AUTOCAD MENU CUSTOMIZATION


VARIOUS COMPANIES

DOUBLED PRODUCTION


STANDARDIZED DOCUMENTATION AND MANUFACTURING

WHERE I'VE WORKED

  • AUTOMATED RESPONSE - "A CAD HOUSE" - VARIOUS PROJECTS
  • BONNIER TECHNOLOGY GROUP - CONTROLS SENSORS
  • SIEMENS - CUSTOM SWITCHGEAR
  • TYPICAL MENUS

  • MANUFACTURING: CUSTOMIZED SWITCHGEAR DESIGN
  • TEXT STANDARDIZATION
  • LAYER STANDARDIZATION
  • DESIGN :CUSTOM NOTES
  • REPETITIVE CAD TASKS REQUIRING CALCULATIONS
  • MY KNOWLEDGE & SKILLSET

    AUTOCAD HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. I NO LONGER USE A "MNX FILE". SO ITS HARDER TO RAPIDLY DEVELOP A EFFICIENT MENU. THUS "SOME" DEVELOPMENT TAKES A LITTLE LONGER. SO I AVOID THOSE ,WHO SAY I CAN'T DO WHAT I'VE DONE MANY TIMES, BECAUSE THEY WANT IT TO BE "FAST" AND SIMPLE. AND DIMINISH RECOGNITION OF MY CAPABILITY. A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL IF THEY CAN COPY MY WORK ONCE I'VE DONE ALL THE FOOTWORK.
    IN THE MENU SYSTEM, I MAY USE AUTOLISP AND SOME "VBA". "VBA" IS LESS USED IN AUTOCAD AND IS NOW AN "ADD ON" AND NO LONGER "INTERGRATED". I DO NOT CLAIM MASTERY OR TO BE A "CAD GURU" ANYMORE, AS I DO NOT DO THIS REGULARLY ANYMORE.
    IT HAS OFTEN BEEN YEARS BETWEEN THE NEED FOR EXTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT. IT MAY TAKE A WHILE TO RECOGNIZE EXISTING CODE I DID NOT AUTHOR, PEOPLE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.

    OBSERVATION

    LATELY, I'VE ONLY USED MENU'S TO AUTOMATE COMPLEX TASKS ON A "TASK BY TASK" BASIS. SOMETIMES IT TAKES A WHILE TO MAKE IT WORK CORRECTLY AND EFFICIENTLY OR DISCOVER A WORK AROUND.
    SO IF YOU EXPECT "INSTANT" RESULTS OR WANT TO GIVE ME "A TEST". "I'LL PASS" - I'M NOT A TRAINED "DEVELOPER". I LEARN AND DEVELOP AS "I SEE A NEED" FOR A SOLUTION. THERE'S A DIFFERENCE.
    I TEND TO "COOK BOOK", SINCE I DO NOT DO THIS EVERYDAY. IT GETS COMPLICATED, I MAY DO MANY TYPES OF PROGRAMMING AT VARIOUS JOBS. SO IT TAKES TIME TO BECOME FAMILIAR AND EFFECTIVE WITH ANY LANGUAGE - EVEN IF I'VE USED IT BEFORE.
    MANY LANGUAGES HAVE CHANGED. SOME HAVE SYNTAX ISSUES. SOME HAVE NEW WAYS OF DOING THINGS. IT TAKES DAILY IF NOT REGULAR USE, TO BE "INTUITIVE". SO IF YOU HAVE NO" PATIENCE" OR WISH TO SAY "I CAN'T DO IT" WHEN IT SIMPLY MAY TAKE SOME TIME". I'D RATHER "PASS" ON THE OPPORTUNITY. I DON'T LIKE DISSAPOINTING ANYONE.

    CAD MANAGEMENT

    IN SOME CASES I HAVE FOUND A GREAT UTILITY IN REPROGRAMMING THE AUTOCAD MENU TO SIMPLIFY TASKS. BUT HAVE ALSO FOUND SOME WILL ATTEMPT TO HIRE ME IN ORDER TO SIMPLYFY AUTOCAD FOR THEIR "OTHER DESIGNERS OR ENGINEERS" TO BECOME MORE PRODUCTIVE AND TAKE CREDIT.
    I HAVE ALSO USED TO RUN INTO COPIES OF MY EARLIER DEVELOPMENT , MODIFIED AND PORTED TO ANOTHER COMPANY AFTER DESIGNERS HAVE COPIED MY WORK AND CLAIMED IT AS THEIR OWN. SO I AM TREATED AS A "JUNIOR" TO THE GUY WHO HAS PIRATED MY WORK.
    WHILE I AM HAVING ISSUES FINDING EMPLOYMENT. THIS IS ANNOYING. I NOTE AS THEY ARE LAZY ENOUGH THAT THEY DON'T EVEN CHANGE VARIABLE NAMES MAKING IT EASY FOR ME TO SPOT MY WORK. I AM NO LONGER DEVELOPING TO INCREASE "EVERYONE'S" EFFICIENCY WHILE I HAVE LOWER PAY OR NO PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT.
    I DO NOT KNOW VISUAL LISP "YET". I JUST HAVEN'T HAD A NEED OR TIME ON THE JOB TO "EXPLORE". I AM WILLING TO LEARN, (SELF TAUGHT), JUST NEED "TIME", IF THAT'S YOUR NEED. VISUAL LISP HAS A SYNTAX EDITOR LIKE VISUAL BASIC- SO THERE IS SOME TIME SAVINGS IN USING IT. IT IS BUILT INTO AUTOCAD, AT MY LAST CHECK. PLEASE CONSIDER SAME ISSUES IF YOU NEED "DCL" DEVELOPMENT.(IT TAKES TIME FOR ME.)

