Autodesk CAICE VISUAL SURVEY 10 User manual

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CAiCE Visual Survey 10
CAiCE™Visual Survey® 10 software enables surveying professionals to import, process,
analyze, and present surveying data—all in one software package. Visual Survey gives you
the creation, integration, coordinate geometry (COGO), and digital terrain model (DTM)
tools of Visual CAD plus survey data import, processing, and editing features. For maximum
productivity, CAiCE Visual Survey combines these tools with powerful visualization and VBA
customization features to match the product to your workflow.
CAiCE Visual Survey supports all major survey formats. If you work with other formats, you
can easily add them using Microsoft®Visual Basic®for Applications (VBA) integration.
CAiCE Visual Survey comes with the CAiCE Project Manager, drawing import/export
capability (supporting DWG, DGN, and others), basic drafting tools, and a powerful graphics
engine. Primary features include the following:
•Converts from raw survey file formats and uploads and downloads data from data
collectors. Supports more than 50 data collector and survey formats.
•Preserves the value of your digital design data in a single format throughout your
business processes.
•Provides a single set of commands for importing, editing, and processing all raw data for
easy integration into your workflow. As a result, you can increase your productivity and
concentrate on data quality rather than on learning a new interface for each data
format.
•Provides simple, yet powerful coordinate geometry tools for defining points, lines,
curves, spirals, and chains. The software includes numerous utilities for finding and
correcting errors that create inaccuracies in digital terrain models.
•Presents survey data in both 2D and 3D and includes real-time drive-throughs of the
project area.
•Offers scalability and VBA customization to meet the needs of both small businesses and
large organizations. You can customize CAiCE Visual Survey to meet your requirements
for data collection, coding standards, plans production, operations, and CAD standards.
•Provides complete DTM creation, editing, and display capabilities, including draping of
raster images. The software’s DTM methodology is optimized for large data sets, such as
those encountered in transportation projects.
Features and Benefits

CAiCE Visual Survey 10 Features and Benefits
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CAiCE Visual Survey Features and Benefits
CAiCE Visual Survey provides precision data import, processing, editing, and presentation
tools for surveyors, engineers, and technicians. You can use the software to create,
maintain, and produce topographic maps, and integrate data from many sources and
formats, including those from aerial, conventional, and global positioning system (GPS)
surveying methods. CAiCE Visual Survey software is part of an entire surveying workflow
solution from Autodesk. You can work with various surveying data sources, merging
multiple data types into a single project database.
Feature Function Benefit
New: Survey
Data Collector
Link—raw survey
data
compatibility
Converts from raw survey file formats, and
uploads and downloads data from data
collectors. Supports more than 50 data collector
and survey formats, including
•ASCII (including linework)
•TDS (Tripod Data Systems) rw5 and raw
formats
•Leica GSI
•AASHTO—SDMS, CAL, PRJ, and PAC
•Florida EFB
•Caltrans TLI, TSS, and DMP
•Sokkia SDR 20 and SDR 33
You can also import data through CAiCE’s
Leica®Link and Trimble Link.
Increases productivity and ease
of use by supporting the most
popular data collector formats
on the market. Other data
collector formats are easy to
add through VBA.
Observations
Master File
(OBM)
All raw survey data is edited in the OBM file,
providing a common interface for all data types.
The OBM file allows for quality assurance
checks on survey data and offers powerful
search and replace functions. The OBM file
keeps a record of all changes to the raw data
and never allows editing of the original file,
thus retaining an audit trail and data rollback
path.
You can easily and efficiently
manage editing of survey data
from a common interface,
eliminating the need to learn
different interfaces for various
raw data formats. Streamlines
the surveying process by
enabling you to concentrate on
data accuracy rather than on
learning conventions associated
with a particular data format.
Industry-
standard least-
squares
processing
You can easily adjust imported data formats
with the Electronic Field Book Processor. Well-
formatted reports enable you to analyze the
adjusted data and easily reprocess if necessary.
Features include the following:
•Rigorous least-squares adjustment of entire
control network
•Separate error estimation for all control
points
•Error ellipse computation for all control
points
•Computation of all available traverse
closures with reports for each loop
•Detailed reports for initial coordinate
approximations, vertical and horizontal
adjustments, and final coordinates
•Ability to automatically reweight all controls
to detect errors
Well-designed reports and
familiarity with this widely used
processor increase accuracy and
speed of processing for
algorithm design. Graphical
review of all angles, distances,
and traverses helps reduce
errors.

CAiCE Visual Survey 10 Features and Benefits
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Feature Function Benefit
•Graphical viewing of all traverses,
distances, and angles with standard errors
of unit weight to aid in error analysis
COGO
commands,
including picker
controls
Powerful, interactive COGO commands include
•Point editing and creation
•Intersection of geometry objects
•Street intersections
•Cul-de-sac creation
•Best fit curve and alignment
•Manual traverse entry
•Parallel offsets, including spiral offsets
•Curves
•Spirals
•Compound curves
•Location of points by bearing/distance or
angle/distance
•Storage of curves by 1, 2, and 3 points or
by definition of any two curve components
•Storage of concentric, nonconcentric, and
best fit curves (and many other curve
options)
•Spiral, spiral-curve-spiral, and compound
spiral elements
•Graphical and interactive intersection
commands for all geometry elements
(points, lines, curves, chains, and spirals)
•Ability to recalculate COGO commands in
batch mode without having to start over
from the point of beginning
All COGO commands are
graphical and interactive,
increasing ease of use. Picker
controls provide access to
alternate COGO commands
within other COGO commands.
Because you stay within a single
command to perform multiple
COGO operations, you can avoid
jumping from command to
command. Combined, these
features help to make you more
productive.
Reduced survey
data
compatibility
Reduced Survey Data formats supported
include the following:
•AutoCAD®DWG files
•MicroStation®DGN files
•TDS (Tripod Data Systems)
•SDMS (AASHTO’s Survey Data Management
System)
•Delimited ASCII files (including chain data)
from any system
•CEFB (Cadastral Electronic Fieldbook)
through the XYZ file created from
processing
The ability to reuse data without
having to spend field time re-
collecting work in another
format helps to increase your
productivity.
General import
and processing
features
Provides tools to manage, process, and edit
data in manageable portions. General data
import and processing features include the
following:
•Ability to sort data by source (raw, reduced,
DWG, DGN, and so forth) by using
segments
•Automatic line creation from EFB, SDR,
TDS, and SDMS, and from delimited ASCII
files using a user-defined translation table
Automatically creates linework
from commands in the field
data with minimal or no change
in field procedures. The data
types can even be mixed in a
project without losing the ability
to automatically create
linework.
Sorts data by breaking it into
segments, so you can con-
centrate on a particular area

