Engineers should be thrilled with the new LiDAR 3D technology that is being integrated to improve mapping applications. By fusing LiDAR 3D data with existing geospatial image analysis workflows, users can now create a more complete visual reference of geographical areas. With traditional geospatial data collection, users weren’t able to manipulate the images in a timely manner resulting in longer wait times to figure out how and why the data could be applied to present and future mapping projects.

The CAD world is buzzing about the introduction of AutoCAD WS app for the Kindle Fire – now Kindle Fire users can view, edit and share drawings on the go! Released this past December, the app has been the topic of discussion ever since (You can download the app from Amazon). In fact, since its launch in 2011, there have been over four million downloads of the AutoCAD WS app which is also available for the iPhone, iPad and Android. Wow! I’m guessing this would be considered a hot commodity.

Yesterday the team at [acronym] was honored to host the first ever public sector CAD awards at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Recognizing the best in digital design innovation the event brought together a broad cross-section group of finalists from across the nation and the world (we even had submissions from Guam). Each of these finalists underscored the commitment of public sector organizations and the contracting community that supports them to deliver unrivaled innovation and value through the use of digital design tools. We also had a pretty awesome keynote speaker – Vernice “Flygirl” Armour – who shared her experiences on how to overcome even the most daunting obstacles – regardless of in flight, in business or in government.

You may have noticed that [acronym] is running a contest for government employees – the [acronym] CAD Awards. In fact, the awards are the first of their kind specifically aimed at the public sector - and I find our timing with this contest a little curious. Through sheer coincidence, Federal Computer Week last week reported the conclusions of a new study by the Partnership for Public Service, which claims that “Agencies don’t reward innovation, fed’s say”. According to the report, “nine out of 10 federal employees are seeking ways to better perform their jobs, only about four out of 10 believe innovation and creativity are rewarded”.

“In 1989, one of our first clients came to us with a big problem. A disgruntled employee had waltzed out the door with electronic copies of top secret designs and went to work for a competitor.” Another horror story here: “During the late 80s, a client who used AutoCAD for machine design called us in a panic. The company had just built a $250K prototype of a paper machine from the wrong revision of a drawing.” Since then, the folks at Synergis Software have been in the business of preventing these disasters from happening. Over the years they have developed a solution that not only makes managing your engineering document library easier, but safer as well.

It’s very rare that the public sector gets the attention it deserves for its innovations and achievements in the field of digital design. Whether it’s saving tax dollars by using computer aided design (CAD) software to introduce efficiencies in waste water management or helping the war fighter with precision weapons design and simulation - the examples, across federal, state and local government are endless. Well, with the newly announced [acronym] Magazine Public Sector CAD Awards, finally these agencies have the opportunity to share the creative ways they have used digital design/CAD software to improve the performance of their agency and enhance the delivery of citizen-centric services.

In a recent guest article, Bryan Cowles, an Applications Specialist at IMAGINiT Technologies, observed that while more and more government agencies are moving ahead and incorporating Building Information Modeling (BIM) into their workflows, “…some are yet to be convinced of the benefits that an intelligent model can provide.” In his article - Teardown or Retrofit: A BIM Evaluation Gives the Answer - Bryan goes on to provide an excellent example of the time and cost savings achieved by retrofitting two existing structures into one larger structure, as opposed to going the demolition route – thanks to a BIM-based feasibility study. A study which also won over a team of doubtful engineers who thought demolition was the best option.

Got questions? We’ve got answers. Each issue our team of experts weighs in on a variety of topical issues relevant to public sector digital design. In this issue our team of experts includes leading technical and public sector experts from Avatech Solutions, CADD Centers of Florida, U.S. CAD, and CADD Microsystems. With the weight of current economic pressures on business organizations and government agencies alike, we asked our network of experts to weigh in on the following question:

The City of Roseville Environmental Utilities Department Streamlines CAD & GIS Workflow Processes While Getting a Grip on Rapid Growth. Located a few miles to the north east of Sacramento, CA, the City of Roseville, California, began as a sleepy railroad town. Recent years have seen the city grow outward in all directions with an expansive industrial zone that is headquarters to many large corporations. With just four full time employees, the City of Roseville’s Environmental Utilities Department (REUD) needed to scale quickly and efficiently to handle the challenges of managing and maintaining its extensive utilities infrastructure, without increasing head count.

The adoption of CAD standards has grown exponentially with the increase in frequency of digital design data exchange between public sector agencies and outside firms. Establishing a CAD standard at an agency level is a worthy exercise, but ensuring that everyone adheres to enforced standards is often an afterthought. Caron Beesley explores the challenges and best practices for ensuring the successful implementation and enforcement of CAD standards.