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(More on GPS 900):
The new Leica GPS900 uses Leica Geosystems’ proven GPS technology. Consisting of a Leica RX900 Controller and a
Leica ATX900 GPS Antenna the all-on-the-pole GPS900 RTK rover is ideal for one-person stakeout and topographic tasks.
With its flexible, easy-to-use onboard software, Leica GPS900 is the ideal solution for a wide range of jobs including
foundation and drainage work, alignment stakeout, topographic and as-built surveys. For the one-man-team, Leica GPS900
is easy to setup and use.
Control/Reference Line:
Stakeout and measure relative to lines and arcs. Enter offsets and heights. Control/Reference lines
can be defined using the map-view. Set checks for quality control. Ideal for buildings, drainage, foundations etc.
Stakeout:
Stakeout points and digital terrain models (DTMs) with the stakeout program. Navigate directly using the map-view or using the large bull’s-eye.
Topographic Survey:
Record points with or without code and attribute information. Set criteria and measure points automatically. View the survey in the large, graphical map-view display. Use the Survey program for detail, topo, title surveys etc.
Alignment:
Stakeout relative to a 3D alignment using the RoadRunner Lite option. Points can be staked out at any chainage (stationing) and offset. Work with any combination of geometric elements.
Easy-to-use:
The Leica GPS900 is easy to use. The GPS900 rover is lightweight and optimized to reduce operator fatigue. The icon-based, graphical onboard software can be easily operated using the ¼ VGA touchscreen. Import and export functionality allows the instrument to be compatible with Leica TPS400, Leica TPS800 and System 1200 TPS and GPS.
“By introducing Leica SmartPole, Leica Geosystems adds a further tool to its successful System 1200 series, the world’s most complete surveying system that offers high flexibility and growth potential,” said Steve Crowfoot, Vice President of Product Marketing, Leica Geosystems, Inc. - Americas Region. “With Leica SmartPole, the coordinates and orientation are determined on-the-fly while conducting the survey, using both GPS and TPS. This saves time in both the office and the field.”
With SmartPole, it is no longer necessary to identify control points in the office and then search for control in the field. The crew can simply choose the most convenient location for positioning the total station. Traversing is no longer required. Each TPS set-up can be conducted independently with new coordinates and orientation can be determined with SmartPole GPS. Once the TPS orientation and coordinates are known, all measured points are automatically updated. The user can choose control points that deliver the best geometric distribution while simultaneously completing the survey. This ensures maximum flexibility and productivity.
With Leica SmartPole, both TPS and GPS are available at all times to ensure every point can be measured. TPS can be used when GPS is restricted by overhead obstructions, and when no TPS line-of-sight is available, GPS is readily accessible. The surveyor benefits from easy-to-use GPS and continuous productivity.
Leica SmartPole is fully compatible with System 1200, pairing the most productive high-end total station with the fastest and most reliable RTK tool in the market. The same SmartAntenna can be used with a TPS1200 as a SmartStation, with a RX1250 controller as a SmartRover or with a 360-degree reflector and RX1250 controller as a SmartPole. By truly complementing each other, SmartStation and SmartPole make System 1200 the most complete surveying system. Common hardware components reduce maintenance costs.
“Professionals in surveying and construction are confronted daily by a wide variety of challenges. Leica SmartWorx offers a broad range of functionality to cover all tasks. Not only is SmartWorx powerful, it is also very easy to use. Users benefit from simplicity and functionality in one package,” stated Steve Crowfoot, Vice President of Product Marketing, Leica Geosystems, Inc. - Americas Region.
Coupled with the most advanced equipment, Leica SmartWorx provides a software suite with unparalleled ease-of-use and performance for all the System 1200 instruments. This guarantees an easy, fast operating concept. All the instruments work together, saving time and money. Seamless data flow is guaranteed between SmartWorx and Leica Geo Office software, as well as with all office software packages through flexible import and export routines.
