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Subject:Re: text production process From:Samuel -dot- Beard -at- tdcj -dot- state -dot- tx -dot- us To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 28 Jan 2003 14:47:30 -0600
"CB Casper"
<knowone -at- surfy -dot- net> To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Sent by: cc:
bounce-techwr-l-117504 -at- lists -dot- Subject: Re: text production process
raycomm.com
01/28/03 01:54 PM
Please respond to "CB Casper"
ID Number:
CB Casper wrote:
A simple example. The design engineers saved their
drawings in a proprietary format. When we needed
a drawing, we had to ask them individually to save
a CGM file for us. This always got them upset, as
they were working on another drawing. Another
option was to have TW's to gain access to their
system. That would have taken a $25000 investment
in training, hardware, and licensing, for each TW.
Once I explained this to the designers, they
understood the consequences, costs, and how easy
it was for them, they agreed to always save the
finished drawing as a CGM to a location we could
access without compromising their systems.
I had a similar experience when I was first starting in the field. A
company I worked for used AutoCAD for the drafting department and we, the
documentation department, was taking the drawings from them to place into
our DIODDS and User's manuals, among others. Only we weren't placing them
in on the SOFT copy, rather on the HARD copy, by creating a placeholder
page in the manual with the page number and a caption for the image, as
well as additional text if the drawing was small. Then, we would tape on a
copy of the drawing and make a photocopy of that page for the manual the
customer received. I figured there HAD to be a better way and began
exploring it. I discovered that AutoCAD could save out into a .wmf file and
WordPerfect would read a .wmf file, so I convinced the managers to have the
drafting department begin saving out the files as .wmf's and our department
to start using those instead. Saved time and money there. Then, I also
convinced them, at least for my own work, to allow me to make minor changes
instead of going back to the drafting department and tying up a draftsman
for simple things.
Sam
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