Special Specification

Greetings One And All,

So, today (and on/off for the last week or so) I'm working on gutting and replacing all of the equipment in a control panel. I really don't have a lot of experience with this kind of thing, but I was able to get all of the information I had onto drawings so that I could submit it to my boss and have him start filling in the holes.

The main focus of the panel is a rack with a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) which I have some experience with. I had all the data for the processor and I/O cards, and fortunately the manufacturer had excellent CAD models that I was able to download and assemble.

Normally we would use an Allen-Bradley PLC, but on this project we opted for an inexpensive (but still good quality) brand called 'Automation Direct'. We actually ordered and received the parts, which was fantastic, because each module had a little installation pamphlet, and the cables that plug into the cards had detailed color coding that I was able to associate with inputs/outputs.

I started a Bill of Material (BOM) to include all the PLC components, and then started trying to track down all of the other stuff that was going to be necessary to finish out the panel. The majority of it was pilot lights and switches to go on the front - all (or at least the vast majority) of which is Allen-Bradley (AB).

This is where I ran into some difficulty. The AB catalog I was able to download is garbage, their website is hot garbage, and attempting to Google any of their equipment is a mixed bag of people attempting to sell off their stock of equipment (including tons of used crap, some of which is no longer in production), so you get a fucked up mix of information, ranging from somewhat helpful, to so-so, to totally misleading and/or plain old wrong.

I was able to track down one solution, since a company had a pilot light with no cap listed, and then had each color of cap available. I got concerned though, because there was conflicting information regarding whether the lights had a push-to-test option (including on documentation from AB's parent company 'Rockwell', where it literally said 'push button test' and directly below, said 'does not have push button test'). 

I was getting frustrated at this point, as I also needed to find some very specific switches. I had already set up an account and attempted to get information from Rockwell's technical support chat, only to be told that I needed to contact my local distributor. The problem is, I don't want to talk to my local distributor, because I knew they (and not just them, but any local distributor, regardless of what they sell) would try to attach themselves to the project in a most annoying fashion, especially considering we won't be buying any of it from them.

In fact, if you aren't careful, and they figure out who the client is, industrious distributors have been known to do an end-run, go directly to the client, and try to take control of the design - which they should have fuck-all to do with, because they aren't engineers, weren't part of the bidding/contract process, and by the time they get done 'helping' (all the while reminding you of how 'helpful' they are being) you'll be writing a post exactly like this one bemoaning the mistake of talking to them in the first place.

I should temper this, since there are some actual helpful people out there that know where the line is, and won't cross it without an invitation. They tend to be very knowledgeable about the products they rep, and can be invaluable when trying to solve a problem that requires a unique configuration, or some out-of-the-box thinking.

That said, they are still trying to sell stuff, and also have a penchant for trying to get people on board with the 'latest and greatest', which, as I've mentioned before in the past, a lot of engineers are hesitant to get involved with, because while they may want to be up to date on what the latest and greatest entails, they are trying to get projects designed, built, and then on to the next one without getting stuck trying to unfuck something that worked perfectly fine the 'old way' (or trying to convince a particularly ornery AHJ that 'the new shit' meets all of their requirements.

At any rate, there was no fucking way in hell I was contacting a distributor, so it was back down the Google rabbit hole - until, at last, I hit the motherfucking jackpot. After having hunted high and low for what shouldn't have been that hard to find, I clicked on a link on some vendor's website, and I got a whole goddamned section of a Rockwell/AB technical data sheet catalog.

I was actually mad for a second, because I was trying to get a specific data sheet, and I was like 'for fucks sake' because it was like they had thrown the whole library at me *until* I started to scroll down and it dawned on me that it contained every single fucking thing I needed.

Now, why the fuck this wasn't right there on their website, referred to by their catalog, the first goddamned suggestion the dickless rep who I chatted with gave me, etc. - I'll never fucking know, but all of a sudden I found myself swimming in *actual information* on every component I had been searching for! I was able to quickly find cut sheets that listed off every single configuration and option (including some that I never would've even thought to search for)! 

There, on one sheet, was the pilot light, with push-to-test as an option, a rainbow of colors (including clear, which, for some fucking reason, didn't appear anywhere in their catalog (except for in a description of the materials used, which made it that much more frustrating), voltage options (including transformer options), lamp options (incandescent/LED), terminal guard options, contact block options... it just went on and on!!!

On another sheet was a three-way keyed switch, all of it's options arrayed in glorious fashion. I was able to specify key removal positions, terminal guards (again), key options, cam options, contact blocks... just... just... FUCK YEAH!!! I was even able to confirm 100% that all of it was properly rated for the field conditions the panel needed to have.

I was able to track down a two-position switch, e-stop buttons, a momentary switch, relays, and more (one of the relays took an extra couple of minutes because they were trying to sell them in bulk (lots of 100, and I only needed like 10) - got it all on the BOM, got my bosses approval, and he sent it off to the client for his approval.

I had been out of (or at least only adjacent to) this industry for nearly a decade, and while the (re)learning curve has been steep, it was nice to have an opportunity to prove that I understand at least some of what I'm involved in now (even if other aspects are going to take some time).

Now it's time to write a 'less-than-glowing' review of the chat rep, and a 'wtf?' letter to the doofy motherfuckers at AB... ::leans back, cracks knuckles, presses 'caps lock'::

'DEAR MOTHERFUCKERS,' 

Until next we meet. Fuck Revit, fuck unorganized unhelpful and pointlessly obstinate manufacturers, and if you don't like it, that's... just like... your opinion man... (oh, and fuck you)

Next Time: ??? 

Architects Ain't Shit But Hoes and Tricks

 Greetings on this glorious day!

