The Easy and Accurate way to set out

Enter your control coordinates, then coordinates of points to be set out.

Set up at an appropriate control station.

Sight a reference station - set the angle as prompted by Site Engineer, take a check distance.

Select the required point from a drop down list - or from a graphical display. Set the angle as prompted - the required distance is displayed.

If your instrument is supported (currently only Leica) on screen displays aid in selecting the correct angle, then immediate distance differences are displayed.

With a motorised instrument, angles are turned automatically.

If a new station is required then easily establish a "Quick-Station".

If a point is inaccessible, then easily coordinate & establish a point on line between two existing points.

On completion, run a quick check survey. See "live" differences & store to a text file for your records.

Extract Data from a DXF File:

Download & install RMS Software's free "ExtractDXFCoords" PC software from the DownLoads page.

If you have a CAD drawing of the points you wish to set out, use this software to generate a file of points which can be processed  in a Spreadsheet and /or used in RMS Software's "Site Engineer" software.

Procedure

Check the drawing:

Ensure the drawing scale is in the units you wish to use for setting out, probably feet or metres. Be aware that drawings can often be scaled in millimetres. Re-Scale if necessary.

Ensure the drawing is positioned correctly - check the coordinates of a control point you will be using for instance. Move the whole drawing  if required.

Add the points to be set out:

Create a unique "Setting Out" layer. Make this the "current" layer- the one you will be adding text to.

Using Draw Text (or your equivalent) number the points you wish to set out. Using "attach", precisely position a  different number at each point. It's worth thinking about the order you will want to set them out in at this stage, as extracted points are sorted in numeric order.

Create a DXF file. This must be an asci (text) versioni, not  binary. Normally ascii is standard.

Run "ExtractDXFCoords" & follow the on screen instructions.

Latest:

November 2009

A number of problems, particularly with the data editor module have been recctified.

Site Engineer has now been  released at a very low price of £45.00 Take a look at the fully functional (30 day) trial version in the Dowload Page

Now available, FREE software to extract data from a DXF Cad drawing. This may be useful to you even if  you don’t install RMS Site Engineer. You are welcome to use it.

RMS Site Engineer has been tested on Pocket Pcs running Windows Mobile 5, Pocket PC2003/SE, and Pocket PC2002.

An Ipaq 3970, Ipaq 3660, Ipaq 2210, an iJam, HP Ipaq HX2490 & 2 different models of  the Panasonic Toughbook CF-P1 have all been used.

If you have problems, let me know & I  may be able to send a version compiled for your exact PPC OS.

NOTE: To use it with a Leica instrument you will require a Pocket PC with an RS232 interface & Leica cable .

Installation

Install in the usual way via Activesync.  I suggest you install it on a storage card rather than in main memory

The software can be started from Programs. The first time it is run you will be asked to enter the folder where data is to be stored. Again it seems sensible to use a storage card. e.g. "\Storage Card\Survey Data". Note that depending on the particular PPC, cards may have different names.

A Back Up Folder Location will also be requested.

I need your feedback. If you have tried it & don't like it, or were unable to install it, please let me know.

Send any comments to:

rmssoftware@rms-soft.co.uk