Land8 | David Barbarash | Activity

David Barbarash replied to the topic Research study on graphic techniques in the forum RESEARCH

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 13:48:04 +0000

Funny you should mention that, my masters thesis was on a very similar topic. Here’s a link to the short form paper: Graphics and detail
The tl;dr version: For the general non-design educated public, a “middle” level of detail is adequate for delivering information about a prospective design, and in the absence of even that level of detail, a…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Research study on graphic techniques in the forum RESEARCH

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 02:44:56 +0000

Thanks for the support! Initial results from the student body at Purdue seems to show an equality in perception between the two styles (it’s way too early with too small a response set to make conclusions though). They so far seem to reject the notion that hand drawings are exclusively loose and digital renderings are exclusively stiff. Whether…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Research study on graphic techniques in the forum RESEARCH

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 01:14:17 +0000

I appreciate your frustration with the questions, I can assure you that I don’t have an agenda with this study. These type of “forced choice” questions are common in social science research and the results gathered will not be used to try and point out that more people think one methodology is “better” or “worse” than another regardless of which…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Research study on graphic techniques in the forum RESEARCH

Thu, 23 Apr 2015 14:42:52 +0000

Not to pre-bias my own study, but this study hopes to be the first in a line to quantify our response to graphic representations created through various media. We can likely all agree that a poor rendering is a poor rendering regardless of creation method or technology, but the general consensus I am aware of is that a sloppy hand drawing has…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Masters Report Topic in San Francisco, California in the forum RESEARCH

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 12:28:49 +0000

One easy(ish) thing to do is to get your hands on some GIS data for the city, then scan for vacant lots.

-If there is a large concentration of vacant lots in a small area, analyze and try to find out why, then design an intervention to revitalize the area.
-If you notice a liner pattern or vacancies, consider an “emerald necklace” style…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Plan view photo trees? in the forum GRAPHICS

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:56:31 +0000

Here are a pair of links:
ImageCELS
Dosch
I had a few others but am drawing a blank off the top of my head… I’ll get back with more if I can.

David Barbarash replied to the topic Workstation build and Software in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:17:00 +0000

I’d be somewhat wary about the AMD chips. Historically, AMD GPus had issues with some 3D modeling programs, though the built in graphics processing on the new FX series CPUs are pretty interesting (they can be disabled in BIOS if you use a standalone card).

If you’re looking for a budget build, why spend the money on a workstation level card? I’m…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic What is the best modeling/rendering software for landscape design? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:07:49 +0000

Check HERE for examples of professionally done renderings. When you click on a post, you’ll get a series of images as well as a short blurb on the software used.

I agree wholeheartedly with ida & April here, go with what has the deepest user base. Take a look at the other forums on cgarchitect or dig around youtube for a while and you’ll get an…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Need Plaza Precedent for my Thesis. Thanks! in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:46:13 +0000

I think you’re going to have to be a bit more specific as to what you’re looking for…

David Barbarash replied to the topic I need some advice about the working environment in the forum PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:44:49 +0000

But don’t forget that if the situation becomes abusive, be sure to keep an (off-site) record of situations with dates and descriptions in case you need to file a hostile working environment suit…

David Barbarash replied to the topic CAD programs ? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:32:13 +0000

Thanks, that’s what I figured from my limited messing around with Revit. I wonder if anyone has counted the number of “customization time” it takes to get a LA office up to speed with Revit or Civil 3d (or Vectorworks Landmark)…

David Barbarash replied to the topic CAD programs ? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:58:54 +0000

How have you found Revit for landscape drafting & modeling? Have you found the software to be capable of handling the thousands of plant cultivars an office might use or the hundreds of different plants that may be used in a single project? Is the component system robust enough to deal with the variety of plant symbology (or not depending on firm…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic CAD programs ? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:39:40 +0000

1. AutoCAD & Vectorworks, though I’ve used a few others in the past.
2. AutoCAD is the North American CAD standard and since it’s owned by AutoDesk, it has a robust suite of supporting software that it (mostly) integrates with (3D modeling, BIM, etc.). Vectorworks is as close as we LA’s have for a landscape oriented BIM drafting program, and while…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Another Failed Landscape - When Ideology Trumps User Needs in the forum PLACES & SPACES

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:29:59 +0000

Not to derail this thread, but other than funding sources, average class sizes, and racial demographics, there is no demonstrable difference between public and private colleges.

