I'm certain everyone has their preferred methods to manage and maintain control over the madness with ongoing surveying projects. For years I would use the same coordinate file name for a particular job. After a day in the field, the data would be downloaded and added to the project drawing. The next day the same coordinate file would be either expanded on or overwritten and work continued using the same file name. This kept things fairly straightforward in the project's directory. Over the last couple of years, as some of my work has grown more and more complex I've taken to adding a date extension to each days work (ie_4-16-14.job), the end result is I have a different coordinate file for each day, but I'm not as concerned about something critical getting overwritten or getting all gobbed up and lost in the controlled chaos that is my world. I can always back track, day by day if I have to, to resolve some discrepancy.
How do others handle this? I ask because I'm always looking for a better way. It's the really big complex jobs I'm concerned about, the one's that morph over time into something well beyond the scope of what was originally called for and all those files start to add up. Thanks in advance.
Cheers! Willy out.
I leave the coordinates and my calc's in PacSoft which only I and a few left know how to run. The control stays out of the general CAD other than as a copy that you can write over. That is my simple solution
We separate our data into original and processed. Our 'files to load' folder for each job has 'search', 'set', 'const' and 'control' files with dates. I've used variants of this for a long time. Bottom line, make the name mean something others can understand...
Many of us feel your pain. I've learned over the years of constant struggles with such issues that the key is to keep all your control points in one place and print the coordinates out. Keep them in lock step with your project file and in your truck, because they really are your best friend.
The daily data you collect goes into the job file. I never change the name, but downloading daily will maintain any legal issues that may cough up as you pull your hair out on your seeming sleepless nights.
Re-naming files for the same job will create havoc to at least me. Maybe other geezers too, but I just can't think that way. I just use the same file for the duration of the job. When I'm done, buildings are built, parking is full, water goes downhill, and most importantly - I'M PAID IN FULL.
I download daily into a new subfolder. I generate point files from the raw data files, and import the days work into the master CAD file as needed.
I use the same job file throughout the job, just building on the previous day's work.
I am a solo operation, and it works for me.
A copy of the original data file for each day goes into a download subdirectory. The name convention is DDMMYY plus two letters suggesting the name of the project, and an extension of .ASC. Those data files are never altered or manipulated in any way.
The original raw data file is put in the job subdirectory, where I often edit it to remove the base point, extra points, etc. A copy of that file is converted to a different extension when the offset routines are run. That last file is the one imported into my COGO and into AutoCAD.
City wide control that goes across multiple jobs in one file - eg "Chch BMs".
Control points for a specific job in one file - referenced by job number eg "CH1313 Control".
Separate job for each day - referenced by job number and date. eg "CH1313 140416". (Date is reversed so it sorts easily) Daily job file linked back to control files. Daily job files can be linked, but generally we dont need to.
Works for us...
Download daily.
Save downloads to a read only folder.
Serialize your downloads.
14001a.job
14001b.job
Use a spread sheet or simple text file to catalog the download dates and purpose of the file (type of work etc).
Of course you could always apply this same logic to your data uploads as well.
Of course the more people you have handling the data the more critical this becomes.
We use one file which is typically named after the job#. This file is downloaded daily into a FIELD>IN>DATE style directory. Before the beginning of the following week that data is processed and then a new control only coordinate file is created. All files sent to the field are also in a FIELD>OUT>DATE STYLE directory. On occassion we have multiple crews on the same job and in those instances the files will get a 'A' or 'B' designation.
This method keeps our control file current and works well for us. Sure we've had some issues but for the most part they are very minor.
Once we start talking about alignments, profiles and xml files things get a little trickier...
For everything including OPUS I create new job for each session. Use the project # (dash) and then consecutive numbers for each observation.
Stakeouts & topo's are the same.
I advocate the "Keep-It-Scott-Simple" modus operandi.
I assume you're talking about files in the DC. We start a new job every day, just like starting on a fresh page in a field book. Job name has the date and the task. Import control or other points from older jobs if needed. Sometimes we have 10 or more in a day. Download the DC files at night. Strip out the imported points, leaving only the new ones. Process in Carlson F2F with the field date and gunner's initials as the layer prefix. We've used TDS Survey Pro for years, which allowed long file names. This new Trimble crap is crimping our style.
I use the older Survey Controller software with big T. Hence the somewhat simple job formation ID format. It does require shorter names than other collectors. No complaints, just concise job names. The individual jobs automatically provide the dating at the creation. Just knowing what was done first is of primary concern. Then it can be traced pretty easily.
I wish it were all so simple. In a perfect world I would have the scope of the job all lined out in advance and the control locked down before I started anything. What I've found over the last ten years I'll get a project, limited in scope. I rarely have the big picture, just a 'go map this or stake that'. I'll have an old N;5,000 E;5,000 job that might have some control I can use to get going or I start from scratch. Before long I need to expand out, comp, search, tie, expand, rinse and repeat. Now I'm throwing GPS solutions into the mix, file is now in real world coordinates, full scope of the project revealed and it covers a much larger area. These things evolve over time. Get recycled. Older jobs get tied in. Trying to get a workflow fine tuned that is totally scalable but simple and intuitive, just in case someone else comes along and needs to tease things apart.
