I've pretty much professed that except for helping out a fellow surveyor, a digital cad drawing should not include anything more than what a paper copy of that same job would show.
Very early on, when someone asked for a cad drawing digitally, they actually got the job with side shots and all.
But, realistically, a digital cad drawing should be only that part of the digital file that winds up making lines and text and such on the printed copy.
In other words the digital file should only include, what the client could make or derive from his paper copy . . . nothing more.
I would also suppose that there should be something about how he/she can actually use the data.
If it's a topo, I usually include a TIN so the designers have an accurate surface to work with. Sometimes a client will also request my points; I'll comply if it's a client I trust, though I strip out all supplemental control just in case the file winds up in the hands of a surveyor with whom I don't have a good working relationship.
I do a "save as" on the CAD file, and save as XXXXXX-email.dwg. Then I erase all the points from the drawing, and "purge all", and delete any misc line work outside of the margins (sometimes I run closures outside of the margins).
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I agree. Don't give them anything more than they can get on the paper copy. Only rarely do I give digital copies to engineers unless we have a good working partnership.
Yes, my digital drawing looks just like the printed one, minus signature/seal, via a WBLOCK command. NEVER points or computations. Just lines and text.
I would say it depends upon what is negotiated prior to signing the contract.
Of course price will vary depending on how "complete" the drawing is.
I give them everything in a CAD file, including sideshots & elevation text on separate layers.
I think the client is entitled to them since he paid for the work.
Early on I would withhold such data thinking that I could charge extra if they wanted to have the XYZ points. But no one wanted to pay for them since they already paid for the survey itself & everything that were the results of the paid activity.
Legally, I believe a surveyor CANNOT WITHHOLD the X,Y,Z,DESC data. It is part of the survey work as much as the hardcopy plan.
You cannot claim Intellectual Property Rights on this because these are the results of a paid job.
So, do you always send copies of your data collector files since that is also a part of the survey?
My point is surveyors better be having discussions with clients about these things. No doubt without such discussions the data will be used for something it was not intended for (nor collected for).
I once submitted a topographic survey sideshot computation file containing all the raw & computed data. Forgot to send the adjusted coordinates to match the CAD file. Azimuth & elevation were still assumed. Never heard from the client about this error.
Surveyors are assuming a lot about how the client will use the survey data. Most of them don't even know what to do with it. Why bother with the numbers when you already got the CAD file.
Most of them may not know what to do with it, but they will surely turn it over someone who knows just enough to be dangerous.
Whatever works for the surveyor, job and client fits the bill I guess. I just think it is a discussion that is worth having.