A highly intuitive user interface, a multitude of functions and features, powerful data management and user-programming capabilities are common to all System 1200 instruments. TPS1200, GPS1200, SmartStation as well as SmartRover and SmartPole, the newest member of the System 1200 family, use this flexible onboard software. Operators can switch instantly between GPS and TPS and use whichever is the most convenient and suitable; extra training is not required.
Norcross, Ga., 29 January 2007) Leica Geosystems recently presented Leica TruView and Cyclone™ PUBLISHER at its 2006 HDS Worldwide User Conference in San Ramon, Calif. The two new breakthrough point cloud software modules are designed to open the value of rich, as-built point cloud data to architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) and other professionals.
Used in conjunction with Cyclone PUBLISHER to generate point clouds, Leica TruView is freeware for everyday professionals who want to easily view and measure detailed laser scan point clouds without having to be a laser scanning, CAD or 3D expert. This new module of Leica Geosystems’ popular Cyclone Software publishes as-built or topographic point clouds and images in a user-friendly, panoramic viewing format. With these two new tools, publishing and viewing/measuring point clouds are easy. It is similar to publishing and reading PDF files, with no formal training required.
Published point cloud data can be posted to the Web for immediate viewing, measuring and markup anywhere in the world. Published point cloud data can also be saved on local files, CDs or FTP sites.
Leica TruView lets professionals view, zoom or pan over point clouds naturally and intuitively. Using a simple “panoramic” viewer approach, users see High-Definition Survey™ point clouds on the computer screen just as if they were standing right where the laser scanner captured the scan data. Simple controls let users rotate the view just as if they were turning, raising or lowering their head.
“Another exciting factor is that one of the variants of Leica Cyclone PUBLISHER can create easy-viewing and measuring files for scan data from any scanner, not just from Leica Geosystems HDS scanners. With our strong, leading market position, we are dedicated to growing the laser scanning market” said Ken Mooyman, vice president of Leica Geosystems, business unit scanning.
“Ever since our first laser scanning solutions were introduced in the 1990s, the broader market has expressed a keen interest in being able to freely and easily view and measure from content-rich point clouds, including via the Web. We are convinced that Leica TruView and the Leica Cyclone PUBLISHER module will meet this need, plus reach a whole new audience, helping to accelerate the adoption of this exciting technology,” added Mooyman.
Designed for the interior and general contractor, the new Rugby 55 is a tough, versatile laser; perfect for almost any leveling and alignment job.
The Rugby 55 features an easy-to-use keypad, a watertight seal, variable head speeds, selectable scanning modes, a bright red beam and an alkaline or rechargeable NiMH battery pack.
The Rugby 55 has several unique new features including a Scan-90 function which automatically moves the scanning or stationary beam in 90° intervals through each of the four axes. The Beam Down option automatically positions the beam below the laser when doing layout work for faster setups over a point. The Sleep Mode feature puts the Rugby 55 to sleep for up to two hours to conserve battery life when it is not being used.
For interior use, the Rugby 55’s small, compact size makes handling and setup quick and easy. The convenient carrying case holds the Rugby 55 while still attached to the wall mount bracket, eliminating the need to reattach and set the height each time the laser is used.
The Rugby 55’s laydown capability, 90° split beam and watertight seal also make it an ideal tool for the exterior contractor. Mounted on a tripod or batter board clamp, the Rugby 55 allows the user to set out corners and align forms and foundations.
“Our goal was to create an easy-to-use laser that offers the features and functionality needed to get the job done,” said Dan Dykhuis, national sales manager, construction, Leica Geosystems, Inc.- Americas region. “We built the Rugby 55 to be rugged and simple to operate even under the toughest jobsite conditions.”
The Rugby 50, designed for the general construction contractor, is a tough and affordable laser.
In response to market demands for more user-friendly construction tools, Leica Geosystems developed the Rugby 50 with only one button. Operation requires pressing the power button to turn it on, and pressing it again to turn it off. The Rugby 50 is fully automatic. Once engaged, it self-levels and the head starts rotating. It will continue to self-level over the course of the day to ensure that work is accomplished reliably and accurately.
“Our goal with this product was to keep it simple,” said Dykhuis. “That was the message we heard from contractors. Make it foolproof, so that all we have to do is turn it on and it is ready to go.”
