The St. Louis Regional Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects
Google Syntaxes: Find what your looking for fast using a syntax on Google. For example... looking for a phone number? Type "phonebook:george w bush tx" Or try this one - "shrub detail filetype:dwg" and you'll get several details in autocad format.
What's this? The eVault is a collection of fun and not-so fun resources that are an interest to most designers and landscape architecs. These are not profession links but rather tools that could make life easier by enhancing project presentation, and gathering information quick...most all are free! (check license agreements)
Do you know a site, program or tip that should be added to The eVault. Let the webmaster know.
Google Earth A MUST HAVE! If you haven't seen Google Earth in action download it now, you wont be sorry. The free version of google earth allows you to view aerials, overlay photos and add customized placemarks with notes. Nice presentation tool that works with some 3d architecture packages (Sketch-Up, Acad ADD).
USA Photo MapsA MUST HAVE!
An awesome program from jdmcox.com that stitches together MS TerraServer aerials & USGS topo maps to whatever size you need at full resolution. USAPhotoMaps also imports GPS waypoints, tracks & routes, elevation info and more.
CARES Map Room
From University of Missouri - Columbia Center for Agricultural, Resource and Environmental Systems, the map room provides an interactive and comprensive mapping system. Options to select data layers like hydrology, floodplains, soil, wetlands etc. make this an invauluable tool when researching large scale projects. Also lets you export data sets for GIS.
Missouri Spacial Data Information Service
Data data data. MSDIS allows any user to pull off survey data sets from their FTP site. If you don't have GIS software like ArcGIS or AutoCAD Map, there's still plenty to snag from this site. There is a state soils data viewer, downloadable - high resolution USGS Topo maps and PDF census maps.
Mapping
CADD
Bentley View
Hate 'em or Love 'em, Bentley, the makers of Microstation have finally come out with a useful piece of software (can you tell where I stand). View and print Microstation and AutoCAD files fast. They also have a 3D cad viewer for walk thrus... Bentley Navigator.
Brava! Free DWG Viewer
Free dwg viewer that allows you to view cad files in your internet browser. Combine this with a google filetype search (try "tree filetype:dwg") to grab sample details off the web. Much smaller than Autodesks viewers.
Autodesk TrueView & TrueConvert
Viewer and Converter from the makers of AutoCad. Much larger than the Brava viewer but allows non-cad folks to plot or batch plot through the cad publisher. Looks and feels just like autocad but without any edit options. Also allows viewing in browsers. A must have for the non cad users.
U.S. Gov't sponsored A/E/C CADD Standard
Government model for CADD standards that is a near clone of the National Cad Standard (NCS). NCS charges $350 for the same information.
Why re-invent...if you don't have a detail...look at samples from gov't funded resources. A list of my favorites:
MSD Standards
Seattle Parks
Clearwater
Salem Engineering
USDA Drawings
BLM.GOV
Forest Service
U.S. Cad Research
fhwa
Graphics
IrfanView - Photo Editing Plus A MUST HAVE! Photo editor that can open just about anything to include video and audio files. Program has support for scanning, thumbnail view, batch edit/convert, slideshow, etc. yadda yadda yadda also with photoshop filters. Don't forget the Plugins/AddOns.
Serif PagePlus & PhotoPlus - desktop pub. & image manipulation
If you're too po for Adobe Photoshop-Illustrator or Corel Photoedit-Draw try Serif Software. Not as suave as the aforementioned but you can't beat the price!
Another well done Photoshop clone, Paint.net, can be found here.
Archivo Grafico Librerie - Graphic Library Decent graphics site with texture cels of bricks, paving, stone, etc. Also includes some Autocad blocks and hatches. Thatsa nice donut pattern.
Federal Colors 595b - Palettes on the web Have you ever needed a federal color match? Unfortunately I have and found sample palettes here, here and here. These of course are only close matches to the actual colors (at best) and should be taken as such.
WYSIWYG Web Builder - Easy web design software used for this site. Version 2.8 is free for not-for-profit & personnal use.
Products and Specs
Notice: ASLA or the St Louis Chapter of ASLA does not endorse any of the products or websites found on this page. These links are provided as an information service only.
