Most CAD software wasn't built with landscape architects in mind. In this episode of Rooted in Innovation, host Dionisio Roman, joined by Ethan Hartzel, sits down with Jake Lott, an 11-year member of the Land F/X team who now also teaches AutoCAD for Environmental Design at Utah State, to unpack Land F/X's origin story (built by a landscape architect and his programmer son, now CEO), how a user-driven "wish list" process turns trade-show feedback into shipped features within weeks, where 2D and 3D workflows are headed as Revit still lacks real irrigation functionality, and where AI genuinely fits into landscape design software, from Land F/X's new support assistant Leah and AI-generated plant imagery to why Jake argues AI can speed up a designer's workflow but can't replace the judgment at the center of the job.

Timecodes:

00:00 – 01:10 | Cold Open and Introducing Jake Lott

01:10 – 01:43 | Episode Roadmap: Land F/X, Feedback Loops, and AI

01:43 – 03:48 | Jake's Path From a Landscaping Family to Utah State

03:48 – 05:07 | What Land F/X Actually Is

05:07 – 06:41 | The Workflow Gaps Standard CAD Leaves for Landscape Architects

06:41 – 08:53 | Built By a Landscape Architect and His Son: The Land F/X Origin Story

08:53 – 10:42 | Turning User Requests Into Custom Symbols and a 56,000-Plant Database

10:42 – 12:31 | Scaling to 9,000 Licenses on the Back of Support

12:31 – 14:02 | From Trade-Show Ask to Shipped Feature in Two Weeks

14:02 – 15:14 | Inside the Feature Wish List Process

15:14 – 19:28 | Teaching AutoCAD and the Origin of "Genius Hour"

19:28 – 22:46 | Why Understanding Tools Under the Hood Still Matters

22:46 – 24:51 | Land F/X as a Lead Source and Using the Right Tool for the Job

24:51 – 26:16 | Teaching the Math Before You Teach the Calculator

26:16 – 30:36 | 2D, 3D, and Where Revit Falls Short for Irrigation Design

30:36 – 36:49 | Jake's Many Hats: Support, Training Videos, and the Excel Analogy

36:49 – 40:19 | Why AI Won't Replace the Designer

40:19 – 42:50 | Meet Leah and AI-Generated Plant Imagery With Nano Banana

42:50 – 44:45 | AI as a Design Assistant, Not an Artist

44:45 – 47:47 | Manufacturer Partnerships and What's Next for Landscape Tech

47:47 – 48:50 | Closing and Where to Find Land F/X

Resources:

Have an upcoming landscaping project? Contact Tree Staple for a quote treestaple.com

Connect with Jim Mancini on LinkedIn

Connect with Dionisio Roman III on LinkedIn
Connect with Jake Lott on LinkedIn

Connect with Land F/X on LinkedIn

Learn more about LandFX: https://www.landfx.com/

Listen to the Land F/X CEO's podcast episode on AI: https://www.landfx.com/news/podcasts/7821-tool-or-takeover-ai-in-landscape-architecture

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