Traverse PC has been providing land surveying software since 1987. Here's what some of our users have to say:
"The economics are simple. Without Traverse PC our company would not have this lucrative contract." Bob Holtkamp, AB, Canada
"Traverse PC is one of the best." Gordon Bell, IN
"The last 22 years I have previewed numerous COGO software programs, but have never found anything close to Traverse PC, and with the ability to draft maps, the program is complete." Pete Ketcham, ID
"TPC Desktop is more impressive than any AutoCAD version that I have ever used." Bryan Hartsook, VA
"I really like a point based program like TPC and the friendly drawing environment that TPC has. There is no need for a lot of extensive/expensive training to do good, efficient work with TPC." Glenn Eastman, OR
"I cannot say enough about the Managers in TPC 2010... What a super great system!!! TPC will surely dominate all survey and CAD programs..." Jim Creasy, PA
"As a former CAD user, I have found the versatility and ease of use of Traverse PC to be a great benefit to my business." Dan Barry, NY
"[Traverse PC] is easier to use, less expensive, gets the job done, and comes from caring people who understand surveying and surveying needs." Joe Nachtrieb, CO
"Great stuff! You don't need to send me any other software, as I am perfectly happy with TPC and have no intentions of changing to anything else...and I have tried the other software." Randy Green, TN
"Once again you have set the standard for others to attain." George Anderson, NJ
"REALLY like everything I've seen so far... Things seem so much simpler & straight forward. Think you guys have something great here!" Cliff Tuck, AR
"[Traverse PC] is very user friendly and produces high quality survey plats." Fred Haidt, AL
"Traverse PC is the way to go for all Land Surveyors." Pete Jackson, CA
"While it has similarities to ACAD, . I would say [Traverse PC] is much more user (and surveyor) friendly." Scott Freshwaters, OR
"[Traverse PC has] cut my total production time down by making map preparation faster and easier." Sergio Sanchez, CA
"Traverse PC is the one tool my little company has that does it all." Steve Parker, CO
"I find Traverse PC very easy and efficient to use. The applications are logical and the learning curve is very short. I would highly recommend this survey software for all land surveyors." David Holland, VA
"Yu ROCK! I am a student... ...I find the program to be very user friendly. Traverse PC is helpful with understanding how data is used to make decisions in a survey, as well as providing a visual image illustrating what the data collected is trying to show." Joel Kayser, NY
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Version History
Traverse PC - Desktop 2008 Update
Released Feb 2008 | Brochure | Video
Learning Guides Introduction PDF | | Learning Guide PDF | | Advanced Learning Guide PDF Plat Check PDF
AutoCAD 2008
TPC Desktop 2008 can read and write AutoCAD 2008 DWG, DXF and DXB files. Enough said, you're current .
World File Support
TPC Desktop 2008 can read and write world files that geo-reference any image file to your drawing. The world file takes care of the image's position, rotation and scale or you can override the world position when you need to. Export world files for the images you've geo-referenced manually then re-use that image in any future drawing.
Once again, TPC Desktop makes background images fun and easy to use.
Predictive Data Entry
With so many more points, traverses, drawings, point codes and everything else in our surveys these days, we could all use a little help selecting the data we want. That's just what predictive typing does.
Here you see all the points that match what you typed so far for the From point in the Random Inverse dialog. The pop-up list displays each matching point along with its description. Use the pop-up list to help you remember which point you want or select it directly from the list. It's that easy. Now how about displaying all the existing traverses when you want to create a new one, or all the drawings, or Quick View settings. You get the point. With so much data in the survey, it's just nice to have a little help .
Windows XP and Vista Only
We understand there are diverse opinions out there as to whether or not Windows Vista is an improvement or not over Windows XP so we're giving you the best of both worlds. Vista and XP.
We've dropped support of older versions of Windows in order to bring you the best of what Windows offers today in Vista and XP. You'll notice the difference the first time you pull down a menu, resize a view or open a COGO dialog. We've standardized as much of the user interface as possible by using Microsoft's Common Controls V6.0. Most of the new options are available on both XP and Vista or you can switch to Vista and take advantage of them all.
TPC Desktop 2008 handles all of Vista's Standard User controls so you don't have to. We provide easy, one-step installation on your stand alone computer along with network installation for the corporate IT (Information Technology) folks.
Cool COGO
The COGO dialogs you use most often now stay open while you do other things. Working on an intersection and need to zoom into a portion of the drawing? Go ahead. The Intersect dialog stays open and ready for when you return.
Plus, we've included pick buttons [>] so you pick points and lines right from the drawing. They're everywhere. And boy are they handy. The Random Inverse dialog shows the Pick buttons for both the From and To points. If you want to improve your skills even more, learn how you can select multiple objects in a drawing and place them into any COGO dialog automatically. It's really fun.
New Menus and Toolbars
You'll find the new menus easier to use because they display the toolbar buttons right in the menu along side the command. Whether you select the command from the menu or from the toolbar you'll use the same icon. We've also arranged many of the commands in a more logical order and added hot keys for some of your most requested commands.