Having said that, I agree with your points. The Colorado river has seen it’s flow reduced from roughly 22,000 cu. ft./sec in 1903 to less than 4,000 cu. ft/sec by 1980.…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Portfolio Critique Thread in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:43:27 +0000

I believe that you’re taking a lot of extra time using your current methods. depending on which program you’re exporting (or if you aren’t including any interactive elements, printing) to .pdf to, you should have the option to adjust compression and exclude layers. If you intend your portfolio to be printed, then keep it at 150ppi and at the…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic hi ! i need urgent landscape material ! in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:31:48 +0000

Give http://www.turbosquid.com a try.

David Barbarash replied to the topic 3D Programs - Which one should students know? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 18:38:37 +0000

That looks like either 3d Max or Rhino to me…

David Barbarash replied to the topic New Apple Headquarters in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 22:51:24 +0000

It’s no wonder why they had Joobs present to the Council instead of the designers. They need Apples tax contributions so bad that they’ll give Jobs anything to stay.

I didn’t share the link as a puff piece for Apple or Jobs (I’m a Windows person myself), but cause they do bring up one or two zoning and utility issues that I didn’t find anywhere…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic New Apple Headquarters in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:26:09 +0000

Slightly off topic, but here’s Steve jobs presenting this project to Cupertino’s City Council for initial project approval back in June.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtuz5OmOh_M

David Barbarash replied to the topic Transpiration rate master list? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:24:58 +0000

I’m pretty sure that the US Forestry services UFORE model (now known as iTree, damn you Apple…) can do this among many other things. Take a look: http://www.itreetools.org

David Barbarash replied to the topic Does anyone use Rhino for Landscape design? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:33:21 +0000

I disagree. There are only two kinds of modeling software, solids and surface modelers. Surface modelers drape a surface over a series of splines or NURBS curves. Surface modelers draw faces between points in space. FormZ and SolidWorks are no different (mathmatically) than Max or Cinema4D.

David Barbarash replied to the topic Does anyone use Rhino for Landscape design? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:23:22 +0000

My 2 cents:

I’ve messed around with Rhino a few times. I liked the CAD style interface and ease of laying out 2D linework to extrude into 3D objects. What I DIDN’T like was the reliance of NURBS based modeling. I believe that our work is better served with a solids modeler (like 3D Studio max, Cinema 4D, or Sketchup) as it’s more relatable to…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic LA graphics programs - illustrator, photoshop, indesign, autocad in the forum EDUCATION

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 18:22:00 +0000

Unless you like something written to the lowest common denominator, I’d avoid the “For Dummies” books.

Reading a “how-to” book without being able to try it out never worked well for me. It was hard to retain the knowledge or understanding of what I read when it came time to actually do the work and I’d end up consulting the book all over again.…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic LA graphics programs - illustrator, photoshop, indesign, autocad in the forum EDUCATION

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:11:30 +0000

I’d save your money on the book. You’ll get everything you need from the online tutorials (of which most are free) and the book really doesn’t have anything specific to LA’s, it just uses landscape-y type pictures as examples. Buying that book would just be a duplication of what you’ve all ready covered after you’ve figured out the basics.

I’d…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic LA graphics programs - illustrator, photoshop, indesign, autocad in the forum EDUCATION

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:59:27 +0000

In my experience, Illustrator was the least used program in the Adobe suite. I could never get past it’s awful memory management, constant crashes, and annoying errors. I use Photoshop for rendering and InDesign for layouts. I’ll only use Illustrator if there is a lot of complex analysis level linework (arrows, bubbles, etc.) since it’s…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic LA graphics programs - illustrator, photoshop, indesign, autocad in the forum EDUCATION

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 14:37:19 +0000

Got ya. Since CCNY is part of the CUNY system, there’s a possibility that you can take a class or two at a different location if you aren’t getting what you need from their program.I know that Brooklyn College has a strong digital media component, but check here for others: http://www.cuny.edu/academics/programs/notable/digital-media.html

Plus,…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic LA graphics programs - illustrator, photoshop, indesign, autocad in the forum EDUCATION

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 14:25:08 +0000

Its my experience that big box book stores rarely carry such specialized books, instead focusing on generalist uses of the software (which can be fine as well depending on your learning style). Take a look at Amazon and the ASLA and AIA book lists for decent titles.

