by EricColburn
October 4, 2012 in Associate Membership, AutoCAD, Business, Geomatics, Land Surveying, Members, MicroSurvey, News, Surveying Software
MicroSurvey embeddedCAD 2013
October 4th, 2012 – MicroSurvey is pleased to announce a major update to MicroSurvey embeddedCAD, a standalone application that is Powered with Autodesk Technology™ and contains the MicroSurvey suite of enhanced tools for land surveyors.
by EricColburn
August 16, 2012 in Associate Membership, Business, Geomatics, Land Surveying, Members, MicroSurvey, News, Surveying Software
MicroSurvey CAD 2013
August 16th, 2012 – West Kelowna, BC – MicroSurvey is pleased to announce a major update to its flagship software with the release of MicroSurvey CAD 2013. This latest version of MicroSurvey CAD – built for surveyors, contractors and engineers – is based on the completely new and redesigned IntelliCAD 7.2 engine.
The new IntelliCAD engine 7.2 has many new features and improvements, such as MrSID (.sid) file support, new entity snap modes, a dockable properties pane, faster display graphics, DGN export and non-rectangular viewports.
Read the rest of this entry →
by EricColburn
January 18, 2012 in Associate Membership, Business, Continuing Education, Geomatics, GIS, Land Surveying, Laser Scanning, News, Remote Sensing, Surveying Software
Professional Land Surveyor News
January 18, 2012
Redlands, California— For the second consecutive year, the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM) will join forces with Esri to host the premier event in the surveying industry. The Survey Summit will take place July 21–24, 2012, in San Diego, California, sharing its final two days with the Esri International User Conference (Esri UC).
The Survey Summit will serve as the ideal forum for not only ACSM members and land surveyors but also anyone interested in GIS technology and will showcase emerging technologies such as lidar and 3D scanning.
“The Survey Summit is specifically designed to provide opportunities unavailable at state survey conferences,” says Brent Jones, Esri’s surveying, cadastral, and land records industry manager. “Conference content will address pressing issues common to all surveyors—opportunities for new work, emerging markets, and implications of technology on the profession, among many others. The summit is the place for surveyors and ACSM members to engage in new markets and discover new business opportunities.”
by EricColburn
October 19, 2011 in Associate Membership, Business, Geomatics, GPS, Land Surveying, Land Surveying Equipment, News, Topcon
Professional Land Surveyor News
DALLAS, TX - GeoShack North America, Inc. continues to grow with their latest announcement that Midwest Architects & Engineers Supply Inc. has joined the GeoShack family.
Midwest A&E was founded in 1956 by Ed Nicholson and has been at its present location, 400 North Grove Road in Richardson, Texas since 1984. Current operations will remain open in Richardson, but will begin to use GeoShack name.
Billy Tucker, North Texas Regional Manager for GeoShack stated, “Midwest customers will notice very few changes initially. We will continue to carry the same great Topcon products, supported by the same great team. With the support of a much larger company, Midwest will be able to increase inventory and services very quickly.”
by EricColburn
July 13, 2010 in Associate Membership, Business, GNSS, GPS, Land Surveying, Land Surveying Equipment, Laser Scanning, News, Surveying Software, Trimble, Trimble
Professional Land Surveyor News
The Trimble MX8 System Combines Leading Imaging and Laser Scanning Capabilities in
an Integrated System for Mobile Mapping
SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 13, 2010 —Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) introduced today the Trimble® MX8 Mobile Spatial Imaging System, an advanced mobile data capture system that combines imaging and laser scanning capabilities to measure objects in 3D to produce 3D, 4D and 5D data sets for spatial imaging projects. The new Trimble MX8 Mobile Spatial Imaging System expands the scope of services that surveyors, engineers, mapping and geospatial professionals can offer to enhance their business. The system is ideal for as-built modeling, inventory, inspection, encroachment analysis, and asset management for roadways, bridges, railways, utilities, and other infrastructure.
by EricColburn
May 28, 2010 in Associate Membership, Business, Land Surveying, News, Professional Land Surveyor Practice
Professional Land Surveyor News
I just came across this news item concerning the license renewal period for Kansas Land Surveyors and Professional Engineers, which is currently open, and thought I’d share it with you. If your a professional land surveyor in Kansas, then this is obviously of interest to you, but what I found interesting is the ability to renew your license online. This is a good use of technology, it’s secure, it’s business friendly, and I think that every state should look into doing this, too.
by EricColburn
May 17, 2010 in Associate Membership, Business, Land Surveying, Professional Land Surveyor Practice, Surveys
PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR SURVEY
In this week’s PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR SURVEY I’m asking the question:
Post Great Recession-Are Jobs Going to Come Back?
I’ve been thinking lately about what the jobs situation in the land surveying industry will look like as as a full recovery takes hold and the Great Recession, hopefully, comes to an end. Lately I’ve heard several experts talk about jobs and the economy discussing how this will not only be a jobless recovery, but that in certain fields some jobs will never come back. In many respects, I believe this will be true for professional land surveyors and all land surveying technicians.
