but this new conceptual asphalt road rehabilitation machine is just about “magic”. Designed by Swedish design student Gosha Galitsky, the Dynapac Red Carpet is a bit of conceptual heavy equipment that could change the way roads are maintained around the world.

While normal reconstruction and even rehabilitation of asphalt roads currently requires that lanes be closed, the DRC is designed to handle the process in full traffic. Moving along a single lane in full traffic, the DRC would use full uptake and lay down equipment to remove and replace existing asphalt. The conceptual device would use high powered microwaves to heat existing asphalt, then mix it with an onboard rejuvenator before reapplication. Since the DRC is designed to be a slow moving device, reapplied asphalt would actually exit the machine ready for traffic! All of this while traffic moves through the machine!

Given the world’s need for elevated sustainable practices, anything that can eliminate road congestion while maintaining a nation’s infrastructure is a great thing. Besides that, this concept is just plain awesome. We can wait for a world where these things are roaming the cities, repairing roads, and teching up the whole joint …

- KFD -

Image and video credit Gosha Galistsky.

AU2012: The Main Show …

Kung Fu Drafter — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:59:37 +0000

Las Vegas is a long way from home, but when you are at Autodesk University with nearly 9,000 fellow CAD professionals it is easy to feel at home. And that is exactly the sense you get because just about everyone is there to help and learn. It’s really quite fantastic.

So after a long Pre-AU run-up Tuesday began with the General Session Keynote. Now there are a few people who decide to skip the GSK, but not me. Anytime you can take me to a stadium normally reserved for sport events and concerts so I can see if filled with nerds, I’m there! Seriously, this joint normally holds like 10,000 screaming fans and aside from the stage area this place was full!

Personally I found Jeff Kowalski’s portion of the talk to be the most interesting. It really is amazing when you stop to consider the full breadth of the Autodesk software catalog and all of the industries that it touches. Still when you hear a practiced speaker like Kowalski and Bass talk about the long-term strategies for Autodesk, how can you help but be interested? Sure some of it is the sort of “rah rah, yay company” cheerleading you may expect, but I feel that there is alot of genuine desire to create a better world there.

A big feature of this year’s AU were the Innovation Forums. I have to admit that even though I wanted to attend a good number of these, scheduling conflicts made that impossible. But not to fear, these great sessions were recorded and are coming online at AU Virtual. So I am going to have to pop some corn and check them out. What I did get to see of the “Reality of the Cloud” session, there is some good content that ought not be missed.

So what else can you say about AU? Great breakout sessions and some of the world’s best training brought together under one roof. Even more fantastic is that that some of these speakers are not normally speakers or trainers. So their content and expertise isn’t available to any other student, anywhere else in the world! That’s pretty heavy when you think about it.

Speaking of speaking, this was my second year to be an Autodesk University speaker and I just can’t say how fulfilling it is. My first session was on the topic of AutoCAD Certification and I felt that it went well. I had several of my attendees come to me during AU and say that they had been motivated to take the exam and were excited to be certified professionals. So I am going to call that a win.

The big win of this year’s AU came in my second session, which Marielle Covington agreed to co-speak with me. For reasons I have never understood, there are not very many (or any, really) career oriented sessions at Autodesk University. That is something I have wanted to change for several years and this year I got my shot to present a course of personal branding. “How to Win Projects and Influence Bosses: The CAD Professional’s Guide to Personal Branding” went off without a hitch! And if the verbal feedback and after class conversations have anything to do with it, Marielle and I have a hit on our hands!

If you’ve ever thought about being an AU speaker, go for it! I cannot express how rewarding it is to have someone come up to you, after a class, and thank you for sharing your expertise or insight. Many people feel that these classes are “free,” but I could not disagree more. First, you obviously paid for the conference. Still I feel that the real payment for the sessions you choose at AU is made in time. There are only so many classes you can fit into the schedule and scores of them that are great. So for these people to decide that our session was worth their valuable time is fantastic!

So how do you end a fantastic week of media events, networking, good food, and great sessions? Well this year Autodesk decided to end it all at the Hard Rock Hotel and they went all out. I have to admit, after a few years of parties that were … let’s say less than awesome, this was a 180 degree change. As if the 80’s – 90’s concert at the Hard Rock’s “The Joint” weren’t good enough (and it was) there were plenty of smaller, awesome music events. From groovy dance floor to black jack table with a dealer who couldn’t count, there was something for everyone. I went down there just to see what the Hard Rock looked like and had a so much fun I stayed all night. There could not have been a bigger or better end to the week’s activities.

As good as the week was, and as fantastic as all the contacts I made are, all good things come to an end. And with that another AU slips into the distance and I slipped all the way back to Texas. So now it is back to the real world of work and expectations. Or as I prefer to think of it: the long wait to Autodesk University 2013.