I’d still say that $30 an hour is too much but if it’s the only training you’ll…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic LA graphics programs - illustrator, photoshop, indesign, autocad in the forum EDUCATION

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 14:11:36 +0000

I’d say that the course isn’t worth it at all, especially not at that price. In 20 hours, the best you will get is a overview of the software interface and maybe one or two ‘click here, do this” tutorials. The Adobe Suite and CAD can be split into a full semester long course each and you STILL won’t have half of what each program can do. $1200 is…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Is it just me... or do we need to rethink our illustrative quality of figures in the landscape? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:06:13 +0000

While a certain level of personality has gone into gaining work at places I’ve been, more often than not, it’s the design that sells a project, and the graphics that sell the design. This has been true for both public and private contracts that I’ve worked on, though mostly for first time clients in the private realm. once a relationship is…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Is it just me... or do we need to rethink our illustrative quality of figures in the landscape? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:01:07 +0000

BTW-any technique is the right technique if it gets the point across and is profitable.

I couldn’t agree more with this statement.

Even though I tend to use 3ds Max for my 3D work, and I like the physical cameras for rendering (to provide realistic viewing angles, horizontal compression, and focus), I tend to render to elements (each c…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Is it just me... or do we need to rethink our illustrative quality of figures in the landscape? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:36:02 +0000

As nice an idea as that sounds, I don’t think it’s feasible in the modern market driven design world. Computers are all about editability and repurposing content from previous works. That is not as easy (cost effective) with analog media.

David Barbarash replied to the topic Is it just me... or do we need to rethink our illustrative quality of figures in the landscape? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 18:48:43 +0000

My research line here at Purdue will be of interest to you then. I hope my work will be of direct help to design firms since I include cost/benefit analysis of each project in my write-ups.

My masters thesis looked at levels of detail in still images generated from a 3D model – and the time (and cost) it took to create them. I’ll be looking…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Is it just me... or do we need to rethink our illustrative quality of figures in the landscape? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 18:36:55 +0000

I’d also like to add that the perceived stigma of “computer generated images are hiding something” or “clients believe hand renderings are easier to make changes” are fast disappearing. Most developers and firm higher-ups did not grow up with computers or have chosen to avoid immersion into the digital world. And the whole “it’s easier to hide…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic New CAD utility - DRAW?? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 18:26:57 +0000

Assuming that you’ve printed/exported to scale from CAD, couldn’t you just use the scale dialog box and enter in an exact percentage to convert to the scale you want in Illustrator?

David Barbarash replied to the topic New CAD utility - DRAW?? in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 21:19:20 +0000

Corel has been around for over a decade and owns the rights to Wordperfect (a 20+ year old word processing software line), Painter (a palette/paint blending art program that can simulate different paints and surfaces), and Paintshop Pro (a Photoshop alternative).

In my opinion, their products have all ways lagged behind their competitors. For…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Help! Making Sketchup more realistic in the forum GRAPHICS

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:27:56 +0000

For me it’s a matter of work-flow (and the fact that I was a Max/Viz guy before Sketchup existed). I like the live linking between plan and 3D that CAD + Max can give and I’m fast enough with it that modeling times aren’t that much more than Sketchup. Then again I’ve worked mostly on large sites with complex topography and a lot of sub-contractors…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Help! Making Sketchup more realistic in the forum GRAPHICS

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:22:09 +0000

Under $600 for the software? No I can’t name anything else. But factor in the time (in dollars) it takes in Photoshop (an additional expense) to improve the image to presentation quality, and add in the time spent re-modeling and re-Photoshopping after the client asked for changes and then see how much difference there is between Sketchup and a…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Help! Making Sketchup more realistic in the forum GRAPHICS

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:29:53 +0000

It’s for this exact reason why I’m not a fan of Sketchup for the standard office design process. It works well for finished 1-off images after they’ve had a good amount of post-processing in Photoshop, but what happens if the client comes in and asks for a change? What if a building needs to be rotated, a road realigned, or grading revised? What…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Photoshop Cutouts for Perspectives in the forum GRAPHICS

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 20:09:57 +0000

Check out http://www.doschdesign.com/ and their Viz-Images line, http://www.marlinstudios.com/, and though I hesitate to mention it, http://www.archvision.com/.