The times They Have A Changed!
Regardless of the current economic conditions and times, although significant, if you look at the history of land surveying there is one very important truism: As technology has increased the number of surveyors to complete the work has decreased. If you’ve been surveying for any amount of time, think back to how many people worked on your field crew and how many people it took in the office to get that work done. If you go way back, was it four or more people on your field crew and nearly an equal amount in the office? If you go back to when I started in the mid 1980′s, there where three field crew members and at least two to three surveyors or drafters working in the office (this doesn’t include clerical workers).
However, shortly after I started surveying the Total Station with built-in EDM became commonly used, and the field crews were reduced to two people. Over time, the office became the same way, in that personnel was reduced as software like AutoCAD was adopted. Where it was common to have an office survey technician do basic reductions and control plotting, a drafter plotted field notes and prepared plans, and a professional land surveyor calculated boundaries and provided professional oversight, it didn’t take long after automated drafting and surveying software took hold that the work it formerly took many people to complete could now be completed by one person. And now, with Robotic Total Stations and GPS, it’s becoming more commonplace to only have only one person working in the field.
But here’s the rub: Before the Great Recession hit, many professional land surveyors had not moved to use systems, both in the office and in the field, to increase productivity and reduce the total amount of employees required to complete their surveys. Since then, how the times they have a changed! With a lack of work and with no cash flow, many firms have been forced to cut to the bone and work with skeleton crews. Some, like myself, had invested in “Solo-Surveyor” equipment like Robotic Total Stations and GPS, so they could work with as little as one person (if there was work at all).
by EricColburn
March 25, 2010 in Associate Membership, AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Business, Land Surveying, News, Surveying Software
Professional Land Surveyor News
March 25, 2010.
Today, Autodesk Unveiled its 2011 software updates for building design, infrastructure and construction industries, including the new AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011.
Jay Bhatt, senior vice president of AEC Industry Solutions said about the overall autodesk 2011 Software Portfolio:
“The building design, construction and infrastructure industries must improve productivity, while at the same time completing complex projects on time and at, or under budget,” said Jay Bhatt, senior vice president of AEC Industry Solutions. “Our new 2011 software helps support that goal by capitalizing on the enormous benefits of Building Information Modeling, and facilitating multidisciplinary collaboration from start to finish for everything from new construction and renovations on residential and business projects to large-scale infrastructure and government projects.”
Professional Land Surveyor Source – Autodesk
Specific to surveying and civil engineering, AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 was unveiled with several exciting improvements and upgrades.
by EricColburn
February 22, 2010 in Associate Membership, Bentley, Business, Land Surveying, News, Surveying Software
Professional Land Surveyor News
18 February 2010
Leveraging Its Leadership in Information Modeling, Bentley Advances GIS for 3D Cities by Releasing V8i (SELECTseries 1) Versions of Bentley Map, Bentley Descartes, Bentley Geospatial Server, and Bentley Geo Web Publisher
EXTON, Pa. – Bentley Systems, Incorporated, the leading company dedicated to providing comprehensive software solutions for the infrastructure that sustains our world, today announced breakthroughs in 3D geospatial information systems (GIS) software to support the design and operation of intelligent cities. Intelligent cities, and the intelligent infrastructure they incorporate, take full advantage of information modeling best practices. As a result, they are able to provide better performance with respect to safety, energy, lifecycle costing, and operational efficiency. Bentley’s intra-operable portfolio of software features lifecycle support across all classes of intelligent infrastructure, including land management, power generation and energy delivery, water and wastewater networks, roads, bridges, rail, communications networks, and buildings. The just-released V8i(SELECTseries 1) versions of Bentley Map, Bentley Descartes, Bentley Geospatial Server, and Bentley Geo Web Publisher further extend this portfolio to include new 3D City GIS capabilities.
Commenting on Bentley’s new software, Richard Zambuni, Bentley global marketing director, said, “All around the world, city governments are looking for ways to improve the sustainability of their intelligent city infrastructure to deliver a better quality of life to their citizens. Bentley’s newly released 3D City GIS products enable them to adopt information modeling best practices that enhance their ability to perform urban planning, noise simulation, shadow analysis, natural disaster mitigation, public relationship management, and 3D analysis and design.
by EricColburn
January 28, 2010 in Associate Membership, Business, GIS, Land Surveying, Land Surveying Equipment, News, Surveying Software, Trimble, Trimble
Professional Land Surveyor News
Trimble Introduces DPS Mobile Data Transfer for Digital Pen Solutions
Trimble DPS Mobile Software for the BlackBerry Smartphone Streamlines the Transfer of Field Report Data to the Office;
Accelerates Projects for the Construction Contractor
ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 26, 2010 — Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) today announced remote data transfer capabilities for its family of Trimble Digital Pen Solutions. Designed specifically for the construction contractor, the Trimble portfolio of Digital Pen Solutions and supporting software capabilities provide the simplicity of working with pen and paper with easy conversion to digital data by using a digital pen. Using Trimble DPS Mobile software, contractors can streamline the transfer of field data captured with the Trimble Digital Pen Solutions to the office for faster, more accurate data transfer and communications.
