MobileMapper Field & Office Software Getting Started Guide
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Table of Contents Introduction to MobileMapper Field & MobileMapper Office ...........1 Installing MobileMapper Field .....................................................3 Installation Procedure ............................................................3 Entering the Activation Code...................................................5 Getting Started With MobileMapper Field .....................................6 Launching MobileMapper Field ...............................................
Enabling GPX Data Recording ...............................................40 Disabling GPX Data Recording ..............................................40 Upload/Download Functions ......................................................41 Coordinate Systems ..................................................................42 Choosing a Coordinate System ..............................................42 Defining a User System ........................................................
MobileMapper Field and MobileMapper Office are two complementary software programs designed for generalpurpose GIS mobile applications. MobileMapper Field is the field program running on Microsoft Windows Mobile or Windows Embedded Handheld. MobileMapper Field allows you to: • Log features in the field and enter their attributes • Revisit features and update their attributes • Define new categories of features (i.e. layers) and assign as many types of attributes as necessary for future projects.
English • View your features on Google Earth • Export data to standard formats (csv, kml, gpx). • Convert existing projects to get their results on different coordinate systems.
This section describes how to install MobileMapper Field from the CD provided, using an office computer. If Windows XP (or older OS version) is used on your computer, you first need to install Microsoft Active Sync on your office computer. If Windows Vista or Windows 7 is used, you don’t normally need to install an additional program on your computer.
English • Confirm installation by clicking Next> again. The wizard starts copying the Spectra Precision Required Data files to the receiver. At the end of this phase, a message window appears asking you to check your mobile device screen to see if additional steps are needed to complete the installation. • The receiver asks you to confirm the location where to install Spectra Precision Required Data.CAB (“Device” is the default choice). Choose “Device” (recommended).
You will not be able to use MobileMapper Field until you enter an activation code. This code can be seen on the adhesive label placed on the MobileMapper Field CD box. This code was generated from your receiver serial number. To enter the activation code: • Tap on the “MobileMapper Field” line on the Home screen. A message is displayed showing the serial number of your receiver and a blank activation code field. • Type your activation code in the blank field. • Tap OK to validate the code entry.
Getting Started With MobileMapper Field English Launching MobileMapper Field Tap on MobileMapper Field on the Home screen. The main MobileMapper Field window is described below.
• [2]: Name of the currently open job. • [3]: This symbol shows your current position. The arrow points in your last walking direction. • [4]: Current 3D position of the receiver (no coordinates displayed if the receiver has not determined its position yet). • [5]: Log button. Use this button to log features. The button is grayed until GPS positions are computed and a layer is added to the open job.
Menu Option English Status About Exit Function Gives access to three tabs describing the current GPS reception status, in digital (Position) or graphical (Satellites, Signal) form. (In fact the GNSS Status function from the GNSS Toolbox.) Displays the installed version of MobileMapper Field. Quits MobileMapper Field. • [8]: Current zoom setting. The current value of scale is provided, based on the currently selected unit. • [9]: Area showing a map of the working site (map screen).
Setting General Parameters 1. Tap Menu>Options.... A new screen is displayed on which you can choose the measurements units: • Linear units: Choose between kilometers/meters, miles/ feet or miles/US feet. • Area units: Choose between square meters, square kilometers, hectares, acres, square feet, square yards or square miles. 2. Tap on the Antenna tab and then enter the vertical distance you will maintain between the top of the receiver (where the GPS antenna is) and the ground while executing the job.
English Minimizing the MobileMapper Field Window Tap in the upper-right corner of the map screen. To re-open the MobileMapper Field window, either tap on “MobileMapper Field” on the Home screen or the icon at the bottom of the Home screen. Minimizing the MobileMapper Field window has no effect whatsoever on software operation. The receiver will safely continue to collect raw data or features while the window is minimized. Quitting MobileMapper Field 10 Use the Menu>Exit option to quit the program.
