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Greg
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 228
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
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 Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 7:41 am Post subject: Importing GPS information |
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I have been using a very cool iPhone app called "GPS kit" which can produce a path of points as you move to determine a "track". It then can export it in kml format (for Google Earth), gpx format (I presume a standard GPS format) or link it to Google Maps.
I am not very familiar with GPS data, but does anyone know if any of these can be imported into PowerCADD as an object and coorelated with other survey data?
Thanks. |
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patrickm
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 399
Location: santa barbara, ca
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| Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 8:30 am Post subject: |
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I can't comment on Greg's post, but it reminded me of an iPhone app that I'll get after I get an iPhone:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=288338285&mt=8
It is called Tilt Meter Pro, and uses the iPhone's position detector (or whatever it is called) to measure slopes. A friend just bought it for his iPod Touch and said that it was great for determining as-built roof slopes, which is exactly what I'd be using it for. He said it was the best $.99 he has ever spent. |
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jasonlocher
Joined: 14 Apr 2004
Posts: 649
Location: Austin, Texas
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| Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 8:36 am Post subject: |
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| patrickm wrote: | I can't comment on Greg's post, but it reminded me of an iPhone app that I'll get after I get an iPhone:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=288338285&mt=8
It is called Tilt Meter Pro, and uses the iPhone's position detector (or whatever it is called) to measure slopes. A friend just bought it for his iPod Touch and said that it was great for determining as-built roof slopes, which is exactly what I'd be using it for. He said it was the best $.99 he has ever spent. |
a built in inclinometer! This will be great for all those lawyers who sue for ada ramp violations! |
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Alfred Scott
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 749
Location: Richmond, VA
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| Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 9:34 am Post subject: |
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I have a similar iPhone app called Clinometer, which is too cool for words but I've yet to find a productive use for it.
Greg, the GPS information talked about here is information for Google Earth, and it's basically the same thing as creating a bookmark in Google Earth and then emailing it to someone. I don't know how precise the information is, that is, whether it is in a high-precision number format, but the controlling factor here is the accuracy of the gps location information created by the iPhone. It's just not accurate enough for survey data purposes.
The survey data that is produced by a Total Station or any GPS-based survey instrument is output in a standard survey data format. You can import that into PowerCADD with Paolo's Topography Tools, and Paolo and I have collaborated closely to bring this into PowerCADD, and so you can then use TopoTools to create contours, but you can't export this to DWG so you can look at it in Google SketchUp (which can put the survey contours into Google Earth), which is one the two reasons I stopped work on WildTools.
I don't know how to get the gps location information into the standard survey data format, but I suspect it's simple and something you could do in a spreadsheet. Eric Easter is the most knowledgeable person I've talked to about this, and I'm sure he would know.
Basically, you produce a text file with four lines of location data.
What I'm working on right now (Benchmark) is an aircraft performance program, see
http://www.seqair.com/FlightTest/Benchmark/Benchmark.html
and I have decided to produce a min-version of this in an iPhone version so you can have the performance section of your flight manual available on an iPhone. I'm working with a major engine manufacturer on this right now.
Alfred |
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Alfred Scott
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 749
Location: Richmond, VA
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| Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 10:17 am Post subject: |
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Okay, Greg, I have some 'action' for you.
I have just bought GPS Kit to see what it does, and I've just had a video iChat with Paolo about this. He has looked at the website for the application and is interested in seeing what he can do. Paolo does not have an iPhone, so he asks that you send him files of the tracking information. Please send this Paolo Rossi at one of these
iparos@tin.it
paolo@iparos.it
iparos@mac.com
You can also contact him via iChat at the last one.
You will need to own his Topography Tools to use this, so expect to buy the software. I'm very sure Paolo will have this information being imported into PowerCADD within a month.
Alfred |
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How Goes It
Joined: 02 May 2005
Posts: 393
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| Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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The iPhone may be good enough for something like geocaching, but it's never going to be used for surveying. Last I checked, a static survey setup was going to cost me somewhere around $5k-7k or so. And it wasn't supposed to be all that great amongst high structures or around a lot of trees.
I believe that at best, the iPhone will do along the lines of the geocaching gps units out there, which are supposed to have horizontal accuracy of around 3 meters.
In comparison, here is a survey piece of equipment -- http://pro.magellangps.com/assets/datasheets/ProMark3_EN_l.pdf
But if your looking for a cheap down and dirty way of getting some rough survey points into a drawing --- distances relative to other points --- import a Google Earth picture and scale it properly. Set the prefs. for higher resolution.
I used Google Earth's ruler to measure a section of the eaves on the house just now. As low res. as the picture was, I measured 14.33 feet using Google Earth. I then used my tape and measured 14.8 feet. Less than 1/2 a foot off in a short distance.
For you form•Z guys, here's a nice way to get those Google Earth images into your CAD. And, these images come in mapped to a flat object, where you can draw over the top and then trim and loft this image mapped object.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m99Jm4q3Mng
And of course --- once you model over the top of your mapped image, you can always bring a vector plan view (or other view) into PowerCADD. |
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How Goes It
Joined: 02 May 2005
Posts: 393
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| Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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By the way, regarding this cheap construction survey method ---
Some company from India is suppose to start on a Google Earth type alternative, that is to have 10 times the resolution.
Whether or not homeland security will allow them to post U.S. images on the net, is another thing --- realizing that we subsidize many nations and likely India in some way or another. |
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Alfred Scott
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 749
Location: Richmond, VA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 8:39 am Post subject: |
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To report, Greg got Paolo the points and Paolo now has them importing into PowerCADD with this Topography Tools. However, Paolo needs information on how to convert lat/long information into the local coordinate system. I'll get Eric Easter to get this to Paolo, and users in the U.K. might want to get him the equivalent.
Alfred |
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Alfred Scott
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 749
Location: Richmond, VA
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| Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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More information: Paolo has figured out how to import the generic lat/long files into PowerCADD so that the starting point is (0,0) and it will be up to the user to push the objects around to get them aligned on the drawing.
Alfred |
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