Congratulations to Keith Garrison who won the software giveaway at the NC Surveyors Conference and to Xan Holland who won at the SC Education Conference and Trade Show.

We had a CAD Test with 25 questions for attendees to test their wits and the first person to get 100% or the high score won a free copy of Carlson Survey 2012 with IntelliCAD. Keith got a high score of 88% in Greensboro and Xan tied with Greg Flowe at 84% in Columbia. Xan and Greg went through two rounds of tie-breakers before Xan was declared the winner.

Look for our booth at the SC Engineering & Surveying Conference in June 2012 to test your CAD skills!

Since the focus of my class and of the NC Surveyors Show as a whole is GIS, I thought it made sense to bump the information about the free copy of Esri software to the top…

Those currently using Carlson with IntelliCAD are eligible for a new “GIS Starter Kit” from ESRI. The Kit includes:

• ArcGIS ArcView desktop software
• A copy of the book A to Z GIS: An Illustrated Dictionary of Geographic Information Systems
• A copy of GIS Tutorial: Workbook for ArcView 9, Third Edition
• A 10% discount for the ESRI Survey & Engineering GIS Summit ($325 – standard registration price)

To take advantage of the offer, call 1-800-GIS-XPRT (1-800-447-9778) and request the Carlson-IntelliCAD GIS Starter Kit and please have your Carlson Serial Number available.

You can read more about ESRI’s commitment to survey and engineering services by visiting http://www.ESRI.com/engineering.

We are finally able to announce our end of year workshops for 2011. With the weather problems we encountered last year we decided to hold the events in the western end of North Carolina in November and toward the coast in December.

The cost to attend each event is $99 and lunch is included. See below for early bird registration details for each event. NC Licensed Surveyors and Engineers will receive 8 PDH credits and all attendees will receive a certificate confirming their attendance. We will have door prizes, software giveaways and special software or hardware pricing that is available the day of the show only.

We will be in Statesville on Tuesday, November 15^th and Asheville on Thursday November 17^th. Early bird registration is $89 through September 30^th.

We will be in Wilmington on Tuesday, December 13^th and Raleigh on Thursday December 15^th. Early bird registration is $89 through October 31^st.

You will be able to choose the sessions you wish to attend. This year’s sessions include:

• GIS from A to Z and Responding to GIS-related RFPs
  presented by Janet Jackson (GIS Janet) of Intersect
• Overview of Carlson Takeoff & Preparing Machine Control Data
  presented by Todd Carlson of Carlson Software
• Intro to SurvNet & Least Squares
  presented by Donnie Stallings, the original developer of the product
• CAD Standards Roundtable & Discussion
  presented by Jennifer DiBona, That CAD Girl
• CAD Tips & Tricks and hints for sharing data with others
  presented by Jennifer DiBona, That CAD Girl
• Overview of Carlson Software 2012 (Survey, Civil, Hydro, GIS, Point Clouds)
  presented by Scott Griffin of Carlson Software
• Field to Finish with Carlson Survey & SurvCE and the Surveyor+ GPS System
  presented by Butch Herter of Carlson Software and Jeremy Taylor
• Preview of future Carlson hardware
  presented by Butch Herter of Carlson Software and Jeremy Taylor
• Road Design and Site Design with Carlson Civil & Hydrology
  presented by Scott Griffin of Carlson Software

Note that all classes are not scheduled at all events and locations. See each workshop announcement for specifics. Seats are limited so register online, call 919.417.8351 or email us to register.

Starting in April 2011 we will be hosting a “Technology Breakfast” for current and/or prospective Carlson Software and hardware customers.

These events will be held on the 3^rd and 4^th Friday of each month and will start at 7:30am. Once a month we will meet at the Cracker Barrel at I-40 in Garner, North Carolina. Other events will be held in various locations in North and South Carolina.

Each breakfast and meeting will last for 1-2 hours and will provide an opportunity for us to demonstrate the future direction of Carlson data collection and field hardware. After breakfast, we will retreat to the parking lot for the field demonstration. Some events will also have a classroom component in a conference room at a neighboring hotel.

Technology Breakfasts will be free of charge but pre-registration is required. Call us at 919.417.8351 or email [email protected]. There is a limit of 10 people at each meeting.

The full list and details for Technology Breakfast meetings can be found here.

Keep checking our training page for more details about the new hardware or software to be presented at each event and for additional meetings planned for Asheville, Morehead City, Hickory and Wilmington, North Carolina.

After many requests to hold training classes in different areas of the country, I’ve finally managed to schedule a few dates. The classes are 8 hours of hands-on training and seats are limited. Registration deadlines and pre-requisites vary for each class – Click the link below for the class announcement.

Classes include Intro to Survey, Surface Modeling, Least Squares/SurvNet, Quantity Takeoffs and Drawing Prep for Surface Modeling among others.

Call 919.417.8351 or [email protected] to register.

