vdPCADdesign, analysis & implementation

The first step in a vdPCADdesign project is an analysis of the available Product Catalog and the desired data model.

  • What type of objects do we want to distinguish; pipes, bends, end caps, valves, fire hydrants etc.
  • Are these point, line or polygon objects, in other words they must be drawn as polyline, blockreference or closed polyline.
  • What information must be linked to those objects. Which comes from the catalog, which must be selectable from selection lists and which are free text fields.

In addition, it must be investigated whether point objects should be linked to line objects in a certain way.

  • Some points may be placed on a line at any location; a fire hydrant somewhere on a pipe.
  • Other points must be placed at a kink point of a line string; a bend at the bend of a pipe.
  • Certain points must be placed at the end point of a line string and adopt the direction of that segment as the angle of rotation; an end cap at the start or end point of a pipe.

The desired styling must also be mapped.

  • On which layer names do the objects appear; preferably we conform to NLCS layer codes.
  • Which standard color and line type are given to all objects on the relevant layer.
  • Which symbol is used with the relevant point objects.
  • Which information fields are used to display the labels.

As a result of the analysis, some things must be implemented in code.

  • Think in particular of the Ribbon interface. Here the functions are provided for entering the desired objects.
  • But also reading the catalog will have to be aligned with the structure of the existing Product Catalog.

The majority of the settings are recorded in a number of control tables for data model and styling. In addition, a DWG template must be set up with the definition of line types and symbols.

If the contractor uses vdPCADdesign, with the utility-company’s Products Catalog, the revision drawing contains customised object-information and can easily be loaded into the asset-managementsystem as a GML-file.

As a result, the revision is processed faster, the asset-managementsystem is up to date faster and the WIBON-obligation can be met on time.

vdPCADdesign is a C#.NET utility and available for various AutoCAD-versions.

More information?
Ask the cadgis-consultant.

vdPCADdesign, introduction

Contractors carrying out work for utility-companies must provide revision drawings. These are usually layer-coded drawings in accordance with a drawing standard, without object-properties. These drawings must first be checked by the client, possibly provided with object-properties, and then loaded into the asset-managementsystem using an ETL-process.

All in all a time-consuming process, which often makes it impossible to meet the WIBON-obligation in time.

vdPCADdesign has been developed to implement information about the Product Catalog from the utility-company. With vdPCADdesign you can easily draw cables and pipes with AutoCAD-polylines and appendages with AutoCAD-blocks. The datamodel and the selection lists for the object-properties are defined in flexible control tables. This information is stored with the AutoCAD-objects.

The cables and pipes can be automatically labeled and these labels ”move” when the cables and pipes are moved. Appendages “know” whether they should be placed on a cable or pipe, at a vertex-point or at an endpoint and whether they should take over the direction of the segment as the angle of rotation. Appendages can also be labeled automatically.

If the contractor uses vdPCADdesign, with the utility-company’s Products Catalog, the revision drawing contains customised object-information and can easily be loaded into the asset-managementsystem as a GML-file.

As a result, the revision is processed faster, the asset-managementsystem is up to date faster and the WIBON-obligation can be met on time.

vdPCADdesign is a C#.NET utility and available for various AutoCAD-versions.

More information?
Ask the cadgis-consultant.

Cadac Xperts & vdPConsulting

Thank you for all congratulations on LinkedIn. Let me immediately answer the question “do you stop van der Pol-Consulting bv and start working for the Cadac Group?“.
Nope. But what …

Cadac has largely transformed its sales organization into a web store; customers buy their software licenses and updates there. In an automated process, they receive their license codes and, of course, their invoices.
The sales guys are also transformed; they help customers to implement the solutions.

And that’s where they need the consultants.

We are going to serve our customers in Europe and Australia with a new expert platform, inspired by Uber and Airbnb“, said Jan Baggen, CEO Cadac Group

Cadac has vacancies for various types of consultants and wants to fill them in partly with independent professionals; that’s why the Cadac Xperts platform is started. There, consultants can create their profile and sign an agreement with Cadac. In addition to the software license, the customer can also book the consultant on the web store.
Read more…

vdPConsulting is as self-employed professional member of the Cadac Xperts platform.

Cadac Xperts, Introduction

Cadac makes it easy
Do you have an assignment that requires an Autodesk specialist? View our selection of experts directly.

The right match for your project. You can select the expert that best suits your assignment based on comprehensive profiles.
Only the best experts. All freelancers have been thoroughly screened, which means we can guarantee quality. That’s our Cadac promise.

Hire the best specialist
Have you found the right expert? Provide the necessary project info, your expectations and the desired availability and book your expert.

Book quickly & easily. You can book your expert directly using Cadac Xperts. You are in direct contact with the freelancer, without the involvement of employment agencies or other intermediaries.
On your doorstep or worldwide. Our experts are located all over the world. You can look for professionals who work remotely, or you decide to look for a professional that can work from your office or at your office.

Your assignment is in good hands
After your booking is complete, the collaboration can begin. Easily coordinate the assignment with your Autodesk expert and achieve your goals together!

Get the most out of your project. Benefit from broad knowledge, new insights and more efficient methods.
Focus on your assignment. We take care of the rest, from contract to invoicing. This way, you can focus on the success of your project.

vdPConsulting is as self-employed professional member of the Cadac Xperts platform.

vdPClassify, MicroStation DGN and ESRI Shape

vdPClassify has been developed to provide information on DWG-elements to be stored in a migration scheme and also to capture the ‘mapping’ to the appropriate database tables and attributes.

vdPClassify was until recently only able to process AutoCAD or AutoCAD Map DWGs.
From now on it is also possible to process (a folder with) MicroStation DGN’s. vdPClassify still has to run as a plugin in AutoCAD, but during the processing of a folder CAD-files, the software checks whether it is a DWG or DGN and processes it properly.

By means of smart data filters, objects from the drawings are filtered. Next, information from the objects is read using powerful property filters.

vdPClassify writes the classified objects to GML.
From now on it is also possible to use vdPClassify on vanilla AutoCAD (without using the FME-engine) to write these objects to ESRI Shape files.

More information?
Ask the cadgis-consultant