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Technology
Policies & Procedures
Printing & Plotting
What software can I find in the labs?Software is updated each semester as requested by faculty members. The computer labs have any and all software programs that are required in College of Design courses. The software does vary between the McNeal and Rapson Hall labs. New software for fall semester includes Kerkythea 2008, Flamingo 2.0, Adobe Premier Elements 4, and Fragstats. Click here for a software list for Rapson Hall, and here for an interactive webpage showing software available in McNeal Hall.
What technology do I need to be successful in CDes?
The purpose of the Laptop Technology Requirement is to provide architecture and landscape architecture studio laptop users with an online reference and guide in order to facilitate the successful integration of digital resources and student computers.
What technology does CDes provide?CDES offers several fully equipped computer labs. Two labs are reserved for teaching, but when a class is not in session these labs can be used by students. The computer lab in Rapson Hall 127 is a 24-hour access working lab for graduate students who pay the CDES collegiate fee. Color Printing There are two Canon IR 5180 color lasers at Rapson Hall and one at McNeal Hall.
Black & white prints cost $0.02 while color prints cost $0.17. Black & White Plotting Rapson Hall is equipped with a large form-factor 8-bit color scanner and a 36" Design Jet black & white plotter. The scanner is free to use and the black & white plotter costs $2 per linear foot. Color Plotting There are two HP DesignJet 5500 plotters at Rapson Hall and one at McNeal Hall. They print 42" wide and up to 96" long. The CDes Labs offer either Heavy Weight Matte paper or Satin Photobase paper at $4 per linear foot. All plotting must be done during open lab hours. Laser printers are available for use at any time with graduate student status.
What software should I know for success in CDes?Here are some recommended software programs you may want to know:
Where can I learn and/or buy these programs?The U offers short courses and computer classes through ADCS and the College of Design offers several courses in the programs mentioned above. Course descriptions can be found here. Software can be purchased through the U with significant savings. Visit the Bookstores or check out Techmart for various options.
Who can use the CDes computer labs?The CDes computer labs are limited access. Use of these labs is limited to students currently enrolled in College of Design classes or who are completeing required course work as well as College faculty and staff. Students must pay the College of Design collegiate fee in order to have access to the labs. Graduate students paying the College of Design collegiate fee have 24-hour access to the lab in Rapson Hall room 127. Doors can be opened by swiping an active UCard.
How do I use the CDes computer labs?If you are paying the College of Design Collegiate Fee, or are a CDes faculty or staff member, you will login to the computers using your x.500 username and password. This is the same password you use to access your email and other University resources online. In order for your x.500 to work you will need to sign up for Active Directory. This can be done from any computer with an internet connection. Click here for more information.
How can I request a change in software or equipment?Because the CDes computer labs include over 150 computers and rooms on two campuses, the job of keeping them up-to-date and synchronized is complicated. However, as an academic facility, the need to be flexible and adaptable is also important. With these things in mind, the college has established a change policy for the computer labs that provides a regular cycle for updates and improvements to the computer labs. You can find the policy here and you can find a diagram showing the change management cycle here.
How can I reserve a lab for class use?Rapson Hall rooms 33 and 35 are available to be reserved for class use. Please contact the CDes lab manager to inquire about a room's availability. If you're interested, you can see the Rapson teaching lab room schedule for the current semester by using UMCal. Just login to UMCal and select "Open Agenda," select the "Resource" tab, select Twin Cities for "Country," Col of Design for "Facility," RM-Computer/Media Labs for "Resource Type," and then click on "Search." You can choose either Rapson 33 or 35. In McNeal Hall DHA faculty and students have priority in room 305 but they are public labs so others may reserve and use them. These rooms are scheduled by department staff as classrooms under ordinary circumstances.
Is there a place for me to store files ?The computers in the CDes labs will clear their desktops and downloads after log-out. The Data Folder (D:\) can be used as a place for students to temporarily store work on the hard drive while they are working on it. It may not be used as a personal long-term storage space. Students have access to 5 GB of FREE network storage via the Netfiles service. Netfiles replaces the old "48 Hour" storage service once used by architecture and landscape architecture students. A Netfiles Quickstart Guide can be found on all Rapson Hall computer desktops. There are two ways to access Netfiles: either a web browser or a client. The client has been installed on all Rapson Hall computers for your convenience. Please refer to the Quickstart Guide for information on how to use both of these methods. The client is only accessible from Rapson Hall computers, but files can be uploaded and accessed from any web browser. That's right! Every U of MN student has access to 5 GB of space that can be accessed from home, school, or anywhere there is an internet connection. We strongly encourage all students to take advantage of this storage space. Semester-long network storage space is also available for all CDes undergraduate and graduate courses. Each studio or class that requests storage space is assigned a space to store their files; that space is named after the course number. Class folders can be requested here.