See you there …

- DCM -

Image credits: Autodesk, Tony Carcamo, and Jonathan Landeros.

AU2012: Days –1 and 0 …

Kung Fu Drafter — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:13:10 +0000

Well it seems like it was just one year ago that I was in Las Vegas and Autodesk University was in full effect. Lo and behold, here I am again. But in truth, it hardly seems like a year at all. I guess time just seems to go by faster when you are a busy, social butterfly!

The Kung Fu-ness landed in Nevada Sunday afternoon and I put my plan to take things nice and slow directly into effect. I leisurely checked in. I casually registered. And I meandered on over the the Global eTraining kick-off party to spend some time with my favorite Canadians. Then: bed.

That’s it! That is all there was to Day –1. Well I suppose it was more of a “Half Day –1” but it doesn’t matter because I wasn’t in a rush.

Day 0, on the other hand, that was a little different. The morning, unlike normal AU mornings, started with sleeping in late. Then it was time to get a real breakfast.Media briefings started after a non-lunch. You media people know what i mean. Then it was information time!

Unfortunately I had to cut my briefing short, but more about that in a second.

I wish I could take all of the great readers and Kung Fu clan to media day. The sort of information and access you get is really fantastic. The data starts to roll and the details of Autodesk’s objectives begin to roll out and you realize just how much this company is up to at a single time. It’s almost like a intimate keynote session for 50 or so people instead of 9,000.

Perhaps Google will donate some Google Glass specs for me and I can virtualize next year’s Media Day for you all. Now that would rock!

But I did have to leave early and that was a bummer. However, the reason I left was on the utmost awesome. Do I have you curious yet? You know you are.

Well I volunteered to be an AU Mentor this year and so I had to head over to the Freshman Orientation session. Let me tell you, that was fantastically rewarding. I got to meet 9 fine gentlemen who were attending their first Autodesk University and share some of my abundant wisdom! That’s right, I was shaping minds in the Kung Fu way, I can’t encourage you enough to be a mentor next year!

So I am actually writing this on Day 1 because I was out way too late last night. First at the Speaker Social held at MIX and then the bulk of the evening at the Media / Blogger social at the fabulous Foundation Room! That’s right, I know people who know people baby! And those people were kind enough to extend me invitations to come hack with them.

But now I have to run off to a meeting because that is what Autodesk University is all about: meeting people and building your professional network while getting some world-class training.

Stay tuned and I will fill you all in on Day 1. But probably not until tomorrow because I plan to be out late again …

- KFD -

Image credit: Public Domain Pictures.

AU2012: It’s Almost Time to Head Out to the Airport …

Kung Fu Drafter — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 21:39:04 +0000

It is the last Saturday of November and that means that it is nearly go time for Autodesk University 2012! Needless to say, there are thousands of CAD professionals around the world descending on Las Vegas, Nevada, even as we type these cheerful little words out!

This year should be full of the same sort of CAD / tech goodness that we have all come to expect from Autodesk University. We can all count on some great classes, seeing some old friends, and some awesome tech on the trade floor. And the swag. There is always the swag to be had. Of course our own Curt Moreno will be on the scene working his dark networking magic and also mentoring some AU N00bies!

Oh, on the trade floor topic we’ve got to mention some interesting news from the Canadian front. Our good friends over at Global eTraining are planning an extravagant to do this year! You will have to be sure to head to their site and start working on your odds to win $1,000 in Mandalay Bay chips!

Come on, who couldn’t use an extra $1,000 to go and hit the tables?

If you are heading to Autodesk University 2012 be certain to double check your bags, arrive early at the airport, and check in early at the event. We’re looking forward to seeing some great photos, meetings some awesome people, and not having to send bail money for anyone …

- KFD -

Image credit: Public Domain Pictures.

Stuff: Let There Be Turkey ...

Kung Fu Drafter — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 19:41:17 +0000

So today is Thanksgiving Day, which means that plenty of you will be cooking all day! But in truth Thanksgiving means plenty of things to plenty of people. So to liven things up we thought we would rain some TDay Tidbits on you for thought.

Sarah Josepha Hale, magazine editor and author of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" campaigned to make Thanksgiving a national holiday and is largely credited with for it being made so.
It is considered bad luck to slaughter a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving.
Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States because he felt the turkey was a "much more respectable bird".
According the US Restaurant and Diner Group the number of families visiting Chinese restaurants to have duck has increased 43% since the release of "A Christmas Story".
In 1939 President Roosevelt changed Thanksgiving Day from November 30 to November 23 in order to extend the Christmas season and spur the economy. But only half the states went along. So in 1941 Congress declared the fourth Thursday in November to be Thanksgiving.
California is the turkey eating capital of the US.
The total weight of turkeys consumed on Thanksgiving is more than the weight of the population of Hawaii.
Thanksgiving is responsible for 20% of annual cranberry sales.
A turkey can run up to 25 MPH
The old wives tale of a turkey looking up in the rain and drowning has been linked to a genetic disorder called "Tenatic Torticollar Spasms" according to Oregon State University scientists.

