Has anyone used Codebook with AutoCAD or Microstation?

Has anyone else had any experience of some software called Codebook from
www.codebookinternational.com ?
Apparently it is an addon for AutoCAD, Microstation & MicroGDS, that
links back to a database to link the drawings that you are creating to
schedules & room data sheets. Its used a lot in PFI healthcare projects
in the UK.

I'm trying to find out more about its usability, as an office where I
work may have to use it on a project in the future.
Has anyone had any experience of it? If so, is it easy to use? Does it
require much in the way of administration to set it up & manage it?
Is it only suitable for large teams working on large projects?
Does it make things easier than they would be otherwise for the people
doing the CAD drawings - or is it more beneficial to the project
managers etc.

Thanks

Matthew

 

Many thanks for your quick response. I think I am clearer now about how
the software works. I have a few queries below in response to what you
have told me:

I think that this is going to be the case with this firm, that they are
going to be told they have to use it if they work on this job.

Does this work like the functionality in programs like Architectural
Desktop & Revit, but with the specific equipment blocks - Or is it
something completely different? Are the elevations produced as 2D files,
or just views taken from a 3D model? Do these 2D views take from the
plan update automatically if the plan is changed? Can you change items
on the elevations which will move them on plan?

Does it come with any standard libraries?

Someone is coming in to demonstrate it next week I think - The thing is
that I am only in that office 2 days a week though, so may or may not
see it (& if I am not in the director who wants to get it is completely
computer illiterate (we're talking not even email or web browsing).

I may be in touch with you.

Thanks again for the advice

Matthew

 

I finally got to see a demonstration of the product, & while it was
interesting in the way it worked, I don't think we will be purchasing it
(Mainly due to the fact that IMHO the office don't have any real
experience of this type of work, so having the proper software is the
least of their problems)

From the demonstration it appeared failry simple to use. I now
understand what you meant about the elevation generation not being like
that in ADT etc. It really is just a way of producing equipment
positionaing drawings etc & would not be a substitute for the
architectural drawings that would be needed of these spaces for
construction - it is only using a nominal ceiling height etc & won't
deal with thinhs like tiling layouts etc.

Although the program seemed to do a very good job of managing data, it
appeared that it did not have the functionality that I might have
expected in terms of managing revisions - It would be easy to end up
printing out new sets of the internal elevations, only some of which had
changed, but having to print out the whole set instead IMHO.

The colouring of plans in terms of area was another useful feature,
which would be useful as a program in its own right - Although I can
tell that QSs would spend their entire time trying to optimise spaces
down to their iseal areas, while not acepting that the fact that the
area was too high was due to more fundamental aspects of the design,
such as the circulation routes & not just something that could be easily
cut off.

Thanks again for your advice.