Jeff D

A few years ago I would have said 3DS Max, since almost every office uses AutoCAD.  Now, though, I’d say Sketchup.  Its biggest drawback is that in Version 7, Google took out the “import DWG” function.  It’s still available as an add-on, though.
I haven’t download Version 8 yet – can anyone tell us if they put that function back in? Or if th…[Read more]

Josh, that would be a great file to have.  Can you archive them into a zip or rar file and post it on a file-hosting site and provide a link?  With Daniel’s permission, of course. 
That must have been a great workshop – I loved his book.

Agreed – one of the keys to using Sketchup is to always freeze the layers you don’t need to see at the time.  And – just like AutoCAD – put everything on its correct and unique layer.  Otherwise, even a medium-sized Sketchup file can slow down even the fastest computers.  Also, there’s really no advantage to using 3D trees unless you’re going to…[Read more]

Something I forgot – as far as GIS goes, you can order CDs or download a trial copy of ArcGIS for free.  I believe it’s good for 60 days.  Plenty of time to go through tutorials.  The manual can also be DL’ed as a PDF (or it might be included – it’s been so long, I forget).

From where I stand, Strike One (“I’m young”) is working in your favor.  I’ve found the opposite to be true, and on more than one occasion, I’ve been told, “Actually, we’re looking for someone with less experience.”  I mean – how thinly veiled is that?  Look through the ASLA Job Finder and count how few firms want anyone with more than 3 years of…[Read more]

Right now I’d take any contract job for as few hours as the business owner wants.
Having been laid off since November of ’08, I know there is no full-time job in my short-term future, due to my age and experience.  I see my future – if I indeed have a future in LA, which I’m beginning to doubt – as a gradual climb back via contract work, which…[Read more]

I can’t add much, but I agree with what the others have said – AutoCAD, PhotoShop, Sketchup, and ArcGIS.  As far as a BIM software for landscape architecture, right now what’s recommended is Autodesk Civil 3D.  But the same terrain models can be created with regular AutoCAD, Autodesk Land Desktop, or Eagle Point software (Formerly known to us o…[Read more]