During your First MobileMapper Field Session After entering the activation code, MobileMapper Field displays the map screen. Because it is the very first time you are using the software, there is no job open In MobileMapper Field. Follow the instructions below to create one: 1. Tap Menu>Job>New... 2. Enter the following parameters: • Name: Enter a name for your job using the Microsoft virtual keyboard, or the large MobileMapper Field keyboard,if enabled.
English The features you will log through that job will be saved to the corresponding layer files. Each layer consists of the following five files: .prj, .shp, .shx, .dbf, .drw, In contrast, a DXF job consists of the following files: One dxf file: The job file in itself. Each newly logged entity will be saved to that file, whatever the layer from which it proceeds. One .
Viewing the Properties of the Open Job • Tap Menu>Job>Properties. MobileMapper Field then displays a two-tab window. The first tab provides the job’s name, type and location (folder). The second one views the properties (projection and datum) of the coordinate system used in the job. • Tap OK (or press ESC on MobileMapper 100/120 or MobileMapper 6) to return to the map screen.
English Specified folder (In main memory, ”None” = My Documents) .map “Emptied” Layers, i.e. file names unchanged, all definitions of attributes preserved, but all features removed • For a DXF job: MobileMapper Field will duplicate all the files relevant to the job to the specified folder and will empty the created DXF file (no more entity found in this job).
Introduction Creating a layer consists of defining a specific profile for features you would like to log in the field. The layer creation process will be different depending on whether you chose “MAP” or “DXF” for the job format: • MAP format: Each layer is held in an individual file. The layer format can be either “SHP”, “MIF” or “CSV”. – An SHP layer can only contain a single type of feature.
English • Location: Choose the storage medium where you want to store the layer. You can choose either “Main memory” or “Storage Card” (if there is an SD, or microSD card inserted in the receiver). With MobileMapper 100 or 120, a third option is available (physically located in the resident memory and named “Storage Disk”). • Folder: Choose a folder where you want to store the layer you are creating. This choice should be made in conjunction with the choice of the storage medium (see Location).
4. Tap OK. 5. The program now asks you to define the properties of the layer. The table below summarizes the different properties you should define for the layer, according to its type. Properties Symbol Color Style Fill Attributes Label Scale 2D or 3D Point • • • • 2D or 3D Line 2D or 3D Polygon • • • • • • • • • • Mif layer • • • • • • • Csv layer • • • • For more information on layer properties and how to define attributes, see Layer Properties on page 18. 6.
English But unlike Map jobs, DXF jobs cannot use or re-use layers that are external to the job. With DXF jobs, you can only create one or more new layers within the job, right after defining the coordinate system. Another difference lies in the absence of an assumed feature geometry in a layer, which means all types of features, whether points, lines or polygons, can be logged in the layer. Layer Properties Symbol 57 different symbols are available to represent a point feature on the map screen.
Additional Information Needed Purpose Attaching a picture taken with the builtin camera to the visited feature. Voice Recording voice comment Max. number of digits and Numeric Entering a number. decimal places. Entering the current logging date (mm/ Date dd/yy). Entering the current logging time Time (hh:mm:ss) Choosing “Yes” or “No” in response to Yes/No the statement suggested by the attribute name for the visited feature.
English logging. “Status” refers to the position computation mode used at that time. Also, using “Length” allows the program to automatically assign the length of a line as one of its attributes. The length of the line is computed as you walk along the line. The result of the computation only appears after you have stopped logging the line, when you review all its attributes. The same is true with the “Perimeter” and “Area” attributes for a polygon.
• Open the job in which to add layers, using Menu>Job>Open.... • Tap Menu>Layers. A new window opens listing all the layers currently attached to the map. • Tap on the Add... button • Tap on the Select an existing layer button • Tap in the Type field and select “*.shp”, “*.csv” or “*.mif”. MobileMapper Field browses all the folders in search of all the layers of that type stored in the receiver. • Select the file you want to add to the job as a layer.
