What data files to ask the surveyor to provide.

This tip is provided for engineers who routinely use surveyors to provide a basemap for their design projects. Quite often the engineer does not know what data could be available from a surveyor. This tip is a starting point in bridging the communication gap between the two disciplines and not meant to antagonize any relationships.

1. Ask the surveyor to provide the existing ground terrain model
You will save yourself time and effort letting the surveyor make the EG Surface. They know the site best.
2. Ask for drawings from surveyor that contain Land Desktop points. Ask them not to explode the points.
4. Ask the surveyor to provide all Land Desktop Project Data. (The surveyor may decline some or all of your request. Please respect their decision.)
   
   Project Data should include:
   
   • Surface(s)
   • Breaklines
   • Alignments
   • Points
   • Drawing files of basemaps (xrefs)
   • Georeferenced Images (aerials)

What is the easiest way to provide all this data?

Land Desktop Project Data

Export the project data to a LandXML format.
You will find the Export LandXML command under the Projects menu in Land Desktop.

Drawings, Xrefs, and Images

Use the eTransmit command found under the File menu in Land Desktop.
This command allows you to package the drawing, plot style tables, fonts, xrefs, images and more into a single zip file.

Alternate Method using WinZip

If you are using Land Desktop in a default configuration the drawings and project data are located under the project folder. For this example I will use a project called Oak Place.

1. Open Windows Explorer and browse to the C:\Land Projects 2006 folder.
2. Right click on the folder Oak Place located under the folder C:\Land Projects 2006\
3. In the Shortcut menu find WinZip > Add to Oak Place.zip
4. A zip file is created C:\Land Projects 2006\Oak Place.zip containing all the necessary drawings and Land Desktop project data.

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