If you do want to put a seal w/ signature on autocad, just click insert then pick OLE object, then pick from file.  First you need to scan your seal and signature and save it as JPEG.  Insert that OLE object on your title block.  I am also interested w/ digital signature.  We just tried one last week.  Sometimes we need to send a drawing somewhere immediately.  It will be nice if we can just send the file to a kinkos somewhere and print them out there (signed).

Some states allow you to scan in a signed copy of your seal, but Texas specifically says not to do that (I called them to make sure).  I am looking into adding a signature in Adobe, but I am not sure how it is going to turn out or how reliable it is going to be.  The basic idea is that if the pdf is modified, then the signature will disappear.  You also are the only one who will be able to add your signature.  If I can get this to work, I will do this for all states, even those that don't require it.  I don't like the idea of my signed seal floating around in Autocad.

Adobe seems to be the only program that can make this work.  Any suggestions?

There is a place on adobe to add a custom stamp.  I bet you can add a scanned image of your seal and signature.  If you want it to disappear if modified then I dont know.

BTW, what I meant by sending the stamped file to kinkos was sending it as plot file or PDF.  So the signed seal wont be floating around in AutoCAD.  

Maybe we are not talking about the same thing.  The way I have seen it done before is to attach a signed copy of a seal in autocad, then make a pdf.  Inevitably, the file gets updated and printed later, and there is the same seal on it again.  I think that is what this board rule is trying to head off.

The scanned image in adobe might work.  I am going to work on it.

Ohio does not allow scanned signatures on seals either.  They are working on developing a method to encrypt the digital seal with signature, such that if the original document were altered, the seal will be deleted automatically.  Let us know if pdf drawings have that capabiity.       

I just emailed the Texas board with my best stab at it.  I will see what they say.

A scanned image of your signature and seal is not an electronic signature.  An electronic signature is a unique encryption algorithm that protects the entire document under its placement.  For instance, if you prepare an Adobe pdf file and sign it digitally, you have created a means by which a change in the file by someone else will cause the signature to be void and it will not verify.

Many states allow electronic signatures, but only if they comply with accepted encryption techniques that allow the signer (and others) to know if (a) the document is the original; and (b) if it has been changed or modified since it was digitally signed.

All,

See the Banjo plug-in for Adobe Acrobat

http://www.linetype.com/products/banjo/index.htm

I've been wanting to do this myself, but the restrictions on the Banjo license seem a bit cumbersome compared to a physical seal or stamp. Still,....it may be just what some of you are looking for.

Jeff

jdonville:  Thanks for the lead.  I used it and it worked great.  Before I had to print, sign and then re-scan so I could upload them to our clients site for the contractor to print out.  The banjo plug in allows the electronic signature to be compliant with the Texas board rules.

Hmm.. i might have to check it out also.

thanks for the info, jdonville.  Oklahoma does not yet allow digital signatures.  but it's good to know about products that allow secure digital signatures anyway.

All,

Ohio should permit electronic seals beginning later this year. Supposedly, the provision was included in a capital improvement budget bill passed shortly before the recent change in state administration.

Jeff

The banjo plug does everything it is supposed to.  The only problem is who ever is plotting out the files on paper has to verify your signature before plotting.  It is simple, but I have had trouble with a local reprographic place that doesn't want to spend 5 minutes to do it.  I ended up having to make a copy digitally from the pdf, which really negated the whole point of the digital signature because it is no longer verifiable.  I just wrote it was a copy of the original below my seal.

At any rate, technology is getting there.  Just got to work out the kinks.

One of the licensing problems I have with Banjo is that it gets tied to a particular CPU (see the help documentation). This means that the plug-in, in effect, needs to be the property of the engineer's employer, and can only be used on one particular machine (per license).

I would love to see an implementation (even non-Banjo) where the software license is tied to a physical token (such as a hardware key) or is available as a site license to provide greater flexibility of use.

