Managing seals

[AaronC]

First I'll outline our basic process when we get a new job from the architect.

- The architect uploads their architectural file to their FTP site.
- We download their architectural file and link it into our MEP template file.
- We do our work, upload our MEP file to the architects' ftp site, and they link our file into theirs.

My question is, if we have a title block with our engineers' seals on it, they get our seal family. Has anyone had any projects like this? The only way I can think of to get around this is to make another title block family with no seals (TB - no seals), then change every title block on every sheet to "TB - no seals". Then, "purge unused" for the other title block, then upload the file.

Is there an easier way to do this? It seems like if we had a huge project with dozens of sheets, this could be very time consuming.

[aaronrumple]

My question is, if we have a title block with our engineers' seals on it, they get our seal family. Has anyone had any projects like this? The only way I can think of to get around this is to make another title block family with no seals (TB - no seals), then change every title block on every sheet to "TB - no seals". Then, "purge unused" for the other title block, then upload the file.

Is there an easier way to do this? It seems like if we had a huge project with dozens of sheets, this could be very time consuming.

It is quite quick and can be done in under a minute.
Load the second titleblock. Right click on one of the first titleblocks and use Select All. This will get all of the project titleblocks of that type. Then use the type selector to point to the new titleblock. Finally purge out the unused titleblock.

Another way to do this is to just edit the project titleblock. Delete the seal and reload. This will not affect the titleblock on your server as long as you don't later save the titleblock family back to the hard drive. Just close it later without saving.

[AaronC]

It is quite quick and can be done in under a minute.
Load the second titleblock. Right click on one of the first titleblocks and use Select All. This will get all of the project titleblocks of that type. Then use the type selector to point to the new titleblock. Finally purge out the unused titleblock.

Another way to do this is to just edit the project titleblock. Delete the seal and reload. This will no affect the titleblock on your server as long as you don't later save the titleblock family back to the hard drive. Just close it later without saving.

Well that's easy. Didn't know Select All would look at all my sheets. Thanks!

[jbaumann]

My question is, if we have a title block with our engineers' seals on it, they get our seal family...

Just curious to know why there is such a fear of someone else having your seal family? It seems that for many years now the industry has been trading digital files back and forth with their seal blocks/families included. Couldn't someone reproduce your seal family very easily from a printed copy?

[AaronC]

Just curious to know why there is such a fear of someone else having your seal family? It seems that for many years now the industry has been trading digital files back and forth with their seal blocks/families included. Couldn't someone reproduce your seal family very easily from a printed copy?

Ha, that's very true. But it's much easier to copy our seal electronically.

[RobertB]

Just curious to know why there is such a fear of someone else having your seal family? It seems that for many years now the industry has been trading digital files back and forth with their seal blocks/families included. Couldn't someone reproduce your seal family very easily from a printed copy?

That has always been the case, even way back in the stone age (manual) drafting. What prevented anyone from making a sticky back?

However, that issue was/is the cause for some states, even to this day, to require wet stamps on construction documents. Happily that requirement is fading but only when you can reasonable demonstrate control of the digital version of your stamp.

Therefore, the pain/extra effort of attempting to insure your stamp family is not walking out the door with a model is worth the effort.

[AaronC]

That has always been the case, even way back in the stone age (manual) drafting. What prevented anyone from making a sticky back?

However, that issue was/is the cause for some states, even to this day, to require wet stamps on construction documents. Happily that requirement is fading but only when you can reasonable demonstrate control of the digital version of your stamp.

Therefore, the pain/extra effort of attempting to insure your stamp family is not walking out the door with a model is worth the effort.

Agreed. Actually, in Texas, the Board just approved some new Electronic Sealing Rules, but they still say that "it is the engineer's responsibility to ensure that the security of their seal and signature is maintained to the best of their ability by using the most appropriate technology available at the time."

[Simon.Whitbread]

Applying the KISS theory - when you issue the model, stripout all the sheets, and then purge.

• It means the recipient cannot reproduce your documents
• removes unnecessary data
• 'lightens' the load when your file is linked elsewhere

If someone was to send me a file for linking, its one of the first actions I'd take anyway

[RobertB]

Applying the KISS theory - when you issue the model, stripout all the sheets, and then purge.
...If someone was to send me a file for linking, its one of the first actions I'd take anyway

I think the point needs to be made that this needs to be done on the poster's end, not the downloader's end. This would keep alive the ideal of drop-in-a-new-model and forget it.

I absolutely hate to modify files post-download. It is just a waste of time for everyone on the team. Especially since there are frequent updates and usually more than one firm downloading the models (multiply the inefficiency of fixing downloads each week by the number of firms=lost revenue).

[Simon.Whitbread]

I absolutely hate to modify files post-download. It is just a waste of time for everyone on the team.

I couldn't agree more Robert, and its probably something that should be discussed at the initial project setup meetings