The H.I. (height of instrument or elevation) Alert function turns on automatically thirty seconds after it has completed leveling. The H.I. Alert feature monitors the Rugby 50 as it works and shuts it down if it senses a bump or movement of the tripod.
In addition to one-button operation, the Rugby 50 also boasts a high impact composite housing that is fully sealed with an enclosed rotating head, a low battery indicator, long battery life and either alkaline or rechargeable battery options.
(More on Carlson Civil 2007):
Designing and Estimating for the PGA
There is a true science and art to designing and constructing golf courses that are both enjoyable and challenging—and no one understands this better than the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) Tour Design Services Inc. Behind the rolling fairways and tantalizing greens of a golf course are perfectly graded surfaces—some designed with spot elevations every three inches.
To obtain the precision and accuracy essential for its courses, PGA Tour Design Services Inc. recently set out to find a new software solution to handle both its design and estimating needs. It reviewed and tested Carlson Software’s (www.carlsonsw.com) SurvCADD [renamed Carlson Civil 2007] with Carlson Takeoff solution at the TPC Sawgrass Golf Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
PGA Tour Design Services Inc. had already estimated and designed certain areas on the course with its current software package, so it tested the SurvCADD [Carlson Civil 2007] and Carlson Takeoff package capabilities by redesigning and estimating earthwork quantities for the same areas. What originally took one week of work was accomplished in three hours with Carlson SurvCADD [Carlson Civil 2007] and Carlson Takeoff, which performs quick and accurate triangulation-based construction estimates. As work continues on the Sawgrass course, the PGA Tour Design Services Inc. office is now up and running with Carlson SurvCADD [Carlson Civil 2007] with Carlson Takeoff for both its design and estimating software solutions.
NEW Project Setup – Added ability to define data and drawing folders to associate with drawings. User-defined data folders can be specified for each data file type.
Drawing Cleanup – Added several new functions such as removing overlapping polyline loops and fixing extruded arcs and text.
File Selection – For all data file selection, added folder manager to set favorite folders for data files.
3D Viewer Window – Added ability to edit entity layers and elevations and to create selection sets.
Transparent Commands – New transparent command of ‘CL for specifying a position by station-offset from a centerline at any point prompt. Created a new transparent command toolbar with this new station-offset command along with the existing ‘2 and ‘3 for 2D and 3D points by coordinate file point number commands.
NEW Layer Inspector – New command to highlight, isolate and/or zoom to layers selected from a docked list.
Report Formatter –Added more controls for sorting fields.
NEW Selection Set By Elevation – New command to create a selection of entities within a specified elevation range.
Add Points At Elevation – Inserts vertices into a 3D Polyline at a specific elevation or elevation interval by interpolating between existing elevations in the polyline.
Draw 2D Polyline – Added method to enter initial distance and use cursor direction to start the polyline. Added method to specify reference centerline and enter points by station-offset. Added option to enter distances in feet and inches within extend mode. New option to label elevation of polyline.
Highlight Crossing Breaklines – Added option for tolerance of elevation difference to report and option to merge 3D polyline with contour elevations.
Remove Arcs Offset – New settings in Configure to control spacing on replacing arcs with chords.
NEW Variable Offset – New command to offset a polyline with different offset amounts for each polyline segment.
NEW Move Text – New command to slide text parallel or perpendicular to current rotation.
Insert Symbols – New dialog interface for pre-defined layer, size and rotation.
NEW Block/Insert Rotate – New command to set the angle of blocks by various methods.
NEW Copy Polyline Section – New command to copy a portion of a polyline at the specified points and put copied portion on another layer.
Align To Nearest Line – In Twist Point Attributes, Rotate Text and Rotate Inserts, added method to select multiple alignment polylines and align the objects to the nearest segment.
Civil Design Commands
Grid Models – Improved the memory management for large grid files to make more use of the available computer memory.
Triangulate & Contour – Improved speed by 33% and improved memory usage 25%. Added processing option to simplify the triangulation by a user-specified tolerance. Added setting to control line width for intermediate contours.