There are other issues I have with Banjo, including the management of private keys, which appear to currently reside on the computer where a specific copy of Banjo is licensed.

I would prefer that private keys be able to reside on a portable physical token, and be encrypted using a strong encryption method, with the use of strong passwords enforced.

Jeff

So jdonville....what other options are out there besides Banjo?

JAE,

Not many, from what I understand.

Part of my rant above has to do with my lack of understanding of how Windows (XP in particular) and Acrobat store and protect digital certificates that contain private key information. I apologize to everyone for giving the impression that I have specific knowledge of a problem with Banjo in this regard. (I may have gotten a bit carried away in my previous post, and be overly paranoid on this point.)

To get back to your question, I did recently find a few other packages, but neither seemed as good a fit for 'plugging and chugging' as Banjo. (See "ApproveIt" www.silanis.com and "CoSign" www.arx.com )

Jeff

Jdonville,

Banjo does get assigned to one computer, but you can transfer the license to a different computer.  Since I am supposed to be the sole person in control of my signature (board rules), having it on my laptop seems to be best place for it anyway.  My only complaint is coordinating with clients and reprographics companies to get drawings printed out.  They have to verify my signature, which is easy but takes a little time and gets annoying to all parties involved.

I believe that Adobe has built in electronic signatures.  At lease my version (6.0) does.  Document/Digital Signatures or File/Save as Certified Document.  Never tried Banjo - I always use Adobe.

I tried that first, but it isn't near as slick as the banjo plug in.  Texas requires that (pasted from thier site):

(1) unique to the person using it.
(2) capable of verification.
(3) under the sole control of the person using it.
(4) linked to a document in such a manner that the electronic signature is invalidated if any data in the document are changed.
  
The banjo plug in does all of these.  You might be able to get adobe to do these, but I think 2 and 4 will be tough.  This is the problem I am dealing with though.  Unless the person who has the file takes the time to do (2), (4) will happen.  "Unverified" appears over my seal, which obviously won't get you any permits.

structuralaggie,

I guess the points that I am really trying to make are:

1) The Banjo developers are taking an easy route by binding the license with a specific CPU (it's either hard or impossible to spoof the internal CPU serial number). Unless you have a laptop or a second copy of Banjo, you don't always have the ability to sign your documents using Banjo. Using a hardware lock or electronic license server should be a good compromise between ensuring piracy protection and flexibility of use.

2) Your private key data reside on the computer's hard drive (I would personally make a backup copy stored on some durable and secured media). This is really a personal key, and there may be situations where you don't want personal data residing on a device that is owned by your employer. At any rate, you should be able to permanently delete this information from the computer's drive. Your PE license is issued to you - you just indefinitely "rent" it to your employer in exchange for certain compensations.

3) What happens in the instance where there are multiple professionals signing documents (not necessarily the same documents)? Does the firm buy them each a copy of Banjo? I would imagine that it depends on the size of the firm, but it is not hard to imagine smaller firms installing one copy on the computer normally used by an adminisrtative assistant and having him or her "sign" all the electronic reports or drawings on behalf of the PEs.

I like some of the features of Banjo, but feel that the implementation of some of the licensing and key management could stand some improvement. Again, maybe I'm too paranoid.

IFRs,

FYI, Adobe 7.0 includes support for 3rd-party authenticated timestamps to be included in the digital signature.

Jeff

You have valid points.  In my situation, it works great, I suppose because I work for a small company.  I will agree there is room for improvement, but it is a giant leap from what I was doing before.  I first had to get a set of prints made, then sign them, then have them scanned back into digal format (One of our clients requires digital submittals).  This whole process would kill some serious man hours, and quality in the prints was also lost.

All I can say is that I am really happy that the Banjo plug in allows me to skip all the above and just make digital signed prints directly, and it allows me to comply with the board's signature requirements.

I don't work for the Banjo guys either!  I think I should get an endorsement for all the good things I am saying.