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Greenbrier Graphic's Deed Plotter(TM) for Windows is a deed description analyzer. What's that? It's a software program that allows you to use your computer keyboard to enter the legal description of a piece of property. The software analyzes the information, and draws the tract.

Using Deed Plotter for Windows?
When you work with Deed Plotter you'll flip back and forth between two modes. In 'Editor' mode you'll input the coordinates from the deed description. A click of the mouse takes you to 'Tract' mode, where you'll view and add options to the drawing.

A few things you can do in Editor Mode

• Add a description for a marker that might be present at a call.
• Add information for curves.
• Use a simple merge command to bring together adjacent properties. (This can also be accomplished with the mouse in tract mode.)
• See a print preview and set up your printer.
• Include information for easements and right-of-ways.
• Save maps as 'wmf' and 'dxf' files.
• Enter a rectangular survey into the editor.

Deed Conversion
Deed Plotter offers a unique deed conversion option. To use it, type a complete deed description into a word processor and import the file into Deed Plotter to analyze the description and draw the tract.

Working in Tract Mode
Moving from editor to tract mode is easy, you simply hit a function key or click the mouse within the map area. The tract is drawn immediately, using the calls you've typed in. The list needn't be complete, you can flip back and forth to watch the tract progress from beginning to end.

A few things you can do in Tract Mode

• Add text to your document.
• Choose labels for the tract (deed calls, title and date, show corner labels, etc.).
• Change line widths and colors and add fills.
• Analyze the tract. Deed Plotter can help locate faulty deed calls. It looks for boundary lines that may be too short or long, transposed degrees in a bearing, and other problems, then makes suggestions for corrections.
• Balance the tract. This step is a last-ditch effort to close a faulty tract, and although it shouldn't be represented as an accurate drawing, it may be useful.
• Zoom in and out for a better view.
• Use the mouse to draw lines.
• You'll soon be able to put topo data into the maps.

Accuracy
I input the calls from three recent boundary surveys. My acreage results were essentially the same as the calculations made by the surveyors.

Bottom Line
This review covers the basics about Greenbrier's Deed Plotter. There are other powerful commands that are not generally used by real estate professionals.

Visit the Deed Plotter Web site for system requirements, and to order a copy for yourself. When it arrives be sure to do all of the tutorials. They'll get you up-to-speed in a very short time.

A Note for Mac Users
Although it's not supported or mentioned in the system requirements, I used this program with ease on a G4 Mac running SoftWindows '98. The only changes that were necessary were to ignore the 'right click' and 'left click' comments and just 'click,' and to use the 'control' key instead of the 'insert' key for a few commands.

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