SurvCE Offset Routines Manual/Tutorial

There is not a specific manual for just offsets. The SurvCE Reference Manual outlines offsets pretty well, which can be downloaded from the Carlson Software Products Download website.

I am looking for a comprehensive coverage of offset routines. Fieldgenius has video presentation practically for all routines.

Thank you.

Hi Brett!

Thank you for your prompt reply.

What I am actually looking for is the comprehensive coverage. What I got from the Carlson website is just the coverage of the four-tab offset feature of SurvCE. I am trying to figure out on how to do other forms of offset that can be performed out of the four basic routines. I don't know if you're familiar with Fieldgenius but it provides rich offset routines like Line-Angle Offset, Line-Distance Offset, and Line-Perpedicular Point offset. Can we do these routines during measurement in SurvCE?

Thank you.

It doesn't sound like you have downloaded the manual. I would recommend utilizing the 500+ page manual which does a great job of outlining features and procedures.

It can be downloaded here: Carlson SurvCE

Hi Brett!

I do have it but the TS Offset routines discussed in the manual fall short of the convenience the Fieldgenius Offset routines provide. This is exactly what I am referring to. SurvCE is a very powerful data collection system and I have a feeling that there are workarounds in which the four-tab SurvCE TS offset routines can as well provide all the the Fieldgenius offset feature like the line-perpendicular point routine.

Thank you.

Regards.

Shoot me an email for a contact who has written a bunch of Carlson tutorials.

Although I wasn't the original author of the various Carlson tutorials, I worked through them several years ago and will be happy to take observations, criticisms or suggestions for improvement.

The Help Files for SurvCE can be placed onto the hand-held device and there is some instruction on the "Store Points (TS Offsets)" command as follows:

>Making offset points using a total station requires entry of ALT-O or selection of the O/Offset button within the Store Points Foresight Screen. If you are set to the graphical icons in Configure, you would select the "offset to tree" icon. This works from both the Graphic and Text screens when foresighting. There is no distinct total station "Offset" command—it is an offshoot (literally) of standard Store Points. The total station Offset command must be selected each time it is used. It has three options:
>
>Distance/Angle: (sometimes referred to as "Shoot a Big Tree") The Distance/Angle method requires two measurements. The first measurement is the distance, followed by the prompt to read the angle. Note that the dialog, shown in the next figure, prompts you to Read Distance first.
>
>In the case of shooting a large tree, where the goal is to shoot the center of the tree, you would take a shot to the middle-side of the tree, equivalent to the distance to the center of the tree. Then you would take a second shot, as prompted, to the middle of the tree, for horizontal angle only. Note that for the elevation of the shot, you can use the distance measurement or the angle measurement (second reading), and apply the vertical offset, if any, accordingly. After both measurements are taken, the results are displayed. You are then returned to the dialog to take your next offset.
>
>Point (Plus/Minus): The Point Offset takes a shot and deducts or adds a distance relative to the line-of-sight in all three directions (L/R, In/Out, Vertically Up/Down).
>
>Before the shot, tap Read. After the shot, when the raw data is displayed in the lower left, tap Store. You will remain in the command until you tap Close. Repeat Shots Using Offsets When taking multiple measurements in traffic or other conditions where you must move away quickly, one technique is to use the Offset button in Store Points, and then the Point method. You do a Read and enter 0 for all offsets, then Store. Then change the description and tap Store again (no additional Read is necessary), and a second point with a different description (or rod height, or offset) is stored. Some office software programs require distinct readings on the same point to process multiple descriptions, in which case the use of Offsets to store multiple readings with one field measurement is recommended.
>
>2-Point Offset: This creates a 2-point 3D "vector", where the offset direction, distance, and vertical offset are computed from the delta N, delta E and Delta Z of the two points that are measured or entered.
>
>If Read Inst is enabled, then the two points are measured in the field. If instead you wish to obtain the offset vector from two points, then disable Read Inst and enter the two point numbers. The offset entered will extend the vector from point "P2" in the direction of "P1" to "P2". The vector offset will also impact the elevation that is calculated. This might be used to calculate a point at the top of a cliff, for example, where you stand above the cliff top, pick up two points on the slope to the cliff edge, and estimate the distance to the cliff face from the second point. The offset by two points routine will write an SS record in the RW5 file (raw file), which enables re-processing.

