Version 4 now includes a docking window when doing a GPS pickup. This makes things easier to control the pickup when running on a tablet computer. There are a number of seperate GPS docking windows. The first repeats the commands from the GPS ribbon menu item and means bigger buttons to press on a tablet.

 

GPS commands docking window:

 

Utilities: Brings up a dialog box where we can set the port and make sure communications with GPS device are happening:     Options:  This brings up a dialog where we fill in things like antenna height, alarms and whether we auto zoom and pan etc     Start/Stop:  we can either use GPS data or ignore it.   Add Point:  manually add a point to the database.   Cut/Fill:  Display current cut or fill. ie difference in GPS height to current natural surface height.   Stakeout Point: Stake out to a point docking window   Stakeout Line:  Stale out to a line docking window.

 

GPS pickup docking window:

 

These are the values returned from the GPS.   Status1: Whether GPS is stopped or running Status2: Miscellanous error messages Buffer:    Number of characters in the back buffer ITC:        Time Lat:         Latitude returned in decimal degrees Lon:        Longitude returned in decimal degrees East:       Easting value in UTM coordinates North:     Northing value in UTM coordinates. Height:    GPS height including antenna HDOP:   Horizontal Dilution Precision Sats:      Number of satellites used.

 

GPS Satellite Strengths:

 

 

Here we show the number of the satellite in use together with graph of the signal strength. We also show a color depending on the relative strength of the signal.   In this example we have the GPS pickup inside; hence all the signals are orange or red.

 

GPS setout to a point:

 

The arrow shows direction you need to travel.   Point:   point number we are staking out to. Bearing:  bearing to point Distance: distance to the point.

 

GPS Stakeout to a line:

 

Still under development.