Find Answers on your new That CAD Girl Portal

FAQ: How do I register my Carlson Software? And what are change keys?

Last updated 11/21/2022

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.

Version	Build Date
2023	2/11/2023
2023	11/77/2022
2023	11/7/2022
2022	10/11/2022
2021	3/16/2022
2020	9/2/2021
2019	12/20/2019
2018	5/20/2019
2017	11/15/2017
2016	6/29/2016
2015	7/28/2015
2014	8/11/2014

Carlson Survey with Embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

Version	Build Date
2023	11/14/2022
2022	7/22/2022
2021	2/14/2022
2020	6/23/2020
2019	6/28/2019
2018	9/27/2018
2017	6/22/2017
2016	6/15/2016
2015	5/8/2015
2014	7/14/2014

Carlson Takeoff with Embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

Version	Build Date
2022/R12	12/1/2022
2022/R12	6/25/2022
2020/R11	3/10/2021
2018/R10	2/26/2019
2017/R9	7/3/2017
2016/R8	12/11/2015
2015/R7	9/26/2016
2014/R6	5/16/2013

SurvCE Data Collection Software

Version	Build Date
6.16	8/16/2022
6.09	1/21/2021
6.08	9/29/2020
6.07	8/4/2020
6.03	5/3/2019
6.02	1/31/2019
6.00	7/10/2018
5.08	12/8/2017
5.06	8/1/2017
5.05	4/3/2017
5.03	9/6/2016
5.02	7/25/2016
4.07	11/19/2015
4.06	7/23/2015
4.05	5/15/2015
4.03	12/17/2014
3.03	1/24/2014

SurvPC Data Collection Software

Version	Build Date
6.00	7/10/2018
5.08	12/8/2017
5.06	8/1/2017
5.05	4/3/2017
5.04	12/12/2016
5.03	9/6/2016
5.02	7/25/2016
4.07	11/19/2015
4.06	7/23/2015
4.05	5/15/2015
4.03	12/17/2014
3.03	1/24/2014

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

Version	Build Date
2021	7/15/2021
2021	5/14/21
2020	12/11/2020
2019	8/13/2019
2018	1/9/2018
2017	11/19/2017
2016	6/6/2016
2015	6/10/2016

Find Answers on your new That CAD Girl Portal

Categories: Installation & Tech Support Purchasing From That CAD Girl Tips, Tricks & Solutions Training

Last updated 11/09/2022

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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

Carlson Software Maintenance Plan – and why you should buy it through That CAD Girl

Categories: Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support

Last updated 11/09/2022

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.

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?

Receive free access to our live, interactive webinar series for one year http://www.thatcadgirl.com/webinars,
Past customers will receive a discount on maintenance renewals
Access to That CAD Girl Customer portal to help track and manage your Carlson licenses

P3D? or Point Cloud? then Point Cloud Basic? or Point Cloud Advanced?

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 11/06/2022

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

View Carlson Point Cloud webinars

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.

My Maintenance is Current… Where’s My Upgrade?

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software Software Updates

Last updated 10/30/2022

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

I’ve Installed My Carlson Software – Now What Do I Do?

Categories: Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support Purchasing From That CAD Girl Software Updates Training

Last updated 10/28/2022

Just getting started…? Try these FAQs!

Installing and Registering

FAQ: Can I install my Carlson desktop software on two computers?

FAQ: What happens if I get a new computer and need to reinstall Carlson?

Tracking my Licenses and Keeping Up to Date

FAQ: That CAD Girl Customer Portal

FAQ: My Maintenance is Current… Where’s My Upgrade?

Technical Support

FAQ: Where do I get support for Carlson Software and how much will it cost me?

FAQ: How can I be sure I’m running the latest build of my Carlson Software?

FAQ: I think I found a bug in my Carlson Software – how can I get it resolved?

Training

FAQ: What options do I have for training on CAD or Carlson Software?

