GPS Pathfinder Office User Guide Vol 1

GPS Pathfinder Office
User Guide
Volume 1

QuickPlan
Pathfndr.bk Page 2 Thursday, June 17, 1999 11:02 AM

User Guide
Volume 1
This volume contains manuals for the following software:

QuickPlan
Version 2.80
Part Number 31310-28-ENG
Revision B
March 2001
Corporate Office
Release Notice
Trimble Navigation Limited

645 North Mary Avenue
Post Office Box 3642
Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3642
U.S.A.
Phone: +1-408-481-8940, 1-800-545-7762
Fax: +1-408-481-7744
www.trimble.com
This is the March 2001 release (Revision B) of the

GPS Pathfinder Office Software User Guide, part
number 31310-28-ENG. It applies to version 2.80
of the GPS Pathfinder Office software.
Copyright and Trademarks
Software and Firmware License, Limited

Warranty
19992001, Trimble Navigation Limited. All

rights reserved. For STL support, the GPS
Pathfinder Office software uses the Moscow
Center for SPARC Technology adaptation of the
SGI Standard Template Library. Copyright
1994 Hewlett-Packard Company, Copyright
1996, 97 Silicon Graphics Computer Systems,
Inc., Copyright 1997 Moscow Center for
SPARC Technology. Portions of this computer
program are copyright 1995-1999 LizardTech,
Inc. All rights reserved. MrSID is protected by
U.S. Patent No. 5,710,835. Foreign Patents
Pending.
Printed in the United States of America. Printed
on recycled paper.
The following limited warranties give you specific

legal rights. You may have others, which vary
from state/jurisdiction to state/jurisdiction.
This Trimble software and/or firmware product

(the Software) is licensed and not sold. Its use is
governed by the provisions of the applicable End
User License Agreement (EULA), if any,
included with the Software. In the absence of a
separate EULA included with the Software
providing different limited warranty terms,
exclusions, and limitations, the following terms
and conditions shall apply. Trimble warrants that
this Trimble Software product will substantially
conform to Trimbles applicable published
specifications for the Software for a period of
ninety (90) days, starting from the date of
delivery.
Warranty Remedies
The Sextant logo with Trimble, ASPEN, Asset

Surveyor, GeoExplorer, and GPS Pathfinder are
trademarks of Trimble Navigation Limited,
registered in the United States Patent and
Trademark Office.
The Globe & Triangle logo, 4600LS, 7400MSi,
Coordinate System Manager, Data Dictionary
Editor, Geodetic Surveyor, Geodetic System
Surveyor SSi, GIS Surveyor, GPSurvey, Land
Surveyor II, Land Surveyor IID, Pathfinder Basic,
Pathfinder Professional, PFINDER, Phase
Processor, QuickPlan, TerraSync, TDC1, TDC2,
and Trimble are trademarks of Trimble Navigation
Limited.
MrSID and LizardTech are trademarks of
LizardTech, Inc. and are used with permission.
All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
Trimble's sole liability and your exclusive remedy

under the warranties set forth above shall be, at
Trimbles option, to repair or replace any Product
or Software that fails to conform to such warranty
(Nonconforming Product), or refund the
purchase price paid by you for any such
Nonconforming Product, upon your return of any
Nonconforming Product to Trimble in accordance
with Trimbles standard return material
authorization procedures.
Warranty Exclusions and Disclaimer

These warranties shall be applied only in the event
and to the extent that: (i) the Products and
Software are properly and correctly installed,
configured, interfaced, maintained, stored, and
operated in accordance with Trimbles relevant
operator's manual and specifications, and; (ii) the
Products and Software are not modified or
misused. The preceding warranties shall not apply
to, and Trimble shall not be responsible for defects
or performance problems resulting from (i) the
combination or utilization of the Product or
Software with products, information, data,
systems or devices not made, supplied or specified
by Trimble; (ii) the operation of the Product or
Software under any specification other than, or in
addition to, Trimble's standard specifications for
its products; (iii) the unauthorized modification or
use of the Product or Software; (iv) damage
caused by accident, lightning or other electrical
discharge, fresh or salt water immersion or spray;
or (v) normal wear and tear on consumable parts
(e.g., batteries).
THE WARRANTIES ABOVE STATE TRIMBLE'S
ENTIRE LIABILITY, AND YOUR EXCLUSIVE
REMEDIES, RELATING TO PERFORMANCE OF
THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE. EXCEPT AS
OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY PROVIDED HEREIN,
THE PRODUCTS, SOFTWARE, AND
ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION AND
MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED AS-IS AND
WITHOUT EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY
OF ANY KIND BY EITHER TRIMBLE
NAVIGATION LIMITED OR ANYONE WHO HAS
BEEN INVOLVED IN ITS CREATION,
PRODUCTION, INSTALLATION, OR
DISTRIBUTION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND
NONINFRINGEMENT. THE STATED EXPRESS
WARRANTIES ARE IN LIEU OF ALL
OBLIGATIONS OR LIABILITIES ON THE PART
OF TRIMBLE ARISING OUT OF, OR IN
CONNECTION WITH, ANY PRODUCTS OR
SOFTWARE. SOME STATES AND
JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS
ON DURATION OR THE EXCLUSION OF AN
IMPLIED WARRANTY, SO THE ABOVE
LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LIMITED IS NOT

RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPERATION OR
FAILURE OF OPERATION OF GPS SATELLITES
OR THE AVAILABILITY OF GPS SATELLITE
SIGNALS.
Limitation of Liability
TRIMBLES ENTIRE LIABILITY UNDER ANY
PROVISION HEREIN SHALL BE LIMITED TO
THE GREATER OF THE AMOUNT PAID BY YOU
FOR THE PRODUCT OR SOFTWARE LICENSE OR
U.S.$25.00. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT
PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO
EVENT SHALL TRIMBLE OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE
LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
WHATSOEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE
OR LEGAL THEORY RELATING IN ANY WAY
TO THE PRODUCTS, SOFTWARE, AND
ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION AND
MATERIALS, (INCLUDING, WITHOUT
LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF
BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION,
LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, OR ANY
OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS), REGARDLESS OF
WHETHER TRIMBLE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF
THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY SUCH LOSS AND
REGARDLESS OF THE COURSE OF DEALING
WHICH DEVELOPS OR HAS DEVELOPED
BETWEEN YOU AND TRIMBLE. BECAUSE SOME
STATES AND JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW
THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL
DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT
APPLY TO YOU.
Contents
About This Manual
1
GPS Pathfinder Office Software

Introduction . . . . . . . . . .
Restricted access to files
File Menu . . . . . . . . . . .
Open . . . . . . . . . .
Save . . . . . . . . . .
Save As . . . . . . . . .
Close . . . . . . . . . .
Projects . . . . . . . . .
Background. . . . . . .
Add Web Map . . . . .
Waypoints . . . . . . .
Plot Map . . . . . . . .
Exit . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Menu . . . . . . . . . . .
Undo Text Edit . . . . .
Cut Text . . . . . . . .
Copy Text . . . . . . .
Paste Text. . . . . . . .
Delete Text . . . . . . .
Copy Window . . . . .
Find Feature . . . . . .
Find Note . . . . . . . .
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18
19
20
20
22
22
22
23
29
36
46
52
65
66
66
66
66
66
66
67
67
70
GPS Pathfinder Office User Guide Volume 1
Contents
Delete Features . . . . . . . . .
Delete Block of Positions . . .
Undelete All Positions . . . . .
Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
View Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Time Line . . . . . . . . . . .
Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Precisions. . . . . . . . . . . .
Pan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Auto-Pan to Selection . . . . .
Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scale (View) . . . . . . . . . .
Map Scale . . . . . . . . . . .
Time Line Scale . . . . . . . .
Refresh . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Smart Averaging . . . . . . . .
Data Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enter Attributes Dialog. . . . .
Feature Properties . . . . . . .
Displaying Feature Information
Editing Attributes . . . . . . .
Displaying or Editing a Note. .
Status Dialog . . . . . . . . . .
Offset Dialog . . . . . . . . . .
Position Properties . . . . . . .
Waypoint Properties . . . . . .
Create Waypoint Dialog . . . .
Edit Waypoint Dialog . . . . .
Measure . . . . . . . . . . . .
vi
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. 71
. 75
. 75
. 76
. 77
. 77
. 80
. 82
. 92
. 93
. 93
. 94
. 94
. 95
. 96
. 96
. 97
. 98
. 100
. 104
. 106
. 108
. 109
. 110
. 111
. 112
. 119
. 120
. 122
. 123
Contents
Utilities Menu . . . . . . . . . . . .
Batch Processor . . . . . . .
Data Transfer . . . . . . . . .
Differential Correction . . . .
Export . . . . . . . . . . . .
Grouping . . . . . . . . . . .
Combine Data Files . . . . .
Data Dictionary Editor . . . .
QuickPlan . . . . . . . . . .
Other Utilities . . . . . . . .
Options Menu . . . . . . . . . . . .
Units . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Coordinate System . . . . . .
Style of Display . . . . . . .
Quickmark Settings . . . . .
Time Zone . . . . . . . . . .
Create Local Site . . . . . . .
Create Site Vector Dialog . .
Edit Site Vector Dialog . . .
Create Local Site Dialog . . .
Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . .
Status Bar. . . . . . . . . . .
Save Window Layout on Exit
Minimize On Use . . . . . .
Window Menu. . . . . . . . . . . .
Cascade. . . . . . . . . . . .
Tile . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Arrange Icons . . . . . . . .
List of Windows . . . . . . .
Help Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contents . . . . . . . . . . .
Search for Help on . . . . . .
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. 125
. 125
. 125
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. 126
. 126
. 126
. 127
. 127
. 127
. 134
. 134
. 139
. 145
. 147
. 148
. 150
. 153
. 155
. 155
. 156
. 156
. 157
. 157
. 158
. 158
. 158
. 158
. 159
. 160
. 160
. 161
vii
Contents
How to Use Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Register via the Internet . . . . . . . . . .
Register by Fax or Mail . . . . . . . . . .
To Register Later . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trimble on the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Internet Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Online Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trimble Customer Support . . . . . . . . .
Trimble Product Training . . . . . . . . .
Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Send Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Base Station List . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trimble Mapping and GIS Home Page . .
Trimble Home Page . . . . . . . . . . . .
About the GPS Pathfinder Office Software
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Background Files
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Background Raster Files . . . . . . . . .
Geo-referencing Raster Files. . . .
Geo-referencing Explained. . . . .
Recognized World File Extensions
Display of Raster Files . . . . . . .
AutoCAD DXF Files . . . . . . . . . . .
Coordinates. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ArcView Shapefiles . . . . . . . . . . . .
Coordinates. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Windows Bitmap Files . . . . . . . . . .
Compression . . . . . . . . . . . .
vi ii
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Contents
Geo-referencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) . . . . .
Compression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Geo-referencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Multiresolution Seamless Image Database (MrSID)
Compression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Geo-referencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tagged Image File Format . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Compression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Geo-referencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trimble SSF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Coordinates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trimble Fast Backdrop Format . . . . . . . . . . .
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
When and Why to Use the QuickPlan Utility .
Updating the Almanac . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sessions and Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Starting the QuickPlan Utility . . . . . . . . .
Defining the Session in the QuickPlan Utility .
Step 1: Selecting a Date . . . . . . . . . . . .
Step 2: Defining a Point . . . . . . . . . . . .
Step 3: The Status Dialog . . . . . . . . . . .
What Next? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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The QuickPlan Utility
ix
Contents
File Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Print Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Print Auto Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Print Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Session Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Session Menu Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a New Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing an Existing Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating or Editing a Point with the World Map. . . .
Creating or Editing a Point with the City List . . . . .
Editing a City List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing a City List with a Text Editor . . . . . . . . .
Editing a City List with the World Map . . . . . . . .
Creating or Editing a Point through the Keyboard . . .
Adding and Deleting Points in a Session . . . . . . .
Changing a Sessions Date and Time . . . . . . . . .
Curtain Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Curtain Editor Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Defining a Curtain with the Mouse . . . . . . . . . .
Defining a Curtain with the Keyboard . . . . . . . . .
Defining a Curtain with the Magnetic Bearing Option
Reading a Curtains Elevation . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Correcting an Error. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Saving Curtain Definitions and Exiting . . . . . . . .
Displaying a Combined Curtain . . . . . . . . . . . .
Summary of Curtain Editor Commands . . . . . . . .
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. 233
. 234
. 234
. 236
Contents
Graphs Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Notes on Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Other Related Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tile 2 Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Close All . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Time Locked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Number SVs and PDOP . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Elevation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Azimuth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Number Satellites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Satellites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PDOP HDOP VDOP GDOP and TDOP Graphs
SkyPlot Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
View Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Redraw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mag. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Demag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Force Monochrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Time Ruler Slides . . . . . . . . . . .
Options Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Auto Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
List Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SVs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Almanac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Time Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sample Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Show Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Report Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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xi
Contents
Show Report . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Elevation Mask . . . . . . . . . . . .
Number of SVs Receiver Can Track .
Help Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Index
xi i
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. 273
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. 276
About This Manual

