by Dent Cermak » Sat Mar 05, 2011 10:12 pm
AutoDesk has made the move to incorporate its survey pac (LDD) into the middle of an expensive engineering software package. There have been no really major changes in LDD since Softdesk was sucked up by AutoDesk.
A seat of Civil 3D id very costly. It makes no sense for a surveyor to purchase an expensive package of which he will use only 20%-25% .
My company looked at the numbers and our needs and backed away from Civil 3D. We went with the Carlson Survey pack with embedded AutoCad. It is right at half the cost of a seat of Civil3D and does everythinh that our company needs. This package also allows me to do auto line work and templete files for more than one setup, something that no one could show me how to do in AutoCad. I have to have the automation for in house work, State Highway Department work and Corpd of Engineers work. Each has its own symbols, layers and line types. I have all of this set up, yet the field ctrews use only one descriptor key list plus the Carlson special field codes. That would never work in Autocad.
Like you, I have used AutoCad since the mid-60's and added on the Maptech Survey pac or, later the Softdesk pacs and then over to LDD. I loved the LDD software, but then it started to get messed up and going places I could not go without TONS of cash for trainning classes generally taught by VAR's that did not know how to use the software. Most classes I soon realized that I knew more than the instructor.
Anyway, check the Carlson College listing on this site and get with the member nearest you. (When I went there was only ONE Carlson College. It was in Virginia and I am in Mississippi. Luckily, I knew the local Baptist minister in Front Royal, so I took the wife with me and combined work with pleasure.)
Right now we are purchasing our software and trainning from a Carlson College member - CarlsonDS, Paul Carlson in Austin, Texas and am VERY satisfied with the sales, trainning and support we are getting from Paul.
I know 3 or 4 of the Carlson College outfits and have found them all to be really good. I would suggest dealing with them for sales and support. I have yet to find a regular VAR that could answer my questions or problems satisfactorily.