MobileMapper Field & Office Software Getting Started Guide
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Table of Contents Introduction to MobileMapper Field & MobileMapper Office ...........1 Installing MobileMapper Field .....................................................2 Installation Procedure ............................................................2 Entering the Activation Code...................................................3 Getting Started With MobileMapper Field .....................................4 Launching MobileMapper Field ...............................................
Defining a User System ........................................................34 Viewing the Properties of the Coordinate System Used in a Job 34 Post-Processing Option and MobileMapper Office ........................35 Unlocking the Post-Processing Option in the Receiver .............35 Logging Raw Data ................................................................35 Installing MobileMapper Office Software ................................37 Post-Processing With Mobile-Mapper Office Software ............
MobileMapper Field and MobileMapper Office are two complementary software programs designed for generalpurpose GIS mobile applications. MobileMapper Field is the field program running on Windows Mobile 6.0 (MobileMapper 6) or 6.5 (MobileMapper 100). 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.
Installing MobileMapper Field English 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 is used, you don’t normally need to install an additional program on your computer.
Entering the Activation Code 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 Today 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.
Getting Started With MobileMapper Field English Launching MobileMapper Field Tap Start>MobileMapper Field or tap MobileMapper Field on the Today screen. The main MobileMapper Field window is described below.
Menu Option Pause Stop Layers... Find... Go To... Zoom In Zoom Out Job Options Status About Exit • • • • • Dragging the Map on the Screen Function Use this option to pause the current feature logging. Use this option to stop the current feature logging. Use this option to add, modify or remove layers. Use this option to find a feature previously logged in the open job. Use this option to let the receiver guide you to the selected target (a feature name or any coordinates).
English Setting Units, Antenna Height, PDOP Max. Background Maps and View Options 1. Tap Menu>Options.... A new screen is displayed on which you can choose the measurements units: • Linear units: Choose between kilometers/meters or miles/feet. • Area units: Choose between square meters, square kilometers, hectares, acres, square feet, square yards or square miles. 2.
Use the Menu>Exit option to quit the program. Caution! Tapping in the upper-right corner of the screen only minimizes the MobileMapper Field window and so does not fully exit the program.
Creating a New Job English During your First MobileMapper Field Session After entering the activation code, MobileMapper Field displays the map screen. Do the following to create a new job. 1. Tap Menu>Job>New... 2. Enter the following parameters: • Name: Enter a name for your job using the virtual keyboard. • Folder: Choose a folder and storage location where to store the job file you are creating (see also Location parameter below).
3. Tap Save to create the job file. What you then get on the screen depends on the format (map or dxf) you chose for the job. See Creating New Layers on page 10 for more details. After you have saved a new job, the software closes the currently open job and opens the new one instead. Subsequent Uses of MobileMapper Field The next time you launch MobileMapper Field, the program will open the job you last opened.
Creating New Layers English 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.
3. Tap the Save button to proceed. If you are defining the second or next layers, go directly to step 5. If you are defining the first layer in the open job, the program will first ask you to define a coordinate system for the job: • First field: Choose the country you are working in. You may also choose a worldwide system such as UTM or Worldwide Geodetic System. • Second field: The number of options available in this field depends on the selected country. Select the datum that is suitable for your job.
English • Fourth field: Choose a vertical datum in which to express the Z coordinate. “Ellipsoid” (no geoid used) and “EGM84” (global earth geoid model) are the two default options. Other geoids may be prompted in this field after you have downloaded them to the receiver from the Internet via the link found on the MobileMapper Software CD. 4. Tap OK. 5. The program now asks you to define the properties of the layer.
Layer Properties Symbol 57 different symbols are available to represent a point feature on the map screen. Color 15 different colors are available to represent a line feature or the contour of a polygon feature on the map screen. Style The line style (thin, medium, thick or dash) is used to represent a line feature on the map screen. Fill Eight different patterns are used on the map screen to fill the area covered by a polygon feature.
English Attribute Type Yes/No Additional Information Needed Purpose Choosing “Yes” or “No” in response to the statement suggested by the attribute name for the visited feature. - NOTE: For best quality voice recording, see Handheld Platform for MobileMapper 100, ProMark 100 & ProMark 200 Getting Started Guide, Voice Setting. Some useful attributes with preset names are displayed for each layer type (see table below). It’s up to you whether or not to create them.