Welcome to the GPS Pathfinder Office User Guide. This manual
describes how to install, set up, and use the GPS Pathfinder Office
software.
This software, together with its associated utilities, provides all the
functionality you need to correct, view, and edit GPS data collected in
the field, and to export it in a format suitable for your GIS or CAD
system.
Even if you have used other Global Positioning System (GPS)
products before, Trimble recommends that you spend some time
reading this manual to learn about the special features of this product.
If you are not familiar with GPS, visit our website for an interactive
look at Trimble and GPS at:
www.trimble.com
Trimble assumes that you are familiar with Microsoft Windows and
know how to use a mouse, select options from menus and dialogs,
make selections from lists, and refer to online help.
xi ii
About This Manual
Related Information
Other manuals in this set include:
GPS Pathfinder Office Getting Started Guide

This manual introduces the basic principles of using the GPS
Pathfinder Office software. A tutorial introduces some of the
powerful features of the main program and the Batch Processor,
Data Transfer, Differential Correction and Export utilities.
Mapping Systems General Reference

This manual introduces the basic principles of using GPS to
make maps. It provides the background information you need to
use Trimble Navigation Limiteds mapping products, including
GPS receivers, dataloggers, and software.
Other sources of related information are:
xi v
Help the software has built-in, context-sensitive help that lets

you quickly find the information you need. Access it from the
Help menu. Alternatively, click the Help button in a dialog, or
press [F1]. This comprehensive help system reads like an online
manual. Use the scroll buttons to move from page to page.
Readme.txt file a Readme.txt file contains information added

after the documentation was completed. To read this file,
double-click it or use a text editor to open it. The installation
program also copies it into the program directory.
Release notes the release notes describe new features of the

product, information not included in the manuals, and any
changes to the manuals.
Update notes there is a warranty activation sheet with this

product. Send it in to automatically receive update notes
containing important information about software and hardware
changes. Contact your local Trimble Dealer for more
information about the support agreement contracts for software
and firmware, and an extended warranty program for hardware.
About This Manual
ftp.trimble.com use the Trimble FTP site to send files or to

receive files such as software patches, utilities, service bulletins,
and FAQs. Alternatively, access the FTP site from the Trimble
website at www.trimble.com/support/support.htm.
Trimble training courses consider a training course to help

you use your GPS system to its fullest potential. For more
information, visit the Trimble website at
www.trimble.com/support/training.htm
Technical Assistance
If you have a problem and cannot find the information you need in the
product documentation, contact your local Distributor. Alternatively,
request technical support using the Trimble website at
www.trimble.com/support/support.htm
Your Comments
Your feedback about the supporting documentation helps us to
improve it with each revision. To forward your comments, do one of
the following:
Send an e-mail to ReaderFeedback@trimble.com.
Complete the Reader Comment Form at the back of this manual

and mail it according to the instructions at the bottom of the
form.
If the reader comment form is not available, send comments and

suggestions to the address in the front of this manual. Please mark it
Attention: Technical Publications Group.
xv
About This Manual
Document Conventions
The document conventions are as follows:
xv i
Convention
Definition
Italics
Identifies software menus, menu commands,

dialog boxes, and the dialog box fields.
Helvetica Narrow
Represents messages printed on the screen.
Helvetica Bold
Identifies a software command button, or

represents information that you must type in a
software screen or window.
Select Italics / Italics
Identifies the sequence of menus, commands, or

dialog boxes that you must choose in order to
reach a given screen.
[Ctrl]
Is an example of a hardware function key that you

must press on a personal computer (PC). If you
must press more than one of these at the same
time, this is represented by a plus sign, for
example, [Ctrl]+[C].
CHAPTER
1
1

Software
In this chapter:
Introduction
File menu
Edit menu
View menu
Data menu
Utilities menu
Options menu
Window menu
Help menu
Registration
Trimble on the Web
Online support
Related chapters
Chapter 2, Background Files
GPS
Pathfinder Office
1.1
GPS Pathfinder Office Software Introduction
Introduction
The GPS Pathfinder Office software is produced by Trimble
Navigation Limited for managing and processing data collected using
Trimble Mapping and GIS data collection systems.
The GPS Pathfinder Office software runs under Microsoft
Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows 95, Microsoft
Windows NT 4, or later. It provides all of the tools you need for
managing a data collection project, handling data from the entire range
of Mapping and GIS data collection systems that use Trimble Global
Positioning System (GPS) receivers.
The GPS Pathfinder Office software allows you to:
18
plan the best times to collect GPS positions, using the powerful
QuickPlan mission planning utility
create separate projects, which allow you to manage the data
associated with these projects effectively and conveniently
construct and edit data dictionaries, which can be used to
control the data collection operation and which ensure that the
collected data is complete, accurate, and compatible with your
GIS, CAD package, or database
transfer files to and from GPS receivers, hand-held data
collectors, and field computers
display and edit collected data in the office, optionally
overlaying this data onto a vector or raster background map
process the GPS positional data to improve its accuracy
export the collected, processed, and edited data to a GIS, CAD,
or database format
produce a scaled plot as a paper record of the data
1.1.1

If you are a client user running the GPS Pathfinder Office software on
a network, you may find you cannot use some files because they have
restricted read and write access. If you receive an error message when
trying to work with these files, please contact your system
administrator.
19
GPS
Pathfinder Office
GPS Pathfinder Office Software Introduction
GPS
Pathfinder Office
1.2
GPS Pathfinder Office Software File Menu
File Menu
The File menu groups together commands for files. The GPS
Pathfinder Office software uses:
data files for data display, query, and editing
background files for displaying a map of the area
waypoint files for storing and preparing waypoints
The File menu also lets you work with projects.

Dialogs for opening a file have a standard Windows format. For
information on working with them, see Basics of Operation in your
GPS Pathfinder Office Getting Started Guide.
1.2.1
Open
You can open a single data file for viewing or editing. You can open
more than one file for viewing or querying only.
Select File / Open. The following dialog appears:
20
Use this dialog to select and open one or more data files. By default,
the last-used set of data files is selected. For example, if you have just
downloaded a set of .ssf files from a data collector, they are selected.
When a file is selected its details are displayed at the bottom of the
dialog.
Look in This field displays the name of the current folder and the
window immediately below the Look in field displays the folders and
files it contains. The view of this window is either large icons, small
icons, list, or details. Scroll bars appear when the contents do not fit
within the window.
File name This field contains by default the list of recently used data
files. You can change the drive and folder, to access the file you want
by navigating through folders and drives in the Open dialog or by
selecting a different project from the Projects command (under the
File menu) to move to that projects data folder.
Files of type This field specifies the type of files that appear in the
window below the Look in field. The options are described below:
Choose...
To...
Data files
List files of the three types

specified below
(*.ssf, *.cor, *.phs)
Field data files (*.ssf)
List data files created in the field
Corrected files (*.cor)
List files that have been

differentially corrected
Phase files (*.phs)
List data files created using the

Phase Processor software
All files (*.*)
List all files in the folder
Open as read-only If you are opening a single data file, select this
check box to ensure that the file cannot be inadvertently changed. If

you are opening more than one data file, this box is disabled as you
cannot edit or save more than one file at a time. The box is also
disabled if the GPS Pathfinder Office software is in demo mode.
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Data Dictionary/Comment These fields display the internal name of

the data dictionary attached to the data file and any comments entered
regarding it. They relate to the data file selected in the window below
the Look in field, or the last selected file if more than one file is
selected.
Start Time/End Time These fields indicate when the first and last
positions in the data file were logged. They relate to the data file
selected in the window below the Look in field, or the last selected file
if more than one file is selected.
File Size This field displays the size of the data file. It relates to the
data file selected in the window below the Look in field, or the last
selected file if more than one file is selected.
Positions This field displays the number of GPS positions stored in
the data file. It relates to the data file selected in the window below the
Look in field, or the last selected file if more than one file is selected.
Open and Cancel Click this button to open the selected data file or
files. Clicking Cancel closes the dialog without selecting any files.
1.2.2
Save
Select File / Save to save the current data file.
1.2.3
Save As
Select File / Save As to save the current data file to a different
filename or in another location.
1.2.4
Close
When you have finished working on a data file, you can close it.
22
Select File / Close. If the file was unchanged, it is simply closed.

However, if you changed the data file, you are asked whether you
want to save it:
Click Yes to save the data file, or No to close the file and abandon any
changes. A progress bar appears during the saving process.
1.2.5
Projects
This command enables you to select an existing project or create a
new one.
Dividing your work into projects assists you with file management.
You can set up projects for different groups of data. For example, if
you are a consultant or contractor, you could create a project for each
client, major task, city you work in, or month.
When you create a project, you give it a name and (optionally) a
comment to further describe the work involved.
You can also specify three folders for storing files for different
purposes (backup, export, and base files).
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Figure 1.1 shows an example folder structure; there are three projects,
Default, Fairoaks, and Tutorial, each with three folders. The base
folder of the first two projects is common to all company projects and
is on a network drive.
Figure 1.1
Example project folder structure
When you select a project, the software switches to the working area
for that project. For example, if you select File / Open to open a data
file, the Open dialog shows the data files in the project folder.
Creating projects helps you to manage an appropriate folder structure.
This folder structure is flexible. The folders you specify are only
defaults; you are always free to change them and store your data
elsewhere. The folders for backup, export, and base files do not have
to be folders of the project folder, they can be a shared folder on a
network, so that all users can access their files, or they can be the
project folder itself.
The default installation choice places waypoint, data dictionary, and
background files in the base project folder (usually \PFDATA).
However, if you want to organize these files according to project, you
can store them in the project folder.
The software uses the project folder structure where appropriate.
Otherwise, it remembers the folder where you last stored a file of a
particular type.
24
Select File / Projects. The following dialog appears:
This dialog displays information about the current project. It appears

when you start the software if the Display this dialog at start-up box is
selected.
Project Name This field displays the current project. To select a
different project, click the drop-down arrow and choose the project.
Comment This field displays the information you entered when you
created the current project.
Default folder for Table 1.1 shows the information about the current
project that is displayed in this field.
Table 1.1
Project information
Item
Shows the path and name of...
Project Folder
the root folder for the current project.
Backup files
the folder containing the backup files for the current

project
Export files
the folder containing the export files for the current

project.
Base files
the folder containing the base files for the current

project.
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New Click this button to create a new project. The Project Folders
dialog appears. If you enter a new project name containing invalid
characters, such as ?, +, >, or ", the following message appears:
Click OK and enter a different name for the new project.

