Plotting Deed Descriptions using Autodesk Survey

By Brian Morse, BrianMorse.com, LLC

 

Plotting deed calls from a title abstract (deed description) can be made much easier using Autodesk Survey. (This article was written for R2 but is valid for all releases)  Another advantage to this method is the ability to document your references, thoughts, or decisions about each deed call.  Ultimately the desired result is a drawing of the deed calls.  This procedure shows you how to generate a Figure (polyline) by creating and importing a Field Book file through Autodesk Survey.

 

 

! Inserting comments is very useful to create a log of additional information regarding a specific entry in the Field Book.  You can better document the thought process that went into the analysis of evidence by inserting comments in the Field Book file.  In doing this you are recording your comments regarding the evidence compiled to make this drawing.  It could be from a single source such as a deed or from multiple sources including deeds, plans, and/or testimonials.

 

Other advantages to using the Survey Command Language (which is what makes up a Field Book File) is Unit conversions.  For example. Your deed description uses rods as a unit of measure.  Using the Survey Command “RODS” after a distance entry will tell Survey that this measurement is actually 16.5ft. per rod.  If your drawing units are in feet the conversion is made from rods to feet when the Field Book file is imported.

 

 

Sample Field Book file.

Comments are inserted using an exclamation point at the beginning of the line.  Comments in this example are inserted to explain the behavior of the command on the following line.  Word wrap may have caused some comments to run to the next line.    Create a text file and paste the following paragraph into it. Turn word wrap off in your text editor. Survey commands are in bold. Blank lines are allowed.  Multiple spaces on a line are allowed.

 

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! Deed Reconstruction.  (This is a comment line.)

! Brian Morse.  BrianMorse.com, LLC  Brian.Morse@BrianMorse.com

! Deed description of Lot 7.  Bk. 7550, Pg. 351, HCRD.

! AP ON (point). Auto Point command with starting point number

AP ON 1500

!Next line will cause Autocad to generate a text file

OUTPUT ON

! The next command tells Survey to use meters and

! degrees minutes and seconds for angular input.

units meter dms

! following line turns traverse mode on. 

! With TRAV on Survey changes the occupied

! point to the foresight before making the next observation.

TRAV ON

! Repeats last command without having to type the command name. 

! Just enter the data using the correct syntax.

DITTO ON

! tells Survey to begin drawing a Figure named Lot7

! starting at the next point.

BEG Lot7

! NE (point) [North] [East] (descript)

! Since Auto Point is ON the point number must not be used

! in order to achieve proper command sytax and avoid errors.

NE 1650.998 1524.763 POB

! tells Survey to use units expressed in feet for distance entries.

! and degrees minutes and seconds for angular input.

units feet dms

! You must first occupy a point before

! using commands that create points.

STN 1500

!BD (point) [bearing] [quadrant] [distance] (descript)

BD                 0.2040      1        127      SECor

! This monument found disturbed.

! BD is not required for the next line because DITTO is on.

! The last command used is assumed to be the next command

! in the absense of any other commands.

                  89.4454      2       11.85     GBF

                   0.2341      3      127.00     CBF

                  89.4454      4       11.73     PT5

! Lining up columns of data as shown above makes it easier to read.

! Ends the current Figure. 

! Any subsequent points will not have the figure drawn

! to them until another figure command is initiated.

END

! Turns off TRAV mode.

TRAV OFF

! Turns off Auto Point mode.

AP OFF

! Changes Survey Units (not AutoCAD or LDD units)

! to Meters and angles to Deg. Min. Sec. Format.

units meter dms

! Runs the MAPCHECK command on the Figure named Lot7.

mapcheck Lot7

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Tip.

To get a list of all Survey Commands go to the Survey command prompt and type HELP <Press enter>.  The file cmdhelp.ref is opened in Notepad. You must close Notepad to resume use of Survey.

 

Glossary of Survey Commands and terms used in this process.

 

 

DITTO

Automatically repeats the last survey command.

 

TRAV

Allows you to run a bearing traverse.  Assumes that you will advance to the foresight and backsight the previously occupied point.

 

AUTO

The program assigns the point numbers using the value assigned as the starting point number or the current point number in the point settings.  The advantage is you do not have to use a predetermined point number

 

BEGIN

Begins a Figure

 

END

Ends a Figure

 

NE

The starting coordinates.

 

STA

The first occupied point

 

MAPCHECK

Run a report of the bearings and distances

 

OUTPUT

Toggles the use of the output.txt file.

 

BD

Bearing and Distance command.

 

RODS

A modifier to the distance value, entered as a suffix to the distance entry.  It tells Survey that the distance value is in Rods.

 

UNITS

Sets Survey Units.  Survey’s units settings are different from AutoCAD’s or Land Desktop’s.  This is important.  If Survey’s units are different from LDD’s a conversion will take place during the process of importing a Field Book to give output in terms of LDD units.