How Do I Choose the Best Surveying Software?

Surveying software is made to help surveyors accurately measure land while assisting in other digital projects. Successful surveying software will be able to help a surveyor record information and will import that information into other programs that also need the data. Being able to work with other programs, such as computer-aided design (CAD) software and spreadsheets, also is a necessity. Batch processing helps surveyors perform similar changes to several different files, allowing the surveyor to work quicker. Reporting features that suggest land changes also helps the surveyor finish his or her job accurately and in less time.

Being able to record survey information is an important aspect of surveying software. Instead of the surveyor writing down measurements in a notepad, the program should either be able to automatically record measurements or allow the surveyor to type in measurements. This means most surveying programs are capable of working on both full-size computers and mobile platforms, and can link to each other to move the data back and forth.

Program integration is another feature that good surveying software needs to stave off inaccuracy. A surveyor will often need to the use the information in a CAD program to make theoretical changes to the land or to build objects on the land’s representation. Spreadsheet integration will show the surveyor the amount of angle, height and other measurements inherent to the surveyed land. Surveying programs that can integrate with many different programs will be more beneficial, because the surveyor can get more work done.

Surveyors use programs to change the surveyed land until it is appropriate for building, and the changes made are often very similar. With a batch processing feature, surveying software is able to apply these similar changes to several files at once, which allows for better land analysis. This mainly saves time but, if the files are connected to land parcels that are right next to each other, it also can ensure accuracy and will allow the land files to work together.

Most surveying software comes with reporting features that will show many aspects of the land. Advanced reporting features can help the surveyor make changes by suggesting new measurements, can assist in making new points on the surveyed land, and can add precise longitude and latitude markers. With these added features, the program works for the surveyor, making his or her job easier by allowing him to quickly change and rearrange the land for the project’s best interest.