Autocad landscape design

[KINGSBURYLANDSCAPELLC]

SO i learned how to do landscape design the old fashioned way with pencil and paper. Now it seems like everyone is using AUtocad so I am taking courses on it. Does anyone have a sample landscape design they did through Autocad so i can see what its like? Im only at the base stages of Autocad now but it would be nice to know.
Jason

[PaperCutter]

This is a basic planset. Is your CAD drafting class focused on landscape drawing, or is it a more broad-based course?

[AGLA]

This is just plain old autocad.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/laag/cad-plan.jpg

[KINGSBURYLANDSCAPELLC]

thanks for the samples guys. I guess what im looking for is a file saved in Autocad that i can open in autocad to see it first hand. i have autocad 2005 and 2008.

Papercutter, my class is a broad course. unfortunatly not directedly landscape related. thats why i wouldnt mind seeing a sample of what autocad is capable of doing.

[LarryF]

Jason,

I haven't fiddled with Autocad in years and don't have the progam anymore, so I can no longer open .dwg drawings. But here's a site that has some you can download.

http://homepage.tinet.ie/~alainn/

I suspect most aren't landscape designs, but I saw a 'garden wall' listed. But I couldn't open it for the reason stated. Browse around in google and maybe you'll find more.

I was never favorably impressed with Autocad, and if all you want to create are 2-D drawings, it seems to me to be an overkill. But good luck with it anyway.

[YardPro]

those are just blocks ( details).

i use autocad all the time, it is pretty sweet.

[N.H.BOY]

Hey dude..Im taking AutoCad as well basic and I have the 2008 installed on my laptop, Are you taking classes at N.H.T.I.??? I might run into you I go to the night classes on day a week, all I can handle:drinkup:

[PaperCutter]

There are complete drawings, as well as blocks, at www.cben.net . You'll have to dig around, but they're there.

When you say "what AutoCAD is capable of doing"- what do you mean? 3D? Textures? Patterns?

[N.H.BOY]

I think what he means is what autocad can do for landscapeing and the way it looks, Is there an autocad JUST for landscapeing, because I know the class Im taking is basic and it does have trees and plants and stuff like that for blocks and all.

[YardPro]

all the landscape specific programs are autocad with built in routines, etc.

as far as what it can do... it can do anything, the trick is to know how to make it do it.

[AGLA]

I use plant blocks out of Eaglepoint Landcadd that I have, but don't really use anymore as well as some plant blocks that I made myself. I no longer use add on programs, just acad lt in my LA office.

YardPro is right. It can do anything as long as you know how to tell it to.

The patio and cobble aprons in the plan above is just an arrays of stones that I drew. The hedges and walls are blocks that are laid out with the measure command. The biggest thing is just getting control of line thickness.

[YardPro]

agla

i do all my designs on 2004....

array i use alot
just looked up the measure command.... what a time saver. I have been placing them manually.


any other time saving tips?

i have thought about eaglepoint.... but i take it from your posts that it is not that good?

you you have any way to count the number of blocks of a type that you insert? I have been counting them manually....

[thegreenman_sofla]

What you need for Autocad is Landcadd or one of the other addons, Like Eagle Point.
Be warned they are very expensive and, imo, unless you are exchanging plans with other people who will edit it, Autocad is not necessarily the best tool for the job. It has a huge learning curve, and the output, while accurate and industry standard isn't exactly beautiful.

Check out this spreadsheet I'm working on to compare landscape design software for designers http://spreadsheets.google.com/ (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pP1xcoz5ssO5rFgVg4JNsJA)

I considered Autocad, ad that was what i learned in school, but I decided on a different product that fits me better.

[PaperCutter]

Heck of a spreadsheet. What about AutoCAD LT ($875 last I looked) and SketchUp Pro ($500?) for the 3d? Seems like a good pairing.

YardPro, I know there's a way to have ACAD count the blocks for you and put the values in a table, but I've never really tried it. Counting plants is part of my proofreading process, and every time I skip that step I see an error on what I give the client.

Just the ability to draw circles tan,tan radius and tan,tan,tan is a huge timesaver for me with ACAD.

