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It seems like a long time coming, but we're almost ready to release LSS version 9.70. We've introduced a lot of new code in the program which should benefit every single user, whether they are occasional or full time power-users.

In the sections which follow we describe the main elements of the new system and invite you, in the coming weeks, to download the pre-release (Beta) version and let us know what you think before we finally commit to sending out over 2,000 CDs to our users worldwide.

To download the latest Beta version please click here

Once you have downloaded the Beta version of LSS, or indeed waited until the 9.70 CD drops through the letterbox and installed from this, you should never have to manually download another update again. In fact, as long as you have an Internet connection, the system will check for updates automatically and download them with very little user intervention.

Also, previously when a licence fee had been paid an LSS user had to phone us for an update code, or else we would email the code. This all took time. Now, it is possible to check for licence updates online with a single button press. If you think there should be a licence update available just go to 'Configure Licence' and select 'Update by Internet'.

Quite a lot has happened in this area in the past few months, so it's best just to list the main improvements.

1) Adjustment for earth curvature in 3-D view
2) Batch capture of large bitmaps (such as panoramic views) from named viewpoints - this will allow the user to set the capture going and leave the computer until it has finished visiting all named viewpoints
3) Point features are currently drawn as two planes in a cross. It is now possible to define the number of planes in 'Configure / Legend / Point Feature Amend' from 1 (always face the camera in 3-D view), or 2 to 8 - great for showing trees which appear more bushy when drawn with more planes.

A reminder that our training courses continue and we hit the road again in October and November, so get your bookings in now. Wakefield October 14th-17th and Scotland November 11th-14th.

Click HERE for a booking form.

We've been banging on about CAD-Pro for ages now, but at last it's complete. Great for editing surveys and tidying them up, CAD-Pro is quality assured, so should prove to be more useful than CAD drawing programs for survey editing.

The commands are as follows

1) Distance and offset (tape and offset command)
2) Intersect
3) Offset point and line
4) Distance (extend or shorten a line)
5) Move Obs. perpendicular
6) Square link (used for squaring-off features)
7) Division - this will insert points at a regular interval or divide a link into equal parts. It's also useful for automating the addition of tadpoles between a top and bottom of bank
8) Best fit from a baseline (straighten links and points)
9) Best fit offset from a baseline (as above, but maintaining a fixed offset from the baseline)

Then, not technically a CAD-Pro command, but nevertheless useful, we have 'Edit / Mean Obs' which will allow you to select observations and mean their position. Great for joining together links which should meet at a single point but don't and getting the average position for repeated readings to the same point.

A new command 'Output / Visibility Profile' will enable the generation of a contraints model which determines the maximum elevation of any development anywhere within a user-defined area. Anything which lies below this constraints model will not be visible from any of the user-defined 'eye' positions.

This type of analysis will enable the designer to choose the most acceptable position for a development, taking into account the visual impact from a number of key viewpoints.

One new facility designed to help new users get to grips with LSS is the introduction of movie-type tutorials. We will be including a full list with the next CD and they will be broken down into three categories

1) Getting started - everything needed to get up and running with LSS and with no prior knowledge of the system
2) Command-by-Command - where we go through every command in turn explaining how it is meant to be used
3) How-to tutorials - we go through commonly performed tasks and scenarios. This is the area we will build upon through time as we add more specialist tasks to the list.

While we will put as many tutorials onto the LSS version 9.70 installation CD as we can it is likely that there won't be enough room for them all. However, rest assured that they will all be accessible via a simple interface direct from our website.

It may only be a little thing (or maybe not), but it is now possible to resize the LSS program screen just as you can with other Windows applications.