Remove Click this button to remove the project in the Project Name
field from the list of projects. The Remove button does not delete any
files or folders; you can use it to limit the projects that appear in the
Project Name drop-down list to those you are currently working on.
You are asked for confirmation before the project is removed from the
list.
Tip To restore a removed project, select New, then use Browse to

select the project folder and folders. Enter a name and comment for the
project, then click OK.
Modify Click this button to modify the details of the current project.
The Project Folders dialog appears.
Display this dialog at start-up Use this check box to set whether or
not the Select Project dialog automatically opens at start-up.
26
Project Folders Dialog

When you click New or Modify in the Select Project dialog, the
following dialog appears:
Use this dialog to specify the name and folder structure of the new
project. Four folders are involved: a project folder and three other
folders. The software provides names for the folders, taken from the
most recent project. You can edit them, or use Browse to select a
different folder. The folder fields display relative paths if they specify
folders within the project folder. More than one folder field can
specify the same folder. If you leave a folder field blank, it points to
the project folder. For example, if you leave Export Folder blank, the
default location for export files will be the project folder.
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Project Name This field specifies the name of the project. Enter a
name when creating a new project. When modifying an existing
project, you cannot alter the project name. If you enter a name
containing invalid characters, such as ?, +, >, or ", the following error
message appears. Click OK and enter a different name for the new
project.
Comment Optionally enter a comment about the project into the

Comment field. A comment can provide information that may later
help you or others to choose the correct project.
Project Folder This field specifies the root folder of the project to be
created. The software fills in the field with the path of the parent folder
of the last project and a folder derived from the Project Name field.
You can edit both path and name, or use Browse to select a different
folder.
Note If you change the project folder, the data files stay in the
original folder. Projects simply point to a folder.
Backup Folder This field specifies the folder for backup copies of
the data. If you create backups when you transfer files to the office
computer, this folder will be the default location for these files. For
details on backups, see The Data Transfer Utility in the GPS
Pathfinder Office User Guide - Volume 3.
Export Folder This field specifies the folder for files that the Export
utility outputs in a format for a GIS or CAD system.
28
Base File Folder This field specifies the folder for files recorded by a
base (reference) receiver. You need base files to differentially correct
data files. If your organization has set up a network folder for base
files, you can specify this folder, so that the appropriate files can be
used directly from the network when you need them for differential
correction.
Default This button sets the folder fields to backup, export, and base,
respectively.
Browse These buttons are alongside each folder field. They enable
you to locate and select an existing folder, or to create a new folder in

the desired location.
1.2.6
Background
Use this command to select multiple background files and load them.
The Map window can display them as a background.
Background files are for viewing only; you cannot edit them or access
information on their features. They provide a backdrop, which gives
visual orientation for your data and waypoint files.
You can export data from your GIS or CAD system, or use a data file
from a previous data collection session as a background. Background
files can be in a vector format (drawings) or in a raster format
(images). Vector files can be in any coordinate system; when you load
them, the data is transformed to fit the current coordinate system.
Raster files cannot be transformed; that is, they cannot be displayed in
a coordinate system that is different from their original coordinate
system.
You can load several files at once to provide a comprehensive display.
These files can be in different formats. The supported formats are
listed in Chapter 2, Background Files.
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Note Raster files must be geo-referenced. Some files, for example,

MrSID, contain georeferencing information, but other files must
have an associated world file. A world file is generated from a raster
file using a geo-referencing program, which provides information that
links the pixels in the raster file to coordinates in the real world.
For more information on these formats and the way the GPS
Pathfinder Office software processes them, see Chapter 2, Background
Files.
The Load Background Files dialog lets you:
compile a list of files that you may want to use.
select from the list the file(s) that you want to use in the current
session, and load them.
When you add a file to the list, the software assumes that it is in the
current coordinate system (except for .ssf files, which are always in
the Lat/Long coordinate system). If the file is in a different coordinate
system, add it to the list, then when you return to the Load Background
Files dialog, click Change and assign it the correct coordinate system.
Note The display of individual layers within loaded files is
controlled by the View / Layers / Background command.
30
Select File / Background. The following dialog appears:
Use this dialog to compile and maintain a list of files for use as a
background. You can then select the particular files to load in the
present session.
Note You can select several files at one time and change their
coordinate system, include or exclude them from loading, or remove
them from the list. For more information, see Basics of Operation in
your GPS Pathfinder Office Getting Started Guide.
File Names This list displays the name, and path or URL of
background files. A check mark before a file indicates that the file will
be loaded and displayed on the map. Include only those files that you
want to display in the current session to keep loading time to a
minimum. The first time that you load a vector file that is in a different
coordinate system from the current data file, it will be transformed.
This may take some time. Deselect any background files that are not
required.
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Add Click this button to add background files to the list. The Add
Background Files dialog appears. You can add background files from
different drives and folders by selecting them in this dialog.
Add Web map Click this button to start the Internet map wizard. Use
this wizard to connect to either an ArcIMS or OpenGIS Internet map

server to select and display Web map images for use as background
files. You can also click Add Web map to return to the wizard and
select a different map server, URL or, in the case of ArcIMS, a
different service.
Remove Click this button to remove the currently highlighted
background file(s) from the list. The background file itself is not
deleted from the folder where it is stored.
Coordinate system of selected file(s) The lower panel of the dialog
contains information on the coordinate system assigned to the file(s)

highlighted in the list. If the selected file is a Web map image, the map
server coordinate system together with the matching GPS Pathfinder
Office coordinate system and the layer number is shown.
Warning Check that this information is correct. The GPS Pathfinder

Office software cannot check, because most background files do not
contain information about their coordinate system or zone. When you
added the background file to the list, the current coordinate system of the
Map window was automatically assigned to it. If a file uses a different
coordinate system, you must ascertain what that is and click Change to
change the assigned system. SSF, COR, and PHS files do not require an
associated coordinate system, as they always store positions as WGS-84
latitudes and longitudes.
If you want to load a vector background file and its coordinate system
is not the current system, the information in the file is transformed so
that it displays correctly in relation to the current coordinate system.
If you want to load a raster background file, it must match the current
coordinate system. Raster files cannot be transformed.
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Change Click this button to assign a different coordinate system to
the file(s) highlighted in the list box above. Background files do not
contain any information on the coordinate system to which the
positions in the file are referenced. If you assign the wrong coordinate
system or zone, the GPS Pathfinder Office software will locate the
GPS position incorrectly in relation to the background map. You
cannot change the coordinate system of .ssf, .cor, or .phs files; they
always use Lat/Long.
Note The Change button does not alter coordinates; it simply
specifies the coordinate system so that the software can interpret the
coordinates correctly.
Tip If the Change button is disabled, there must be an .ssf, .cor, or .phs
file among the highlighted files; these files always have the coordinate
system Lat/Long.
OK Click this button to confirm the settings in the dialog and to load
the checked background files. If you try to display a Web map image
that is not saved to a local directory, you may be prompted for a
username and password.
The first time you attempt to load vector files that use a different
coordinate system from the current data file, you are asked whether
you want them transformed. Transforming a vector file adjusts the
coordinates so that they are in terms of the current coordinate system.
This can take some time. Raster files cannot be transformed.
Tip Use View / Layers / Background to specify which layers from the
loaded background files will be displayed.
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When you load a vector background file for the first time, a
corresponding *.fbk file is created. This file is in the Trimble Fast
Backdrop format, and can be loaded much more quickly than the
original file. If the background file is transformed, the file itself is not
changed; the transformed coordinates are stored in the *.fbk file.
When you load the background file on subsequent occasions, the
GPS Pathfinder Office software uses the *.fbk file instead, so that
loading is quicker.
Coord Sys This button is only displayed if the selected file is a Web
map image. Click the button to return to the Internet map wizard so
that you can change the coordinate system for the file(s) highlighted in
the list. If more than one Web map image is selected, this button is
unavailable.
Layers This button is only displayed if the selected file is a Web map
image. Click Layers to return to the Internet map wizard to change the
layer(s) of the URL highlighted in the list.
If more than one Web map image is selected, this button is

unavailable.
Save As This button lets you save a currently displayed raster image
from an Internet map server (IMS) to a local directory. This button is

only available when a map server image in the list is selected. It is not
possible to save multiple files, so if more than one image is selected,
Save As will be unavailable.
Tip Web map images accessed using an Internet map server are
displayed and printed at screen resolution. To print an image at a higher
resolution, save the image to a local directory using Save As.
When you click Save As, the Image Properties dialog appears where
you can edit the extents as well as choose the scale and resolution
before saving the image. When you click OK in the Image Properties
dialog, the Save As dialog appears.
Note You can only save the file in JPEG format.
34
In the Save As dialog, enter the filename, and select the folder where
you want to save the file. When you click Save, the file is transferred
from the map server and saved to the specified location.
As the file is downloading, a progress dialog shows the number of
bytes transferred.
A World file containing georeferencing information is generated by
the GPS Pathfinder Office software with the same name (but different
file extension) as the image and stored in the same directory.
Tip By downloading raster background images from an Internet map

server and saving them to your local drive, you can easily transfer them,
using the Trimble Data Transfer utility, to mobile field devices running
Trimbles TerraSync software.
Cancel Clicking this button closes the dialog without saving any
changes to the settings or loading any files.

Load Background Files Dialog
The following dialog appears when you click Add in the Background
Files dialog:
Use this dialog to add background files to the compiled list.
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Select the drive and folder where the background files are located,
then select one or more of the files displayed in the window.
Note Large bitmaps (for example, .tif files with a height or width
greater than 32,767 pixels) may not display correctly as background
files. Raster files, which initially seem to load as background files,
may appear on the map display as a blank screen with limited
coordinate extents. If this occurs, make the image smaller before
trying to display it again.
1.2.7
Add Web Map

Using the GPS Pathfinder Office software you can connect to Internet
map servers to display and download background images in map view.
Access to an Internet map server means you have an additional
location from which to search for and select background files to
display in the GPS Pathfinder Office software.
To access the Internet map wizard, select File / Background / Add Web
map. In the wizard, make your selections at each step and click Next
to move to the next dialog. In the final dialog, click Finish to complete
the wizard and return to the Load Background Files dialog.
Start the Internet Map wizard, then do the following:
1.
Select your map server type. For details, see page 38.
Select a map server typeeither OpenGIS or ArcIMS. The map
server you choose determines the URLs and the service offered
in subsequent dialogs. Click Next.
2.
Locate your Internet map server. For details, see page 39.
Enter or select a map server URL. The URLs available to you
depend on your choice of map server. Click Next.
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If you have chosen to connect to an ArcIMS map server, move

on to step 2a. Otherwise, go to step 3.
3.
a.
Choose the required service. For details, see page 39.
b.
Select the service you require from the ArcIMS map server
and click Next.
Enter or choose a coordinate system. For details, see page 40.

The available options here depend on which map server you
chose. In both cases, you can change the matching coordinate
system in the GPS Pathfinder Office software by clicking
Change:
If you chose an OpenGIS map server, you are prompted to

select the coordinate system in which the images must be
displayed.
If you chose an ArcIMS map server, the coordinate system

shown is selected by the map serveryou cannot change
it.
Once the map server and GPS Pathfinder Office coordinate

systems match, click Next.
4.
Choose Layers. For details, see page 42.

Select any or all of the layers that you want to display or
download.
Click Finish to return to the Load Background Files dialog.
Any layers you selected from the map server now appear in the
list of background files.
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Using the Internet Map wizard

To use the Internet Map wizard, do the following:
1.
Select your map server type.

From the drop-down list select the map server you want to
connect to. You have a choice of either OpenGIS or ArcIMS.
The map server you select determines the URLs and the service
offered in the later dialogs.
Click Cancel to cancel the operation and return to the Load

Background Files dialog.
38
2.
Locate your internet map server.

In the Map Server URL list, enter or select the URL you want to
connect to. The URLs shown here depend on whether you
selected OpenGIS or ArcIMS in the previous dialog.
Tip The 20 most recently visited URLs are shown in the list, with the
most recently visited site at the top.
Once a connection is made with the map server (messages may

appear informing you of the progress of the connection), the
next dialog appears.
Background Files dialog. Choose the required service.
Note This dialog only appears if you chose an ArcIMS map
server in the previous step.
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Select the service you want from the list. All the available
services on the ArcIMS map server are shown.
Once you select a service and click Next, the following message
appears:
Requesting information on the chosen service.
There may be a short delay while the data is retrieved from the
map server. You can click Cancel at any time.
3.
Choose a Coordinate System.

