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'3rd party' software companies (like MircoSurvey): What's their future outlook?

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(@chris-bouffard)
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@field-dog Sadly, that's the direction that things are heading.

 
Posted : 20/06/2022 8:49 am
(@chris-bouffard)
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@john-putnam with Leica, everything has a fee.

 
Posted : 20/06/2022 8:51 am
(@ncsudirtman)
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Posted by: @olemanriver

Has anyone used Traverse PC.

I'd like to know more about it too as I've seen it a couple times before. I use C3D almost exclusively but I know it's not the best fit for surveying and the perpetual license interests me

 
Posted : 20/06/2022 8:57 am
 jph
(@jph)
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@ncsudirtman?ÿ

Perpetual sounds great.?ÿ And they have been around a long time.

I've no idea what that software looks or works like, whether it's similar to ACAD, ICAD, or not.?ÿ

I chose Carlson 18 years ago when I needed an alternative, but I've stuck with the ACAD engine, since it's what's familiar, and I've been very happy with it since.?ÿ I'd be surprised to see Carlson sell out or disappear.

 
Posted : 20/06/2022 9:25 am
(@holy-cow)
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Anyone ever heard of Innovyze??ÿ It was acquired recently by Autodesk.

?ÿ

?ÿ

 
Posted : 20/06/2022 10:56 am
(@olemanriver)
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Posted by: @ncsudirtman
Posted by: @olemanriver

Has anyone used Traverse PC.

I'd like to know more about it too as I've seen it a couple times before. I use C3D almost exclusively but I know it's not the best fit for surveying and the perpetual license interests me

I was told about it from a friend that runs a solo operation. I have not had time yet but they will let you download a free version and he texted me they are doing some online training next week for anyone that downloads a free version. ?ÿI have been so busy studying and making Hay that I have not downloaded it. He was a civil 3d and carlson cad user. But he said once he got his mind to think surveying again and not autocad he loves it. Said you have to kinda mentally dump the cad techniques and think like a surveyor again. I did look at some of his plats and they looked fine to me. ?ÿHe had everything he needed it was great looking nothing out of the ordinary stuck out. ?ÿI always try and use cogo to draw boundaries anyway not lines even though itƒ??s quicker i just like to not have that snap be off and cost me.?ÿ

 
Posted : 20/06/2022 1:21 pm
(@ncsudirtman)
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Posted by: @olemanriver
Posted by: @ncsudirtman
Posted by: @olemanriver

Has anyone used Traverse PC.

I'd like to know more about it too as I've seen it a couple times before. I use C3D almost exclusively but I know it's not the best fit for surveying and the perpetual license interests me

I was told about it from a friend that runs a solo operation. I have not had time yet but they will let you download a free version and he texted me they are doing some online training next week for anyone that downloads a free version. ?ÿI have been so busy studying and making Hay that I have not downloaded it. He was a civil 3d and carlson cad user. But he said once he got his mind to think surveying again and not autocad he loves it. Said you have to kinda mentally dump the cad techniques and think like a surveyor again. I did look at some of his plats and they looked fine to me. ?ÿHe had everything he needed it was great looking nothing out of the ordinary stuck out. ?ÿI always try and use cogo to draw boundaries anyway not lines even though itƒ??s quicker i just like to not have that snap be off and cost me.?ÿ

I do so much engineering (grading, utilities & construction related aspects) that I would have to keep C3D. But I would like a better option for surveying analysis, mapping/legal descriptions and maybe cut sheets for construction staking if they offer it?

 
Posted : 21/06/2022 7:56 am
(@olemanriver)
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@ncsudirtman If I ever get it figured out will let ya know. I have know idea about itƒ??s capabilities really. The little I have found out from a couple people only is they mostly do boundary surveys rural boundaries. They love it for that. Occasionally a topo create a surface etc. ?ÿALTA plats. ?ÿI have no idea how it handles raw data either. ?ÿJust know they chose it over the more expensive softwares with more power as it works for them. Now off to bale hay as i darn thunderstorm is headed my way and it was not supposed to rain until tomorrow. Arghhhh. Make Hay it rains. ?ÿWash car it rains. ?ÿNever fails. ?ÿ

 
Posted : 21/06/2022 8:29 am
(@ncsudirtman)
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@olemanriver good luck!

 
Posted : 21/06/2022 8:31 am
(@olemanriver)
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@ncsudirtman well race race to get hay up before thunderstorm but no rain. ?ÿBut you can bet your paycheck if i would have not baled it would have rained all over it. ?ÿ

no politics. But weather men and women and politicians are the only folks that can be wrong @90% of the time and not get fired but get a raise. ?ÿLol. The rest of us would be fired. But thank the Good Lord I got the hay up. ?ÿAnd I had extra help today. ?ÿ

 
Posted : 21/06/2022 11:30 am
(@holy-cow)
Posts: 25292
 

@olemanriver?ÿ

Make hay while the sun shines.................that's the old motto I heard since I was knee high to a grasshopper.

