I did not realize this until somewhat recently but apparently TBC can be a full-on drafting software.?ÿ Has anyone here actually gone that route??ÿ If so, what do/did you think of it?
Also, for anyone else familiar with TBC-- do you have a suggestion for what level of it to purchase if you wish to do mainly data processing and adjustments?
If you want to process GNSS data, you'll need TBC Advanced.
If all you are doing is processing and adjusting, you will need the Intermediate level.?ÿ As of v5.40, that includes GNSS baseline processing, traverse and level adjustments, as well as network (least squares) adjustment.?ÿ
TBC does a decent job with drafting.?ÿ They now have a command line drafting option that works similar to AutoCAD.?ÿ I don't use it much and don't think that I have any customers that are using it for the drafting part.?ÿ If you are like me and have used Carlson much, switching over may be a bit of an uphill battle.?ÿ If you don't have a lot of experience and are jumping out and hanging your own shingle, TBC may well be a valid option.?ÿ
There are a ton of tutorials and online options for learning the software.?ÿ All can be found under the Support tab.?ÿ I suggest looking at the eLearning options.?ÿ I believe the TBC classes are free.
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Right, I was looking at the feature matrix and it seemed like intermediate might be ideal for my plan.?ÿ I used Carlson a tiny bit in school and it was OK but the vast majority of my experience is with Civil 3D.?ÿ The perpetual license with TBC is appealing, especially compared to Civil 3D subscription.?ÿ My main concern with TBC are clients not wanting whatever file format (.vce I think?) TBC drawings are in.
Anyway, really good info; I appreciate it.
@bstrand You can export in just about any format you want to.?ÿ DWG, DXF, SHP, etc.?ÿ Talk to your dealer and request a trial.?ÿ Most dealers should have a set of demo codes.?ÿ If they don't, they should know where and how to get them.
One thing about the perpetual license... It is a very good idea to keep up with the annual maintenance fees.?ÿ I see a lot of people that don't keep up and it ends up costing a lot more than if they had just kept up and stayed on the latest version.?ÿ If you keep your warranties up to date, and break the dongle (it happens a lot) they will replace it for free.?ÿ
You can export in just about any format you want to. DWG, DXF, SHP, etc.
Oh really??ÿ That changes things a bit then.?ÿ The local guys did mention a demo code so I'll definitely look into that.
As far as the maintenance fee I was hoping it covers both Access and TBC but it appears there is a separate fee for each.?ÿ We'll see on that, the dealer mentioned there is a small fee if the owner lets the maintenance lapse.
@bstrand There is a small fee for up to a certain amount of time.?ÿ After that, you have to almost repurchase a license.?ÿ I don't get into the money side of things, so I cannot give you a price, but I know it is substantial.?ÿ?ÿ
The license is per seat, however you can load TBC on multiple computers, but only one at a time will be fully functional.?ÿ
I don't use it as a drafting program, but I do load autocad features into it and use it to write descriptions. It's basically the same program offered by legalaid, but without the yearly extra cost.?ÿ
I see, I did not know that.
I wouldn't mind updating it every few years or whenever a new feature came along that I thought I could use, so it's not like I'd be one of these guys trying to use 2008 Civil 3D in 2020.?ÿ Hah?ÿ But at the same time I want to be smart with my money.
Anyway, I forgot to ask about this:
If you are like me and have used Carlson much, switching over may be a bit of an uphill battle.
What do you mean by this??ÿ TBC is harder to learn?
Yeah, I noticed the legal description writer-- nice bonus.
It's also better (in my opinion) creating KMLs, shape files and such than autocad. There is a poster here that drafts with it, maybe he will chime in.?ÿ
I too like the legal description writer, but I especially like TBC for plotting descriptions - having a dynamic interface that keeps all of the metes on the screen, and automatically updates the figure when you change it, is awesome.
I haven't used the drafting tools heavily since the CAD command line interface came out, but I after trying it out a few times I am pretty sure I could transition from C3D to TBC for drafting easily. For linework, symbolization, surface entitities, it works just fine. IMO annotation is still a little clunky. It's usable, but it's not as fast as C3D. But a far easier price tag to swallow considering everything else it does.
I forgot that I needed Advanced because I use it for earthwork calcs, surfaces and contours.?ÿ My bad.
I forgot that I needed Advanced because I use it for earthwork calcs, surfaces and contours.?ÿ My bad.
IMO, a user can draft using TBC but why would you want to? CAD is so much smoother and easier to configure and automate with templates and other settings.?ÿ
For adjustments and processing data you??ll need the full blown version with the ??survey? module otherwise you??ll get an error about licensing.?ÿ
