Free program to sketch scaled drawings on aerials

[paulsharvey]

No idea where to drop this question, so, I guess Rural Living... What free program to you guys like to do scale sketches on aerial photo/google/property appraiser PDFs.

Back story, looking for property, and found something that checks me and wife's boxes, more or less, we check it out, and wife says "uh, I just don't see it, where you you put the house" ect. So, I'm thinking if I can prep a scale drawing, laying out driveway, house, shed/barn, chicken coops, ect; either A: I'll see she's right and the property, although almost 7 acres, it's odd shaped, and really isn't a good fit; of B: she can kinda see an idea, and we Both have a better idea of the potential.

I tried very briefly with sketchup layout, but it didn't let me import the PDF.

I have used a couple really basic cad programs, but it was no joke 20 years ago, and was primarily for home plans.

I am willing, but don't really want to, hand scale and draw it on 11×17, but that not as visual as an aerial, where you can show, "save these trees, clear this area, ect"

I'm not looking to spend 20 hours, and 3d model to figure cut/fill...

 

[paulsharvey]

I did find this ScribbleMaps thing, not sure it's exactly what I was looking for, but in general; I threw 5 sides with a 30 ft wooded buffer, a 3500 sq ft block out for general area of a home (would Not be nearly that big), a 200 yard shooting lane off the east property line (behind the 30 ft buffer), driveway/parking area, 2500 sq ft shop/barn area, and an approx 1 acre 'lawn'.

This scribble map seems to be locked into all measurements in x.xx kilometers....

 

[newbury]

I'm not looking to spend 20 hours, and 3d model to figure cut/fill...

There lies the problem.
40 years ago up to about 15 years ago I used raster (think imagery) and vector (think lines) GIS software extensively. (Erdas Imagine and ArcInfo but the software with all the bells and whistles). After I retired I went to sharpie on acetate over a printed image.

Unless you require complicated precise math, like how much area in a long varying width polygon (think mapping stream bed) a good wide bed printer and clear plastic will get you a LONG ways.

LibreCAD is a halfways decent program, but 20 hours would just be a start if you don't know Autocad.

 

[David in KY]

Google Earth Pro is not bad for general layouts and measurements. Further, it will let you do overlays with images and other maps.

However, as you are asking for, I haven't figured out how to
1) create scaled objects (like a size defined house/ shop), and
2) to then move and rotate those objects about the map.

Nonetheless, Google Earth Pro is an excellent FREE program for planning and developing a site.

One feature I really like is the ability to roll back time to see past satellite imagery for a particular place. For my property, I can go back to 1986 to see images. That's really cool.
I have overlayed topography maps from other sites.
Also, don't forget that Google Earth does a fairly good job of rendering the 3D aspects of your land. This lets you travel above and rotate you position to analyze the ground features of your property.

 

[oosik]

I use software - PhotoPad. It's not free but allows multiple styles of rendering. I combine this software with Google Earth Pro.

 

[paulsharvey]

So, figure I'd drop an update, we got denied for the loan, and dropped it. Go riding around a week or two ago, and drive past, and the buyers put the homesite right up at the road, maybe 75 ft in. That's certainly the cheaper option, less clearing/grading/shorter power service/short driveway; but kinda didn't take full advantage of the property IMO

 

[5030]

My Autel drone (which I use to check my fields with) cam with a plot program as part of the package that I never use anyway. The Autel was not a cheap date by a long shot, cost me almost 2 grand when I bought t but Autel, unlike 99% of other drones don't use geofencing and never have, at least in their professional model drones and of course I have to have an FAA license to operate it as well.

There is no 'celing' on mine (most 'hobby' drones have a 500 foot ceiling) and strictly line of sight as well. None of that applies to mine, in fact I have flown mine over 3 miles from takeoff point using an signal enhancer and my tablet attached to the transmitter. Far as ceiling height is concerned, I'm sure I can fly it above the clouds if I wanted to. I don't. Seen video's of Autel's being vertically flown in the excess of 10K feet vertically. Not my thing, I want to stay within the FAA parameters of my license.

 

[newbury]

Gee, thanks for the update. Did you ever find software that would work well for you?

 

[5030]

So, figure I'd drop an update, we got denied for the loan, and dropped it.

You have marginal credit or what? I could buy the Brooklyn Bridge with a cumulative credit score of 829. In fact, I get offers constantly, of which I delete them all. Only have 2 credit cards and both have huge credit limits on them I might add but they get paid off every month. The outfit that carries the mortgage on my one not paid off rental is always bugging me.. That gets deleted as well. Farm is paid off, 2 rentals are paid off, no car payments, only thing not paid off is the farm equipment and that is a write off anyway.

 

[paulsharvey]

Gee, thanks for the update. Did you ever find software that would work well for you?

I was able to use Scribblemaps to do 80% of what I wanted. It was pretty annoying, and had trouble saving data, and all; it was enough to kinda show land use, place a block for the home, ect. I had to basically draw more or less parallel lines, and angles based on 'feel' and the property lines I was able to fit in based on length and approx land features (ie, bend towards pond at the 3rd pine, and head to 10ft off the live oak).

In all honesty, I dont know that I wouldn't have rather printed a scale 11x17, with property lines, and then old school drawn the features in; but I don't have that capability at home (the printing).