Quite often I will get some software question floating around and not really take action.
I am making this thread to serve as a repository for all of us to drop Trimble access and tbc questions with the idea that maybe we can get some traction and improve our workflows and also maybe bump up some post counts and help the forum get some traffic back after the outage.
I made an account but have had been sluggish about asking over at the Trimble forums also, they seem to have taken down most of their library of power hours which is a bummer. So that can serve as the first question, where do you go to learn and troubleshoot issues in Trimble.
Does anyone know of a way to preload a series of stations in access for a situation where you have many features defined by station but do not want to type it in and look at a list every time?
Does Trimble Sync suck or are we using it wrong, how do you use it and connect to manage multiple crews on ongoing works?
Alright, so that's my start, lets ask away and answer away.
> how do you use it and connect to manage multiple crews on ongoing work
If you have the latest versions of Access and TBC (released a couple of days ago) you ought to be able to retire TSM completely 🙂
The suggestion is that your office uses the web viewer for Connect to create & assign the projects and to distribute shared data and designs.
Fieldcrews use Access to download their projects onto the controller, if needed creating the Access jobs.
Access uploads and synchronises the job data back into the project in Connect.
Back in the office, TBC connects directly into the same projects for the job and shared data.
I have been doing internal testing of the Trimble Connect myself so I can try and get the work flow project naming convention down before we take it live here. Also how to handle the starting control vs adjusted control etc. I am trying to mimic what was done prior as close as possible pre Trimble Connect. So it is not as much as a learning curve to the crews. They have been on the thumb drives for so long and somewhat new to Trimble access. I have had my hands full for re thinking traverse vs networks and integrating RTK with terrestrial as we move forward. They have been use to exporting a rw5 for Carlson and now I am running everything to tbc. Which is nice for me but getting all the new work flows and breaking old habits is not as easy. But they are coming along for sure . Trimble Connect is a great tool I have used it before. At times glitches arise so always have a back up plan. Thumb drive email etc. where it shines is the streamline of data to and from office. Example. Your crew does a boundary and you have everything and found some new evidence so you need a drive by one morning or afternoon with a new place to look for that one extra pin or whatever. They stop get out search and find it. Now they sync that on way to a new site you don’t have to wait until they return to office and office staff is not waiting either. Same for a change on construction site or traverse or control issue etc. you can send any crew and now they have everything they need for that site. So time saving again from logistics stand point of the closest crew to the site when you need one or two things investigated etc.
I also appreciate being able to transfer data on the go in one environment. I also think that we are messing up in our structure in trying to share a job with multiple crews, if crew A forgets to upload or if crew B forgets to download then there is a conflict. How do you handle revisions or updates to data, make a new job or append the old one? I think we tried to append and it does not work.
Am I to understand that Trimble Sync is on the way out? Fine with me except for that some folks on the team do not have tbc, but I suppose connect is enough although I trust Sync more to grab the whole JXL than connect which seems a little iffy at times.
@party-chef I am not sure. My internal test so far is as I try and emulate changes is to upload the corrected data from off to cloud and remove any bad or old data that is no longer needed csv file dwg job/jxl. We are still trying to decide if we in office create the daily job files for crews or just update the project folder. Pros n cons to both. But if I had say a file in a project that was downloaded to access then I on office side remove etc. it prompts the access. This is where a phone call or email or text message from office to field still remains. Now if I have multiple crews I can assign them that project so if crew A is on that job on one day they download everything current. Two days later crew b goes to the site they download everything current the same. As of now I am only using the office side. My access emulator and on occasion a tsc7 that is not always out. Just testing. I probably have several pages of notes with no to and questions as the rest of the team ask questions. I am working with all of the LS and our field crew managers in to ask what if. Question’s. For example the difference between grid and ground here is not a lot. But at times depending on project we might start off in grid to do boundary and control work. At some plying will scale to surface or ground so now the on site coordinates aka control has been adjusted and changed. So point number 1 does not match the in field original numbers. In that case I can export a jxl job which has the new local site coordinates system in it. So to be able to continue to use rtk and terrestrial in same daily file they can simply create the daily job from the control job I export to them. No control points just blank job. Used to define site datum. Now I can have 1 csv file with adjusted control then different csv files for stake out or dwg files for limits or stakeout. This has not all been tested yet so I am just slowly testing and what makes the best since to keep it simple and flowing. I like linking files especially points vs importing them into every daily job so a I could manage the data in field. Here they import everything every time. So getting them use to linked files vs import also up until now they had one project folder with all job files in it. Instead of each project having its own project folder in access. So lots of new ways to get everyone helping in the management of data. Also each team does different work. The final survey group vs large construction vs Topo boundary etc. every group has its way of what they do. While a one size doesn’t fit all I am navigating the what can be standard across the board while allowing flexibility and innovation within each group. A lot to chew on and no matter how many questions I ask what if this situation I will not figure it all out but I am working that now. I get a little taste of all groups working ways in my position so it helps me a little to understand what makes sense in some situations. I like you are open to suggestions from those who have been deep in this for a while. Standardized workflows that are very rigid can work for you or against you. The trick is finding that sweet spot in all aspects to control blunders but also allow thinking outside the box. I have seen everything from simple things to not allowing a resection for instance to resections being used in a way that makes no sense.
