Does CAD drawing mean CAD drawing?

[electrofelon]

After initial application, utility requests "CAD drawing" for a project. I draw the site and appropriate features in autocad and send them the drawing. They respond and ask if I can send a PDF. Am I off base?

 

[zbang]

To me, their spec is not clear. Did you send them the DWG file or a printout of it? I'm pretty sure they'd want the electronic form and also probably don't have even CAD viewer software. IME it's safest to send a PDF. (But if they'd wanted a PDF, they should have just asked for it.)

 

[electrofelon]

To me, their spec is not clear. Did you send them the DWG file or a printout of it? I'm pretty sure they'd want the electronic form and also probably don't have even CAD viewer software. IME it's safest to send a PDF. (But if they'd wanted a PDF, they should have just asked for it.)

I sent them the DWG file. I wouldn't default to sending a DWG file with an initial application, but this had just been sent from applications to engineering. IMO if you don't want a CAD drawing, you ask for a "drawing" or "sketch".

 

[gadfly56]

I sent them the DWG file. I wouldn't default to sending a DWG file with an initial application, but this had just been sent from applications to engineering. IMO if you don't want a CAD drawing, you ask for a "drawing" or "sketch".

They may be asking for a CAD drawing so there is some minimal level of readability vs. someone's atrocious hand sketch. I'm sure there are guys out there that draw free hand like Rembrandt, but like Rembrandt, they're not that common.

If you are using AutoCAD of almost any recent vintage it will have a "Print to PDF" feature built in. That way you can draw on an 11 x 17 or 22 x 34 "paper" size and it will preserve that in the PDF. Let them worry about how it prints on their end.

 

[electrofelon]

They may be asking for a CAD drawing so there is some minimal level of readability vs. someone's atrocious hand sketch. I'm sure there are guys out there that draw free hand like Rembrandt, but like Rembrandt, they're not that common.

If you are using AutoCAD of almost any recent vintage it will have a "Print to PDF" feature built in. That way you can draw on an 11 x 17 or 22 x 34 "paper" size and it will preserve that in the PDF. Let them worry about how it prints on their end.

Yeah Ill do that. Its just annoying.

 

[gadfly56]

Yeah Ill do that. Its just annoying.

But it's a great opportunity to play with the built-in paper title blocks. Makes 'em think you know what you're doing. :thumbsup:

 

[Besoeker]

If you are using AutoCAD of almost any recent vintage it will have a "Print to PDF" feature built in. That way you can draw on an 11 x 17 or 22 x 34 "paper" size and it will preserve that in the PDF. Let them worry about how it prints on their end.

Or even A3 or A4..........for the rest of the world........

 

[gadfly56]

Or even A3 or A4..........for the rest of the world........

...who will eventually catch up.

 

[Besoeker]

...who will eventually catch up.

In ancient times when I was at school (i.e before the Dead Sea reported in sick) we had quarto, folio, and octavo as I recall.
You are surely not suggesting that we revert to such an antiquated impractical system????

 

[gadfly56]

In ancient times when I was at school (i.e before the Dead Sea reported in sick) we had quarto, folio, and octavo as I recall.
You are surely not suggesting that we revert to such an antiquated impractical system????

It was good enough for Shakespeare...

P.S. When I was in school, we sent the Dead Sea a get well card.

 

[Besoeker]

It was good enough for Shakespeare...

P.S. When I was in school, we sent the Dead Sea a get well card.

Well done!

 

[Jraef]

I would have interpreted "CAD drawing" ad DWG, yes. A PDF might be OF a CAD drawing, but it could also be a scan of a hand drawn sketch. If they wanted a PDF of a CAD drawing, they should have asked for it that way. I have seen that done, I like it when people are clear.

MUCH more often than that, I see a requirement for "CAD drawings" and if you send them PDFs, they reject them and insist on DWG or DXF format.

Side note on the "Dead Sea" jokes; If the Dead Sea were only sick, would it not be the "Sick Sea" or the "Not Feeling Particularly Well Sea"? Once it's called the "Dead Sea", it can't, by definition, be sick...

 

[Besoeker]

I would have interpreted "CAD drawing" ad DWG, yes. A PDF might be OF a CAD drawing, but it could also be a scan of a hand drawn sketch. If they wanted a PDF of a CAD drawing, they should have asked for it that way. I have seen that done, I like it when people are clear.

MUCH more often than that, I see a requirement for "CAD drawings" and if you send them PDFs, they reject them and insist on DWG or DXF format.
OK. Depends on what state of the project. Prior to award of contract I'd be disinclined to offer anything in a format that could be edited by

Side note on the "Dead Sea" jokes; If the Dead Sea were only sick, would it not be the "Sick Sea" or the "Not Feeling Particularly Well Sea"? Once it's called the "Dead Sea", it can't, by definition, be sick...

As a rule we did not provide drawings or documents in a format that could be edited prior to a contract being placed.

Dead Sea? It could have gone from well to sick to dead.

 

[gadfly56]

As a rule we did not provide drawings or documents in a format that could be edited prior to a contract being placed.

Dead Sea? It could have gone from well to sick to dead.

Nowadays you need to be sure and password protect any such documents. With BlueBeam you can make your PDF's dance a jig, let alone change the size of the feed conductors (say) everywhere in a document.