markiesla

One thing you can be sure of 1/2inch of snow in the South East causes havoc but 12 inches in the hills is just something you get on with:001_cool:

I didn't even manage the 1st paragrpah without cracking up He really was a commick genius:thumbup:

I know the thread is iphone - but I don't have an iphone I had TomTom on my previous devices and only once I think it let me down in some 7 years or so. I switched to Co-Pilot on my HTC Desire but it has let me down a 4 or 5 times now - usually when I'm getting "stressed" about being late (always the wife's fault - and she admits that too). So I have been using Google Maps Satnav instead. Yes you need a mobile signal to do the planning but I have found it much more reliable than Co-Pilot. Having said that, I am keeping Co-Pilot as a back up just in case but if I could be bothered to carry 2 devices I would take my previous HTC with TomTom installed. The wife found a shark game on the android market place - Hungry Shark. Bascially you are a shark and you swim about eating things - a little gorey but great fun...

There is a freebie out there at the mo called AutoCAD WS Autodesk - AutoCAD WS . It is basically AutoCAD as a web service. It doesn't have the full AutoCAD functionality - but it does offer a lot for adding to exisitng drawings etc and sharing those details. I have had a play with it and like what it does but it may not do everything you need. I also had a look at ZWCAD when I was at the Arb Assoc conf and this did seem pretty comprehensive and relatively inexpensive. However, I haven't spoken to a user and, of course, the comments from a user often gives a much better insight than those of a salesperson:001_tt2: I have also heard very positive comments about BricsCAD but again cannot comment from personal experience. It can be dificult to strike the balance between CAD and Graphics. Is your intention to producte accurate scale plans or a very pretty picture? If you are using AutoCAD - the addition of M-Color technology really brings the graphics presentation side into the CAD environment with so much style and flair it is hard to beleieve it is an AutoCAD drawing - but AutoCAD is expensive.... Would you like your clients to be able to annotate or markup your scale plans ? Or do you simply want to produce & publish them? Can you "collaborate" as they call it with the software? Sorry if this is throwing a spanner in the works....

Not sure if anyone has already mentioned this - apologies if they have. To some being VAT registered adds an extra layer of "credibility" to a business. I wouldn't go as far as to say it gives a "warm hug" but it arguably reduces the fear of the "cowboy" element. Of course just because one isn't VAT registered doesn't mean "cowboy" and similarly just because one is - doesn't mean they aren't a cowboy. On a similar vein however some may view a VAT registered business as being more expensive. Ultimately it boils down to what best fits your purpose as has been mentioned in a number of the responses.

Just a little reminder everyone that the Auotdesk User Group registration is open. If you use AutoCAD or even non Autodesk GIS you are most welcome.

I'm really impressed with the EpiCollect app v sweet:thumbup: What level of accuracy though is one achieving with the GPS on his / her phone though? I'm using an HTC Desire. Is the level of acuracy available adequate for one's intended purpose? I know the GPS guys will probabaly say not As for the IT guys talking up the technology?? with techie speak and my Northern Irish accent people simply don't understand me at the best of times!! However they aways understand fancy a pint?

There are a number of factors you may wish to consider. There are solutions out there such as KeyTREE which really do cater well to handling the Crown & RPA details within the AutoCAD environment. Feel free to PM / call me if you want to discuss in further detail :-)

Yes that "buffer analysis" is the sort of advanced query GIS allows and displays the results on the map. Then produce a tabular report etc which can be emailed as appropriate. In fact if the data is available there is no end to the queries that could be executed and hence planning activities. For example show me all the trees within 3 metres of an access path which are assigned stump grinding within the next 3 months...

The DWG format does contain a tiny little "database" inside for attribute details - it's called extended entity data. However, getting at it is a bit difficult at best and to try to perform thematic mapping such as show me all the trees due inspection within the next 4 weeks is very very very involved with lots of programming effort required on the part of the developer. To avoid geeky boredom setting in I will stop there on the technicalities of DWG. DWG is a CAD graphics format and definitely not the ideal mechanism for hold 20+ attributes for any number of trees. Where possible we will link the Autocad object to a database e.g. MS Access or SQL etc record using AutoCAD MAP and then we can make the data come alive. This is where GIS comes into the equation. The object on the drawing has the intelligence of the associated database information. i.e. it knows it has an ID, a species, height, DBH, crown, risk classification etc etc etc

I'm surprised you haven't had more of a response to this question... come on guys & gals don't be shy

Presumably you use AutoCAD to display the location of the trees? How do you convey the attribute details ? excel spreadsheet? Regards

My wife is a paramedic - some of her training material is beyond belief. However sometimes they get jobs which are a complete waste of time, money, resources etc If any one is interested check out InsomniacMedic This site is nothing to do with my wife or me - in fact we don't know who the poster is - but it sheds some light on the London Ambulance Service and the 5000+ calls they deal with everyday. Happy reading

Hi everyone, Tues 16th Nov 2010 sees the next Geospatial User Group held at Autodesk Offices in Farnborough, Hants. This event if free and is a user show case of Autodesk GI customers. It is not a sales event despite being hosted at Autodesk UK headquarters. Anyone who uses or is interested in AutoCAD / Autodesk GIS technology is most welcome. The agenda can be found at User Group meeting details can be found at http://www.aitspatial.co.uk/pdf/seminars/MKT_AUGI_GUG_Meeting_Programme.pdf To register for the GUG day please visit AUGI - AIT Spatial Ltd - Mapping, Information and System Integrators Regards

Ultimately the decision should be based on the right tool for the job. After all, if you need to take the family & the dog out + pushchair + toys + granny + + + all the usual gubbings for the day - you don't use a Bugati Veyron. On the other hand you wouldn't want to attempt a lap record using a Citroen Picasso round the Nurburgring:laugh1: (Of course no disrespects to Citroen owners )

A good choice from what I have seen and heard from various people.