Self-Study Training Manuals: 1) Getting Started: Settings, Setup, Configuration and Points and 2) Field to Finish

FAQ: Am I eligible to attend your Carlson Software webinars for free?

FAQ: Before I buy, can I attend a webinar for free?

FAQ: Does That CAD Girl training qualify for PDH/CEU/continuing education credit?

Does Carlson Software Still Offer Perpetual Licenses?

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software Software Updates

Last updated 10/28/2022

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.

Download & install your license of Carlson Survey with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

Categories: Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support

Last updated 09/28/2022

The instructions below are for installing your Carlson Survey with embedded AutoCAD (OEM).

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

Start Carlson Software
Go to Help > About Carlson
Pick the “Change Registration” button
Once the “Add/Remove Serial Number” dialog box is open, pick the “Add” button
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.

FAQ: I’ve installed my Carlson Software, now what do I do?

Download & install your Carlson SurvCE

Categories: Installation & Tech Support

Last updated 09/15/2022

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

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

FAQ: I’ve installed my Carlson Software, now what do I do?

Download & install your license of Carlson Takeoff with embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

Categories: Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support

Last updated 09/11/2022

The instructions below are for installing your Carlson Takeoff with embedded AutoCAD (OEM).

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

Start Carlson Software
Go to Help > About Carlson
Pick the “Change Registration” button
Once the “Add/Remove Serial Number” dialog box is open, pick the “Add” button
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.

FAQ: I’ve installed my Carlson Software, now what do I do?

Download & install your license of Carlson Software (with your AutoCAD or IntelliCAD)

Categories: Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support

Last updated 09/11/2022

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

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

Start Carlson Software
Go to Help > About Carlson
Pick the “Change Registration” button
Once the “Add/Remove Serial Number” dialog box is open, pick the “Add” button
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.

FAQ: I’ve installed my Carlson Software, now what do I do?

Why should I purchase Carlson from That CAD Girl instead of someone else?

Categories: Purchasing From That CAD Girl

Last updated 04/09/2021

After doing your homework, I hope you’d conclude that I will serve you best – whether you need 1 license or 10.

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

I’m human and as a CAD specialist, can’t get to every request as quickly as I’d like to – particularly after a new software release or after the flood of year-end sales – but I do my best to answer every email and phone call personally and hope to be an extra resource for your organization.

Visit Our Online Store

Current Discounts

Information or Support

Find out more about our Webinar Training

FAQ: What you should know about purchasing Carlson Software

What’s the difference between Carlson with IntelliCAD and with the embedded AutoCAD (OEM) platform?

Categories: Autodesk Software Buying Guide Carlson Software IntelliCAD

Last updated 11/23/2020

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.

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

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 09/07/2020

FAQ: What are the latest improvements in Carlson Software?

Online Store: Carlson Point Cloud Basic

Online Store: Carlson Point Cloud Advanced

Post: P3D Topo? Or Point Cloud? Point Cloud Basic? Or Point Cloud Advanced…?

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

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

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

(Click image to see more)

GIS Starter Kit for Carlson’s IntelliCAD users

Categories: Carlson Software IntelliCAD

Last updated 08/06/2020

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.

About IntelliCAD

Categories: Carlson Software IntelliCAD

Last updated 07/17/2020

IntelliCAD Case Study: Carlson Software

Carlson Software Press Release: Take Another Look at IntelliCAD in 2015

Carlson Software’s IntelliCAD Support page

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.

Is it better to network Carlson than use standalone licenses?

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support

Last updated 04/15/2020

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 3^rd person is working in Hydrology and a 4^th 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.

Working with Carlson’s network license manager

Categories: Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support

Last updated 04/15/2020

You can find instructions for installing Carlson Software’s network license manager here: Carlson KB 55: Setting Up License Server and Requesting A Network License.

