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Drawing Software Training Now More Available And More Effective
By Bob Galvin

When trying to learn the basics of today's drawing/CAD programs for law enforcement, you've no doubt discovered that not all software programs were created equal. How clear the "basics" are to learn and how fast you can master them depends on the software, the training materials, and the support provided.

For some programs, formal training is just not required, but if you want to ramp up yours skills quickly there's usually a training option that will fit your comfort level and personal schedule.

Various generic drawing software offerings are available, including AutoCAD®, Visio® and Autosketch®, to name a few. But there are limitations, such as high cost and complexity (i.e., AutoCAD), insufficient symbols libraries and limited crash scene-specific drawing tools. Even training for off-the-shelf drawing programs varies, from cryptic website training tips on how to draw a floorplan to a restricted amount of telephone support. Such limitations can fuel the frustration of getting trained quickly so you're proficient with your software and can begin drawing complete diagrams as part of your daily responsibilities.

Another program, designed specifically for crash reconstructionists, is The Crash Zone drawing program from The CAD Zone, Inc. The Crash Zone has been refined over the past nine years to be competitively priced and feature-rich, yet also quick and easy to learn. The Crash Zone contains a variety of proven training materials for users who want to learn it on their own time.

Whether you're a reconstructionist handling complicated crash scenes, or a police officer or sheriff's deputy in a traffic unit, teaching yourself how to use drawing software can go smoothly if you choose the right program. Different software programs offer varying degrees of training materials and training options. Here are some things to consider when looking for a program you can learn yourself:

• Are there training movies available? The Crash Zone, for example, includes more than 50 training movies (including audio). Some of these movies show how to create an entire drawing while others demonstrate how to perform specific commands such as drawing intersections, placing symbols, and placing text.

• Is the User Manual specifically geared towards creating crash diagrams? Programs that are designed for creating crash diagrams will have examples and tutorials that walk the user through the diagramming process using brief, simple language.

• Is the online help useful? Since software today rarely comes with a printed User's Manual, you will probably rely more on the online help for documentation. Make sure the program you choose has help that is geared towards drawing intersections and creating crash diagrams.

• Is there unlimited technical support over the phone? A few minutes with a qualified technical support person can save you hours of frustration when trying to learn a new program. The cost of some programs, like The Crash Zone, include unlimited phone support for as long as you own the program. Other programs, like Map Scenes, require you to purchase an extended technical support contract that ranges in cost between $200 and $500

Institutions, Personal Trainers Abound

Several established institutions and CAD Zone, Inc. certified individuals also offer training on drawing software. The CAD Zone's programs are included in many of their classes. Among some of the institutions where you can take classes are (see www.cadzone.com for a complete listing, with names of nationally known and seasoned instructors):

• Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM)
  
• University of Florida, Jacksonville FL (904-620-4786)
  
• Carl Sandburg College, Galesburg IL (309-344-2518)
  
• Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO (800-847-6487)
  
• North Carolina Justice Academy, Edneyville, NC (828-685-1183, ext 227)
  
• Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton WI (920-735-4725)
  
• Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma City OK (405-945-3220)
  
• Traffic Institute for Police Services, Harrisburg PA (717-657-4219)

Classes Shorten Learning Curve

Detective Doug Gold of the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office in Washington State found that going from his initial drawing software choice of AutoCAD to Crash Zone was a dramatic change. AutoCAD, which he used when working for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's, "had a long learning curve," recalls Gold, a 22-year law enforcement veteran, and who operates his own accident reconstruction business, Gold Accident Reconstruction. Gold recalls drawing scaled collision diagrams with pencil and paper while he was a traffic deputy for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, ans wishes he had access to a drawing program like Crash Zone during those years. He found Crash Zone much easier to master. "When I first used the program I did a lot of diagrams that were not to scale," he explains. "The automated drawing tools in The Crash Zone enable you to quickly create diagrams for collisions, crime scenes, whatever the case may be."

"Then, experimenting with putting in symbols for cars and bodies gives so much hands-on experience," Gold continues. "You can go from creating a simple diagram with Crash Zone's Easy Intersection (feature) to the next phase, which is producing scaled diagrams. From manual measurements or total station data. It's the kind of learning curve where you actually start to learn step-by-step from easy drawings to more complicated ones," Gold said.

It makes sense that the more time you spend with any software program, the more you can learn and apply in your work, or, in this case, your diagrams. But your success with diagramming software depends on what kind of diagram you want to create. Says Gold: "If you want to do an easy diagram and you're just trying to show buildings or roadways, or where a vehicle ended up, an hour or two of experimenting on your own is all you're going to need to get going. And most of what you need to put in a diagram is available within the symbols library," he said.