[BrandonV]

we use vectorworks 'landmark' great program and cad is the way to go, my mother took a lot of convincing her being old school but where is saves you is not so much on the initial design (she can draw them quick enough) but in the changes... having had to redraw a couple of huge plans for sidewalk/drive changes you'll really appreciate the ol computer.

http://www.nemetschek.net/landmark/index.php

[AGLA]

[QUOTE=PaperCutter;1976447] Counting plants is part of my proofreading process, and every time I skip that step I see an error on what I give the client.
QUOTE]

I also like to count the plants for that reason. I find drafting errors when I go over the plan with a red pencil marking off the plants. You also have to remember that you can accidentally have a block on top of a block and others that are way out off the site that the program will count. You might also accidentally explode a block that will show up and not be counted. It only takes a few minutes to count up each azalea and then each inkberry, ....

Another simple short cut that you probably already do is to insert and scale your plant blocks one time and then copy them when you need more rather than going through the insertion process over again.

I expect that most of us using autocad are setting up line weights by assigning them to color in the plot styles rather than by actually giving them width. If you don't, you should.

Use your "design center" to create tool pallets with all the blocks that you frequently use. I make my plant blocks 1' in diameter so that when I insert them or rescale them I just scale them by using the diameter that I want them in feet.

Also, I like to keep the "properties" open all of the time. That way I can measure things by just clicking on them and reading the length or area. I can re-assign color or layers or scale right in that open dialog box.

I also like to do my layer management in viewports rather than globally, if there are multiple sheets. I'll make a new tab for each sheet after I set up the job. Then each sheet is ready to print without having to manage layers. And you can jump into model space to make sure you are not overlapping anything. (learn to lock your viewports, if you don't do that already)

[PaperCutter]

Quick note on blocks: make sure you're consistent with the layers you use when building the block, and saving it as a block. Some of the ones I've snagged off of freebie sites are ridiculous- you turn off your plant symbol layer, and only half go away, or sometimes only half of a block turns off. I can't complain about what others have shared for free, but I get frustrated with myself when I forget and do it.

Oh, and just remember that when you're importing a block from someone else, verify the dimensions! I just worked with an engineer who did all his details not to scale. Why you would do that in ACAD, where 1"=1", is beyond me, but people do it.

[thegreenman_sofla]

Thanks Papercutter, I'll add autocad LT. If you know of any other cad programs please let me know. I'd like the list to be as complete as possible. I know searching for all that data was time consuming, and I hope it helps some other designers make more informed choices.

I don't know if autocadLT does elevations, anyone?
Does landcadd work with ACADLT?
Can sketchup use GIS data and/or do terrain modeling?

Tomscreek -

Vectorworks makes the most beautiful output I've seen so far, I'm just not crazy on their licensing scheme. Do they use a Dongle key for registration?
Does Vectorworks use GIS data? Does it do terrain modeling? I assumed yes on my spreadsheet but I'm not sure.

AGLA -
doesn't ACAD do automatic symbol counting? I know the add-ons like landcadd, landfx, and land illustrator add this function, and also add calculation of things like sqft and volume for sod and mulch,rock, etc... some will even generate plant lists and cost/price/size lists on the fly. That is the true power of cad, no more counting and estimating.

[BrandonV]

Vectorworks makes the most beautiful output I've seen so far, I'm just not crazy on their licensing scheme. Do they use a Dongle key for registration?
Does Vectorworks use GIS data? Does it do terrain modeling? I assumed yes on my spreadsheet but I'm not sure..

No more dongle... I hated that too, I'm getting ready to upgrade the the newest version which looks like it'll be smoking, might be interested in selling my old copy (if that's legal, I have no idea)
does terrain, and has some of the best plant counting abilities out there.

[PaperCutter]

Someone had mentioned www.zwcad.com as a low-cost CAD option, but I haven't actually heard from anyone who's tried it.

[PaperCutter]

greenman- here's how to do automated plant counts in AutoCAD:

http://www.landscapeonline.com/research/article/9189
http://www.landscapeonline.com/research/article/9195