Page 1 of 1

Is Carlson our solution?

PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:51 pm
by lampin
Our office is in the process of changing CAD software. We, the surveyors, have to move from Land Desktop 2007 to Civil 3D 2010. We had our computers upgraded along with a new OS (from Win XP 32bit to Win 7 64bit). The rest of the office is using Map3d 2009 or 2010.

Currently we would give the designers a drawing with softdesk points, symbols, and basic line work. The symbols are imported and placed on the specific layers using the description key when the points are inserted into the drawing using Land Desktop. Then the points would be converted into softdesk points. The softdesk point would be on a layer determined by the point descriptor. The symbols would be on their own layers as well. The designer can freeze and resize the point blocks and symbols as they desire. They just want a block symbol and the ability to control the display of point data (by layers).

Civil 3D will not do what we want exactly. Civil 3D is a completely different beast than LDD. It's way overkill for us. We just need Map3D and a survey module to handle point data like LDD. We do have the option to downgrade to Map3D 2010 and purchase the Carlson Survey add-on.

I need to know if Carlson Survey will do the following:

1. Assign a specific symbol according to the point descriptor and put that symbol on a pre-defined layer.
2. Put each point on a specific layer according to it's descriptor (i.e. all storm drain shots go on a PNTS-storm drain layer and all waster water shots go on a PNTS-Waster Water layer)
3. Export the points/drawing with symbols out to Map 3D and retain the existing layers of all the points and symbols. In LDD, we would convert our LDD point to softdesk points then give them the drawing. That way they can control what points are visible, what attributes of the points are visible, resize the display of points as well as the symbols.

We need direction to be able to give the Map3D users what they want. Thanks for the help!

PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 11:44 pm
by Dent Cermak
(1) Yes
(2) Yes
(3) Yes

Get Carlson Survey and you will save a boat load of cash and be able to do what you want.
If you are an AutoCad fan, go with the Carlson Survey with Embedde AutoCad, It costs more than the Intellicad version, but you can still get 3 seats of Carlson for the cost of one AutoCad seat.
The transition to Carlson is MUCH smpther than trying to go the Civil3D route and the econmics seal the deal.