General

• CAD Platforms : Runs in AutoCAD versions 2010 to 2000 as well as AutoCAD Map, Land Desktop and Civil3D, with added support for running on IntelliCAD 6.6
• Project Setup: Flexible data storage methods
• Drawing Cleanup: Fix common drafting errors
• Drafting Enchancements: Handy tools for working in AutoCAD such as Join Nearest, Shrinkwrap Entities, Polyline Utilities, Drawing Inspector, Layer Inspector and Twist Screen
• Data Compatibility: Supports industry standard LandXML and scores of specific data conversions

3D Data

• Elevate 2D to 3D: For spot elevation, polylines, contours and pads
• Edit-Assign Polyline Elevations: Elevates 3D polylines using control points
• Create Ridge Polylines From Contours: Creates 3D polylines for ridges, valleys and summits to enhance surface from contours
• 3D Polyline Tools: Draw, offset, fillet and merge 3D polylines

Surfaces

• Build Surfaces: By triangulation or rectangular grids
• Contouring: One step triangulate and contour from 3D entities as well as contouring from surface files
• Triangulation Utilities: TIN math (add, subtract, multiply, divide) by value or another TIN within perimeters, and offset, simplify and merge functions
• Surface Manager: Change surface display properties and adjust surface functions to add and remove points and breaklines and swap edges
• Surface Inspector: Real-time elevation feedback while moving over surfaces
• 3D Surface Flyover: 3D viewer with vehicle to drive over surface or follow 3D path
• Slope Analysis: Label and report surface slopes at selected points and slope zone analysis

Grading

• Volumes: Earthwork volumes between triangulation or grid surfaces
• Pad Design: Tie cut/fill slopes from pad perimeter to surface, build pad surface, calculate and balance volumes, and edit pad parameters
• Cut/Fill Color Maps and Labels: Draw shaded map of red/blue and flexible labels for cut/fill and surface elevations
• Cut/Fill Centroid Analysis: Outlines perimeter and finds center of mass for each cut/fill area with option to report optimized earthwork movement
• Earthwork and Material Quantities: Volumes adjusted by subgrade zones and material quantities for count, length, area and volume by entity layer
• Story Stakes: Create different styles of story stake reports

Centerlines

• Design and Edit Centerlines: Design or input alignments on screen or in dialog with graphics
• Label Stations and Offsets: Annotate station and offsets along centerline and at selected points
• Calculate Offsets: Reports stations and offsets for selected points along centerline
• Create Offset Points: Create points at specified stations and offsets
• Spirals: Flexible handling of the most complex spiral curves including “spiral-only” elements going arc-spiral-arc, arc-spiral-line and line-spiral-line

Profiles

• Create Profiles: From surfaces, screen entities, points on centerline, etc
• Quick Profile: One step profile creation with real-time update while adjusting centerline
• Input-Edit Profiles: Enter profile data in dual spreadsheet and graphic window, and design in reference to controlling profile grade points
• Draw Profiles: Draws profiles on grids or plan-profile sheets with auto-updating based on edits
• Design Road Profile: Create road profile on profile grid or spreadsheet with simultaneous profile, plan and section views
• Design Sewer/Pipe Profile: Create profiles with invert elevations, pipe sizes, rim elevations and manhole sizes
• Profiles To 3D: Create points and 3D polylines from profiles
• Profile Reports: Several report functions such as Sag/Crest for roads and Pipe Depth Summary for trenches

Sections

• Create Sections: From surfaces, screen entities, points, etc
• Quick Sections: One step creation of sections
• Draw Sections: Draw sections in vertical stack or on standard, logo-based sheets with flexible formatting and auto-updating based on edits
• Input-Edit Sections: Enter section data in dual spreadsheet and graphic window with drive-thru function
• Sections to 3D: Create points and 3D polylines from sections, with optional influence of profile, an essential process for creating DTMs for machine control on most highway projects, where sections “govern”
• Mass Haul Diagrams and Analysis: Calculate and draw mass haul diagrams and routine to report optimized earth movement by distance ranges
• Section Volumes: Calculates volumes between two section surfaces by end areas method

Road Design

• Template Design and Drawing: Detailed yet simple template design with unlimited subgrades, rule-based cut, fill and superelevation methods and routine to easily draw typical template
• Template Transitions: Define transitions for templates, superelevation, topsoil with control over each template grade line using 2 methods: lane width change by station range or “string” method where template IDs follow defined alignments
• Process Road Design: Applies road design, reports quantities and outputs sections, surfaces and template points
• Road Network: Dynamic road design with intersections and cul-de-sacs
• Road Design Inspector: Real-time viewing of road design in plan, profile and section views

Points

• Import/Export: User-defined import and export of point data along with conversions with specific other formats
• Draw Points: Draw points with settings for symbols, layers and styles
• Point Groups: Point group manager to define sets of point by filters
• Coordinate File History: Tracks all changes to points with report and undo functions
• Fix Point Label Overlaps: Finds point label overlaps with rule options to fix automatically
• Point Tools: Utilities for modify point labels such as move with leader, twist and resize

Area/Layout

• Label Areas: Customized area label styles and several methods to select areas to label
• Size Areas: Sliding side area, hinged area, area radial from curve and bearing area cutoff
• Lot Manager: Lot definitions by point numbers with functions to create lots, conduct mapcheck for closure, edit in spreadsheet with graphics, report lots and draw lots
• Lot Layout: Size lots along alignment with controls for target area, setback and frontage
• Offsets, Intersection and Cul-de-Sacs: Layout for ROW and EOP linework

Annotation

• Angle & Distance Labels: Flexible routines to label linework in all possible layout combinations plus available rules to automatically fix label overlaps and revise labels when entities move
• Curve Labels: Label curve data in stack, along arc or in table
• Survey Text: Routines to create typical plat labels such as offset and building dimensions
• Label Elevations: Label spot elevations along an alignment
• Linetypes: Draw special linetypes

Companion Programs

• Carlson SurvCE: Data collection for Windows CE and Pocket PC
• Carlson Field: Take Carlson and AutoCAD to the field for data collection and stakeout with total stations and GPS
• Carlson Takeoff: Construction Estimating for earthworks, subgrades, material quantities, strata quantities and trench networks
• Carlson  Point Clouds: Process laser scan data to generate models, breaklines and points
• Carlson Natural Regrade: Design stable land surfaces that follow natural hydrologic and geomorphology principles
• Carlson Geology: Models drillholes and strata structures and attributes