[papercutter]

Ok, I went back and scaled the original engineering drawing by 12, and it worked. What has me a little baffled is that this is a job I did six months ago, and I know I didn't scale it, so I'm trying to figure out what the heck I did for a workaround. I know it all worked when we laid it out in the field...

[Chris Heiler]

I've been using QuickCad which is made by Autodesk for the last 7 years. This is just a much simpler version of AutoCad- also cheaper. It's now called AutoSketch. I believe it's less than $300.00 from autodesk.com.

I've never needed anything more than this.

[agla]

Chris, do you import acad plans from surveyors or are you drafting from scratch? I'm curious how compatible it is.

I just dropped $900 on AcadLt because I knew what it would and would not do and because I am used to certain things that I feel like I need partly because I work with full Autocad LDD all week and don't like changing gears. Another reason is that I almost always start with an existing survey cad file.

Do many of you start with surveyor's cad files or are you starting from scratch in cad?

[papercutter]

Most of the time I enter the data from the survey plat manually (i.e., LINE--> @231.06'<N51d02'33"e to set the property lines, etc.) and then enter my measurements for windows, doors, existing conditions and grades. I'm guessing only about 15-20% of my projects come to me already basemapped in CAD.

[tfld]

Originally Posted by papercutter

Most of the time I enter the data from the survey plat manually (i.e., LINE--> @231.06'<N51d02'33"e to set the property lines, etc.) and then enter my measurements for windows, doors, existing conditions and grades. I'm guessing only about 15-20% of my projects come to me already basemapped in CAD.

Good lord that's old school. I learned to draw in cad that way a few years ago and never used it since. No offense..

Why not just insert an image/drawing, scale it, and trace? When I worked at a residential office a couple years ago there was a guy who drew the nicest base map/inventory plans. He just used some blue line grid paper and quickly set up a scale bar on the sheet. When I would take it into cad to input the data all I would have to do is scale-reference the scanned image and trace it...maybe I'm missing something here with your method though..

-n

[agla]

It depends on how critical the dimensions are. You won't get a true fit from scanning and tracing. Planting plans do not generally need that kind of accuracy, but if you are doing anything that has to meet a property line setback or otherwise has to fit, it is not a good idea to rely on the scan.

I underlay lay plans in cad drawings often. I have the advantage of engineering software that regular autocad does not have. I can tell you that they are never right on the money.

Like I said, usually it does not matter. One thing you need to think about is "scope creep". That is when a project goes from being something pretty basic (like a planting plan) and eventually has more space sensitive things such as a pool. That is a good reason to accurately enter your lot lines.

Another good reason to start by entering your lot lines the way Papercutter does is that it gives you something to line your scanned plan up on. That way you know that you are to scale and just how distorted the image is. It really does not take a lot of time to type in an angle and a distance and there is not usually a whole lot of lot lines. I think it is a good standard practice.

Accuracy really becomes important when the planting plan is not the dominant purpose of the landscape plan. Plants can spill over lot lines without a lot of consequences. Put a gunite pool 6" into a zoning setback and then you have consequences.

[papercutter]

No offense taken!

I had typed a response before I left the house, but for some reason it hasn't appeared... basically, what agla said. Every time a plan is reproduced (fax, photocopy, scan) there's a strong likelihood that it's going to get distorted. For some reason, scanning to pdf, even at the reprographics places, creates significant x or y distortion- as much as 1/8 to 3/16" on some drawings I've seen. When working with an engineer's plan that's at 1:50, that is a HUGE margin of oh crap it looked ok on paper.

I'm rarely just doing a planting plan, but even if I am I like it to be basemapped as accurately as possible- you never know if they'll call in two years and say "hey, how about throwing on a deck?"

[tfld]

Okay, you got me.

[papercutter]

Originally Posted by tfld

Okay, you got me.

That's all right... I guess I'll have to take the old school comments in stride. I used a protractor on a drawing tonight. I didn't think I even owned one any more!

(I was working at the board, lest anyone think I was working in CAD and holding the protractor pressed against my monitor.)

[Chris Heiler]

Originally Posted by agla

Chris, do you import acad plans from surveyors or are you drafting from scratch? I'm curious how compatible it is.

I just dropped $900 on AcadLt because I knew what it would and would not do and because I am used to certain things that I feel like I need partly because I work with full Autocad LDD all week and don't like changing gears. Another reason is that I almost always start with an existing survey cad file.

Do many of you start with surveyor's cad files or are you starting from scratch in cad?

AGLA,
I can import autocad drawings into QuickCad. I like to have a survey/engineering firm do all of my site surveys and then just have them email me the cad file. My problem is that QuickCad is from 2000 so I have problems once in a while with compatibility. I don't think I'll have these issues if I get AutoSketch because it will be more current.
The reason I want AutoSketch is because the interface is the same as QuickCad so that's what I am used to. That sounds like the same reason you purchased AutoCad LT.

[agla]

Yes, familiarity has a lot to do with comfort and efficiency.

I have heard that Autodesk is reining in some of their licensing of their cad engines that have been used by other companies. I don't know if it is just by making the cost too high or that they are just denying other companies from using it. The info I have is second hand, so I don't really know the facts. The software that I heard will no longer be using Autodesk is a survey software by a company named Carlson. It has been very popular as an excellent survey, engineering, and drafting software as a lower cost alternative to Land Desktop amongst many land planning firms. I heard that they will now be using Intellicad.

I thought that I also heard that Autodesk was cutting out some of their lower cost alternatives as well, but I'm not sure about that.