Line work options

yes in the past few years I have been trying to only use AutoCADs plain vanilla standard linetypes that come in the ACAD.lin file. Everyone has those so it lessens transfer issues to.

I suppose we're talking about F2F coding to create auto linework in CAD.

I should take a look at Bricscad , heard good thing about this, reads and writes dwg files, I suppose it will read DXF.

As for your coding ... why not explore one of the custom exports to dxf for your survey controller, available on the Trimble website (Ascii File converter). I did not have the time to play with it but it should export a dxf with blocks and linework using the linework codes explained in the Survey Controller help files or pdf.

It could be a rather cheap Autodesk-free solution,

chr.

Yes F2F options please

Yes Christof, I am looking for field to finish auto line work options.

Yes F2F options please

Carlson Survey with embedded AutoCad is the way to go.
We've just transitioned to that in the office and Carlson field on a Sony Toughbook for a data collector. Using the coding options avaiable through Carlson, i get All of may linework, blocks, invert labels, pipe size and type labels, control point data and a bunch more when I run field to finish from the crd file. A 3000+ point file delivers all of the points lines, symbols, etc. in about 3 minutes max.
Our parent company runs AutoDesk and Bently products and has had no problems with the drawings that we produce. They say it takes them about 5 minutes to re-buld the surface model in AutoCad from out tin lines, break lines and coordinate files. All of our clients have been satisfied with our dwg files, and that includes the Corps of Engineers.

Yes F2F options please

Dent,

does it allow to add/draw attributes attached to a line,
lets say you shoot the front of a building with 2 points, and you enter the housenr. as note or attribute. Can the linework be setup that it places the housnr as text along the line.

chr

Yes F2F options please

Sure does!!
That's the way I get it to label my culvert pipes with their size, type and invert elevations automatically. My code for a 24" concrete culvert pipe is RCP /24. With that I get a text label that says "24"RCP" and at each end of the pipe I get a text label that says "INV.=xxx.xx". You have full attribute capability for Northing, Easting, Elevation, Point Number, Description, etc.
You can use the "space forward slant" code to add info you want to show up in the descriptor of your drawing. It will show as text if you set that up in Field To Finish, but you can used it as just a descriptor note for your own use if you wish.

Yes F2F options please

> Dent,
>
> does it allow to add/draw attributes attached to a line,
> lets say you shoot the front of a building with 2 points, and you enter the housenr. as note or attribute. Can the linework be setup that it places the housnr as text along the line.

If I may be so bold as to answer on behalf of Dent, I don't know if Carlson's F2F routine can harvest a Note assigned to a point and place it as an attribute on a generated line (I will, however, forward to programming for development consideration). However, the following are possible:

• Place a text of the Note(s) with the point(s):
  
• Or, run GIS Setup for a given field code to establish links to GIS attributes (preview image of Carlson 2012 is shown below):
• Label lines via the GIS -- Label GIS Polylines command. When I went through this process, I obtained the following sample output:
  

I don't know if this addresses your specific requirements and I haven't had a chance to set up any type of sample data for a "best practices" work-flow. However, I suspect there is way to get the desired information labelled into a drawing. For what it's worth, in September, 2010, Carlson and ESRI collaborated and recorded a webinar entitled "Learn About the New Opportunities for Surveyors in GIS with SurvCE 2.5." As memory serves me, I believe it contained some suggested work-flow procedures.

--
Ladd Nelson

Yes F2F options please

Ladd, my way is much easier than that!! I get the text imported. It may not be an "attribute", but it's easier to work with.
It sounds to me that he is looking for a text label in the drawing.

Yes F2F options please

😉 Yep. I tried to edit my post to qualify that my solution was aimed at trying to place a Note or GIS attribute centered on the line itself.

Unless I'm missing something obvious (likely on this Saturday morning), the "/" designator merely appends the text which follows to the point description. In any event, Carlson's F2F is highly customizeable and can produce some remarkable results with minimal input and configuration.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

--
Ladd Nelson

Yes F2F options please

Thanks to all for continuing this thread.

I will be checking out Carlson this weekend for this first time.

I must say that I am encouraged and a little excited after watching a wmv on F2F that Ladd sent to me.

Yes F2F options please

Carlson has very powerful F2F capability. That's the best part of Carlson Survey in my opinion.

