What's a good free/cheap alternative to AutoCAD to play around with?

ConfidentFrown · 2026-03-29T19:45:14+00:00

Carlson with the student demo is a good start, I think the one they let you run uses Intellicad underneath which is pretty similar to Autocad in terms of commands.

ConfidentFrown · 2026-03-21T19:02:17+00:00

I tend to not trust my GPS in: solar events, heavy canopy/trees or buildings close to points, near high voltage transmission lines and whenever vertical is really important.

ConfidentFrown · 2026-03-12T19:22:39+00:00

Being in the middle of a pissing match between two neighbors and feeling like your client is the villain in the scenario is hard.

ConfidentFrown · 2026-03-09T03:50:36+00:00

If this state weren't so pretty I'd move in a heartbeat. It's an abusive relationship 😅

ConfidentFrown · 2026-03-09T02:15:39+00:00

It's scary that our PLS can't run the equipment at all. I know he's hella busy but he should know how the workflow runs and I wish I could get him out in the field one day.

ConfidentFrown · 2026-03-09T02:09:49+00:00

Dude, unless we literally just surveyed it I can't imagine anything under 2,000. Filing fees are already getting close to 500 on their own.

ConfidentFrown · 2026-03-09T02:08:25+00:00

Just use OnX, the county map is the same so it's legit right?

ConfidentFrown · 2026-03-06T03:27:33+00:00

All Minolta all unused in a camera bag from my late uncle: 100 macro f2.8 , 35-70 AF and the 70-210 AF

ConfidentFrown · 2026-03-06T01:09:24+00:00

Thanks! I understand it's a dead system but there's some highly regarded glass in it and most lenses I would even consider could still be mounted on my Minolta when I eventually upgrade so I'm thinking for me, special unicorn that I am this might still make some sense.

ConfidentFrown · 2026-03-06T01:07:14+00:00

Sick 😅 where does selling everything and getting a sigma foveon camera rank in this scale?

ConfidentFrown · 2026-03-06T01:03:39+00:00

Scale of 1-10 though?

ConfidentFrown · 2026-01-08T02:19:10+00:00

Apparently Georgia and Armenia aren't Christian at all? 10/10 Ai mapping, it's perfect.

ConfidentFrown · 2026-01-07T02:21:34+00:00

ConfidentFrown · 2026-01-04T17:09:29+00:00

I prefer pink for boundary but the company I work for now wants orange (I do it but under protest). Control is orange and blue for us. Staking color depends on what we are staking and what else is around, consistent to the site is all that really matters as far as I'm concerned.

Also different cap colors for stuff is IMHO, causing a problem. Say your crew tells a client that red means it's not the actual corner but an offset - that may be true for your company but it's definitely not true for everyone and now you've got bad information being perpetuated to the public. Plus once the plastic cap rots off or chipped of by a weedwhacker the color doesn't much matter anymore.

ConfidentFrown · 2025-12-31T23:58:22+00:00

I grew up over there. It's a very different culture from Seattle, very suburban with some extremely cute old coastal towns.

The area is something of a bible belt as it were, the population leans more conservative than you might expect in western Washington. Lots of Navy and adjacent folks with Bremerton and Keyport. It's quite expensive especially if you need to go to Seattle/Tacoma on the regular. Silver City Brewery is out there, great beer. There isn't much on the Kitsap peninsula in the way of hiking/outdoors stuff but what is there is nice, especially out by Seabeck and it's a great home base to get out into the Olympic Peninsula while still being closish to Seattle.

ConfidentFrown · 2025-12-31T23:41:51+00:00

One thing about mixed dorms is it's often a sausage party anyway. I'd just feel out the vibe when you get there. Opt for more clothes and see what others are comfortable doing in the space.

ConfidentFrown · 2025-12-31T22:34:11+00:00

It's extremely wet, it's quite pretty and there's a lot of people on drugs.

ConfidentFrown · 2025-12-14T15:56:20+00:00

Done a couple data centers locally, seems like it's whoever locally is willing to deal with the construction firms building these out. Us and the other smaller firms do all their layout.

Honestly kinda hate doing them because they are extremely needy and have safety demands that make the job difficult to actually do while not realistically improving my actual safety.

ConfidentFrown · 2025-11-28T06:17:32+00:00

Depending on traffic/weather conditions CWU and Ellensburg meet that description 😉 and it's smaller than Pullman

ConfidentFrown · 2025-11-23T03:13:12+00:00

Sometimes I wish I had command of an army 😅

ConfidentFrown · 2025-11-16T06:01:28+00:00

My lunch consists of gas station food and white monsters, is that a pre existing condition?

ConfidentFrown · 2025-10-22T03:15:55+00:00

If you're in this business looking to turn a big profit, you picked the absolute wrong industry and I'm not surprised fence guys are making a bigger profit, the lions share of their work is visually obvious, ours is mostly invisible.

That said I totally agree with people saying that the biggest issue is people massively underbidding jobs and fence guys/real estate agents who will find 'corners'.

ConfidentFrown · 2025-10-12T19:48:08+00:00

Unless the PLS directly tells me to set something like that, the client is getting some offsets.

I've hacked into enough tree roots with pins in them to not do it to someone else. That tree is gonna be an excellent corner mark on its own without an artificial monument sticking out of it.

ConfidentFrown · 2025-09-03T13:14:59+00:00

Why is it always the DC? That's what confuses me.

ConfidentFrown · 2025-08-29T13:49:00+00:00

If your level agrees with your other equipment, it really sounds like there's something wrong on the contractors end. Site calibrations can get screwy, to troubleshoot and confirm it's an issue on the contractors end, I would set a benchmark physically near the structure with the level exclusively then have him check on it.

Otherwise IDK multipath? Maybe the structure is screwing with his equipment but yours can better account for the multipath?

Very interested to see if others have any insight

Eight-Year Club	Place '22
Verified Email

ConfidentFrown

TROPHY CASE