Here you see the Survey View's COGO menu with access to a number of commands that used to be available only from the Traverse View .
User Collaboration
TPC Desktop 2008 understands that you work with other people on the same surveys. So we've built User Collaboration into TPC Desktop 2008 right from the start. If you select the Network option during installation, you can specify the location of your survey files and all the program data during setup. Your network administrator can assign these locations without even running TPC.
TPC Desktop 2008 stores your surveys in a Documents folder called Surveys. Now that's simple. It evens looks for existing surveys on your computer and moves them into this new folder for you so you're ready to go right from the start.
If you want to share your surveys on a network file server, just browse to the appropriate folder on the server. That's all there is to it.
TPC Desktop 2008 stores all of its program data in a shared program data folder so that everyone who uses a particular computer can access the same data. This is where you find the things you've created or customized like point code tables, symbols, line types, sample survey, drawing templates, additions to the spelling dictionary and more.
To keep it simple, there's the new Use Window's default folder button that resets to the correct folder for your version of Windows. How nice is that.
If you are using Windows Vista, you'll notice a new folder called \ProgramData right below the \Program Files folder. Look in there for the \Traverse PC\TPC Desktop folder where you'll see just what we're talking about.
Traverse Groups
Some of you will remember Traverse Groups from the TPC DOS days. Well, they're back, but much better, thanks to Windows.
Traverse Groups allow you to group similar traverses together in the Survey View. Each group has a unique group name and can have any number of traverses in it. We supply some initial groups for you like Alignments, Boundaries, Lots, Control, Imported and others, plus you can add your own.
Once your traverses are in groups, you can rearrange the groups, expand or collapse them (Boundaries and Import are collapsed in the example shown here) or select the group name and all the traverses in it are selected automatically.
Organizing your traverses into groups is all about making it easier to manage your survey data. Here's an example of how the Offset to Alignment dialog uses groups to help you select the alignment you want.
Tool Tips
TPC Desktop 2008 adds Tool Tips and we can't say enough about them. Once you start using them, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them.
In the Drawing, the Tool Tips display information about each object as you place the cursor over it. Need the radius of a curve? The end points of a line? The elevation of a contour? It's all there in the Tool Tips.
In the Views, Tool Tips display the data you can't always see. In the Point View shown here, just put the cursor over point 33 to get all the information you need .
Drawings
TPC Desktop 2008 makes drawings more powerful and easier to work with at the same time.
TPC Desktop 2008 removes the 32 drawing limit. You can now have any number of drawings. We also ensure that drawing names are unique so you don't get them confused.
Unique Traverse Settings in Each Drawing
In TPC Desktop 2008 Traverse Settings can be unique to each drawing. This makes drawing traverses a lot more powerful. And we still keep it simple with the Advanced tab. Just open the Traverse Settings dialog, click on Advanced and tell TPC to use unique settings for this traverse and this drawing. That's it.
Open the Advanced tab anytime to see if a traverse's settings are unique or revert to the shared traverse settings.
It's easy to change the unique traverse settings, copy them back to the traverse and update the way this traverse looks in all other drawings.
You can still copy traverses to include in different drawings if you want (sometimes this IS what you want to do), but we think you'll use this option most of the time.
Did you notice in this example that the Side Shot tab isn't displayed? That's because this traverse didn't have any side shots. Add some side shots to the traverse and you'll get your tab back.
Now you can export the current drawing along with any survey data it uses as its own survey. TPC creates a new survey file using the current survey and drawing names as in 'Job 1 - Drawing 1.TRV'.
Drawing Settings are Gone (Mostly)
With TPC Desktop 2008 you don't choose between Drawing Settings and Traverse Settings anymore. Traverse Settings rule the day. The ability to have unique traverse settings in any drawing makes Traverse Settings more powerful than ever and removing the Drawing Settings makes them easier to use. Now, we say that Drawing Settings are mostly gone because you can still access them via the Drawing Settings dialog. It's just that you won't want to anymore.
Quick View
You'll find dozens of fresh, new WOW! features in the Quick View and drawings. We already mentioned unlimited number of drawings and unique traverse settings, so we'll highlight a few others here.
We combined two really great new features to make working with your drawings a walk in the park. They're Object Accent and Tool Tips. In this example, we've placed the cursor over a contour line. The entire line changes to Quick View's Accent color and the pop-up Tool Tip displays information about the contour. Llike how long it is and the extents of the surface it is part of. WOW! Is this ever a great way to work with your drawing data.
Can't quite read the text on a legend item but don't want to zoom in just to read it? No problem. Just move the cursor over it and read the Tool Tip.
Now would be a good time to talk about the new Quick View Format dialog. Just like every other view in TPC, the Quick View now has its own Format dialog.
