Do you make regular use of AutoCAD Architecture (ACA), AutoCAD MEP (AME) or AutoCAD Mechanical (ACM)? If so, I'd be interested in hearing from you.
First, some background. Something I haven't yet talked about on this blog is an additional role I've picked in recent months: I'm now the (software) architect assigned to the three, above-mentioned, AutoCAD-based verticals. These products have a long history – and make quite varied use of AutoCAD's APIs – so I was excited by the opportunity.
Incidentally, this doesn't mean the focus of this blog is changing, at all – my role for these products relates to how we use core AutoCAD APIs to implement user-oriented functionality and is less about their own APIs – but I do expect the new role to lead to the occasional blog post (such as this one, in fact).
I used to know ACA fairly well, back in the day: by the turn of the millennium I'd been working with and supporting the APIs for Architectural Desktop for a couple of years, although I stopped soon after when I moved to the US to manage the DevTech Americas team. I'm sure lots has happened with the product since, and I look forward to getting familiar with it, once again.
I know AME less well, although being so closely connected with ACA should make things easier. ACM, on the other hand, is brand new to me: I've been aware of its existence since before Autodesk acquired the technology, but this is the first time it has come into my personal area of focus. That said, my first prolonged exposure to AutoCAD was at an engineering firm close to where I grew up, and the work they did was typical of the tasks many of our users perform with ACM.
To help get a better understanding of how these products are used, I thought I'd reach out via this blog to see whether anyone reading would volunteer some time to show me how they use one or more of these three products. This would ideally be an in-person visit – although for logistical reasons it'll be easier for that to happen with companies based close to my location (i.e. Switzerland and parts of France, Germany, Italy and Austria) – but it may also be possible to find other opportunities to meet and even to use online tools to meet virtually.
Unfortunately it's highly unlikely I'll be able to use the opportunity to help solve specific issues you're facing – my current knowledge of these products means I'm unlikely to be able to provide you with support of any calibre – but I would see it it as one way to make your priorities for the product you care about heard by at least one member of the team who develops it.
So, if you're interested in talking about – and potentially demonstrating – how you or your company makes use of either AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD MEP or AutoCAD Mechanical, please drop me a line.
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