Get started with Land F/X by reviewing some of the basic first questions one might have with the program. These include installing the program, the menu structure, layer colors used, drawing setup, configuration, and outline directions for producing construction documents.

In This Section

• The Land F/X Install Guide describes the simple steps to install Land F/X on a Server and a Workstation.

• The Land F/X Menu Layouts include icon toolbars and matching pulldown menus for the various Land F/X functions.

• Land F/X offers a wide variety of Configuration of Preferences for text, schedules, planting, irrigation, and details.

• The Layer Color and Plotting will review the Land F/X line color plotting styles, and allow you to plot a drawing that represents the Land F/X pen weights.

• If your office has a definite set of color-to-lineweight standards, you can Change Land F/X Line Colors to Match Your Office Standards. This will change the line colors used in Land F/X so that they do not conflict with your office standards.

The Land F/X icon toolbars are standard CAD compatible toolbars that can easily be docked, left floating, or closed, which are the same as other CAD toolbars.

This section displays the five menu groups that make up Land F/X.

• F/X-Admin Toolbar

• F/X-Planting Toolbar

• F/X-Irrigation Toolbar

• F/X-Details Toolbar

• F/X-Graphics Toolbar

The Land F/X menu toolbars occasionally utilize a Flyout button. This is any button that has a small triangle at the lower right corner. When clicking and holding down with the mouse button, the Land F/X menu button will flyout for access to more functions.

Planting toolbar with flyout of first button

A review of the Land F/X Preferences will allow you to quickly configure Land F/X to work closer to the way you work. It’s best to review the Preferences early on in the process of using Land F/X, however, changes to the preferences can be done at any time.

Preferences from the Toolbar fly out	Preferences from the pull down menu

Selecting the Land F/X Preferences dialog box.

Upon selecting Preferences, there will be four categories for review:

• General: Preferences for fonts used within the Land F/X program (such as for schedules, callouts, titles), and the Detail Module size and callout.
• Planting: Preferences for the type of Plant Code and Plant Labels.
• Plant Sizes: Preferences for the list of plant sizes, default plant size, the number and type of fields in the schedule, and the default cost for plants.
• Irrigation: Preferences for the Valve Callout, pipe data, and schedules.

Fonts

The fonts listed in the font text styles box of the General Preferences are those fonts that Land F/X that are used within the program coding. The most common fonts to review early on in using Land F/X are the Schedule Text and Schedule Title fonts, which control the fonts for Planting and Irrigation Schedules, and Reference Notes Schedules.

Highlight a font style and select the Edit button. The Land F/X Font Manager dialog box will appear (see Font Styles under Adding Fonts and Text Styles in the Land F/X Help file).

The Font Styles are listed to the right, and the Schedule Text font is highlighted. The specifications for this font, along with a preview, are listed to the left. Click on the Font: pulldown down to access the available fonts for this style.

• Refer to Adding Fonts and Text Styles to indicate how to add your fonts to the Land F/X font list.

Land F/X controls text size by Point Size. Our Scale function will control the scale, so a 10 point font will automatically be scaled properly in Model Space or Paper Space to plot at 10 point size.

The main considerations to pay attention to early on are:

• Plant Code: do you want it GEN SPE (the first three letters of the genus and species), or GS (the first letter of the genus and species.)

• Allow duplicate symbols: If checked, you can have the same symbol for any plant; if unchecked, every plant will be forced to have a unique symbol.

• Plant Label: at least review the options and pick one. You can always change your mind when you start to label.

The Planting Preferences control:

• Plant Code: to define how you want to reference the plant with code.
• To allow or not allow duplicate symbols for plants. If this box is unchecked to NOT allow duplicate symbols, once you select a symbol for a plant, you will not see that symbol available again.
• Determine the type of Plant Callout you will use and the type of extension line to that callout from the leader line.
• The arrow type used to point to ground covers or shrub areas that you are calling out.

Clicking on the Plant Label box will display the options for plant labels.

