We at TRAVERSE PC, Inc. are proud of the fact that we have not only developed a fine product in TPC, but also that we actually use the software that we develop every day in our own Land Survey Company, Ward NorthWest, Inc.
TPC touts spreadsheet data entry, Drawing View, and built-in COGO. The new features added with this version are described in the What’s New topic.
One of the comments we hear most often is “TRAVERSE PC is the first survey software I have used that just makes sense.”
TPC is not a program of surveying tasks, which prompts you for information one piece at a time until the task is finished. The problem with such programs is that sooner or later, you want to do a task that is not on the list. Then what?
Instead, TPC is a set of tools that adhere to a few basic rules. Surveying tasks are performed by combining the appropriate tools in an appropriate manner. Once you learn the tools, you can accomplish new tasks by creatively rearranging the tools. As long as you adhere to the basic rules, you are OK. This is the same basic philosophy behind computerized spreadsheets and is the reason why they have become so widely used today.
The tools in TPC are easy to learn and use. By themselves, they provide a flexible, user-friendly environment for data entry and manipulation. As you become more familiar with the TPC tools, you will discover ways to combine them in order to accomplish new and more complex tasks in an efficient manner.
Because each tool can be used to perform many different functions (just like you can use a screwdriver to open a can of paint), it is important to understand how each tool works and what it is able to do. You may say to yourself, “I don’t need to learn this,” but if you don’t, you won’t learn how one or more of your tools work. Then, when you are looking for your paint can opener, you may not think about using your screwdriver.
TPC uses the term coordinate points or just points to refer to a location defined by a point label, northing, easting, elevation and description.
The term traverse refers to any series of points arranged in a logical order. Given this definition, a traverse might be the raw field data for a boundary traverse, a highway alignment, or a deed description.
You can create a traverse by entering field data, uploading data from a data collector, or recalling selected points from another traverse.
Surfaces can be created from points marked as Topo points. Once created, you can generate volumes, cut-fill reports, transects and slope analysis.
Drawings are created by tagging traverses and surfaces. TPC then uses traverse settings and surface settings to generate the drawing for you.
TPC uses the term survey refer to a survey job. Survey jobs consist of traverses and their and their points, surfaces and drawings A survey consist of several adjacent units and a control line to a section corner - each of which is a separate traverse. A survey could also be a city subdivision or a construction survey.
TPC uses traverses to organize a survey. A traverse is any collection of points that belong together. The points can be field data, stakeout figures, COGO points, a property description, or anything else that makes sense to you.
A survey can have as few or as many traverses as you want. If you are working with a subdivision, you will probably have a traverse for each lot in the subdivision. If you are staking out points on a construction project, you might have a traverse for each building and one for miscellaneous points.
Keep in mind that you can always create additional traverses by recalling points from existing traverses. If you want to do something with selected points, just recall those points into a traverse and do it - anytime.
Here are some basic rules for working with points, surveys, surfaces, drawings and traverses
Point labels can contain numbers and letters in any combination.
A point label can have up to 255 characters. Most of the dialog boxes display only six characters of a point label at a time, but you can scroll to the right to display longer point labels.
Each point label in the survey must be unique. TPC identifies each point by its point label, so there can be only one point 200, and only one point 201, etc.
TPC creates new unique point labels from existing point labels by adding a colon and a unique number to the new point. If TPC duplicates point A1 it tries to name it A1:1. If the survey already has a point labeled A1:1, TPC tries to name it A1:2, etc. In this way, the point label is unique, but you know that it is related in some way to point A1. You may edit any point label at any time.
Each point in the survey can have its own point description. These are the field notes you might otherwise enter on the right-hand side of your field book.
TPC allows 255 characters (alpha or numeric) of field notes to be typed for each traverse point.
Descriptions are saved with the coordinates of each point when you save a survey file.
Inside TPC, you work in different Views. The Points Manager manages the points, the Traverse View manages the traverse data, the Traverses Manager manages the survey, and the Drawing View manages the drawings. There are other views you will use from time to time, but these four are the ones you will work in most of the time.
Related Topics
Windows Basics
Working with Names
Support
Personal, Premium, Professional