Adding Background Maps English Background maps can be displayed on the map screen to help you better locate the different features found in the working area. Two types of background maps are supported: • Background maps in vector format (OSM files) • Background maps in raster format (ecw, bmp, gif, tif, jpg or jp2 files) In order to be used in MobileMapper Field, a background map must be properly georeferenced. OSM files are “naturally” georeferenced due to their very nature.
English • Tap in the Type field and select the format of the file containing the background map: – ECW Enhanced Compression Wavelet (ecw) – Bitmap (bmp) – GIF (gif) – GeoTIFF (tif) – JPEG (jpg) – JPEG2000 (jp2) – Open StreetMap (osm) MobileMapper Field then browses all the folders in search of all the image files stored in the receiver meeting the current Type selection. • Tap on the name of the image file you want to add. This automatically adds the file to the list of background maps.
English Georeferencing an Image File Georeferencing an image file means defining at least three reference points giving the position of the image in space. Defining a reference point means entering its precise X-Y-Z or Lat-Lon-Height coordinates depending on the coordinate system used in the currently open job. The larger the number of reference points you define, the more evenly distributed these points over the entire image, the better the georeferencing of the image.
Created files .prj Designation Coordinate system used Auxiliary data. “xx” in the extension stands for .xxw the first two letters in the extension of the original image file (e.g. “JP” for a jpg file) ..ref.txt system used. When the original image file is in TIF format, some of these three files may not be created.
Logging New Features English Introduction For each new feature you log in the field, MobileMapper Field allows you to set the following parameters, just before it actually starts logging the feature: • On the Layer tab, you can choose: – The name of the layer corresponding to the feature you want to log (from the list of layers found in the job). – For MIF layers, and for those contained in a DXF job, the geometry (i.e. point, line or polygon) of the feature.
N Left Right Bearing d d d= Horizontal Distance d MobileMapper Field also allows the logging of two features to be run concurrently (“double logging”). This can be done through the appropriate use of the Pause/Resume/Stop functions. Double logging is useful to reduce both the time spent logging features and the distance walked in the field. 1. Log 2. 5. Pau Re se su m e 6. Stop 3. Log 4.
English reception status. Then you can start collecting your first feature. Logging a Point Feature N Bearing d VO HA HG Ground HF d= Horizontal Distance s Coord Sy HF = HG - HA + VO Where: HF: Feature height expressed on coordinate system used (computed) HG: GNSS height (measured) HA: Antenna Height above ground (user set) VO: Feature height above ground (vertical offset, user-set) 28 • Stand near the point you want to log. • Tap Log (or press the “–” key underneath).
NOTE: While the point position is being averaged. you are also allowed to shorten the averaging time if needed by tapping on the Stop button located in the lower bar. You will then need to confirm this request by tapping Yes. 29 English • Tap OK. MobileMapper Field instantly starts averaging the point position, as indicated in the progress bar at the bottom of the screen.
English • When the averaging time is up (and you have entered all the attribute values if you have used the 2nd method), MobileMapper Field shows the complete list of attributes assigned to the point, the user-set attributes first, then the software-set attributes, if any. The averaged position of the point always appears at the bottom of the list (this position may be regarded an an unconditional, softwareset attribute).
d Right d d= Horizontal Distance HA Ground HF HG VO – Vertical offset field: Height deviation from the physical location of the feature to the ground, positive if above the ground, negative otherwise (see illustration). s Coord Sy HF = HG - HA + VO Where: HF: Feature height expressed on coordinate system used (computed) HG: GNSS height (measured) HA: Antenna Height above ground (user set) VO: Feature height above ground (vertical offset, user-set) • Tap OK.
English Entering Values for Attributes Depending on the type of the attribute, you will have to perform the following: • For a text attribute, type your text using the virtual keyboard and then tap OK. • For a numeric attribute, type your number using the virtual keyboard and then tap OK. • For an image attribute, the following menu is displayed: – Camera: Runs the camera utility so you can take a picture.
