I knew there was a reason I'm still happily using AutoCAD 2004Lt.
Wasn't there a group, out of southern Italy, that ran a similar 'subscription' service? You pay us a money each month....you have no problems...you don't pay??....welllllll.
So we are now dealing with the "legal" version of those wonderful folks. Who knows, it's probably descendents of the same people who morphed into a business model that doesn't attract as much attention from the Feds.
Bruce Small, post: 417408, member: 1201 wrote: I knew there was a reason I'm still happily using AutoCAD 2004Lt.
YEP,. Autocad 2000 with LDD still working fine here. If I ever need to reload it, it's no problem.
I really believe Autocad doesn't think surveyors can add and subtract. Not sure about the 60% discount but their website has a 30% discount on C3D for 3 years if you trade-in your perpetual license. That is a saving of $567/year or $1701 over 3 years. You still have to pay the $1323/yr which is higher than the cost of the subscription even with a 5% increase. My subscriptions come due in July which should be after the 2018 version is released so I think if I do anything other that renew it should be use the 2018 without a subscription for as long as I can stand it (maybe 2,3,4 or 5 years) and at that point just pay the going price to subscribe to autocad. If i make it 4 years I will save about $5000 per seat vs going for their plan. If the 60% discount on the subscription for 3 years is offered I would probably get one subscription and then just use my other seats for as long as reasonable.
P.S. We have already converted the majority of our cad stations to Carlson Stand Alone and a couple of Carlson with Intelliicad and seems to be working fine.
Joe the Surveyor, post: 417423, member: 118 wrote: Wasn't there a group, out of southern Italy, that ran a similar 'subscription' service? You pay us a money each month....you have no problems...you don't pay??....welllllll.
Joe, some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me.
I would like to recommend taking a look at BricsCAD. It is a cost effective native .dwg program that is the best alternative to AutoCAD that I have found. Want to avoid rental subscriptions? Give BricsCAD a try. I oversee Civil Engineering markets for BricsCAD USA, Northern Region and would like to set up an account for anyone wanting to try BricsCAD for 30 days for free. You can contact me by email at ks@bricsys.com and I can get you set up.
Also, I am finishing up development of a Surveying Application that runs on BricsCAD and will be looking for Beta Testers in the future if anyone is interested.
[MEDIA=youtube]s57w237tmBM[/MEDIA]
Thanks,
Kevin Simmons, PLS | Bricsys USA | Northern Region
Maceo, Kentucky
ks@bricsys.com
800-915-1509 x 705
https://www.bricsys.com/en_US/
Kevin Simmons, PLS | Civil Engineering Markets | Techevate
BricsCAD Sales, Applications, Expert Advice and more
ks@techevate.com
270-313-1962 Mobile
techevate.com
CADTechie, post: 418187, member: 11403 wrote: I am finishing up development of a Surveying Application that runs on BricsCAD
I might be interested, as I already use BricsCAD as my CAD platform. Can you provide a quick listing of the Surveying Application feature set?
Thanks!
Jim,
Thanks for your interest. What do you currently use in BricsCAD for your surveying needs? I am creating this surveying application to be easy to use with the small surveying firm in mind. The initial release will include the following:
CADTechie CT-Survey Feature Set
Point Data
Import data points from .TXT and .CSV
Export data point to .TXT and .CSV
Create points by Screen Pick
Create points manually by entering pt#, N, E, Z, Desc by hand.
Zoom to point
Move point attributes
Lock and unlock points
Line Work:
Create line work by entering Point Numbers or Point Range
Create line work by bearing and distance and have the line annotated when creating the line
Easily create R/W, easement, and setback lines using a function that offsets to a another layer that changes the offset lineÛªs linetype and color set in that layer.
Various streamlined polyline editing utilities
Annotate
Annotate lines with bearing and distance in typical forms: B/D, B/, /B, D/, /D, B-D/, /B-D
Create short line data tables
Curve data tables
Label coordinates of screen picked points with N, E, Z, Desc in user defined formats
Label Area by interior point, lines and arcs or polygon.
Cogo:
Bearing-Bearing, Bearing-Distance, Distance-Distance intersects.
Point in direction
Inverse Pt-Pt
Rotate Points
Translate Points
Offset Points
Predetermined area by sliding line or hinge point
Includes extensive block library
Includes premade drawing templates that can be used
I think I have covered most everything included in the initial release. The next release will include Digital Terrain Modeling that I plan to have out the next year. I will provide DTM for any users of the initial release that did not include DTM originally. The initial release may or may not have capability to read and write LandXML files. If not in the initial release, it will be included in the second along with DTM. I am always open to suggestions on other features that users need...
Thanks,
Kevin
CADTechie, post: 418226, member: 11403 wrote: What do you currently use in BricsCAD for your surveying needs?
I use Trimble Business Center for surface modeling and related functions, which requires me to export-import-export-import to get surface-related entities into BricsCAD. I use a home-brewed set of AutoLISP functions for everything else.
The latter renders me sort of a one-off example -- very few survey shops could function that way -- but as a near-solo operator it's worked for me for 24 years.
I use Javad field equipment.
Javad allows up to 256 characters of note.
I'd like it if:
Hover over, or click a little node, and all the pt desc either comes up on 2nd screen,
Javad also allows photos, attached to points.
And audio files.
Support for this additional data would be nice.
I believe that we will eventually get away from paper deliverables... Instead, an interactive electronic plat... Imbeded photos, and additional data pops up.
Notes, dates, and photos, camera angles, such like.
Someone who is progressive, and wise will develop stuff like this...
There is a setting... How many characters of note gets displayed...but the rest is there, but hidden, until you click the node.
Javad also does screen shots, during an observation.
These could also be attached to the point.
There are opportunities all over... If we could see them.
When I started this pony ride all I had ever really used was C3D and honestly it scared the crap out of me to go to something different than what I had spent hours learning, working with and massaging.
But I am three years into using Carlson Civil Suite with Intellicad and I haven't looked back. It still has some work to do and I will upgrade this year the two existing licenses and add another, but it has been as stable as any Autodesk software I have used.
And it manages points so much better than Autocad anything. Been really happy and have saved a ton of money.