Surface Manager – Added ability to add a surface into the manager by selecting a triangulation file.
New Project Setup – Added ability to define data and drawing folders to associate with drawings. User-defined data folders can be specified for each data file type.
Drawing Cleanup – Added several new functions such as removing overlapping polyline loops and fixing extruded arcs and text.
File Selection – For all data file selection, added folder manager to set favorite folders for data files.
3D Viewer Window – Added ability to edit entity layers and elevations and to create selection sets.
Transparent Commands – New transparent command of ‘CL for specifying a position by station-offset from a centerline at any point prompt. Created a new transparent command toolbar with this new station-offset command along with the existing ‘2 and ‘3 for 2D and 3D points by coordinate file point number commands.
New Layer Inspector – New command to highlight, isolate and/or zoom to layers selected from a docked list.
Report Formatter –Added more controls for sorting fields.
New Selection Set By Elevation – New command to create a selection of entities within a specified elevation range.
Add Points At Elevation – Inserts vertices into a 3D Polyline at a specific elevation or elevation interval by interpolating between existing elevations in the polyline.
Draw 2D Polyline – Added method to enter initial distance and use cursor direction to start the polyline. Added method to specify reference centerline and enter points by station-offset. Added option to enter distances in feet and inches within extend mode. New option to label elevation of polyline.
Highlight Crossing Breaklines – Added option for tolerance of elevation difference to report and option to merge 3D polyline with contour elevations.
Remove Arcs Offset – New settings in Configure to control spacing on replacing arcs with chords.
New Variable Offset – New command to offset a polyline with different offset amounts for each polyline segment.
New Move Text – New command to slide text parallel or perpendicular to current rotation.
Insert Symbols – New dialog interface for pre-defined layer, size and rotation.
New Block/Insert Rotate – New command to set the angle of blocks by various methods.
New Copy Polyline Section – New command to copy a portion of a polyline at the specified points and put copied portion on another layer.
Align To Nearest Line – In Twist Point Attributes, Rotate Text and Rotate Inserts, added method to select multiple alignment polylines and align the objects to the nearest segment.
Survey Commands
Point Protect – Added point history review, comparison of old and new coordinates and option to list points to the point protect dialog.
SurvCOM – Added ability to transfer a range of points from a coordinate file and merge coordinate files with a new Merge Point
Manager to handle any point number conflicts. For file overwrite protection, added ability to rename the files.
Hot Field To Finish – New codes for creating 3D objects (building faces, walls, blocks, etc) using 3D faces. Added function to define a simple template to apply along linework. New code setting to control whether points are used for surface modeling in Triangulate & Contour. Also new code setting to create point groups by code. Added new setting for elevation label prefix and suffix per code and for all points. For data points report, added option to report only points with undefined codes. For codes report, added method to only report codes that are used in the current coordinate file. Added new special code for creating circles. Added support for PC-PT curves defined by two points and using tangents in/out. Added code settings to control the linetype spacing and size.
Hot New Field To Finish Inspector – New command to review entities in the drawing by Field To Finish code. Point descriptions can be edited and the drawing is updated for both the point symbols and linework using the Field To Finish coding.
Edit-Process Raw File – Added support for COGO commands of translate, rotate, scale and align. Added ability to use a separate control coordinate file to use as reference for station setups and for check point reporting. Added option to specify the traverse control points in a list of the points and with a graphic preview. With graphics window, new feature to highlight graphic lines and points for the selected spreadsheet record and likewise the associated spreadsheet record will highlight when a line or point is selected in the graphic view. Reorganized reports with sideshots and closure active to show the closure at the top of the report and report the traverse shots separately from the sideshots. Added more details for the Check Points report. For the modify measurements function, any changes are recorded to the rw5 file and added an option for a description filter. On processing, when a referenced backsight point doesn’t exist, the program has options to enter the backsight coordinates, enter the backsight angle or return to the editor. Added startup option whether to prompt for the rw5 file and added an exit option whether to automatically save changes to the coordinate file or prompt to save. Added a toolbar within the editor for common functions. Added another spreadsheet color setting for different colors between traverse and sideshot measurements.