2 1 4 3 6 5 1: Drags the recorder bar. 2: Starts voice recording. 3: Pauses voice recording. 4: Plays back voice recording. 5: Stops voice recording. 6: Closes the recorder bar – Play: For check purposes, select this function to play back the voice message you’ve just recorded (equivalent to “4” button on recorder bar) – Remove: Select this function to delete the existing voice message. You will use this function when you wish to record a new voice message for the current feature.
English Using the Pause/ Resume Function While logging a line or polygon, you may want to pause data logging because external events require that you do so or you want to start the logging of a second feature (double logging feature) (see Double Logging on page 34). Follow the instructions below. • Tap Menu>Pause to pause data logging.
• If MobileMapper Field fails to save a feature because there is not enough memory left, you can still delete unnecessary files and try again. Follow the instructions below when this happens. – Minimize MobileMapper Field – Run File Explorer – Delete unnecessary files – Return to MobileMapper Field and stop logging the feature. The feature will normally be saved if enough memory space has been cleared.
English collecting a row of trees of the same variety, same age, same health status, etc.). Warning! The Repeat function does not apply strictly to Date & Time attributes. In fact the “repeated” Date & Time attribute will be set automatically to the current values of Date & Time and not to the values assigned to the Date & Time attribute of the previous feature. Deleting Features For some reason or other, you may want to delete a feature, whether a point, a line or a polygon.
Going Back to a Feature • Tap Menu>Go To.... The receiver allows you to go back to a feature according to one of the following two methods: 1. Enter target coordinates: Choose this option if you want to go back to a point feature for which you know the coordinates (latitude/longitude or Easting/Northing (X/ Y) depending on the coordinate system used in the map file). After you have entered the two coordinates, tap OK. This takes you back to the map screen. 2.
When the map screen displays the feature you want to edit and you know which changes need to be made to its attributes, do the following. • Tap on the feature symbol. • When you see a bold orange line surrounding the feature, release the stylus. The program then displays the list of attributes pertaining to the feature. • Edit the attributes that need changes and then tap OK. In the case of a point feature, you are also allowed to update its position by tapping on the Update button located in the lower bar.
Understanding GPX Data Recording in MobileMapper Field MobileMapper Field allows you to save all the instantaneous positions computed by your receiver to a GPX file. Here are a few key points that will help you understand how the GPX data logging function operates in your receiver: • As soon as GPX data recording is enabled, every single position computed is unconditionally saved to a “gpx.gpx” file stored in \My Documents\Ashtech\. The recording rate is therefore 1 second.
English Coordinates are always expressed in longitude, latitude and elevation, regardless of the coordinate system used in the open job. The time of computation is also provided for each position. Enabling GPX Data Recording • Go to Menu>Options, Recording tab. • Enable the Record GPX option and tap OK. GPX data recording starts immediately. Disabling GPX Data Recording • Go to Menu>Options, Recording tab. • Disable the Record GPX option and tap OK. GPX data recording stops immediately.
Using the USB data cable provided with your receiver, you can exchange data between the receiver and your office computer. With Windows 7 or Vista running your computer, no particular settings are required.
Coordinate Systems English When creating a new DXF job or when creating a layer as the first layer in a new *.map job, MobileMapper Field asks you to define a coordinate system. Choosing a Coordinate System Proceed in this order: 1. Choose the World Geodetic System or the country where your field operations will take place 2. In the field just underneath, choose the datum used 3. In the field just underneath, choose the projection used. 4. Choose the vertical datum in the last field.
• Tap on the New button. • Select the type of projection you wish to use in your coordinate system. Depending on that choice, you will have to enter a certain number of parameters. Remember every time you create a new projection and you have to enter the latitude and longitude of origin, or the central meridian, these must be expressed in degrees with eight decimal places (ddd.dddddddd).
Post-Processing Option and MobileMapper Office English Unlocking the Post-Processing Option in the Receiver When you purchase the post-processing option, Spectra Precision delivers an activation code specific to your receiver so you can unlock this option in the receiver. Follow the instructions below the first time you want to use the postprocessing option: • Tap Menu>Options. • Tap on the Recording tab. • Enable the Record raw data for post-processing option. • Tap OK.
