Symbol Legends

I don't like legends at all!

Draw an arrow to it and say what you found/did/didn't do.

That way there's no questions.

So you have to write out "SET 2" Iron Pipe tagged LSXXXX" twelve times. Big deal.

For most of my sets, it is the same monument. Less clutter.

For founds, they get labeled.

Fd. 3/4" Pipe in rock pile, with yellow paint... etc.

> I typically use:
>
> Open circle, same size as text, for FOUND monuments.
>
> Filled in circle, for set monuments.
>
> Open Triangle, for computed points.
>
> The logic for it, is that you can (back in the day of manual drafting) fill in an open circle, if you had to set it.

Hmmm....logic to me would be to have the computed positions be an open circle, which you could fill in if/when you set a monument there. When you find a monument, how often would you be setting one there.

> I don't like legends at all!
>
> Draw an arrow to it and say what you found/did/didn't do.
>
> That way there's no questions.
>
> So you have to write out "SET 2" Iron Pipe tagged LSXXXX" twelve times. Big deal.

Legends have been a mainstay of cartographic products since forever. Properly used, there would be no questions anyway. Writing out "SET 2" Iron Pipe tagged LSXXXX" twelve times instead of once in the legend may be your personal preference, but to most it will not clear up any questions, it will merely demonstrate a poorly thought out survey map.

Stephen

My BTR requires a legend...

I do the same as Dave with corners. I'll use a legend for other things, like utilities, but there are too many variations in monuments to use a legend.

I mean, what do you do if you find a 3/4" pinch pipe, a 4"x4" conc monument with RLS number, a 5/8" rebar uncapped, a 1/2" rebar with cap, a PK nail and # disk, etc., a nail and bottle, etc... ... which is pretty common in Florida to find a wide variety of monuments in any given neighborhood.

I find it easier to just use the same symbol for all monuments, then label each one individually.

Ever heard of the copy command?

I'm just kidding around. I write "SIR" next to any monument I set ... then my table of abbreviations lists SIR as meaning "Set 1/2" Iron Rod PSM #"

open circle for set, closed for found.

One thing I do is use the most common monument for the legend then label the rest.

For example say I find 6-1/2" iron rods and 3-3/4" iron pipe, the legend will have a closed circle and labled found 1/2" iron rod unless noted then on the 3/4" pipe I will still use a closed cirble but with a leader to each one explaining what it is.

For set monumets 99% of what I use is a 3/4" iron pipe so the legend is easy.

My pet peeve is someone just using set or found without describing the type or size of the monument.

Right under the title "LEGEND" I use the following info.

Symbols are exlained as follows unless noted otherwise. Figures in parenthesis are from prior records. All others are actual measure.

Closed circle for found mons with full details noted on the map to insure EXCLUSIVE IDENTIFIABLILITY.

All symbols as well must be EXCLUSIVELY IDENTIFIABLE certainly at original scale.

Many hundreds can be done by anyone who understands graphic communications and simple geometry.

Gee, you need thousands of distinct, legible symbols??? Pick a dozens distinctive fonts times 3 sizes each and add 2x for slant and straight.

Leave big footsteps by providing the details clearly and fully.

Anyone who uses IP FD, IP SET, with zero further details, for any and every assemblage of monuments should lose their license for life with no parol.

> Draw an arrow to it and say what you found/did/didn't do.
> That way there's no questions.

"Images are representations of mysteries, necessarily; for mere words are tools that break in the hand...." 😉
Russell Kirk

Closed circle for set. I want to draw attention to them, open for found, a computed intersection needs no symbol, if additional info is required, put it in a note. My set symbol states what is set with the addition of, unless noted otherwise.
Sometimes found GLO symbols are shown in the legend with an, as noted note if needed to describe different types of monuments, same with found pins if needed. Requiring a 0.10" minimum lettering size makes for clear copies, but without the legends and sometimes line and curve tables, the drawing can become cluttered to the point of being useless. I am seeing more and more symbols for computed locations, I don't believe a symbol is warranted, if it is not important enough to place a monument at a computed position, it is not worthy of a symbol either. Can always include a note if clarification is needed outside of the narrative.
jud

Granted, it's no longer a labor issue.

But it is still a stylistics issue.

Stephen

Sure liked those drop bow compasses for drawing small circles, never did get the positions as good when using a template.
jud

Label everything, every time.

I have seen too many plats that have a legend larger than the drawing itself, hideous.

i was on the stand and was asked what the filled squares and empty squares meant. i got them backwards - one was set, the other found. i do not recall which was which now.

> Label everything, every time.
>
> I have seen too many plats that have a legend larger than the drawing itself, hideous.

I agree, I have seen those legends that you speak of. Their CAD guru, seeking maximum efficiency in everything made an "omni-legend", so any entity that had ever been seen on one of their surveys, no matter how obscure, was included. They may stretch from the top to the bottom of the page, often not scaled correctly.

I customize the legend to every survey I have ever drawn. Extra work? I don't think so. I don't consider performing competent drafting to be extra work. I acknowledge that it takes longer, probably a half hour per survey.

But, no, I don't agree that one should label everything. The rule is simple... either it must be made plain on the survey by way of labeling and annotating, or it must be made plain in the legend. Things of a repetitive nature, such as corner irons get legended (new word!). Things that are more unique such as a ham radio antenna get labeled in the survey drawing.

For me, a square with a small x inside and the letters "RW" hovering just off the NE corner of the square is better on the drawing than the small x'ed square with the words Concrete Right of Way Monument if there are more than one shown. If there is only one, OK then maybe, but two or more? No, then they get the abbreviation which is explained in the legend.

Stephen

I'm sure the attorney ripped you a new one and tried to show that that gross error made your entire drawing questionable...

Around here, I would say a majority of surveys I have looked at use a convention which is opposite of yours:

Filled in Circle for FOUND monuments

Open Circle for SET monuments

Triangle for computed points. Usually open.

However, I have also come across an idea which I like - which is to use the OPEN circle for FOUND monuments, and the CLOSED circle for SET monuments, as it is far more likely to find a variety of FOUND monuments than it is to set a variety of SET monuments. That is, you usually set all the same monuments on a given survey, and there aren't too many different ways to draw a filled in circle, whereas you can vary the look of an open circle in a variety of ways (like the symbol for TBM, etc.)....

By the way, I am a fan of using the MASK command to hide the portions of the property lines which occur below the open symbol. Or, alternatively, filling in a symbol with a solid color 255 or something like that but which is set with high screening. I just think that it gets messy when a symbol which appears in the legend as open, is cluttered up with lines, birds feet, etc.