OVERVIEW

CHAPTER SUMMARY

In this chapter, you learn about working with a service bureau, including extranets, the services they provide, and their pricing.

A service bureau can be considered a type of "office overload" service. Service bureaus provide one-of services when it is too expensive to purchase the equipment for your office. A typical service bureau offers some of the following services:

• Training in CAD software and computer hardware

• Customizing the CAD system for your discipline

• Programming add-on applications to your CAD package

• Scanning drawings electronically

• Digitizing drawings by hand

• Plotting drawings

• Translating drawings from one format to another

• Setting up a document management system

• Repairing specialty hardware

• Rendering and animation from 3D CAD files

• Color slide, videotape, and hard-copy output

• Loaner equipment

• Contract drafters

• Project hosting

You may be charged by the hour (in the case of programming and customization), by the course, or by the square foot, as in plotting and digitizing).

WHAT IS A SERVICE BUREAU?

A service bureau provides CAD services when your own firm cannot. You may find your firm's plotters aren't going to produce hard copy drawings in time for the deadline. You've been given a job that requires an E-size digitizer to trace in drawings. You need to post your project drawings on the Web for others to access. Or the project requires the next release of CAD, which you haven't upgraded to. For extra help with your CAD work, service bureaus help out in these "office overload" situations.

There are two types...