Does That CAD Girl have a “team”? Or is it really just you?
+
I like to tell people that when I came up with my company name I didn’t leave myself a lot of room for expansion!

Until about 2020, it was just me on “the payroll” of That CAD Girl, although I had several people, like Jeremy Taylor, who helped out on hardware and other specialties from time to time.

Now, Claire DiBlasi is my right-hand (and half my brain) who is taking care of most of the software sales – leaving me more time for training and tech support and other technical questions related to sales.

Hannah Rowsey has also come on board in 2023 and helps keep your That CAD Girl Customer Portal up-to-date with maintenance reports and serial numbers.

At this point, I suppose we’re Those CAD Girls… and we’re having fun with it!

The rest of the "crew"

Acting our age... Mark Long, Scott Griffin, Jeremy Taylor, Butch Herter & Mike Jones
After someone told us to straighten up


    If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

    I didn’t buy my software from you, but can you take care of my maintenance and upgrades?
    +
    Yes, we sure can!

    If you’ve recently received a Maintenance Renewal or OEM Upgrade notice from Carlson Software, you can follow this link to Request a Custom Proposal from That CAD Girl. Sending us that report helps us help you, so we’re offering additional discounts if you do that.

    FAQ: What is Carlson Software Maintenance? And why should I buy it from That CAD Girl?

    FAQ: How is Carlson Software Maintenance calculated?


      If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

      I can’t seem to keep up with my Carlson maintenance – Can you help?
      +
      We can, and in a couple different ways.

      Carlson generates and sends renewal notices automatically but they are only sent to you and the Carlson reseller located nearest to you geographically. Because the notices don’t always make it to you, we do our best to stay on top of those for you and get them posted to your That CAD Girl Customer Portal for your reference. From the reports, e also try to keep up with your renewal dates and send our own reminders and follow up notices.

      If you’ve recently received a Maintenance Renewal or OEM Upgrade notice from Carlson Software, you can follow this link to Request a Custom Proposal from That CAD Girl. Sending us that report helps us help you, so we’re offering additional discounts if you do that.

      FAQ: What is Carlson Software Maintenance? And why should I buy it from That CAD Girl?

      FAQ: How is Carlson Software Maintenance calculated?


        If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

        What is Carlson Software’s Maintenance Plan?
        And why should you buy it through That CAD Girl?
        +
        Carlson Software’s Maintenance Plan is a program that helps users stay up-to-date with the latest release of their program(s) at a reasonable cost. Essentially, maintenance allows you to purchase upgrades in advance, and on an annual contract that helps with organizational budgeting.

        This FAQ may also be helpful to you FAQ: How is the cost of Carlson’s Maintenance calculated?

        The maintenance program is available for programs that include IntelliCAD and/or run on top of a separately purchased license of an AutoCAD-based program. The following modules of Carlson office products are available with maintenance: Survey, Civil, Hydrology, GIS, Basic Mining, Geology, Underground Mining, Surface Mining, Natural Regrade, Field, CADnet, GeoTech, Trench and Construction.

        This maintenance program does not included AutoCAD OEM products Survey Embedded ACAD and Takeoff Embedded ACAD. These products must be upgraded individually.

        BENEFITS OF MAINTENANCE FROM CARLSON SOFTWARE:

        • Automatic upgrades for all modules when a new version is released.
        • Unlimited access to Carlson Academy (learn.carlsonsw.com), Carlson Software’s online learning platform

        COST OF MAINTENANCE FROM CARLSON SOFTWARE:

        • An active Maintenance Plan can be renewed annually at a cost of 10% of software retail price.
        • If Maintenance is not renewed prior to expiration, Maintenance increases by 10% per year after the expiration date.
        • Importantly… Carlson never charges more than 50% of the retail price of any program to upgrade and bring it up to the current version.

        WHY BUY FROM THAT CAD GIRL?


          If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

          How is the price of Carlson maintenance calculated?
          +
          If you always want to have the latest and greatest version of your Carlson Desktop Software with IntelliCAD (or with your own CAD), the cheapest way to do that is to keep your maintenance current. If it is renewed prior to expiration, the price will remain the same – 10% of the retail price of the software.

          However, if Maintenance is not renewed prior to expiration, a 1-year Maintenance Plan costs 20% of software list price and increases by 10% per year after the expiration date.

          But, regardless of how many years you’ve fallen behind, Carlson will never charge more than 50% of the current retail price of the software in order to bring your license up to the current version.

          If your license is not currently on maintenance, you can pay the maintenance fee plus an expiration fee which will both upgrade you to the current version of the program AND include any upgrades that are released within the maintenance year.

          Carlson’s policy on Software Maintenance can be viewed by clicking here.

          That CAD Girl tries to keep a copy of your most current Maintenance Report uploaded and available to you on your That CAD Girl Customer Portal.

          Click here to request pricing for your Maintenance Renewals or Upgrades – upload the Maintenance or Upgrade Report you received from Carlson to receive an extra discount!

          Maintenance StatusAnnual Maintenance
          (Percentage of Retail)
          Expiration Fee
          (Percentage of Retail)
          Total Fee to Renew
          (Percentage of Retail)
          Current10%010%
          1 year behind10%10%20%
          2 years behind10%20%30%
          3 years behind10%30%40%
          4 or more years behind10%40%50%

          ProgramRetail Price
          of Standalone
          Annual Maintenance
          for Standalone
          Retail Price
          of Network
          Annual Maintenance
          for Network
          Select Suite Pick 6$ 4,750$ 475$ 5,225$ 522.50
          Select Suite Pick 5$ 4,350$ 435$ 4,785$ 478.50
          Select Suite Pick 4$ 3,950$ 395$ 4,345$ 434.50
          Select Suite Pick 3$ 3,550$ 355$ 3,905$ 390.50
          Select Suite Pick 2$ 2,950$ 295$ 3,245$ 324.50
          Civil Suite$ 3,950$ 395$ 4,345$ 434.50
          Survey$ 1,950$ 195$ 2,145$ 214.50
          Civil$ 1,750$ 175$ 1,925$ 192.50
          Hydrology$ 1,250$ 125$ 1,375$ 137.50
          GIS$ 1,095$ 109.50$ 1,205$ 120.50
          Takeoff Suite$ 7,500$ 750$ 8,250$ 825.00
          Construction$ 3,750$ 375$ 4,125$ 412.50
          CADNet$ 1,595$ 159.50$ 1,755$ 175.45
          Trench$ 1,595$ 159.50$ 1,755$ 175.50
          GeoTech$ 1,595$ 159.50$ 1,755$ 175.50

          Sample Upgrade & Maintenance Renewal Pricing

          Program# of Years ExpiredRetail PriceTotal Fee
          (Percentage of Retail)
          Total Fee to Upgrade and/or
          Renew Maintenance for 1 Year
          SurveyNot expired, maintenance is current$ 1,95010%$ 195.00
          SurveyExpired for less than 1 year$ 1,95020%$ 390.00
          Networked SurveyExpired for less than 1 year$ 2,145
          20%$ 429.00
          Civil Suite or Select Suite Pick 4Not expired, maintenance is current$ 3,95010%$ 395.00
          Civil Suite or Select Suite Pick 4Expired for less than 1 year$ 3,95020%$ 790.00
          Networked Civil Suite or Select Suite Pick 4Expired for less than 1 year$ 4,34520%$ 869.00


            If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

            I’ve Installed My Carlson Software – Now What Do I Do?
            +
            What options do I have for training on CAD or Carlson Software?
            +
            Lots!

            But, don’t forget – there’s a difference between Carlson software TRAINING and Carlson Software TECH SUPPORT… you have to pay for one and the other is free!

            I recommend you Click here to complete our Training Questionnaire – this will help you (and us) identify the training that will work best for you.

            If it’s training you need, the best and most timely training I provide is through my live webinars or custom online training. You can see the list of upcoming webinars here or follow this link to Request Custom Training to schedule one-on-one custom training.

            If it’s movies and videos you want, Carlson has an extensive library of recorded webinars and I’ve posted the webinars I presented on Carlson’s behalf here in my Video Library.

            And, if you prefer written material, you may be interested in my Carlson Self-Study Training Manuals. These don’t cover everything Carlson… they’re more of the inch-wide but mile deep variety.


              If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

              Where do I get Carlson support? How much will it cost me?
              +
              It’s free. It’s always free. Straight from Carlson.

              It doesn’t matter if you’re on the latest version or on a version that’s 10 years old – it’s always free.

              You can email Carlson tech support or call (606) 564-5028. You might also check Carlson’s Knowledge Base site which provides answers to many common questions including KB 1078: Troubleshooting Guide

              Because I have them as a backup, I also try to answer as many tech support questions as I can. You can follow this link to send us a Request for Tech Support.

              INSIDE TIP: When calling or emailing for technical support, the first question you’ll likely get from either me or Carlson is “Are you using the current build?”. If you want us to love you even more and help us answer in the first phone call make sure to say, “Oh, by the way, I’ve already checked and I’m using the current build”.

              Read this FAQ to verify you are running the latest build of your software


                If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                Find Answers on your new That CAD Girl Portal
                +

                  Find Answers on your new That CAD Girl Portal

                  If you (or your company) have ever requested a proposal or invoice from That CAD Girl – Congrats! You have a portal!

                  Every portal is specific for the email address we have on file for you, so – Click here to access That CAD Girl’s Customer Portal then enter your email address.

                  The availability of tabs on your portal will depend on whether you have been granted Full Access by the primary contact in your company or if you have Restricted Access. Everyone will have Home, Free Webinars and My Training tabs while those with Full Access will have access to Recent Transactions, Serial Numbers and Maintenance Reports.

                   

                   
                  Home – On this tab you can review the contact information about your company and also request updates to contacts or other out-of-date information. This screen also shows whether staff from your Company is eligible to attend our Monthly Webinar Series for Free.

                   
                  Recent Transactions – On this tab, you can review proposals and securely pay your invoice using any major credit card or directly from your bank account. You can also review and download PDF copies of past proposals, invoices and payment transactions. This tab is only available to users with Administrative Access.

                   

                  Clicking on an Estimate – When viewing an Estimate (Proposal) in Recent Transactions, you have different options depending on whether the Estimate has been previously converted to an invoice, is active (unexpired) or is past due (expired).

                  For active (unexpired) and unconverted Estimates, you can click “Accept & Pay” to convert the Estimate to an Invoice and proceed directly to our payments screen or click “Create Invoice” to convert the Estimate to an invoice and proceed to the Invoice screen.

                  For past due (expired) or previously converted Estimates, you only have the “Print” button that allows you to export to a PDF.

                  NOTE: Once an Estimate has been converted to an Invoice using either option, you must return to the Recent Transactions table and open the Invoice to pay.

                   

                   

                  Clicking on an Invoice – When viewing an Invoice in Recent Transactions, you have different options depending on whether the Invoice is active or past due.

                  For active (unexpired) Invoices, you can click “Pay Now” to proceed to our payment screen.

                  For past due (expired) Invoices, you only have the “Print” button that allows you to export to a PDF.

                   
                  Serial Numbers – On this tab, you can see a list of your company’s Active Carlson Software Serial Numbers. The table on this screen is searchable and can be filtered or downloaded in Excel format. This tab is only available to users with Administrative Access.

                  DISCLAIMER: That CAD Girl has made every attempt to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information about your Carlson Software licensing that is provided on this website. Nevertheless, inadvertent errors may occur so all information shall be confirmed and validated directly by Carlson Software prior to use.


                  Also, clicking on any serial number in the list brings you to a details page where you can add any “Customer Notes” that are helpful to you such as the user name, location or even the Change Key associated to that installation. You can also find the link to download and link to installation instructions.

                   
                  Maintenance Reports – On this tab you can see the most recent copies of Carlson Maintenance Reports. You can download a PDF version of any report by clicking the “Open Attachment” button in the row. This tab is only available to users with Administrative Access.

                  DISCLAIMER: That CAD Girl has made every attempt to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information about your Carlson Software licensing that is provided on this website. Nevertheless, inadvertent errors may occur so all information shall be confirmed and validated directly by Carlson Software prior to use.

                   

                   
                  Free Webinars – This tab is accessible to all users although the information will vary depending on your Company’s webinar eligibility (see Home tab). The information on this screen is broken down into 3 tables:

                  • A list of Upcoming sessions in our Webinar Series with links to pre-register
                  • A list of webinars that you attended and a button to download a Certificate of Attendance. Note: You can add your professional license numbers on your Home tab and they will appear on your certificates.
                  • A list of recordings of webinars that you attended

                   
                  Your Training – This tab is accessible to all users although the information will vary depending on whether you or your Company have paid for specialized training. The information on this screen is broken down into 3 tables:

                  • A list of Upcoming Training sessions that have already been paid for with links to pre-register
                  • A list of Past Training sessions the user has paid for and attended with a link to download a Certificate of Attendance
                  • A list of Past Training sessions with links to the recording

                  Find Answers on your new That CAD Girl Portal

                  If you have ever requested a proposal or invoice from That CAD Girl – Congrats! You have a portal!

                  Every portal is specific for the email address we have on file for you and you can access yours by following this link and entering your email address.

                  The availability of tabs on your portal will depend on whether you have been granted Full Access by the primary contact in your company or if you have Restricted Access. Everyone will have Home, Webinars and Paid Training tabs while those with Full Access will have access to Transactions, Serial Numbers and License Reports.

                  Recent Transactions – On this tab, you can review proposals and securely pay your invoice using any major credit card or directly from your bank account. You can also review and download PDF copies of past proposals, invoices and payment transactions. This tab is only available to users with Administrative Access.

                   

                  Serial Numbers – On this tab, you can see a list of Active Carlson Software Serial Numbers. The table on this screen is searchable and can be filtered or downloaded in Excel format. This tab is only available to users with Administrative Access.

                  DISCLAIMER: That CAD Girl has made every attempt to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information about your Carlson Software licensing that is provided on this website. Nevertheless, inadvertent errors may occur so all information shall be confirmed and validated directly by Carlson Software prior to use.


                  Also, clicking on any serial number in the list brings you to a details page where you can add any “User Notes” that are helpful to you such as the user name, location or even the Change Key associated to that installation. You can also find the link to download and link to installation instructions.

                   

                  Maintenance Reports – On this tab you can see the most recent copies of Carlson Maintenance Reports. You can download a PDF version of any report by clicking the box next to the report and then clicking the “Open Attachment” button at the bottom. This tab is only available to users with Administrative Access.

                  DISCLAIMER: That CAD Girl has made every attempt to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information about your Carlson Software licensing that is provided on this website. Nevertheless, inadvertent errors may occur so all information shall be confirmed and validated directly by Carlson Software prior to use.

                   

                  Webinars – This tab is accessible to all users although the information will vary depending on your Company’s webinar eligibility (see Home tab). The information on this screen is broken down into 3 tables:

                  • A list of Upcoming sessions in our Webinar Series with links to pre-register
                  • A list of Past sessions in our Webinar Series with links to the recording
                  • A list of sessions the user has attended with a link to download a Certificate of Attendance

                  Paid Training – This tab is accessible to all users although the information will vary depending on whether you or your Company have paid for specialized training. The information on this screen is broken down into 3 tables:

                  • A list of Paid Training sessions the user has attended with a link to download a Certificate of Attendance
                  • A list of Upcoming Paid Training sessions that have already been paid for with links to pre-register
                  • A list of Past Paid Training sessions with links to the recording

                   


                    If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                    My Maintenance is Current… Where’s My Upgrade?
                    +
                    One of the best things about keeping your Carlson Software maintenance plan up-to-date is that you have access to the latest and greatest version of the software whenever you’re ready to take the plunge! Some users can’t wait to install the newest version as soon as it’s released but others wait for the first new Build to be posted and then go for it.

                    With the building out of your That CAD Girl Customer Portal, we are doing our best to have all the information you need about your serial numbers easily accessible and available to you.

                    As soon as possible after a new release, we will post your new, upgraded serial number(s) to your Customer Portal and will upload a new maintenance report showing your new serial number(s). However, if you get to this before we do… you can use the Carlson Software Serial Number Upgrade Lookup site to get your new serial number as soon as it’s released.

                     

                     

                     

                     

                     

                    You will need the items listed below. Your serial number and Carlson Customer ID can be found on your That CAD Girl Customer Portal:

                    • Your current serial number
                    • Your Carlson Customer ID
                    • Phone Number
                    • Email Address


                      If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                      Am I eligible to attend your Carlson Software webinars for free?
                      +
                      If you have purchased a new license of Carlson Software directly from That CAD Girl in the preceding 12-months, you’re eligible to attend any and all webinars listed here, for free!

                      You can also log in to your That CAD Girl Customer Portal to confirm your webinar eligibility:

                      The fine print: There will be a limited number of “seats” available for the sessions (limits of the technology). If we start bumping up against the limit of attendees, only one person per company will be able to attend each session. If we have plenty of seats available, that won’t be an issue.

                      On the Free Webinars tab of your portal, you can find links to pre-register or join a session in progress.

                      Follow this link to pre-register for any webinars you’d like to attend.


                        If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                        Why should I purchase Carlson from That CAD Girl instead of someone else?
                        +
                        Whether you need 1 license or 10, That CAD Girl will give you the same level of support and service.