Parameters x nnnn s yy ddd Description “A” for A-files (Auxiliary Coordinate files), or “G” for Gfiles (ATOM raw data files) Last four digits of the receiver serial number Session number (A, B, C,... X). Incremented every time a new working session is created on the same day. Last two digits of year (“08” for 2008) Day number in year (1-366) NOTE: The auxiliary coordinate file created during a working session uses the same naming convention. Only the prefix is different (“A” instead of “G”).
English raw data for a given project, the better the results of the post-processing will be. • Coming back to Menu>Options, Recording tab after starting logging raw data allows you to read the name and path of the raw data file being created. This information appears underneath the Record raw data for post-processing option. • A warning message will pop up if the memory goes low while collecting raw data. Installing MobileMapper Office Software • Insert the installation CD in your computer.
English Just give your project a name and indicate where to store it and the program will automatically create the file structure for the project. If you want to open an existing project, click Cancel and then use button [1] below to select Open and browse your computer for the existing project. Next time you launch MobileMapper Office, the last opened project will automatically re-open.
English [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] The different areas are described below: – [1]: Open/Create Map button – [2]: Menu bar – [3]: MAP filename and Layers list – [4]: Map screen showing the content of the open project, Also includes zoom buttons on the left and distance/angle/area tool buttons on the right.
• Click and select Open. Browse to the folder containing your field data files. • Select the Map file and click Open. MobileMapper Office shows the content of the project in areas [3], [4] and [5] (see screen above). • Click on Add Rover Raw Data. Select the raw data file corresponding to the project (from the same folder as previously) and click Open. MobileMapper Office imports the *G or GRW file and then shows the file properties in areas [5] and [6].
English • Click Search, then wait until the search is complete. At the end of the search, MobileMapper Office lists the stations meeting the search request. • Select the most suitable reference station, mainly according to the distance (baseline) to that station. • Click Download. MobileMapper Office imports the base raw data and then show its properties in areas [5] and [6].
English For each layer () present in the project MobileMapper Office has created two extra layers: – (Final): This layer is viewed by default. It shows all the features of the layer, namely those that have just been post-processed, for which you can now see the refined positions on the map screen, and also those not impacted by the postprocessing, whose positions are unchanged compared to what they are in the initial layer.
English Each vector can be edited individually. Just select one on the map screen and the properties of the vector will then appear In the right-hand pane (see example below). All new layers have been created –and can be found– in the same folder as those initially found in the project. NOTE: DXF and AXF job files, MIF and CSV layers are not supported in this version of MobileMapper Office.
English • Click OK to confirm your filter settings. All the vectors for which the HRMS, VRMS and PDOP are less than those specified here will pass the quality control whereas all the others, if any, will fail. Note that the quality control filter is applicable to all the projects you open in MobileMapper Office, until you modify the filter settings. To remove the filter, you just need to set the three fields blank and click OK.
English • ASCII format (*.csv). Each selected layer will result in a separate csv file. Follow the instructions below to export layers: • Open your project. • Make visible the layers you want to export (turn on the corresponding check boxes). As background maps will not be exported, they can stay visible in the project. • Click on and then select the format and destination of the file(s) generated by the Export function. • Click Save to complete the Export sequence.
More About MobileMapper Office • Undo Post-processing: If the post-processing results do not meet your expectations, you can reverse to the original SHP files by selecting the Undo Processing command. • Zoom settings: In addition to the zoom buttons in the menu bar and on the map screen, MobileMapper Office offers another useful way of adjusting the zoom setting. Double-click on a feature in the map screen. This takes the feature to the center of the map screen.
English The location of the cursor on the sliding bar is representative of the position of the selected point in the line or polygon. • Layer Editor: MobileMapper Office also allows you to edit SHP files in a way much similar to MobileMapper Field's Edit/Create Layer function. – When creating a new layer from scratch in MobileMapper Office, a new window will open (see below) asking you to define attributes for the new layer.