What is a Class Folder?The college provides access to special network file storage for some instructors. This storage area is generally referred to as the "Class Folder." To access the class folders follow these instructions.
Why doesn't everyone have 24-hour access?The changes in lab hours were made for several reasons. The current door locks are limited to 1000 IDs which is insufficient for the nearly 2000 faculty, staff, and students now in the College of Design. In order to replace the locks with a model that will accommodate the growing college it would be necessary to spend $25,000. The college chooses to invest money in improving the equipment and software available in the labs which results in much greater benefits to students. The College of Design also chose to bring the Rapson Hall lab hours into alignment with those in McNeal Hall to ensure equality across the college. These hours ensure the same access for students in all academic departments on both campuses. As an additional benefit, the new hours of operation increase the number of hours students are able to access plotting services by 20 hours each week. Student safety in Rapson Hall is also being addressed with this change. Students often prop lab doors open, particularly in the lower level of Rapson Hall, which defeats the locking system and results in uncontrolled access. Unmonitored and uncontrolled access means that unauthorized individuals have access to the college's resources. Finally, the academic leadership of the College of Design wants to encourage design students to have healthier work habits. Working all hours to make deadlines fosters poor time management skills and will not impress future employers. During undergraduate and graduate final review week, Rapson Hall labs will be open for an extra 15 hours. Closing time on Friday and Saturday will be extended from 6 pm to midnight and the lab will open at 9 am on Sunday.
What is the Collegiate Fee and what does it cover?CDes recently changed the name of the fee assessed to all its students. What used to be the "Technology Fee" is now the "Collegiate Fee" because it more accurately reflects what the funds actually are used for which is much more than the technology in the computer labs. These include the following: Imaging Lab The fee supports the salaries and fringe benefits of 2 full-time photographers, students employees, and specialized photographic equipment. The Imaging Lab provides students with the resources and support to work with digital and film photography within a studio setting as well as the equipment to record and edit both digital and VHS video. The Imaging Lab is staffed daily to educated and assist students and faculty with a wide variety of technological resources they may use within their coursework and classes. The lab's staff is available for consultation about photographic problems and will provide advice and equipment where needed to help CDes students photograph their own work. W. L. Hall Workshop The fee supports the salaries and fringe benefits of one full-time manager, one 75% assistant, and one part-time practitioner. Students have access to the equipment, facilities, and instruction from workshop staff which enables the execution and enrichment of their education experience. The Workship provides a full complement of power and hand tools for the manipulation of wood and related media and a limited selection of equipment for the working of metals and other materials. Workshop staff provides user assistance, training, and supervision, while offering users an extensive knowledge of materials, tools, processes, and safety. Digital Collections and Archives The fee supports the salaries and fringe benefits of four full-time staff: a Director and Curator, an Assistant Curator, a Photographer, and a Curatorial Assistant. The CDes Digital Collections and Archives Unit (DCA) is a resource for digital content production and description for teaching and research. Students and faculty have access to over 70,000 35mm slides that have been scanned and cataloged, and are available for download as part of the Digital Content Library. In addition to the conversion of the slides already archived, another 230,000 slides will be converted to digital format and will be added to the content library. All images are available for educational use. Computer Labs The fee supports one full-time manager and eight student lab attendants as well as lab equipment including computers and scanners. Students and faculty have access to over 150 computers with specialized application software including Autodesk, ArcGIS, and OptiTex. The combined locations of St. Paul and Minneapolis provide access to three high-quality color printers along with three color plotters and one black & white plotter. Students are charged a discounted fee for actual printouts. This charge for printing and plotting offsets the cost of consumables and printer equipment not covered by the Collegiate Fee.
How does a department or faculty member plot in the labs?You will need to print a copy of this form, fill it out, and have one of the departmental administrators sign it. Then, bring it to the computer lab, as well as the file you wish to plot. Make sure the file is in a PDF format - that is the only file format that the computer lab supports for plotting. If you have any questions about this, feel free to contact the computer lab manager!
Why do I have to pay for my print jobs?Starting Fall 2008, the College of Design is implementing a Print Conservation Program in the Rapson Hall and McNeal Hall computer labs. Printing services are changing to a cost-based model that focuses on sustainability, equality, and service improvement. The college's goal is to employ sustainable practices and provide excellent services at prices that are less expensive than any public printing service available on or near campus. In the past, hundreds of sheets of paper were printed and wasted each day in the College of Design Rapson Hall labs while costs associated with printing continued to escalate. In part, wast could be attributed to "free" printing services which didn't incent lab users to conserve. The college's new print conservation program provides this incentive by associating a small charge with each page printed.
How much will my print jobs cost?
Are there other printing options outside of CDes?Yes. There is a computer lab in the basement of Coffman Memorial Union and a Kinkos on Washington Avenue. Both of these services have a much higher cost than those available through the College of Design. Coffman Memorial Union
Kinkos Kinkos is located on Washington Avenue near Stadium Village and across the street from the University of Minnesota Radisson hotel.
