Okay, how did you accomplish that prior to CAD? See I go back to manual drafting, and we NEVER recreated a drawing just to keep a revision history. We revised the ONE drawing when it needed to be changed, backing up to a previous revision required an eraser.
We maintained a reproducable copy set, it was a cardinal sin and you were subject to immediate dismissal for modifying a previous archive drawing that had already been issued for construction... instead, a copy was made of the sepias with the revision area blocked out, only the revision area was redrawn and the new copy was only modifyable in the area that was being changed. I have seen too many mistakes in the field because of changed drawings because someone changed the original. I will not put up with it and anyone who does it will not work for me.... but that point is moot since we haven't used hand drawn plans in over 15 years, probably longer....
If he requires additional work, he needs to be ready to pay for it. Again how was this done in the manual drafting days, once the originals had been revised? The client paid for the changes or he didn't get 'em. And that's the way we still contract our projects.
True, BUT, if you have the flexibility to offer that previous drawing at little cost to the client, then your client is happy and in turn you are happy.
The major advantage to CAD is accomplishing the desired task faster.
Exactly, and if by saving an archive drawing of a previous drawing I am able to reproduce for example the second revision of a drawing simply by plotting it, then CAD has served the ultimate purpose. If I have to recreate the drawing from scratch everytime then some usefulness of CAD is compromised.
If we unnecessarily burden the system with procedures that we never implemented for manual drafting, we've lost some of that advantage.
You have got to be kidding .... that has got to be the most ignorant thing I have ever heard from you. It is precisely these new procedures that we have implemented that has gained us the advantage.
Rktect3j stated that he has never had to retrieve a previous revision, and in the last 30 years, I've only needed to do so 2 or 3 times (only once with CAD). So it seems maintaining previuos revisions may be spending a dollar on a safety net for a dime.
Perhaps, but consider my position, we archive all of our drawings individually per client on a CD-RW, these cost us on average $0.10 each and it is included in the cost of the clients work. We have never had a project even come close to filling up one.... never .... not in 10 years... So, I spend a dime to archive the drawings, and we can work right off of the CD.
Now back in "those days", we kept a print of each revision in the project file, just for paper trail reasons. We accomplish the same today by using PDFs of each issue. This gives us the advantage of a plottable format that is not dependent upon XREF's, CTBs or anything else, and it's a considerable smaller file. We're not burdened by multiple files and extensive directory systems, nor XREF file path maintenance.
If that works for you by all means continue, but it would be inefficient in my field... in fact, if I were to convert my drawings to PDF for archival purpose I would need MORE space. It just so happens that PDF's end up being larger than the original drawings, especially when you consider the number of pages in a PDF we would have to plot... one for each layout...so rather than 25 drawing files that total less than 1 meg, I would end up with 20 PDF 's each nearing 250k and that would make my PDF file over a meg....
We never did so prior to CAD, why should it be necessary to do so now?
We did... but either way, not necessary, but more efficient to do so....keep reading....
In DWG file format? Why?
Readily accessable, easily opened for further revision as a "NEW" revision
In my inductry the drawings would be the least of his problems. By then concrete is poured, steel is flying, and pipe is fabricated.
...and in my industry, it would not....construction would not begin until a complete set of plans are provided to the building department. Revisions after that point are not my problem, but if the client wants to revert to a previous design then so be it ... I get paid to do nothing, except plot out the original documents and seal them. If that means the client must tear down the structure and start over again, I have no problem with that...it isn't my money he is pissing away, it is his....
If that is truly the case then by all means carry on.
that IS the case, actually I have worked for other companies who did not archive previous revisions and we were frequently bit in the ass because someone revised something that wasn't supposed to be revised....
how often do you really NEED to go back,
3 times this week already
and how much time does it REALLY save, and is that savings REALLY enough to offset the cost of maintaining the history?
It saved me probably 12 hours work this week alone.
The cost to maintain the history is about a dime, exclusive of benefits of the maintenance also acting as a backup. And there is a cost involved in maintaining such a history, even if much of it is automated. There is still storage spcae required, time to find the right file(s), making sure the process is properly implemented, making sure something isn't missed, the time spent trying to find the desired file when it IS needed. Is the daily drain of a minute or two here and there REALLY offset by the retrieval of one drawing in a hundred? or a thousand?
If you had hair, I'd bet you would pull it all out in my industry after only a week or so....I know people, we work directly with the final customer, not a bean counter... Just to put it into perspective, I dealt directly with 38 clients last year, of those 38 clients, the average revision is 5 times. Out of those nearly 2/3 wanted at some point to revert back to a previous incarnation. If I can revert back to a previous version with the click of a button, then I am way ahead of the guy who has to redo work that he has already done in the past.
and to answer your question about why someone would regularly use previous versions of a file, ... it is because a majority of people cannot make up their mind what they want, and they change it several times before finally settling on a design.