Elevation Difference

The Elevation Difference routine will report a cut/fill in comparison to a specified surface (commonly a TIN, also known as a DTM) at any location within a project encompassed by the surface and generally follows these three steps:

1. Indicate the type of surface that will be used.
2. Specify the file(s) that comprise the surface.

   Note: In most cases, the standard File Selector will launch after the initial ✅ that permits the desired file to be specified.

3. Proceed to the Main Stakeout screen.

• Reference Centerline: This button permits a master centerline (horizontal alignment) to be designated for reference.

  Note: For additional information about the interface, see the detailed write-up under Survey - Stake Line/Arc.

• Use Previous: When enabled, the previous surface definition will be automatically recalled for use in the current routine.
• Grid: You may use a .GRD file that has been created using software packages including Carlson Civil, Carlson Survey or Carlson Takeoff, among others.
• Triangulation: You may use a .TIN file created by the majority of Carlson's Office Software CAD products or SurvPC using the various Map Screen File - DTM or Tools - Surface - Triangulate & Contour commands.
• Elevation: You may use known elevation that you specify in the Set Elevation field.
• Road Design: This method produces a surface in real-time from source route files.

  Note: For additional information about the interface, see the detailed write-up under Road - Stake Road.

• Section: This method requires a Centerline file and a Cross-section file and an optional Profile file.

  Note: For additional information about the interface, see the detailed write-up under Road - Stake Slope.

• From Alignments: This method provides the ability to specify 3D polylines and/or horizontal/vertical alignment pairs.

  Note: For additional information about the interface, see the detailed write-up under Road - Stake Road.

• VOff: This allows the user to vertically offset the surface by the amount specified.
• Use Horizontal Alignment for Station-Off: This allows specification of a horizontal alignment file (a centerline file) for reporting station and offset of the current location to the reference alignment.
• Stakeout Pattern: This option permits the placement of uniformly-spaced grid locations arranged relative to an established base-line.
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  • Starting Point: Indicate the location of a point that establishes a starting corner for the grid.
  • Direction Point: Indicate the location of a second point that establishes a base-line direction from the Starting Point.
  • Grid Interval: Indicate the horizontal spacing between grid cells.
  • Number of Cells: Indicate the size of the grid array.
  • Cell Alignment: Indicate if the grid cells should be placed to the Left or Right of the established base-line.

  Note: A 1x1 (X) arrangement would create four grid locations, one for each corner of the grid. The general formula for the number of grid locations (Y) that will be generated is Y = (X + 1)².

  Note: When staking to a grid pattern, the nearest grid location to your current position will be automatically used.

• Surface Inspector: When enabled, this allows the user to inspect a TIN file loaded by clicking on a point on the screen or using snaps. When an object is selected, the Surface Inspector appears in the upper portion of the screen and will show for the specified point, the elevation of the TIN, Point elevation, and Cut or Fill values.
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  • The data at the top refers to the selected point information.
  • The data on the bottom continues to represent the live updating current instrument position.

  Note: When enabled, the Surface Inspector button that is normally found on the Main Stakeout dialog box (shown below) will not appear.

• Display Graphic Indicators: When enabled, visual indicators are provided on the Main Stakeout dialog box. In effect, this offers an extremely low cost "grade indicate" machine control solution.
• Light Bar Settings: This button allows you to specify parameters for enabling a Light Bar peripheral.

  Note: SurvPC can actually drive the grading process where a light bar is used on a motor grader.

Note: For the purposes of activated Cutsheets:

• For any surface without a centerline defined, cut/fill data will be stored into a point-style cutsheet file.
• For any surface where a centerline is defined, cut/fill and centerline position data will be store into an alignment-style cutsheet file.

Pressing ✅ will commonly launch the standard File Selector which permits the desired file(s) to be specified.

Main Stakeout

This screen provides the user with a plan view of the project. When a shot is taken, cut or fill from the current vertical location to the design surface is reported in the lower left portion of the screen. The computed design surface elevation for your current location is also reported.

Within Elevation Difference are these measurement/configuration tools:

Stake Offset Measurement/Configuration Buttons

Legacy Icon	Graphic Icon	Availabe For	Action
			Read: Depending on whether or not the connected total station is robotic, the following options will happen: Total Station: The instrument will take a reading and report it. The reading is not stored as a point until either the Store option is selected or another reading is initiated. Robotic Total Station: The instrument will take a reading and offer to store the reading as a point.
			Store: Stores the current reading as a point. The functionality of this routine is governed (in part) by the General - Enter Key setting.
			Inspect: Permits a location on the map to be inspected.
			Modify: Permits the customization of the desired Options while in cross-section view.
			Launches the Configure interface for the active piece of equipment.
			Directs the user to the Total Station Orientation interface.
			Launches the GNSS Monitor/Skyplot command.

Note: Also within Elevation Difference are other common controls; most notably the various Map Screen View Controls.

Surface Inspector

When the Surface Inspector is toggled off, a button is available that still permits a precise location to be inspected.

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Stakeout and Store routines can be initiated from the Surface Inspector screen.

• Settings: (gears) This option provides quick access to related Job Settings, including:
  • Stake
  • Alignment
  • Road
• Point ID: Indicate an existing point whose surface elevation will be inspected.
• Sta/Off: Indicate a station, interval and optional offset whose surface elevation will be inspected.

  Note: For additional information about the navigation/control buttons, see the detailed write-up under Survey - Stake Offset.

• Stake: This will initiate the Stake command permitting navigation to the specified location.
• Store: This will store the current location into the job.

Options

The Options dialog box provides configuration customization while Elevation Difference is configured into XSct view.

More Information

• Set Ref CL for Sta-Off: Launches an interface that permits a Reference Centerline to be established for station/offset purposes.

  Note: For additional information about the interface, see the detailed write-up under Survey - Stake Line/Arc.

• Cut XSct Normal to: Indicate the cross-section "path" should be determined.
• Show Position: Indicate how the current measurement position will be shown in the cross-section view.
• Color: Indicate the preferred color when viewing the cross-section surface.
• Show Crt Slope: When enabled, the current slope on the surface will be displayed in the upper left corner of the display in the specified format.
• Show BreakPoints: When enabled, graphical markers will be placed at endpoints of all segments that comprise the cross-section surface.
• L/R Off at: Indicate the distance away from the current measurement position to determine the cross-section surface.