The Plant Callout formats that are displayed when you click on the Plant Label box

If none of the labels are just what you are looking for, select the closest option for what you want, then click on the “Open Files” button below the Plant Label box. This will open the two files that pertain to the label selected. Move the information around as desired, or add more information as indicated in the Plant Symbol Callout section of the Customization Help file.

Theory:

Planting Preferences are mainly considering a look. What do you want your symbols and plant callouts to look like? A good example of different looks for the same design is indicated on the Land F/X examples on the website, landfx.com, under the Gallery section, Gallery/Construction Documents/Planting. This has, in addition to graphic examples from other firms, a Land F/X example of a sample design with five different looks.

Plant Sizes Preferences will end up deciding how you wish to specify a plant. The preferences in Plant Sizes reflect specification flexibility in customization to reflect regional needs anywhere in the world.

The Plant Sizes dialog box controls various aspects of what will be in the Plant Schedule, and how it will be displayed. This dialog box allows a great degree of flexibility, and allows the User to add their own individual fields.

The Irrigation Preferences dialog box controls the type of Valve Callout, and allows you to review the defaults for the Pipe Data and Schedule Data.

You do not necessarily need to review the Pipe Data and Schedule Defaults at this time, as it is very easy and natural to do when you are doing the Irrigation Plan.

Clicking the “Valve Callout” allows a selection of the type of valve callout label

The options for valve callouts

Open the drawing Irrigation Symbols.dwg in the LandFX/Administration folder. This is 8½x11 sheet size drawings with the irrigation symbols provided with Land F/X, and will help familiarize you with Land F/X symbols.

Clicking “Edit” after highlighting a spray head type allows for the selection of a symbol family to represent that head

There are ten different spray head families

The Detail Preferences dialog box controls the detail module size and configuration, and the other aspects in referring a detail.

Detail Callout:

Check the Include detail title box to include the title of the detail next to the callout.

Detail title included in the callout

Arrow Style:

Arrow styles relate to the type of arrow at the end of the arrow leader for a callout…either a dim style arrow or a tick slash.

The two types of arrow styles for detail callouts

Details:

Format height and width. Set these for the size of your basic detail module used within your details. This is the size as it will appear in Paper Space as the final physical detail size. The Land F/X default is 7.25” wide and 7.125” tall, and was basically created to fit in a D (24×36) or E (30×42) size sheets.

Open Files will open the four files that make up the detail title blocks for Land F/X. These are simply 1.dwg, 2.dwg, 3.dwg, 4.dwg. The object is to then go to 1.dwg and customize it for your standards for detail title blocks, see the Customizing Detail Title Blocks.

Standard Details default to copy to project folder: Check this box to always make it so you will make a copy of any Standard Details added to the project, and those copies will be made in the folder of your choice indicated at the Project Manager.

Set Dimstyle is a handy tool to set the dimension style for details when you place a Detail Template around a detail you are creating.

You would set the Dimstyle by starting a fresh session of AutoCAD, and preferably in Paper Space with no scale or project. Use AutoCAD to set the dimension style you desire for dimensioning details, being sure to test the dimension style for various possible conditions you may run across in doing a detail, such as Linear, Aligned, Angular, Radius, Baseline, etc. As you are in Paper Space, you may wish to print these examples just to make sure you have the proper size for text, arrows, etc.

After you have set the above dimension style, go to the Detail Preferences and click on the “Set Dimstyle” button to record the current style that is set. Now, whenever you create a detail by inserting a Detail Template, that style will be set and scaled appropriately for the detail.

There are basically three ways to print AutoCAD files:

• CTB Color Dependent Plot Style: where a layer color will print a line drawn on that layer to a certain thickness and density (percent of screening).

• STB Named Plot Style: plots a layer, object or block by its name. A certain layer with a specific name will then plot at a certain line thickness regardless of the color of the layer. Also a block, such as a tree symbol block, will plot at a certain thickness because of the blocks name, no matter how many colors or layers make it up.

• Lineweight: defined in the AutoCAD Layer Properties Manager. Each layer is defined a Lineweight and it will plot at that weight. AutoCAD makes an attempt to display these lineweights with a WYSIWYG system.