The available options in this dialog depend on the map server
you initially chose.
40
The URL field shows the map server and service that you are
connected to.
One of these options is presented:
If you selected an OpenGIS map server, you are prompted

to select the coordinate system in which the image files
should be displayed. The list of coordinate systems relates
to those available on the map server.
The code shown (for example, EPSG:26916) is the
identifier used by the Internet map server (IMS) to
reference the available coordinate systems.
Make sure that the correct coordinate system is selected
because the GPS Pathfinder Office software will not
identify the codes.
The current GPS Pathfinder Office coordinate system is
shown. To change it to one that matches the map server
coordinate system, click Change.
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If you requested an ArcIMS map server, the coordinate

system shown is selected by the map serveryou cannot
change it. Click Change to change the coordinate system
in the GPS Pathfinder Office software so that it matches
the Internet map server coordinate system. This displays
the Coordinate System dialog. Click OK or Cancel to
return to the Internet Map wizard.

4.
Choose Layers.
Use this final step in the Internet Map wizard to select which
layers of data to display.
The URL field shows the map server and service that you are
connected to.
Select the check boxes for the layers you want to use. To
quickly select all the layers, click Select All.
42
If you change your mind, click Clear All to quickly deselect any
layers you have selected.
The maximum extents information shows the total area covered
by the currently selected layer(s).
Click Finish to view the list of layers that you have selected
from the Internet map server in the Load Background Files
dialog. If no layers are selected when you click Finish, a
message appears advising you that at least one layer must be
selected.
Image Properties Dialog
The following dialog appears when a map server image is selected in
the Background Files dialog and you click Save As. Use it to set the
scale, resolution, and extents before you save the image.
Define Image Resolution Enter the scale of the image. The scale
format that you can use is determined by the setting selected in

Options / Style of Display / Scale Format. For more information, see
Scale Plot, page 54.
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Choose or enter the printer or screen resolution that you want. You
have a choice of four resolutions, or you can enter a value.
The output image size for the scale and resolution you have
selectedis shown in both pixels and bytes.
Image Extents The image extents shown are those of the currently
displayed map server image in Map view. If required, you can edit
these map extents.
For more information, see Bottom Left Coordinates and Top Right
Coordinates, page 56.
Click OK to save any changes and return to the Load Background
Files dialog.
Click Cancel to return to the Load Background Files dialog without
saving any changes.
Files of type This field shows the type of background files available,
as shown below:
Choose
to list
All background formats
files in the file formats specified below: *.dxf,

*.shp, *.ssf, *.cor, *.phs, *.bmp, *.tif, *.jpg, *.sid
and *.fbk
DXF format (*.dxf)
binary or ASCII files created in AutoCADs Data

Exchange Format
SHP format (*.shp)
files created in ArcViews Shapefile format
SSF format (*.ssf)
data files
COR format (*.cor)
corrected data files
PHS format (*.phs)
data files created using the Phase Processor

Software
BMP format (*.bmp)
raster files created in the Windows Bitmap

format
TIF format (*.tif)
raster files created in the Tagged Image Format
JPEG format (*.jpg, *.jpeg) raster files created in the Joint Photographic
Experts Group format
44
Choose
to list
MrSID format (*.sid)
raster files created in the Multiresolution

Seamless Image Database format
FBK format (*.fbk)
files created in the Trimble Fast Backdrop

Format from files you previously loaded
All files (*.*)
all files in the folder
For more information on these file formats, see Chapter 2,

Background Files.
Click Open to add the selected files. The Load Background Files
dialog appears again, and its list box contains the selected files.
Note Three-dimensional shapefiles used by ArcView version 3.1
cannot be loaded as background files in the GPS Pathfinder Office
software.
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1.2.8
Waypoints
Use this command to access waypoint file commands. The open
waypoint file stores any waypoints you create. A waypoint file can be
transferred to a data collector or field computer for use when
navigating.
New
Select File / Waypoints / New to create a new waypoint file. The
File Name This field already contains a name. However, you can
overwrite it with a name that is more meaningful to you.
46
The supplied name is created according to the following default

scheme:
filename
wMMDDHHx.wpt
Character that identifies the file as a waypoint file
MM
Month
DD
Day
HH
Hour
Counter
.wpt
Extension
The values indicate the time when the file was created. The counter
enables you to distinguish between files. If more than one file is
created during a particular hour; a is used for the first file, b for the
second file, c for the third file, and so on. The .wpt extension
indicates that the file is a waypoint file.
You can configure the GPS Pathfinder Office software to use a
different initial letter when naming the file. See Style of Display,
page 145.
The name in the File name field above, w071515a.wpt, indicates that
the file was the first file created between 3 and 4 p.m. (UTC time) on
July 15. This naming by type, date, and time can later help you to
identify the file that you need.
Waypoint files can have the extension .wpt or .ssf.
Save as type This field indicates the file type which is displayed in
the window below the Save in field. There are three options: .wpt, .ssf
and All Files.
OK, Cancel, and Help Click OK to create the new waypoint file. If a
waypoint file was already open, you are asked if you want to close it.
If you click Yes, the waypoint list that appears when you select Data /
Waypoint Properties is now empty. Any previous waypoints were
saved to the previous waypoint file.
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The Waypoint Properties dialog is automatically displayed when you

create a new waypoint file or open an existing waypoint file.
Click Cancel to close the dialog.
Click Help to access the online help system.
Open
Select File / Waypoints / Open to select an existing waypoint file. The
File name The window below the Look in field contains the files (of
the type defined in the Files of type field) that are in the current folder.
You can change the drive and folder in order to access the file you
want. Waypoint files can have the extension .wpt or .ssf. Select the file
that you need from the window.
48
Files of type This field shows the available types of waypoint files:
Choose...
to...
Waypoint Files
(*.WPT)
list waypoint files created by the GPS Pathfinder

Office or ASPEN software
Waypoint Files
(*.SSF)
list waypoint files created by the DOS-based

PFINDER software
All Files (*.*)
list all files in the folder
OK, Cancel, and Help Click OK to open the waypoint file you
selected. If a waypoint file was previously opened, you are asked if

you want to close it. If you click Yes, the waypoints in the file you just
opened appear in the Waypoint Properties dialog. For more
information, see Waypoint Properties, page 119. Previous waypoints
were saved to the previous waypoint file. The Waypoint Properties
dialog is automatically displayed when you create a new waypoint file
or open an existing waypoint file.
Click Cancel to close the dialog.
Click Help to access the online help system.
Close
Select File / Waypoints / Close to close the current waypoint file and
save any changes made since the file was opened.
ASCII Import
This command enables you to import waypoints from an ASCII file.
For example, you can export points of interest from your GIS or CAD
package to a file, then import them into the GPS Pathfinder Office
software.
The waypoints in the ASCII file must be in the following format:
Records are in the order: longitude, latitude, height (optional),

text (optional) or east, north, elevation (optional), text
(optional).
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Fields are separated by commas or spaces and each record

begins on a new line.
Text must be enclosed in double quotation marks.
Format for longitude and latitude is decimal degrees.

For example:
-122.10014 37.26642 -12.25 "PINE TREE"
-122.10001 37.2625 1.2 "OAK TREE"
-122.10018 37.26695 -16.83 "HYDRANT"
The waypoints in the ASCII file can be in any coordinate system;

when you import them you are asked to specify the following:
The coordinate system and zone, or the local site
The units used for East, North, height, and elevation
Select File / Waypoints / ASCII Import. The following dialog appears:
This dialog has the standard controls for opening a file. For
information about them, refer to Basics of Operation in your GPS
Pathfinder Office Getting Started Guide.
50
Select the file that you want to import and click Open. The following
dialog appears:
Use this dialog to select the coordinate system and units in which the
waypoints are defined. For an explanation of the fields in the dialog,
see Coordinate System, page 139.
If you select an incorrect file format, for example, .doc or .xls, the
following error message appears.
Click OK and select a different file to import.
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1.2.9
Plot Map
Select File / Plot Map to create a plot of the current map display. Your
plot can contain information from the open data, waypoint, and
background files.
A plot enables you to:
work on a paper copy of the data
create an overlay for an existing map sheet, so that you can

compare contents
output the data in paper form for storage or legal purposes
Note File / Plot Map is unavailable if the Map window is not open or
is empty.
By default, every plot created by the GPS Pathfinder Office software
contains a title, the coordinate system and zone of the plot, the name
of the open data file, and a scale bar. The rest of the plot is available
for the contents of the Map window.
Tip You can customize the location of the standard fields on the plot, or
hide some or all of these fields. For more information, see Customizing
the Fields on a Plot, page 59.
By default, the scale and bounding coordinates are selected so that the
entire contents of the Map window are displayed in the plot. You can
change these values at any time. Depending on the paper size of the
printer, more data may be displayed to the top and bottom or the left
and right of the plot in order to fill all available space. A plot always
fills the entire sheet of paper.
Use View / Layers to specify what is displayed in the Map window.
You can show or hide feature types, waypoints, and background
layers, and display them using different symbols. You can only plot
data that is displayed in the Map window.
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Select File / Plot Map. The following dialog appears:
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Tip Create a file containing the information exactly as it is printed to use

in other applications, by changing the printer port and printing to a file. To
change the port that a printer is connected to:
1. Open the Printers folder (Select Settings / Printers from the Windows
Start menu).
2. Click the icon for the printer you are using.
3. On the File menu, select Properties.
4. Click the Details tab.
5. Set the port in the Print to the following port drop-down list to FILE:
(Creates a file on disk).
When next you print using this printer you are prompted for a file name
and location. A file is then created on disk.
The contents of this file differ from the information copied with the Copy
Window command. This file contains a title, the coordinate system and
zone of the plot, the name of the open data file, and a scale bar, as well as
the contents of the Map window. The Copy Window command copies only
the contents of the window.
Plot Title Enter the name of the plot in the Plot Title field. This text
appears immediately below the plotted data. A plot title is optional.

Scale (Plot) This field specifies the scale of the plot. The scale is a
ratio of page units to real-world units. For example, a scale of 1:2500

means that 1 cm on the plotted page corresponds to 2500 centimeters
(25 meters) in the real world.
The scale can be a ratio independent of the units used, for example
1:2500, or in the form 1 inch to x feet. To configure the type of scale,
select Options / Style of Display.
By default, the scale is set so that the contents of the Map window fit
into the available plotting area. This scale is always a round value, for
example 1:5000. Depending on the comparative shapes of the Map
window and the plotting area, more data may be displayed either to the
top and bottom of the plot, or to the left and right of the plot, in order
to fill the available plot area. By default, the plot never displays less
data than appears in the Map window.
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If you increase the scale value (make the number to the right of the
ratio larger), more data will be plotted than is shown in the Map
window.
If you decrease the scale value (make the number to the right of the
ratio smaller), the amount of data to be displayed may exceed the
available plot area. In this case, if you try to plot or display a screen
preview, the following message appears:
This message indicates that you have asked to display more data than
can fit in the available plot area.
You can:
select a larger scale value
set the bounding coordinates closer together
select a larger paper size if your printer or plotter allows it
ignore the message and plot as much as will fit on the page
anyway
Bottom Left Coordinates The fields in the Bottom Left Coordinates
area are the coordinates of the bottom left corner of the plot, in the
current coordinate system. By default, these coordinates are selected
so that the entire contents of the Map window appear in the plot, and
so that the Map window is centered in the plot.
You can enter specific coordinates into these fields, for example, to
create an overlay of a map with known bounding coordinates. If these
coordinates make the plot too large to fit in the available plot area, a
warning message appears when you try to plot or display a screen
preview.
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Top Right Coordinates The fields in the Top Right Coordinates area
are the coordinates of the top right corner of the plot, in the current
coordinate system. By default, the coordinates are selected so that the
entire contents of the Map window appear in the plot, and so that the
Map window is centered in the plot.
You can enter specific coordinates into these fields, for example, to
create an overlay of a map with known bounding coordinates. If the
coordinates you enter make the plot too large to fit in the available plot
area, a warning message appears when you try to plot or display a
screen preview.
Grid Table 1.2 describes the available grid display options.
Table 1.2
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Grid display options
Option
Description
Plot Border Ticks
Select the Plot Border Ticks check box to

display border ticks and labels around the
edge of the plotting area. Border ticks are
displayed along all four sides of the plot area,
and labels are displayed along the top and left
sides. The distance between border ticks is
determined by the Interval field.
Plot Grid Cuts
Select the Plot Grid Cuts check box to display

regular grid cuts (crosses) across the plot
area. The distance between grid cuts is
determined by the Interval field.
Interval
The Interval field determines the distance that

separates border ticks and grid crosses. By
default, the interval is one that inserts at least
two grid marks along the shortest side of the
plot.
Plot Lat/Long Border