Scale This setting is used to display or hide the layer on the map screen, depending on the current scale value used. The scale property of the layer operates as a threshold, which will order the layer to be hidden if the scale value on the map screen is less than this threshold. Showing/Hiding Features on the Map Screen • Tap Menu>Layers... • Enable or clear the check box placed before each layer name to respectively show or hide the layer on the map screen.
Adding Existing Layers to a Map Job English • 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.
Background maps are raster files that can be displayed on the map screen to help you better locate the different features found in the working area. In order to be used in MobileMapper Field, a background map must be in image format (BMP, GIF, GeoTIFF, JPG or JP2) and properly georeferenced. Georeferencing may have been done earlier using a thirdparty tool. Georeferencing can also be done after adding the background map. This can be done in two different ways: 1.
English already georeferenced background map that uses a coordinate system different from the one used in the open job. Like layers, each of the added background maps can be shown or hidden on the map screen. Set accordingly each of the check boxes placed before the names of the background maps (cleared= hidden, ticked= shown). • Tap OK to return to the map screen. Note that the map screen will show the background map(s) only after the receiver can compute a position.
More about Background Maps • The background map will be displayed only when it is geographically close to the computed GPS position and the zoom is set properly. • For large background maps, you may have to zoom in several times before the map screen can start viewing details of the background map. • If a background map is not properly georeferenced, the background map will never appear on the map screen, and the reference points you incorrectly created on the background map will all be deleted.
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.
Prerequisites English • The receiver is on and MobileMapper Field running. • A Map job is used, which contains three SHP layers: a point layer named “Points”, a line layer named “Lines” and a polygon layer named “Areas”. All layers are set to be seen on the map screen. • The units used have been set to meet your requirements. • The reception status is good (number of satellites>6, PDOP<3) Logging a Point Feature • Stand near the point you want to log.
• Tap OK. MobileMapper Field instantly starts logging the point. Wait for the end of the averaging process while holding the receiver still and keeping an eye on the progress bar. MobileMapper Field then automatically switches to the attribute list. Note that the computed coordinates of the point feature are displayed at the end of the list of attributes. • Define each attribute for the point (see Entering Values for Attributes on page 24).
English Left d Right d d= Horizontal Distance Entering Values for Attributes 24 parameters (for no offset, just check that the horizontal distance is 0 on this tab and proceed to the next step): – Direction: this parameter tells the program whether the real feature is on your left or right. – Horizontal Distance field: Horizontal distance perpendicular to the line or polygon feature.
– Camera: Runs the camera utility so you can take a picture. For more information on using the built-in camera, see HandHeld Platform for MobileMapper 100, ProMark 100 and ProMark 200 Getting Started Guide, Using the Camera. NOTE: Picture attributes are saved as JPG files in the same folder as the layer they belong to. The file naming convention used is Img#.jpg where # is the picture number (1, 2, 3, etc.). The picture number is ascribed in chronological order, with no reference to any other file.
English 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.
While logging a line or polygon, you may want to log another feature found along the way, whether a point, a line or a polygon. Follow the instructions below. • Tap Menu>Pause to pause the data logging of the feature in progress. • Move to the second feature you want to log. • Tap Log, select the layer of the second feature, make the necessary settings and log this feature as you would in the usual case. • Tap Menu>Stop when you are finished with the logging of the second feature.
Deleting Features English For some reason or other, you may want to delete a feature, whether a point, a line or a polygon. This is possible from the map screen showing the location of the feature: • Through zoom and drag operations, adjust the view of the map screen in order to see the location of the feature. • Tap on the feature. This opens a new window showing the properties of the feature. • Tap on the Delete function shown in the lower bar.
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.
English Find Feature Function 30 MobileMapper Field allows you to search for a particular feature you logged in a map. MobileMapper Field will ask you to indicate the layer it belongs to, and optionally, the known value of one or more of its attributes. As a result, MobileMapper Field will list all the features meeting your requirements. • Tap Menu>Find.... MobileMapper Field displays one of the layers present in the map as well as the names of the different attributes attached to that layer.