    SORRY, REASON FOR BACK STORY

    SORRY, I ASSURE YOU I AM THE GOOD GUY. GOOD GUYS OFTEN FINISH LAST.
    I ASSURE YOU I AM AS MULTICULTURAL AS THEY COME. I GREW UP IN A MULTICULTURAL SCHOOL ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS. MULTICULTURAL CHURCH AND HOMELIFE. MY CLASSMATES WERE OF EVERY CULTURE AS THEIR PARENTS WERE PROFESSORS AT THE COLLEGE.
    TOLERANT BECAUSE I GREW UP WITH PARENTS WITH THE "KEYS TO TWO CHURCHES". I'M NOT PIOUS OR RELIGIOUS AT WORK.
    I AM "A-POLITICAL" - I DO NOT SUPPORT ANY POLITICAL PARTY. I AM A FORMER VOLUNTEER AND VETERAN. AS A CITIZEN I SUPPORT THE "PRINCIPLES" OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES- "NOT AN INTERPRETATION". I AM OPEN MINDED AND HAVE NO ISSUES WITH PEOPLE AND TREAT EVERYONE EQUALLY.
    ON JOBS I HAVE MET FRIENDS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, "BECAUSE OF MY PERFORMANCE", WHO WERE PERSONAL FRIENDS BEYOND WORK.
    AT WORK, I DO NOT TEND TO MENTION RELIGION, POLITICS OR PERSONAL ISSUES, I SIMPLY GET ALONG WITH "MOST PEOPLE". OTHERS I TREAT PROFESSIONALLY BUT ACTIVELY AVOID.
    WHEN ENCOUNTERING ISSUES, I PRACTICE THE VERY TRAINING I RECEIVED OF TRYING TO MAKE DOUBTERS INTO FRIENDS, AND INCLUSION TO OVERCOME ADVERSITY.

    BUT FOR SOME REASON I KEEP MEETING SOME PEOPLE THAT DESPITE THEIR COMPANY CULTURE AND RULES, "WANT" TO STAND IN MY WAY AND "LIMIT MY CONTRIBUTIONS", BLOCK MY CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING, HIRE ME FOR LESS PAY(THAT WAS DETERMINED BY THE GA DEPT OF LABOR- NOT ME). AND BLOCK ME FROM SIMPLY FEEDING MY FAMILY, RECEIVING BENEFITS, AND EVEN LIMITING MY VACATION AND TAKING CREDIT FOR MY DEVELOPMENT OR MINIMIZING MY CONTRIBUTIONS.

    I TRIED EVERYTHING TO PROVE MY DEGREE AND TRAINING (ENGINEERING- PROGRAMMING SUCCESSFULLY MET ALL CHALLENGES). I MADE EFFORT TO BE FRIENDLY TO DETRACTORS ONLY TO FIND OPPOSITION AND ATTEMPTS TO ENLIST OTHERS. I HAD TRIPS TAKEN AWAY. TOLD I WAS TOO IMPORTANT FOR VACATION. WHILE HIRING OTHERS TO TRY AND ELIMINATE MY POSITION. WHILE OTHER EMPLOYEES QUESTIONED ME WHY I WAS BEING TREATED THAT WAY OR IMPROPERLY TITLED OR PAID. IN ORDER TO SEE WHO I AM, YOU NEED IN DEPTH DISCOVERY, MY RESUME, JOB HISTORY AND EVEN EDUCATION "ON PAPER" DOES NOT GIVE A COMPLETE PICTURE. I AM AROUND FOR ONE REASON. TO CONTRIBUTE. DO MY BEST. INNOVATE AND RECEIVE THE SAME CHANCES AS ANYONE- BENEFITS/ INSURANCE. WHILE I HAVE OFTEN BEEN KEPT CONTRACT , HIRING OTHERS WITH LESS DEGREE AND EXPERIENCE. IN THE END I AM THE HIGH PERFORMING EMPLOYEE THAT DOES MORE WILLINGLY. CULTURALLY. MORALLY AND CONSISTENT WITH PERFORMANCE AND TEAMWORK.

    IT WAS THE BEST JOB I HAD. BUT I EXPERIENCED DUBIOUS BEHAIOUR AT THE MID MANAGEMENT LEVELS. UPPER MANAGEMENT APPLAUDED MY PERFORMANCE AND GAVE ME OPPORTUNITIES. I DID EVERYTHING FROM CAD TO DRIVES TO HMI TO PROGRAMMING. ONLY TO HAVE OTHERS ACTIONS ATTEMPT TO TRY AND KEEP ME FROM BEING EMPLOYED THERE, AFTER I QUIT FOR "FAMILY REASONS". ANY COMPLAINT I WOULD HAVE WOULD ONLY BE VIEWED AS "SOUR GRAPES" WHEN I PREFER NOTHING BETTER IN THE WORLD THAN TO BE EMPLOYED THERE AGAIN AND SHOW WHAT I CAN FURTHER ACCOMPLISH. 7 YEARS I SAW NO INNOVATION FROM ANYONE ELSE. OTHER EMPLOYEES STILL APPRECIATE MY CONTRIBUTIONS IN COMMISSIONING. MY LAST MANAGER TOLD ME HONESTLY ON THE DAY HE RETIRED. MY DETRACTORS WERE JUST TOO CONNECTED FOR ME TO GET PAST. MY PRESENT JOB? "8 YEARS" "CONTRACT" FIXING THINGS. I MUST BE CAPABLE. AGAIN I AM SEEKING JUST A FAIR JOB OPPORTUNITY. YOU ARE MISSING A GOOD INVESTMENT AND "ROI".