The Mouse tab shown here lets you choose how TPC identifies objects as you pass the cursor over them. We like the options shown here to redraw the object in the Accent Color and show the Balloon Tool Tip with information about the object, but you can choose the ones you prefer.
How about telling TPC you want to double click an object to display it's Traverse Settings or object Properties.
Or how about choosing which colors to use when delineating Topo shots, Paper Space or Survey Space objects.
You'll find that the Quick View Format dialog provides lots of options related to how you work with drawings.
It's a good thing you can choose because with almost 200 colors to choose from we think you're going to find just the right one for whatever you want. TPC Desktop 2008 used a standard color palette used by lots of Windows program plus we give you color names and list them alphabetically so they are easy to find. AutoCAD only gives you RGB values like 255, 128, 128. Whatever that is.
We added hot keys like T=Text, B=Text Box and V=Zoom Previous. We also grouped the commands in the menus, making them easier to find and use.
We added the drawing variables SURVEYOR (surveyor's name), COMPANY (surveyor's company name), ADDRESS (surveyor's address) and CLIENTADDRESS (client address). These can be entered in the Survey Information dialog.
We added a Distance Factor 0.9988776 toggle to the Control Points tab in the Traverse Settings dialog. If you specify a distance factor for a traverse, you can now use it to modify the distance labels on the lines. It overrides the drawing's distance factor when checked.
Survey View
The new Insert Traverse Below Selected Traverse command makes it easier to add new traverses right where you want them and the New Traverse dialog tracks right with you.
TPC Desktop 2008 adds COGO commands that can work on the selected traverse. Choose Offset Interval, Station, Station Offsets, Offset to Alignment, ROW Offsets and Predetermined Area.
The Survey Information dialog now gives you a lot more information. It's easier to track which Grid and projection you are using for your State Plane projects.
All the new information like Client Address and your Company name come with their own Quick View variables so you can insert them into your title blocks and drawing templates. Now, maybe you didn't know about drawing variables. They update automatically in your drawing using the survey information. So, you can enter the variable for client name one time in a drawing template and never have to type the client name into a drawing again.
Traverse View
Traverse views automatically cascade as you open them. Open a group of traverses in one area of the desktop, then open a second group in another area. Use Single Row per Point to make as much data visible as possible and you can do some serious analysis.
TPC Desktop 2008 adds an Advanced tab to the Traverse View Format dialog. Now you can have TPC create a distance factor using the survey's Grid factor and/or individual traverse units like Chains, Rod and Poles, etc. If you convert between Feet and Meters, you can even choose US or International Survey Foot. And the Traverse View now displays the 'Units=' of the traverse if they differ from the survey units.
And if that isn't enough, check out the new Traverse Settings option to use these units in the drawing. For this traverse only.
The New Traverse dialog now displays Custom. (instead of blank) for both the Format and Settings list if neither one matches a saved format or setting.
You can also insert the new traverse above the current traverse (highlighted in the Survey View) or append it to the end of the list..
Remember our new Predictive Typing. It will help you create unique traverse names here too.
We know these are just little things, but you'll find lots of little things just like this in TPC Desktop 2008
Copyright © 1987-2012 Traverse PC, Inc. - All rights reserved - Updated February 1, 2012 Land Surveying Software - Land Survey Software - COGO Software - Land Surveyor Software Site Map
Here you see all the points that match what you typed so far for the From point in the Random Inverse dialog. The pop-up list displays each matching point along with its description. Use the pop-up list to help you remember which point you want or select it directly from the list. It's that easy. Now how about displaying all the existing traverses when you want to create a new one, or all the drawings, or Quick View settings. You get the point. With so much data in the survey, it's just nice to have a little help . 
Windows XP and Vista Only
You'll find the new menus easier to use because they display the toolbar buttons right in the menu along side the command. Whether you select the command from the menu or from the toolbar you'll use the same icon. We've also arranged many of the commands in a more logical order and added hot keys for some of your most requested commands. 
Program Data Folder
Traverse Groups
Organizing your traverses into groups is all about making it easier to manage your survey data. Here's an example of how the Offset to Alignment dialog uses groups to help you select the alignment you want. 
In the Views, Tool Tips display the data you can't always see. In the Point View shown here, just put the cursor over point 33 to get all the information you need . 
In TPC Desktop 2008 Traverse Settings can be unique to each drawing. This makes drawing traverses a lot more powerful. And we still keep it simple with the Advanced tab. Just open the Traverse Settings dialog, click on Advanced and tell TPC to use unique settings for this traverse and this drawing. That's it. 
Quick View
How about telling TPC you want to double click an object to display it's Traverse Settings or object Properties. 
TPC Desktop 2008 adds an Advanced tab to the Traverse View Format dialog. Now you can have TPC create a distance factor using the survey's Grid factor and/or individual traverse units like Chains, Rod and Poles, etc. If you convert between Feet and Meters, you can even choose US or International Survey Foot. And the Traverse View now displays the 'Units=' of the traverse if they differ from the survey units.