Am I to understand that Trimble Sync is on the way out?
More that Connect's web viewer is on the way up
And that Access (and TBC) are doing things for themselves
Linked files vs downloading, by linking files you are talking about going through the layer manager button in access and choosing points and features in jobs that are downloaded to that controller rather than just jumping in that job? Or are you talking about the project files vs job files at the creation in the desktop environ... Sorry if my question is not clear
In the general case I am a fan of having a design file a control file and a working file, the working files being daily and managed with quality control on the office side. I appreciate the advantages of having all the working product in one file as long as everything goes well but even then it can get cumbersome pretty quick with ongoing works.
These questions really tie back to the thread I started a few weeks ago about data management.
To the software directly;
If they could make the right hand pane of the web connect viewer expand so that you could read the file names that would be groovy.
So, what about reporting and keyed in notes, is there a way to export from access notes only and is there a way to modify and or download custom report modules for direct export from access. I have figured out how to work with xml just a little in order to modify the product after the fact but would be too happy if we could export data in a format ready to ship right from the dc.
Has anyone successfully used the photo features to embed from field to office? I made a halfhearted attempt a few years ago and failed.
Is the TSC7 going to be on the way out soon? Windows 11 is coming for it. I am not a fan of the size and ergonomics of the device but do appreciate that at least it has buttons.
Thanks for chiming in guys, I am hoping to keep this thread moving at the very least as a way to look for solutions and discuss the program.
@party-chef yes I place all the different file types into the project folder and use the layer manager to link to what I need for the task at hand. There are a number of style sheets already made that can be used in a variety of different ways and task for exporting custom information to reporting. The whole NOTEs thing sorta ticks me off as on the office side the only way for me to read them is to look through the raw data in import and those notes that someone types in has to be sorted by the same way if you edit a target height or make any changes in the field. We used the description options number 2 for notes because of that reason. And a field book. A field book is still valuable for certain things. Depending on crew’s background I have had them keep notes in some form or fashion. I don’t need everything in a field book but a couple things that still cause issues. One blunder that is still present today that has probably bought more concrete than any other is a rod height bust. So every time a rod height is changed I like for them to write that down. One it is a simple portion of me qa/acing in office. I take the field notes and run through it checking against what is in the raw file in the spreadsheets in side of TBC. Both for Topo and stake out. The next is changing prism types when things like a p nut prism are used in certain situations like a building corner etc. I have seen mistakes like they take a back sight to say a traverse kit prism locate some items then use a p nut to locate a building corner and the next shot is setting a corner which they forgot to change back to the multi track 360. Just getting in a hurry. So by making the pause for just a second might help eliminate that blunder. A -30mm on a p nut in the controller but the robot is actually shooting a 10mm multi track is. Not good for setting a corner. On a lot survey. Doing man hole dips a point number with a sketch is not bad if they are doing this in a certain way with a north arrow. My preference is either before or after the Topo get all the dips and use a paint marker to write the info on the rim so it can be added on the actual locating of the manhole while running the Topo. A few extra shots. But some crew chiefs are in such a hurry that they believe they are fast and faster when they keep moving and collecting data. On the fly. This is usually the younger ones. I have timed this several times and when arriving on a site with the same 2 man crew by walking the site first and getting all the dips on the front end and getting an idea of what the site conditions are maybe setting some mag nails or other mons for additional control laying out the control finding the prop corners setting up the traverse has always lended itself to less blunders and minimized blunders and return trips that were unnecessary. My opinion. But once those things are done then when locating Topo or mapping that’s all that they have to focus on. One they have already walked the site once so in theory they miss a lot less. But when the all as you go approach is taken and map and traverse and all as you go things get missed. When I was starting out back in the 90’s a sr crew chief I always noticed the first thing they did on almost every new site was walk it look it over a bit. Get a plan of attack. They might make a few rough sketches and notes as this happened. And before leaving a set up they would refer back to the notes from that site walk before saying move ahead. And again once everything was done. The whole mindset that has been pushed on some crew chiefs of hurry hurry hurry get a 1000 points a day or more is not always the best pay. The tortoise and the hare. You can still be in a hurry but pause and look around. Ask why or what am I missing. The small lot surveys like physicals are the best teaching tool for these little things that make a big difference on larger projects. On those small sites is where the basics are learned as you have been thrown a little of almost everything. Did you find the water valve the meter did you locate the hvac the building closes from taping up the house it checks with the edm measurements within reason. You check the set back and sidelines to the location you did on that deck or house corner projected to the property line before leaving the site. Does it make sense. Once these skills are learned it takes no time at all to do them and do them proficiently.
also fyi any style sheet you find you can modify them. I have only did a couple and am not an intelligent code reader but XML is not to bad if you have a basis of something close to what you want.
