In May, 2011 I switched from LDD to Carlson running inside AutoCAD 2007.
I am very pleased with that decision.
Now I am thinking about dropping the evil AutoDesk altogether (exciting thought).
I know that many of my engineer & architect clients will still want me to send them dwg files, will that be possible?
I am also concerned about all these simple command line "type with the left hand" commands that I have learned in AutoCAD over the past 16 years will result in a steep learning curve (change is uncomfortable at times).
The perk seems obvious, AutoDesk slave master is gone.
What other problems with switching am I not thinking of?
I would like the answer as well. I upgraded to Win7 and my AutoCAD 2006 is not fully happy there.
IntelliCAD uses the DWG file format. When Autodesk upgrades with a new DWG format, IntelliCAD normally comes out with a new release that reads the new format within a few months. Most of the commands are the same, so there isn't much time lost to learning how to run it.
I'm not very familiar with Carlson, and don't know anything about the differences between the in-CAD version and the stand-alone version, but I suspect there is very little difference that will require learning a new way of doing things.
When I switched from Softdesk/LDD to Microsurvey stand-alone (which is or was built on the IntelliCAD platform), the CAD portion was the easiest part of the transition. The commands specific to survey related functions required a bit of re-learning. I expect going from Carlson/ACAD to Carlson/ICAD will be pretty seamless for you.
I wish my current employer would get away from the Autodesk products and go with either Carlson or Microsurvey.
Icad uses dwg. I use Carlson survey 2012 with icad. I can open autocad drawings and they can open mine...I don't think you can tell whether a dwg was created in icad vs autocad.
There is a learning curve, but I'd say many--if not most--of the commands are they same.
Good luck! Another perk is Carlson's great support.
I switched from LDD to Carlson 2012iCAD when it came out so I don't know carlson on anything but iCAD but I like it. (1) In iCAD your node does NOT snap when hovering over the point attribute data, iCAD will not do this. (2) points> edit points> display properties ..... And then turn stuff on/off, and resize... Miss this (3) No BACKGROUND MASKING in iCAD!!!
If you are already on Carlson, there is no real learning curve switching to a newer version. ICAD will have a few quirks, but not many.
HOWEVER ICAD is not yet at the level of the ACAD version. The new release is supposed to be much better, but I don't think they are quite "there" yet.
My only problem with the ICAD products so far is that in 2010 Field pac the ICAD version can only save dwg files up to 2007. I do not know if that is true in the Survey pac or not.
Until then I will stay with the ACAD kernal.
(1) Does the ICASD version, under the "Settings" tab, have a selection of "Point Object Snap On/Off"? If so, turn that on and you will get what you are seeking.
If the background masking you speak of is the same as Textmask or Wipeout from LDD2i those tools were lisp routines that were part of the Express tools that came with an autodesk subscription. I bet similar routines can be added to icad.
1) Try: Settings/Carlson Configure/General Settings/Object Linking/"Check" Group Point Entities
This setting will become default, but it will only work for newly inserted points. Any existing points will have to be re-inserted.
2) To turn point attributes on/off go to your layers. You'll see PNTDESC, PNTELEV, etc. Try freezing some of those.
To resize, Points/Resize Point Attributes
3) Try: Draw/Text/Text Mask
(This may not be what you were looking for.)
FWIW--My biggest complaint is I haven't found how to lock points, so they cannot move.
Sometimes, it's very easy to accidently grab a point, while moving something else...Very scary.
Background masking is FAR superior to TEXT MASKING, they are not the same but have similar end results.
autoCad owns snapping to node while hovering over point data, iCad WILL NOT DO IT, the end.
My f-2-f sorts my points into groups and distinct point layers so turning on the PNTELV does nothing for me.... Need a different way.
> autoCad owns snapping to node while hovering over point data, iCad WILL NOT DO IT, the end.
>
> My f-2-f sorts my points into groups and distinct point layers so turning on the PNTELV does nothing for me.... Need a different way.
Pin, I am not clear about your snap node concern.
Will I be able to do a 'distance' command with my F3 osnap settings to nodes & still be able to 'inverse' from a snapped node to a snapped node?
What do you mean by "snapping to node while hovering over point data"?
I do agree that the point group management from the LDD way to the Carlson layering way has been one of the biggest adjustments. Overall though I think it has been a small price to pay & worth it to be free from LDD...
Our engineer switched from AutoCAD with the full version of Carlson to Intellicad with the full version of Carlson.
He hates it. Said it was the dumbest thing he ever did.
Wow, hates it? I wonder why, because he is an engineer & not a surveyor?
😉
once you go to carlson you will never go back. do not be scared of imbedded icad. it is stable. i am running carlson survey 2011 with icad and have been running carlson since 2004. i love it. it is intuitive. and if you can't find the answer here carlson support is the best around.
I think it has to do with the fact that there are numerous minor differences. I'm still on AutoCAD, so I can't speak to those differences.
point snaps in iCAD
IN LDD... when hovering over the description or elevation or point number the pick snaps to the node, iCAD will not do this.... no ifs ands or buts, it WILL NOT DO IT. iCAD is NOT aCAD, that being said you are going to have to work around some of the things that you use that use to be routine, this goes with learning anything new. The fact is LDD is DEAD and aCAD cares so little about us, surveyors, they would not bring it back... and now they probably could not even if they wanted to because like most that use to be a LDD shop I am a Carlson man.
aCAD has simply priced themselves OUT of the surveying market. I cannot afford to pay TWICE as much for the same thing at the end of the day. Switching to iCAD is the best thing I ever did... $4000 for just AutoCAD, insanity. $3000 for "built in aCAD" Carlson is still ridiculous.
GET bent AutoDESK!!!
No problem on the drawing files. As far as the left-hand type commands, you can customize the commands to do whatever you want. I had the same issue with that when I first started using ICAD, so I just changed the commands in the menu and assigned what I wanted. It's pretty simple to do (all dialog box driven).
point snaps in iCAD
> IN LDD... when hovering over the description or elevation or point number the pick snaps to the node, iCAD will not do this.... no ifs ands or buts, it WILL NOT DO IT.
Weird...It does for me...
Holy !@#$
> 1) Try: Settings/Carlson Configure/General Settings/Object Linking/"Check" Group Point Entities
> This setting will become default, but it will only work for newly inserted points. Any existing points will have to be re-inserted.
Holy !@#$ it worked... I started a new drawing a it worked. Thanks man, that was my biggest complaint from making the Carlson switch.
Holy !@#$
It is times like this that I try to remember to contribute an amount to the tip jar commisurate (what is that word that means similar amount...?) with the value I place on the recently acquired technical support.
