In This Issue:
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UPDATED 5/6/2025: I wish I had more to report, but I promised to keep you updated—and it’s been a while, so I owe you one!
We’re still hearing from past customers and new contacts almost daily—8 or 9 just this week—asking for advice, support and referrals related to Carlson desktop software. It’s been both humbling and eye-opening to see how many of you continue to reach out to us, even though we’re no longer authorized dealers for Carlson.
As Bruce Carlson once acknowledged, Carlson CAD Solutions and That CAD Girl were the only dealers who focused on sales and support of their desktop software. Now that we are no longer in that role, it is understandable that many of you are still looking for another dealer to fill that gap.
So, what’s changed between us and Carlson? Not much, really.
We’ve been informed by Carlson Software’s legal counsel that they do not believe they’ve acted improperly or interfered with our business relationships. While we may see things differently, we’re moving forward in good faith, we are assuming they do not intend to interfere in the future, and are continuing to reach out to other dealers to offer support and send along leads when possible.
Dealers we have reached out to over these many months have been willing to talk and are, obviously, interested in the opportunity to increase sales by collaborating with us. Unfortunately, they’ve decided not to move forward at this time—it’s understandable that they are cautious, likely due to uncertainty about how such a partnership might be perceived by Carlson.
We plan to keep trying – and hope we’ll soon come to an understanding and find ways to work together that will benefit everyone.
In the meantime, we’re still here, still offering support and training for Carlson desktop products, and we’re also working on some new partnerships we’ll be announcing soon. Keep an eye on our website for updates!
And as always—thank you for your trust, support and friendship over the years.
– Jennifer
UPDATED 2/24/2025: Because we believe that Scott Griffin, and Carlson’s legal counsel, continue to unfairly characterize the details of the termination and its aftermath in emails TO US and with customers copied, I am linking to the email and termination letter here in the interest of full transparency.
UPDATED 2/9/2025: I am sincerely kicking myself for not doing this sooner but, if you’re reading this, I’d ask that you check out Dave Mollenberg and his team at Alpine Navigation in Grand Junction CO.
From their website:
Alpine Navigation offers service, sales and support for the Western Slope of Colorado and surrounding areas in the United States. We focus on the needs of the Heavy Construction, Mining, Aggregates, Agriculture, Public Works, Federal Lands, Energy, Ranching & Resort industries.
Until recently, Alpine Navigation was an authorized Carlson Software dealer specializing in sales of hardware and equipment. After Carlson CAD Solutions and That CAD Girl were terminated as dealers on 1/6, Alpine came to our rescue and helped our customers by following up on our leads and processing orders for Carlson desktop software and maintenance renewals.
Shockingly, Carlson terminated Alpine’s dealer contract only 2 weeks after, and because, we started working together. Their termination was effective immediately as of 1/22/2025.
So, please, if you are in Dave’s neighborhood… give him a ring and show him some love.
UPDATED 2/4/2025 We are incredibly grateful for the calls and emails of support we’ve received from our customers during this transition.
While we have been hesitant to post this, due to many requests, we are sharing the contact information for those at Carlson to whom you may wish to express your support of That CAD Girl and Carlson CAD Solutions, as well as your opinion on the termination of our Carlson dealer contract.
Email: [email protected] AND [email protected]
Phone: 606-564-5028
ORIGINAL POST CONTINUES BELOW
One Door Closes and Others Open
On Saturday, December 28, I received an email and letter advising me that Carlson Software was terminating the dealership agreements for both Carlson CAD Solutions and That CAD Girl, without cause, effective Monday, January 6, 2025.
This decision came without any warning or explanation and took us completely by surprise.
In order to comply with their decision, we’ve removed all options to purchase Carlson products from Carlson CAD Solutions and paused software-related payments in our online portal.
Our Top Priority: You, Our Customers
Right now, our focus is on supporting our customers across the US. We put the highest value on the relationships we have built on trust and respect over the last 17+ years as Carlson Software dealers.
Carlson CAD Solutions and That CAD Girl will continue to be a resource for sales advice, tech support and training for Carlson’s Desktop Software!
With regard to sales of new licenses, maintenance and upgrades – we are working to connect with other Carlson dealers so that, if desired, our customers will have a closer, local option in addition to the support we’ll offer. The holiday timing hasn’t made it easy, but we’re doing everything we can to make this as smooth as possible.
To Carlson Dealers:
If you’re interested in helping our past customers in your region and haven’t heard from us yet, please call me directly at 254-417-8351.
To Our Customers:
If you’ve been working with Claire, Jenny, Joni or me on pricing, proposals, upgrades, maintenance renewals, tech support or anything else, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can email us, call our main line at 804-227-5766 or call my cell directly at 254-417-8351. We’ll do everything we can to help with any outstanding issues.