Hot SurvNet – New interface as separate command with option for graphics view. Improved processing speed. Improved 3D adjustment model. Added support for level data into 3D adjustment. Added support for control points and multiple angle sets from rw5 files. Improved initial coordinate calculations to handle two or more control points anywhere in job. Added support for Topcon .TVF vector files. Added support for LandXML GPS vector data. Added the averaging of the same control point coordinates while preprocessing data. Added import for Topcon digital level data.
Distance and Angle Input – All COGO input fields for distances and angles support reading point numbers, units conversion and processing formulas.
Edit Points – Added undo function. Added ability to sort by any of the columns in the spreadsheet.
Edit Point Attributes – Added setting for the elevation label decimal places.
Edit Multiple Point Attributes – Added selection method to pick point by point group or point numbers. Added setting to control the decimal places for the elevation labels.
Hot New Coordinate History – All changes to the coordinate file record the command and status to make a coordinate history that can be reported by point number or by command. Commands like Drawing Inspector and Point Snap show the most recent history for each point. All changes can be rolled back.
New Move Point With Leader – New command to move point attribute labels and draw dynamic leader to point node.
Hot New Fix Point Attribute Overlaps – New command to adjust point attribute labels to avoid overlapping labels. Applies adjustment methods in user-specified order and tolerances. Steps through any remaining overlaps in an Overlap Manager with ability to manually move labels. This point overlap feature is also available within the Draw-Locate Point and Field To Finish commands.
Scale Points – For the combined factor method, added the option to apply the geoid for the ellipsoid height for the elevation factor.
Import Text/ASCII File – Added option to draw imported points by Draw-Locate Points or Field-to-Finish.
Export Text/ASCII File – Added option to output point note data.
Coordinate File Utilities – Added Helmert 7-parameter method for local transformations. Added function to swap northing-easting within the coordinate file. New Merge Points Manager for handling point conflicts when combining coordinate files.
New Linework Intersection Points – New command to create points at all the intersections between the selected linework entities.
Interval Along Entity – Added option whether to label elevations on the new points and added option to set same description to all the points.
Label Station Offset – Added options whether to label parallel or perpendicular to the centerline and whether to draw leader.
Offset Point Entry – Added method to enter increment distances. Added option for cross slope percent and vertical delta-z when using a reference elevation.
New Set Point Elevation By 3D Polylines – New command to assign elevations to points by referencing 3D polylines.
Closure By Point Numbers – Added support for entering a range of points or point group.
Hot New Deed Reader – New command to extract deed line and curve data from the text of a deed. Shows the deed data in a spreadsheet and graphically. Deed data can be saved to deed file, drawn and reported.
Process Deed File – Changed deed editor to a spreadsheet with dynamic graphic window to show deed perimeter.
New Deed Linework ID – New commands to report deed name associated with selected linework. Deed commands that draw deeds now attach the deed name to the linework.
Deed Correlation – Added the ability to apply the alignment to the points and select drawing entities. New report function to compare the survey and deed points before alignment. Added delta x,y to the Check Align report.
Lot Layout – Added method to specify number of lots to equally divide whole area between them. Added method to define backlot by max setback distance instead of linework.
Create Lots – Added the option to draw any new points for all the Create Lot routines.
New Lot File By Interior Pick – New command to create a lot by picking a point and having the program figure the enclosing linework.
Hot New Lot File Manager – New command that combines Input-Edit Lot, Draw Lot and Report Lot into one command. New spreadsheet data entry for lot data with dynamic graphic preview. Added functions to change direction of the lot, to change the point of beginning for the lot and to save and load lot name selections.
Label Coordinate – New option to label the delta x,y and/or z between two points. Added setting to draw label at real z.
North Arrow – Improved interface with dialog options and better default scale.
Area By Closed Polylines – Added option to link polyline to area label and update label when polyline is modified. Added setting to auto-center labels.
New Area Tables – New routines to define, create and edit area tables.