Ticks
If the current coordinate system is

Latitude/Longitude, select the Plot Lat/Long
Border Ticks check box to display border ticks
and labels around the edge of the plotting
area. Border ticks are displayed along all four
sides of the plot area, and labels are displayed
along the top and left sides. The distance
between border ticks is determined by the
Interval field.
Table 1.2
Grid display options (Continued)
Option
Description
Plot Lat/Long Grid

Latitude/Longitude, select the Plot Lat/Long
Grid check box to display regular grid cuts
(crosses) across the plot area. The distance
between grid cuts is determined by the Interval
field.
Interval

Latitude/Longitude, the Interval field
determines the distance that separates border
ticks and grid crosses. By default, the interval
is one that inserts at least two grid marks
along the shortest side of the plot. Enter the
interval as an angle, for example 030'00" for 0
degrees and 30 minutes.
Plot Size This field displays the actual size of the plot on paper. If
either of these dimensions is greater than the corresponding dimension
in the Maximum Possible Plot Size field, the plot will be clipped. You
are warned of this if you try to plot or display a screen preview.
Maximum Possible Plot Size This field displays the maximum
possible size of the plot on paper. This is the paper size minus the
surrounding border and any caption. If either of the dimensions in the
Plot Size field exceed these dimensions, the plot will be clipped. You
are warned of this if you try to plot or display a screen preview.
OK and Cancel (Plot Map) Click OK to accept the plot parameters and
start plotting. Click Cancel to close the Plot Map dialog without
saving any changes you made.

Setup Click this button to display the standard Windows Printer Setup
dialog. This dialog allows you to select the printer and configure the
paper size and orientation. For further instructions on using the Printer
Setup dialog, refer to your Microsoft Windows documentation.
Set Font Click this button to display the standard Windows Font
dialog. This dialog allows you to select the font, font style, size and
script type. For further instructions on using the Font dialog, refer to
your Microsoft Windows documentation.
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Preview Click this button to display the plot as it will appear when
printed, for example:
In this mode, the status bar changes to show you the number of the
current page. The Preview window options are described below:
Click...
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to...
Print
send the file to the printer.
Next Page
scroll to the next page of the preview. This button

is disabled if you are already on the last page.
Prev Page
scroll to the previous page of the preview. This

button is disabled if you are already on the first
page.
One Page / Two Page
toggle between a single-page and a two-page

display. This button is disabled if there is only one
page.
Click...
to...
Zoom In
zoom in to the preview window. There are three

levels of zoom. This button is disabled if you are
already at the maximum level.
Click on the previewed page to zoom in to the

next level, centered on the point where you
clicked. A magnifying glass pointer indicates
when this is possible.
Zoom Out
zoom out of the preview window. There are three

levels of zoom. This button is disabled if you are
already at the minimum level.
Customizing the Fields on a Plot

In addition to the plotted data and the options you set up in the Plot
Map dialog, a printed map plot contains a number of standard fields
such as the coordinate system, scale, filename, and date.
The location and appearance of each standard field is determined by a
parameter in a Planform (.pfd) file. There is a Planform file for each
paper size you can print to.
To change the appearance of a plot, you must edit the Planform file for
the paper size you will print to. Planform filenames are of the form
wxh.pfd, where w represents the width, in millimeters, of the paper,
and h represents the height in millimeters. For example:
A4 size is 210 x 297 mm. To change the appearance of plots on

A4 paper, edit the 210x297.pfd file.
(US) Letter size is 215.9 x 279.4 mm. To change the appearance

of plots on Letter paper, edit the 215x279.pfd file.
Each paper size is represented by two Planform files: one for the
portrait (tall) orientation, and one for landscape (wide) orientation. For
example, settings for plotting onto US Letter paper in landscape
format are stored in the file 279x215.pfd.
Planform files are located in the folder C:\Program Files\Common
Files\Trimble\PFOffice\Config.
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Once you have identified the Planform file you want to customize, you
can open it in Microsoft Notepad and do either of the following:
Hide fields
Change the logo graphic displayed on a plot
Hiding Fields on a Plot

You can hide a field that normally appears on the plot by commenting
out the parameter in the Planform file that defines its location. To
comment out a parameter, insert a semicolon ( ; ) before the first letter
of the parameter name.
For example, the location of the application name, GPS Pathfinder
Office, is defined by the value of the parameter Application in the
[Frame] section. To hide the application name, comment out this
parameter as follows:
;Application=(0.153,0.036).
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Table 1.3 shows the parameters you can comment out, and the fields
that they represent.
Table 1.3
Parameters to comment out
Section
Parameter
Field
[Frame]
Border 1
The outer border of the page
[Frame]
Border 2
The inner border of the page
[Frame]
Title
The title of the plot

TIP: You can also hide the title by
leaving the Plot Title field in the Plot
Map dialog blank.
[Frame]
North Arrow
The arrow indicating the direction of

north relative to the plotted data
[Frame]
Scale
The scale ratio and scale marker.
[Frame]
File Value
The name of the data file, or the text

Multiple files" if more than one file is
open
[Frame]
Date Value
The current date
[Frame]
Application
The text "GPS Pathfinder Office"
[Frame]
Logo
The text "Trimble"
[Coord System]
Cursor
The coordinate system
[PWMF]
Extents
The graphic or logo
To hide fields on a plot:

1.
Open Microsoft Notepad.
2.
From the File menu, select Open.

The Open dialog appears.
3.
Change drive and folder if necessary to move to C:\Program

Files\Common Files\Trimble\GPS PFOffice\Config.
4.
From the Files of Type field, select All Files.
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5.
Select the .pfd file that corresponds to the paper size you want
to print to, and click Open.
For information on selecting the correct Planform (.pfd) file, see
Customizing the Fields on a Plot, page 59.
The selected file opens in Microsoft Windows Notepad.
6.
Check that the Name parameter in the [Planform] section shows

the paper size and orientation you want to use.
7.
Comment out any of the parameters listed in the table above to

hide the corresponding fields on the plot.
8.
From the File menu, choose Save.
9.
From the File menu, choose Exit.

Microsoft Notepad closes.
You can use the Preview button in the Plot Map dialog to check the
results of your changes.
Tip Changes to the Planform file have no effect in the printed or

previewed plot if the Plot Map window is already open. To view changes,
close the Plot Map dialog and open it again.
Changing the Logo on a Plot

By default, the Trimble logo appears in the bottom right corner of the
plot. You can replace this logo with your own graphic or logo by
editing the Planform file that defines which graphics file to use and
where to place it.
The Planform file contains a number of parameters that define the
location of fields on the plot. These parameters have a list of numbers
as their value. For example:
Scale=(0.107,0.026,0.147,0.046)
File Value=(0.153,0.046)
62
The numbers represent the coordinates of the field, measured in

meters from the bottom left corner of the paper. The parameter value is
of the form (L1, B1, L2, B2), or (L1, B1), where:
L1 is the distance of the left edge of the field from the left edge
of the paper
B1 is the distance of the bottom edge of the field from the

bottom edge of the paper
L2 is the distance of the right edge of the field from the left edge
of the paper
B2 is the distance of the top edge of the field from the bottom
edge of the paper
Note If the field contains a single line of text, such as the File Value
field, only the bottom left coordinate is required. The width and height
are determined by the text value and the font and size you selected
with the Set Font button.
For example, the value that defines the coordinates of the graphic
displayed below is (0.145, 0.025, 0.195, 0.075):
The left edge of the graphic shown is 145 mm (0.145 m) from the left
edge of the paper, and its right edge is 195 mm (0.195 m) from the left
edge. Its bottom edge is 25 mm (0.025 m) from the bottom of the
paper its top edge is 75 mm (0.075 m) from the bottom of the paper.
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To change the appearance of the logo graphic on a plot:

1.
In a graphics program, create a .wmf file with your logo or

design.
The Windows MetaFile (.wmf) format is a vector format, so a
.wmf file can be resized or scaled without affecting its print
quality.
2.
Open Microsoft Notepad.
3.
From the File menu, select Open.

The Open dialog appears.
4.
Change drive and folder if necessary to move to C:\Program

Files\Common Files\Trimble\PFOffice\Config.
5.
From the Files of Type field, select All Files.
6.
Select the .pfd file that corresponds to the paper size you want
to print to, and click Open.
7.
For information on selecting the correct Planform (.pfd) file, see

Customizing the Fields on a Plot, page 59.
8.
The selected file opens in Microsoft Notepad.
9.
Check that the Name parameter in the [Planform] section shows

the paper size and orientation you want to use.
10. At the end of the file, add the following section:

[PWMF]
Filename=
Extents=
11. In the Filename parameter, enter the location and name of the
.wmf file you created; for example, Filename=c:\program files\common
files\trimble\pfoffice\config\logo.wmf.
12. In the Extents parameter, enter the coordinates of the location
where you want to place the logo graphic, for example,
Extents=(0.153,0.027,0.186,0.031).
13. From the File menu, choose Save.
64
14. From the File menu, choose Exit. Microsoft Notepad closes.
You can use the Preview button in the Plot Map dialog to check the
location and size of the logo graphic. If the logo is not in the right
place or is at the wrong scale, open the Planform file again and edit the
values in the Extents parameter.
B
1.2.10
Tip Changes to the Planform file have no effect in the printed or

previewed plot if the Plot Map window is already open. To view changes,
close the Plot Map dialog and open it again.
Exit
Select File / Exit to close the GPS Pathfinder Office software.
If your data file is still open and there are unsaved changes in it, you
are asked whether you want to save those changes. Click Yes to close
the data file and save the changes.
When this process is completed, the GPS Pathfinder Office software
closes.
The window layout is saved if Options / Save Window Layout on Exit
is selected. The same window layout appears the next time you start
the GPS Pathfinder Office software.
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1.3
GPS Pathfinder Office Software Edit Menu
Edit Menu
The Edit menu groups commands for editing text in fields and for
searching for a feature or note. The editing commands are only
available when there is an editable field in the active dialog.
B
1.3.1
Tip It is often quicker to edit text using keyboard shortcuts.
Undo Text Edit

Undo, or [Ctrl]+[Z], cancels or reverses the previous text edit.
1.3.2
Cut Text
Cut Text, or [Ctrl]+[X], removes the selected text from its current
location and stores it in the clipboard so that you can paste it
elsewhere.
1.3.3
Copy Text
Copy Text, or [Ctrl]+[C], copies the selected text to the clipboard so that
you can later paste it elsewhere.
1.3.4
Paste Text
Paste Text, or [Ctrl]+[V], adds the contents of the clipboard into the field
at the position marked by the cursor.
1.3.5
Delete Text
Delete Text, or [Delete], deletes the selected text.
66
1.3.6
Copy Window
Use Copy Window to copy the active window to the clipboard. The
Map, Time Line, Feature Properties, and Position Properties windows
can all be copied. The window can then be pasted into another
application, for example, a Microsoft Word document.
Tip If you are unsure which window is currently active, select the
Window menu. The bottom portion of the menu lists the windows currently
open, and a check indicates the active window.
Note The information copied with the Copy Window command

differs from the contents of a file created using the Plot Map
command. The Copy Window command copies the contents of the
window only; whereas the file created using the Plot Map command
contains the file title, the coordinate system and zone of the plot, the
name of the open data file, and a scale bar of the map, in addition to
the contents of the window.
1.3.7
Find Feature
Use Find Feature to search for a feature, for example, when the
particular feature you are looking for is not obvious on the map or
time line, or when there are many features. You can limit the search to
features of a particular type, and apply a test to an attribute you
specify. Only features that pass the test are found.
Tip Turn on View / Auto Pan To Selection, so that the map and time line
automatically pan to display the feature you find.
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Select Edit / Find Feature. The following dialog appears:
Use the fields and option buttons in this dialog to characterize the
feature you are looking for, and so narrow down the search. For
example, the dialog above will search for the first parking lot in the
data file with a surface type that is asphalt.
Feature Select the type of feature (for example, Parking lot or tree)
you are searching for from the drop-down list that appears when you
click .
Attribute Use this field to select the attribute you want to apply a test
to. The default, and the first entry in the list you can select from, is
<No test>. This allows a search for all occurrences of the feature you
selected, regardless of their attributes and attribute values. Selecting
<No test> disables the following two fields.
Test You can use this field to specify a test. The GPS Pathfinder
Office software only finds features that pass the test, narrowing down
the search for the feature you want. The options available depend on
the attribute type. The test is not case-sensitive.
The following option is available for text attributes:
Containing Selects features whose attribute contains the text in
the Value field.
68
The following options are available for menu attributes:
Equals Selects features with the attribute value specified in the

Value field.
Not equals Selects features that do not have the attribute value
specified in the Value field.

