BusinessMatters
Managing Engineering,
Architectural, and
Cartographic Drawings
Because drawings will continue to be important information
sources for most organizations, managing them will continue
to be a great opportunity for RIM professionals
Virginia A. Jones, CRM, and Frederic J. Grevin
E
methodology have been media, layout,
quality, size, and use, each of which has
corresponding national, international,
and, often, internal standards with which
to comply.
Because a drawing’s core value lies in
its graphical depiction of information, its
layout and quality are of key importance.
Some drawings include several views of
the same object, structure, or place, either
inset on the same page or spread over several pages. In the latter case, keeping all
the pages together is important to preserve the drawing’s context. This is fairly
easy to achieve with bound hardcopy
media, but in electronic format requires
knowledge of all the pages (or views)
available. To maintain context, each
drawing page must be labeled with consistent identifiers as well as the sheet or
page number. Other information factors
that affect drawing management are:
ngineering, architectural,
and cartographic drawings
are graphical means of communicating information about objects,
structures, or places that show how the
subjects will look when completed, and
thus play an important part in organizations’ mission-critical processes and
functions. Traditionally, the key factors
in drawing practices that affect records
and information management (RIM)
At the Core
This article
• examines drawings and RIM
• discusses the RIM implications of
computer-assisted design systems,
geographic information systems,
and electronic document management systems
• explores the long-term preservation of drawings
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• Notes: textual information specifying
details not conveyed graphically, such
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May/June 2004
as engineering notes, field notes, or
parts specifications
• Accurate scale measurement: important because duplication, printing
from electronic drawings, magnifying and printing from microfilm, and
printing from scanned images can
easily distort graphical dimensions
and relationships
• Title block information: contains identifiers, such as drawing number, project name, object name, drawing
author, and date, which serve as the
source for capturing data used to
index both original drawings and their
microfilmed or scanned images [See
Figure 1 on page 57.]
• Revision block information: shows revision dates, authors, and tracking references, which is important for tracking
edits and for version control; may also
be used for indexing in a document
management system [See Figure 2.]
Engineering Drawing
Sample Title Block
Engineering Drawing
Sample Revision Block
Figure 1
Figure 2
In electronic formats, data in the title
block and the revision block provide the
identification and tracking metadata for
the drawing.
Good drawing quality is essential for
accuracy. Difficult-to-read lines or figures can create chaos during construction, manufacture, natural resource location, or navigation. Thus, most drawing
quality standards set requirements for
line and character thickness, legible
printing, consistent colors and ink tone
and, for hardcopy originals, pen or pencil
lead weight. [See “Drawing Quality
Standards” on page 58.] Quality standards also play a role in creating legible
printed duplicates as well as microfilm or
scanned images.
From Paper to CAD
Drawings were produced in all-paper
environments until the 1940s. The
adoption of microfilm as a duplicating,
distribution, and information access
tool in the 1950s was considered a
major technological improvement over
paper systems.
In the 1980s, architectural and engineering firms gradually adopted computer-assisted design (CAD), a method
originally developed for the aerospace,
shipbuilding, and automotive industries. Using computers rather than
manual processes to create, revise, and
distribute drawings enables engineers
to view a design from any angle and to
zoom in or out for close-ups and longdistance views.
Interaction with Geographic
Information Systems (GIS)
CAD drawings have become a basic
component of geographic information
systems (GIS). GIS collect, manage, and
analyze large volumes of spatial data,
allowing users to query or analyze the
data and receive results in the form of a
map. Geographic information can be
explicit geographic coordinates or
implicit terms such as street address,
postal code, or forest stand identifier.
GIS translates implicit geographic data
into an explicit map location. Mapquest
(www.mapquest.com) and Microsoft®
Streets & Trips are popular examples of
GIS.
GIS databases, which consist of tables
covering different topics related to a
common theme, rely on attributes to
create accurate maps. An attribute is a
characteristic of a geographic feature
that may be described by numbers,
characters, images, or CAD drawings
typically stored in tabular format and
linked to the feature by an identifier.
