By Scott Weinberg FASLA, Technology Editor, University of Georgia, Athens

The EZ-Plant toolbar fits onto the screen just as any AutoCAD toolbar would. This provides a seamless environment for the program in the way it can interact with AutoCAD.

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Working with a student a few weeks ago, I had the chance to reacquaint myself with a software package that has been around for about five years. The software is called EZ-Plant and it is a CAD add on that allows you to do planting designs with AutoCAD as the CAD engine. Working with Eagle Point software, the last thing I needed to learn was another software package that would take me a year or so to master. The surprise here was that it is a easy to use package.

First, let me be specific. The program has its limits. It can help with graphic symbols for planting plans, figuring out ground cover and mulch quantities and also will produce a cost estimate. It will not do digital terrain modeling, produce irrigation plans or even do a slope analysis. It will also not send you to the bank for a loan to purchase it! The street price is $299 for the program.

The database is provided in an XL file format. This makes the database easy to change, update and add, too.

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Educational copies are available to faculty and students for a reasonable fee. If you have another landscape design module for your CAD engine you most likely would not need this program. However, if you are looking into getting a program to help you begin to design planting plans with complete AutoCAD compatibility, this program makes for a terrific entry into this arena.

You first notice when starting the program that it is an easy and fairly quick download from the website. A few clicks of the mouse, some credit card information and you are good to go. What you may not expect is that in order to get the program up and running, you will have to pay attention to the installation tips. After all, we are trying to get this program in sync with AutoCAD and that usually is not easy.

After a few tense minutes all was up and running on my computer. The nice part about using the program is that it becomes seamless with AutoCAD. That means I don?EUR??,,????'?????<

The program comes with about 50+ pre-drawn symbols. The symbols are created in a dwg file format.

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One suggestion here would be to make available the Help information in a simple PDF format so that the entire help section could be printed out as an instruction guide. The Help information is invaluable when working with this software. In fact, the first thing that I came across, once I inputted my residence and hardscape was to go ahead and insert a plant schedule.

The program comes with four examples of plant schedule templates and it recommends that you use plant schedule 3 for most planting designs. It contains the usual information such as size, quantity, botanical and common names, along with some other pertinent information. It is here where the plant symbol and a short identifying KEY will also be displayed.

A major plus to the program is that the symbols are easy to edit and change. You can change the colors and even add shadows to the plants. The ability to create your own symbols and have them appear ready for use is also a great advantage.

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The program contains only three main resources. They are: templates of differing types of plant schedules, a database of plants you can purchase for the south or north or both, and a plant symbols database. I received the database for both areas and that included a total of some 850+ plants beginning with three types of Abelia and going all to way to Zelkovas.

The data base includes the same information that will get inserted into the plant schedule and includes a place for height and width for the plant along with a cost area. A good idea before starting a project is to print out the entire database. This allows you to select the information from the database which is accessed through a DWG file.

A quick key to remember here is that the plant information must be inserted into the plant schedule at the same scale as the plant schedule was inserted. At this point don?EUR??,,????'?????<

This is an example of a detailed planting area. The plants are labeled with the plant Keys which are all linked to the symbols and information found on the plant list.

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Working with and inserting plant symbols was a breeze. The program comes with about 50 different plant symbols that you can use for design. Working with many of the programs, it is difficult to change or add plant symbols to your project. With this program, adding symbols is simple.

You can either make changes to the existing symbols and save them under a different file name, or create your own from scratch and save it in the correct directory and you are ready to go. Once you insert the plant it asks you for an X and Y scale. If you want a 30-inch round tree, you select 30 for both the X and Y factors. It would be easier here just to select one size that is round. Maybe in the next version (hint).

The plant schedule is like most plant schedules. Once selected to the plant symbol and linked, the plant schedule takes the information from the database and places it directly into the schedule.

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The program also has the ability to do cost estimates, figure out mulch beds and also figure groundcover quantities. This is all part of the program?EUR??,,????'?????<

Will this program replace Eagle Point or Vectorworks? Not at this time. What is does provide is a simple and useful Landscape Symbols Library program that enables you to produce some nice looking planting designs using electronic media. As an entry program and perhaps even as a long tern investment in a program that will do planting plans, it really is a good buy!

EZ-Plant can be accessed online at their site which is www.ez-plant.com