What you should know about purchasing Carlson Software

Categories: Autodesk Software Buying Guide Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support IntelliCAD Purchasing From That CAD Girl Software Updates System Requirements & Hardware Compatibility Training

Last updated 10/16/2019

Quick Links

Platform Options	Competitive Upgrades

Carlson Retail Pricing	System Requirements

Annual Maintenance	30 Day Trials

Carlson Upgrades	Technical Support and Training

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

Program	Retail Price of Standalone	Retail Price of Network	That 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			Request Pricing or *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.

Program	Retail 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	$ 2,750	$ 275	$ 3,025	$ 302.50
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 Status	Annual Maintenance (Percentage of Retail)	Expiration Fee (Percentage of Retail)	Total Fee (Percentage of Retail)
Current	10%	0	10%
1 year behind	10%	10%	15%
2 years behind	10%	20%	20%
3 years behind	10%	30%	25%
4 or more years behind	10%	40%	50%

Sample Upgrade & Maintenance Renewal Pricing

Program	# of Years Expired	Retail Price	Total Fee (Percentage of Retail)	Total Fee to Upgrade and/or Renew Maintenance for 1 Year
Survey	0 maintenance is current	$ 1,850	10%	$ 185.00
Survey	Less than 1 maintenance has expired	$ 1,850	20%	$ 370.00
Networked Survey	Less than 1 maintenance has expired	$ 2,035	20%	$ 407.00
Civil Suite or Select Suite Pick 4	0 maintenance is current	$ 3,950	10%	$ 395.00
Civil Suite or Select Suite Pick 4	Less than 1 maintenance has expired	$ 3,950	20%	$ 790.00
Networked Civil Suite or Select Suite Pick 4	Less than 1 maintenance has expired	$ 4,345	20%	$ 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.

How is the price of Carlson maintenance calculated?

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

Last updated 09/05/2019

Updated 9/1/2019: Carlson announced that they are increasing prices for maintenance renewals as of 9/1/2019 – you can view this as a PDF here.

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.

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

Maintenance Status	Annual Maintenance (Percentage of Retail)	Expiration Fee (Percentage of Retail)	Total Fee (Percentage of Retail)
Current	10%	0	10%
1 year behind	10%	10%	15%
2 years behind	10%	20%	20%
3 years behind	10%	30%	25%
4 or more years behind	10%	40%	50%

Program	Retail 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	$ 2,750	$ 275	$ 3,025	$ 302.50
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 Expired	Retail Price	Total Fee (Percentage of Retail)	Total Fee to Upgrade and/or Renew Maintenance for 1 Year
Survey	0 maintenance is current	$ 1,850	10%	$ 185.00
Survey	Less than 1 maintenance has expired	$ 1,850	20%	$ 370.00
Networked Survey	Less than 1 maintenance has expired	$ 2,035	20%	$ 407.00
Civil Suite or Select Suite Pick 4	0 maintenance is current	$ 3,950	10%	$ 395.00
Civil Suite or Select Suite Pick 4	Less than 1 maintenance has expired	$ 3,950	20%	$ 790.00
Networked Civil Suite or Select Suite Pick 4	Less than 1 maintenance has expired	$ 4,345	20%	$ 869.00

Where do I get Carlson support? How much will it cost me?

Categories: Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support

Last updated 08/29/2019

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 then click on Request for Tech Support or just feel free to copy me on that email to Carlson.

BIG REQUEST: 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 make sure to say, “Oh, by the way, I’ve already checked and I’m using the current build”.

Are there any problems running Carlson on Windows 10?

Categories: Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support Software Updates Tips, Tricks & Solutions

Last updated 08/29/2019

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.

What are the system requirements to run Carlson Software in the office? Do I need a monster computer?

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support System Requirements & Hardware Compatibility

Last updated 08/29/2019

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.

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

Categories: Autodesk Software Buying Guide Carlson Software IntelliCAD

Last updated 11/13/2018

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:

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.

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

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 11/10/2018

FAQ: What are the latest improvements in Carlson Software?