How do I print using the new system?Plotting Large format plotting jobs - both color and black & white - can only be sent from the lab attedant computer. Please bring the files up to the lab attendant desk on a flash drive. If a flash drive is not available, files may be submitted via Netfiles to either the Rapson Hall plot queue or the McNeal Hall plot queue. Files must be sent as an Adobe Acrobat PDF and the print job size must be under 100 MB (note that this is different from the file size - and that they are not necessarily correlated). If files are converted from an other Adobe program, make sure to flatten all layers prior to converting the document to a PDF or else it may not print correctly. Laser Printing - Rapson Hall In order to print to the laser printers (which will use the new Pharos system) choose either Rapson127_B&WLaser or Rapson127_ColorLaser. When the document has finished processing on your computer go to the print release station, which is located directly next to the color lasers in the outer hallway of Rapson Hall 127. Then, follow the instructions under "Releasing Your Print Job" below. Laser Printing - McNeal Hall In order to print to the laser printers (which will use the new Pharos system) choose either Mcn305-CDES-CanonColor (if you are on a PC) or Color Printer CDes Only - Popup (if you are on a Mac). Note that in either case, if you wish to print B&W instead of color, you must change your print preferences before you send your print job. Also, if you are on a Mac you will see a popup window into which you must enter your X500. When the document has finished processing on your computer go to the print release station, which is located accross from the lab attendant desk in McNeal 305. Then, follow the instructions under "Releasing Your Print Job" below. Releasing Your Print Job After sending the print job from your computer, it is now in a queue on the Pharos system. In order for your print job to be sent from the Pharos queue to the printer you must slide your UCard through the card reader in the keyboard at the print release station. A new screen will pop up showing all jobs currently in the queue, which will be listed with their titles and your X500 username. Find your print jobs ob the screen and click on the jobs you want to send; note that you may multi-select jobs by holding down the control key. Once you have selected your print jobs the screen will show exactly how much it will cost to print. By clicking the "print" button you are agreeing to pay the cost shown on the screen. Note that you must have sufficient funds in your GopherGold account in order to pay for the printing. After clicking print, your job will be processed by the printer and should be printed shortly.
What happens if my print job is not printed correctly?You will need to see a lab attendant as soon as you notice a printing error. If the error is a result of a mechanical problem with the printer the lab attendant will be able to re-print your document free of charge. These mechanical problems are referred to as "printer error" and can include paper jams, ink splatters, or stripes. In other cases, printing errors are the result of inexperience: the line weights or colors did not turn out as desired, or the page setup is not set correctly and the page is clipped. It is expected that in learning to control printers, students will make trial prints at their own expense. It is the responsibility of the user to make these trials as effective and inexpensive as possible. Re-prints will not be issued for setting or layout problems.
How can I minimize user error when printing?There are many things that lab users can do to reduce their printing without losing any of the functionality they need for their design activities. Print Preview This is a great feature offered by many programs at the computer labs including Microsoft Word and Excel. Print preview allows you to see how your pages will look prior to printing. Mistakes can often be seen and corrected before a single piece of paper is used. Print Double-Sided Double-sided (duplex) printing reduces waste and all of our printers have this feature available. There are signs posted in Rapson Hall 127 with specific instructions. Print Multiple Pages to a Single Sheet Virtually all applications allow you to print more than one page to a single sheet. Doing so allows a document that might normally require 20 sheets to be printed on 5 sheets with 4 pages per sheet. This is an excellent option if you happen to be printing out lots of notes for class. Print Only What You Need It is often more convenient to print out an entire document or webpage when you only need a smaller section of it. Utilizing the "print preview" feature of most programs allows you to identify the pages containing the content you require and then selectively print only those pages.
How will I pay for my prints?Students will pay for printing using the new GopherGOLD account (which is accessed via your UCard) that will allow them to easily manage funds online and have real time access to their account. Until this program is fully functional, however, students must add money to their account using a "Value Port " machine. The closest machines to CDes facilities are in Walter Library (second floor) and McGrath Hall. For more information about the GopherGOLD program click here.
Where do I go with questions about UCard charges?All inquiries about charges made on your GopherGOLD account must be taken up with the UCard office. UCard Coffman Office Coffman Memorial Union, Room G22 300 Washington Ave SE 612-626-9900 Regular Hours: Weekdays 8am - 4:30pm UCard Satellite Location University Recreation Center 1906 University Ave SE 612-625-6800 Regular Hours: Monday-Friday: 11am-1pm & 4-6pm Saturday: 11am-1pm Sunday: closed UCard Satellite Location St. Paul Gym 1536 N Cleveland Ave 612-625-8283 Regular Hours: Monday & Thursday: 5-7pm Tuesday & Wednesday: 11am-1pm Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: closed
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