It will do 2D polylines and 3D polylines on a different layer, for example. This is all set up in the F2F dialog.

Yes F2F options please

Dent, Lad,
thanks for the insight on your coding,
we do F2F on 95% of our jobs in Belgium, we're forced to by the Flemish Government, all as-built have to be delivered in a strict format for input in the Flemish GIS-system.
But, we love it.

Our additional info comes indeed as texts and not as real linked attributes, once in CAD the link with the point or line is gone, but that was our choice.

To continue about the coding of the housnrs. They must be labeled at a distance of 7m. of the facade in such manner that the nr. comes into the house, makes sense.
So when coding a building (code bo [BOUW in Flemish]) we code it with a + or - for placing the housnr. on the Right or Left side of the actual line, the 7m. distance is setup in our F2F table for the bo code.
We can place 3 texts along a line or with a solitaire point, codes N - M - T.
N reserved for housenrs, M and T for additional info.(brand of store, type of curb and gutter, size, type of tree)

below a screenshot,

bo = Fea code building
1 = linenr
the '-' sings is to start a new line.
code D stands for right turn, D+ or D- for left turn.
code DD stands for richt turn in first and last point of actual line, handy for buildings.
we can combine codes DD+ and N+ 37 becomes
DDN+ 37 then means right turn in first and last point of line and add housnr. 37 along the line on the right side (at 7m.)

code H constructs a new point so a square angle is constructed to the next 2 points of the actual line.

In this example we measured 3 point on the building to construct 5 line segments and 2 additional texts

... we have a lot more codes if interested.

We use alphanum. coding in the field on or TSC2 which runs Access software,
we download to TGO for further processing and then importing in GeOpus, local Belgian software which runs in acad, bricscad or standalone.
GeOpus also imports Trimble dc directly, but it's hard to edit coding errors in the dc, we use TGO for this.

chr.

Yes F2F options please

The Carlson Survey package is one powerful package set up for the Surveyor. I just could not see paying the cost of Civil3D when I do not need the "engineering" tools in that package. That price for a package that I would ignore 85% of the software? I do not design roadways or bridges. Carlson gives me all of the software tools that I need for a survey firm for about 1/2 the cost per seat. PLUS there are things that I can do easily in Carlson that I do not believe I can do in AutoCad.
Take the Carlson Field or SurveyCE package and tie it all to the Survey package and you have a very powerful setup. Once you get the dwt file all laid out, develope standard descriptors for the shots and get the Field to Finish all laid out, you have some real power in your hands. Auto line work, symbol insertion and text labels all via the crd file. It's just unbelieveable. I just worked on a 30 acre topo and boundary survey with 3000+ shots. All of the linework, symbols, terrain 3D breaklines and labels came into the drawing in under 3 minutes. If anyone is still drawing "dot to dot", they are losing lots of money. AND the contour generation and editing is MUCH faster than in my old LDD set up. Everything happens real time, not on the next command regeneration. And I won't get into the double click editing on the screen for points!
Spend the extra money and get the AutoCad embedded version of Carlson Survey. It is well worth the extra cost and still is about half the cost of Civil 3D. The trick is to buy the software that you need to do your job at the best price you can find. If the software has bells and whistles that you will never use, then you are throwing away money. IMHO Carlson Survey is the way for a surveyor to go and obviously, the embedded AutoCad version gives AutoCad compatibility.
If you are looking at Carlson, but have not made up your mind yet, go to the Download section on the Carlson web site and watch some of the training films there to see what it will do. Those films are a great "How to" source for the new users too.

Yes F2F options please

On my set up the "/" and the "//" code works the same and allows applying a text string to the item with the F2F attribute editing.

Yes F2F options please

I agree on Carlson.

Civil3D has the capability but they don't make it easy to use. I have to use it at work because that is what the engineers use. We don't do that many topos overall as a percentage of our workload so I may just continue to delegate that work to my subordinate employee. With the delegation comes the prism pole which is usually the preferred spot on the crew so I get stuck behind the instrument all day.

Yes F2F options please

Hey Ladd, when you talk to the programmers, could you see what they may be able to do to add the "VIEW" command to Survey? I know it may be something that AutoDesk leaves out of the kernal on purpose, but it sure would be nice to have it back. Makes Paper Space so much easier to use.

Yes F2F options please

I've passed along the feature request to programming.

--
Ladd Nelson