For each tool, the first click on the icon will activate the tool and change the cursor shape. The second click will turn off the tool and the cursor will recover its initial shape. You may also press the right-hand mouse button to deactivate the tool. Distance measurement: – Click on the first point from where to start the distance measurement. – Click on the second point defining the first measured segment. Any new click on the map will create a new segment from the previous point.
English – Click on to quit the angle measurement tool. • Deleting a Feature: Select a feature on the map screen that you want to delete, and then click on the Delete button in the menu bar. Click Yes to confirm that you want to delete this feature. • Adding base raw data from a file: This function is convenient when the useful base raw data files have already been downloaded from the Internet or if they come from a reference station that is not connected to the Internet.
Spectra Precision makes available a collection of geoids for use in many countries around the world. This collection is hosted on the Spectra Precision website and is regularly updated. To download a geoid, use the link Geoids (models & tools) in the welcome menu of your application software CD. In absence of the CD, you can still list and download the available geoids using your web browser to connect to the following URL: http://resources.ashtech.com/GEOIDS.
English Through the above URL, you can also install the Extract Tool on your computer (see bottom of the menu on the left). Use this tool to limit the geographical extent of the selected geoid to your working area. This may be useful to reduce the space occupied by the geoid file on your receiver. The extracted geoid (also a *.geo file) should then be copied to My Device \Program Files\Geoids Data\ on the receiver.
Enabling/Disabling the E-Compass • Tap Menu>Options. • Tap on the right-arrow button several times until you unveil the E-compass tab. • Tap on the E-compass tab. • Set the Use electronic compass to determine orientation button to enable or disable the E-compass. The compass calibration is described in the section below.
English Recommendations for E-Compass Calibration The E-compass being a very sensitive sensor, Spectra Precision recommends you adhere to the following recommendations. • Calibration should always be performed: – Outdoor, not indoor. – On a flat horizontal surface, not in your hands. – In the same operating conditions (i.e. same backlight level, with/without SD card) as those you will work in later when you collect your data.
Setting an External Device • Tap Menu>Options. • Tap on the right-arrow button several times until you unveil the External Devices tab. • Tap on the External Devices tab. • Tap on the Connect button. • Select the device used from the Device type field. • Set the virtual port number (Port) and baud rate (Baud rate) used to let your receiver communicate with this device. • Tap OK to enter your settings and return to the map screen. 63 English • Using the E-compass is recommended for static occupations.
Index English (Final) 51 (Post-processed) 51 Symbols *.dxf file 11 *.map file 11, 46 *.shp files 46 A Activation code 5, 44 ActiveSync 3, 41 Add Reference Raw Data 49 Add Rover Data 49 Age of corrections 7 Area 19 Area units 9 Ashtech Required Data.
Label 20 Layer 7, 12, 15, 23 Layer (add) 21 Layer properties 17 Layers 1 Length 19 Line feature 30 Linear units 9 Log 7 Log raw data 44 M Main memory 12, 16 Mandatory attribute 18, 20 Map file 7, 27 Map screen 8, 30 Menu 18 MIF 15, 21 Minimizing MobileMapper Field 10 Mnd 12 Mnu 12 MobileMapper Office 46 N North up 9 Numeric 19 O Observation times 49 OSM (OpenStreetMap) 22 P PDOP 7, 8, 9, 27, 53 Perimeter 19 Picture 19 Point feature 28 Polygon feature 30 Post-processing 1 Prj 11 Projection 16, 42 ProMark
MobileMapper Field & Office Software Getting Started Guide Contact Information: SPECTRA PRECISION DIVISION 10355 Westmoor Drive, Suite #100 Westminster, CO 80021, USA www.spectraprecision.com Rue Thomas Edison ZAC de la Fleuriaye, BP 60433 44474 Carquefou Cedex, FRANCE ©2012 Trimble Navigation Limited. All rights reserved. Spectra Precision is a Division of Trimble Navigation Limited. Spectra Precision and the Spectra Precision logo are trademarks of Trimble Navigation Limited or its subsidiaries.