Using the USB data cable provided with your receiver, you can exchange data between the receiver and your office computer. With Vista running your computer, no particular settings are required. With Windows XP (or older), use the following settings in ActiveSync to make the connection automatic at receiver power up: Use the procedure below to copy files from one unit to the other: • Place the receiver on the docking station • Connect the docking station to your office computer using the USB data cable.
English MobileMapper Office will then only consist of copying the entire folder to the office computer.
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.
English Defining a User System • 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).
Unlocking the Post-Processing Option in the Receiver When you purchase the post-processing option, Ashtech 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 post-processing option: • Tap Menu>Options. • Tap on the Recording tab. • Enable the Record raw data for post-processing option. • Tap OK.
English • With the Record raw data for post-processing option on, raw data logging will start automatically when enough satellites are received (>3). Raw data logging is effective when “REC” is displayed in MobileMapper Field’s status bar (see Getting Started With MobileMapper Field on page 4). NOTICE. It is a good practice to wait about 1 minute from the time at least 4 satellites are received and the PDOP is less than 3 before you start logging your first feature.
Installing MobileMapper Office Software • Insert the installation CD in your computer. Wait until the welcome screen is displayed. • Click on Install MobileMapper Office. The installation program starts analyzing the configuration of your computer. • The installation program may ask you to install one or several Microsoft applications on your computer. If this happens, please accept. These are: – Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 – Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Libraries – Microsoft Windows Installer 3.
English [1] [2] [4] [3] [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 job, 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.
English • 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]. NOTE: Ashtech does not guarantee 100% quality results when using raw data files from reference stations that are situated beyond 200 km (125 mi) from your working area.
NOTE: DXF job files, MIF and CSV layers are not supported in this version of MobileMapper Office. Quality Control in Post-Processing You can place a quality control filter through which MobileMapper Office will rate the post-processing results according to your own requirements.
Export Function English MobileMapper Office can export the visible layers from the open job to two different formats: • ASCII format (*.csv). Each selected layer will result in a separate csv file. • Google Earth format (*.kml). All the selected layers will be merged into a single kml file. Opening a kml file from the Google Earth initial view will cause the Earth representation to be gradually rotated and zoomed in to show the exact location of the features held in the kml file.
• 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 one is for distances, the second one for areas and the lower one for angles. 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. 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.
45 English • 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. In either case, click on Add Reference Raw Data>From File and select the base raw data files. • Removing a layer from a map: Select the layer in area [3] on the screen and press the Del key or click on Remove Layer.
Installing Geoids English Ashtech makes available a collection of geoids for use in many countries around the world. This collection is hosted on the Ashtech 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.
47 English The extracted geoid (also a *.geo file) should then be copied to My Device \Program Files\Geoids Data\ on the receiver.
Index English Symbols Go to 29 Google Earth 1, 42 GPS compass 22 Grw files 36, 37 A H *.dxf file 8 *.map file 8, 37 *.
Q Quality control 41 R Raw data collection 1 Raw data files 31 REC 36 Record raw data for post-processing 35 Reference raw data 1 S SBAS 4, 5 Scale 4, 5, 15 Search up to x km 39 Search up to x stations 39 Serial Number 3 Show/hide features 15 Show/Hide Layer 12 SHP 10, 11, 16, 17 Sound 14 Start (post-processing) 40 Storage Card (SD card) 8, 11 Style 13 Symbol 13 T Target coordinates 29 Text 13 Type (of feature) 11 U Unlock post-processing 35 Upload 31 USB 31 V VDOP 41 Vista 2, 31 Visual C++ runti
MobileMapper Field & Office Software Getting Started Guide Mobile Mapping Contact Information: In USA +1 408 572 1103 n Fax +1 408 572 1199 In South America +1 305 726 7813 Email mobilemapping@ashtech.com In France +33 2 28 09 38 00 n Fax +33 2 28 09 39 39 In Russia +7 495 980 5400 n Fax +7 495 981 4840 Email mobilemappingemea@ashtech.com In Singapore +65 9838 4229 n Fax +65 6777 9881 In China +86 10 5802 5174 n Fax +86 10 5802 5135 Email mobilemappingapac@ashtech.com www.ashtech.