For example, attributes of a well might
include its depth and gallons per
minute. Each attribute can be coded to
depict it on the map. For instance, all
raw water pipes are purple, all treated
water pipes are light blue, and all
utility-owned land is green. GIS are
programmed based on elements, or
defined shapes that are used to define
an item and its location on the resulting
map. GIS generally rely on vector
graphics to define map elements.
GIS are increasingly considered
essential to effective engineering, planning, and emergency management
operations.
CAD systems display numbers and text
as drawings, much like creating a pie
chart from the text and numbers in a
spreadsheet program. The foundation of
a CAD drawing or model is a structured
data file consisting of numbers and text
with a set of instructions to display these
values as a graphic. Most drawings or
models consist of multiple data files.
Changes to one file can be automatically
reflected in all drawings that reference
that file. The computer keeps track of
design dependencies so that when one
value is changed all other values that
depend on it are automatically changed
accordingly.
All CAD drawings are vector graphics
(i.e., digital images created through a
sequence of commands or mathematical
statements that place lines and shapes in
two-dimensional or three-dimensional
space). Vector drawings must be converted into a raster image file – BMP, TIFF,
GIF, or JPEG – in order to print or plot a
hardcopy drawing.
For the most part, RIM methodologies
for hardcopy drawings can be applied to
CAD files and output. Some issues arise
when determining what constitutes the
record drawing. Because multiple files
can represent one drawing and one drawing can produce multiple views (or
pages), the electronic record drawing and
its constituent files and data sets must be
clearly defined. As with any electronic file,
preservation issues for CAD files are a
concern. [See “Preservation Techniques
for Digital Drawings” on page 58.]
May/June 2004
CAD and GIS Challenge RIM
The multi-layered, multi-dimensional
output of CAD and GIS systems is a RIM
challenge. It is easy to save the drawing or
map as an Adobe® Portable Document
Format (PDF) file or to print it to paper
and label it as the official record.
Unfortunately, the various layers – databases, themes, elements, attributes, metadata – are an integral part of the record
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content. The output does not automatically depict the entire data set that comprises it. This raises issues with many
RIM practices, including retention scheduling, vital records programs, validity of
sources, distribution and sharing of CAD
and GIS records, and preservation. For
example:
Preservation Techniques for Digital Drawings
Preserving the Graphic
Several steps must be taken to preserve digital drawing data. Because computerassisted design (CAD) software does not automatically keep metadata for drawings,
metadata derived from the drawing’s title and revision blocks must be copied into
separately established metadata fields that are part of the data set (“embedded”). All
related base files, font files, and shapes must be bound, all colors converted to black,
and all fine lines thickened so they can print visibly. The resulting CAD file should
then be converted to Adobe® Portable Document Format (PDF), thereby becoming
viewable and printable to various scales from any computer that has the free
Adobe® Reader® program. Sampling the converted files to ensure correct completion is essential.
• When including CAD or GIS records
in a retention schedule, does retention
include only the output, or all the layers and source files, or all the layers and
some of the sources?
• If the output is declared a vital record,
are any or all the data components of
the system that produced it also vital?
Preserving the Vector Data Sets
• Is more than the output required to
establish validity of sources for
responses to discovery or subpoena?
Preserving the vector data sets ensures the continued usefulness of the graphic
and its underlying data files – important for later updating and possible analyses.
Over time, the value of the data sets may equal or exceed that of the graphic.
Metadata for datasets must be keyed into separately established metadata fields
that are part of the data set. Again, related matter such as base files, font files, and
shapes must be bound. The resulting CAD file should then be converted from its
proprietary file format to the ISO 10303 Industrial Automation Systems and
Integration – Product Data Representation and Exchange file format using the
appropriate application protocol. This conversion should result in a digital file that
can be imported into most existing and, it is hoped, future CAD programs.
It has been proposed that microfilm could be used to preserve a CAD drawing’s
graphic, data sets, and metadata. The proposed method, which has not yet been
tried and is, therefore, unproven, involves converting the graphic to a raster image
format, preferably TIFF 6.0. The metadata, data sets, and raster image would all then
be output to 35mm silver-gelatin microfilm in an optical character recognition
(OCR) font. Future users could theoretically scan the metadata and data sets from
the microfilm, convert them to characters using OCR software, import the data sets
into the then-current CAD program (using the metadata to interpret the meaning of
the data sets), construct a new drawing, and verify the accuracy of the newly constructed drawing against the raster image of the original drawing.
