We are testing Carlson field software and StarNet. I have used older versions of both. So far I am liking things.
We started by doing a small boundary topo with RTK and total station data. The work was done on one of our custom projections.
Creating the project was a breeze. In short order the coordinate system, raw data and RTK vectors were all in and clean. I was pretty jazzed to see that Carlson was driving our equipment much better than magnet. My biggest problem processing was lowering the instrument settings enough to raise my error factor to passing.
After exporting the points I realized the stations generated by RTK had no descriptors. I am mulling over efficient ways to get the information into the project. I am thinking along the lines of importing a text file and letting nez float.
I will be back at it Monday and would appreciate any help out there...
> After exporting the points I realized the stations generated by RTK had no descriptors. I am mulling over efficient ways to get the information into the project. I am thinking along the lines of importing a text file and letting nez float.
> I will be back at it Monday and would appreciate any help out there...
You don't mention which version of Star*Net you're using, but if it is Version 6, note the Input > Import GPS Vectors > Options > Import Descriptors when Present box that can be checked in the import settings.
Otherwise, yes it is an option to import the coordinates with descriptors and either just delete the N,E,Up values to leave coordinate lines in the format of:
C 1 'FD.CONC.ROW.MON
or as coordinate data types with the N,E,Up values free.
I am testing Version 8. So far it's good stuff. We were running V5 when we went to magnet.
Thanks for the pointer. Will be checking it out Monday..
The description problem is a bug in Starnet for Carlson raw files. I called this in two years ago to Microsurvey they seem pretty slow to fix Carlson issues and didn't seem real interested in fixing it. It's a real pain in the arse everytime to do the work around . You find Carlson double angles a problem as well if you use them. Try survnet in Carlson survey.
I processed data that included several sets and had no issues. Our older star Carlson required us to rename the BD lines but it wasn't an issue in version 8.
> I processed data that included several sets and had no issues. Our older star Carlson required us to rename the BD lines but it wasn't an issue in version 8.
Star*Net Ver.8 sounds like it is as ready-for-prime-time as one would like it to be. Just out of curiosity, which operating system are you running it under?
>
> Star*Net Ver.8 sounds like it is as ready-for-prime-time as t would like it to be. Just out of curiosity, which operating system are you running it under?
Don't know helps but I run version 8.1 on windows 7 and windows 8 with no problems.
What I remember they were not actually using the doubles in the least squares solution. It used the first angle only. Maybe they fixed it .
We run windows 7.
Yes the new version is pretty slick. The best part is even us DOS guys are up and running in minutes. It is refreshing to see the code writers maintain such consistency over more than a decade. One wonders where we would be if they also wrote for Softdesk...
The hardest part for me was the custom projection naming. I dove in and starting crashing around. When I went to the help section I found I needed a colon in the name. I am sure there are more quirks to come, but the thought of ditching magnet has me very motivated to learn.
Several years ago we switched to SurvCE. We had a contract that required reporting in StarNet format. Star Carlson converter would extract a DAT from the RW5 but not everything came over clean. The first shot on the back sight would hang things up.
Some folks would rem the line using a pound sign, effectively eliminating the redundancy. We changed the type of observation and it ran properly.
Version 8 has the convertor in the Input menu. It is no longer standalone. The DAT file is structured perfectly and runs like a champ. Angles are properly meaned.
Moving forward I am concerned about the impact of everyone making or rebranding hardware. Its the same as a surveyor doing development. Clients don't maintain the same relationship once you become a competitor...
The options tab is new to me. I was chomping at the bit to see it handle data and didn't even notice it. I've been running version 5 in a DOS window in XP mode for a while. I feel like I stepped off my pedal cart and into the Enterprise...
We will be holding a wake for Topcon Magnet later this afternoon. It will be a joyous occasion...
> We will be holding a wake for Topcon Magnet later this afternoon. It will be a joyous occasion...
LOL! The funny thing is that when the first windows version of Star*Net came out, Ver. 6, I was careful to keep Ver. 5 alive on another machine in case Ver. 6 just wasn't as bulletproof as the DOS incarnation. The learning curve was perhaps a few minutes and I was off. I don't think I ever ran anything in Ver. 5 again. :>
For me, the DOS(V5) to Windows(V6) changeover was when StarNet went from being a sometimes thing to an every job thing.
And why is carrying over the descriptors an option? In what circumstances would you not want the descriptors? Perhaps the option should be to exclude the descriptors?