I have an alignment and as-built points along the alignment that correspond to offsets h and v to the alignment.
Does anyone have a slick way of making reports that can show measured to design differences in both h and v, along with station?
If it is as built in the field using line staking there is the htm that can be shipped right from the dc and that is helpful but I know have measured points to an alignment that has been revised and points collected with a hodgepodge of codes and offsets and want to bundle and run a report.
I also have Civil 3D available to me and can first use the station offset to points report, then make a points to surface elevation modification, then hammer it out in excel. If anyone knows how to make a report in Civil that would be great to know also but I asked a heavy duty user and they knew of no way.
Really, I know there is a better way, how much or our lives are we working with alignments and offsets to same.
If the basic Access Stakeout report does not suit
Since you have an alignment, you might like to take a look at the Roads stylesheets available from
https://help.fieldsystems.trimble.com/trimble-access/latest/en/downloads-stylesheets.htm
'Roads - Stake Markup' or 'Roads - Surface Conformance' in particular.
I would also suggest the whole idea of the Export stylesheets is to take them as base for creating your own 🙂
@party-chef The Trimble as-staked report should do the trick. It's not perfect, we took it and modified it to meet our needs but it should give you exactly what you're looking for + more you're not.
On data management what I have discovered so far as I test internally. PROJECT FOLDER. This comes from office on the Trimble Connect side of things and use a standard which your office is probably already using in folder structure and time sheet and billing. We use a number system and add a name like the road or clients wish etc. now in the project folder I might kick out on a first day of going to a new site say for a boundary and Topo. I will provide a dxf which consists of linework of the compiles of all the properties subject and adjoining ones parcel name if many parcels are there in middle of that lot along with say a different line on different layer of the Topo limits. This is roughed in just as if a google kmz image was marked up. I might call out some important info in a area or along a property line or middle of a site for easements or say look in this area there was a old house see if foundation is still in any evidence I discovered during reading the deeds and plats that might still be around or atleast some of it maybe an old well or old fence lines. A chopped tree. An abandoned road bed creak etc. this is not exact at this point just roughed in to get you close. Also a csv file for looks. The looks to get you close also for property corners. Some like points some like the dxf. You the crew chief create the daily job file. In that project folder. I would standardize the job naming but I am a bit OCD and never want to different.job/.jxl files of the same exact name. So as an example date 24-12-10_JD_BNDYtopo_A. The year month day crew chiefs initials desc short abbreviated what is being done. Then the last A-Z to denote the order or whatever of your jobs. This is not always needed but say you split your crew you are the chief so adding an A on same day or B to you send Iman to Topo a bunch of Ground shots while you are shooting corners or ROW etc. one RTK one conventional. This is just example. Now day 1 through day 3 is all done. You can link to that 1or 2nd .job to see where you left off etc if you are syncing you other crew or Iman sees what you did and you see what he did so no overlap etc. now say office has adjusted traverse or network begun resolving the boundary maybe even scaled to the ground etc. next time to site that old look csv is no longer there that old dxf is no longer there but you have been provided a new csv file named adj control. A new dxf that shows the resolved boundary and Topo limits more refined and maybe some notes or text that say clarify these inverts go from this manhole south west should be another structure etc. also provide is a 2nd csv file named corners to set. You now know what you have Topo or mapped you need to set some corners you have a jxl file named project ratio as it has now been scaled. You simply create your next daily job from that new datum is good and use layer manager to link to control and set pins csv. Your Iman links to dxf and control in his job from the project datum jxl. He continues Topo and mapping. You go set pins. You get done and now want to help finish the Topo. Unlink the set corners csv and link to dxf. You begin mapping as well. On same day you doused what each other is doing in realtime that’s communication. But you have to go check some pond he mapped because it’s on notes to verify a possible bunch of missed shots the office said is making a weird surface so you have all his linework and investigation is done and you see a break line that was needed so you locate that get some ground shots he didn’t get you see was needed etc. you join up to go dip those manholes. Etc. half a day your Iman as you travel to next project syncs both data collectors to office. They are working on that you are on new project. On your way home boss calls and sais hey. I found an issue with one of your set pins it needs to be reset. You say yes sir and do that first thing the next morning all the survey goes are now happy happy happy .