                        We don’t try to get rich off of any single sale or customer. Instead, we give decent discounts on Carlson software products that still allow use to provide as much free support, service and training to our customers as possible.

                        We can’t always be 100% successful, but our goal is to answer every email and phone call and to be an extra resource for your organization.

                        Have feedback to share? Please click here to Send us a Message


                          If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                          Before I buy, can I attend a webinar for free?
                          +

                          Be our guest! Be our guest!
                          Put our service to the test
                          Tie your napkin ’round your neck, cherie
                          And we’ll provide the rest

                          Of course! Click here to let us know which one you want to attend!


                            If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                            P3D? or Point Cloud? then Point Cloud Basic? or Point Cloud Advanced?
                            +
                            With their 2023 release, Carlson Software has made dozens of improvements to both Point Cloud Basic and Point Cloud Advanced. So, I thought it was appropriate to “re-purpose” this blog post from 2019 as an FAQ and update it as the products continue to improve.

                            Here is a handy chart – current as of the 2023 product release: Comparison: Point Cloud Basic vs Point Cloud Advanced

                            Point Cloud Advanced 2023 – Quick Guide

                             

                            Point Cloud Advanced Videos

                            Carlson Point Cloud Advanced 2023 – Part 1
                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2Sgk21HnPw&t=34s 

                            Carlson Point Cloud Advanced 2023 – Part 2
                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftIdxr9cPmU&t=36s 

                            Carlson Point Cloud Advanced 2023 – Part 3
                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXchPkwVPcE&t=33s 

                             
                            From the 2019 post:

                            I don’t know about you but the new Carlson product offerings for P3D Topo and Point Cloud Basic and Point Cloud Advanced confuse me. Admittedly, these are products I haven’t dived into much and have relied on Mark Long and Doug Aaberg for their advice and direction. So, I put the question to them, “Who Needs Point Cloud? And Who Needs P3D Topo?”

                            Doug Aaberg: I feel that while Carlson P3D topo is a good solution for producing, manipulating surface models as well as some hydrology capabilities while Carlson Point Cloud is a good solution for performing virtual surveys and extracting existing data out of a cloud. It is probably to simple to surmise by saying Engineers would like P3D while Surveyors would like Point Cloud but I sort of think that way. The truth is, there is a lot of overlap between the two products.

                            Mark Long says: Carlson P3D Topo is intended to take large point clouds and create surface models for design professionals via Drones or Lidar.

                             

                            And as to the difference between Point Cloud Basic and Advanced? Doug says: Point Cloud Basic – designed to work within a CAD environment to manipulate and extract data from a point cloud. It has a very large capacity (up to a billion points) and is a great program for performing a “virtual survey” directly in a cloud. It allows the creation of Carlson points and 3D polylines utilizing a typical Carlson Field to Finish code table (FLD file) and draws entities directly into an open CAD drawing with no additional export function. A notable feature is Survey by Grid which sets points at any specified grid spacing.

                            Point Cloud Advanced – contains all of the functionality of Carlson Point Cloud Basic plus the ability to extract features such as trees, hydrants and poles. It also allows the creation of solids and utilizes typical Carlson cross section alignments (mxs files) to extract cross sections and profiles. You can select cloud data by color or elevation and create regions for isolating portions of a cloud for editing or extracting features.. A notable feature is the ability to simplify a TIN and create smoother looking contour lines.


                              If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                              That CAD Girl Active Coupon Codes (a running thread)
                              +

                              Black Friday Discount

                              Discount to add Survey, Civil, Hydrology, GIS, CADnet or Point Cloud Basic to any current license

                              (regular price $750)

                              Email ContactUs@thatcadgirl.com for custom proposal

                              Black Friday Discount

                              Coupon automatically applied at checkout after adding select Carlson Software to your cart

                              That CAD Girl Online Store Pricing

                              After adding select Carlson Software products to your cart, add the online store coupon at checkout for additional discounts

                              Free Maintenance

                              When adding select Carlson Software to your cart, you will have the option of adding 1-Year of Free Maintenance coupon to your cart.

                              Through 10/31/2023: Survey, Pick 2, Takeoff Suite

                              Select Suite Pick 2

                              After adding Select Suite Pick 2 to your cart, select the coupon Pick 2 Special at checkout for an additional discount.

                              This offer will end on 10/31/2023

                              Discounted Maintenance and Upgrades

                              Send us your report and receive an extra discount on maintenance renewals and OEM upgrades!

                              Click here to upload your current maintenance or OEM upgrade report and request pricing for your maintenance renewal –

                              Takeoff Suite

                              After adding Takeoff Suite to your cart, select the coupon Takeoff Suite at checkout for an additional discount.

                              This offer will end on 10/31/2023

                              Takeoff OEM

                              After adding Takeoff OEM to your cart, select the coupon Takeoff OEM at checkout for an additional discount.

                              This offer will end on 10/31/2023

                              Free Virtual Classroom Training

                              With the purchase of any new license of Carlson Software, you will have the option of adding a FREE registration to an upcoming 2 day Virtual Classroom training event to your cart.

                              That CAD Girl Standard Discount

                              Coupon automatically available at checkout after adding select Carlson Software products to your cart

                              Extra $100 Off

                              After adding Select Suite Pick 3 to cart, a coupon for an extra $100 off will be available

                              Available through 12/31/2021

                              That CAD Girl Maintenance Discount

                              After adding select Carlson Software AND maintenance to cart, use Coupon Code tcgmaintenance at checkout for additional discount. Currently available for Carlson Survey, Civil, Civil Suite, Pick 2 and Pick 4

                              Black Friday Discount

                              Coupon automatically applied at checkout after adding Carlson Takeoff Suite to your cart

                              Discount Workshop Registration

                              With the purchase of any new license of Carlson Software, you will have the option of adding 2022 Virtual Workshop Registration to your cart.

                              At checkout, click on the coupon 2022 Virtual Workshop to apply a coupon for $100 off the registration price.

                              Free Maintenance

                              When adding select Carlson Software to your cart, you will have the option of adding 1-Year of Free Maintenance to your cart.

                              No Coupon Code is required for this discount.

                              Ends 12/31

                              EXTRA $500 off

                              After adding Civil Suite or Select Suite Pick 4 to your cart, use Coupon Code dogdays2022 at checkout for additional discount.

                              This offer will end on 9/1/2022

                              Extra $100 Off

                              After adding Select Suite Pick 6 to cart, a coupon for an extra $100 off will be available

                              Available through 12/31/2021

                              End of Year Discount

                              Coupon available at checkout after adding Carlson Takeoff Suite to your cart

                              Expires 12/31/2021

                              Extra $100 Off

                              After adding select Carlson Software AND maintenance to cart, use Coupon Code extra100 at checkout for additional $100 discount.

                              Currently available for Carlson Civil Suite, Pick 3 and Pick 4

                              Free Maintenance

                              When adding select Carlson Software to your cart, you will have the option of adding 1-Year of Free Maintenance to your cart.

                              No Coupon Code is required for this discount.

                              Expires 12/31/2022

                              Extra $100 Off

                              After adding Select Suite Pick 5 to cart, a coupon for an extra $100 off will be available

                              Available through 12/31/2021

                              End of Year Discount

                              Coupon available at checkout after adding select Carlson Software to your cart

                              Expires 12/31/2021

                              Black Friday Discount

                              Coupon automatically applied at checkout after adding select Carlson Software to your cart

                              That CAD Girl Manuals

                              $50 discount coupon will be automatically available at checkout after adding any new license of Carlson Software and That CAD Girl Self-Study Training Manuals to your cart

                              Extra $250 Off

                              After adding select Carlson Software AND maintenance to cart, use Coupon Code extra250 at checkout for additional $250 discount.

                              Currently available for Carlson Takeoff Suite.

                              That CAD Girl Maintenance Discount

                              After adding select Carlson Software AND maintenance to cart, use Coupon Code “tcgmaintenance” at checkout for additional discount

                              That CAD Girl P3D Hydro & Topo

                              After adding Carlson P3D Hydro & Topo to your cart, use Coupon Code tcgp3dextra at checkout for additional discounts

                              That CAD Girl Preferred Pricing

                              After adding select Carlson Software products to your cart, use Coupon Code “tcg preferred” at checkout for additional discounts

                               


                                If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                I’m a contractor and need to do takeoffs and create machine control files.
                                What software do I need?
                                +
                                Probably some version of Takeoff – either Takeoff Suite which is modular and includes Construction, CADNet, Trench and GeoTech or the Takeoff with embedded AutoCAD (OEM).

                                The good thing about the Takeoff Suite is that you can buy the whole thing or just the pieces and parts you need. Many contractors only need the functionality of Construction and CADNet so, unless you need Trench and GeoTech as well, you could save a little money by just buying those modules. And you could always add the other pieces later if necessary.

                                Construction includes most of the functionality you will need for building models and doing takeoffs: tools for elevating 2D to 3D, site and roadway surface modeling (including resurfacing), quantity calcs, exporting to machine control and more.

                                CADNet includes the digitizing and imaging tools such as raster to vector, importing PDFs and BIM files and more.

                                GeoTech is for importing borehole data for analyzing subsurface conditions and materials.

                                Trench is for calculations related to installing pipes, sewers, or utility lines.

                                One other thing to note is that Construction is mostly a blend of the functionality you’ll find in Carlson Survey & Civil. Since the pricing of Civil Suite is the same as Construction, you may find that purchasing Civil Suite and CADNet is a good alternative to Construction and CADNet.

                                These images were current for the Carlson 2021 products but I don’t think much has changed…


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                                  What is the latest and greatest version/build of my Carlson Software? (a running thread)
                                  +
                                  New versions of most Carlson Software desktop products are released on an annual basis (Civil Suite 2016, Takeoff 2016, Takeoff R8, etc) and Carlson field software every 1-2 years (SurvCE 4.0, SurvPC 5.0, etc). However, in between these major releases Carlson will post patches called “Builds” that fix bugs or errors that have been found since the initial release.
                                   
                                  If you are having trouble or suspect you have found a bug, the first thing to do is make sure you have the latest “Build” installed for your version of software. This FAQ shows how to find the Build Date of the software you have installed.
                                   
                                  Next, you’ll want to visit Carlson’s downloads page, specify your program and version, and see if a newer Build is available.
                                   
                                  With the addition of this FAQ feature on my website I am going to keep this post as a “running thread” and will add to and update it as new Builds are posted. However, you can always visit Carlson’s site to confirm the version shown here is the latest and greatest available.
                                   

                                  Carlson Survey/Civil/Mining/Takeoff for CAD

                                  This can be installed on AutoCAD or with included Intellicad.

                                  The following modules are included: Survey, Civil, Hydrology, GIS, Basic Mining, Geology, Underground Mining, Surface Mining, Natural Regrade, Field, CADnet, GeoTech, Trench, Construction and Point Clouds.

                                  VersionBuild Date
                                  20237/9/2023
                                  202210/11/2022
                                  20213/16/2022
                                  20209/2/2021
                                  201912/20/2019
                                  20185/20/2019
                                  201711/15/2017
                                  20166/29/2016
                                  20157/28/2015
                                  20148/11/2014

                                  Carlson Survey with Embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                  VersionBuild Date
                                  202311/14/2022
                                  20227/22/2022
                                  20212/14/2022
                                  20206/23/2020
                                  20196/28/2019
                                  20189/27/2018
                                  20176/22/2017
                                  20166/15/2016
                                  20155/8/2015
                                  20147/14/2014

                                  Carlson Takeoff with Embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                  VersionBuild Date
                                  2022/R1212/1/2022
                                  2022/R126/25/2022
                                  2020/R113/10/2021
                                  2018/R102/26/2019
                                  2017/R97/3/2017
                                  2016/R812/11/2015
                                  2015/R79/26/2016
                                  2014/R65/16/2013

                                  SurvPC Data Collection Software

                                  VersionBuild Date
                                  7.xx8/29/2023
                                  6.007/10/2018
                                  5.0812/8/2017
                                  5.068/1/2017
                                  5.054/3/2017
                                  5.0412/12/2016
                                  5.039/6/2016
                                  5.027/25/2016
                                  4.0711/19/2015
                                  4.067/23/2015
                                  4.055/15/2015
                                  4.0312/17/2014
                                  3.031/24/2014

                                  SurvCE Data Collection Software

                                  VersionBuild Date
                                  6.172/3/2023
                                  6.168/16/2022
                                  6.091/21/2021
                                  6.089/29/2020
                                  6.078/4/2020
                                  6.035/3/2019
                                  6.021/31/2019
                                  6.007/10/2018
                                  5.0812/8/2017
                                  5.068/1/2017
                                  5.054/3/2017
                                  5.039/6/2016
                                  5.027/25/2016
                                  4.0711/19/2015
                                  4.067/23/2015
                                  4.055/15/2015
                                  4.0312/17/2014
                                  3.031/24/2014

                                  Precision 3D Software (Topo, Drill, Blast and Hydro)

                                  VersionBuild Date
                                  20238/25/2023
                                  20226/16/2023
                                  20222/28/2023
                                  20217/15/2021
                                  20215/14/21
                                  202012/11/2020
                                  20198/13/2019
                                  20181/9/2018
                                  201711/19/2017
                                  20166/6/2016
                                  20156/10/2016


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                                    Download & install your license of Carlson SurvPC
                                    +
                                    Related FAQ: Download and install your Carlson SurvCE

                                    When downloading Carlson SurvPC (and SurvCE), you are first required to enter a serial number before being directed to the correct page to download. This is to ensure you have the correct version (due to device compatibility).

                                    How to install and run a trial: During installation you will be prompted for your serial number. If you are installing for the purpose of running a trial, it is not necessary to enter the serial number during installation; however, without a serial number, SurvPC will run in 15-point demo-mode for an unlimited number of days. If you use the  trial serial number during installation, it will unlock unlimited points but will also reduce the trial period to 30 days.

                                     

                                    1. Follow this link: https://web.carlsonsw.com/files/updates/updates05.php?ss_email=&product=SurvPC
                                    2. Enter your serial number XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
                                    3. Enter your email address (for a trial)
                                    4. Click on “Show Files”
                                    5. Download #1 or #2 will be the full, complete, up-to-date version of the software. Select “Download”.
                                    6. During installation, enter your serial number when prompted: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

                                     


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                                      Download & install your license of Carlson Software (General)
                                      +
                                      The instructions below are fairly generic and can be used to install many or most licenses of Carlson Software. You can refer to these other FAQs for instructions specific for some programs:

                                      FAQ: Download and install your Carlson Software (with your AutoCAD or IntelliCAD)

                                      FAQ: Download and install your Carlson Survey with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                      FAQ: Download and install your Carlson Takeoff with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                      FAQ: Download and install your Carlson SurvCE

                                       

                                      1. Follow this link: http://www.carlsonsw.com/support/software-downloads/
                                      2. Use the drop-down box below the prompt “Select product you are looking for”, to select the correct program
                                      3. From the drop-down list, select the correct “Product Version”
                                      4. Download #1 or #2 will be the full, complete, up-to-date version of the software. Select “Download”.
                                      5. During installation, enter your serial number when prompted: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

                                       
                                      If you have previously downloaded and installed Carlson and have been running it under a trial serial number, you do not need to re-download and re-install. You can follow the instructions below to update your registration with your new purchased serial number:
                                       

                                      1. Start Carlson Software
                                      2. Go to Help > About Carlson
                                      3. Pick the “Change Registration” button
                                      4. Once the “Add/Remove Serial Number” dialog box is open, pick the “Add” button
                                      5. Complete the Registration Information with your new serial number: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

                                       
                                      For Network Licenses

                                      Instructions for installing the network license manager can be found here: http://www.carlsonsw.com/support/knowledge-base/?action=display_topic&topic_id=55.

                                      You can also refer to this FAQ: Download and Install the Carlson Network License Manager

                                      If you need a new (or updated) network license file, please contact Brian Hammer in Carlson’s Boston office. His email is bhammer@carlsonsw.com and the phone number is 606-564-5028.

                                       


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                                        Download & install your license of Carlson Software (General)
                                        +
                                        The instructions below are fairly generic and can be used to install many or most licenses of Carlson Software. You can refer to these other FAQs for instructions specific for some programs:

                                        FAQ: Download and install your Carlson Software (with your AutoCAD or IntelliCAD)

                                        FAQ: Download and install your Carlson Survey with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                        FAQ: Download and install your Carlson Takeoff with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                        FAQ: Download and install your Carlson SurvCE

                                         

                                        1. Follow this link: http://www.carlsonsw.com/support/software-downloads/
                                        2. Use the drop-down box below the prompt “Select product you are looking for”, to select the correct program
                                        3. From the drop-down list, select the correct “Product Version”
                                        4. Download #1 or #2 will be the full, complete, up-to-date version of the software. Select “Download”.
                                        5. During installation, enter your serial number when prompted: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

                                         
                                        If you have previously downloaded and installed Carlson and have been running it under a trial serial number, you do not need to re-download and re-install. You can follow the instructions below to update your registration with your new purchased serial number:
                                         

                                        1. Start Carlson Software
                                        2. Go to Help > About Carlson
                                        3. Pick the “Change Registration” button
                                        4. Once the “Add/Remove Serial Number” dialog box is open, pick the “Add” button
                                        5. Complete the Registration Information with your new serial number: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

                                         
                                        For Network Licenses

                                        Instructions for installing the network license manager can be found here: http://www.carlsonsw.com/support/knowledge-base/?action=display_topic&topic_id=55.

