Great analogy. So true. This is true with many of the tools we have today in surveying. That is a big part of what we do. We should use the correct tool or best tool for the job at hand. Not always do we have that luxury nor do we always make the wisest decision. I see a lot of today that it is how we always have done it. They will take today’s technology that has many ways to prove it is doing what we need and doing it correctly. Like Chris stated on cut sheets. Yet because we hand entered data many years ago we keep doing it. We take some of the best equipment today yet our process is as if we still log everything in a field book days. I can remember when I moved from only using a field book for logging everything to using the old sdr 24. I ran a total station and I logged every shot in the field book still. Even though we recorded it in the data collector. We did that for several months and go back and down load and check every single point against the field book. Then we knew it was at least recording the information correctly. Then we proceeded to perform all the computations to see if it matched our hand comps. It was a process for sure . When I do something new like discover a new way to get a answer with software. I always go back to check the old fashioned way so I know.
Here's the other side of the question. It seems that ChatGPT can get from A to B after a fashion, but going from B to A ....
If two points on the earth's surface are 1000 feet apart and the combined factor is 1.008, what is the ellipsoidal distance?
ChatGPT
To find the ellipsoidal distance between two points on the Earth's surface given their geodetic coordinates and the combined factor, we need to use the Vincenty formulae or other geodesic distance calculation methods. These formulas take into account the Earth's ellipsoidal shape and provide more accurate results compared to simple Euclidean distance calculations.
The Vincenty formulae are a set of algorithms used for computing geodesic distances between two points on an ellipsoid of revolution (such as the Earth). One of the Vincenty formulas, the inverse formula, can be used to calculate the distance between two points given their latitude and longitude.
However, it seems like you've provided a combined factor of 1.008 without specifying what it exactly refers to. If it's a scale factor, it might be related to a map projection or some local distortion factor, not directly applicable to the geodetic distance calculation.
Could you provide more context or clarify what the combined factor represents?
So true when we have a new more efficient method our gut reaction is to not trust it. We create double the work temporarily to make sure all is good double checking everything. Then, once we are comfortable, we can move toward that better efficiency goal.
Ooops. My bad. I've been away too long.
The combined factor converts between ground and grid, not ground and ellipsoid.
ChatGPT is smarter than I am!!
Yes, instead of combined factor, assume that the elevation factor is 1.008.
ChatGPT
Thank you for the clarification. If we assume the elevation factor is 1.008, it implies that the elevation difference between the two points is being accounted for in the calculation of the distance.
To calculate the ellipsoidal distance between two points on the Earth's surface, including the effect of elevation, we can use the Vincenty formulae or other geodesic distance calculation methods. However, since the elevation factor is provided, we can adjust the horizontal distance accordingly.
Given that the horizontal distance between the two points is 1000 feet, and the elevation factor is 1.008, we can calculate the ellipsoidal distance using the formula:
Ellipsoidal distance=Horizontal distance×Elevation factor
Ellipsoidal distance=1000feet×1.008
Ellipsoidal distance=1008feet
So, the ellipsoidal distance between the two points, accounting for the elevation factor, is 1008 feet.
Poor ChatGPT. I put it in the same situation that an algebra student is in trying to decipher a standardized test question.
