what is the best file format to ask for?

[digitalcarbon]

we are requesting a survey to be done. what is the best file format to ask for?

are default is to ask for a dwg file.

we have vw 2008 and 2009

[CipesDesign]

I always get dwg file from surveyors. I import the file into VW's and (aside from dealing with all of their 100's of classes [actually their layers]) it works flawlessly. Even dealing with all of their classes can be made way easier by choosing to rename them upon import. I usually give them all the prefix "Survey-". HTH's

[IanH]

we are requesting a survey to be done. what is the best file format to ask for?

are default is to ask for a dwg file.

we have vw 2008 and 2009

If you get a dwg, keep it in a separate file and viewport reference it in. That way you keep the clutter that Peter mentions in the imported dwg and not in your main design files. It also makes it easy to update the survey if need be.

When I do a survey, whether or not it is an dwg import or a self survey, I normally start off with quite a few classes/layers being referenced in but these are slowly turned off in the referenced viewport as more of the survey becomes an integral part of the design file - ie lines representing walls of a building on the survey may ultimately become 3D Vectorworks walls so the class of the survey walls simply gets switched off in the referenced viewport.

[holsteinson]

You are not indicating what kind of survey you are requesting: site survey (topo of terrain), an "as built" of existing structures, or both?

If it is site survey the best way is to import in directly as a CSV text file point number, Northing, Easting, Elevation and description or code for each point and generate the DTM directly in VW09 this way you can control the triangulation and breaklines to improve modelling the terrain as closes to reality.

If is an as built of existing structure or both, then DWG is good

Again keep in mind that VW09 doesnt support any georreferenced datum and it is based on flat Earth scheme so distorsions are expected specially in large projects.