What’s Next?
That CAD Girl Webinar Series & Customer Portal: These services aren’t going anywhere! In fact, we’re shifting our focus back to what we love most—sharing our expertise in CAD and Carlson Desktop Software while providing the very best training and customer service available.
We’re working on adding more and better webinar content featuring some exciting new presenters. As a thank-you for sticking with us, and for a limited time, we’re offering one year of free access to our Webinar Series and that will also include access to your Customer Portal for self-service management of your Carlson serial numbers and maintenance reports.
We’ll keep you updated on new offerings through our newsletter, CarlsonCADSolutions.com and here on ThatCADGirl.com.
What Hasn’t Changed?
Our commitment to YOU—helping you buy what you need and use what you buy.
This is a big change, but we’re looking forward to what’s ahead and can’t wait to share the next chapter with you. Thank you for all your support—we owe the last 17 years of success to you!
Looking for those end of year Continuing Education hours? You might want to consider our 🎆 2024 Virtual Workshops 🎆!
That CAD Girl has partnered with Carlson CAD Solutions to offer 16 sessions over 4 days for a total of 24 hours of presentations. You have the flexibility to attend some or all sessions to get the training you need! You will be able to review the recordings and download a certificate for the time you are logged into the session.
And only $99 for all sessions!
Some of our favorite experts from Carlson Software will be demonstrating the latest and greatest new features of Carlson’s desktop software.
For the first time in many years, we’re happy to welcome Donnie Stallings back into our lineup! Donnie is a retired PLS and the original author of Carlson’s SurvNet Least Squares program.
Donnie will be presenting his class, Adjusting YOUR Datasets with SurvNet Least Squares, on Tuesday Dec 10th and he is looking for a challenge! He is requesting that you send in your most confounding data files for him to incorporate into his lesson plan. Call us at (954) 223-4475 or just click here to upload your files directly to us.
Click here to view the full announcement or to register now!
Call or email us if you have any questions! Can’t wait to “see” you online!
I’d like to say a great big “Thank you” to the Maryland Society of Surveyors for inviting me to speak at your upcoming conference – it’ll be great to see you again!
Join me for my sessions on Survey Project from Start to Finish and Surface Modeling in Carlson Software.
In between sessions, please don’t hesitate to stop by my booth in the exhibit hall to say “Hi!” and ask any questions you have about Carlson Software.
See you in Ocean City! 🌊🏖️
I’m very excited to be going back to My Old Kentucky Home and having the privilege of teaching a couple of classes at the 2024 KAPS Annual Conference!
One of my sessions will be a new formulation that combines parts of my Field to Finish class with Survey Project from Field to Plotted sheet. Can’t wait to see everyone there!
Carlson Software released the 2025 version of their desktop products on July 11, 2024.
With the 2025 release, Carlson has upgraded the IntelliCAD “experience” and now defaults to IntelliCAD 12 which is a major upgrade! Click here to review all the updates in the new 2025 software.
Carlson 2025 products can be installed with (included) IntelliCAD 11.1 and 12.1 or on top of your separately purchased license of AutoCAD 2019-2025.
Carlson’s 2025 products with embedded AutoCAD (OEM) are expected to be released within the next few weeks.
If you are currently running Carlson and have an active maintenance contract, you are eligible for a free upgrade to Carlson Software 2025. You will need your 2024 serial number and can use this Lookup screen to find your new 2025 serial number.
If you’re a past customer of That CAD Girl or Carlson CAD Solutions, you may be able to find your Carlson Customer ID, serial numbers and maintenance reports on your Customer Portal.
FAQ: What are the improvements to Carlson over previous versions? (a running thread)
FAQ: What you should know about purchasing Carlson Software
Carlson Software released the 2024 version of their desktop products on October 16, 2023.
With the 2024 release, Carlson has upgraded the IntelliCAD “experience” and now defaults to IntelliCAD 11 which is a major upgrade! Click here to review all the updates in the new 2024 software.
Carlson 2024 products can be installed with (included) IntelliCAD 10.1a or 11.1 or on top of your separately purchased license of AutoCAD 2018-2024.
Carlson Survey and Takeoff 2024 with embedded AutoCAD (OEM) are expected to be released within the next few weeks.
Any user who has purchases a new Survey or Takeoff with embedded AutoCAD (OEM) within 30 days of the new release will receive an automatic upgrade. If this applies to you, please Email us and we’ll make sure you get your free upgrade.
If you are currently running Carlson and have an active maintenance contract, you are eligible for a free upgrade to Carlson Software 2024. You will need your 2023 serial number and can use this Lookup screen to find your 2024 serial number.
If you’re a past customer of That CAD Girl, you may be able to find your Carlson Customer ID, serial numbers and maintenance reports on your That CAD Girl Customer Portal.
