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A reminder of my video course that teaches how to create top quality tree plans for BS5837 surveys.

See how to scale properly and make trees from blocks.

I can do plans for you if you don't have the time or inclination to do them yourself.

Hope you find it useful.

Once you've got the data, you'll want to create your CAD plans. I've put a full free tutorial online to show how to do this with AutoCAD. 

On this subject, you may find my free tutorial useful.

I show how to make tree plans from start to finish with AutoCAD.

Hi all.

By popular demand, I've added two new videos to my tree constraints plans course here: https://ActionCAD.screencasthost.com/channels/cDQ36arAm

This series of videos is completely free and gives detailed instructions on how to create tree constraints plans using AutoCAD.

The new videos show how to use AutoCAD's advanced features to generate and insert trees automatically into plans and I give a live demo, generating a real tree constraints plan for one of my customers, in just 15 minutes.

If you have any questions, just email me [email protected]

Thanks arctostaphylos-uva-ursi. Glad you found them useful.

Anybody who already produces their own plans and could use some advice, but does not want to share their processes publically, just contact me in private and I'll help if I can.

Thanks 10 Bears.

Glad you found the course useful and that you found it watchable.

@Kevinjohnsonmbe @Gary Prentice

Thanks for your feedback.

I hope to improve the quality of the recordings as I get better at it.

You do need some cad and Autocad knowledge to get the most from the videos. I know many arborists already do their own plans and I wanted to give them some different or quicker ways to do it.

I can't teach CAD here but sites like Lynda.com and Udemy are great to learn the basics.

I'm not really the right person to recommend a cheaper cad programme than AutoCAD because I have never used one. Our business is cad and AutoCAD is our pro tool. I am very mindful though that cad in not your core business so it may not make business sense to keep an AutoCAD licence.

If there are any parts of the process in the video you don't quite follow then just mention it and I'll explain in more detail no problem. I hope people do ask me questions I'm quite willing to share.

So come on, all trade secrets are up for grabs.

I plan to explain how automation works in other videos. There is a web service that will actually create your trees from your data and send back a dxf file which you can use as the basis of a TCP.

Thanks for checking them out Ben.

Hi all,

After years of creating tree constraints plans for customers, I've decided to create a few videos to show how the basics are done in CAD.

So if you are interested in getting started creating tree constraints plans for BS5837 surveys for yourselves then head over to my free course here: ActionCAD's Create Tree Constraints Plans Course

I haven't used a professional to produce the videos so I am sure they can be improved and would welcome your comments.

Regards,

Rob.

Ben, I had a look at some of their samples and spoke to BlueSky customer service.

From their online shop, you can only buy GIS files. I have spoken to them, and you can request the file to be in the dxf CAD format, you can also request a csv file of the tree parameters. These both come at extra cost and only via a purchase over the telephone.

One of the dxf files you can buy shows an idealised, circular (polyline), canopy spread for each tree, with a block attribute showing tree height. The trouble is, although the height object is overlaid on top of the canopy object, there is no other association between them, i.e. they are not blocked together, so it would be complicated to extract, and list, the location and height properties of each tree (for example to put in a spreadsheet). It could be done, but would require programming expertise.

One use of the map, in dxf form, could be to print on paper, or take out to site on a tablet, and label each tree during the survey, ready to use as a location map for a TCP. This would remove the necessity of having a topo. with trees already on, or having to capture the tree locations from GPS instruments.

The tree maps don't come with any other land features though, so they would eventually have to be used in conjunction with a site topo. or OS tile. Would be interesting to see how they scale to an OS tile of the same area.

Has anyone used the National Tree Map for Surveys?

Looks really useful, and not overly expensive? I was quoted about £20 for a 500x400m area plus another £20 for the satellite imagery.

 

What software do you use? Is there free/affordable versions a luddite can work?

Is there a simple way of getting the data onto an excel spreadsheet so you can add to it?

 

http://www.emapsite.com/downloads/product_guides/NTM-Specification.pdf'>http://www.emapsite.com/downloads/product_guides/NTM-Specification.pdf

 

Can be purchased from:

 

https://www.blueskymapshop.com

http://www.emapsite.com

On average I create one TCP or TPP per day using AutoCAD. It's part of my CAD business. For me, spending time learning AutoCAD is worth it because I can implement those skills on jobs for many clients. AutoCAD is fantastic for CAD businesses. For people who don't have CAD as their core business though it is less useful because of its complexity - it is harder to get that return on investment.

If anybody wants tips on using AutoCAD of BS5837 plans, I have plenty I am willing to share.

forgot attachment

TCP A2 PDF LAND EXP.pdf

AutoCAD can be very useful. Attached is the sort of look you can easily get. The trees on this plan were generated automatically by AutoCAD from data in a spreadsheet, and even inserted by AutoCAD. No third party software involved. We used this method to produce drawings of a 4000 tree site. Trees generated and inserted at the rate of 10 per second. Even shows shadow casts if required.

Rob.

AutoCAD can be very useful. Attached is the sort of look you can easily get. The trees on this plan were generated automatically by AutoCAD from data in a spreadsheet, and even inserted by AutoCAD. No third party software involved. We used this method to produce drawings of a 4000 tree site. Trees generated and inserted at the rate of 10 per second. Even shows shadow casts if required.

Rob.

TCP A2 PDF LAND EXP.pdf

Thanks N. I like to share the technology I develop for my business as soon as I can. Of course we do CAD for Arborists so some developments give us business advantage and it would be unwise for me to share them immediately. I help Arborists who do their own CAD as much as I can. Eventually they are too busy consulting to do it for themselves and they usually turn to me to do it for them. If they don't, well that's okay too.

Rob.

Just emailed the files to you Sam. Post here if you don't get them.

Rob.

Which email address shall I use sjarthur?

Rob.

Sure HCR, it is still available. Let me know which email address to send it too.

Rob.

My pleasure Paul.

Thanks for your recent assistance with my CAD work Rob.

 

I would certainly recommend you to others.

Have made some changes to the plugin. Now generates more realistic curved shadows. Just let me know if you want it. Free of course. I'll forward it to those that have the original version.

Paul, before spending capital and revenue on new software, have you tried AutoCAD online, it's called AutoCAD WS?

What's the cost for AutoCad for Mac?

Check out DWG Trueview for viewing and printing, and Autodesk Design Review for annotating AutoCAD files. Ther're both free and guaranteed to render native dwgs properly.

Hi again John...

 

It turns out that I have no idea what I want from a CAD programme! I really just need to be able to open plans, and add extra layers to those plans!

 

You sound like a man who knows, so what would you suggest?

 

As far as being your favourite Aus city, on a day like today I couldnt agree more! The suns shining as I sit writing this on my balcony at the top of Kangaroo Point cliffs overlooking the river and city!

Thanks to everybody for providing feedback on my AutoCAD plugin. Please feel free to make comments on this forum and keep the thread alive. The most common requests have been to change the shadow shape to an ellipse, add a 'Browse' button to select files and write in a bit more help. Will let you know when the next version is released. The plugin is free so anybody else who would like to try it, just let me know.

I use AutoCAD to produce tree constraints plans for BS5837 surveys. I have written a program that will automatically generate tree shadows on any day. It also generates the more general shadow type described in BS 5837:2005. Works for any number of trees, just needs northing, easting and tree height in a data.txt file. Just load and run in AutoCAD.

 

Giving it away free.

 

Anyone interested?

bob, for BS5837 surveys, don't spend capital and revenue on GIS. Just send the data you collect and a markup to a company that specialises in TCP/TPP plans. For around £50 you'll get a plan independent of the number of trees. 6 or 600 same price.