                                        You can also refer to this FAQ: Download and Install the Carlson Network License Manager

                                        If you need a new (or updated) network license file, please contact Brian Hammer in Carlson’s Boston office. His email is bhammer@carlsonsw.com and the phone number is 606-564-5028.

                                         


                                          If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                          What are the improvements to Carlson over previous versions? (a running thread)
                                          +
                                          Carlson released the 2023 version of their desktop products on November 1, 2022. They released Survey OEM 2023 on November 14, 2022. Click here to download a PDF of improvements in Carlson 2023 products.
                                           
                                          Carlson released the 2022 version of their desktop products on December 30, 2021. Click here to download a PDF of improvements in Carlson 2022 products.
                                           
                                          Carlson released the 2021 version of their desktop products on September 23, 2020. Click here to download a PDF of improvements in Carlson 2021 products.
                                           
                                          Carlson released the 2020/R11 version of Carlson Takeoff with embedded AutoCAD (OEM) on October 21, 2019. Click here to download a PDF of improvements in Takeoff T11.

                                          Carlson released the 2020 version of their desktop products on October 1, 2019. Click here to download a PDF of improvements in Carlson 2020 products.

                                           
                                          Carlson released the 2019 version of their desktop products on September 25, 2018. Click here to download a PDF of improvements in Carlson 2019 products.
                                           
                                          And, they released the 2018/T10 version of Carlson Takeoff with embedded AutoCAD (OEM) on October 20, 2017. Click here to download a PDF of improvements in Takeoff T10.

                                          Carlson released the 2018 version of their desktop products on August 31, 2017. Click here to download a PDF of improvements in Carlson 2018 products.

                                           
                                          Carlson released the 2017 version of their desktop products on July 28, 2016. Click here to download a PDF of improvements in Carlson 2017 products.
                                           
                                          Carlson released the 2016 version of their desktop products on August 3, 2015. Click here to download a PDF of improvements in Carlson 2016 products.
                                           
                                          Carlson released the 2015 version of their desktop products on July 22, 2014. Click here to download a PDF of improvements in Carlson 2015 products.


                                            If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                            Does Carlson Software Still Offer Perpetual Licenses?
                                            +
                                            Yes!!!

                                            The change from a perpetual license model (you purchase once and continue to use it forever) to a subscription license model (you pay by the month or by the year for access) in our little CAD corner of the world has sparked a lot of questions, debate and heartburn.

                                            In 2015 Autodesk announced they would be shifting toward a subscription model of delivery for their AutoCAD-based products. Although some Autodesk accounts and products were grandfathered in, any new purchases of AutoCAD are now available by subscription only. And, the kicker, you stop paying, you can’t access the software or your data.

                                            Carlson Software remains committed to the perpetual license model where you, the user, never have to worry about losing access to your software or data. Carlson’s desktop software includes a license of IntelliCAD so, if you ever stop paying for your AutoCAD, Carlson with IntelliCAD can give you another option to open your DWG files. If you want to ensure you have “perpetual” access to all your other data such as points, surfaces, road designs and more – make sure you archive your project data to Land XML files so that it can be retrieved with other land development, survey, civil and construction software programs.

                                            See also: How can I access and use my old Civil 3d, Land Desktop, Eagle Point or Terra Model data?

                                            See also: Get a Perpetual License with Carlson or download PDF

                                            See also: Robert Green’s CAD Manager’s Newsletter #350 Autodesk Goes Subscription-Only in 2016 or download PDF

                                            See also: Autodesk Courtesy Notice: End of Perpetual Licenses Sales, including individual products and suites


                                              If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                              Download & install your license of Carlson Survey with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)
                                              +
                                              The instructions below are for installing your Carlson Survey with embedded AutoCAD (OEM).
                                               

                                              1. Follow this link: http://www.carlsonsw.com/support/software-downloads/?product=CarlsonSurveyEmbedded
                                              2. Next to, “Carlson Survey Embedded”, pick “Show Files”.
                                              3. From the drop-down list, select the correct “Product Version”
                                              4. Download #1 or #2 will be the full, complete, up-to-date version of the software. Select “Download”.
                                              5. During installation, enter your serial number when prompted: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

                                               
                                              If you have previously downloaded and installed Carlson and have been running it under a trial serial number, you do not need to re-download and re-install. You can follow the instructions below to update your registration with your new purchased serial number:
                                               

                                              1. Start Carlson Software
                                              2. Go to Help > About Carlson
                                              3. Pick the “Change Registration” button
                                              4. Once the “Add/Remove Serial Number” dialog box is open, pick the “Add” button
                                              5. Complete the Registration Information with your new serial number: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

                                               
                                              For Network Licenses

                                              Instructions for installing the network license manager can be found here: http://www.carlsonsw.com/support/knowledge-base/?action=display_topic&topic_id=55.

                                              You can also refer to this FAQ: Download and Install the Carlson Network License Manager

                                              If you need a new (or updated) network license file, please contact Brian Hammer in Carlson’s Boston office. His email is bhammer@carlsonsw.com and the phone number is 606-564-5028.

                                               


                                                If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                Download & install your Carlson SurvCE
                                                +

                                                NOTE: You must have your SurvCE serial number in order to download the installation file.

                                                 

                                                1. Follow this link: http://www.carlsonsw.com/support/software-downloads/?product=SurvCE
                                                2. Select your “Product Version”
                                                3. Enter your serial number to get access to the download files: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

                                                 
                                                 


                                                  If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                  Download & install your license of Carlson Takeoff with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)
                                                  +
                                                  The instructions below are for installing your Carlson Takeoff with embedded AutoCAD (OEM).
                                                   

                                                  1. Follow this link: http://www.carlsonsw.com/support/software-downloads/?ss_email=&product=TakeOff
                                                  2. Next to, “Takeoff”, pick “Show Files”.
                                                  3. From the drop-down list, select the correct “Product Version”
                                                  4. Download #1 or #2 will be the full, complete, up-to-date version of the software. Select “Download”.
                                                  5. During installation, enter your serial number when prompted: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

                                                   
                                                  If you have previously downloaded and installed Carlson and have been running it under a trial serial number, you do not need to re-download and re-install. You can follow the instructions below to update your registration with your new purchased serial number:
                                                   

                                                  1. Start Carlson Software
                                                  2. Go to Help > About Carlson
                                                  3. Pick the “Change Registration” button
                                                  4. Once the “Add/Remove Serial Number” dialog box is open, pick the “Add” button
                                                  5. Complete the Registration Information with your new serial number: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

                                                   
                                                  For Network Licenses

                                                  Instructions for installing the network license manager can be found here: http://www.carlsonsw.com/support/knowledge-base/?action=display_topic&topic_id=55.

                                                  You can also refer to this FAQ: Download and Install the Carlson Network License Manager

                                                  If you need a new (or updated) network license file, please contact Brian Hammer in Carlson’s Boston office. His email is bhammer@carlsonsw.com and the phone number is 606-564-5028.

                                                   


                                                    If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                    Download & install your license of Carlson Software (with your AutoCAD or IntelliCAD)
                                                    +
                                                    The instructions below are for installing your Carlson Software on top of a separately purchased license of AutoCAD or the IntelliCAD that comes with the program.

                                                    These instructions are applicable to perpetual licenses, 90-day licenses and 30-day trials for the following modules: Survey, Civil, Hydrology, GIS, Geology, Underground Mining, Surface Mining, Natural Regrade, Field, CADnet, GeoTech, Trench, Construction and Point Clouds.

                                                     
                                                    If you are installing this license for the first time

                                                    1. Follow this link: http://www.carlsonsw.com/support/software-downloads/
                                                    2. Next to, “Carlson Survey/Civil/Mining/Takeoff for CAD”, pick “Show Files”
                                                    3. From the drop-down list, select the correct “Product Version”
                                                    4. Download #1 or #2 will be the full, complete, up-to-date version of the software. Select “Download”.
                                                    5. During installation, enter your serial number when prompted: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
                                                    6. When prompted for the platform, select IntelliCAD or your current version of AutoCAD.

                                                     
                                                    If you only need to change or update the serial number

                                                    If you have previously downloaded and installed this same version of Carlson and have been running it under a trial serial number or you’ve purchased additional modules, you do not need to re-download and re-install.

                                                    You can follow the instructions below to update your registration with your new purchased serial number:

                                                    1. Start Carlson Software
                                                    2. Go to Help > About Carlson
                                                    3. Pick the “Change Registration” button
                                                    4. Once the “Add/Remove Serial Number” dialog box is open, pick the “Add” button
                                                    5. Complete the Registration Information with your new serial number: XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

                                                     
                                                    For Network Licenses

                                                    Instructions for installing the network license manager can be found here: http://www.carlsonsw.com/support/knowledge-base/?action=display_topic&topic_id=55.

                                                    You can also refer to this FAQ: Download and Install the Carlson Network License Manager

                                                    If you need a new (or updated) network license file, please contact Brian Hammer in Carlson’s Boston office. His email is bhammer@carlsonsw.com and the phone number is 606-564-5028.

                                                     


                                                      If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                      What’s the difference between Carlson with IntelliCAD and with the embedded AutoCAD (OEM) platform?
                                                      +
                                                      The price is the biggest difference.

                                                      Whether you’re using Carlson Survey or Takeoff on the IntelliCAD or embedded AutoCAD (OEM) platform, the Survey and Takeoff functionality will be identical. Any differences are going to be strictly limited to the underlying engine – IntelliCAD or embedded AutoCAD.

                                                      • From a feature and functionality standpoint, IntelliCAD will be closer to a full AutoCAD and embedded AutoCAD (OEM) will be closer to an AutoCAD LT.
                                                      • IntelliCAD is generic version of AutoCAD and tracks closer to a 4-5 year old version of AutoCAD. See this FAQ comparing IntelliCAD and AutoCAD
                                                      • Embedded AutoCAD (OEM) will look more like today’s AutoCAD and may have more of the current bells and whistles – but it’ll also be missing some key functionality such as the ability to create aliases (command shortcuts) and load LISP routines. See this FAQ comparing embedded AutoCAD (OEM) and AutoCAD

                                                      It’s a work in progress but you can check out this FAQ where I’m starting a list of the differences between the two programs.


                                                        If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                        What features & menus are in Carlson Point Cloud? (a running thread)
                                                        +

                                                        Carlson Point Cloud 2019 - Basic and Advanced

                                                        Features and Benefits of Point Cloud 2019

                                                        With the release of their 2019 products, Carlson now offers Basic and Advanced versions of their Point Cloud program.

                                                        Comparison: Point Cloud Basic vs Point Cloud Advanced

                                                        Commands in Point Cloud Basic and Point Cloud Advanced

                                                        View product page for Point Cloud Basic

                                                        View product page for Point Cloud Advanced

                                                        Carlson Point Cloud is a modular program that provides this powerful ability to go from field scan to finished plat, all with seamless integration to Carlson Survey, Carlson Civil and Carlson Mining. Carlson Point Cloud delivers a whole new level of powerful automation for large data sets. It gives laser scanner users the ability to process millions of data points with Carlson Software ease-of-use.

                                                        Register your scan to local coordinates, filter or decimate the points, overlay raster images in 3D, snap to edges and code the descriptions for automated field-to finish processing of linework and symbols and create contours, profiles, sections, and breaklines. You will be able to read scan data from many instruments, view and process up to 1 billion points, and then perform the Field-to-Finish from the scanned data!

                                                        This Carlson Software office product allows users to export surface models, points, contours, breaklines, grid and profiles to CAD.

                                                        Carlson Point Cloud 2017

                                                        Features and Benefits of Point Cloud 2017

                                                        Carlson Point Cloud is a modular program that provides this powerful ability to go from field scan to finished plat, all with seamless integration to Carlson Survey, Carlson Civil and Carlson Mining. Carlson Point Cloud delivers a whole new level of powerful automation for large data sets. It gives laser scanner users the ability to process millions of data points with Carlson Software ease-of-use.

                                                        Register your scan to local coordinates, filter or decimate the points, overlay raster images in 3D, snap to edges and code the descriptions for automated field-to finish processing of linework and symbols and create contours, profiles, sections, and breaklines. You will be able to read scan data from many instruments, view and process up to 1 billion points, and then perform the Field-to-Finish from the scanned data!

                                                        This Carlson Software office product allows users to export surface models, points, contours, breaklines, grid and profiles to CAD.

                                                        Menus in Point Cloud 2017

                                                         

                                                        Menu Bar in Point Cloud 2017

                                                         

                                                        The menus below are available in Carlson Point Cloud 2017

                                                        Point Clouds Menu

                                                        Point Clouds 2017

                                                        The menus below are in all non-OEM programs of Carlson 2017 desktop software

                                                        (Click image to see more)


                                                          If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                          GIS Starter Kit for Carlson’s IntelliCAD users
                                                          +
                                                          Update July 2020: I’ve recently been informed that this offer is not being offered by Esri at this time.

                                                          Esri offers this promotion intermittently so I’ll just keep these details posted and will provide updates if and when I get word the promotion is currently “On” or “Off”…

                                                           
                                                          I can’t remember when I received the last confirmation so, until I hear differently, we’ll assume it’s ON…!
                                                           


                                                           
                                                          Those currently using Carlson with IntelliCAD are eligible for a FREE “GIS for surveyors Starter Kit” from ESRI. The Kit includes 3 books:
                                                           

                                                          • ArcGIS for Desktop Basic
                                                          • A to Z GIS: An Illustrated Dictionary of Geographic Information Systems
                                                          • Getting to Know ArcGIS for Desktop, Third Edition

                                                           
                                                          To take advantage of the offer, call 1-800-GIS-XPRT FREE (1-800-447-9778 FREE) and request the Carlson-IntelliCAD GIS Starter Kit and please have your Carlson Serial Number available.
                                                           
                                                          You can learn more about ESRI’s commitment to survey and engineering by attending the Esri AEC Summit or by visiting www.esri.com.


                                                            If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                            About IntelliCAD
                                                            +
                                                            IntelliCAD is a cooperative CAD development platform that is becoming more and more accepted as an alternative to AutoCAD.

                                                            IntelliCAD – An IntroductionThe development of IntelliCAD is overseen by the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium, “an organization of CAD software developers, who develop applications for IntelliCAD, a Computer-aided design engine. The IntelliCAD engine, which is based on the DWGdirect library from the Open Design Alliance reads and writes the ‘.dwg’ data format – a widely used file format for storing both graphic and textual information of CAD-related software applications.”

                                                            The primary goals of the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium are to “research and develop CAD technology, the IntelliCAD platform, and to deliver CAD solutions to customers worldwide.” In other words, to provide the personal and commercial CAD markets with a cost-effective solution that is capable of reading and writing the common drawing (DWG) file.

                                                            The ITC is a non-profit, independent organization of commercial software developers (members). The ITC has an elected, volunteer, member based Board of Directors which guide its strategic vision. An independent (non-member) President manages the tactical business operations. Members pay annual dues that fund the ITC. Today the ITC has over 50 members who support 13 languages and ship product in more than 35 countries.

                                                            IntelliCAD – A Trip through Time

                                                            Except where noted, each of the following items were obtained from An Outside Look in at IntelliCAD (used by permission) which requires the free Adobe Reader.

                                                            “Where did the name come from? The name of the software ‘IntelliCAD’ comes from a programming company that was formed in the early 1990s in San Diego, CA, USA. Their main claim to fame was ADE (AutoCAD Data Extension), which they sold to Autodesk, and which eventually became part of Autodesk Map.”

                                                            “IntelliCAD the software has a complex and fascinating history that winds its way through Softdesk, Autodesk, Boomerang, Visio, just missing Microsoft, then onto the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium, and now [includes] a variety of brand names, such as CADopia, Bricscad, and DWGEditor.”

                                                            1994, August: “IntelliCAD is purchased by Softdesk of Henniker, NH.”
                                                            1996, December: “Autodesk acquires Softdesk… Softdesk apparently did not tell Autodesk about its AutoCAD clone.”
                                                            1997, March: “Autodesk investigated by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) over the alleged monopoly status of AutoCAD… The FTC allowed Autodesk to purchase Softdesk after Autodesk agreed to: (1) spin off IntelliCAD; (2) not attempt re-acquire the technology; (3) not attempt to acquire any company that owns or controls IntelliCAD; and (4) not interfere with employees who leave Autodesk to work with IntelliCAD… IntelliCAD was spun off as Boomerang Technology in San Jose, CA.”
                                                            1997, March: “Visio bought Boomerang.”
                                                            1998, March: “IntelliCAD 98 ships. The price was originally pegged at US$495; upon release, the price dropped to $349 as a ‘special introductory price’; the price drops further to $149 at computer superstores, such as CompUSA. Through to the end of June, the first three months of sales for IntelliCAD were nearly 12,000 licenses, producing $3 million in gross revenue — an average of $250 per license.”
                                                            1998, May: “IntelliCAD is suddenly incompatible with AutoCAD! Autodesk releases a maintenance release for AutoCAD R14.01 that makes a change to the .dwg format, and preventing IntelliCAD from reading drawing files… Visio updated IntelliCAD 98 to work with 14.01 files.”
                                                            1999, July 27: “Visio cuts IntelliCAD loose by granting the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium a royalty-free, perpetual license for the source code of the IntelliCAD 2000 technology. The ITC was set up by Visio, but run by an independent board of directors.
                                                            1999, September: “IntelliCAD Technical Consortium opens its Web site at http://www.intellicad.org/.”
                                                            Subsequent releases of IntelliCAD through the ITC occur every year since its initial release (see the IntelliCAD version history link under the Press section of the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium web site).

