Bridger DeMars

After using AutoCAD for about 12 years of drafting, and then switching over to Vectorworks Landmark, I would say without hesitation that the advantages of working in Vectorworks over AutoCAD are immense. The only reason why I had been using the “industry standard” is because I didn’t seek anything better. Many take their work out of AutoCAD to do…[Read more]

Has anyone looked at Viz Terra?

Shimi; Thanks for the advice. I’ll give you a mini-review of the Vectorworks and its capabilities once I get started with it. I’m also interested to find out about an add-on program called Doodle. It looks promising. I’ll let you know. Thanks again.

I still have not found an intuitive terrain modelling platform for us landscape architects.
Rhino can produce nice surfaces, which can be pulled and pushed to get the aethetics right, but its contours are inaccurate and, unlike Civil 3D, very static. Civil 3D on the other hand is very dynamic and great in live sections and contours, but falls…[Read more]

Thanks RFox. I’m going to download a trial copy of Rhino and play around with it. I did that a few months ago with AutoCAD Civil and found the new interface pretty intuitive. I still need something that’ll be a simple interface with a landscape design focus. Right now, I don’t need super high-quality rendering capabilities, but I would like to…[Read more]

Personally, I would recommend Rhino 4.0. It is an extremely easy to learn platform and combines 2D and 3D design quite well. Plus there are really good render engine plugins like Vray.

Rhino is also very good at importing and exporting a wide variety of different file types from Autocad to Digital Projects to Maya. I don’t know the exact pricing…[Read more]

Thanks guys. I’ve seen many of the previous discussions on this topic. Reviewing my last post, I realized I had mentioned I had been running LandCAD. That part was true. However, I have not been using LandCAD. In fact, I haven’t used it for a single project. I couldn’t get out of the tutorial phase. The LandCAD folks have offered me extremely…[Read more]

John – this question keeps popping up and is a testament of the range of aspirations, skill sets and experiences out there in the industry.
I have seen them all and to date, I have not seen THE tool for landscape architects. We have to use various platforms to deliver the wide range of services we provide.

There are quite a few parameters to this…[Read more]

I personally would go with Autocad over Vectorworks for a couple reasons. To start, Autocad is the industry standard as far as drafting goes so alot more people know the program. Also, as more schools push digital rendering, more and more students are using software like 3ds Max and Revit which don’t play well with Vectorworks linework. On the…[Read more]

I’ve just started a one-person design firm specializing in residential. I’m trying to decide between the various cad programs and think Vectorworks would be the best fit for me. I have owned EaglePoint LandCADD (2000) but was running with its stand-alone cad engine (not AutoCAD). Now, years later, I’m really thinking it’s time to try again with…[Read more]

Hey all…LA in Kenya is stil young, we have to keep justifying ourselves more often than not. I recently started working at an engineering firm and i must say its a bit lonely.

I am a landscape designer working towards my professional registration as a Landscape Architect. I received my BSLA from Arizona State University in May ’05 and have been working for one of the largest engineering design firms for over 3 years now. Our office has one RLA, but our supervisor is a PE. The main advantage here is that I am learning…[Read more]

I recently relocated to Iowa from Arizona. I’m the only LA in my firm and the guys here seem to understand the want for the LA side of projects. The harder sell is to the clients, especially when I don’t get put in contact with them until a plan is needed to meet city requirements. Any suggestions as to convincing the Project Manager to bring me…[Read more]

Hi i am new to this group and i feel your pain!

Great group thread….Here are a few of my favorite quotes made to engineers over the years…perhaps you can relate?!
“Rectangular ponds are great….if you’re treating raw sewage”
“Yes, all those trees are necessary…..to hide your handiwork”
“Remember, Jesus was a carpenter because Landscape Architecture wasn’t invented yet..”
“Apparently…[Read more]

I’ve been working for a landscape contractor for 8 years running, now working for a consultant in Kuala Lumpur, apparently a lot of shit is happening to my projects where engineers seem to over look conservation here in Malaysia.

We’ve got a beautiful climate but a not so beautiful way of managing projects. I heard that in Australia LAs and…[Read more]

Hey Isabel, you live in the UAE, too?

🙂

Hmm…come to think of it, my fellow larkies in the office fit the description. We are a “construction engineering consultancy”, but we’re doing fine so far, save the many moments when you feel the need to educate them about your profession, and point out that their utility manhole will be sitting askew on you paving grid…and that styrofoam on…[Read more]

Hello all
I dont actually work in an engineering company but im a lonley LA who works within a design dept run and filled with engineers! Does that count?
S.