I'm in the process of revising my legend and have for the group.?ÿ Do you show only the features and abbreviations which appear on the face of your drawing or do you just show your entire library of line, symbols and abbreviations as is found on most engineering plan sets??ÿ For years I've spent time purging my legend for each project to reflect only the mapped features in the legend.?ÿ While this is not such a big deal when you are doing a simple boundary survey, it becomes a pain in the a$$ when it is on a large base map.
I just don't see the harm in having unused symbology showing on a standard legend, while I do see potential harm in maybe missing getting something into a customized legend. And then there is the time and aggravation factor.
My opinion - go with the standardized legend on full sized sheet topos. On smaller sketch maps where space is at a premium you might need to customize.
I always comb the legend on my drawings and only show what is applicable. I get that this is not always financially viable but I think it is part of my job as a professional to check the small details like legends as well as the big picture. Having to explain something confusing that doesn't even apply to your map just raises other questions.
I usually customize the legend for each drawing, but it *is* a pain in the behind.?ÿ I think I've only had a reviewer actually direct me to remove unused legend items once.
I also customize. Once long ago, I had a lady complain that an item in my legend was not on my map.
customize, my stored legends are huge, it bother's me to show unused symbols, lines, hatching, ect.?ÿ
Each drawing has a customized legend. But I have several variations of legends that I choose from based upon the drawing.
I purge unused symbols.?ÿ Feedback from laymen has convinced me that it's a bigger deal to them than it is to me.?ÿ I consider it another version of knowing your audience.
My titleblock contains both portrait and layout paper space tabs in Arch-C, Arch-D, 11x17, legal,?ÿ and letter.?ÿ I store useful modifications of legends and other things in my Arch-C Layout tab.?ÿ ?ÿOccasionally I'll copy them all into the other paper spaces.
I always purge, otherwise people will wonder where the legend street light is in the drawing.
Standard legend is a great template.?ÿ
As things get inserted/added, and the space becomes more occupied, the intuitive layout becomes more dependent on whom is consuming the product.
Like when you grid out a steel girder construction drawing versus say like a park map with a small pond and a few bike trails, picnic enclosures and swing sets. Oddlly similar in complexity, and wholly different in the legend and layout based on consumption.
Always remove unused items.?ÿ
I always customize the legend for each survey. I primarily do boundary related surveys .
We have a little in-house programme which runs through all the point codes in the database used to produce the drawing: it lists out the codes used in order of the Legend, which makes it easy to customise the standard list. Anything you add in manually on the drawing you know you also need to add to yopur customised list (and remember if you have used a code in the field for something other than it really is!).
I was taught to only show what's on the drawing in the legend.?ÿ The logic of this (as it was explained to me) is that if you have stuff on the legend that's not on the drawing - like maybe a well for example - people are going to be endlessly scanning the drawing wondering "where's this well at?".?ÿ?ÿ
I have the local reviewers redline me all the time about "unused items" in my legend. It irks me. If you see a symbol or abbreviation on the map, look in the legend. DO NOT look in the legend and THEN look for it on the map!
I'm going more and more to no legend drawings.
@mightymoe I think that's probably better than putting items in the legend that aren't even on the map.?ÿ I take it your state doesn't require legends on maps?
I don't think any of the offices I've ever worked at had me edit the legends for different drawings. As you know, some legends are very long. Maybe, one day, someone will come up with a CAD add-on program that scans a drawing for symbols and modifies the legend accordingly.
I have a full legend in my templates and customize accordingly. Enough ALTA clients have asked ??well where??s this gas meter listed in the legend?? for me to keep doing it. And while it??s a pain to keep track of every single symbol in the drawing, they do have a point.?ÿ
I can't think of any agency that requires legends by regulation or statute. DOT and SEO both have fairly laid out legend requirements.?ÿ