                                                            IntelliCAD Release History

                                                            IntelliCAD 6.4 July 27, 2007
                                                            IntelliCAD 6.3 February 28, 2007
                                                            IntelliCAD 6.2 May 27, 2006
                                                            IntelliCAD 6.1 September 5, 2005
                                                            IntelliCAD 6.0 May 3, 2005
                                                            IntelliCAD 5.1 January 12, 2005
                                                            IntelliCAD 5.0 October 24, 2004
                                                            IntelliCAD 4.0 March 14, 2003
                                                            IntelliCAD 2001 version 3.3 July 19, 2002
                                                            IntelliCAD 2001 May 22, 2001
                                                            IntelliCAD 2000 March 6, 2000
                                                            IntelliCAD 98 May 1, 1998
                                                            Carlson Support for IntelliCAD

                                                            The Carlson 2009 installation comes with IntelliCAD 6.4 built-in. When you choose IntelliCAD as the CAD platform during installation, the IntelliCAD engine is installed along with the Carlson program files. Carlson 2009 only works with this built-in version of IntelliCAD and not on any other version of IntelliCAD or other IntelliCAD based products like Bricscad.

                                                            Running Carlson 2009 on IntelliCAD is largely the same as running on AutoCAD. IntelliCAD supports a development environment with a similar interface as AutoCAD which allows Carlson Software to use the same code base on both CAD platforms. Of the over 1700 Carlson commands across the Carlson 2009 products, there are 11 commands that are not supported with IntelliCAD for the Carlson 2009 release. These are:

                                                            Editor Reactors (ie Link Points To Coordinate File)
                                                            Point Object Snap (node snap does work)
                                                            Text Explode To Polylines
                                                            Edit Centerline On-Screen
                                                            Extract Centroid Data
                                                            Label Object Data Areas
                                                            Drape Image On Surface
                                                            Retaining Wall Placement
                                                            Pillar Cut
                                                            Calculate Variogram
                                                            Production By Block Model
                                                            IntelliCAD – AutoCAD Comparison

                                                            IntelliCAD has a very similar user interface as AutoCAD, supports the core AutoCAD commands and uses the DWG drawing formats 2009 to R14. For some Carlson commands, creating entities in AutoCAD is twice as fast as IntelliCAD which makes a significant difference in routines that create lots of entities.

                                                            The upcoming IntelliCAD 7 will be built on DWGdirect from the Open Design Alliance and will add a “DRX development environment” similar to ObjectARX with AutoCAD. Using DRX should greatly improve the speed of entity creation within IntelliCAD.

                                                            While most of the AutoCAD commands Carlson clients use in AutoCAD can also be found in IntelliCAD 6.4, there are many features in AutoCAD that are not in IntelliCAD. Among these features are ones for architectural and mechanical applications that don’t apply to Carlson customers. For this initial release of Carlson 2009 on IntelliCAD 6.4, here are AutoCAD commands that Carlson customers might miss:

                                                            Spell Check
                                                            DGN import/export
                                                            Orbit command
                                                            Find command
                                                            Express Tools
                                                            Tool Palettes
                                                            Annotative Text
                                                            Sheet Set Manager
                                                            Page Setup Manager
                                                            Import .PC3 Files
                                                            Irregular viewports
                                                            Clipboard commands for copybase and paste to original
                                                            VBA not supported for custom applications; VB with COM is supported
                                                            Object Enablers for LDT points and contours
                                                            User-interface for menu customizaiton (no CUI, old MNU method)
                                                            Ctrl-pick cycle for object selection
                                                            Dialog user interface for WBlock
                                                            Dialog user interface for Purge command
                                                            Dialog user interface for Filter command
                                                            Right-Click menus
                                                            Entity Properties as docked-dialog
                                                            Grip snapping to other grips
                                                            Highlighting of entities when dragging cursor over them
                                                            Mudst hatch pattern
                                                            If you identify any other AutoCAD feature that you miss when running Carlson with IntelliCAD, please email us at support@carlsonsw.com and we willl add to this list which helps guide future developments.

                                                            Bibliography

                                                            “IntelliCAD Technology Consortium – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”
                                                            Available at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IntelliCAD_Technology_Consortium 09 April 2008

                                                            “IntelliCAD® Technology Consortium: The intelligent alternative for CAD developers.”
                                                            Available at: http://www.intellicad.org/join/index.php 09 April 2008

                                                            “Natural monopoly – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.”
                                                            Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_monopoly#Regulation 09 April 2008

                                                            “An Outside Look in at IntelliCAD.”
                                                            Available at: http://www.intellicad.org/WorldMeeting2004/presentations/OutsideLookAtIntelliCAD.pdf 09 April 2008

                                                            Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of the vendor.

                                                            IntelliCAD® is a registered trademark of the IntelliCAD Technology Consortium, Inc. and is used under permission.

                                                            AutoCAD® is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc.

                                                            Windows® and Visio® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

                                                            All other registered or unregistered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

                                                            All links contained herein open in a new web-browser window.


                                                              If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                              Is it better to network Carlson than use standalone licenses?
                                                              +
                                                              This is another one of those maybes

                                                              The only time I’d recommend networking individual licenses such as Survey, Survey OEM, Civil, etc. is if you have 2 or more people who can literally share a license. For instance, if you have a technician who works in one office or on one computer from 8-12 and another who works in a different office or computer from 1-5 then, yes, network away!

                                                              Using this example, only one license will ever be in use at any one time so you would only need to buy one networked license that can be shared on multiple computers.

                                                              Networking one or more licenses of individual seats can also be beneficial if you have several people using the software part-time. Maybe you buy 3 licenses for 4 to share because only 3 people will ever be using it at the same time.

                                                              All that being said, networking one of Carlson’s Suites (Civil or Takeoff) can potentially save a lot of money. Civil Suite includes 4 programs: Survey, Civil, Hydrology and GIS. Takeoff Suite includes 4 as well: Construction, CADNet, GeoTech and Trench. If you network either of the Suites, each of those programs acts like an individual license. Sweet Suite!

                                                              So, if you buy one standalone license of Civil Suite, that license is registered to one user who can access any of the 4 programs at will. But, if you network that Civil Suite, you can have one person working in Survey at the same time someone else is working in Civil, while a 3rd person is working in Hydrology and a 4th is in GIS.

                                                              Even though this sounds like a great way to save money, you should also be aware that sharing licenses can also become a headache to your staff and lead to some loss in productivity. It’s like anything else, networking the Suites has its pros and cons.

                                                              You may also want to refer to this updated FAQ: Working with Carlson’s network license manager for more information.


                                                                If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                Working with Carlson’s network license manager
                                                                +
                                                                What you should know about purchasing Carlson Software
                                                                +

                                                                Carlson Platform Options

                                                                IntelliCAD/for CAD

                                                                Carlson Software’s desktop programs can be installed as a standalone program on top of IntelliCAD or on top of your separately purchased, full-AutoCAD-based program.

                                                                Carlson includes the latest version of IntelliCAD with every purchase.

                                                                The full-AutoCAD-based program can be AutoCAD, AutoCAD Map, Land Desktop, Civil 3D or other vertical – but does NOT include AutoCAD LT.

                                                                 
                                                                Embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                                                Carlson Survey and Takeoff can also be purchased and installed standalone with embedded AutoCAD (also known as the OEM version).

                                                                The embedded AutoCAD (OEM) programs include a limited, stripped-down version of AutoCAD that has functionality similar to AutoCAD LT.

                                                                The embedded AutoCAD (OEM) programs do not include IntelliCAD and do not require a separate purchase of AutoCAD.

                                                                The embedded AutoCAD (OEM) programs are a completely separate install than the programs that run with IntelliCAD or separately purchased license of full-AutoCAD and, although both programs can be installed on the same computer, the programs cannot be “combined”. For instance, if you own a license Survey OEM and also a license of Carlson GIS with IntelliCAD and need to access commands in both programs for work on a single drawing (.dwg) file, you would have to close the drawing out of the Survey OEM and then open it in the GIS program to do the work there.

                                                                Refer to our Buying Guide FAQs for pros and cons and more information about the different platforms.

                                                                Retail Pricing for Carlson Software

                                                                Current as of October 2019

                                                                ProgramRetail Price of StandaloneRetail Price of NetworkThat CAD Girl Pricing
                                                                Select Suite - Pick 6 (from Survey, Civil, Hydrology, GIS, Point Cloud Basic, CadNet)$ 4,750$ 5,225* See in store
                                                                Select Suite - Pick 5 (from Survey, Civil, Hydrology, GIS, Point Cloud Basic, CadNet)$ 4,350$ 4,785* See in store
                                                                Civil Suite or Select Suite Pick 4 (from Survey, Civil, Hydrology, GIS, Point Cloud Basic, CadNet)$ 3,950$ 4,345* See in store
                                                                Select Suite - Pick 3 (from Survey, Civil, Hydrology, GIS, Point Cloud Basic, CadNet)$ 3,550$ 3,905* See in store
                                                                Select Suite - Pick 2 (from Survey, Civil, Hydrology, GIS, Point Cloud Basic, CadNet)$ 2,950$ 3,135* See in store
                                                                Survey$ 1,950$ 2,145* See in store
                                                                Civil$ 1,750$ 1,925* See in store
                                                                Hydrology$ 1,250$ 1,375* See in store
                                                                GIS$ 1,095$ 1,205* See in store
                                                                Takeoff Suite
                                                                (Construction, CADNet, Trench, GeoTech)
                                                                $ 7,500$ 8,250* See in store
                                                                Construction$ 3,750$ 4,125* See in store
                                                                CADNet$ 1,595$ 1,755* See in store
                                                                Trench$ 1,595$ 1,755* See in store
                                                                GeoTech$ 1,595$ 1,755* See in store
                                                                Takeoff with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)$ 9,000$ 9,900* See in store
                                                                Survey with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)$ 2,995$ 3,295* See in store
                                                                Other Software or Hardware*See in store

                                                                * Prices shown in our online store reflects Carlson Software’s Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) policy but additional discounts may be available through That CAD Girl by requesting custom pricing.

                                                                Carlson Software Annual Maintenance

                                                                Carlson’s Annual Maintenance is an OPTIONAL program that allows you to keep your software up-to-date with the latest version of the software. Every new license includes 90 days of maintenance for free. This ensures that, if a new version is released within 90 days of your purchase, you will automatically receive the newest version of the software.

                                                                If it is renewed prior to expiration, maintenance costs 10% of the retail price of the software. See Upgrading Carlson Software below for more information about renewals after maintenance has expired.

                                                                Carlson’s Annual Maintenance is NOT available for embedded AutoCAD (OEM) products, for SurvCE or for SurvPC. It is only available for IntelliCAD/for CAD-based products.

                                                                Carlson’s policy on Software Maintenance can be viewed by clicking here.

                                                                ProgramRetail Price
                                                                of Standalone
                                                                Annual Maintenance
                                                                for Standalone
                                                                Retail Price
                                                                of Network
                                                                Annual Maintenance
                                                                for Network
                                                                Select Suite Pick 6$ 4,750$ 475$ 5,225$ 522.50
                                                                Select Suite Pick 5$ 4,350$ 435$ 4,785$ 478.50
                                                                Select Suite Pick 4$ 3,950$ 395$ 4,345$ 434.50
                                                                Select Suite Pick 3$ 3,550$ 355$ 3,905$ 390.50
                                                                Select Suite Pick 2$ 2,950$ 295$ 3,245$ 324.50
                                                                Civil Suite$ 3,950$ 395$ 4,345$ 434.50
                                                                Survey$ 1,950$ 195$ 2,145$ 214.50
                                                                Civil$ 1,750$ 175$ 1,925$ 192.50
                                                                Hydrology$ 1,250$ 125$ 1,375$ 137.50
                                                                GIS$ 1,095$ 109.50$ 1,205$ 120.50
                                                                Takeoff Suite$ 7,500$ 750$ 8,250$ 825.00
                                                                Construction$ 3,750$ 375$ 4,125$ 412.50
                                                                CADNet$ 1,595$ 159.50$ 1,755$ 175.45
                                                                Trench$ 1,595$ 159.50$ 1,755$ 175.50
                                                                GeoTech$ 1,595$ 159.50$ 1,755$ 175.50

                                                                Upgrading Carlson Software

                                                                Upgrading IntelliCAD/for CAD Products

                                                                Upgrading Carlson’s non-OEM desktop products is done through the Maintenance Plan.

                                                                If it is renewed prior to expiration, maintenance costs 10% of the retail price of the software. If Maintenance is not renewed prior to expiration, a 1-year Maintenance Plan costs 15% of software list price and increases by 5% per year after the expiration date.

                                                                If your license is not currently on maintenance, you can pay the maintenance fee plus an expiration fee which will both upgrade you to the current version of the program AND include any upgrades that are released within the maintenance year.

                                                                Maintenance StatusAnnual Maintenance
                                                                (Percentage of Retail)
                                                                Expiration Fee
                                                                (Percentage of Retail)
                                                                Total Fee to Renew
                                                                (Percentage of Retail)
                                                                Current10%010%
                                                                1 year behind10%10%20%
                                                                2 years behind10%20%30%
                                                                3 years behind10%30%40%
                                                                4 or more years behind10%40%50%

                                                                Sample Upgrade & Maintenance Renewal Pricing

                                                                Program# of Years ExpiredRetail PriceTotal Fee
                                                                (Percentage of Retail)
                                                                Total Fee to Upgrade and/or
                                                                Renew Maintenance for 1 Year
                                                                SurveyNot expired, maintenance is current$ 1,95010%$ 195.00
                                                                SurveyExpired for less than 1 year$ 1,95020%$ 390.00
                                                                Networked SurveyExpired for less than 1 year$ 2,145
                                                                20%$ 429.00
                                                                Civil Suite or Select Suite Pick 4Not expired, maintenance is current$ 3,95010%$ 395.00
                                                                Civil Suite or Select Suite Pick 4Expired for less than 1 year$ 3,95020%$ 790.00
                                                                Networked Civil Suite or Select Suite Pick 4Expired for less than 1 year$ 4,34520%$ 869.00

                                                                Upgrading Survey and Takeoff with Embedded AutoCAD (OEM) Products

                                                                The cost to upgrade Carlson’s OEM products varies depending on the program and how many versions behind you are.

                                                                Follow this link then click on Request a Custom Proposal to request upgrade pricing.

                                                                Competitive Upgrades

                                                                Periodically That CAD Girl offers competitive upgrade pricing for anyone wishing to trade-in Civil 3d, Land Desktop, Eagle Point, Terra Model or other similar product.

                                                                Follow this link then click on Request a Custom Proposal to see if additional discounts are available.

                                                                System Requirements for Desktop Software

                                                                Because it changes from version to version, my “go-to” answer is going to always point to this page where Carlson lists the minimum system requirements for running Carlson with embedded AutoCAD (OEM), on top of AutoCAD and with IntelliCAD.

                                                                You may also keep an eye on our System Requirements and Hardware Compatibility FAQs for the latest information.

                                                                30 Day Trials

                                                                Want to try before you buy? Any Carlson desktop software is available for a 30 day trial – just Click right here!

                                                                Then click on Request a 30 day Trial Serial Number

                                                                Once you decide to purchase, you won’t even need to uninstall. You can activate your software by simply updating your registration with your purchased serial number.

                                                                Technical Support & Training

                                                                Carlson Software offers FREE technical support for Carlson Software and IntelliCAD. This is the case whether you are running the latest version of Carlson or one that’s 10 years old or, even, if you’re only trying before you buy.

                                                                You can see all the opportunities for training with That CAD Girl here and you can follow these links for to see our FAQs about the training and technical support available from Carlson and That CAD Girl.


                                                                  If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                  Are there any problems running Carlson on Windows 10?
                                                                  +
                                                                  Updated August 2019:

                                                                  Carlson Software running on Windows 10 seems to present just a couple of issues: registration and graphics card/performance. If you encounter any issues you may also want to check in here to see if you can narrow down the problem: KB 1078: Troubleshooting Guide.

                                                                  Registration:

                                                                  When Windows 10 originally came out, Carlson 2015 and earlier versions would not install and Carlson had to change the program to make it work, so Carlson 2016 was the first one supported on Windows 10. Microsoft may have changed Windows 10 since then and it’s possible that these versions will install today.

                                                                  If you ARE able to install these versions, Carlson will able to help with the registration; however, every time Windows 10 has major update, Carlson products prior to the 2017 release will likely lose their registration and will have to be re-registered because Windows changes the signature that was used for the initial registration. Carlson has re-worked this mechanism to avoid the problem in later releases.