FAQ: What are the improvements to Carlson over previous versions? (a running thread)
We have some news to share! And it’s guaranteed to be…
A WIN for YOU – our current or future customers!
A WIN for Carlson Software!
A WIN for That CAD Girl and Carlson CAD Solutions!
I can’t believe it’s been 22 years since I launched That CAD Girl… wow! That’s so long ago you can be forgiven for not remembering that That CAD Girl started out by providing support and training for Land Desktop and Civil 3D 😊
By 2007, That CAD Girl had already changed directions by providing support and training for Carlson Software’s desktop products. When Carlson approached me about becoming an Authorized Reseller, I agreed, and the race was on!
Thanks to you, and the trust you’ve shown by sticking with me, That CAD Girl has been the top reseller of Carlson Software’s desktop products since 2010.
I truly believe the reason we’ve had such success as a Carlson Authorized Reseller is because we offer support and training – before and after the sale. Like our motto says – That CAD Girl helps you buy what you need – and use what you buy!
The down-side of all that success with selling software is that it left me with hardly any time for training – and I’m not complaining… it’s been a good problem to have!
Claire DiBlasi officially came on-board as “That CAD Girl’s Right-Hand” back in 2021. Our goal was for her to, eventually, handle all the software sales so I could get back to training. Claire is such a rock-star – she learned to fill my shoes in less than two years! She’s been handling most of the sales and maintenance renewal orders for a while now and I feel so blessed to have found someone who takes care of our customers the way I would. There have been so many times that I’ve read her emailed response to someone and had to double-check to make sure I hadn’t written it myself. You are in good hands with Claire!
Now for that News I mentioned up top… we have decided to let Claire launch a new division of That CAD Girl called Carlson CAD Solutions that will focus exclusively on sales of Carlson Software!
This will allow me to focus all future efforts of That CAD Girl on training and support of CAD and Carlson Software for the benefit of end-users, other software dealers and Carlson Software (the Company) – WIN! – WIN! – WIN!
What, exactly, will be changing?
We have a new website at CarlsonCADSolutions.com that will become the Online Store for software. If you need to purchase new licenses of Carlson Software or request custom pricing for upgrades and maintenance renewals, please visit CarlsonCADSolutions.com.
The current site at ThatCADGirl.com will soon transition into one that is dedicated ONLY to support and training of CAD and Carlson Software. We will no longer sell software on this website.
Sales of Carlson from CarlsonCADSolutions.com will offer the best discounts in addition to all the same FREE training from That CAD Girl that you’ve received in the past.
What isn’t changing? That CAD Girl WILL CONTINUE to help you buy what you need – and use what you buy!
What other changes are coming?
Please have patience with us for the next few weeks as we work to sort out the logistics of covering sales, support and training going forward. We want to organize services between Claire and me, and the two websites in a logical fashion with a goal of making it easy for you to find what you’re looking for.
We are sincerely relying on your feedback about what you like, and what you don’t, so don’t be shy! Please reach out to Claire or me at any time – our contact information is at the bottom of this letter.
We will do everything in our power to follow through on our promise of a WIN! – WIN! – WIN! for everyone.
Jennifer DiBona, That CAD Girl
(254) 417-8351 or [email protected]
Claire DiBlasi, Carlson CAD Solutions (a division of That CAD Girl)
(804) 227-5766 or [email protected]
Carlson Software users starting a new drawing in the 2024 version of the software were met with a significant change in the drawing setup with regard to Projection and Zone. This has led to a lot of questions and confusion about what, if anything, needs to be done when opening older DWG files in Carlson 2024.
The Startup Drawing Wizard in 2023 is on the left and 2024 is on the right:
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We have gotten some questions about this change so we reached out to Doug Aaberg, the Carlson Survey product manager, and asked him to give us a brief explainer about the change and to make himself available for a Q & A session. Luckily, we were able to find a date and time in March so we’re very happy to announce that Doug will be joining us on Thursday, March 21st at 12:00 (ET) for this Webinar session.
Although it was originally planned to be offered only to subscribers of our Webinar Series, this topic is important enough that we know we need to offer it on a wider-scale. There are no pre-requisites, no commitments and no strings – just use the link below to register (to get a reminder) or to join the event in progress.
If you would like to review the recording after you attend or would like a certificate of attendance, please send us an email and let us know you will want those extras.
We’re ready to meet and greet the LSAW Surveyors next week!
This is a “slightly known” feature that’s built into Carlson Software‘s Field to Finish feature. The Field to Finish command is available in the Carlson Survey, Construction and Takeoff programs. Please see the video below to learn how to use the DEFAULT field code to quickly identify and find points with random, non-standard, descriptions that may need your attention.