• Must the metadata and other sources
be included?
Distribution and sharing of CAD and
GIS records are currently hampered by
incompatibility among software products
and between some software versions,
raising further issues with drawing access
such as how to
• distribute CAD and GIS records data
and outputs electronically
• accept electronic CAD and GIS records
data output from external sources
• establish standard terminology and
compatibility between software and
software versions, which currently
does not exist
• establish preservation guidelines for all
the electronic layers and their sources
so the drawing or map can be reconstructed in the future
Drawing Quality Standards
Drawings Repositories
Drawing size is a major factor in how
and where hard copies are housed. Most
organizations have either a central repository or subsidiary repositories to provide
drawing access. Central repositories feature special housing and racking for oversize paper documents, while subsidiary
repositories use less-specialized housing
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•
ANSI/ASME Y14.24M
1989
ANSI/ASME Y14.5M
ANSI/ASME Y14.34M
ANSI/ASME Y14.35M
1994
1996
1997
ANSI/ASME Y14.100M
1998
May/June 2004
Types and Applications of Engineering
Drawings
Dimensioning and Tolerancing
Associated Lists
Revision of Engineering Drawings and
Associated Documents
Engineering Drawing Practices
(replaces DOD MIL SPEC 100)
Profession or Business
taining original baselines unchanged,
tracking and documenting every revision,
and following strict procedures for retiring old versions.
References Old Drawings in Order to
• Utilities
Find underground infastruture
• Architects
Restore and improve older structures
• Manufacturers
Improve product safety or performance
• Archeologists
Locate in-ground or underwater sites
for folded or rolled drawing prints.
Microfilm drawing files require the availability of readers and reader-printers for
the film format used, whether jackets,
aperture cards, rolls, or fiche. Both paper
and microfilm media rely on manual or
automated indexing to locate the appropriate drawing.
Digital drawings require appropriate
electronic access, including adequate
hardware and licensed software. In most
organizations, wide-format copiers and
plotters for electronic drawings are centralized to reduce expenditure and floor
space. Access to digital drawings relies on
accurate electronic indexes. As in most
electronic applications, inconsistent data
input and unverified data entry can lead
to chaos. However, inconsistent data entry
can be overcome with data conventions
such as required fields, accepted abbreviations, controlled vocabularies, and filenaming conventions.
Drawing duplicates, sometimes
referred to as prints or print files, are necessary for work in the field. While laptop
access to digitized drawing repositories
has revolutionized field use of drawings,
some work still requires the use of paper
prints. For example, most users who need
to compare several drawings find it more
convenient to work by placing prints side
by side. It is also difficult to reference laptop screens when standing on a steel girder or inside a water distribution access
shaft. In addition, field notes on materials
and actions, as well as discrepancies with
dimensions or coordinates, are frequently
written on the prints at the construction
site. As a result, many organizations must
maintain and track the original drawings
as well as all printed duplicates, at least
until the field notes have been used to correct data or revise the drawings.
Electronic Document Management
Systems (EDMS)
The most effective way to manage electronic drawings is to include them in an
electronic document management system
(EDMS), which typically consists of scanners for document capture, printers, storage devices, servers, and programs for
managing databases. An EDMS allows
users to create documents or capture hard
copy in electronic form and to store, edit,
print, process, and manage documents in
image, video, audio, and text formats.
An EDMS can aid in version control,
indexing conventions, centralized access,
controlled vocabularies (also know as thesauri), retention control, and advanced
searching capabilities. While an EDMS
designed for office documents can suffice
for drawing management, most engineering environments require additional specialized functionality such as
Version Control
An engineering design is never stagnant. Improvements to the structure, system, or product are necessary over the
long term. Often, mistakes are noted during construction, inspection, or fabrication and must be corrected on the drawings. Minor revisions are sometimes made
directly to the original drawing, although
this can cause legal and regulatory problems if the originals have already been
approved for construction or fabrication.
Major revisions always involve a redraw.