                                                                  Graphics Cards and Performance Issues:

                                                                  Carlson KB1108: Slow entities creation and modification on Windows 10

                                                                  Carlson KB1123: Changing graphics card settings to use your dedicated GPU on a Windows computer

                                                                  Carlson KB1131: NVidia video card: visual artifacts, pixelized lines, wrong text display


                                                                  Only one that seems to show up every once in awhile… But it’s Microsoft’s fault!!

                                                                  Windows 10 does updates – automatic updates – a lot. And, sometimes these updates can mess with your Carlson license registration. Carlson has free technical support so you can always call 606.564.5028 or email them at support@carlsonsw.com during regular business hours but, if this happens on a weekend, their support staff is probably out enjoying Kentucky bourbon. Or something.

                                                                  So, when Murphy’s Law strikes, you can refer to this Knowledge Base article on Carlson’s website: Carlson KB 995: Windows 10 effect on previously registered software.


                                                                    If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                    What are the system requirements to run Carlson Software in the office? Do I need a monster computer?
                                                                    +
                                                                    Save your money! You only need a monster computer if you’re running it on top of an Autodesk product that requires a lot of horsepower. If you’re running Carlson on top of AutoCAD or one of their vertical applications like Civil 3d, then yes, you will want to make sure your computer is configured to meet Autodesk’s specifications.

                                                                    But, Carlson’s core product and IntelliCAD can run on pretty light-duty machines.

                                                                    The minimum system requirements for running Carlson with embedded AutoCAD (OEM), on top of AutoCAD and with IntelliCAD are posted here.

                                                                    Updated for 2020: Carlson 2020 software will no longer run on 32 bit machines.

                                                                    Note: If you are using an Nvidia video card, you will want to make sure you get the driver and updates directly from Nvidia.com and not just let Windows search for updates.

                                                                    See also: Carlson KB1123: Changing graphics card settings to use your dedicated GPU on a Windows computer

                                                                    See also: Carlson KB1131: NVidia video card: visual artifacts, pixelized lines, wrong text display


                                                                      If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                      What should I buy if I need a basic CAD program (like AutoCAD LT)?
                                                                      +
                                                                      Update October 2017

                                                                      In September, Carlson Software introduced a new program in their lineup: Carlson iCAD. This program is comparable to AutoCAD LT with basic drafting and inquiry tools but is built on IntelliCAD 8.3.

                                                                      FAQ: What features are in Carlson iCAD? (a running thread)

                                                                      View Carlson iCAD in our online store


                                                                      Original post is below

                                                                      If you truly, truly only need generic-CAD functionality, I recommend purchasing Carlson GIS with IntelliCAD. It’s the cheapest of all the desktop products and you can load this basic IntelliCAD menu:

                                                                       
                                                                      2016_IntelliCADMenu
                                                                       
                                                                      by picking the IntelliCAD button from the Carlson Programs toolbar:
                                                                       

                                                                      2017_Programs_Toolbar

                                                                       
                                                                      Extra Bonus! IntelliCAD is much closer to AutoCAD than AutoCAD LT… you’ll have much more functionality at a cheaper price! And, if you ever need a little bit of GIS, you can do that too.


                                                                        If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                        What features & menus are in ALL Carlson, non-OEM, desktop software programs? (a running thread)
                                                                        +

                                                                        Carlson 2017

                                                                        Features and Benefits of all Carlson desktop programs

                                                                        The list below includes some, but not all, of the commands and functionality that is currently available in ALL Carlson software desktop programs:

                                                                        • Work natively in DWG format files – whether using the IntelliCAD or AutoCAD platform,
                                                                        • Import DGN, DXF, DWF files,
                                                                        • Import and Export LandXML/RoadXML files,
                                                                        • Export Google Earth KML/KMZ files,
                                                                        • Export files to be used in GPS guided machine control systems,
                                                                        • Export DTM, Google, Idan, Microstation, MOSS, Peabody, Topcon, and 12D polyline files
                                                                        • Customize project folders and sub-folders to organize your project data,
                                                                        • Incorporate your own CAD Standards Tools into basic drafting functions,
                                                                          Import, export and convert points using text or most any other format including Civil 3d,
                                                                        • Access to the entirety of the Carlson software File, Edit, View, Draw, Inquiry, Settings, Points and 3D Solids menus including these popular commands:
                                                                          • Drawing cleanup
                                                                          • 2d and 3d polyline editing commands to reverse polylines, add/remove segments or vertices, etc.
                                                                          • Shrinkwrap entities
                                                                          • Boundary polyline
                                                                          • Erase and Copy by layer
                                                                          • 3d Viewer Window
                                                                          • Surface 3d Viewer
                                                                          • Search Published Control – an Esri-powered command

                                                                        Menus in all non-OEM Carlson desktop programs

                                                                        File Menu

                                                                        Carlson 2017 File Menu

                                                                        Edit Menu

                                                                        Carlson 2017 Edit Menu

                                                                        View Menu

                                                                        Carlson 2017 View Menu

                                                                        Draw Menu

                                                                        Carlson 2017 Draw Menu

                                                                        Inquiry Menu

                                                                        Carlson 2017 Inquiry Menu

                                                                        Settings Menu

                                                                        Carlson 2017 Settings Menu

                                                                        Points Menu

                                                                        Carlson 2017 Points Menu

                                                                        3D Solids Menu

                                                                        Carlson 2017 3D Solids Menu

                                                                        Window Menu

                                                                        Carlson 2017 Window Menu

                                                                        Help Menu

                                                                        Carlson 2017 Help Menu


                                                                          If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                          What features & menus are in the non-OEM Carlson Survey program? (a running thread)
                                                                          +

                                                                          Survey 2017 with IntelliCAD or for your AutoCAD

                                                                          Features and Benefits of Survey 2017

                                                                          Carlson Survey is a comprehensive, CAD software program containing all of the tools that a surveyor needs. Here are some of the things you can do with Carlson Survey:

                                                                          • Access both the Carlson Survey and the full C & G menus,
                                                                          • Utilize the very best software tools for all your site design & subdivision design needs,
                                                                          • Enter deed descriptions and generate a variety of lot reports including fully customizable legal descriptions,
                                                                          • Enter deed descriptions and correlate field located property corners with deed property corners to find the best fit orientation & alignment,
                                                                          • Use the Deed Reader command to extract deed line and curve data from a text file (the text file can sometimes be generated using the OCR feature of scanning software),
                                                                          • Use the Lot Network feature to create a dynamic subdivision design that takes into account road centerline and right of way, building setbacks, wetland or poor soils areas and inserts one or more building footprints onto each lot,
                                                                          • Have full point management capabilities including data collector download/upload, import/export points in text and most other formats including Civil 3d,
                                                                          • Process raw data files using various methods via CAD software including SurvNet Least Squares,
                                                                          • Perform dozens of COGO functions,
                                                                          • Use Field to Finish (F2F) to process automatic linework and description key/description code definitions,
                                                                          • Utilize dozens of time-saving point stake out commands,
                                                                          • Import surfaces from Civil 3d and Google Earth®,
                                                                          • Create surface model files for existing and proposed conditions,
                                                                          • Edit the contours generated from a surface model and automatically update the underlying TIN file,
                                                                          • Design and balance cut and fill for one or more building pads at a time,
                                                                          • Calculate earthwork volumes between two surfaces including building pads, stockpiles and borrow pits,
                                                                          • Create, define, edit and draw centerline alignments using a variety of methods including best fit,
                                                                          • Create, define, edit and draw profiles using a variety of methods,
                                                                          • Automatically update stationing when centerlines change, profiles when centerlines or surfaces change, etc,
                                                                          • Automatically generate plan and profile sheets in model or paper space,
                                                                          • Import, edit and export GIS shape files,
                                                                          • Import a variety of image files including MrSid and geo-referenced TIF and JPG files.

                                                                          Menus in Survey 2017

                                                                           

                                                                          Menu bar in Survey 2017 showing the compact version of the CG Survey menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 Menu with compact C & G menu

                                                                          Survey Menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 Survey Menu

                                                                          COGO Menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 COGO Menu

                                                                          Centerline Menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 Centerline Menu

                                                                          Area/Layout Menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 Area/Layout Menu

                                                                          Annotate Menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 Annotate Menu

                                                                          Surface Menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 Surface Menu

                                                                          GIS Menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 GIS Menu

                                                                          CG-Survey Menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 CG-Survey Menu

                                                                          Menu bar in Survey 2017 showing the expanded version of the CG-Survey menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 Menu with the expanded version of the CG-Survey menu

                                                                           

                                                                          The menus below are available when using the expanded version of the CG-Survey menu

                                                                          CG File Menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 CG File Menu

                                                                          CG Trav Menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 CG Trav Menu

                                                                          CG Cogo Menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 CG Cogo Menu

                                                                          CG Draw Menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 CG Draw Menu

                                                                          CG Mngmt Menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 CG Mngmt Menu

                                                                          CG Topo Menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 CG Topo Menu

                                                                          CG Tools Menu

                                                                          Survey 2017 CG Tools Menu

                                                                          The menus below are in all non-OEM programs of Carlson 2017 desktop software

                                                                          (Click image to see more)


                                                                            If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                            What features & menus are in Carlson Survey with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)? (a running thread)
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                                                                            Survey 2017 with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                                                            Features and Benefits of Survey 2017 with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                                                            Carlson Survey is a comprehensive program containing all of the tools that a surveyor needs. Here are some of the things you can do with Carlson Survey:

                                                                            • Access both the Carlson Survey and the full C & G menus,
                                                                            • Utilize the very best software tools for all your site design & subdivision design needs,
                                                                            • Enter deed descriptions and generate a variety of lot reports including fully customizable legal descriptions,
                                                                            • Enter deed descriptions and correlate field located property corners with deed property corners to find the best fit orientation & alignment,
                                                                            • Use the Deed Reader command to extract deed line and curve data from a text file (the text file can sometimes be generated using the OCR feature of scanning software),
                                                                            • Use the Lot Network feature to create a dynamic subdivision design that takes into account road centerline and right of way, building setbacks, wetland or poor soils areas and inserts one or more building footprints onto each lot,
                                                                            • Have full point CAD management capabilities including data collector download/upload, import/export points in text and most other formats including Civil 3d,
                                                                            • Process raw data files using various methods including SurvNet Least Squares,
                                                                            • Perform dozens of COGO functions,
                                                                            • Use Field to Finish (F2F) to process automatic linework and description key/description code definitions,
                                                                            • Utilize dozens of time-saving point stake out commands,
                                                                            • Import surfaces from Civil 3d and Google Earth®,
                                                                            • Create surface model files for existing and proposed conditions,
                                                                            • Edit the contours generated from a surface model and automatically update the underlying TIN file,
                                                                            • Design and balance cut and fill for one or more building pads at a time,
                                                                            • Calculate earthwork volumes between two surfaces including building pads, stockpiles and borrow pits,
                                                                            • Create, define, edit and draw centerline alignments using a variety of methods including best fit,
                                                                            • Create, define, edit and draw profiles using a variety of methods,
                                                                            • Automatically update stationing when centerlines change, profiles when centerlines or surfaces change, etc,
                                                                            • Automatically generate plan and profile sheets in model or paper space,
                                                                            • Import, edit and export GIS shape files,
                                                                            • Import a variety of image files including MrSid and geo-referenced TIF and JPG files.

                                                                            Menus in Survey 2017 with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                                                             

                                                                            Menu bar in Survey 2017 showing the compact version of the CG-Survey menu

                                                                            The menus below are available in Carlson Survey 2017 with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                                                            File Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM File Menu

                                                                            Edit Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM Edit Menu

                                                                            View Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM View Menu

                                                                            Draw Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM Draw Menu

                                                                            Inquiry Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM Inquiry Menu

                                                                            Settings Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM Settings Menu

                                                                            Points Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM Points Menu

                                                                            Survey Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM Survey Menu

                                                                            COGO Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM COGO Menu

                                                                            Centerline Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM Centerline Menu

                                                                            Area/Layout Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM Area/Layout Menu

                                                                            Annotate Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM Annotate Menu

                                                                            Surface Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM Surface Menu

                                                                            GIS Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM GIS Menu

                                                                            CG-Survey Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM CG-Survey Menu

                                                                            Window Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM Window Menu

                                                                            Help Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM Help Menu

                                                                            Menu bar in Survey 2017 showing the expanded version of the CG-Survey menu

                                                                             

                                                                            The menus below are available when using the expanded version of the CG-Survey menu

                                                                            CG File Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM CG File Menu

                                                                            CG Trav Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM CG Trav Menu

                                                                            CG Cogo Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM CG Cogo Menu

                                                                            CG Draw Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM CG Draw Menu

                                                                            CG Mngmt Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM CG Mngmt Menu

                                                                            CG Topo Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM Topo Menu

                                                                            CG Tools Menu

                                                                            Carlson Survey 2017 OEM Tools Menu


                                                                              If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                              What features & menus are in Carlson Civil? (a running thread)
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                                                                              Carlson Civil 2017

                                                                              Features and Benefits of Civil 2017

                                                                              Carlson Civil is a fully dynamic, 3d civil design program that contains all the tools an engineer, designer or design build professional needs. Here are some of the things you can do with Carlson Civil:

                                                                              • Utilize the very best Carlson software support tools for all your design build, site design & site grading, subdivision design & subdivision grading and road design & road grading needs,
                                                                              • Perform tasks associated with civil BIM (Building Information Modeling),
                                                                              • Use the Lot Network feature to create a dynamic subdivision design that takes into account road centerline and right of way, building setbacks, wetland or poor soils areas and inserts one or more building footprints onto each lot,
                                                                              • Use vehicle path tracking to ensure adequate roadway clearance,
                                                                              • Create, define, edit and draw centerline alignments using a variety of methods including best fit,
                                                                              • Easily elevate 2d, zero-elevation polylines from points, text or text with a leader for detailed site grading,
                                                                              • Label elevation, slope and other properties of polylines,
                                                                              • Design a centerline and profile along a surface that maintains a maximum slope,
                                                                              • Import surfaces from Civil 3d and Google Earth®,
                                                                              • Create surface model files for existing and proposed conditions,
                                                                              • Design and balance cut and fill for one or more building pads at a time,
                                                                              • Edit the contours generated from a surface model and automatically update the underlying TIN file,
                                                                              • Calculate earthwork volumes between two surfaces including building pads, stockpiles and borrow pits,
                                                                              • Report storage volumes for bench and valley ponds that can be designed using various design criteria such as adding multiple interior benches and automatically removing the berm in cut conditions,
                                                                              • Use the layer-based SiteNet commands to calculate and report volumes and/or quantities:
                                                                                • Of an entire site or within a perimeter Polyline,
                                                                                • Of cut & fill dirt; of topsoil removal & replacement; of materials such as asphalt, stone, concrete and curb; and of pipe and structure depth,
                                                                                • That can be exported directly to Microsoft Excel®,
                                                                              • Create cut & fill color maps or a grid of cut and fill labels,
                                                                              • Create, define, edit and draw profiles using a variety of methods including best fit,
                                                                              • Create, define, edit and draw cross sections using a variety of methods,
                                                                              • Define, edit and draw typical cross sections to create a library of roadway templates that meet detailed design standards,
                                                                              • Use the Road Network feature to dynamically design a network of highways or roads that automatically tie intersections together, allow detailed grading at each intersection and cul-de-sac and allow real-time volume determination as the road profile is adjusted,
                                                                              • Design roads that that incorporate varying roadway widths, multiple templates, super elevation, topsoil removal & replacement, road rehabilitation including overlays after leveling or milling operations and more,
                                                                              • Automatically elevate building pads and property lot lines using grading rules applied to a road design,
                                                                              • Process Road Design for final sections, final contours and volumes,
                                                                              • Pick a button to “Process” or have updates automatically occur when changes to centerlines or surfaces affect profiles, changes to profiles affect cross sections or changes to surfaces affect storm or sewer structures,
                                                                              • Automatically generate a Carson software support plan and profile sheets in model or paper space where the plan and profile views can be shifted or rotated incrementally with the pick of a button,
                                                                              • View your entities or surfaces in 3d or drive through them in a humvee, police car or school bus.

                                                                              Menus in Civil 2017

                                                                               

                                                                              Menu Bar in Civil 2017

                                                                               

                                                                              The menus below are available in Carlson Civil 2017

                                                                              3D Data Menu

                                                                              Civil 2017 3D Data Menu

                                                                              Surface Menu

                                                                              Civil 2017 Surface Menu

                                                                              SiteNet Menu

                                                                              Civil 2017 SiteNet Menu

                                                                              Centerline Menu

                                                                              Civil 2017 Centerline Menu

                                                                              Profiles Menu

                                                                              Civil 2017 Profiles Menu

                                                                              Sections Menu

                                                                              Civil 2017 Sections Menu

                                                                              Roads Menu

                                                                              Civil 2017 Roads Menu

                                                                              Area Layout Menu

                                                                              Civil 2017 Area Layout Menu

                                                                              Annotate Menu

                                                                              Civil 2017 Annotate Menu

                                                                              The menus below are in all non-OEM programs of Carlson 2017 desktop software

                                                                              (Click image to see more)


                                                                                If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                What features & menus are in Carlson Hydrology? (a running thread)
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                                                                                Carlson Hydrology 2017

                                                                                Features and Benefits of Hydrology 2017

                                                                                Carlson Hydrology provides CAD support comparable to the hydrology components of programs such as: DCA®/Softdesk®/Land Desktop, Civil 3d, Eagle Point®, TerraModel®, GeoPak® and InRoads®.

