Total station data management

[Domenico Giusti]

Ciao Luca,

EDM has been written by Harold L. Dibble[0] and Shannon P. McPherron[1]

[0] https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Harold_Dibble
[1] https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shannon_Mcpherron

I've never tried to ask them about the source code. Although I don't
think they will easily release it, it is worth to try.

I'll record a video next week, to show you how EDM works.

> I am just wondering now, maybe EDM does not edit the file directly on
> the total station, but rather connect with the instrument, copy he file
> and edit directly on the rugged pc (it would be the easiest way). This
> should be simpler to do, rather than edit files in the total station
> (which woul also depend very much from the kind of instrument)

I think this is the case and also the simplest way to do it. Just
establish a connection, read/append the coordinates from the ts to the
toughbook, fill up the rest of the table with attribute data (type,
dimensions, orientation, etc...)

Have a nice weekend!

Ciao,

Dome

On 06/03/2016 08:16 PM, Luca Bezzi wrote:
> Hi Domenico
> 
> On 06/02/2016 08:34 PM, Domenico Giusti wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> it's more than 2 years (since my first impact with it) that I'm
>> thinking to replace the EDM software[0] with a FLOSS alternative.
>>
>> [0] http://www.oldstoneage.com/software/edmwin.shtml
>>
>> We use it in the fieldwork with a toughbook connected to the total
>> station. EDM basically opens a connection with the ts and records the
>> data in a Access database. It has a simple interface to the database,
>> where coordinates are read from the ts and other fields are filled by
>> the user. It has a config file, with a list of the database fields.
> 
> This sound interesting. I check the website you gave us, but no source
> code is given, so I have no clue how the software works. I was writing
> some mails with Zoltàn Siki (Budapest University of Technology and
> Economics <http://www.bme.hu/?language=en> - BUTE) about the software I
> reported in this post
> (http://arc-team-open-research.blogspot.co.at/2016/05/comeasy-new-tool-for-total-station.html).
> It seems that for many operations with total station you need some
> special codes that just the vendors know. Some vendors release them to
> the public (e.g. Trimble), other not.
> Without working real-time, the closest thing to what you describe is
> polygontool
> (http://arc-team-open-research.blogspot.co.at/2014/08/polygontool.html)
> which converts some kew-word of the code of the points into descriptions
> in specific field of the database (just in post-porcessing, but
> automatically). We used it on a large scale RTK-GPS survey regarding the
> WW1, in order to fill the description field of the database
> automatically in 3 languages (English, German, Italian)
> 
>>
>> Compared to a stand-alone ts, the toughbook offers several advances:
>> e.g. fast typing and a ready-to-use database.
>>
>> However, EDM has several bugs and it's close. It could be much better, I
>> think.
>>
>> I wonder if a FLOSS alternative to EDM already exists. If not, it would
>> be nice to code it and integrate it in ArcheOS.
> 
> Do you know who was the developer of EDM?
> 
>>
>> TOPS could be a starting point.
> 
> Yes, TOPS or ComEasy. ComEasy would already ahve to field to send
> command to the total station (initial sequence; query record; record
> end) and in my experience never faild in connecting with an instrument
> (while I have often problems with TOPS). On the other hand, TOPS has a
> nice converting tool.
> I am just wondering now, maybe EDM does not edit the file directly on
> the total station, but rather connect with the instrument, copy he file
> and edit directly on the rugged pc (it would be the easiest way). This
> should be simpler to do, rather than edit files in the total station
> (which woul also depend very much from the kind of instrument)
> 
>>
>> What do you think?
> 
> It would be useful to give a try. could you record a short video 8maybe
> with your mobile) while you use EDM? So we can understand better what
> the software should do?
> 
> A presto!
> 
>>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Domenico Giusti <dncgst@gnewarchaeology.it>
GPG keyID: 2048R/A3AB7054F6E5D778