CTB plot styles are the most prevalent in the professional CAD world, and that is the style that Land F/X was created with, although we do offer STB plot styles for named plot styles.

Do This:

Open the drawing LandFX/Administration/LFX Pens.dwg. Plot the Paper Space layout tab (8.5×11) using the LFX.ctb plot style (which should automatically be an option for you). This drawing will indicate the different pen colors to line weights that Land F/X uses in its system.

You have the option to change the Land F/X line colors to not conflict with your current office standard with our BatchMan function, See the topic Change Land F/X Colors to Match your Office Standard. Don't be afraid to call us for help in performing this line color change.

Theory

From our experience, of the hundreds of professional firms that use Land F/X, all of them use CTB's because of ease of use, and ease of translating a consultant drawing. Only one firm that we know of tried to use STB's, and they eventually gave up and went back to a CTB style. It seems apparent that in an office situation it is just easier to use CTB's, and it is the common method used throughout the industry.

Out of the 100's of firms that we have worked with, it seems no two have exactly the same color plot configuration…a sad commentary on CAD Standards in the A&E world.

Also from our experience, we have found that about half of the firms that go to change the Land F/X line colors to match their office standards, decide to simply use the Land F/X line color configuration in all of their future work. This is not because the Land F/X are perfect (it is a pretty good system), but when they take a close look at their system the really don't like it. This is only because of the lack of CAD color standards in the industry has resulted in inconsistent or poorly thought out color standards.

What About Plotting Real Color

The CTB colors are not really colors, but colors representing a black or gray that will plot at a certain thickness. If you want to actually print in color, do not use the AutoCAD Index Color library when you edit the layers color, but use either True Color or Color Books.

True Color is the Windows based colors as RGB combinations. These may not plot exactly as they look on your computer screen, as different monitors indicate color somewhat differently, so test it out.

Color Books offer a variety of industry standard colors, such as Pantone color books. If you can, use these and have a Pantone color book handy so you can pick the actual color from the book first, and then set up the plotter to plot with Pantone colors. An example of these in use are in the Land F/X drawings 5.01 Zoning Example and 5.20 Site Development Example.

If you are using color dependent CTB plot styles, one of the first objectives you will want to do is to get an understanding of the Land F/X line colors and plot styles, and to determine if you need to utilize the Land F/X Change Colors function to change the colors used within the Land F/X system so that there is no conflict with your current office color and plotting standards.

When you install Land F/X, an AutoCAD ctb color dependent plot style table, named LFX.ctb, will automatically be added to your AutoCAD’s Plot Style Table search path, and thus will be available as a plot style option when you are in AutoCAD’s Page Setup viewing the Plot style table (pen assignments).

If your office has no particular standard for color-to-lineweights, you might consider using the default Land F/X color-to-lineweights. If your office has a definite set of color-to-lineweight standards, you will want to change the Land F/X line colors so that there are no conflicts with your office standard colors and the line colors presented in Land F/X.

When you install Land F/X, an AutoCAD stb named plot style table, named LFX.stb, will automatically be added to your AutoCAD’s Plot Style Table search path, and thus will be available as a plot style option when you are in AutoCAD’s Page Setup viewing the Plot style table (pen assignments).

There is also an AutoCAD template named LandFX.dwt, in the LandFX / Administration folder. This template defines all of the possible layer name combinations that could be used when inserting Land F/X objects. Our STB template plots by layer name, and not block. This is because most of our blocks have several line weights within them, and do not necessarily plot all at the same line weight.

If you are using STB named plot styles, refer to our LandFX.dwt template and either fold yours into this template, or fold ours into yours.

If your office has line color-to-lineweight standards, with a related CTB file, you can change the Land F/X layer line colors so that there are no conflicts with your office standards. This process is defined in Changing Colors.