I hope some of this information helps. If not, please reply back and I'll see what I can compose.

As another source of information, explore the material for the discussions and sessions of the Carlson User Conferences.

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Ladd Nelson

Hi Ladd!

Thank you for sharing.

Please refer to the image for your reference.

How can I measure and complete the building footprint using offset routines. Please note that the building is inaccessible, corners 2 and 4 are hidden from view. Building line 3-4 is perpendicular to 4-5.

Thank you so much.

Regards.

The read hidden lines are the suggested RL lines. Thank you.

*red hidden lines

> The red hidden lines are the suggested RL lines. Thank you.

Just for clarification, can you elaborate on the meaning of "RL lines"?

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Ladd Nelson

Hi Ladd!

Sorry for my Leica terms. RL is for ReflectorLess. RL lines are the measurement collimation lines.

Thank you.

Regards.

Measure additional points on line 1-2 and 2-3 and use extend to intersection to get point 2.
Measure and additional point 4A on line 4-5 and draw a line perpendicular from 3 to line 4A-5 to get point 4.

Hi Navaran!

Thank you for your reply.

That is actually what I am doing. I employ the COGO and CAD features. In my opinion, the problem with this approach is that you are overpopulating your display with point objects. Of course we need those in the raw data. The beauty of offset routines is that it won't overpopulate your display with points.

I know there is a workaround for this. SurvCE is not this successful for nothing.

Thank you.

Regards.

Amdomag,

I have been following some of your posts, and I applaud your efforts to streamline the data collection process.

I would think that sometimes things are over thought, and the office personnel want to be spoon fed. A quick sketch in the fieldbook with a few measurements go along way to help clarify certain things.

I agree that sometimes calculating something in the field would save questions, but fieldtime is much more expensive than office time when looking at budgets.

Are you looking for your end results to be a completed linework drawing that only needs annotation and labeling for your office tech? If that is your end goal, I would say you are on the right track.

I am probably looking at this from a solo surveyor's position, and being in the field and the office on jobs you get used to thinking differently.

Good luck with your efforts. I am learning just by following your posts.

> Measure and additional point 4A on line 4-5 and draw a line perpendicular from 3 to line 4A-5 to get point 4.

Another option would be to use the JOG code (negative distances for Jog Left, positive distances for Jog Right) at the description for Point 3. Presume the following distances:

3 -> 4 = 10'
4 -> 5 = 30'
5 -> 6 = 25'
6 -> 1 = 75'

The description (BLDG is the field code for shots 1, 2 and 3) for Point 3 might read:

BLDG JOG -10 30 -25 -75

Additional functionality for the JOG code will show up in Carlson Field-to-Finish in the Carlson Survey office product that could allow the building footprint to be drawn from just two points (e.g. Point 1 and the reflectorless "collimated" point that defines the direction from 1 to 2). The office product allows the use of S (straight or "extend"), L (left) and R (right) alpha-characters to indicate the jog direction, if any.

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Ladd Nelson

Jog option is not for this case, the user wrote:
"Please note that the building is inaccessible, corners 2 and 4 are hidden from view."

I'll defer to the intent of the solution (and concede multiple solutions) as point #6 is/was also obstructed for (hopefully) obvious reasons. I took some liberties that #6 could not be directly located and that the goal is/was to:

>measure and complete the building footprint

I took the larger liberty that several of the building sides would be independently measured through conventional means (e.g. via tape) with perhaps a broader interpretation of "using offset routines."

FWIW, a wise old surveyor once taught me to think one step in advance of what is desired to be collected and that it is not necessarily practical to directly shoot each building corner (a lesson I once learned the hard way on a Courtyard footprint). In this particular example, I would have striven to put the instrument in a position near the cross-hair shown in the cited example. Aside from clearing the obstruction, the instrument could potentially have direct access to points 2, 3, 4, 5 (and possibly 6), affording me the ability to either shoot or directly (tape) measure the building corners.

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Ladd Nelson

Hi Jimmy!

Thank you so much for the inspiring words! I am a fun and a heavy user of offset routines.

Regards.