Use this command to open an existing survey project that resides on disk. Both NP Survey XML and XMB formats are supported

Closes the active NP Survey project

Saves the currently opened project in XML or XMB format. Both XML and XMB format are recognized by the COGODRAW command inside AutoCAD (full version). Drawings for AutoCAD LT (light version) or other drawing packages can either be created by exporting your Survey project to DXF or DWG. For a complete overview of available export formats, check the export function in the help file

Saves the currently opened project in XML or XMB format. Both XML and XMB format are recognized by the COGODRAW command inside AutoCAD (full version). Drawings for AutoCAD LT (light version) are created by exporting your Survey project to DXF or DWG. The user can specify the name and location for the project.

Additionaly the user gets the option to decide what needs to be saved from the following possible elements:

• Networks
• Points (stations and detailpoints)
• Features

Optionally the user can decide to strip unused objects and adjustment data (from least squares adjustment) from the save operation.

Different formats are supported and can be imported directly to Novapoint Survey. However, many vendors support multiple ways of coding in the field, so in many cases a specific FileReader is needed. This is handled by Extensions. Novapoint Survey has an advanced API, that can be used to create your own extension and use it as a plug in. For some vendors a more or less neutral import format has been foreseen. These are explained below.

• CSV File formats explained
• Leica GSI files
• Trimble (both GPS data and DC files)
• TRIGON
• TOPCON
• MOVE3

• CSV (C,E) - Stations (C.CSV) and calculated detailpoints (E.CSV) are exported to comma delimited textfiles
• Move3 (PRJ,OBS,TCO) - input files required for least squares adjustment using Move3 software
• LandXML (XML) - points, linear features and survey input data are exported to landxml file
• KOF - coordinate file containing all features. This file can be imported directly in Novapoint Terrain Model
• GAMA - input file for least squares adjustment software used by Novapoint Survey
• Export to DXF. - calculated features and survey observations can be exported to DXF file
• Export to DWG. - calculated features and survey observations can be exported to DWG file
• Export to SHP. - calculated features and survey observations can be exported to SHP file
• Export to SDF. - calculated features and survey observations can be exported to SDF file

Use this OPTIONS command to set up default values for your Survey Project.You can specify:

• Geometry parameters : whether you are working in 2D or 3D, and how accurate arcs should be interpolated
• Reference Coordinate System : important when converting between different CRS (for example during export)
• Units for angles and distances : define what units are generally used for the fieldbook files
• Define or modify stylization
• Datastore location : here you can select the datastore where features should get saved (if not using DWG datastore)
• Survey specific parameters like the adjustment method, the base coordinate if no points are known in advance

Use this command if you wish to exit the application

The feature viewer pane allows you to get a preview of the final result. In memory, the current project is translated to DXF and loaded into this viewer. The user can navigate around by zooming realtime, zoom window, zoom extents. Another way to verify geometry is by clicking on a point or feature in the project explorer. Automatically the clicked entity will be zoomed upon. If you have changed something, for example the stylization, or you removed/added a point from/to a feature ; pressing the update button will recreate the preview. That allows you to verify your drawing before continuing in AutoCAD.

Use this command if you want to get an overview of the raw survey data overlayed upon Google Earth data. Therefore it is important to set the right coordinate system, since an automatic reprojection will occcur. Clicking on a setup, or observation will navigate to the real world location.

Fix Z ordinate is a small tool that allows to change elevations from all points in the project. This is handy when you want to assign a specific elevation to a certain point. For example architects prefer to have the elevation of a doorstep to a rounded value, for example 10.00. After initial calculation of the project, the doorstep's elevation could be 11.28. By subtracting 1.28 from all elevations, the doorstep's elevation would become 10.00.

As a user, you can specify current and new elevation, the software will calculate the Delta Elevation to apply.

Extensions provide the ability to add tools that provide some specific fucntionality, and they are written as separate DLL's using Novapoint's Survey API. This provides the possibility to add new functionality without the necessity of a new installation.

Extensions are DLL files that should be placed in [Program Installation Location]\Extensions folder. If they reside in this folder they will be autoloaded upon starting the Survey application. If the DLL file is in some other place, it can still be loaded using the menu Extensions > Load. Extensions are not available during the standard installation, but come as separate Extension Packs, based on customers' requirements. These will generaly make sure that files are copied to the correct location

At the moment the following specific extensions are available:

• Import Point File (coordinates): to import basic coordinate files with some basic coding supported
• Custom Exporters : additional export formats
• Leica Extensions : support for Leica total station and GPS equipment
• Sokkia Extensions: support for Sokkia total station and GPS instruments
• Topcon Extensions: support for Topcon total station + GPS instruments
• Trimble Extensions: support for Trimble total station and GPS equipment
• Coordinate Transformation : use 2 or 3 points to convert the local survey to some other coordinatesystem

The user interface can be divided in different regions. The user can modify the position of each of the panes. These settings are saved upon exit and restored when opened the next time. we mainly find 4 different panes

• Project Explorer : hosts the current survey project
• Main Data area : shows details about selected items in one or more panes. Different panes are available
• Properties pane : show details about an individual selected item from the main data area: a single point, a single feature, a single observation
• Error/warning/message pane : provides feedback to the user about possible validation errors, executed commands etc.

• [SurveyFormat].mapping.xml : a mapping usually defines the link between surveyors' code in the field and feature code + file filter
• [SchemaName].schema.xml : defines the availalbe features + their attributes and representation