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CHAPTER ACTIVITIES
Bob Hysmith asked that all
Chapters submit pictures to him for a TSPS calendar. The responses have been
slow coming in.
Membership is still a hot
item. All chapters need to be pursuing Technicians and new Registrants for
membership. My daughter will graduate from Texas A & M on August 11th and I will be unable to attend the Chapter Presidents forum and lunch. John Watson will proctor the forum and lunch in my absence. Other topics that may be of interest to the chapters are always welcome.
Sincerely,
Curtis Strong ETHICS
No activity to report. PUBLIC RELATIONS The committee met prior to the board meeting in June to review the progress of this committee’s objectives which includes the production of a recruiting video and brochure. The committee worked with the California Land Surveyors Association to license a video and brochure for use by TSPS. Final edits were made and the final product was received at TSPS headquarters two weeks prior to the board meeting and copies distributed to educators during the retreat in Corpus Christi. This video was presented to the TSPS board and audience during its meeting in June. This video package is ready for distribution. All requests for copies should be forwarded to Anne Glasgow.
Another video produced by high school students at Garland I.S.D. was reviewed by the committee. This video was shown both to students attending the summer survey camp at Tyler and to the educators at the retreat in Corpus Christi, receiving positive review and comments from both. The video was also presented to the TSPS board and audience during its meeting in June. Based upon the comments received, Scott Posey, Chris Freeman and I met with Delbert Richardson to make additional edits to the video. It is estimated that the final edit will be ready for review in two weeks. After approval, the video will be ready for distribution.
With the completion of its objectives, the committee has turned its attention to other goals. One of which is the production of a ‘Landowner’s Guide to Surveying’ for use by TSPS members in their businesses. The purpose of this guide is to help the landowner gain a better understanding of surveying as it relates to their property. This project is in the beginning stages and more information will be forthcoming as it develops.
Respectfully submitted,
Richard L. Worthey Chairman
STANDARDS COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Joanne McRae* Darryl Zercher Shane Neally* John Pierce John Watson* Robby Christopher Jeffery Fitzgerald* Stacey Lyle *Indicates attendance at June 9, 2007 Committee Meeting
Also in attendance were Coleen Johnson, Kevin McRae, Marie Franklyn and Christopher Franklyn.
COMMITTEE TASKS:
Develop a concept plan for Computer Aided Drafting standards to be recommended for Texas Society of Professional Surveyors.
ALTIVA SOFTWARE: Marie Franklyn and Christopher Franklyn both of Altiva Software traveled to Austin from Houston to give a presentation to the Standards Committee of Altiva’s ‘CADconform’ software. The forty minute presentation demonstrated the three primary benefits of using CADconform as follows:
1. As a production drafting tool CADconform helps the user comply with project standards while you are drafting. (Project standards can be defined on a per project basis, using your pre-defined standards or the National CAD standard or the A/E/C CAD standard.) 2. An automated checking device built into the software allows drafters to Find and Fix their own errors to comply with project standards. 3. Once a drawing passes the standards check, a tamper proof Seal of Certification is placed on the drawing. When multiple drawings are consolidated, project managers can easily run a report for all drawings related to a project and quickly determine which drawings are in compliance with the approved standards for that project.
This demonstration conveyed to the Committee the complexity of setting standards, implementation, management, integration and conversion of existing drawings to the standard and maintaining compliance.
Several other points were discussed by the committee members as follows:
1. Survey drawings are the base for most civil project and are integrated into GIS. Surveyors need to embrace GIS in their CAD practices to produce a product that will deliver attribute data to a GIS through the use of dynamic blocks, etc. 2. Development by this Committee of a ‘BEST PRACTICE DOCUMENT’ that covers interoperability between CAD programs (AutoCAD, Bentley, Micro station), why standards are important, h ow to set a standard, h ow to manage a standard, c hallenges of the process, t he importance/necessity of the full backing of company executives embracing the use of standards and insisting on compliance, the importance of employing a CAD manager to enforce compliance.. 3. Translation from historical drawings to new company standard or from company standard to client standard. 4. Integration into other disciplines such as GIS using attributed blocks, line work used to make blocks, coordinate system data (metadata), symbology, data characteristics, etc. 5. The need for education, through TSPS, on Standards Development, Database Management, bridging the gap between GID & CAD , stressing extending the usage of GIS in offices to develop company wide database and define the uses of said database. 6. Develop and publish a list of links to available software vendors and widely used standards websites.
Respectfully: Joanne McRae, Chair
SurPAC Contributions have been made to the campaigns of the following legislators since the June 9, 2007, report:
Jerry Patterson - $1000
SurPac has received contributions of $ 2,263.55 thus far this year. Current SurPac bank balance is $ 14,108.94 (as of July 16).
Respectfully submitted,
Robert Seipel
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