                                                                                Here are some of the things you can do with Carlson Hydrology:

                                                                                • Use it to perform all of your stormwater modeling and design or use it to compile data that can then be used in other hydrology programs,
                                                                                • Link directly to other hydrology programs including HydroCAD®, Pizer HYDRA®, TR-20, SEDCAD, HEC-RAS and HEC-2,
                                                                                • Analyze and design using either SCS or Rational method,
                                                                                • Determine runoff volumes with easy-to-use, layer-based tools
                                                                                • Track runoff and analyze watershed data within the entire watershed or just above a selected point – such as a catch basin,
                                                                                • Create surface model files with CAD support for existing and proposed conditions
                                                                                • Design and then report storage volumes for bench and valley ponds that can be designed using various design criteria such as adding multiple interior benches and automatically removing the berm in cut conditions,
                                                                                • Create custom fields for pipe structures and inlet libraries,
                                                                                • Tap extensive libraries for rainfall data, inlets, manholes and outlet structures,
                                                                                • Pick a button to “Process” or have updates automatically occur when changes to road designs surfaces affect storm or sewer structures,
                                                                                • Design sanitary sewer or storm pipe runs in a dockable palette or in a spreadsheet editor,
                                                                                • Tie pipe design criteria to surfaces, centerlines and profiles
                                                                                • Calculate inlet intercepted and bypass flows, gutter spread and depth, pipe flow depth and velocity, and hydraulic and energy grade lines
                                                                                • Choose to match stormwater pipes at the crown or at the flowline
                                                                                • Receive warnings for collisions and when pipe length, cover, slope, flow rates or other design criteria do not fall within an acceptable, customizable range
                                                                                • Design ponds, spillways, orifices, weirs, multiple outlets, channels, culverts, pipes and lift stations
                                                                                • Draft sewer pipe dynamically in plans, profiles and 3D

                                                                                Menus in Hydrology 2017

                                                                                 

                                                                                Menu Bar in Hydrology 2017

                                                                                 

                                                                                The menus below are available in Carlson Hydrology 2017

                                                                                Surface Menu

                                                                                Hydrology 2017 Surface Menu

                                                                                Watershed Menu

                                                                                Hydrology 2017 Watershed Menu

                                                                                Structure Menu

                                                                                Hydrology 2017 Structure Menu

                                                                                Network Menu

                                                                                Hydrology 2017 Network Menu

                                                                                HydroCAD Menu

                                                                                Hydrology 2017 HydroCAD Menu

                                                                                The menus below are in all non-OEM programs of Carlson 2017 desktop software

                                                                                (Click image to see more)

                                                                                 


                                                                                  If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                  What features & menus are in Carlson GIS? (a running thread)
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                                                                                  Carlson GIS 2017

                                                                                  Carlson GIS 2017

                                                                                  Features and Benefits of GIS 2017

                                                                                  Here are some of the things you can do with Carlson GIS:

                                                                                  • Take advantage of the Carlson/Esri® partnership with these and other CAD software commands:
                                                                                    • Import/Export Esri SHP files
                                                                                    • Export DWG file with Esri MSC data
                                                                                    • Export Esri Projection file
                                                                                  • Import and Export GIS Data between Carlson GIS and Carlson SurvCE
                                                                                  • Work with many image formats including:
                                                                                    • Geo-referenced images
                                                                                    • Google Earth images
                                                                                    • CAD software images
                                                                                    • MrSID images
                                                                                  • Convert GIS data to and from AutoCAD Map
                                                                                  • Query and Report GIS generated entities
                                                                                  • Hatch & Label GIS generated polylines
                                                                                  • Create, Audit and Erase links to GIS database
                                                                                  • Define Note file prompts for data collection

                                                                                  Menus in GIS 2017

                                                                                   

                                                                                  Menu Bar in GIS 2017

                                                                                   

                                                                                  The menus below are available in Carlson GIS 2017

                                                                                  GIS Data Menu

                                                                                  GIS 2017 GIS Data Menu

                                                                                  GIS Tools Menu

                                                                                  GIS 2017 GIS Tools Menu

                                                                                  Images Menu

                                                                                  GIS 2017 Images Menu

                                                                                  The menus below are in all non-OEM programs of Carlson 2017 desktop software

                                                                                  (Click image to see more)

                                                                                   


                                                                                    If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                    What features & menus are in Carlson Construction? (a running thread)
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                                                                                    Carlson Construction 2017

                                                                                    Features and Benefits of Construction 2017

                                                                                    Carlson Construction includes powerful Carlson software tools for designing and modeling different aspects of road design, from new construction to road widening and repaving.

                                                                                    Fully supporting all of the major 3D Machine Control formats for today’s heavy equipment with 3D Machine Control Systems, Carlson Construction gives you the tools you need for taking your data into the 3D environment. Whether your Carlson software need is “Data Preparation,” “Site Preparation,” or specifically creating Machine Control Guidance Models, Carlson Construction will get the job done for you.

                                                                                    Menus in Construction 2017

                                                                                     

                                                                                    Menu Bar in Construction 2017

                                                                                     

                                                                                    The menus below are available in Carlson Construction 2017

                                                                                    Elevate Menu

                                                                                    Construction 2017 Elevate Menu

                                                                                    Surface Menu

                                                                                    Construction 2017 Surface Menu

                                                                                    Takeoff Menu

                                                                                    Construction 2017 Takeoff Menu

                                                                                    Roads Menu

                                                                                    Construction 2017 Roads Menu

                                                                                    Survey Menu

                                                                                    Construction 2017 Survey Menu

                                                                                    Annotate Menu

                                                                                    Construction 2017 Annotate Menu

                                                                                    Display Menu

                                                                                    Construction 2017 Display Menu

                                                                                    The menus below are in all non-OEM programs of Carlson 2017 desktop software

                                                                                    (Click image to see more)


                                                                                      If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                      What features & menus are in Carlson CADNet? (a running thread)
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                                                                                      Carlson CADNet 2017

                                                                                      Features and Benefits of CADNet 2017

                                                                                      Carlson CADnet, introduced in 2014, allows users to import faster images and PDF files and, if needed, even to merge multiple images into one file that can be digitized or otherwise converted by CAD software using a variety of raster-to-vector routines. CADNet also gives you many tools to help clean up text and linework generated from raster images.

                                                                                      Recent updates to CADNet gives you the ability to export drawing entities to 3D PDF files, import Sketchup files and import and export BIM models (doors, windows, walls, roofs, etc.) and bring them into CAD as CAD software entities; plus, CADnet includes a routine to export surfaces into BIM.

                                                                                      Menus in CADNet 2017

                                                                                       

                                                                                      Menu Bar in CADNet 2017

                                                                                       

                                                                                      The menus below are available in Carlson CADNet 2017

                                                                                      Digitize Menu

                                                                                      CADNet 2017 Digitize Menu

                                                                                      Raster Menu

                                                                                      CADNet 2017 Raster Menu

                                                                                      PDF Menu

                                                                                      CADNet 2017 PDF Menu

                                                                                      BIM Menu

                                                                                      CADNet 2017 BIM Menu

                                                                                      The menus below are in all non-OEM programs of Carlson 2017 desktop software

                                                                                      (Click image to see more)


                                                                                        If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                        What features & menus are in Carlson Trench? (a running thread)
                                                                                        +

                                                                                        Carlson Trench 2017

                                                                                        Features and Benefits of Trench 2017

                                                                                        Carlson Trench is for calculations related to installing pipes, sewers, or utility lines. The CAD software calculates the volume of the trench cut, the volume of backfill (excluding the pipe size), and the linear footage of pipe broken down by the pipe material, size, and/or depth.

                                                                                        Carlson Trench is fully integrated with Carlson Civil and Carlson Construction, and also Carlson Hydrology to meet the variety of customers’ needs.

                                                                                        Menus in Trench 2017

                                                                                         

                                                                                        Menu Bar in Trench 2017

                                                                                         

                                                                                        The menus below are available in Carlson Trench 2017

                                                                                        Trench Menu

                                                                                        Trench 2017 Trench Menu

                                                                                        Utility Menu

                                                                                        Trench 2017 Utility Menu

                                                                                        The menus below are in all non-OEM programs of Carlson 2017 desktop software

                                                                                        (Click image to see more)


                                                                                          If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                          What features & menus are in Carlson SurvCE and SurvPC? (a running thread)
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                                                                                          SurvCE and SurvPC 5.xx

                                                                                          Features and Benefits of SurvCE and SurvPC 5.x

                                                                                          Carlson SurvCE is the first choice in data collection software, combining advanced functionality, ease-of-use, and sheer capability:

                                                                                          • Get the software that supports a wide variety of equipment, old or new.
                                                                                          • Enjoy excellent, free (and prompt) technical support
                                                                                          • Be heard – Carlson listens to its customers’ input for new features or drivers for all of its products

                                                                                          Carlson SurvCE is a complete data collection system for Real Time (RTK) GPS and Total Stations with in-field coordinate geometry. It supports the widest range of popular and new release RTK GPS and conventional/robotic total stations.

                                                                                          SurvCE and its full-windows companion SurvPC can be configured with various combinations of 4 modules: Total Station (Basic), Robotics (requires Basic), Carlson GPS and Advanced Roading (Requires Basic or other Carlson GPS).

                                                                                          Refer to this FAQ to see if your hardware is supported in SurvCE & SurvPC

                                                                                          Refer to this FAQ for system requirements

                                                                                          Menus in SurvCE and SurvPC 5.x

                                                                                          File Menu

                                                                                          SurvCE and SurvPC 5 File Menu

                                                                                          Equip Menu

                                                                                          SurvCE and SurvPC 5 Equip Menu

                                                                                          Survey Menu

                                                                                          SurvCE and SurvPC 5 Survey Menu

                                                                                          COGO Menu

                                                                                          SurvCE and SurvPC 5 COGO Menu

                                                                                          Road Menu

                                                                                          SurvCE and SurvPC 5 Road Menu

                                                                                          Select Equipment

                                                                                          SurvCE and SurvPC Select Equipment Options

                                                                                          Map View | FILE Menu

                                                                                          SurvCE and SurvPC 5 Map View | FILE Menu

                                                                                          Map View | VIEW Menu

                                                                                          SurvCE and SurvPC 5 Map View | VIEW Menu

                                                                                          Map View | DRAW Menu

                                                                                          SurvCE and SurvPC 5 Map View | DRAW Menu

                                                                                          Map View | COGO Menu

                                                                                          SurvCE and SurvPC 5 Map View | COGO Menu

                                                                                          Map View | TOOLS Menu

                                                                                          SurvCE and SurvPC 5 Map View | TOOLS Menu


                                                                                            If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                            What features & menus are in Carlson Takeoff with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)? (a running thread)
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                                                                                            Takeoff 2017 (R9) with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                                                                            Features and Benefits of Takeoff 2017 (R9) with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff is a cut/fill volumes and data prep (for layout or machine control) program that can estimate jobs using paper plan digitizing, PDFs, or electronic CAD files which is ideal for CAD management.

                                                                                            Key features include:

                                                                                            • Calculate site cut & fill and topsoil
                                                                                            • Differentiate strata volumes & dirt vs. rock
                                                                                            • Accurately determine subgrade quantities
                                                                                            • Estimate trench and pipe quantities
                                                                                            • Estimate roadways from cross-sections
                                                                                            • Prepare the design info for exact staking
                                                                                            • Create a 3D model for machine control

                                                                                            Menus in Takeoff 2017 (R9) with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                                                                             

                                                                                            Menu bar in Takeoff 2017 (R9)

                                                                                            The menus below are available in Carlson Takeoff 2017 (R9) with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                                                                            File Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM File Menu

                                                                                            Edit Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Edit Menu

                                                                                            View Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM View Menu

                                                                                            Draw Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Draw Menu

                                                                                            Digitize Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Digitize Menu

                                                                                            Raster Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Raster Menu

                                                                                            Elevate Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Elevate Menu

                                                                                            Takeoff Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Takeoff Menu

                                                                                            Drillhole Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Drillhole Menu

                                                                                            Trench Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Trench Menu

                                                                                            Roads Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Roads Menu

                                                                                            Points Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Points Menu

                                                                                            Surface Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Surface Menu

                                                                                            Inquiry Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Inquiry Menu

                                                                                            Settings Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Settings Menu

                                                                                            Display Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Display Menu

                                                                                            Window Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Window Menu

                                                                                            Help Menu

                                                                                            Carlson Takeoff 2017 OEM Help Menu


                                                                                              If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                              What features are in Carlson iCAD? (a running thread)
                                                                                              +
                                                                                              Shortly after each new release of the program, we will update this FAQ to show the menus that come with the installation.

                                                                                              Refer to this FAQ to see the latest improvements to Carlson’s desktop software products

                                                                                              Carlson iCAD is an affordable CAD program that is .dwg file based and designed to fit into your production workflow. Carlson iCAD allows drafters to finish drawings and engineers to review drawings.

                                                                                              This program is comparable to AutoCAD LT.

                                                                                              Features and Benefits of Carlson iCAD 2017

                                                                                              General Menu:

                                                                                              • Open/Save .dwg and .dxf files: Supports 2017 and earlier formats
                                                                                              • Plot: Output to printers and PDF
                                                                                              • Google Earth: Import and Export KML/KMZ
                                                                                              • Civil 3D: Convert Civil 3D custom objects to standard CAD entities
                                                                                              • Xref: Manage external references
                                                                                              • Drawing Utilities: Functions include spell check and purge

                                                                                              Edit Menu:

                                                                                              • Clipboard: Copy and paste drawing entities
                                                                                              • Standard CAD Edits: Functions include move, copy, erase, offset, trim
                                                                                              • Text: Edit, resize, rotate and move text
                                                                                              • Polyline Utilities: Smooth, reduce, reverse and edit polylines
                                                                                              • Join Nearest: Create polylines from lines and arcs
                                                                                              • Image: Adjust quality and clip images

                                                                                              View Menu:

                                                                                              • Zoom: By window, center, extents
                                                                                              • 3D Viewer Window: 3D display of drawing entities with lighting controls
                                                                                              • Twist Screen: Set plan rotation for drawing display
                                                                                              • Display Order: Control display order for entities
                                                                                              • Layer Controls: Edit layer properties and display

                                                                                              Draw Menu:

                                                                                              • Standard CAD entities: Line, polyline, circle, rectangle, arc
                                                                                              • Text: Draw either regular Text or MText
                                                                                              • Hatch: Use Hatch Wizard or regular CAD Hatch
                                                                                              • Image: Supports many formats including .jpg, .tif, .sid, .png and .bmp
                                                                                              • Leader: Several leader styles plus option to draw labels
                                                                                              • Blocks: Includes Write Block and Insert

                                                                                              Inquiry Menu:

                                                                                              • Drawing Inspector: Show tooltip of properties as move cursor over entities
                                                                                              • Entity Info: Pick entity to report layer, curve info, angle info or distance
                                                                                              • List: Report details of selected entities

                                                                                              Settings Menu:

                                                                                              • Options: Settings for CAD engine
                                                                                              • Symbol Library: Manage your collection of symbol drawings to insert
                                                                                              • Quick Keys: Define command line shortcut names for commands
                                                                                              • Toolbar Setup: Manage your toolbar layouts
                                                                                              • Object Snap: Set CAD screen pick snap modes

                                                                                              Annotate Menu:

                                                                                              • Angle/Distance: Commands to label bearing or azimuth and distance of lines
                                                                                              • Annotate Arc: Commands to label arc dimensions
                                                                                              • Areas: Commands to label areas defined by linework boundaries

                                                                                               

                                                                                              System Requirements:

                                                                                              • Microsoft® Windows® 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista® are supported
                                                                                              • Both 32-bit and 64-bit processors are supported

                                                                                              Menus in Survey 2017

                                                                                               

                                                                                              Menu bar in Survey 2017 showing the compact version of the CG Survey menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 Menu with compact C & G menu

                                                                                              Survey Menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 Survey Menu

                                                                                              COGO Menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 COGO Menu

                                                                                              Centerline Menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 Centerline Menu

                                                                                              Area/Layout Menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 Area/Layout Menu

                                                                                              Annotate Menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 Annotate Menu

                                                                                              Surface Menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 Surface Menu

                                                                                              GIS Menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 GIS Menu

                                                                                              CG-Survey Menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 CG-Survey Menu

                                                                                              Menu bar in Survey 2017 showing the expanded version of the CG-Survey menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 Menu with the expanded version of the CG-Survey menu

                                                                                               

                                                                                              The menus below are available when using the expanded version of the CG-Survey menu

                                                                                              CG File Menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 CG File Menu

                                                                                              CG Trav Menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 CG Trav Menu

                                                                                              CG Cogo Menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 CG Cogo Menu

                                                                                              CG Draw Menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 CG Draw Menu

                                                                                              CG Mngmt Menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 CG Mngmt Menu

                                                                                              CG Topo Menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 CG Topo Menu

                                                                                              CG Tools Menu

                                                                                              Survey 2017 CG Tools Menu

                                                                                              The menus below are in all non-OEM programs of Carlson 2017 desktop software

                                                                                              (Click image to see more)


                                                                                                If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                What features are in Carlson Precision 3D? (a running thread)
                                                                                                +
                                                                                                Shortly after each new release of the program, we will update this FAQ to show the updated list of features in the new release.

