Topic: Keeping Track of Plotting Paper

[MSTG007]

Is there a way to keep track of all the plotted papers which you create with ACAD with a bunch of users?

So when a user plots, a box appears asking or it automatically takes the drawing name and places it in a database where you can look at it at the end of the month or something?

What do you guys do?

whats a free route to this too?

thanks

[M-dub]

That's a really good question!
I'm going to ask our IT guy what he uses to see if it may have some application to this problem.
I'll be back.

[ELOQUINTET]

yeah we go through about a roll a day here. it would be interesting to see a pie chart of the percentages by each user. good idea

[M-dub]

I'd be interested to see if there are any Non-CAD people using the plotter.  I know our IT guy has a program where he can see WHO printed WHAT from WHERE and WHEN...I just sent him an e-mail to see if he could see what size it was (ie 8.5 x 11, 11 x 17, 24 x 36, etc)

[M-dub]

BTW:  A ROLL A DAY?!?!?!

Sheesh!  Do you guys go out and have a tree planting day once a year or what?  

[CADaver]

A roll a day, gee, we can go through a roll every half hour some days, then we get in a hurry.

We capture the contract number (client), file name, and user at the network plotter queue.  Not real sure how it's done, but the IT guys post a report at the end of every month.

[hudster]

This would be a great program to have.

We use about 10 45m rolls a week at the moment, but about 10% of the drawings printed are never picked up from the plotter.  If I could find out who was doing it I could jump all over them.

[M-dub]

...but about 10% of the drawings printed are never picked up from the plotter.  If I could find out who was doing it I could jump all over them.

That, you could take care of with a plot stamp that includes the username...I know what you mean, it happens here too.

[hudster]

That, you could take care of with a plot stamp that includes the username.

The boss won't let us use plot stamps

[M-dub]

The boss won't let us use plot stamps

It must be the boss who's leaving all those plots in there then!

[CADaver]

That, you could take care of with a plot stamp that includes the username.

The boss won't let us use plot stamps

Figure out about how much paper is wasted every month on trash plots.  Show that figure to the boss and tell him you could save that money with plotstamps.  If he's not moved to action then, ignore the problem.

[Keith™]

Our plotter tracks which computer sent the plots and it is stored on the plotter HD ... if I want to know who is plotting what I simply browse to the plotter, log in, and check the plot log. It tells me who, what, when, and how many.

[Dent Cermak]

if the roll is thinner, i figure somebody plotted something, otherwise, i could care less. i do worry about the paper supply in the can though. that can get critical.

[CADaver]

if the roll is thinner, i figure somebody plotted something, otherwise, i could care less.

ahh the joys of the small office, I remember them well... sigh...

With over 200 designers and 50 engineers hitting the plotters with plots, if we can save just one plot per person per day we can save over 200 rolls a paper a year.  Heck, if I could get everybody to just LOOK ot the bleeding plot scale prior to sending the bleeding plot, we could save 100 rolls a year.  Paperless office my Gluteus Maximus.

[dubb]

i have submitted a particular thread related to this. what i have used to track plotters and all the printers in the network, in the past, was a program called "Technesis"

http://www.smartplot.com/

this program is installed into any folder on the local intranet and each user has a separate installation that is linked to that program, basically known as a their client software. with the main program it allows you to manage every aspect of printing/plotting such as the roll size, billable, non-billabe, unit cost, pie graphs & charts, archiving of invoices, and many more. however, i wish there was a way to do it with lisp. that would be cool. and the most suckiest part of this program is that its abot 200 bucks for the main program and 75 bucks for each client (pc per user). i  believe this program is a real nice way to keep track of drafting budget if you are concerned about it. because bond, vellum, mylar, and most types of special papers are pretty expensive. if your spending a lot on paper its always cheaper to get them buy bulk, the more you buy the less per roll.