New Area Descriptions – New routines to assign and report area descriptions.
Hot Auto-Annotate – Added option to set line label positions by inside/outside of closed polyline. For line and curve tables, added option to combine table entries with same data values. For tight fitting labels on curves, added option to label curve fields that fit on curve and rest in curve table. Added option to label interior and exterior angles between adjacent line segments.
New Draw Endpoint Leaders (Pick Side) – New command for placing crow’s feet on selected side of line segment.
Annotate Bearing/Azimuth – Added settings for prefix and suffix to angle labels.
Custom Label Formatter – Added method to enter quick-key style keywords to quickly change label format.
Stack Label Arc – Added setting to justify label left or right.
Line/Curve Tables – For AutoCAD 2005 and higher, added option to use new AutoCAD table entity. Added option to combine table entries with the same data to share a table number.
New Mirror & Flip Selected Labels – New command to both flip and mirror the selected annotation labels.
Special Leader/Leader With Text – Added options to set text position and alignment.
Triangulate & Contour – Improved speed by 33% and improved memory usage 25%. Added processing option to simplify the triangulation by a user-specified tolerance. Added setting to control line width for intermediate contours.
Surface Manager – Added ability to add a surface into the manager by selecting a triangulation file.
Triangulation File Utilities – Added function to Enhance Flat areas and improved routine to Simplify (reduce) triangulation. Added method for Merge tin’s to erase old tin under new tin and re-triangulate the gap.
Design Pad Template – Added the option to use an interior triangulation surface for the pad design surface and on editing the pad, there is an option to apply the adjustments to this interior surfaces along with selected drawing entities. For slope groups, added ability to transition between different slopes, method to assign group between specified points and ability to save and load slope group settings.
Volumes By Triangulation – Improved speed to be twice as fast.
Contour Elevation Label – Added options to set break offset distance, label style and label index contours only.
New Move Label Along Contour – New command to slide a contour elevation label along the polyline.
Centerline Reactor – Added option to link centerline polyline with centerline .cl definition to update the .cl file when the polyline is modified.
Input-Edit Centerline – Added horizontal curve speed tables and radius calculator. New function to fit curve between two line segments. Within the routine, added method to select centerline by screen polyline. Also added support for double-click on centerline polyline to run centerline editor. Added ability to select centerline points from point list or screen pick including the curve PI point.
Draw Centerline – Added option to draw lines at curve PI.
Input-Edit Profile – Added vertical curve tables with more default tables plus ability for user-defined tables. When a reference profile is active, the Check Stations and graphic window report the cut/fill with the current profile and the elevation of the reference profile.
Hot Draw Profile – New streamlined user-interface. Added ability to save and load profile settings. Added settings for colors, text styles and linetypes for profile lines and labels. Added options to label break point stations, elevations and description, and horizontal axis elevations. For sewer profiles, added an option to prompt for dimensions of each manhole. Also for sewer profiles, added option to label descriptions and added separate settings to control label precision for pipe lengths and slopes, rim and invert elevations and stations. For the horizontal label box, all the fields are user-defined for the sequence, size, layer and style.
Profile To 3D Polyline – Added option to station by a separate reference alignment.
Profile To Points – Added option to station by a separate reference alignment.
Data Conversions
Civil 3D – New command to convert Civil 3D points into Carlson points.
Leica GSI – Added another method of GSI coding for the generic format.
Leica 1200 – Added data collector transfer routines for Leica 1200 TS and GPS.
“With the SiteSmart-Translator software, data is received in the field quicker,” said Reynolds Boyd, product marketing manager, machine automation, Leica Geosystems, Inc., Americas. “Lengthy delays associated with data preparation are now a thing of the past.”
The software is designed to import and convert design data from virtually any CAD package capable of exporting design files in formats such as DWG, DXF and LandXML. The imported data can then be viewed using standard 3D viewer commands such as pan, zoom and rotate. In addition, design surface, plan view and center-line files can be viewed simultaneously.
Data is exported using a range of selectable formats used by Leica DigSmart 3D, GradeSmart 3D and onboard System 1200 applications.
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