CAD programs ?

[Robert Primeau]

I’m curious if anyone has any experience using ViaCad for LA applications?

[Steve Mercer]

I use Carlson Survey (which runs on top of Intellicad)

I also use LandFX (which runs on top of BricsCAD) and LandFX has a plug-in to Sketch-UP

 

Carlson is most useful for interacting with my Leica Robotic Total Station survey instrument

LandFX is most useful for my Construction drawings and deliverables.

SketchUP is most useful for Drawing in 3D and preparing perspective drawings for either rendering under Vue or printing out the perspective drawing and augmenting the drawing with hand graphics.

I absolutely love the way SketchUP works.  If I had all the tools that I use available to me in SketchUP I would never leave SketchUP.

I have a general distaste for the user interface of AutoCAD or any Clone of AutoCAD.  I see the user interface as kludgy, antiqated and most certainly out of date.  One would think as long as graphics programs have been around that someone could design a better user interface for these programs.

I use different programs to accomplish different things.  I could buy AutoCad and just run Carlson Survey and LandFX on top of AutoCAD.  That’s great if money is no object. And you don’t mind putting up with Autodesk.  Me personally Autodesk will always be my dead last choice until they change their ways.  Google is actually improving the 2d side of SketchUP now.  And I hope one day down the road that they will become the new Sherriff in the CAD world!

s.

[John Pacyga]

1. Vectorworks and SketchUp

2. LA tools: creates a plant palette, creates plant schedule, and plants can be placed O.C. or in a mass; great for conceptual through final design

3. I’ve used Autocad since R12 and Microstation.  Both didn’t have landscape tools.  Vectorworks does think differently so there is a learning curve setting it up the way you want.

4. So far I’m just about twice as fast on Vectorworks than anything else.  So between the LA tools, stability, ease of working from different formats, it’s great.  SketchUp with Shaderlight is turning out some really great, compelling renderings for me.  

[Alan Ray, RLA]

1. Autocad

2. BricsCad…very economical and powerful.

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

The assignment should not be a survey of what a random of assortment of people are using. It should be about what are effective tools for the what is being done by the particular office or individual.

 

Different business plans require different staffing, skills, equipment, and software. One of the things that I found was very missing in school was either the understanding or the conveying of the reality that landscape architecture firms actually manage all of their assets in a fine balance of capability, productivity, salability, efficiency, and profitability. What is the best for one may be a very poor investment for another.

 

Because your poll is not specific to a particular need it is worthless unless it is to develop a software that is highly marketable throughout the profession. You should raise this discussion with your professors in order to gain a greater understanding rather than a useless survey. Maybe there is more to the assignment?

[Dennis J. Jarrard, PLA, CLARB]

Autocad 2011, Microstation V8i Select, LandFX, Briscad, Vectorworks Landmark

LandFX Comprehensive and easy to learn and produce immediately.  A real time saver when doing planting and irrigation designs.

Cost (Briscad is the most affordable and it works with Land FX)

LandFX

 

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