The announcement was made today at the AHR Expo 2010, the world’s largest show targeting air conditioning, heating and refrigeration contractors.
Designed for use with the BlackBerry smartphone, Trimble’s new DPS Mobile data transfer application enables workers to easily transfer data from the Trimble Digital Pen to the office. Mobile workers can use Trimble DP20 digital pens to write on printed Microsoft Excel forms and PDF files. The written information can then be transferred to a BlackBerry smartphone via a Bluetooth connection and emailed to the office for integration into the original Excel and PDF files using Trimble DPS software.
by EricColburn
January 12, 2010 in Associate Membership, Business, GPS, Land Surveying, Land Surveying Equipment, Laser Scanning, News, Surveying Software, Trimble, Trimble
Professional Land Surveyor News
Trimble Introduces New Additions to its Optical Total Station Portfolio
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 12, 2010 — Trimble (NASDAQ:TRMB) introduced today a wide range of new additions to its innovative portfolio of optical survey systems, giving surveyors a comprehensive selection of solutions for surveying and engineering applications.
“Surveying firms require flexible and integrated solutions to stay competitive. This is why Trimble’s Connected Site solutions are becoming the industry standard in Integrated Surveying techniques,” said Chris Gibson, vice president for Trimble’s Surveying Division. “One of our key objectives is to deliver versatile and scalable solutions that enable surveyors to quickly adapt to new market conditions.”
Trimble S8 Total Station
Originally introduced in 2007, the Trimble® S8 Total Station is Trimble’s most advanced Autolock® and Robotic total station. New 0.5″? accuracy models have been added for demanding engineering projects such as monitoring, precision build, and high-speed railway applications that require the highest levels of accuracy available.
by EricColburn
June 1, 2009 in Associate Membership, Business, General, Land Surveying, Links, News
It’s been one year since I created EricColburn.com and I’m delighted to report that EricColburn.com is now one of the leading sites, if not THE LEADING SITE, for professional land surveyors on the internet.
One of the many things that I’ve learned is to tell your story and to share what you’re passionate about. This is what I’ve tried to do, and I think it has been successful.
These statistics are from Alexa. Check out Alexa yourself and enter EricColburn.com or any other site for comparison at Alexa.com/siteinfo. Once there, just enter the site you want statistics for and press the “Go” button. Let me know if you find a land surveying site that ranks better than EricColburn.com! Read the rest of this entry →
by EricColburn
April 3, 2009 in 4 RODS, Associate Membership, Book Reviews, Books, Business, Land Surveying, Rated As
eCampus.com Affiliate Link
“Many architects, landscape architects, and interior designers are self-employed or are partners in small firms. These professionals must understand the management, administrative, and planning skills that are critical to the success of a design firm–and apply them to a small business profile. The revision of this best-selling book addresses the latest changes that affect the successful management and growth of small firms.” Professional Land Surveyor Source: eCampus.com
This is a book that you have to read. It is one of the best books I’ve read that is specifically written for Architects, Engineers and Design Professionals: Professional Land Surveyors included.
I stumbled across this book shopping for business books at a major bookstore, not believing that something so related to our industry has even been written. It was well worth the price and in reading this book I improved my business, business skills and business outlook.
I rate this book 4 RODS out of a total possible 4 RODS.
by EricColburn
March 25, 2009 in Associate Membership, AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Business, Land Surveying, News, Surveying Software
Portfolio Offers Enhanced Functionality for Sustainable Design and Infrastructure Modeling, Allowing Customers to Capitalize on Stimulus Opportunities
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Autodesk today began shipping its new 2010 line of 2D and 3D design and engineering software. More than 50 new products offer new features and functionality as well as improved tools for Digital Prototyping, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Infrastructure Modeling, sustainable design and analysis, which will help architects, engineers and designers meet increasing commercial and public sector demand for more energy-efficient buildings, products and infrastructure.
“The new functionality in our 2010 products will help design professionals worldwide improve the efficiency of their workflows and increase competitive advantage,” said Carl Bass, Autodesk CEO. “As governments around the world invest billions in infrastructure and development projects, 3D design modeling technology will be vital for project planning, tracking spending, ensuring accountability, minimizing errors and maximizing sustainable performance.”
by EricColburn
February 23, 2009 in Associate Membership, Business, General, Land Surveying, Links, News
I just started the Professional Land Surveyor Group on Facebook.
This is an open invitation to all the Professional Land Surveyors, Engineers, Architects, GIS, GPS, Mappers and related professionals to join in and participate. I look forward to your ideas and input on the Professional Land Surveyors Group on Facebook. Don’t have a Facebook account – Get one today and begin networking on Facebook.
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