Raking and baling today on what was mowed yesterday, believe it or not.?ÿ That's dry!?ÿ Putting off mowing more for a couple of days as there is a chance of thunderstorms headed our way.?ÿ Will work a patch to plant some soybeans as it still has some subsoil moisture.?ÿ Must get the header ready to start cutting wheat the first day possible, followed a week later by a few acres of oats.

 
Posted : 21/06/2022 11:46 am
(@olemanriver)
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@holy-cow you got that right. I really needed another day of drying before baling but weather forecast change i had to get it up. I have about 100 acres ready now but rain next few days. I need to cut tedd rake and bale. Between work (surveying) and hay i am beat. Also trying now to prepare for PS and state license exam. ?ÿGot the FS behind me. Now state exam. I will het it down. Lol.?ÿ

 
Posted : 21/06/2022 12:14 pm
(@olemanriver)
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ƒ?? Get it done.ƒ? ?ÿLet it down. ?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿSorry. Stupid smart phone spell check and my lack having eye glasses on after getting off tractor. But nothing better than making hay with the family. ?ÿ11 year old pulling hay wagon and the rest picking up and stacking squares. And everyone having fun. Now time for watermelon and a cool beer ??§. ?ÿ?ÿ

 
Posted : 21/06/2022 1:32 pm
(@keithscadservices)
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@rover83?ÿ

Some things that intersect/overlap with CAD operations benefit from multithreading, like 3D modelling, and support has been added for them (albeit slowly). But for the vast majority of CAD functions, you're better off targeting a higher core clock speed than adding more cores. Whether or not a CAD program uses multithreading for fundamental CAD work (which is rare) isn't really a benchmark for how "good" the software is.

A very thorough response! One thing I need to stress though is AutoCAD's (relatively) laggy performance. The competitors I mention actually perform far faster than AutoCAD overall (but not without their flaws however, but performance-wise they are way faster and smoother). Perhaps focusing on multi-threading isn't as important as other factors. For example, many programs still aren't even optimized for 64 bit architecture. The key point here however is how laggy AutoCAD performs; it's just not good, especially for a program that asks users to pay thousands for it each year. If it cost far less there would be little to debate.

Whether or not a CAD program uses multithreading for fundamental CAD work (which is rare) isn't really a benchmark for how "good" the software is.

I guess my point is performance from the end user's perspective. Whether it's achieved with or without multi-threading doesn't matter.

The nature of CAD itself makes it extremely difficult to develop code to support multiple cores

Any program that does multiple things at the same time can make use of multiple cores. Programs that don't are literally limited to things like Window's built in calculator (and I might even be wrong about that). A program as complex as AutoCAD most certainly could make use of multiple cores (hence why it's competitors do). For example, everytime you hatch something in AutoCAD it needs to run quite a few calculations in the background. In AutoCAD 2023, it's not handling this very well. It's not terrible, but again, thousands per year.

you're better off targeting a higher core clock speed

But clock speeds have really reached a plateau in recent years have they not? My current Laptop has a lower clock speed than the one I owned a few years ago (and that one burnt out ironically). A Google search will shed more light on this, but it has much to do with delegating more duties to the system's GPU, and multi-threading. Most hardware guru's I know would advise against prioritizing clock speed unless there is a clear and concise reason for it. Trying to buy a PC simply because it has the highest clock speed out there means you're going to shell out a lot of $$$. For what it's worth, my current laptop runs every single program (even AutoCAD) faster than my previous, higher-clocked PC. Most programs benefit from modern hardware architecture. The handful of Autodesk products that don't are actually outliers, hence my original criticism of them in that regards.

 
Posted : 21/06/2022 2:01 pm
(@keithscadservices)
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@jph?ÿ

I won't be surprised if ICAD starts becoming more popular soon

When a company charges higher fees it opens up the possibility of competitors jumping in. When the subscription model started, competitors were very slow to take advantage of it. I'm only now just starting to see the competition become good enough to actually use on a production level. I'm not sure about Civil 3D's competition since I don't use that program. AutoCAD however... the competition is really heating up.

I think of CAD more like a basic program, almost like a word processor. MS Word is the go-to editor. But if they ever charged way too much for it, you'd just go use something else (which people did). When AutoCAD got too expensive there just wasn't anything else to use.

Sometimes I think that the lack of competition is due to the competition being so divided up: Literally hundreds of smaller companies trying to do their own thing and take on the big giants independently.

 
Posted : 21/06/2022 2:09 pm
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