So here is the sticker on those. Four of those are lies! Can you guess which ones?

Have a good Thanksgiving. Be safe. And if you are frying a turkey, have the good sense to have a fire extinguisher nearby!

But don't get too comfortable after gobbling all of that turkey down. It's just a matter of hours before we have to pack and get ready to head to Autodesk University 2012! If you haven't downloaded the AU App yet, then do it and friend our Kung Fu Warlord, Curt Moreno. He'll be the networking fool on the scene with the sexy mustache, so say hi!

From here on it's Las Vegas or bust ...

- KFD -

AU2012: Prepare to Be Prepared …

Kung Fu Drafter — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 03:11:30 +0000

So it is nearly that time of the year again, the time when CAD professionals from around the globe will descend on Las Vegas for Autodesk University! But we know that our readers already know that because many of you have already told us that you will be attending. Well, we’re here to assure you all that Kung Fu Drafter will be in the full effect!

That’s right, for the fifth year in a row, Kung Fu Drafter will be represented at the great CAD gathering on the planet. Naturally the good times won’t begin until we get there so our Kung Fu Editor, Curt Moreno, will be rolling into the Big Sleazy on Sunday afternoon. He will, of course, be bringing the whimsy and he will have swag to give out!. So if you see him in the hall, shake him down.

This will also mark the return engagement of Curt Moreno as a Autodesk University speaker. He will be preaching the kung fu gospel in two sessions this year:

Tuesday 3:30 to 5:30
AutoCAD Certification: How, When, Where, and Why?
Thursday 10:00 to 11:30
How to Win Projects and Influence Bosses: The CAD Professional’s Guide to Personal Branding

Does that sound like fun on a bun or what?

Normally we like to put out a list of Autodesk University tips. But this year we are going to just point to our previous posts. Hey, the information doesn’t have an expiration date!

And if that doesn’t work for you, then you could always check out Shaan Hurley’s extensive post of AU advice. Whatever you choose just remember that two of the best pieces of advice you can take are to do the following:

Wear comfortable shoes
Stay hydrated

Ok well that is all there is for this post. Between those three great entries of AU information you will be completely prepared to take on Autodesk University 2012! So take it easy this Thanksgiving, pack up early, fly safe, and prepare to a great AU 2012. We’ll see you there …

- KFD -

Image credits: Katy Warner.

Tech: Are Apple and Google Trying to Scratch Microsoft’s Surface …

Kung Fu Drafter — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 02:32:11 +0000

It’s our estimation that you would have had to be under a rock for a very long time to not know that Microsoft is about to cut the ties off of Windows 8 and the Surface slate. So being that we know our readers are not rock dwellers, we have to ask a question:

Do you think that the antics of Apple and Google prove that Microsoft may just have something worth looking at?

Microsoft’s Not-So Micro-Unveils …

So after much to do the time has finally come for Windows 8 to go out into the wild and make its way in the world. It really shouldn’t come as any surprise that Microsoft has been working up a new patch of Windows. After all, that is their bread and butter. Of course, this time around the bread and butter is touch oriented.

Originally called “Metro,” Microsoft’s new form of user interface is not only touch-centric, it is the center of what a great many users are riled up about. Not that we think much will come of it. For some odd reason cutting edge geeks seem to hate change with a passion. But in the end: the bigger the dust-up, the faster it passes and the harder it is to remember. So we are sure that Microsoft’s touch interface will just become a de facto part of Windows life.

Now the new Windows RT slate, well that is something altogether different.

Tales of Desktops and Tablets

Where Microsoft's new release of Windows for the desktop is a rebirth of considerable proportions, the slate is a whole new world for the software giant. While the past has been dotted with attempts at mobile Microsoft operating system’s, they have always been attempts at cramming a desktop version of Windows onto a movie device. But Windows 8, now that was dreamt up with touch in mind.

So it only seems natural that in addition to unleashing a new edition of Windows, Microsoft will be releasing it’s tablet offering, the Microsoft Surface. And it looks really nice.

With promises of features that are already attracting the Windows faithful, the Surface is sparking interests. Pre-sale units of the tablet have already sold out on the Microsoft site. Retail units should be available at Microsoft retail and pop-up stores. Overall it certainly seems has if there is a considerable amount of pent-up demand for a Windows tablet. And maybe, just maybe that has Apple and Google nervous.