David Barbarash replied to the topic What To Call Yourself or I Like Poking Sleeping Bears with Sticks in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Sat, 28 May 2011 01:42:09 +0000

Agreed, which is why registration has an apprenticeship period as a requirement. My point is: why the need for the term “Registered” at all if we all ready have a distinction between the licensed and the unlicensed?

And while there will all ways be exceptions to the rule; people who are smart enough and interested enough to self-teach…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic What To Call Yourself or I Like Poking Sleeping Bears with Sticks in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Sat, 28 May 2011 01:26:09 +0000

It is neither immature nor insecure. It’s a matter of semantics that as far as I can see, has no psychological reasoning at all regardless of how you’re trying to reduce the issue to a personal problem. Your example at the engineering office is not applicable as you were not trained nor schooled as an engineer ( I assume). Could it be the other w…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic My Resume...Your Thoughts and Musings in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Wed, 25 May 2011 04:24:19 +0000

Something I just noticed: take down the resume’s you’ve uploaded here so far (if you can) and re-post versions with your address and phone number blacked out or removed. You never know what kind of unsavory people are lurking the web. Also, I’d move your “experience” section to the end of your resume; after work experience and before honors and…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic My Resume...Your Thoughts and Musings in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Tue, 24 May 2011 23:23:25 +0000

Yep, just education, employment, & achievements. Add in a “Skills” section at the end to showcase your computer programs and report writing too.

To address the job specific points, use the cover letter to highlight your skills. To me a resume is little more than a declaration of eligibility (Are you educated? Have you worked? Etc.) The cover le…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic My Resume...Your Thoughts and Musings in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Tue, 24 May 2011 19:25:20 +0000

Tough one then. I understand your issues with HR departments and how clueless some can be. To settle some of the issues at hand here, think about the purpose of your resume. Is it a document that gets you past the HR level and on to the decision makers? If so, then clear and simple (and boring) information pertaining to your professional…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic My Resume...Your Thoughts and Musings in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Tue, 24 May 2011 17:30:39 +0000

It seems like you’re trying to fit too much into a resume and making it into a hybrid resume/cover letter/textual portfolio. Your work and project management experience should be strong selling points to separate you from others, but I don’t see much that emphasizes that skill set. It gets lost in the “Project Production” section. I’d take the h…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Photoshop Cutouts for Perspectives in the forum GRAPHICS

Tue, 24 May 2011 17:05:03 +0000

Very few places have free stuff available, and those that do are usually low-res copies of their higher resolution products for sale.

As a side note, be careful of stuff that people might give you or that were taken from a school or firm library. They often carry licensing agreements that can get you in trouble if someone who knows what th…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic AutoCad LISP Repository in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Wed, 18 May 2011 17:05:56 +0000

I tend to cheat in these situations and make a block out of a single parking space line, then use the MEASURE or DIVIDE command, select the edge of pavement line, specify the block to use and the spacing being sure to align to the source object. Then just select the lines the command created and explode them to return them to the polylines they should be.

David Barbarash replied to the topic Help! Making Sketchup more realistic in the forum GRAPHICS

Tue, 03 May 2011 23:39:27 +0000

When it comes to vegetation, I can’t recommend ANY 3D program (except maybe the Vue xStream or Onyx plug-ins for 3D Studio Max) and would suggest handling your plants in Photoshop. Plants are so complex that they take forever to render. Just be sure to match your plant materials to the lighting scheme of the image and to vary the size and…[Read more]

David Barbarash replied to the topic Photoshop vs Photoshop Elements in the forum GENERAL DISCUSSION

Tue, 03 May 2011 01:29:12 +0000

http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/photoshop/f/elementscompare.htm

Here’s a link listing the differences between the two programs. It’s up to you to decide whether the missing features would affect your workflow. For me, the lack of quickmasks, adjustment layers, and recordable custom actions is a serious dealbreaker.

David Barbarash replied to the topic presentation rendering in the forum GRAPHICS

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 22:44:08 +0000

If you liked cgarchitect, and get interested in 3D, check out http://www.cgsociety.org and http://www.3dtotal.com. They’ll have tutorials and forums more focused on animation and character modeling, but many issues you’ll face in the 3D world are universal regardless of model.

If you’re like me and have trouble creating a final hand-rendered image that…[Read more]