CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
28 August 2012
Product News
Project Document Management Gains from Updated Autocad® 2013 Integration in Latest Columbiasoft Release
A recent software release by ColumbiaSoft updates a long-standing AutoCAD integration that helps engineering, construction, and manufacturing firms improve project document management. The new release, ColumbiaSoft Document Locator® version 6.2, is fully compatible and integrated with Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 for unified management of design files with project documents and communications.
"For CAD users and the entire project team, ColumbiaSoft connects people across all the roles and areas of responsibilities so that everyone stays informed with access to information throughout the project," said ColumbiaSoft executive vice president David Pogue. "Ease-of-use has always defined our offering, and incorporating information management within the varied applications that people already know and use every day is the best way to make it easy and transparent for end users."
Combining drawings and documents together within a single system for file management offers several advantages over systems that are disconnected. Project team members can collaborate without the need for costly, specialized software for each user. Also, information is easier to find, because files are categorized with uniform attributes that make it easy to cross-reference information. For example, engineering change orders can be quickly identified and retrieved with all the associated communications, drawings, and related documents in a single search. The ability to find all related files quickly accelerates accurate decision-making.
Integration with AutoCAD mirrors connections ColumbiaSoft has engineered within other software applications like Microsoft Office for documents, emails, and spreadsheets; Adobe Acrobat used for publishing and digital signatures; and Informative Graphics Brava! used for markup and universal file viewing.
AutoCAD Integration Details
- Captures versions of drawings and related project files throughout the project lifecycle.
- Offers Save, View, and Check-Out file commands built into AutoCAD for easy access from within the design application.
- Manages drawings, image files, xrefs (external reference files), and other documents with dependent file relationships within a unified system.
- Automatically applies AutoCAD Title Block and OLE Property values, including Hyperlink Base, Project Name, Revision Number, Last Saved By (user), and Total Editing Time as metadata descriptors (facts about the files).
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