                                                                                                Refer to this FAQ to see the latest improvements to Carlson’s desktop software products

                                                                                                Carlson Precision 3d Topo 2017

                                                                                                Features and Benefits of Precision 3D 2017

                                                                                                With Carlson Software’s Precision 3D Topo… True 3D Topo Editing in a 3D Environment is Here!

                                                                                                Carlson Precision 3D Topo’s editing ability of digital terrain models (DTMs) offers many benefits:

                                                                                                • Load and review the two most common formats for surfaces: LandXML and DXF files of 3D Faces, in addition to TIN and Grd files from Carlson Software.
                                                                                                • Overlay other LandXML file types such as points, alignments, parcels, storm and sanitary sewers, culvert pipes and other piping systems.
                                                                                                • View the 3D Surface with user-controlled textures to quickly spot errors in the DTM.
                                                                                                • Fix the errors in the DTM for re-saving and use in CAD programs, or for direct output for machine control and survey stakeout.

                                                                                                Never before has there been such an array of tools to locate and correct DTM errors, all in a sharp 3D interface. Surveyors, contractors and engineers alike can use the software to make sure the final DTM surface is of the highest quality. Editing tools include surface blending, spike and dimple removal, DTM vertex editing and surface pad placement by defined polygon and outslope conditions. Multiple undoes and redoes allow you to study your changes and makes things perfect.


                                                                                                  If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                  Use DWG Convert to save DWG files to an earlier version
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                                                                                                  With the 2018 version of the Autodesk products now released, anyone using an older version of AutoCAD (or IntelliCAD) can expect to start receiving 2018 .dwg files that they can’t access because it’s an incompatible version. This is where the DWG Convert function inside of DWG TrueView can be a lifesaver.

                                                                                                  DWG TrueView is FREE utility available from Autodesk. They release a new version of this program every year, just like their other products.

                                                                                                  With the True Convert utility you can convert any newer version DWG or DXF to any earlier version. I’d recommend you enable the option that creates a .bak file with the original just in case you need it later.

                                                                                                  Inside the True Convert utility you can also enable several other options that will run routines such as Audit, Purge, XREF Binding, etc. during the convert process.

                                                                                                  You can download DWG True View 2018 here.

                                                                                                   
                                                                                                  The image below shows how to access DWG Convert in True View:

                                                                                                   
                                                                                                  See below for some of the “cleanup” options available during the Conversion process:


                                                                                                    If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                    Why do you prefer Carlson Civil Suite over Civil 3d?
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                                                                                                    Well, how long do you have? Better grab a cup of coffee. Make it a Grande… isn’t that the biggest one? Anyhoo, no surprise, I think Carlson is the best option in software for land surveyors, engineers and contractors on the market these days.

                                                                                                    I always qualify my endorsement by acknowledging the fact that I make my living selling their software; but, I’m independent. And, if some day I get to the point where I no longer believe Carlson is the best option, I’ll be up front and admit that too.

                                                                                                    I’ve written several times and in various formats over the years about Carlson vs Civil 3d and those word-storms seem to hold up pretty well so, rather than repeat everything, I’ll just link to the old stuff and put a few new comments in at the bottom here.

                                                                                                    And, yes, it’s pretty much cheating but I’m stealing most of the rest of this from my FAQ I miss my Land Desktop/LDD! What is my next, best option?

                                                                                                    One Reason I’m a Carlson Fan

                                                                                                    Carlson has a lot of the dynamic functionality (RoadNet, LotNet, Design Pad Template, etc.) that we wanted in Land Desktop. But, the entities created by these cool automated tools are all standard CAD entities such as polylines and 3d polylines and text.

                                                                                                    The benefit is that, when you get to the end of your design and need to pinpoint and tweak an area, you have the option of doing basic CAD-editing of standard polylines or text to make changes the old-fashioned way.

                                                                                                    One of my complaints about Civil 3d is that users get very little credit for knowing AutoCAD. Civil 3d requires you to create “Styles” for everything and these styles override basic CAD management of all other properties such as colors, layers, linetypes, text styles, formatting and so on.

                                                                                                    Here is one of my favorite examples to illustrate the point. I have a 100 x 200 lot below that has a label inside for area in square footage and acres. The labels are generic and crappy-looking but I can change that later. At this point, all I want to do is add a silly comma so that the area in SF reads “20,000 SF”.

                                                                                                     

                                                                                                     

                                                                                                     

                                                                                                     

                                                                                                     

                                                                                                     

                                                                                                     

                                                                                                     

                                                                                                     

                                                                                                     

                                                                                                    If I’m in Carlson, I double-click on the label and edit it – because it’s CAD and it’s text.

                                                                                                    If I’m in Civil 3d, that label is tied to the parcel-object and the style of the object must be changed. Unless you explode the object and lose all the perceived benefits of Civil 3d, there are many clicks and digging deep into dialog boxes to make the same change.


                                                                                                      If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                      That CAD Girl’s top reasons to purchase Carlson Software
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                                                                                                      1

                                                                                                      You have options as to the platform: embedded AutoCAD (OEM), on top of full-AutoCAD or IntelliCAD

                                                                                                      2

                                                                                                      Carlson has Free Technical Support regardless of whether your software is 1 year or 10 years old or even if you’re still trying it out before buying.

                                                                                                      3

                                                                                                       Carlson gives you the ability to design dynamically but does it with basic CAD entities such as lines, polylines, text and blocks which makes it easy to share drawings with others.

                                                                                                      No more proxy entities or AECC Objects to fight with!

                                                                                                      4

                                                                                                       Carlson doesn’t retire their products and never forces you to upgrade. Their annual maintenance is optional.

                                                                                                      5

                                                                                                       Carlson Plays Well With Others: Their goal is to have their software be compatible with as many other software and hardware manufacturers as possible. There is a seemingly endless list of “Import from…” and “Export to…” commands in the software.

                                                                                                      6

                                                                                                       Carlson gives you the tools you need.

                                                                                                      The first 7 or 8 menus in all programs are identical and have all the basic tools you need to be more productive. Here are just some of the things you can do in every program:

                                                                                                      Work natively in DWG files and import/export DGN, DXF & DWF
                                                                                                      Import and Export LandXML/RoadXML/Google Earth files
                                                                                                      Full management and editing of point data including point groups
                                                                                                      and edit tracking
                                                                                                      Esri-powered Search Published Control feature
                                                                                                      Export files for many GPS-guided machine control systems
                                                                                                      Customize project folders & sub-folders to organize project data
                                                                                                      Drawing Cleanup
                                                                                                      Join Nearest
                                                                                                      Drawing Inspector
                                                                                                      Layer Inspector
                                                                                                      Shrinkwrap Entities
                                                                                                      Twist Screen
                                                                                                      2D and 3D Polyline utilities such as reverse polyline, add/remove segments, add/remove vertices, daylight polyline to surface, etc
                                                                                                      Layer Tools such as Erase and Copy by layer, Isolate, Restore
                                                                                                      3D Viewer Window
                                                                                                      Surface 3D Viewer


                                                                                                        If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                        Why don’t you post recordings of your webinar series presentations for all to see?
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                                                                                                        Basically because I consider these CAD webinars to be live, interactive training – like a virtual classroom. Instead of reserving a conference room here in Raleigh and inviting everyone in, we’re doing it online. And, if you were coming to a live presentation in a conference room, there’s no expectation of a recording afterward.

                                                                                                        The advantage of doing it this way is to keep the material fresh. I repeat some of the topics but, just because it’s called “Surfaces, Centerlines and Profiles” in March, doesn’t mean you’ll get the same exact lesson if I repeat it in November. For one thing, between March and November, a new version of the software with updates and new features will have been released and I’ll have different things to show.

                                                                                                        Now, on the flipside (I’m a woman, you know there had to be at least two-sides… right?), I DO record each webinar and make it available for a short period of time but only to those who attended it live. That’s just to allow those who sneezed or rattled a bag of potato chips at the wrong time to figure out exactly what I said or what options I picked.

                                                                                                        And, you can always use this link to my Video Library to watch the webinars I’ve done in the past for Carlson.


                                                                                                          If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                          Does Carlson run on a Mac?
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                                                                                                          No, not at this time.
                                                                                                           
                                                                                                          I have several customers who run Carlson and CAD software for Mac using Windows emulation apps. The two that I am aware of are Parallels and Boot Camp.


                                                                                                            If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                            What data collectors, GPS and total stations can I run with my Carlson SurvCE or SurvPC?
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                                                                                                            Click here for the list of data collectors, GPS and total stations that are supported in the various versions of SurvCE and SurvPC.
                                                                                                             
                                                                                                            It’s easy to overlook but the “micro-links” at the bottom of the table let you switch between Carlson data collectors, Carlson GPS and total stations.
                                                                                                             
                                                                                                            SurvCE_SupportedHardwareTable

                                                                                                             

                                                                                                             

                                                                                                             

                                                                                                             

                                                                                                             

                                                                                                             

                                                                                                             


                                                                                                              If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                              What is Carlson College?
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                                                                                                              Carlson Software  has expert training facilities through the approved Members of the Carlson College Training Program. Each member of Carlson College has met Carlson Software’s standards for training excellence and each individual trainer is an expert on Carlson Software’s products.

                                                                                                              That CAD Girl was one of the first two training centers to meet the qualifications for Carlson College.


                                                                                                                If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                I’m a civil engineer. What software do I need?
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                                                                                                                Primarily you’ll probably need Carlson Civil and Hydrology but GIS has a lot of nifty tools for importing images so you may also consider that program a “need” instead of just a “want” as well.

                                                                                                                Since all three of these modules are included in the Carlson Civil Suite, that’s usually the better deal.

                                                                                                                 


                                                                                                                  If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                  What versions of AutoCAD & IntelliCAD & Windows does Carlson run on top of? And what about AutoCAD LT? (a running thread)
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                                                                                                                  Carlson Desktop Software with IntelliCAD or for Your AutoCAD

                                                                                                                  Carlson can be installed on top of any full-AutoCAD-based program such as AutoCAD, AutoCAD Map, Land Desktop or Civil 3d. Carlson cannot be installed on top of any version AutoCAD LT.

                                                                                                                  Carlson VersionAutoCAD & IntelliCAD PlatformsWindows Platforms
                                                                                                                  2020AutoCAD 2015-2020, IntelliCAD 9.264 bit Windows 10
                                                                                                                  2019AutoCAD 2010-2019, IntelliCAD 932 or 64 bit Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
                                                                                                                  2018AutoCAD 2010-2018, IntelliCAD 8.232 or 64 bit Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
                                                                                                                  2017AutoCAD 2010-2017, IntelliCAD 8.232 or 64 bit Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
                                                                                                                  2016AutoCAD 2007-2016, IntelliCAD 8.132 or 64 bit Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
                                                                                                                  2015AutoCAD 2007-2015, IntelliCAD 8.0XP, 32 or 64 bit Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1
                                                                                                                  2014AutoCAD 2004-2014, IntelliCAD 7.2XP, 32 or 64 bit Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1

                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                  Carlson Desktop Software with Embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

                                                                                                                  Carlson VersionEmbedded AutoCAD EngineWindows Platforms
                                                                                                                  Survey 2018/Takeoff R102018Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
                                                                                                                  Survey 2017/Takeoff R92013Windows XP, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
                                                                                                                  Survey 20162013Windows XP, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
                                                                                                                  Survey 2015/Takeoff R82013Windows XP, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
                                                                                                                  Survey 2014/Takeoff R72013Windows XP, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10


                                                                                                                    If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                    I’m a land surveyor. What software do I need?
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                                                                                                                    Carlson Survey, of course! And, if you truly need ONLY Carlson Survey, you have an option between Survey with IntelliCAD or For Your AutoCAD or Survey with embedded AutoCAD (OEM).

                                                                                                                    But, I find a lot of surveyors also need Carlson GIS for bringing in aerial photos, images of quad and soils maps.

                                                                                                                    And, this is a little out of the box, but if you’re a surveyor who does a lot of construction staking, I highly recommend Carlson Civil as well. Carlson Civil has a lot of tools that are meant to be used for design but, in my experience, can be invaluable for stakeout.

                                                                                                                    Most of these tools are in the 3D Data menu of Carlson Civil and include:

                                                                                                                    • 2D to 3D Polyline by Points and by Text with Leader
                                                                                                                    • Assign Contour Elevations
                                                                                                                    • Pad Polyline by Interior Text
                                                                                                                    • Draw Building Perimeter Polyline
                                                                                                                    • Convert Spot Elevations to Points
                                                                                                                    • Points by Slope

                                                                                                                    If you need Survey plus any of these other programs, you will have to use Carlson Survey with IntelliCAD or For Your AutoCAD because Survey and Takeoff are the only programs available on the embedded AutoCAD (OEM) platform.

                                                                                                                    And if you need Survey plus any of these other programs, you may want to consider the Civil Suite because the bundled pricing is often better than buying 2 or more individual modules.


                                                                                                                      If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                      Does Carlson have student or academic licenses?
                                                                                                                      +
                                                                                                                      At this time, August 2016… Student? No, not to my knowledge.
                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                      But, for Academic licenses? Yes.
                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                      Carlson Software provides unlimited desktop licensing to qualified colleges and universities around the world.


                                                                                                                        If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                        Why did you start doing your webinar series for Carlson and CAD training?
                                                                                                                        +
                                                                                                                        In 2013 I became overwhelmed by requests for one-on-one Carlson and CAD training – the requests were mostly from new customers who needed an introduction to Carlson, but also from experienced users wanting to know more about Carlson Field to Finish or other more advanced topics.

                                                                                                                        Over a 3 week period I had 14 2-hour sessions with different people or groups. At that point I realized I needed to find a better way if I wanted to continue to support those who purchased software from me – and the webinar series was born!

                                                                                                                        Now it has grown and is, I think, a great way to make everyone happy. Those needing an overview of the software or particular features can get that on a regular basis. And, it frees me up to offer more specialized training to those who want and need custom training.


                                                                                                                          If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                          Whew, what’s with all these changes to Autodesk purchasing, renting, subscriptions, etc…? Can you help?
                                                                                                                          +
                                                                                                                          As to the first question… Whew, what’s with all these changes to Autodesk purchasing, renting, subscriptions, etc…? 

                                                                                                                          My answer is: I have no earthly idea and God bless Carlson Software for loving their customers and making it so easy!

                                                                                                                          In all seriousness, Autodesk’s pricing and purchasing model is changing so often and in substantial ways, I can’t keep up with it either.

                                                                                                                          I am not an Autodesk reseller so I can’t help other than to make referrals and give my opinion. But, I have a couple Autodesk resellers that I trust and who have helped me keep my own licenses of AutoCAD and Civil 3d straight over the years. They have also been hugely helpful to my Carlson customers needing to purchase licenses of AutoCAD.

                                                                                                                          Feel free to email me for a referral.


                                                                                                                            If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                            Can I install my Carlson desktop software on two computers?
                                                                                                                            +
                                                                                                                            Yes. Each standalone license of Carlson can be installed on two computers for your personal use. For instance, install at home and at the office or on your office desktop computer and your field laptop. But, if you own one license, both computers cannot be using Carlson at the same time or it is a violation of your Carlson Software License Agreement (EULA).

                                                                                                                            For your 2nd installation, follow the same steps to download and, during the installation process, use your same serial number. The key to NOT getting in trouble is how you register it the first time it launches on the 2nd computer. The image below shows the Install Info tab of the registration dialog box.

                                                                                                                            You must specify the Reason for Installation from one of these 5 options:

                                                                                                                            2016_RegScreen02

                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                            1. Initial install or maintenance update of Carlson
                                                                                                                            2. Re-installation of Carlson
                                                                                                                            3. Windows or AutoCAD Upgrade
                                                                                                                            4. Home/Field use. See License Agreement.
                                                                                                                            5. New Hardware (new hard drive, network card, new computer)

                                                                                                                            For your 2nd installation, you’d choose option #4. It’s a little dated but you can refer to this Knowledge Base article from Carlson’s website explaining these options: Carlson KB 893: Desktop Software Reasons for Registration. This FAQ explains where to find your Carlson Software License Agreement (EULA).


                                                                                                                              If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                              Where do I start? Carlson Software Training Video?
                                                                                                                              +
                                                                                                                              There are many Carlson Software training videos. Start by viewing this recorded webinar: Carlson Software: All Substance, No Styles.

                                                                                                                              Then click here to send me an email and let me know what you think. Or you can follow this link to request a 30 day trial, online demonstration or pricing!


                                                                                                                                If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                Where can I download my Carlson Software?
                                                                                                                                +
                                                                                                                                You can go to Carlson’s Software Download page to download complete installation files or files that will update your current installation to the newest build.