The following options are available for numeric, date, and time
attributes:
Equals Selects features with the attribute value specified in the

Value field.
Not equals Selects features that do not have the attribute value
Less than Selects features with a lesser attribute value than that
Greater than Selects features with a greater attribute value than

that specified in the Value field.
Value Enter a value for the test into this field, or select a value from
the list, if the selected attribute is a menu attribute.

Search This group provides the following options for defining the
beginning point or the direction of the search:
Select...
to...
From Start
start from the beginning of the

data file. This is the default
when you first search for a
feature. Once the first
occurrence of a feature is
found, the option For Next is
selected.
For Previous
proceed backwards from the

currently selected feature.
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Select...
to...
For Next
proceed forwards from the

currently selected feature.
From End
start from the end of the data

file and proceeds backwards.
Once the last occurrence of
the feature is found, the option
For Previous is selected.
Find and Close Click Find to carry out the search as you have
specified. If a match is found, the feature is highlighted on the map
and/or time line and appears in the Query Feature dialog. Click Close
to close the dialog, leaving the found feature highlighted.
If a match is not found, the message Did not find a matching xxx feature
appears, where xxx stands for the feature entered in the Feature field.
1.3.8
Find Note
Find Note lets you find a note that contains a particular portion of text.
Select Edit / Find Note. The following dialog appears:
Containing Enter the text portion belonging to the note you are
looking for into this field (the search is not case-sensitive).
70
Search This group provides the following options for defining the
beginning point or the direction of the search:
Select...
to...
From Start
begin from the beginning of the data file. This is the

default when you first search for a note. Once the first
note is found, the option For Next is selected.
For Previous
proceed backwards.
For Next
proceed forwards.
From End
begin from the end of the data file and proceeds

backwards. Once a note is found, the option For
Previous is selected.
Find and Close Click Find to carry out the search as you have
specified. If a match is found, the note is highlighted on the time line

and displayed in the Query Feature dialog. Click Close to close the
dialog, leaving the found note highlighted.
If a match is not found, the message Did not find a note containing <text>
appears.
1.3.9
Delete Features
Use the Delete Features dialog to delete (or restore) a particular group
of features. You can limit the type of feature, and apply a test to an
attribute that you specify. Only features that pass the test are deleted.
Tip Deleting features is useful when you are transferring data files back
to a data collector for update. When you delete a feature it is flagged as
deleted. Features that are flagged as deleted are not transferred back to
the data collector. This reduces the size of the file that is transferred to the
data collector and lets you send only the data that you require for update.
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When you select Edit / Delete Features the following dialog appears:
Use the fields and buttons in this dialog to select the feature(s) you
want to delete. For example, the settings in the dialog above will
delete all sign features that have a Condition attribute value that is
equal to Repair.
Feature Select the type of feature (for example, sign or tree) that you
want to delete (or restore) from the list that appears when you press
This contains all feature types contained in the open data file.
Attribute Use this field to specify the attribute that you want to apply
a test to. All possible attributes for the selected feature appear in the
list. The default entry in the list is <No test>. This will delete all
occurrences of the feature you selected, regardless of their attributes
and attribute values. Selecting <No test> disables the Test and Value
fields.
Test Use this field to specify the test that will be applied to the
attribute value. The GPS Pathfinder Office software only deletes (or
undeletes) features that pass the test. The options available depend on
the Attribute type. The test is not case-sensitive.
The following options are available for menu attributes:
72
Choose...
to...
Equals
delete (or undeletes) features with the attribute value

Not equals
delete (or undeletes) features that do not have the

attribute value specified in the Value field.
The following options are available for numeric, date, and time
attributes:
Choose...
to...
Equals
delete (or undeletes) features with the attributes value

Not equals
delete (or undeletes) features that do not have the

attribute value specified in the Value field.
Less than
delete (or undeletes) features with a lesser attribute value

than that specified in the Value field.
Greater than
delete (or undeletes) features with a greater attribute

value than that specified in the Value field.
The following options are available for text attributes:

Choose...
to...
Containing
delete (or undeletes) features whose attributes contains

the text in the Value field.
Not
Containing
delete all features whose attributes do not contain the text

in the Value field.
Value Enter a value into this field, or select a value from the list, if the
attribute is a menu attribute.

Delete Click this button to carry out the delete as you have specified.
If there are features that pass the specified test, the following dialog
appears:
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This dialog indicates the number of features that passed the test. Click
Yes to delete these features. When the features are deleted they will
disappear from the Map and Time Line views. Click No to return to
the Delete features dialog.
If the file does not contain any of the features that you specified, the
Undelete This button is used to carry out the undelete that you have
specified. If there are features that pass the specified test, the
This dialog indicates the number of features that passed the test. Click
Yes to undelete these features. When the features are undeleted they
will reappear on the Map and Time Line views. Click No to return to
the Delete features dialog.

If the file does not contain any features that you specified, the
74
1.3.10
Delete Block of Positions

Use this function to delete a block of positions from the open data file.
When you select Edit / Delete Block of Positions, the cursor changes
to
over the map window.
Drag the cursor across the map window until you produce a rectangle
that contains the data that you want to delete. When you release the
mouse button, the following message appears:
Click Yes to delete the selected block of positions.
Tip When applied to averaged vertices, the Delete Block of Positions

function performs the same action as the Delete Vertex and Positions
command in the Position Properties dialog.
Note Block delete does not change the positions associated with
quickmarks as displayed on the Map window or Position Properties
dialog at the time of using Block Delete. To regenerate the quickmark
position based on the remaining positions after Block Delete, select
Options / Quickmark Settings. After the Quickmark Time Limit (if
required) click OK to reprocess the quickmarks.
1.3.11
Undelete All Positions

Undelete All Positions restores all deleted positions in the open data
file. Positions can be restored at any time.
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1.3.12
Select
Select has the same effect as clicking on the Select tool; the pointer is
always an arrow, and clicking on an item in the map or time line
selects that item. For more information, refer to Basics of Operation in
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1.4
View Menu
The View menu contains commands affecting the display of
information. You can open the Map and Time Line windows to display
your data graphically, configure the display and specify what it will
show.
1.4.1
Map
Use this command to display the Map window. If you displayed it in
your last session, and Save Window Layout on Exit (under the Options
menu) was checked, it will automatically be displayed on start-up, but
will not contain any data until you load background files, open a data
file, or open a waypoint file.
Select View / Map. The Map window appears:
The Map window is the primary means of viewing the data. It

provides a plan view of the area. The map can display the features you
have collected, the waypoints in the current waypoint file, and any
number of background maps.
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You can zoom in or out and pan the display. You can also select
features and waypoints from the map to view information about them,
or edit them. For more information, refer to Basics of Operation in
Note Displaying the Map window with a very large amount of data
may appear to be slow to refresh when redrawing the display.
Title Bar If there is information displayed in the Map window, the title
bar displays a scale and the distance across the center of the map. For
example, the map displayed above has a scale of 1:25000 and a
distance of 2,500 meters across the center of the Map window.
Note If the map is displaying information in the latitude/longitude
coordinate system, the distance shown in the title bar is the distance
across the map at the lowest latitude, which is nearest to the Equator.
Averaged vertices
In the GPS Pathfinder Office version 2.80 software you can now view
and edit averaged vertex positions. An averaged vertex is a group of
positions within a line or area feature that are averaged and displayed
as a single position.
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Displaying features
Table 1.4 indicates how features are displayed. The display of a
feature differs, depending on whether or not it is selected.
Table 1.4
Display of features on the map
Feature
State
Point
Not selected
The symbol is the symbol specified in the View /

Layers / Features dialog. The position of the
symbol is the averaged position for the point
feature. If you have a mixture of corrected and
uncorrected positions for a point feature, only
the corrected positions will be used to calculate
the averaged position for display on the Map.
Selected
The square is the color specified as the highlight

color in the Control Panel.
Not selected
The line is the thickness and color specified in

the View / Layers / Features dialog.
Selected
The line is the color specified as the highlight

color in the Control Panel.
Not joined
A series of dots is displayed. The dots are the

thickness and color specified in the View /
Layers / Features dialog. To view averaged
vertices, which are displayed as larger dots, a
line or area must be displayed as not joined.
Line or Area
Display
Explanation
Displaying waypoints
Waypoints are displayed using the symbol configured in the Waypoint
Layer dialog. Select View / Layers / Waypoints to configure the
symbol. When the waypoint is selected, a square with a thick line is
displayed around the symbol.
Displaying background files
Layers in background files can be displayed or hidden by selecting
View / Layers / Background, highlighting the appropriate layer, then
selecting or deselecting View as appropriate.
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Note Large bitmaps (for example, .tif files with a height or width
greater than 32,767 pixels) may not display correctly as background
files. Raster files, which initially seem to load as background files,
may appear on the map display as a blank screen with limited
coordinate extents. If this occurs, make the image smaller before
trying to display it again.
For more information about background file formats, see Chapter 1,
GPS Pathfinder Office Software.
1.4.2
Time Line
Use this command to display the Time Line window. If you displayed
it in your last session, and Save Window Layout on Exit (under the
Options menu) was selected, it will automatically be displayed when
you start the GPS Pathfinder Office software, but will not contain any
data until you open a data file.
Select View / Time Line. The Time Line window appears:
The Time Line window provides an alternative view of your data. It

displays the features and notes you have recorded in the current data
file along a time axis. It does not display waypoints.
You can zoom in or out and pan the display. You can also select
features and notes from the time line to view information about them,
or edit them. For more information, refer to Basics of Operation in
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Features and notes in the current data file are displayed on the Time
Line window as follows:
Each feature symbol has a time bar below it, which shows the time
period during which the feature was collected. Items are displayed at
three different height levels:
Notes are at the highest level.
Nested features are in the middle, above the line or area feature
that nests them.
Ordinary features are at the lowest level.
Displaying features
The Time Line window displays features differently depending on
whether or not the feature is selected. Table 1.5 shows the different
ways that the information may be displayed.
Table 1.5
Display of features on the time line
Type
State
Display
Explanation
Point
Not selected
A symbol is displayed above the time bar. The

symbol is the symbol specified in the View /
Layers / Features dialog.
Selected
A square with a thick line is displayed around

the symbol. The square is the color specified
as the highlight color in the Control Panel.
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Table 1.5
Display of features on the time line (Continued)
Type
State
Line
Not selected
A thin line is displayed above the time bar. The

line is the color specified in the View / Layers /
Features dialog.
Selected
A thick line is displayed. The line is the color

specified as the highlight color in the Control
Panel
Not selected
A rectangle is displayed above the time bar.