Control files would be a good place to start, but that presents it's own set of unique challenges in an area as big as the one I work in.
I really appreciate everyone's responses. I'll read them several times and sleep on it to figure out if I can do something better than what I'm doing now. Some days I feel like a coyote one step ahead of rancher Murphy and I don't want to end up a fence ornament.
I know the boat you are in. I am in the heavy civil / construction industry, lots of files. I will post something for you in the morning, tips & tricks I received from colleagues over the years.
Wow, that's a tough one that I've been struggling with also. When I worked for myself (i.e 1000 points or less) I just kept adding to the last point number(1-99 for control and 100-999 for topo) Now working for an oil/gas company, we sometimes have two or three crews on a site with several thousand points each. Try to keep point range from 1-4999 on one DC
5000-10000 on another DC, etc. and I still havn't found a solution, but, after every day, the txt file is downloaded and stored on the server(every project has a "DATA" file folder that it is stored into, and a date appended to the filename, even if only one point is added. The txt files take up so little space, and they're easier to keep track of. Carlson allows you to change points to new layers. You can add a date to the layer name i.e. pnts4162014, etc. Still havn't found the perfect solution though. If you find one, let us know.
read only-GOOD IDEA
A couple of things that I have learned over the years. This is just something that works for me. We all have our own bag of tricks.
Let's look first at the basic folder structure of the project. I keep field and office, survey and CAD in two different root folders. Here's my basic structure. The use of "_" in a folder's name places that folder on top of the list.
Survey Root Folder
-Data in
.....YYMMDD
......._raw
.......edt
-Data out
-OPUS/GNSS/TPS/Level Projects
CAD Root Folder
1. Control
2. Existing
3. Design
4. Quality Control
5. Pick-up (Misc)
6. As-built
7. Compiled as-built
8. Volumes
9. Calculations
10. Status Maps
The idea behind this method is: data management is independent from the type of work. Each of those folders are identified with a two letter ID: CT, EG, DE, QC, PU,AB, VC, CA, SM. The exception to this is the CAB file, compiled as-built. CAB file, I will explain later.
Inside these folders are sub-folders created for that particular job based on pay items of the contract. Again, I use a two letter code, personal choice. For the site general work, I assign a convention: SG.
Example: a road job may have excavation (EX), embankment (EM), subbase (SB) and base (BA). A pile layout job would be different, a mining job is different, a cement job different, etc. However, the 10 steps remain. That does not change too much.
Date format
YYMMDD as a standard. You save on space. YYYY-MM-DD = 10 spaces. YYMMDD = 6 spaces.
File naming convention
File naming has 4 four terms. First term is two letter code from above, second is the date, third a two letter code. The fourth term is the "loose" term. This where the surveyor may put a short description. A this point, you don't really need it too much anyway, it can be blank. Instead of using dashes "-", I leave a space. It is more clear for my eyes.
Let's look at some examples
AB 140404 SB..............As-built of sub-base on April 4, 2014
AB 140405 SB..............As-built of sub-base on April 5, 2014
AB 140417 SB..............As-built of sub-base on April 17, 2014
PU 121127 SG Trailers.....Pick-up of the construction trailers location
QC 140327 EX..............As-staked points of excavation layout done on March 27, 2014
About the CAB file. This expression "CAB file" is an easy sell for field crews. It is the compiled information at the date of the last survey for a defined item. This is where we are at. The linkage is simple, things are up to date.
CAB 140405 SB.............Compiled as-built of the sub-base as of April 5, 2014
CAB 140417 SB.............Compiled as-built of the sub-base as of April 17, 2014
Very handy when you need to create a DTM for the field crew, "here's the CAB file, buddy".
The QC files are often useful as back-up. If an as-built is missed (contractor backfilled on night shift), then the QC file, the as-staked layout data on that day can be used to help out.
I also ask the field crews to write a header on the csv file that they produce at end of day, brief description that does not clutter the file name.
Point naming convention
A friend worked in Boston for a while. He gave me that trick that I really like. Very simple and it works good if you have 1 to 9 crew chiefs on a project. Crew ID-Julian Day-Sequential points.
Surveyor Jeff - crew ID 8
Surveyor Maggie - crew ID 5
Surveyor Pete - crew ID 1
Surveyor Zach - crew ID 3
Today's Julian day is 107. Jeff will start his day with 8107001, Maggie with 5107001, Pete with 1107001 and Zach with 3107001. When you start to deal with the compiled data, it is really simple to see what was done when and by who. Yes, the points are long but it does not matter to me. I don't cogo, like back 20 years ago. Control / Design points are short and alphanumeric. This method also makes it really easy in differentiating surveyed / design points.
I know it sounds complicated but think structure and future. The reality is jobs often start small and built up. Having some kind of structure solid from the beginning helps out.
Hope these few ideas will help you out.
PS. Sorry about the formatting (.........word), I could not figure out how to tab on this message box.
That's gold James. Thank you very much to everyone for taking the time to explain your systems. Very much appreciated. Have a great day!
~Willy.