                                                                                                                                You will first have to select the correct program and version for downloading. You can choose your Carlson program and version from a drop-down list or, if you’re not sure of one or both, you can also enter your serial number to find the right download.

                                                                                                                                CarlsonSoftwareDownloads

                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                If you’re choosing your own product, here are some tips:
                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                • For any of the Carlson Software desktop products that run on top of AutoCAD or come with IntelliCAD, select the default product Carlson Survey/Civil/Mining/Takeoff for CAD
                                                                                                                                • For Survey with embedded AutoCAD (OEM) select Carlson Survey Embedded
                                                                                                                                • For Takeoff with embedded AutoCAD (OEM) select Takeoff

                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                After selecting the correct product, pick the Show Files button and then select the correct version.
                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                Depending on the program and version you choose, you may be presented with a long list of downloadable files including full versions for 32-bit or 64-bit computers and various files that will update your current installation to the newest build. Just read the download file descriptions carefully and download the one that matches your system.


                                                                                                                                  If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                  How can I find out when new versions or builds of Carlson are released?
                                                                                                                                  +
                                                                                                                                  You can visit Carlson’s Email Preference Center and sign up to receive emails directly from Carlson for updates.

                                                                                                                                  You can also refer to this FAQ for an active list of the most recent builds for most of the desktop and Carlson field software programs.


                                                                                                                                    If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                    Does That CAD Girl training qualify for PDH/CEU/continuing education credit?
                                                                                                                                    +
                                                                                                                                    Maaayyybbeee…

                                                                                                                                    I am an approved provider of continuing education credit for the North Carolina Board of Engineers & Land Surveyors so anyone licensed in NC should have no problem.

                                                                                                                                    For those out-of-state who attend my webinars or arrange for custom online training: Once (or maybe twice if I’m really on my game) a year I send out emails that “Acknowledge Your Attendance” in our webinar(s). This is not a guarantee that the hours will be accepted by all licensing boards but, it IS training, not a sales pitch, so I have a hard time seeing how they could deny credit..

                                                                                                                                    Also, for all custom online CAD training and CAD webinars, recordings of the sessions can be provided in the case of an audit.


                                                                                                                                      If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                      Does Carlson with IntelliCAD have an option to print to PDF?
                                                                                                                                      +
                                                                                                                                      No, not at this time.
                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                      It’s my understanding that the cost of each license of Carlson would have had to increase by quite a bit to absorb the cost of embedding an Adobe PDF writer into the software. So, Carlson decided to not add it and to just encourage users to use one of the many after-market AtoCAD to PDF writers on the market.
                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                      Creating PDFs for CAD training and other tasks is a large part of my job so I actually use Adobe Acrobat which is rather pricey. Here are a few more that range from free to pretty cheap to pricey:
                                                                                                                                       


                                                                                                                                        If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                        How much training will I need to learn Carlson?
                                                                                                                                        +
                                                                                                                                        It really depends on what program(s) you’ve used in the past. Online CAD program training may be a good option for you.

                                                                                                                                        If you’ve used anything AutoCAD-based (such as Land Desktop, Eagle Point, Civil 3d) then the only thing you will need to learn is how Carlson manages points or surfaces compared to those programs. In many ways Carlson Software and Land Desktop are more similar than Land Desktop and Civil 3d so the learning curve is pretty short.

                                                                                                                                        But, if you’re coming from TerraModel or Microstation-based program, learning the AutoCAD or IntelliCAD platform underneath Carlson programs will probably double the time it takes to learn the program. It’s all CAD so you’re not starting from scratch, but figuring out the fundamental differences between layers and levels, templates and seed files, cells and blocks, paper space and plan/profile views and so on will take some time.

                                                                                                                                        Refer to this FAQ for training that’s available if you need to learn CAD or Carlson Software.


                                                                                                                                          If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                          What features & menus are in Carlson GeoTech? (a running thread)
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                                                                                                                                          Shortly after each new release of the program, we will update this FAQ to show the menus that come with the installation.

                                                                                                                                          Refer to this FAQ to see the latest improvements to Carlson’s desktop software products

                                                                                                                                          Carlson GeoTech 2017

                                                                                                                                          Features and Benefits of GeoTech 2017

                                                                                                                                          Carlson GeoTech provides the ability to import borehole data for analyzing subsurface conditions and materials.

                                                                                                                                          “GeoTech will model all core samples and produce a detailed, easy-to-read report for drill logs, cross sections, and plan view,” says Dave Carlson, V.P. of Development for Carlson Software.

                                                                                                                                          In addition, this information is fully integrated with Carlson Civil, for determining site stability and suitability, and also Carlson Construction, for accurate strata takeoff estimation.

                                                                                                                                          Menus in GeoTech 2017

                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                          Menu Bar in GeoTech 2017

                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                          The menus below are available in Carlson GeoTech 2017

                                                                                                                                          Drillhole Menu

                                                                                                                                          GeoTech 2017 Drillhole Menu

                                                                                                                                          StrataCalc Menu

                                                                                                                                          GeoTech 2017 StrataCalc Menu

                                                                                                                                          Grids Menu

                                                                                                                                          GeoTech 2017 Grids Menu

                                                                                                                                          Map Menu

                                                                                                                                          GeoTech 2017 Map Menu

                                                                                                                                          The menus below are in all non-OEM programs of Carlson 2017 desktop software

                                                                                                                                          (Click image to see more)


                                                                                                                                            If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                            Is embedded AutoCAD (OEM) more like AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT?
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                                                                                                                                            The embedded AutoCAD (OEM) that ships with Carlson Survey (OEM) and Takeoff (OEM) is much closer to an AutoCAD LT than to full-AutoCAD.

                                                                                                                                            Follow this FAQ to see a list of the differences between AutoCAD, Carlson’s IntelliCAD and the embedded AutoCAD  (OEM) platforms.


                                                                                                                                              If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                              How do I know if I’m running the latest build of my Carlson Software?
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                                                                                                                                              The first time you launch your Carlson Software after a computer restart, the program will usually check in with Carlson’s website to see if a new build of the software has been posted; however, sometimes this automatic Check for Updates doesn’t occur and you have to force it to check.
                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                              There is a link to Check for Updates in your Windows Carlson Software program folder as shown below:
                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                              2017_WindowsStartMenu_CheckForUpdates

                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                              Rather than use the Check for Updates link, if you need Carlson Software help, you can also follow these FAQs to manually check and see if the build you currently have installed is the same as the one posted on Carlson’s Software Downloads page.


                                                                                                                                                If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                                Are Express Tools available in Carlson?
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                                                                                                                                                Technically, no. But through Carlson software training, you’ll learn that they have their own set of layer management commands that handles most of the functionality you might miss from the Express Layer Tools and Layers II Toolbar commands. These tools are available in programs with IntelliCAD software as well as those with embedded AutoCAD (OEM).

                                                                                                                                                Carlson Layer Tools are highlighted in the View menu below:

                                                                                                                                                2017_Carlson_Menu_View_LayersHighlighted

                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                And the Carlson Layers toolbar has many of those handy commands such as Isolate Layers, Restore Layers, Freeze or Off by Picking and Erase by Layer.

                                                                                                                                                2017_Carlson_Toolbar_CarlsonLayers


                                                                                                                                                  If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                                  What are the system requirements to run Carlson SurvPC?
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                                                                                                                                                  Carlson’s field data collection software comes in two formats: Carlson SurvCE for mobile, hand-held collectors running on Windows Mobile and Carlson SurvPC which can be installed on PCs, tablets and laptops running full-Windows 7, 8, 10, etc.

                                                                                                                                                  Click here to review the minimum system requirements for SurvPC.


                                                                                                                                                    If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                                    That CAD Girl’s terms & conditions of sales
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                                                                                                                                                    Click here for That CAD Girl terms and conditions. These apply to all sales – online or otherwise.


                                                                                                                                                      If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                                      Maintenance for my SurvCE & SurvPC – Since when?
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                                                                                                                                                      Yeah, well, that was short-lived. Carlson offered maintenance on SurvCE & SurvPC for only about a year and then discontinued it because there’s no guarantee a new version will come out every year. Carlson has now gone back to a straight upgrade type program. You can follow this link then click on Request a Custom Proposal to request upgrade pricing.

                                                                                                                                                      If you purchased maintenance during that time feel free to send me a message and I’ll see if you’re eligible for an automatic upgrade.


                                                                                                                                                        If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                                        Do I qualify for an automatic upgrade to the new version of Carlson?
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                                                                                                                                                        Maybe.

                                                                                                                                                        With every new license of Carlson that includes IntelliCAD or runs on top of your AutoCAD, Carlson includes 90 days of free Maintenance at no charge. This is Carlson’s way of guaranteeing that, if a new version of the software is released within 90 days of purchase, you will automatically be upgraded.

                                                                                                                                                        Also, you have the option of purchasing Maintenance for any of the desktop software with IntelliCAD or for your AutoCAD.

                                                                                                                                                        Bottom line: If your Maintenance is current when a new version is released, you’re eligible for an automatic upgrade to the new version.

                                                                                                                                                        Follow this link then click on Request a Custom Proposal to get pricing for upgrades or maintenance renewal or even just to request a report of your current licensing.


                                                                                                                                                          If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                                          I’m not in your state/region/country – can I buy my software from you?
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                                                                                                                                                          Yes, you sure can!

                                                                                                                                                          And sometimes I’m able to give discounts or access to my monthly webinars for new customers so give me a call, send me an email or follow this link and click on Request a Custom Proposal to see what is available!


                                                                                                                                                            If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                                            Is IntelliCAD more like AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT?
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                                                                                                                                                            I believe you will find the functionality of IntelliCAD to be MUCH closer to that found in full-versions of AutoCAD than to AutoCAD LT or even the embedded AutoCAD (OEM) programs that Carlson offers.

                                                                                                                                                            Now, you also shouldn’t expect IntelliCAD to be the equivalent of today’s AutoCAD. IntelliCAD is a generic version of AutoCAD and will have the feel of an older “model” of AutoCAD and be missing some of the bells and whistles included in newer releases of AutoCAD.

                                                                                                                                                            But, it’s more customizable, supports LISP routines and 3D drafting.

                                                                                                                                                            Follow these links to see my FAQs that explain the differences between AutoCAD, Carlson’s IntelliCAD and the embedded AutoCAD  (OEM) platforms.

                                                                                                                                                            You may also want to read this Software Review: AutoCAD and IntelliCAD that I wrote for Professional Surveyor Magazine several years ago.


                                                                                                                                                              If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                                              If I use Carlson Survey in the office, do I have to use SurvCE on my data collector?
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                                                                                                                                                              Nope.

                                                                                                                                                              Carlson Survey allows you to import, export and convert points and raw data from dozens of different formats and from a wide variety of manufacturers. Carlson Software, as a company, does everything within their power to make their software and hardware compatible with as many other manufacturers’ products as possible. Carlson wants their users to have the option of mixing and matching their software and equipment in a way that works best for their individual needs.

                                                                                                                                                              Here are just two examples of many throughout the program allowing you to import, export or convert external data.

                                                                                                                                                              The Convert Point Format menu:

                                                                                                                                                              2017_ConvertPointFormat

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                              The Import Raw File menu:

                                                                                                                                                              2017_ImportRawFile

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                               


                                                                                                                                                                If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                                                I miss my Land Desktop/LDD! What is my next, best option?
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                                                                                                                                                                I feel ya!

                                                                                                                                                                I really do miss the days when we had several options for our design software but the market has consolidated down to, pretty much, Civil 3d or Carlson Software.

                                                                                                                                                                My biases are obviously clear but, in my opinion, Carlson is far and away the closest thing to an upgrade to Land Desktop that’s on the market today. Carlson has a lot of the dynamic functionality (RoadNet, LotNet, Design Pad Template, etc.) that we wanted in Land Desktop. But, the entities created by these cool automated tools are all standard CAD entities such as polylines and 3d polylines and text.

                                                                                                                                                                The benefit is that, when you get to the end of your design and need to pinpoint and tweak an area, you have the option of doing basic CAD-editing of standard polylines or text to make changes the old-fashioned way.

                                                                                                                                                                One of my complaints about Civil 3d is that users get very little credit for knowing AutoCAD. Civil 3d requires you to create “Styles” for everything and these styles override basic CAD management of all other properties such as colors, layers, linetypes, text styles, formatting and so on.

                                                                                                                                                                Here is one of my favorite examples to illustrate my point. I have a 100 x 200 lot below that has a label inside for area in square footage and acres. The labels are generic and ugly but I can change that later. At this point, all I want to do is add a silly comma so that the area in SF reads “20,000 SF”.

                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                If I’m in Carlson, I double-click on the label and edit it – because it’s CAD and it’s text.

                                                                                                                                                                If I’m in Civil 3d, that label is tied to the parcel-object and the style of the object must be changed. Unless you explode the object and lose all the perceived benefits of Civil 3d, there are many clicks and digging deep into dialog boxes to make the same change.


                                                                                                                                                                  If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                                                  I think I found a bug in my Carlson Software – how can I get it resolved?
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                                                                                                                                                                  In addition to the annual release of new versions of their software (2015, 2016, 2017, etc), Carlson posts minor updates called “Builds” through the year to fix bugs and other problems found after the initial release.

                                                                                                                                                                  If you encounter a bug in the program, you’ll first want to check for updates to see if you’re running the latest build of your program. If not, the latest build might resolve the issue.

                                                                                                                                                                  There is a link to Check for Updates in your Windows Carlson Software program folder as shown below:

                                                                                                                                                                  2017_WindowsStartMenu_CheckForUpdates

                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                  Rather than use the Check for Updates link, you can follow these FAQs to see if the build you currently have installed is the same as the one posted on Carlson’s Software Downloads page.

                                                                                                                                                                  Once you’ve confirmed you’re running the latest build, you have several ways to submit a request for tech support.

                                                                                                                                                                  After they have verified it’s a repeatable error/bug, Carlson may handle it a couple of ways. If it’s a stop-work situation for you in the latest version, Carlson will work to correct it and send you updated program files with instruction on how and where to copy them. Anyone else who stumbles upon the same issue will get the same files sent to them.

                                                                                                                                                                  Your bug fix will be incorporated into the next build of the program when it’s posted to Carlson’s website.


                                                                                                                                                                    If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                                                    Where do I find the build date or build number of my Carlson Software?
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                                                                                                                                                                    To find the build date/build number of the software you have installed, go to the Help Menu > About Carlson. The build will be listed in the top line of the white text box.

                                                                                                                                                                    The number shown here roughly corresponds to the date that the updated file was posted to Carlson’s downloads page using a YY/MM/DD format. Refer to this FAQ to find the current build of the software you have installed.

                                                                                                                                                                    2017_CarlsonSurvey_BuildDate


                                                                                                                                                                      If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                                                      What’s the difference between Carlson’s annual maintenance and an Autodesk subscription?
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                                                                                                                                                                      Other than one being wildly expensive and like doing a stint in Supermax? Just kidding…

                                                                                                                                                                      The main difference between Carlson’s maintenance plan and Autodesk’s subscription is that Carlson’s tech support is not tied to maintenance at all while Autodesk tech support is only available for no additional fee to those who are current on subscription.

                                                                                                                                                                      Also, in the past few years, there have been so many changes to Autodesk’s Subscription policies that it’s practically impossible to keep up and know exactly what you’re getting for that big price tag.

                                                                                                                                                                      Regardless of whether you’re current on maintenance, whether you’ve let it lapse, whether you’re using today’s version of the software or whether you’re using a version that’s 10 years old, tech support is free from Carlson.

                                                                                                                                                                      You can view the Carlson Software Maintenance Policy here


                                                                                                                                                                        If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.

                                                                                                                                                                        I’m just learning CAD. What’s the one piece of advice you’d give to make me a power user?
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                                                                                                                                                                        Forget the toolbars & menus – learn to run your commands and set your settings from the Command: line!

                                                                                                                                                                        I lost one of my first CAD jobs because I’d been away from CAD work for about 6 months and I was given a CAD test during an interview. While my interviewer watched, I tried to draw a roadway intersection on a computer that had a 2-button mouse and a newly installed copy of AutoCAD R10. I quickly realized that in all my prior work and training I’d become too dependent on macros, LISP routines and the dreaded digitizer tablet (remember those?!). In those days we only had a Command: line and a right sidebar menu – not a toolbar to be found!

                                                                                                                                                                        Commands like ERASE, COPY and MOVE were easy to remember but FILLET? Forget about it. I tanked.

                                                                                                                                                                        I found a computer with CAD to practice and refresh a bit and made it through my next interview and test but I never forgot the experience. Although they were available if I wanted them, I swore off the digitizer tablet and even stopped using command aliases for a long time and typed in the whole long command in most cases. As new versions came out and new menus and toolbars came and went, I realized that the commands entered at the Command: line changed very little from version to version. Unlike co-workers, I didn’t panic with each new version install and had no problems working on someone else’s computer if necessary because it didn’t matter if I couldn’t find my magic toolbar.


                                                                                                                                                                          If you find the material on this website helpful, please consider supporting That CAD Girl by requesting a custom proposal or emailing us at ContactUs@ThatCADGirl.com the next time you need to renew your maintenance, upgrade or purchase new software.