Building Face

The Building Face command enables points on both vertical and non-vertical planes to be coordinated by angle-only observations. This feature is most often used to pick up details of a building where the prism cannot be placed. You first establish the plane, then take angle-only observations for features such as windows.

The building "face" (essentially a planar surface) is defined by observing two or three accessible points on the building. After angle-only observations are made, SurvPC then calculates and stores coordinates of the angle intersection observation with the plane. You can use SurvPC to survey the vertical face of buildings or other planar surfaces.

Vertical Plane Survey

• Point 1, 2, 3: These fields indicate the points that define the building face plane. Both Point 1 and Point 2 must have horizontal coordinates to properly define the building face.

  Note: For a vertical plane survey, Point 3 is not required and can be left blank.

  After you have specified the defining points for the building face plane, SurvPC will determine the available solution. One of the following messages will be displayed in the dialog box.

  • Vertical: SurvPC has enough data to fix a vertical plane (the vertical example is shown in this above figure).
  • 3D: SurvPC has enough information to fix an arbitrary plane.
• Read: Measures a new point that is used to help establish the planar face.
• Sideshots: Indicate the preferred method that will be used to determine the position on the face:
  • Only Angles and Store B: Commonly used with windows, this option records the window position on the face.
  • Angles+Distances and Store C: Commonly used with balconies, this option records the position and projects it to the face.

Press ✅ and the following dialog will appear.

Main Measurement

The building face or vertical plane is drawn as a solid line, and any measurement taken by an angle-only reading.

Within Building Face are these measurement/configuration tools:

Building Face 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.
			Plan/Profile: Permits the view to be switched between horizontal Plan-mode vs vertical Profile-mode.
			Modify: Permits the customization of the desired Options that defines the plane.
			Launches the Configure interface for the active piece of equipment.
			Directs the user to the Total Station Orientation interface.

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

Non-Vertical Plane Survey

Surveying a non-vertical plane is similar to surveying a vertical plane. Once the plane has been defined, picking up detailed observations follows the same general process detailed above. All three points must be defined for a non-vertical plane survey.

Note: When defining a non-vertical plane, the three points cannot be in a line.