Table of Contents

Story 1

Story 1 is about attaching an RTK device to SmartDirt, new menus, and the main screen interface.

Functionality

At the end of story 1 I would expect to be able to walk around the Airway Office site (previously aligned with another product) and get cut/fill values compared to the survey elevation from the RTK device.

Screens (File page menu, Main Screen, Main Screen surface selection, Main Screen Menu, Main Screen More Menu, Settings-GPS Tab, Upload Screen (from File))

Main Screen Description

The main screen of SmartGrade is very similar to SmartDirt. In fact the main difference is that instead of showing cut/fill by comparing two surfaces at a location, SmartGrade compares an RTK survey shot to a chosen surface. In the example image, the surface the shot is compared to has a small arrow next to it. Tapping that arrow (and the adjoining text) displays a list of all available surfaces in the file. Picking a different surfaces requires a recalc of surface and Isopach for color.

Other new features include:

New Line

When a survey point is shot, it is automatically connected to the previous shot to form a line. New Line causes the next survey point shot to not connect to the previous point. (Note: the labeling function mentioned previously has been split into a separate Labeling menu item under the more menu.

Stream

Stream is the automatic capture of points based on distance moved. Stream is a toggle. Ideally we'd be able to include and indicator on the menu that indicated state and would probably be a valid reason for using color on the menu (think green light). When toggle on, a point is shot immediately. Subsequent shots occur automatically when the GPS position falls outside of a radius from the last point shot. The radius is a variable called “Collection distance” that is user specified on the Settings-GPS tab. The default distance is 3 ft.

3D

3D view takes the user to the 3D view, leaving the same menu with the exception of a planview toggle. Ideally, we would have a shoot button at the top of the 3D view so a user could shoot while in that mode.

Undo

Undo removes the last survey point collected.

Save

Displays the save dialog which has options for saving the file, doing a save as, and/or uploading the file to AGTEK Access.

More

Brings up a list of additional menu options. This is strictly for overflow items that are less used.

Create Benchmarks

Displays the Create Benchmark screen where a user can manually enter a benchmark point with a label or shoot in a benchmark point based on their current position. (graphic to follow)

File

Displays the File screen.

Labeling

Displays the labeling activity. This activity either changes labels and/or allows shooting when the labels change often. Changing a label automatically breaks the survey line.

Progress Topo

Changes to the Progress Topo activity (shown and detailed separately).

View

Displays the View screen.

Settings

Displays the Settings screen.

Exit

Closes the program

MJA NOTES:

Story 2

Narrative

At the end of Story 2 a user should be able to:

Major elements

Note: Bill pointed out that the current view Northing and Easting are not live and are for a picked point ala' Smartdirt. It should be the NE for the current location as well as whatever label will be assigned if shot. Also, we may want a developer mode that allows point selection and shows the distance to selected point. This allows us to verify the accuracy of alignment numerically.

Alignment

Alignment is the process of georeferencing the site data to the RTK GPS. For autonomous GPS we use Lats and Longs for alignment. RTK uses distances and angles from the rover to a base station on special known points (benchmarks).

Flow

This should follow the rough order of the pictures excepting the menu options. The flow is this:

Screens

Choose Alignment type, Menu options under Choose Alignment, Shoot First Benchmark

Saving ADF recovery

While ultimately we'd like the ADF save to save everything in the file, the most important thing to save initially is the recovery data created by the Alignment process. Saving the recovery data means that we can reopen the file and not have to Aligmnent again. There is quite a bit of functionality in the Save dialog related to projects and uploading. We do not have to have this for Story 2 although creating the ui for it is good.

Showing Survey points onscreen

Save

Dialog to save the ADF file.

New Line

When a survey point is shot, it is automatically connected to the previous shot to form a line. New Line causes the next survey point shot to not connect to the previous point. (Note: the labeling function mentioned previously has been split into a separate Labeling menu item under the more menu.

Stream

Stream is the automatic capture of points based on distance moved. Stream is a toggle. Ideally we'd be able to include and indicator on the menu that indicated state and would probably be a valid reason for using color on the menu (think green light). When toggle on, a point is shot immediately. Subsequent shots occur automatically when the GPS position falls outside of a radius from the last point shot. The radius is a variable called “Collection distance” that is user specified on the Settings-GPS tab. The default distance is 3 ft.

Undo

Removes the last Survey Point shot.

Saving Survey Points

Survey points are created each time the “Shoot” button is pressed or when stream is on and collecting points. Points are saved in a “Survey” layer and become part of the ADF file. They may also be exported as an AGT file. (FYI, AGT was originally designed for saving survey points.) Along with saving the Northing, Easting, Elevation, and any line or point label, each point should also record the time shot (UTC) for potential future use in Trackwork, simulation data for training and demo.

Settings

GPS

Improved connection logic, fixes from story 1.0.