• May 2-3 – Columbus, Ohio
• May 16-18 – Raleigh, North Carolina
• May 23-25 – Atlanta, Georgia
• June 1-2 – Raleigh, North Carolina
• June 14-16 – Baltimore, Maryland

Future Directions of GIS for Surveyors, Engineers & Construction Professionals

Presented by Janet Jackson (GIS Janet) of Intersect and Gary Rosen of Carlson Software…

This one hour webinar is intended to de-mystify the world of GIS for surveyors and engineers needing to learn more about this alternate universe.

For the initial part of the presentation by Janet, I’ve asked her to address, briefly, three questions:

1. Why do surveyors, engineers and construction professionals need to know about GIS? And, how can it help us?
2. When an RFP (Request for Proposal) has a “GIS Component” requiring a GIS deliverable, what does that mean and what should we look for?
3. As surveyors, engineers and contractors using Carlson Software, what are some fairly easy “value-added” services we could offer to existing and potential clients to generate new business?

Following Janet’s presentation, Gary Rosen with Carlson Software will discuss the new technology currently in the market from Carlson and what may be coming down the line.

Register for the April 27^th Webinar Here

All classes listed below will be held at the Hampton Inn on Hampton Woods Lane in Raleigh, NC. Lunch will be provided and NC licensed Land Surveyors and Engineers will receive PDH credit hours for attending. A certificate will be provided to everyone completing the training and may be used for PDH credit in other states.

Registration for all classes is limited to 10 people – please call us at 919.417.8351 to register.

Intro to Carlson with a CAD Refresher, $249    July 12-13, 2010

This class will focus on the basics of Carlson Software along with a review of some IntelliCAD and AutoCAD features that will assist you when working with Carlson Software. Please click here for pre-requisites and more details or download a PDF with agenda and directions here.

Surface Modeling with Carlson Software, $249    July 26-27 or Aug 23-24, 2010

This class will start with an introductory lesson on existing ground surface modeling and will then move to proposed surface modeling techniques including modeling for site and subdivision design, ponds, retaining walls and multi-level building pads. Please click here for pre-requisites and more details or download a PDF with agenda and directions for July 26-27 or Aug 23-24 here.

My Field to Finish, $349     Aug 16-17, 2010

This class will provide an overview of Carlson’s Field to Finish feature and will provide each attendee with time to create a standard field to finish code file (.fld file) to be used in his or her office. We will also cover the creation of block libraries and custom linetypes that can be assigned to field codes. In order to ensure that each attendee is prepared for and brings the content needed for the class, a one hour pre-training session will be held online approximately 2-3 weeks before the class. Please click here for pre-requisites and more details or download a PDF with agenda and directions here.

My Company Standards, $349     Sept 20-21, 2010

This class provides training and guidance to help you create a comprehensive CAD standard for your company. We will cover standard layers, linetypes, pen weights, text styles, blocks and title blocks. A more detailed list and description of needed content will be provided after registration. In order to ensure that each attendee is prepared for and brings the content needed for the class, a one hour pre-training session will be held online approximately 2-3 weeks before the class. Please click here for pre-requisites and more details or download a PDF with agenda and directions here.

I’m reflecting on my impressions of the inaugural meeting of the Kansas City Carlson User Group meeting held at the corporate office of Griner & Schmitz on August 20, 2009. About a dozen individuals showed up to form new business relationships with one another and draw on the strengths from their common bond.

The meeting started out with the gracious hospitality of Griner & Schmitz who hosted the event at their corporate headquarters in Kansas City. Complimentary food and beverages were aplenty and the guests quickly found themselves forming or renewing friendships with others in attendance.

After a bit of socializing, the guests were treated to a sneak peek of Carlson SurvCE 2.5 from Carlson Software South Central Regional Sales Director Aaron Newman. Aaron demonstrated many of the new and powerful features of SurvCE and showed the attendees how to leverage the power of the Carlson Field-to-Finish routines. Throughout the presentation, one of the key benefits of a User Group is that questions posed by one individual benefits the others and attendees are generally willing to share their observations and experiences with others. After Aaron’s presentation, I was given the opportunity to demonstrate some of the new features that will be released with Carlson 2010 with particular focus on surveying and the communication of information between the field and the office.

It was amazing at how quickly the two-hour meeting flew by but it is my opinion the Kansas City Carlson User Group is off to a great start. If you’re in the Kansas City area in mid-October for the expected follow-up meeting, consider dropping in for some informational aspects of the products and services offered by Carlson Software. Otherwise, express your interest in forming a Carlson User Group in your region!

Carlson Software recently asked Felicia and me to present webinars on topics we have particular interest in or specialize in. 

Felicia’s webinar on BIM, GIS and Carlson Software can be viewed here: BIM, GIS and Carlson Software Webinar

My webinar on CAD Standards can be viewed here: CAD Standards for Carlson Software with AutoCAD or IntelliCAD

Felicia Provencal’s webinar for Carlson Software on the topic, “BIM, GIS and Carlson Software” can be viewed or downloaded here.