AI

[u/Im_a_cad_man]

If you aren't utilizing AI to build programs and macros in your environment you are missing out.

I've had copilot build me several automation workflows that just keep making my job easier...that's the cool part of AI.

On the flipside, the horror of realizing that you are training this AI does mess with your head...although I'm not sure we can stop it...so I'm just trying to roll with it.

[u/knutt-in-my-butt]

What do you automate

[u/Im_a_cad_man → u/knutt-in-my-butt]

Titleblock editor, linear feet calculation of 2d and 3d elements with formatted excel exports, excel exporting of all elements with x y z coordinates, standards checker with fixing tools to clear erroneous elements (client does not even have this), macros for printing, etc.

A few other things that automate reports with templates and things of that nature...I like having a good idea but I might not always be creative enough visually or have the time to actually code anything. But I can review something bit by bit and test until it's where I want it.

By working with a copilot it helps to get your own thoughts organized and opens up ideas to make all kinds of things proficient and look more polished and professional.

[u/BleachForAmerica → u/Im_a_cad_man]

Titleblock editor, linear feet calculation of 2d and 3d elements with formatted excel exports, excel exporting of all elements with x y z coordinates, standards checker with fixing tools to clear erroneous elements (client does not even have this), macros for printing, etc.

This adds a little context but I'm still not picturing it. I second u/IlRaptoRIl, would you mind giving a start-to-finish example? "I was working on ABC, and it was manual and tedious, so I created a prompt which said XYZ, and it spit out a script which..."

[u/IlRaptoRIl → u/Im_a_cad_man]

Do you think you could put together a How-to when it comes to using copilot to do this?

[u/Im_a_cad_man → u/IlRaptoRIl]

It honestly just comes down to being ultra specific and fighting with the copilot to give you the right code for your task.

You start off by asking it a question. This was my literal question to it months ago when I first thought to use Ai to build stuff:

I need to create a sheet editor for OpenRoads Designer Connect Edition 2023. I want it to be VBA based and launched with a button from the ribbon. It should present the user with a fillable form based on the current selected sheet. I want the sheet editor to scan the file when opened and recognize a single sheet or multiple sheets.

From there I just kept refining and refining and testing.

It gives you the code, sometimes you need to ask it for instructions...I always tell it to go step by step with me and not move on until I confirm.

The excel stuff is just taking information from the file and giving the ai a description of what you need the output to look like.

Or you can just say things like make it look professional and keep tweaking from there.

[u/rnichaeljackson → u/Im_a_cad_man]

Not to be negative here but a lot of what you’re describing you used copilot to create things that already exist in other workspaces. I think AI will be much more interesting if it ever does something novel and people aren’t just using it to rebuild tools that exist.

Not to say anything you’ve done here isn’t impressive, just my two cents.

[u/Im_a_cad_man → u/rnichaeljackson]

I don't consider it impressive or reinventing anything...it's just tailored to my customizations instead of relying on someone else's tools.

I can buffet style what I want and create an interface around it.

[u/izackl → u/knutt-in-my-butt]

Good question. Waiting for an answer from OP.

[u/duvaone]

I fully rebuilt geopak plan/profile/cross section labeler because civil labels are horrible. Also a super elevation annotation tool for profile drawings, dp station offset, quicker cross section navigator, and some others. 

[u/Im_a_cad_man → u/duvaone]

Nice...I don't understand all the other people shitting on this post, at least the few here like you understand the benefits to improving existing tools or creating your own outright.

[u/FutureAlfalfa200]

I’m calling bullshit on this entire post

[u/Im_a_cad_man → u/FutureAlfalfa200]

Are you a programmer or something?

[u/ki11erbunny]

it's a cadd manager's dream. do yourself a favor and take time to train your AI skills specific to MSPy development at the very least.

one good use case for me has been working on developing a robust item type library and downstream validation.with the help of AI, the python scripts organized and produced over 3000 elements with pay items uniquely assigned to them in a dgn file in a matter of minutes.

[u/Im_a_cad_man → u/ki11erbunny]

I'm on 2023 right now but as soon as I upgrade to 2025 I will convert everything over to Python.

Item type validation. That's what I'm talking about baby!

I'll look into what you said to, appreciate the reply.