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Story 3

Project Save, Save Dialog

This save dialog is derived from the Smartdirt Text report save dialog. Their are slightly different options available and the file name needs to be editable. One question I haven't thought through is is there a way to just upload the agt survey data to Access?

Survey, Point Saving changes

In our first work with GPS we only captured points or showed position when the instrument was in a fixed state assuming that only in fixed did the data have value. Later, we figured out that even the horizontal position at float was worth showing but we didn't capture points. The addition of haul planning and tracking has given value to even autonomous data with time stamps. Of course the danger in all this is that we might confuse the user and we absolutely can't mix the data of differing quality.

Survey Data proposal

Rod Height/Monument Adjustment

Rod Height and Monument are two methods of adjusting elevations. Monument would tend to be the more permanent of the two although it needs to be saved. When the Rod Height/Monument tab is selected the user needs to choose a mode/interface, Rod Height or Monument. After selection the appropriate screen displays.

Rod Height

Rod height adjustment is primarily used to compensate for users getting off and on vehicles. It's a temporary, unsaved change in the base to rover elevation offset. We depend upon the rod height to be unchanged from the height it was during alignment and this is a way of allowing changes to that rod height. A common scenario is a user on an ATV who benchmarks into a site with the rover on a rod. He then goes to an ATV or a truck and either mounts the rod to the vehicle or takes the rover off the rod entirely and mounts it to the vehicle. The steps are:

  1. After alignment the user realizes he needs to change the height of the rover. He presses Settings, then the Rod Height tab.
  2. He then chooses the Rod Height option.
  3. He leaves the rover at height used during alignment (fyi, we typically leave the rod all the way down because it can't slip that way). He levels the rod while on a point (if for vehicle use, on the ground right next to the mounting spot) and presses Shoot Old to take an elevation reading. The elevation displays in the text box next to the Shoot Old button.
  4. He then raises the rod (or mounts it to the vehicle) and presses Shoot New. The corresponding elevation displays in the text box next to the Shoot New button and the elevation difference between the two shots displays in the middle box.

The Rod Height screen has behavioral patterns that need to be defined. With 3 edit boxes and 3 buttons where values affect other values, it can be confusing to understand what is going on. For example, if you shoot the old elevation and shoot the new elevation, the adjustment displays. If you then edit the adjustment, is the old or new elevation adjusted? Is it even possible to edit the old and/or new elevations?

Having said this if we start with some basic rules the behavior can be made predictable.

In addition, one can enter the Rod height screen after an adjustment has been made once. In doing so the user can press the Revert button to toggle between applying the Adjustment and removing the Adjustment without needing to shoot any elevations.

Monument

Monument is used when there's a known elevation point on a site that you wish to match. Unlike Rod Height, changing a monument does not display the change on the the main screen (R+). Instead it changes the offset amount from the base height and this change is reflected on subsequent shot elevation displays and the captured point. A typical usage pattern is this:

  1. The user opens a file or starts a new survey and aligns (file only).
  2. He proceeds to a known elevation on the site and sets up over that point.
  3. He presses Settings and taps the Rod Height/Monument tab.
  4. He selects Monument as the option
  5. He presses Shoot Old to fill in the box with the currently measured elevation.
  6. He types in the known elevation and presses Accept.
  7. The program displays a message box with the net difference between old and known elevations. The user confirms or cancels the change. On confirm the program returns to the main screen. On cancel it returns to the Monument Adjustment screen.

Monument adjusts the elevation offset to the base. (Bill we need to look at old code to confirm whether it permanently adjusts the offset of BM1 to the base when saved. I believe it does but remember much debate about it and want to do the same thing as before.)

3D view, 2nd implementation

Allow user toggle off the GPS using the existing icon. In this mode he can pan the view sideways with a side to side swipe, tilt the view (constrained to not go below ground) with a two finger up and down (ala google maps), Zoom in and out with pinch, and move on the surface using single finger swipe up and down. I'm undecided but inclined to have an additional, home like button on the screen that returns the view to the standard one we have now. In the past I've gotten lost in 3D interfaces and have found it hard to get back to a normal state.

GPX Playback

Added as a device (provider?) Configure to select File and toggle data wrapping?

Story 4

Create Benchmark Window

Create Benchmark is a method of adding Benchmarks to a file while in the field. The most common usage is for a new topo or to add additional control (for alignment) in a more convenient place than the original benchmarks (in the middle of a street for example). There's a third option in SmartGrade that we have not had in previous survey software. The ability to pick a point on the plans and designate it as a benchmark. There are three usage scenarios. They are:

New Survey Mode

New Survey is used when no background ADF file exists. A typical application is topoing a field prior to any plans being available. The usage scenario is this:

With an ADF now created, the user does not need to use New Survey again for this site and go through the normal open file-alignment path.

Labeling Window

Revamped and moved to Story 6