If you are using color dependent CTB files, you should review the Land F/X color plot style by opening the drawing LFX Pens located in the LandFX / Administration folder. Plot the first Paper Space layout tab, which is an 8½ X 11 size sheet, using the LFX.ctb plot style table. After plotting, review the Model Space colors of this drawing. The LFX Pens.dwg drawing, when plotted, should look similar to the following:

The plotted drawing “LFX Pens.dwg” located in the LandFX/Administration folder

This drawing indicates Solid Black plotted line colors in six groups of line weights, starting with 0.13mm (0.005”) to 1.00mm (0.040”), and the various line colors Land F/X uses for each line weight.

This drawing also indicates the line colors and weights used for drawing the different sizes of irrigation pipe, and different line weights used for a variety of screened (or half-toned) lines or areas. Also indicated are two line colors that have a 0% screening for use with non-plot layers (so they don’t plot even if they are accidentally indicated as plotting).

Lineweight Layer Naming Conventions

Metric units are used for line weight designation, for logical long term usability. The foundation for traditional line widths came from technical drawing pens, commonly with sizes 4×0 (0.18mm, 0.007in) through 4 (1.20mm, 0.047in) in ten steps. Land F/X line widths vary from very fine, 0.13mm (0.005in), to very wide, 1.00mm (0.040in), with six steps in widths.

Land F/X names line weight widths by a four character name signifying its width with a metric designation. This naming allows for easy reference to a line width, and is also used with the Land F/X drawing layer name system to signify a line width. For example, 025M describes a layer with a line width of 0.25mm (0.010in). A layer to signify text written with a 0.25mm line width color might be named L-TEXT-025M.

The naming of the Land F/X Weight Widths are as follows:

Name Width Description

013M 0.13mm (0.005in) Extra Fine

025M 0.25mm (0.010in) Fine

035M 0.35mm (0.014in) Medium

050M 0.50mm (0.020in) Broad

070M 0.70mm (0.028in) Extra Broad

100M 1.00mm (0.040in) Wide

SM## 0.35mm (0.014in) Medium screened line at percentages of 20% to 80%.

SB## 0.50mm (0.020in) Broad screened line at percentages of 20% to 60%.

Use the Land F/X Line Color Worksheet to indicate which of the Land F/X colors that conflict with your current office standards, i.e., colors that you also use, but that you plot at a different lineweight.

• Look at each Solid Line color number under the heading LFX Pen Color. View the width that Land F/X plots this color. If your office does not use this color, or if you use this color put you plot it at, or very near, the same width as Land F/X does, put a check mark at the column of No Conflict. If your office uses this same color and you plot it at a different lineweight, put a check mark at the column Conflict.

• Check for conflicts with the Irrigation Pipe lines, which are plotted solid, and the Non-plot Lines, which are screened for a “0” percent screening.

• Check for conflicts with the Screened Lines, which have a width and a percent of screening.

You are not necessarily changing every color that Land F/X uses to your office standard, but are only changing the Land F/X colors which are also used by your office. Thus, using Land F/X may add some additional colors to the resulting ctb plot style, but you can continue to simply use the colors you have in the past to create your site plans and drawings.

Select the Land F/X Preferences. Within the General Preferences, select the Convert Colors button.

When you select Convert Colors, the Change All Layer Colors dialog box will appear. Using your Land F/X Line Color Worksheet as a guide, highlight each color that is to be changed, then click on Edit and indicate what the changed color is to be. Continue for all of the colors that need to be changed. It would be wise to record on the worksheet any additional or final changes you make while using this function.

Change All Layer Colors dialog box

After editing the colors that will need to be changed, select OK. When you do, the LFX Pens.dwg drawing will be opened. The Change Layer Colors function will be ready to run, and the following message will be displayed on the drawing:

Change Colors message displayed over the LFX Pens.dwg drawing

This message indicates that after the color changes are made to the LFX Pens.dwg drawing, you will have to plot it with a revised CTB file, as explained in Step 3 to follow.

When the Convert Colors command is used, two files are saved with a backup in case you make a mistake and need to restore the backups to retrace your steps:

• The Setup.gcl file in the LandFX/Administration folder is changed to reflect the color changes. This allows for automatic color changes in the Land F/X code, and will automatically change the colors of any updated Land F/X drawings sent to you. The original Setup.gcl file is saved as a backup file in the LandFX/Administration folder as Setup.gcl.bak.