The rectangle is the color specified in the View
/ Layers / Features dialog.
Selected
A thick border is displayed around the

rectangle. The border is the color specified as
the highlight color in the Control Panel
Area
Display
Explanation
Displaying notes
Notes are displayed using the symbol configured in the Note Layer
dialog. Select View / Layers / Notes to configure the symbol. When the
note is selected, a square with a thick line is displayed around the
symbol.
1.4.3
Layers
Use this command to specify what you want to view in the Map and
Time Line windows. All information is grouped into layers, which can
be turned off or on. All notes, for example, form a layer, as does each
feature defined by the data dictionary. By turning layers off or on, you
can view only those items that you are interested in. The default
setting lets you view all layers.
Use these commands to configure the display of the corresponding
information type; for example, use Features to configure the display
of features. The configuration is remembered between sessions.
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Features Layer
Use this command to determine which features are displayed, and how
they are displayed. Each feature specified in the data dictionary is
grouped into a layer. For example, if your data dictionary defines the
feature tree, you can turn its layer off, so that tree features are not
displayed in the Map or Time Line windows. An additional layer, Not
In Feature, is for any positions you logged between features in the
field. It appears at the top of the list of features and behaves like a line
feature layer.
Select View / Layers / Features. The following dialog appears:
This multi-select dialog gives you control over the display of feature
layers. You can:
show or hide any particular feature layer
select several features and show or hide them all
select several point features and change them all to the same
symbol
select several line and area features and change them all to the
same line style
A second level of control allows you to override the individual

settings and quickly turn all features on or off.
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List window In the Features Layers dialog, the list window contains
the features defined by the data dictionary for the current data file.
Each row displays the symbol and name of a feature. A check mark in
the Show column indicates that the feature layer will be shown.
Show Select the check box beside each layer to turn the layer of the
selected feature or features on. A check mark appears in the Show

column. Clear the check box to turn the layer of the selected feature or
features off. The check mark beside each selected feature disappears.
View This option lets you override the feature layer settings in the List
window. You have the following options:

Choose...
To...
As Above
display only the features with a check mark (the feature

layers that are turned on)
All
display all features, whether they have a check mark or

not
None
display no features, whether they have a check mark or

not
Note You can still find or edit a feature when its layer is not being
displayed in the Map and Time Line windows.
OK Click this button to return to the previous dialog. A sample line
with the properties that you selected now appears beside the line or
area feature(s).
Note The line styles chosen are remembered between sessions and
stored in Feature.bin. This file is stored in \Program Files\Common
Files\Trimble\PFOffice\Config and you can copy it, for example, to
provide other users with your line styles.
Cancel Click this button to close the Features Layers dialog without
making any changes.
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Symbol This button appears when a point feature or a number of

point features are selected. (The Line Style button appears when one
or more line, area, or Not In Feature layers are selected.) Click
Symbol to select a different symbol for the selected feature(s). The
This dialog contains a library of pre-defined symbols. The title bar

shows the name of the point feature(s) that the dialog configures. The
first three symbols are the default symbols for point features, notes
and waypoints, respectively. A thick border indicates the currently
selected symbol.
To choose a symbol, click on it. Alternatively, use the arrow keys to
move the dotted border to a symbol, and press the spacebar. The thick
border moves to the symbol.
Click OK to save the change and return to the previous dialog. The
symbol you chose now appears beside the selected point feature(s).
Clicking Cancel closes the dialog without saving any changes you
made.
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Note The symbols and line styles chosen are remembered between
sessions and stored in Feature.bin and Symbols.bmp. These files are
stored in \Program Files\Common Files\Trimble\PFOffice\Config and
you can copy them, for example, to provide other users with your
symbols.
Tip You can design your own symbols. For more information, refer to
Editing Symbols in your GPS Pathfinder Office Getting Started Guide.
Line Style This button appears when one or more lines, areas, or Not
In Feature layers are selected. (The Symbol button appears when a
point feature or a number of point features are selected.) Click Line
Style to change the line style. The following dialog appears:
The title of the dialog indicates which feature the dialog configures.
The dialog contains a palette of colors which you can choose from. A
thick border indicates the currently selected color. A sample line next
to the Join check box shows you the current style.
To select a color, click on it. (Double-clicking selects the color and
returns you to the previous dialog.) Alternatively, use the arrow keys
to move the dotted border to a color, and press the spacebar. The thick
border moves to the color.
B
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Tip To quickly access the Line Style dialog, right-click on the feature in
Map view and select the appropriate Layer Style command from the menu
that appears.
Thickness To alter the line thickness (or the size of the points if the
line is not joined), select a different line from the drop-down list. The
sample line shows the thickness that you selected. The thickness will
be applied to all items in the current feature layer(s).
Join To represent the feature by a series of dots at the logged GPS
positions, clear the Join check box.

Note To display averaged vertices in a line or area feature, the Join
box must be cleared. Averaged vertices are displayed as a larger dot
symbol, which makes it easy to distinguish them from normal
positions, as shown in Figure 1.2.
Figure 1.2
Averaged vertices display
Help (Features Layers) Click Help to view help on the Features
Layers dialog.
Notes Layer
This command lets you view or hide the notes in your current data file.
Select View / Layers / Notes. The following dialog appears:
View This check box determines whether notes are displayed. If the
box is selected, notes appear on the time line. If it is not selected, notes
do not appear.
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Note You can still edit notes when the Note layer is hidden.
Symbol Click this button to change the symbol representing a note.
(The current symbol appears to the left of the button.) For more
information, see Features Layer, page 83.
Waypoints Layer
This command lets you view or hide the waypoints in your current
waypoint file.
Select View / Layers / Waypoints. The following dialog appears:
View This check box determines whether waypoints are displayed on
the map. If the box is selected, waypoints appear. If it is not selected,

all waypoints are hidden.
Note You can still create and edit waypoints when the waypoint
layer is hidden.
Symbol Click this button to change the symbol representing a
waypoint. (The current symbol appears to the left of the button.) For
more information, see Features Layer, page 83.
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Background Layer
This command lets you configure the display of background files in
the Map window.
Select View / Layers / Background. The following dialog appears:
This dialog lists the names of the layers formed from all loaded
background files and indicates their format.
Use this dialog to:
show or hide any particular background layer
select several layers and show or hide them all
A second level of control allows you to override the individual

settings and quickly turn all layers on or off.
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A background file produces a single layer or a series of layers,

depending on the file format, as shown in Table 1.6.
Table 1.6
Formation of background layers
File format
Layers
DXF
A layer is formed from each DXF layer
SSF, COR, or PHS
A layer is formed from each feature type
TIF, SHP, or BMP
A layer is formed from each file
List window This window displays the layers from the loaded
background files.
A check mark in the Show column indicates that the layer will be
shown.
The current symbol or line style for items in the layer appears to the
left of the layer name. It is assigned by the software, if the background
file cannot hold such information. Otherwise the area is left blank.
The Layer Name column shows the name of a layer, if the background
file contains layer information. Otherwise, for example, if the format
is TIF, SHP, or BMP, the layer name is the file name.
The Format column displays the file extension of the background file
from which the layer comes. This indicates the file format. For more
information on background file formats, see Chapter 1, GPS
Pathfinder Office Software.
Show - Select the check box beside each layer to turn on the
selected layer(s). A check mark appears in the Show column.
Clear the check box to turn off the selected layer(s). The check
mark beside the layer(s) disappears.
Symbol Click this button to change the symbol associated with each
feature in the current layer. The symbol you choose appears in the
Background Layers dialog alongside the layer name.
Note You cannot change the symbol for raster and DXF files; these
files have their own symbol information.
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View The options in this group let you override the settings in the list
box above:
Choose...
To...
As Above
display only the layers with a check mark (the layers

that are turned on).
All
display all layers, whether they have a check mark or

not.
None
display no layers, whether they have a check mark

or not.
Display These options let you display the background files in the
colors specified in the file or in a single color.

Choose...
To...
Colors From File
display the background using the colors specified

in the background file
Single Color
display the background in one color. The color for

disabled text is used. (You can change this color
in the Windows Control Panel.)
Note Raster files are not affected by the Display options.
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1.4.4
Precisions
Use this command to control the display of precision circles around
points in the Map window.
Select View / Layers / Precisions and the following dialog appears:
Select the View check box to turn on the precision circles.

Select the line color and thickness to make circles easier to see.
Click OK to confirm your options and close the Precisions dialog.
Precision estimates are calculated using a complex algorithm that
takes into account the DOP values, number of satellites, receiver type,
and some other factors for each GPS position.
Note Precision circles appear only when precision estimates have
been computed for the currently selected file. Precision estimates are
calculated by the Trimble Data Transfer utility when a data file is
transferred, and the Differential Correction utility. If the data file does
not contain precision estimates, run the Check SSF Files utility to
generate them. If the precision circles are not visible at the present
scale of the Map window, zoom in on points.
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1.4.5
Pan
This command is the menu equivalent of the Pan tool. Use it to pan
across the Map or Time Line window, so that you display a different
part of it. For more information, refer to Basics of Operation in your
GPS Pathfinder Office Getting Started Guide.
When you pan across an image that is stored on an Internet map
server, the current image remains in the Map view. The new image
replaces the current one when it is received from the map server.
If the software has problems accessing the Internet map server while
you are viewing an image, an error message appears. To continue
viewing the image, click Yes. If you click No, the image is not
displayed and the program stops trying to connect to the map server.
To restore the connection, return to the Load Background Files dialog,
make sure the correct URL is selected, and click OK.
1.4.6
Auto-Pan to Selection
This command ensures that the map and time line always display the
selected item.
Select View / Auto-pan to Selection to display or remove the check
mark beside the command.
When the check mark is displayed, the Map and Time Line windows
pan to keep the selected item within the window whenever it reaches
the window border.
Tip Turn this option on when scrolling through features in the Feature
Properties window, positions in the Position Properties window, or
waypoints in the Waypoint Properties window. The map and time line will
automatically pan to show any item that you select.
When you auto-pan across an image that is stored on an Internet map

server, the current image remains in the Map View. The new image
replaces the current one when it is received from the map server.
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1.4.7
Zoom
Select View / Zoom and a submenu of commands for altering the scale
of the Map or Time Line windows appears.
These commands are the menu equivalents of the Zoom In, Zoom Out,
and Zoom Extents tools. You can only select View / Zoom / Extents or
View / Zoom / Previous if the Map or the Time Line window is the
active window. For more information, refer to Zooming in your GPS
Pathfinder Office Getting Started Guide.
When you use the Zoom commands on an image that is stored on an
Internet map server, the current image remains in the Map view. The
new image replaces the current one when it is received from the map
server.
1.4.8
Scale (View)
Select View / Scale and the following submenu of commands appears:
Scale / Map lets you change the Map window and Scale / Time Line
lets you change the Time Line window. These commands are not
available when the respective windows contain no data or are not
displayed.
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1.4.9
Map Scale
Select View / Scale / Map. The following dialog appears:
Use this dialog to set the Map window scale and center.
Scale You can use this field to specify a scale for the Map window.
Select a value from the drop-down list or enter a value. If you defined
a width, the Scale field already has a value.
The format of the Scale field is defined by Options / Style of Display.
Width You can use this field to specify the ground distance displayed
across the map. If you defined a width, the Width field already has a
value.
Center At You can specify the center point of the map as a pair of
coordinates. This is an alternative to panning the map using the Pan
tool.
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1.4.10
Time Line Scale

Select View / Scale / Time Line and the following dialog appears:
Use this dialog to specify the time span and start time for the Time
Line window.
Duration Use this field to specify a duration for the time line. The
larger the value the longer the time span displayed in the Time Line
window. Pick a value from the drop-down list or key in any value.
Start From This group lets you specify a start time for the time line.
The time and date you enter determine the time displayed at the
left-hand edge of the Time Line window.
1.4.11
Refresh
Use the Refresh command if the display in the Map or Time Line
windows has become unclear.
Select View / Refresh to redraw the Map and Time Line windows on
the screen.
When you refresh an image that is stored on an Internet map server,
the current image remains in the map view until the newly requested
image is received.
When you refresh an image that is stored on an Internet map server,
the current image remains in the map view. The new image replaces
the current one when it is received from the map server.
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1.4.12
Smart Averaging
A point feature position is the best possible result of an average of all
readings taken for that point. Individual readings within an area
known as the precision circle are assigned weightings. The best
readings are favoured with a higher weighting, which contributes
more to the average than a lower weighting.
Smart averaging does not apply to line or area features.
Note Make sure the PPRT option of your data collector is switched
on to ensure all positions are included in smart averaging.
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1.5
GPS Pathfinder Office Software Data Menu
Data Menu
The Data menu contains commands for querying and editing collected
data. The Create Feature dialog lets you add features to the data file.
The Feature Properties window lets you review and edit the data,
while the Waypoint Properties dialog lets you create, edit, and delete
waypoints. The Position Properties window lets you examine
individual (GPS) positions in a data file. The Measure tool lets you
measure between points on the map.
The Create Feature dialog lets you add new features to the open data
file.
Select Data / Create Feature. The following dialog appears:
Select Feature This window provides a list of all the features in the
open data files data dictionary. If there are more features than can be
displayed at once, use the arrow buttons to scroll up or down the list to
find the one you want.
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Attributes From This option allows you to specify the source of the
attribute values for the new feature.
Choose...
to obtain attribute values from...
Defaults
the defaults specified in the data dictionary.
Selected
the selected feature. If you are creating a new feature of

a different type to that currently selected in the data file
(or no feature is selected), the attributes from the data
dictionary defaults are used instead.
Last Entered
the last feature of the same kind that you created. If you
are creating a new feature and have not created that
feature in the data file before, the data dictionary defaults
are used instead.
OK Click this button to create a new feature of the type selected. The
Enter Attributes dialog appears.