So, it's been busy as fuck over here. I didn't even realize I had passed the six month mark at my new job.

It's been incredible working with teams of engineers to take on projects of a scope and complexity I had never imagined being involved in before... and then there are the architects.

The last time I was doing electrical design work was for the Architectural/Engineering firm that took the Revit deep dive (and prompted me to start this blog) - and while structural and mechanical got on board, it was definitely the architects running the show (despite both the president and CEO of the company being engineers).

At my current firm, engineers reign supreme. Electrical, mechanical, chemical, etc. etc. - and it's the difference between night and day. There's still been a push by some of their clients to get a-bimmin, but it's been middle fingers all the way down... and (again) there are the architects.

We employ a small handful of these guys to handle the few times we need to be responsible for some aspect of a building/structure. One of them actually worked at that A&E firm, but he's one of the exceptions to the title of this post (plus he put in a good word for me when I was applying for this job - and the project I'm currently working on with him is 100% ACAD).

And then there are the jokers that were involved in this massive demolition project that I just finished.

We spent several weeks developing our set of isolation drawings, including on-site visits, rounds of comments, in-person discussions with the people running the project. The newest drawings they had ranged from 'old' to 'ancient' - and weren't exactly 'accurate'. 

Throughout the course of the project, we basically had to design the entire system - which consisted of a large switchyard, towers, poles, anda few buildings (all with systems routed through the area that needed to be preserved - but which had never been identified or documented).

The *day* we were supposed to submit our final drawings, we happened to notice that the Architect(s) responsible for providing three lousy sheets of details (as compared to our set of nearly one hundred) had not taken into account several items that they needed to show on their drawings (and which they promised on multiple occasions would be addressed).

They had spent an inordinate amount of time modeling three buildings in Revit - two of which were being demolished (including one that they lovingly detailed out various tanks and supports that were also going bye bye) - but had left important details out. They were able to rush and slap a (terrible) looking set out, (while acting affronted that they had to do it).

Fast forward a couple of weeks, and our final deliverable was our 'Native Files' - but (because the client, a government entity, are idiots) needed to be in Microstation. Technically we were supposed to use it to develop the set, but everyone (Revitards included) were like 'fuck that!'.

Apparently my firm was used to exporting stuff out to Microstation (which I honestly don't know if the client ever actually looks at), but this project was unique, in that it had an inordinate amount of linked images and .pdfs - and as it turns out, Microstation ain't so great when it comes to preserving relative links, and falls directly down on its face depending on how the original files were developed (but, in its defense, it also does a terrible job of translating lineweights and other aspects of linework, hatching, etc.)

I was able to beat my set into shape, but it required reattaching dozens of files before exporting (mainly .pdfs - which it couldn't seem to bring over if they were in model space) and then fixing countless links that were still pointing to full paths (despite being relative in the .dwg. 

I was able to export some directly from ACAD, but others I had to open in Microstation and then export (to itself). There was very little information online to assist me in this task (apparently some of the things I was doing manually could be automated with bits of code, etc. - but I was disinclined to figure it out - especially considering it's unlikely to come up, at least at this scale) in tbe future.

It has options for packaging files for transmittal, which is probably fine for files developed within Microstation, but I can guarantee the result would've been comical for imported files.

Anyway, I finally get mine ready, civil engineer gets his ready... and then there were the architects.

I get an email from one of them trying to pretend their files have been ready, despite not being in the folder they belonged in (then he asked where they needed to be - in response to the same email that informed everyone where to put their files). 

Even after pointing this out, they continued to put their files in the wrong place - then I tried opening one of them - only to find out they hadn't even tried to fix their links. The guy was like 'it all shows up right to me', and I had to break it to him that it was because he has *access to our server*. It didn't even work on mine because his drives were mapped to different letters.

Attempting to fix his links, most were grayed out and incapable of being changed (possibly due to having been exported from Revit. I actually opened Revit, attached a .pdf and a .png, and was stunned to find out that 'absolute' is the only path option for both. Again, there is probably a way to package for transmittal from within Revit (but no help if you are exporting). What the fuck Revit?

He kept at it for a few days (having to be prompted to communicate his progress) and finally today he was able to show me his screen where the file comes up correctly, has proper links (but still won't open correctly on mine). I said 'fuck it' and we're just going to send it.

All of the files were included, so if the client has some. Microstation whiz kid, they can fuck with it.

As far as these architects, they can stick Revit up their asses. I've heard from co-workers that they share the same superiority complex that I've come to expect from the Revit crowd (and architects were bad enough already). On one project, they had shown a roof at the wrong level - when it was pointed out, the architect smarmily said 'oh - I can fix that in seconds.... in Revit'.

What he failed to understand was that his fuckup meant that several things that had been carefully coordinated were now fucked up as well. I've mentioned this 'bull in a chinashop' mentality that the simplicity with which someone can rearrange (necessarily or unnecessarily) things in Revit leads to people not stopping and asking whether or not they *should* make a change (or how they go about it).

Add to this, the fact that when you are working in Revit, it has no way of informing you that these changes are being made until the next time you save to central, and find out you just blew a whole morning because somebody decided to move things in such a way that 'the magic of Revit' didn't just automatically make everything work perfectly.

It's been amusing being back in this industry, and seeing that the Revit prophets that said everyone would be using it (or be out of a job) continue to be shown as hacks. Now, just as then, results are what matters - not software, not some 'mindset', not some 'club' for joiners to join - results.

And from what I've seen, and continue to see - the results you get from Revit (and its cheerleaders) are total, 100%, unadulterated, dogshit.

Fuck Revit.

That is all for now. If you don't like it - consume mass quantities of phallus.

-SF

Next time: Spec'ing Electrical Shit