• The original LFX Pens.dwgdrawing is also saved as a backup drawing in the LandFX/Administration folder, called LFX Pens.dwg.bak.

After running the layer color changes on the drawing LFX Pens.dwg, plot the drawing to see if the line weights appear correct. To do this, you will need to revise the Land F/X LFX.ctb plot style table by combining your office standard ctb plot styles with this plot style. This file would have automatically been loaded into your AutoCAD Pot Style Table Path when Land F/X was installed.

Access the Plot Style Table Editor from within AutoCAD by selecting File, then Plot Style Manager where you will see the listing of ctb files from AutoCAD’s Plot Style files location. Double click on the LFX.ctb file, then go to Form View.

The AutoCAD Plot Style Table Editor in “Form View”

You will basically need to merge you office standard color plot widths into the Land F/X LFX.ctb color plot styles. From the Form View of the AutoCAD Plot Style Table Editor, go to each of your office standard colors and ensure that that color’s plotting requirements matches your office standards, such as its Lineweight, Screening, etc. Save this plot style with a different name, perhaps reflecting your company and Land F/X, such as XYZ-LFX.ctb.

Use this new plot style to plot the changed LFX Pens drawing, and see if the line weights are properly presented. Observe that the plotted line weights in each line weight category should look like the same width, and that the category of widths get wider as the line weight increases, and that the screened lines match the screen intent.

If any of the lines are obviously incorrect, you may have to change or revise of the following:

• Go back to the revised ctb and review the Properties of the color in question.
• Examine the changed LFX Pens drawing using the AutoCAD Properties command.
• You also may not have correctly changed the colors on the Land F/X Change Colors function. If this is the case, don’t save the changes to your LFX Pens.dwg drawing, close it, and go back to Preferences and select Convert Colors again. This time you will have additional options, see the Convert Colors image below. The first option is Edit Colors, where you can edit the color changes you made previously, and run the function again on the LFX Pens.dwg drawing.

You are now ready to apply these changes to the thousands of blocks within the Land F/X system, as well as all layer settings. Before doing so, it would be a good idea to back up all files that are about to be changed:

• Make a back-up of the LandFX/Blocks folder
• Make a back-up of the LandFX/Details folder
• In the Land F/X Preferences screen, Archive all Preference Sets (which contain layer color settings)

Now you will need to convert all Land F/X blocks to reflect the color changes required. To do this, simply go to Preferences as you did above, and again click on the Convert Colors button. This time Convert Colors dialog box will indicate:

Convert Colors dialog box when run the second time, indicating the option to “Convert All Blocks”

Now you can click on Convert All Blocks and Land F/X will load each Land F/X block, change their line colors, and save each drawing with the changed line colors. This will occur as a batch operation on approximately 2,800 Land F/X blocks, and will take up to 20 minutes (depending on the network connection) to load and save all of the blocks.

Use the LandFX Line Color Worksheet to determine which Land F/X line colors you wish to change. The basic criteria to be considered in determining the changes include:

• Only change those Land F/X line colors that your office standards plot at a different width or screening. For instance, the LFX Color 1 ( red) plots at 0.010”. If your color 1 (red) plots at a different width, mark that as a Conflict. If so, change the LFX Color 1 to one of your standard colors that plot at 0.010” (or a width that is very close to that).
• If the LFX line color is the same or very similar to your office color, that is OK (No Conflict), so you do not need to change it.
• If there is an LFX Color that your office does not use, it does not interfere with your office standards and you should mark it as OK with no conflict, and simply leave it as it is.
• You can change several LFX Colors to the same single color of your choice. For instance, Land F/X has four colors representing 0.014” line width, and your office may, for example, choose to only have one color representing that width. You can change all four of the LFX Colors to be the same single office standard color.
• If you have Land F/X or Design F/X, review the Solid Lines, Screened Lines, and Non-Plot Colors. There is no reason to review the Irrigation Pipe Colors.
• If you have Irrigation F/X (Land F/X with Irrigation), review the above lines as well as the Irrigation Pipe Colors.