Digital Plan CAD Translator

Background:
After industry engagement from 2019, new solutions for lodgment of Digital Plans are undergoing development with Surveyors. Whilst still supporting LandXML software options, an alternate solution currently in development is a Digital Plan CAD Translator. The Translator uses a CAD layering standard which has been co-designed with the NSW surveying profession and when followed correctly, will allow NSW LRS to translate the digital data required from the dwg file to create a Digital Plan.
 
DP CAD Overview Video:
Click here for overview video

Note: This video was created in BricsCAD and may differ in other software. Futhermore, layer name in the video may differ from v1.4
 

DP CAD Layers (v1.4):

• Overview: Here is a PDF which outlines the CAD layers to use, with an explanation of what each layer is  - Click here for PDF
• Template file: We have created a template (.dwt) which contains the standard CAD layers for use in AutoCAD or BricsCAD – Click here for DWT

Note: This may behave differently in different CAD software

 
Before you get started...

1. Your Layers must be named as per the PDF and DWT, to allow the NSW LRS translator to identify the layer and extract the required data. On the left of Image 1 below, this layer will contain the lots you are creating in this plan and the layer name must contain the phrase “LOT_NEW” in it. If you have a two-lot plan (Lots 1-2), you could use “1_LOT_NEW” & “2_LOT_NEW” for your new lots if you would prefer to show each lot in a separate layer, or you may show both lots in this layer and just name it “LOT_NEW”.
2. The Digital Plan CAD translator has the ability to calculate the bearing and distance of any line segments that are within a line layer (e.g. Coord_Traverse, Boundary, Road, Connection, Reference) and which require a bearing and distance. This function uses the two end points of each line to calculate the bearing and distance and rounds to nearest second and mm. This rounding can be updated as per feedback from the profession and could potentially include different rounding mechanisms applied to different layers.

These calculated values will not form part of the digital plan file if there is already an annotated bearing and distance (Figure 1). It will be used to validate the annotated values and make sure there are no large discrepancies to check for typographic errors, saving potential requisitions. The annotated value added by you will always take precedent over the calculated for the digital plan file. Furthermore, any annotated values will not be altered and will form the digital plan file exactly as you annotate.

The calculated values will only be used for the digital plan file, if there are no annotated bearing and distance on the line (Figure 2).

                                
  Figure 1. With Annotation                                                                                                     Figure 2.  Without Annotation

3. Areas for new lots will also be calculated (rounded to 4 sig. fig.) similar to the bearing and distance and used for validation purposes, but will not be used for the digital plan file unless there is no area annotated (Figure 4).

                                   
Figure 3. With annotated area                                                                              Figure 4.  Without annotated area