View these products in our online store

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

Edit Menu

View Menu

Draw Menu

Inquiry Menu

Settings Menu

Points Menu

3D Solids Menu

Window Menu

Help Menu

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

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 11/10/2018

FAQ: What are the latest improvements in Carlson Software?

FAQ: What are the latest improvements in Carlson Software?

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 Menu

COGO Menu

Centerline Menu

Area/Layout Menu

Annotate Menu

Surface Menu

GIS Menu

CG-Survey 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

CG Trav Menu

CG Cogo Menu

CG Draw Menu

CG Mngmt Menu

CG Topo Menu

CG Tools Menu

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

(Click image to see more)

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

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 11/10/2018

FAQ: What are the latest improvements in Carlson Software?

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

Edit Menu

View Menu

Draw Menu

Inquiry Menu

Settings Menu

Points Menu

Survey Menu

COGO Menu

Centerline Menu

Area/Layout Menu

Annotate Menu

Surface Menu

GIS Menu

CG-Survey Menu

Window Menu

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

CG Trav Menu

CG Cogo Menu

CG Draw Menu

CG Mngmt Menu

CG Topo Menu

CG Tools Menu

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

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 11/10/2018

FAQ: What are the latest improvements in Carlson Software?

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

Surface Menu

SiteNet Menu

Centerline Menu

Profiles Menu

Sections Menu

Roads Menu

Area Layout Menu

Annotate Menu

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

(Click image to see more)

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

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 11/10/2018

FAQ: What are the latest improvements in Carlson Software?

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

Watershed Menu

Structure Menu

Network Menu

HydroCAD Menu

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

(Click image to see more)

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

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 11/10/2018

FAQ: What are the latest improvements in Carlson Software?

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 Tools Menu

Images Menu

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

(Click image to see more)

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

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 11/10/2018

FAQ: What are the latest improvements in Carlson Software?

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

Surface Menu

Takeoff Menu

Roads Menu

Survey Menu

Annotate Menu

Display Menu

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

(Click image to see more)

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

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 11/10/2018

FAQ: What are the latest improvements in Carlson Software?

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

Raster Menu

PDF Menu

BIM Menu

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

(Click image to see more)

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

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 11/10/2018

FAQ: What are the latest improvements in Carlson Software?

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

Utility Menu

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

(Click image to see more)

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

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 11/10/2018

View SurvCE in our online store

View SurvPC in our online store

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

Equip Menu

Survey Menu

COGO Menu

Road Menu

Select Equipment

Map View | FILE Menu

Map View | VIEW Menu

Map View | DRAW Menu

Map View | COGO Menu

Map View | TOOLS Menu

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

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 11/10/2018

FAQ: What are the latest improvements in Carlson Software?

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

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

Edit Menu

View Menu

Draw Menu

Digitize Menu

Raster Menu

Elevate Menu

Takeoff Menu

Drillhole Menu

Trench Menu

Roads Menu

Points Menu

Surface Menu

Inquiry Menu

Settings Menu

Display Menu

Window Menu

Help Menu

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

Last updated 10/20/2017

Shortly after each new release of the program, we will update this FAQ to show the menus that come with the installation.

Carlson iCAD 2017

Click here to view in Online Store

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 Menu

COGO Menu

Centerline Menu

Area/Layout Menu

Annotate Menu

Surface Menu

GIS Menu

CG-Survey 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

CG Trav Menu

CG Cogo Menu

CG Draw Menu

CG Mngmt Menu

CG Topo Menu

CG Tools Menu

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

(Click image to see more)

What features are in Carlson Precision 3D? (a running thread)

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 10/20/2017

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.

Use DWG Convert to save DWG files to an earlier version

Categories: Autodesk Software IntelliCAD Tips, Tricks & Solutions

Last updated 09/20/2017

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:

Why do you prefer Carlson Civil Suite over Civil 3d?

Categories: Autodesk Software Carlson Software

Last updated 01/04/2017

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.