When Big Boys Sweat

Now it is known, far and wide, that here at the Dojo we are Google proponents and among the Android faithful. Still, we have to wonder if Microsoft has not turned up the temperature on the tablet duopoly of iOS and Android. Could it be that two Four Horsemen of the Internet are concerned? It certainly seems so.

As Microsoft’s big coming out party approached both Apple and Google announced their own cotillions. Apple waited until the Microsoft date to plan, what is widely expected to be, the announcement of its new iPad “mini” (which we all hope is not actually the name of the damn thing!). You have to recognize what a power move by Apple this is since Apple traditionally rules the news cycle with its announcements. It takes a staggering imagination to conceive of a scenario where there is any oxygen left in the room to carry the sound of Microsoft’s tablet.

Yet, should there be any air left, surely it will be a stolen by the giant lungs of Google and what is expected to be the announcement of their 10” Nexus tablet device. Sure, Android tablets are not as widely used ad the market-leading iPad. But the numbers defintely show Apple’s dominance is dwindling.

Look What I can Do

So, why would Apple and Google want to take the poof out of Microsoft’s sails (see what we did there?) if all Windows RT can hope for is to be a distant third? Because, maybe the Surface is worth looking at.

Why else would Apple try to press out the Surface announcement with the debut of one of the most talked-about bits of kit in recent memory? Even Google is playing the attention game, and to a possibly more drastic degree by scheduling their event the very moment morning of the Surface announcement!

It has long been the suspicion of Kung Fu Drafter that when someone is trying to make you look one way, you have to wonder what is happening in the other direction.

Are we excited about the new Google device (which may possibly feature the newest incarnation of Android)? Hells yes! We are practically drooling at the thought. Are we excited about the iPad Mini? Actually we are very “meh” on the matter, but we know PLENTY of people are foaming at the idea of it.

But the thing we are really excited about, the possibility that has us intrigued and wanting more is the possibility that there is something new coming to the market. Something that may just be so fresh and interesting that it has Apple and Google nervous. That can only translate into better products and more innovation and price competition and that can only be a good thing for the consumer.

Whether or not these last two big plays of the year by Google and Apple were meant to thwart Microsoft or not, we can be sure of one thing: This final week of October is primed for gadget lust and this is going to be one interested gift-giving season …

- KFD -

Image credits: Google, Apple, and Microsoft.

Management: That Which We Call A Standard by Any Other Name …

Kung Fu Drafter — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 02:49:00 +0000

The world of design is so wide and diverse. No matter what direction you take, your journey is bound to take you to interesting destinations. But, much like many theories of destiny, the destination doesn’t dictate the journey. In other words: there is more than one way to draw a polyline.

The Name

So every design firm is on the journey to a destination of production. The way we get there, while producing consistently, is to have documented processes. You know what documented processes are, don’t you? Those things that your management always tell you that you need but never got around to developing?

Perhaps you know them as “standards” which is the more common term. But there is almost nothing good that comes of calling your documented processes “standards.” It’s a name hindered by bad sentiment and a history of failed attempts. So let’s start our journey on the right foot with a better name, “Best Practices”.

Wrong Can Be Right Also

Why the change of labels? It’s really quite simple.

A “standard” is a documented process that should be done the same way each time. Each and every time. And if it is not done then it is wrong. It’s wrong because you have violated the prescribed “standard”. Which would be fine if any standard could apply to every situation.

The problem is that no “standard” can be perfect for every situation. Each and every job has its own particular issues and demands that require adjustment and the use of judgment. Each and every time. But a “best practice,” now that is a flexible measure. It is the guide post by which we set our production compass.

When your company has a system of instituted “best practices” you have direction with elasticity. You have the tools to produce the product, reach the destination, without doubt or becoming lost. Still you are also empowered to leave the prescribed path; to evaluate the needs of the project and stray from the path if need be.

Relocate, Rename, and Reinitiate

The truth is that the difference between “standards” and “best practices” is minimal. It’s a matter of being in the proper mindset. One has connotations of rules, effort, and red tape. The other has an inflection of wisdom, good advice, and know what is “best”.

We’ve all wrestled with “CAD Standards” and most of us have failed. Some of us failed repeatedly before painfully instituting standards that were difficult to implement and enforce. Generally speaking, there are probably 100 negative things you could associate with “standards”. So why not break the cycle of abuse and irritation?

Do yourself a favor and enroll yourself in the “CAD Manager Relocation” program. Get a new name and start a new life free of the bondage of hated standards and failed attempts. Make today the day that you take the standards manual off the shelf and write “Best Practices” across the cover.

When someone asks you what you’re doing tell them “I’m giving us all a fresh start …”

- KFD -

Image credits: Jim Mead, Stephanie Hampshire, Carbon NYC, and Eric Schmuttenmaer.