It's How You Use The Features

Drawing classes these days typically are a mix of police officers working in the field and professional crash reconstructionists. Doe this make learning for a few students more difficult due to the varied professional backgrounds? Not according to police officer David Schanes, who manages the traffic safety unit of the Whitemarsh Police Department in Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania. Officer Schanes feels there can be a class with a mixture of law enforcement professionals with different backgrounds. "The only difference is how you apply the features of the particular program," says Schanes, who also is a reconstructionist with many completed hours of drawing classes and who now teaches automated diagramming to police departments throughout the country. "Any police officer can go in and learn how to do a diagram and produce a great looking diagram," he adds. "Maybe a reconstructionist will use the program in a different way to get what he wants out of it for his purposes."

While classes represent an attractive training option because of their structured approach to showing the basics of automated diagramming, Officer Schanes feels the self-taught method is equally effective. For example, he contends The Crash Zone is among the easiest drawing programs to learn. "It's basically a few steps to install, but it runs by itself," Schanes said. "You can start with any feature and pick it up," he adds.

Schanes feels that by using the software's HELP file plus simply experimenting with the various features will enable the user to teach himself how to diagram in a short time. "It's also nice to have someone show you how to use the more advanced features or different ways of doing tasks," adds Schanes. The ease of creating a diagram actually starts at the scene with how the measurements are taken. "If you have good measurements of the scene, it doesn't take much to transfer those measurements into a scaled diagram using the Crash Zone," Schanes continues.

Drawing to Scale Not Critical At First

As already mentioned, everyone taking a drawing class walks into the classroom with a different background, which means some have computer-aided-design (CAD) experience whereas others have never turned on a computer. However, nearly all of them have one goal in common, it seems: to immediately draw a diagram to scale. Yet, according to professional trainer Duane Meyers, who holds classes at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wisconsin, "Many students need to understand how to start a drawing. One of the things they're not real familiar with is that they're drawing in units," Meyers says. "They think they should be drawing to a specific scale on-screen like you would draw on a piece of paper. If we can change this mindset, then they can learn
how to draw in units on screen and transfer to this whatever scale they'd like when they print their diagram on paper," Meyers adds. Meyers says his crime scene investigation students gather hand measurements and want to know how to build a building or partition off rooms, then add detail to their scene, and to scale. Similarly, a crash reconstructionist will come in with data collected from his LTI Laser System or from a total station and is also eager to build a scaled diagram with all of this information. But, again, Meyers emphasizes that learning how to start a drawing is the first essential step. "Once they have their units selected, they can draw their scene in real world units, entering exactly the number of feet they measured," Meyers said. "Whatever size of paper you're going to use will dictate what scale you're going to have to put the drawing onto."

Continuous Drawing Builds Confidence

Once you learn the basics of automated diagramming, then you have built a solid foundation on which to add more skill with creating whatever diagram you need. But getting started isn't always as easy as it may sound. At least, that's the opinion of Deputy Joe Dean of the San Diego County Sheriff's Office. He should know. Deputy Dean was first exposed to drawing software through buying an LTI mapping system for one of the cities with which the county sheriff's office contracts for law enforcement services. He began learning how to draw on Autosketch, but admits he had trouble with it (for example, the program had no law enforcement symbols). "There was nothing to tutor me or instruct me through it at the time," says Dean, who later discovered Crash Zone which he was able to learn on his own. "It (Crash Zone) was a simpler program to understand. That's where I started taking off with it," he added.

While Dean had to take a longer and more winding road before finding a simple-to-learn drawing program, he's glad that such a program is now available to his colleagues. In fact, he is so impressed with programs like The Crash Zone that, like many law enforcement professionals, he has been teaching many deputies in his department. "I wanted to speed that learning process for other people, to help them make diagramming presentations more professional and accurate," Dean said.

With all the training options available to prospective drawing software users, Dean argues that the options are useless until "they get the desire to do the drawing. That's what I'm trying to create," Dean said. "I have to expose them to how easy it is (to create a diagram) and how professional it looks when they're done," he added. "It seems like the light bulb comes on after that."

Diagramming training expert Duane Meyers would agree with Deputy Dean. On the one hand, he proudly states that within 12 hours of taking one of his classes students are able to use The Crash Zone to draw fully detailed diagrams. However, Meyers cautions, "The class isn't an answer to their future with being able to professionally diagram scenes, but an answer to the start of their future. They have to keep practicing it (diagramming)," Meyers said. "If they do, they're going to be great at it!"

Contact Information
Bob Galvin
The CAD Zone, Inc.
503-722-7342
Email: RSGALVIN@cs.com
Web: www.cadzone.com

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