Post from 2009 Why Carlson Civil Suite And Not Civil 3D?
And More Carlson vs Civil 3D from 2009
And Carlson, Civil 3D and Head-to-Head Shootouts, again in 2009
This post is a follow up from 2010 Carlson Software VS Civil 3D – Revisited
Here’s the article I wrote for Professional Surveyor magazine (now xyHt) My Evolution from Land Desktop to Carlson Software
I’ll even play fair and give you the counter argument by Eric Colburn Moving from Land Desktop to Civil 3d
If you want an outsiders take (from several years ago), you can read this article in CE News by David Palumbo of Dewberry describing the process his company undertook to evaluate the programs and find the right software solution for their surveying and engineering departments.

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.

That CAD Girl’s top reasons to purchase Carlson Software

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 12/22/2016

Click here to watch our Carlson Software: All Substance, No Styles webinar

for an overview of the program

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

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.

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!

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

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.

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

Why don’t you post recordings of your webinar series presentations for all to see?

Categories: Purchasing From That CAD Girl

Last updated 11/04/2016

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.

Does Carlson run on a Mac?

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support

Last updated 11/04/2016

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.

What data collectors, GPS and total stations can I run with my Carlson SurvCE or SurvPC?

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support System Requirements & Hardware Compatibility

Last updated 10/26/2016

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.

What is Carlson College?

Categories: Training

Last updated 10/26/2016

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.

What options do I have for training on CAD or Carlson Software?

Categories: Carlson Software Purchasing From That CAD Girl Training

Last updated 10/26/2016

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!

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 then click on Request for 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.

I’m a contractor and need to do takeoffs and create machine control files. What software do I need?

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 10/26/2016

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.

I’m a civil engineer. What software do I need?

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 10/26/2016

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.

What versions of AutoCAD & IntelliCAD & Windows does Carlson run on top of? And what about AutoCAD LT? (a running thread)

Categories: Autodesk Software Buying Guide Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support IntelliCAD System Requirements & Hardware Compatibility

Last updated 10/26/2016

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 Version	AutoCAD & IntelliCAD Platforms	Windows Platforms
2020	AutoCAD 2015-2020, IntelliCAD 9.2	64 bit Windows 10
2019	AutoCAD 2010-2019, IntelliCAD 9	32 or 64 bit Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
2018	AutoCAD 2010-2018, IntelliCAD 8.2	32 or 64 bit Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
2017	AutoCAD 2010-2017, IntelliCAD 8.2	32 or 64 bit Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
2016	AutoCAD 2007-2016, IntelliCAD 8.1	32 or 64 bit Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
2015	AutoCAD 2007-2015, IntelliCAD 8.0	XP, 32 or 64 bit Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1
2014	AutoCAD 2004-2014, IntelliCAD 7.2	XP, 32 or 64 bit Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1

Carlson Desktop Software with Embedded AutoCAD (OEM)

Carlson Version	Embedded AutoCAD Engine	Windows Platforms
Survey 2018/Takeoff R10	2018	Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
Survey 2017/Takeoff R9	2013	Windows XP, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
Survey 2016	2013	Windows XP, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
Survey 2015/Takeoff R8	2013	Windows XP, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10
Survey 2014/Takeoff R7	2013	Windows XP, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10

I’m a land surveyor. What software do I need?

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 10/26/2016

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.

Am I eligible to attend your Carlson Software webinars for free?

Last updated 10/26/2016

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!

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.

After pre-registering, we will confirm your recent purchase and, if you are eligible to attend, will send you the meeting login information.

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

Does Carlson have student or academic licenses?

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 10/26/2016

At this time, August 2016… Student? No, not to my knowledge.

But, for Academic licenses? Yes.

At this time, per Carlson’s website:

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

Why did you start doing your webinar series for Carlson and CAD training?

Last updated 10/26/2016

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.

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

Categories: Autodesk Software

Last updated 10/26/2016

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.