I totally empathise with you Swoop. Everyone claims their software is the best thing since sliced bread and that it's easy to use etc etc etc. At the Arb Assoc Conf in Manchester one delegate said to me that it would be nice if there was a single piece of software that would do everything. There isn't! If there was it would be very expensive because it would be catering to all men and women. Instead - like a toolbox there are certains items for certain tasks. Task 1 Field Capture using Digiterra or Cartagoo record the details in the field to the level of accuracy required. Task 2: Manage & Access and Share that information wiithin another piece of software - such as web based GIS or even Eye-TREE . I mention Eye-TREE as I know it can access the SHP data files directly from Digiterra and plop them straight onto the map I agree AutoCAD can be a complicated - extremely popwerful but nonetheless complicated beast. I know I am a certified AutoCAD Associate amongst other things Software should assist us in our day to day tasks not require us to undertake software manuals as bed time reading material. There are solutions out there which do make life easier. It is just finding the right one for your requirements and which you feel comfortable with. By identifying what you actually need you are well on the way to making the right decision. Have you had had a look at the GIS mapping systems thread? Regards

Yes completely separate to AutoCAD. You don’t even need to know anything about AutoCAD. You can use AutoCAD information or any of the main GIS formats or even your own database say – MS Access or even Excel spreadsheets. The software is intended to be as flexibile yet simple as possible. See the image below for the Eye-TREE Concept Also, what sort of price would you charge for your software? Given the flexible nature of the software, pricing essentially depends on how many users and how it is to be accessed. Software licence - the 1st user is currently £995+ vat with additional simultaneous users charged at £195+ vat. Initial Site setup and dataload is charged separately depending on your requirements. There are two options available – hosted or installed. The hosted option is a subscription based service using the internet to our password protected web servers. This approach means minimal IT overheads for the user – only a web browser and internet connection is required. We don’t insist on maintenance agreements but should you choose to take that option your system will always be up to date. If not we will support our users as far as possible. If you want to contact me I can discuss the pricing options in more detail. As Charlieh points out – it is worth digging down to the fine print with software. Some GIS software companies charge a lot for maintenance, or insist on you upgrading, or charge by the minute for support and assistance. Of course finding that information can be difficult . That’s not how we work. I would prefer not to make this posting a sales pitch – so if anyone wants further details please contact me directly. I've had a quick look on your website, but I couldn't find any prices so I gave up looking I hope this helps

I have used a variety of GIS systems over some 20 years covering disciplines ranging from sugar plantation site selection, civil engineering areas, through to forestry production forecasting and duty of care tree mapping. Essentially a GIS is a toolbox. Just like a toolbox you use a screwdriver for one job and a hammer for another although in some cases you could use the hammer to drive home the screw and if it is a big enough screwdriver “hammer” home the nail. Some systems are better suited to certain tasks than others but most should do the job to a lesser or greater extent. One thing for sure is that more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better. It may have more functions, but do you need these extra functions. A number of the commercial products available include (in no particular order) AutoCAD MAP, Map Info, Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise, Arc View to name but a few. There are also a number of “free” products out there including MapGuide Open Source, GeoServer, MapServer. For a much more comprehensive list visit Open Source GIS I respect that this forum is not the avenue to give a sales pitch so I won’t. I would however like to say that investing in a GIS can reap rewards if thought through properly. Why do we buy a car?:confused1:Fundamentally to travel from A to B (unless you are like Chris Rea or Jamiroquai and the like and simply collect exotic cars) How many people buy a car before learning to drive? Similarly you don’t buy the 1st car you test drive (generally). Before parting with your hard earned cash you consider: • Petrol or Diesel? • Will I be able to take the entire family? • Will I need 4 wheel drive? • Does it have Satnav? • How economical is it? • How reliable is the brand? • What is it’s on the road performance? Or even it’s off road performance? ….To name but a few considerations. Similar considerations should be applied to the adoption of GIS software. First and foremost why do you want GIS? Sometimes when I ask this question the answer is sometimes “because my counterpart in Othertown” has it. This is definitely the wrong answer – but begs the question why does your counterpart in Othertown have it? Then we start getting to the nitty gritty. The bottom line of GIS for trees is to be able to access information about the trees within it’s geographic context – i.e. via a map. Typical GIS tree queries are: Show me all the trees to be inspected within the next week Or Show me all the trees with work overdue Or Show me all the trees with high or retained risk classification Or simply show me all the Corsican Pines Once you have identified your need for GIS you can then get down to the specifics: • What background mapping data can I use? • Can I use site survey details • Can I access data in a database such as MS Access? • How many people need to view the information? • Do I need to give internet access to my clients? • How flexible is it in terms of data formats which can be used • Ease of Use (although everyone seems to claim that!) … again to name but a few There are numerous systems on the market which meet some or most of these needs using GIS or digital mapping at their core. It’s certainly at the core of our software Eye-TREE (AIT Spatial Ltd - Mapping, Information and System Integrators) . Each system seems to address a particular business avenue in a particular way. However even a high level overview of these would be beyond the scope of this posting. The bottom line for anyone considering investing is GIS is actually quite simple once you have identified the business need for it. If you want to have a chat about your GIS requirements without obligation please do not hesitate to contact me – either by PM or email ([email protected])