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How is Carlson Survey 2008
Standalone different from the Carlson Survey 2008 that runs on
top of a copy of AutoCAD?
Autodesk offers software
developers like Carlson the ability to integrate their
applications into a subset of AutoCAD called AutoCAD OEM.
Carlson actually licenses the components of AutoCAD they
feel they need to make Survey 2008 Standalone deliver the
functions that most surveyors need. The benefit to the
surveyor is they get both a surveying application and most
of AutoCAD at a truly bargain price, less than half of what
they would spend for a full seat of AutoCAD with the Carlson
Survey add-in module. There are two potential disadvantages
to Survey Standalone: (1) use of the AutoCAD command line is
restricted (this can drive experienced AutoCAD users nuts),
and (2) Upgrades to Survey Standalone are more expensive (at
least on a percentage of retail cost basis) because of the
way Autodesk licenses the AutoCAD OEM version. Still, in
terms of functionality for cost, this is one of the best
software values available.
Can I purchase networkable versions of
Carlson products?
Yes you can. The idea of
being able to "float" a software license around your office
(known as concurrent licensing) has been around for a
while. This makes sense when you have a situation where
there are a number of folks who need to use the software
once in a while. It is hard to justify the expense of a
software license for someone who's only using it a little
bit every day. With a concurrent license these users can
effectively "share the software", a very useful option. You
can convert any Carlson standalone license to a concurrent
license for an additional 10% of the retail price of the
license.
What versions of AutoCAD do the Carlson
2008 AutoCAD add-on modules support?
AutoCAD versions 2000 thru
2008 are all supported. When you install the Carlson
application you are asked what version of AutoCAD you are
connecting to. The Carlson 2008 product designation is to
let you know this is the latest release of the Carlson
product; some folks assume that Carlson 2008 will only work
with AutoCAD 2008…. This is emphatically NOT the case.
Carlson recognizes that it doesn't always make sense to be
installing the latest version of AutoCAD or its companion
desktops… with Carlson you can continue to run the version
of AutoCAD you are happy with… when you DO decide to install
a later version of AutoCAD you can always be sure that your
Carlson application will connect to it.
If I'm using Land Development Desktop
or Autodesk Civil 3D, can I still use Carlson?
Yes….
Carlson applications will run fine on all AutoCAD based
applications.
How does Carlson differ from Land
Desktop and Civil 3D?
The most important
differences are usability and degree of automation of the
design process. Project management is way more flexible and
intuitive in Carlson; also, the fact that all design
components are standard AutoCAD entity data means you don't
have to contend with the custom objects that complicate LD
and Civil 3D… you can even open and edit a Carlson created
drawing in standard AutoCAD LT if you want to. Carlson also
does a great job of keeping everything in your design
connected when it should be connected… this means that when
you make changes in your design, everything that is
dependent on that change is also updated automatically… all
relationships are preserved.
If I'm using Carlson software on an
older version of AutoCAD, how can I be sure I can share data
with somebody using a later version of Land Desktop or Civil 3D?
One of the best kept secret
functions inside all versions of Land Desktop and Civil 3D
is something called Land XML. Land XML is an application
neutral file format that Autodesk developed specifically so
that people not using Autodesk products could still share
and use data created by Autodesk applications. Carlson both
reads and writes Land XML files, which means you can be sure
you have file/data compatability with all versions of Land
Desktop and Civil 3D no matter what version of AutoCAD you
are running Carlson on.
If I own Carlson software
applications do I have to purchase a subscription to get
software updates?
No you don't. Carlson does
offer a subscription program for those customers who prefer
to maintain their software this way but subscription is
NEVER mandatory. If you opt not to be on subscription, the
most you'll have to pay to update your application(s)
anytime in the future is 15% of the purchase price to catch
up to the latest release.
How do I get technical support on
Carlson applications?
Carlson provides free 1-800
technical support for all applications for all customers.
This is the most user friendly policy in the software
industry and is one of the reasons I think Carlson is a
great choice for surveyors and civil engineers.
Can I try Carlson's applications out before I purchase the
software?
Yes you can. Carlson offers
30 day trial versions of all its modules; the license will
simply time out and not work after 30 days. This is a good
way to check out the software if you're not sure whether
Carlson is right for you or not.
What is Carlson Survey Desktop?
Many users of Autodesk's Land
Desktop are looking for more robust surveying features and
functions... Carlson has long been the leading developer of
land surveying applications… Survey Desktop adds a whole
range of survey related features to Land Desktop, greatly
enhancing and simplifying many functions and providing up to
date data collector support tools.
What is Carlson Takeoff?
Carlson Takeoff is a set of
tools for developing detailed earthwork volumetric
calculations for and AutoCAD defined site/area. Site
developers have been using applications from Agtek and
Paydirt for many years because these were virtually the only
solutions available; these applications are both more
expensive than Takeoff and not nearly as robust. Carlson
Takeoff has quickly become the new standard for earthwork
volumetric calculations.
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