CAiCE Visual Survey 10 Features and Benefits
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Feature Function Benefit
without having the screen
cluttered with data that is not in
use.
Survey data
viewing
•Dynamic graphical viewing of processed
survey data
•2D and 3D viewing and editing of survey
points and chains
•Automatic graphical attributes of points and
chains as determined by feature code
•Automatic graphical annotation of points
and chains as determined by feature code
or global settings
•Multiple 2D and 3D camera positions with
independent zoom settings
•Custom control of lighting for enhanced 3D
views and presentations
•Ability to easily attach or create cell files
from MicroStation or AutoCAD applications
•Automatic patterning of survey chains with
text containing cells for items such as
underground utilities
The ability to interactively check
for errors in 3D makes it easy
to find incorrect elevation data
and correct it before passing it
to the design department. The
3D drive-through capability
enhances client presentations,
is easy to set up, and is
available in real time.
The ability to segregate data by
feature code gives you control
over any automatic symbology
created.
DTM modeling
and viewing
Powerful and fast DTM algorithms mean your
systems perform well even with large DTMs.
DTM features include the following:
•Ability to easily handle large data sets such
as USGS DEM (digital elevation models)
•Ability to drape single or multiple USGS
7.5-minute quad maps onto a DTM surface
model
•Simplified point and breakline editing
•Cross-section construction
•Tagging of obscured areas
•Easy loading and construction
•Curved breaklines
•Viewing, rendering, and editing
•Freehand cross sections and profiles
•Terrain and DTM visualization
•Color by elevation
•Breakline crossing resolution
•Ability to easily combine existing and
proposed surface models
•Accurate earthwork computation using
surface-to-surface volumes
•Ability to view aerial photographs at correct
location, scale, and orientation
•Ability to drape aerial photographs onto
DTM surfaces
•Ability to map images to real-world
coordinates
•Realistic, on-the-fly renditions of survey
data
•AVI files for drive-throughs, reviews, and
client presentations
Fast DTM creation, viewing, and
editing increase your
productivity. By combining
spreadsheet–type interfaces
with real-time graphical
updates, you can make fast
edits without having to
regenerate complex graphics.
The Auto Track feature built into
the DTM creation and editing
tools enables you to
automatically pan to a specific
area of interest, without having
to spend extra time panning
and zooming around the project
area.

CAiCE Visual Survey 10 Features and Benefits
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Feature Function Benefit
Stakeout reports Stakeout report options include the following:
•Customized report formats using ASCII text
files, Microsoft®Word documents, and Excel
spreadsheets
•Roadway stakeout reports created directly
from design cross sections
•Export of stakeout information directly to
industry-standard data collector formats
•Ability to customize stakeout reports
through VBA macros
Because survey crews can use
their preferred format for
internal stakeout reports, there
is no lost time or inaccuracy
interpreting a new report format
in the field.
Customization
and report
generation
VBA integration for customized macros and
report options includes the following:
•Customized macros are available online for
traverse, cross section plotting, quantity
reports, chain labeling, and many other
common surveying operations.
•Use VBA to link your project database to
Microsoft®Excel, Word, and Access, ESRI®
ArcView®, and other software programs.
•Easy-to-use VBA TugBoat macros make it
easier to learn the software.
The ability to customize CAiCE
Visual Survey to meet your
workflow requirements reduces
training time and increases
productivity. The software
conforms to the way you work,
not the other way around.
Drafting and
plans production
Features that help minimize drafting cleanup
time include the following:
•Plotting—plan, profile, cross sections, and
plats
•Text manipulation, editing, and labeling
•Customizable annotations of alignments
and profiles
•Intelligent labeling of station-offset-
elevation information that automatically
updates with modifications
Less time spent on drafting
cleanup means you can focus
on data quality instead of on
data presentation.
Translators and
CAD
compatibility
CAiCE Visual Survey offers
•Ability to import and export data from other
civil software packages
•Complete compatibility with AutoCAD and
MicroStation applications
Import and export capabilities
allow the reuse of existing data
in other formats, easing the
transition to Visual Survey.
Database
properties
Database properties include
•Double-precision storage for all values
•Full geodetic support for state plane zones,
Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) zones,
and grid-to-ground conversions
•Database designed for surveying, terrain
modeling, and roadway design modeling
operations
Double precision means that
data accuracy does not depend
on the accuracy of your CAD
drafting tool and ensures the
integrity of your digital design
data.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, CAiCE, Visual CAD, and Visual Survey are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the
USA and other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
© 2003 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.