Revisions to a particular drawing must
be tracked for legal, safety, regulatory, historic, and future construction or fabrication purposes. Ideally, an approved drawing becomes the baseline and is retained
unchanged for historical purposes. Any
revision requires a new drawing whose
identifier is tied to the original, usually by
using the same drawing number with an
alpha or numeric extension to indicate
revision sequence. Occasionally, older versions may have ties to multiple referenced
drawings, and these ties must be maintained. In cases where all revisions are
tracked electronically but data entry is
sporadic or incorrect, users will find
themselves referencing the wrong version
of a drawing, so tight version control
must be maintained and indexes updated
promptly.
To prevent confusion and possibly disastrous consequences, superseded versions of a drawing should be pulled from
the active access repository and retired to
an archive of some kind. In addition, procedures must be in place to notify users of
the new version and ensure its appropriate distribution and access. Organizations
that achieve ISO 9000, 9001, or 14000 certification must meet stringent version
control requirements, including mainMay/June 2004
• managing the engineering content to
provide adequate inter-relationships
between the drawing graphic,
datasheets, calculations, geophysical
data, analysis results, and financial projections
• making all current drawings available
for viewing and editing in a secure
environment while simultaneously
protecting the integrity of the original
image
• raster-to-vector and vector-to-raster
conversion ability
• redlining or revision draft capabilities
coupled with approval workflow
processes
• auto-indexing from images to populate
pre-defined property fields in the index
• providing a launch mechanism or a
gateway into the CAD application
• providing thumbnails of images as part
of the drawing property screens
• compatibility with multiple CAD
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applications to allow the import, index,
and viewing of drawings from different
sources
Unfortunately, many RIM functions deal
only with inactive drawings ready for
archival storage, while engineering functions manage active drawings. Drawings
will continue to be vital, important infor-
• interaction with work order and GIS to
allow access to the drawing repository
from these systems
Virginia A. Jones, CRM, is Records Manager, Information Technology Division, at
Newport News Department of Public Utilities in Newport News, Virginia. She may be
contacted at vjones@nngov.com. Frederic J. Grevin is Director of Records and Archives
Management at the City of New York Department of Environmental Protection. He may
be contacted at fgrevin@dep.nyc.gov.
Long-term Drawing Preservation
Because they depict structures and
infrastructure, most drawings are longlived – a period that may span decades or
centuries – and a drawing’s longevity has
implications for its active usage.
Preservation of drawings should
ensure continued usefulness with regard
to both legibility and dimensional stability of graphical and textual information.
Preserved drawings are primarily used for
viewing and printing but are considered
the final record and are not to be edited.
The most stable preservation medium
for paper drawings is paper stock that
meets the permanent-record paper
requirements of ANSI/ISO Z39.48
“Permanence of Paper for Publications
and Documents in Libraries and
Archives,” with the drawing image printed by electro-photographic dry toner
technology. The paper should be stored
according to the requirements of ISO
11799 “Information and Documentation
– Document Storage Requirements for
Archive and Library Materials.”
Microfilm that meets the requirements
of ANSI/ISO 1060 “Processed SilverGelatin Type Black-and-White Film –
Specifications for Stability” is considered preservation film. Film manufacture, exposure, processing, and storage
must meet appropriate requirements as
set forth in the 15 or more U.S. and/or
international standards for permanentrecord microfilm.
As might be expected, preserving digital drawings and their underlying data
sets is complex and requires some conversion effort. [See “Preservation Techniques
for Digital Drawings” on page 58.]
It is evident that the management of
architectural, engineering, and cartographic drawings falls under the domain
of records and information managers.
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mation sources within most organizations, and the application of evolving
technological innovation to drawing
management will continue to be a huge
opportunity for RIM professionals.
References
“CAD: A Guide to Good Practice.” U.K. Arts and Humanities Data Service/Archaeology
Data Service. Available at http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/project/goodguides/g2gp.html (accessed
8 March 2004).
“GIS: A Guide to Good Practice.” U.K. Arts and Humanities Data Service/Archaeology
Data Service. Available at http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/project/goodguides/g2gp.html (accessed
8 March 2004).
Managing Cartographic, Architectural and Engineering Records in the Government
of Canada. Ottawa, Canada: National Archives of Canada, 2001. Available at
www.archives.ca (accessed 8 March 2004).
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© Arma International 2004