Can I install my Carlson desktop software on two computers?

Categories: Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support

Last updated 10/26/2016

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 2^nd 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 2^nd 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:

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

For your 2^nd 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).

Where do I start? Carlson Software Training Video?

Categories: Carlson Software

Last updated 10/26/2016

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!

Where can I download my Carlson Software?

Categories: Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support

Last updated 10/26/2016

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.

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.

How can I find out when new versions or builds of Carlson are released?

Last updated 10/26/2016

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.

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

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

Last updated 10/26/2016

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.

Does Carlson with IntelliCAD have an option to print to PDF?

Categories: Carlson Software Tips, Tricks & Solutions

Last updated 10/26/2016

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:

PDF995: http://www.pdf995.com
CutePDF: http://www.cutepdf.com
PDF Creator: http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/
Adobe Acrobat, of course: http://www.adobe.com

How much training will I need to learn Carlson?

Categories: Carlson Software Training

Last updated 10/26/2016

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.

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

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software

Last updated 10/26/2016

Shortly after each new release of the program, we will update this FAQ to show the menus that come with the installation.

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

StrataCalc Menu

Grids Menu

Map Menu

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

(Click image to see more)

Is embedded AutoCAD (OEM) more like AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT?

Categories: Autodesk Software Buying Guide Carlson Software IntelliCAD

Last updated 10/26/2016

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.

How do I know if I’m running the latest build of my Carlson Software?

Categories: Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support Software Updates

Last updated 10/26/2016

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:

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.

Are Express Tools available in Carlson?

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software Tips, Tricks & Solutions

Last updated 10/26/2016

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:

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.

What are the system requirements to run Carlson SurvPC?

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support System Requirements & Hardware Compatibility

Last updated 10/26/2016

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.

That CAD Girl’s terms & conditions of sales

Categories: Purchasing From That CAD Girl

Last updated 10/04/2016

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

Maintenance for my SurvCE & SurvPC – Since when?

Last updated 08/21/2016

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.

Where can I get a 30 day trial of Carlson?

Categories: Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support Purchasing From That CAD Girl

Last updated 08/21/2016

Click right here!

Then click on Request a 30 day Trial Serial Number

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

Last updated 08/21/2016

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.

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

Categories: Carlson Software Purchasing From That CAD Girl Software Updates

Last updated 08/21/2016

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!

I can’t seem to keep up with my Carlson maintenance – Can you help?

Categories: Carlson Software Purchasing From That CAD Girl Software Updates

Last updated 08/21/2016

Carlson generates and sends renewal notices automatically but sometimes the notices don’t make it to you for various reasons. So, I try to keep up with my customers renewal dates, send reminders and follow up.

Whether you’re using one of the programs eligible for maintenance or an embedded AutoCAD (OEM) product that requires basic upgrades, you can contact us to request a report of your current licenses and I will request the information Carlson, get your report and follow up with you.

If you already know what you need, you can follow this link then click on Request a Custom Proposal to request pricing.

I didn’t buy my software from you, but can you take care of my maintenance and upgrades?

Categories: Carlson Software Purchasing From That CAD Girl Software Updates

Last updated 08/18/2016

Yes, I sure can!

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

Last updated 08/18/2016

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 send me a message and let me know which CAD webinar you’d like to attend.

Is IntelliCAD more like AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT?

Categories: Autodesk Software Buying Guide Carlson Software IntelliCAD

Last updated 08/18/2016

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

Categories: Buying Guide Carlson Software System Requirements & Hardware Compatibility

Last updated 08/18/2016

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:

The Import Raw File menu:

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

Categories: Autodesk Software Carlson Software

Last updated 08/18/2016

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.

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.

I think I found a bug in my Carlson Software – how can I get it resolved?

Categories: Carlson Software Installation & Tech Support Software Updates

Last updated 08/18/2016

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:

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.

Where do I find the build date or build number of my Carlson Software?