Close Click this button to close the Create Feature dialog.
Help Click this button to access the online help system.
Auto-incrementing
When you use the Create Feature dialog, auto-incrementing of
attribute values is not available. To manually add an incrementing
value:
1.
Look through the features in the open data file to find the last
auto-incremented value used.
2.
Enter the next value of the auto-incrementing sequence into the

Enter Attributes dialog.
Note If you chose Not Permitted in the Field Entry dialog, you will
not be able to manually add an auto-incrementing value.
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1.5.1
Enter Attributes Dialog

Select a feature and click OK in the Create Feature dialog. The
The Edit Attributes dialog allows you to edit or enter attribute values
for the feature. You can also enter positions manually for the feature.
The line below the control bar indicates whether it is a point, line, or
area feature that is being created. The feature name is also given. For
example, the previous dialog shows Point feature: Sign.
Attribute List This window displays the attributes and values of the
feature in two columns. If the feature has more attributes than can be
shown at once, use the arrow buttons to scroll up or down the list to
find the one you want.
Previous and Next Buttons Use the Previous and Next buttons (or
up-arrow and down-arrow if the list is selected) to move through the

list of attributes and select the one you want to edit.
Position Count This field displays the number of manual positions
that have been logged for the feature.
10 0
Attributes Tab
When you highlight an attribute in the attribute list, the Attributes tab
displays that attribute. Its controls vary depending on the type of
attribute selected.
If the attribute is a menu attribute, it appears as a list window
containing the possible choices, for example:
The default setting is highlighted. If there are more options than can fit
into the list window, scroll bars are present.
To choose a menu option, click on it, type its first letter, or move the
highlight using the arrow keys, then press [Enter]. The option you chose
appears in the Value column.
If the attribute allows you to enter text or a number, an arrow button
appears to the right of the field. You can either enter a new value or
select a value from the list that appears when you click the down
arrow.
Note If you enter a number with more decimal places than are
specified by the data dictionary, it is rounded up or down. For
example, if three decimal places are specified and you enter 10.5648,
it is rounded to 10.565.
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Manual Positions Tab

The Manual Positions tab allows you to enter positions for the feature
you are creating.
Latitude, Longitude, and Altitude (MSL) Enter the coordinates of the
position into these fields. You can key values in or select a position
from the map. If you use the latter method, the fields are automatically
filled in.
Note Values that you key in must be in terms of the currently selected
coordinate system.
Tip If you normally use one coordinate system and want to enter
positions from a map that uses a different coordinate system, switch to the
maps coordinate system, enter the position, then switch back to your
normal coordinate system. Because the GPS Pathfinder Office software
projects all waypoints back to the WGS-84 datum, positions can be used
in any coordinate system defined for that area.
The Altitude field displays MSL (Mean Sea Level) or HAE (Height
Above Ellipsoid), depending on the setting in Options / Coordinate
System.
North and East may replace Latitude and Longitude, depending on the
coordinate system (specified in Options / Coordinate System).
Add Click this button to save the position defined in the dialog to the
feature currently being created.

Delete Last Click this button to delete the last position that was added
to the feature being created.
10 2
Add from Map Select this check box to enable you to select any
position simply by clicking on the map. When you click on the map,
cross hairs appear and their coordinates are entered into the dialog. If
you have clicked on a GPS position or an existing feature, the value
that appears in the Altitude field will be the altitude value of that
position or feature. If you have clicked elsewhere on the map display,
the altitude value will be zero. This is because the map is
two-dimensional, not three-dimensional. Each time you click on the
map, the position is added to the feature. When the Add from Map
check box is selected, the Add button is not available.
Offset Button Click this button in the Feature Properties dialog to
edit the features offset values. The following dialog appears:
The dialog title includes the name of the feature. The fields in the
dialog may vary from that shown above, depending on the feature type
and on the offset format chosen. For more information, see Offset
Distance Format Field You can define an offset as slope distance and
inclination, or as horizontal and vertical distance, as shown in
Figure 1.4., page 137.
Figure 1.3 shows some of the fields that may appear. All fields are
described below.
Figure 1.3
Offset Formats
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Bearing The bearing is the angle between north and a line from the
observer to the feature. The field name contains T or M, depending on
whether north is true or magnetic.
Slope Distance The slope distance is the length of a straight line from
the observer to the feature.
Inclination The inclination is the angle between a horizontal line and
a line from the observer to the feature. When the feature is higher than
the observer, the inclination is positive.
Horizontal Distance The horizontal distance is the length of a
horizontal line from the observer to a vertical line through the feature.
Vertical Distance The vertical distance is the distance from the
feature to a horizontal line from the observer. When the feature is

higher than the observer, the vertical distance is positive.
Direction The direction indicates whether the feature is to the left or
to the right, looking along the direction of collection.
1.5.2
Feature Properties
The Feature Properties window lets you view information on a feature
or note in the data file. You can also:
edit attributes
edit feature offsets
edit the text in notes
delete features
delete notes
Tip To view and optionally delete individual (GPS) or averaged vertex

positions belonging to a feature, use the Position Properties window. The
Feature Properties window cannot delete the GPS positions of a feature.
Note You cannot edit or delete features if more than one file is open.
To edit or delete features, open only the file that you want to change.
10 4
To display the Feature Properties window, select Data / Feature

Properties, click the Feature Properties tool, or double-click any
feature or note in the map or time line. The following window appears:
The buttons at the top of this window control selections in the map or
time line view:
Click...
to move to...
First
the first feature
<
the previous feature
>
the next feature
Last
the last feature
Delete
deletes the currently selected feature in the Map or

Time Line view
The Feature Properties window is described in the following sections.
Editing Attributes, page 108, explains how to edit the attributes

of a feature in the Feature Properties window.
Displaying or Editing a Note, page 109, describes the controls

that appear if you select a note.
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1.5.3
Displaying Feature Information

There are three tabs on the Feature Properties window: Summary,
Attributes, and Precisions.
Summary
The Summary tab displays important information about the current
feature. This information varies depending on whether the current
feature is a point, line, or area feature. However, for all feature types,
the filename, status, and offset fields are displayed.
The Filename field displays the name of the file in which the current
feature is stored. This information is useful when multiple files are
open.
The Status field displays the current feature's status. This indicates
whether the data is new, imported, or has been updated. Click Status
on the Summary tab to display the Status dialog.
The Offset field displays the offset information for the current feature.
Click the Offset button on the Summary tab to display the Offset
dialog.
For point features, the number of positions that have been averaged to
calculate the current feature's position is displayed in the Positions
field. In addition, the standard deviation of the positions is displayed
in the Std Deviation field.
For line features, the 2D and 3D line lengths are displayed. The Line
Length (2D) field displays a value calculated by using 2D coordinates.
This value should be the same as the length that you would get by
measuring off the Map window. The Line Length (3D) field displays a
value calculated by using 3D coordinated variations in altitude. The
values displayed in the Line Length fields are displayed in the units
selected for distance in the Units dialog.
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For area features, the 2D area value and the 2D and 3D perimeter
values are displayed. The Area (2D) field displays the area value
calculated using 2D coordinates. This value should be the same as the
area you would get by measuring off the Map window. The Perimeter
(2D) field displays the perimeter calculated by using 2D coordinates.
This value should be the same as the distance you would get by
measuring off the Map window. The Perimeter (3D) field displays the
perimeter value calculated by using 3D coordinates. Variations in
altitude are taken into account. The values displayed in these fields are
displayed in the units selected for distance and area in the Units
dialog.
Attributes
The Attributes tab allows you to edit the attributes of the current
feature. For more information, see Editing Attributes, page 108.
Precisions
The Precisions tab displays the precision values for the current
feature. For a point feature, the vertical and horizontal precisions are
displayed. For a line or area feature, the mean horizontal and vertical
precisions and the horizontal and vertical precisions for the worst
position are displayed.
Precision estimates are calculated using a complex algorithm that
takes into account DOP values, the number of satellites, receiver type,
and some other factors, for each GPS position.
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1.5.4
Editing Attributes
To edit attributes, select the Attributes tab in the Feature Properties
window. The Attributes tab displays the selected attribute value, and
allows you to edit it.
Attributes tab
When you highlight an attribute in the attribute list, the Attributes tab
displays that attribute. Its controls vary, depending on the attribute
type.
If the attribute is a menu attribute, it appears as a list box containing
the possible choices, for example:
The default setting is highlighted. If there are more options than can fit
into the list window, scroll bars are present.
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To choose a menu option, click on it, type its first letter, or move the
highlight using the arrow keys, then click Enter. The option you chose
appears in the Value column.
If the attribute allows you to enter text or a number, a drop-down
arrow appears to the right of the field. You can either enter a new
value or select a value from the list that appears when you click the
arrow button.
Note If you enter a number with more decimal places than are
specified by the data dictionary, it is rounded up or down. For
example if three decimal places are specified and you enter 10.5648, it
is rounded to 10.565.
1.5.5
Displaying or Editing a Note

To display a note, double-click on any note in the Time Line window.
The Feature Properties window displays one box, containing the text
of the note:
Note Text Click on this area to begin editing the current note.
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1.5.6
Status Dialog
Click Status in the Summary tab of the Feature Properties window to
display the Status dialog.
Use this dialog to manually change the status of the feature.

Table 1.7 describes the three possible values for the status of a feature.
Table 1.7
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Feature status values
Value
Description
New
A new feature is one that has been added to a data file in the
most recent data collector session. A new data file will only
contain new features.
Imported
An imported feature is one that previously existed in a data

file and has not been edited or updated in the most recent
data collector session.
Updated
An updated feature is one that previously existed in a data

file, but has been edited or updated in the most recent data
collector session.
1.5.7
Offset Dialog
Click Offset in the Summary tab of the Feature Properties window.
The following dialog appears:
For more information on the fields in this dialog, see Offset Button
Click this button in the Feature Properties dialog to edit the features
offset values. The following dialog appears:, page 103.
Note Offsetting irregularly shaped line or area features by large
distances, relative to the length of the feature, may cause unexpected
results.
Precision values for line or area features that have an offset applied
may be exported as 0.0.
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1.5.8
Position Properties
The following window lets you view information on (GPS) positions,
and optionally delete individual positions, in the data file.
Note You cannot delete positions if more than one file is open. To
delete positions, open only the file that you want to change.
11 2
The buttons at the top of the Position Properties window control

selections in the map view:
Click...
to move to
First
the first position.
<<
the previous feature.
<
the previous position.
>
the next position.
>>
the next feature.
Last
the last position.
Delete
deletes the currently selected position. The dropdown arrow is unavailable unless the selected
position is an averaged vertex.
When an averaged vertex is selected, the Delete button in the Position

Properties window becomes a drop-down menu, as shown in the
following dialog:
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The options in this menu are:

Click...
to...
Delete Vertex Only
delete only the vertex and not the positions that it is

composed of. Once the vertex is deleted, the
individual positions are displayed.
Delete Vertex and

Positions
quickly delete the entire vertex and all of its positions.
Once either the Delete Vertex Only or Delete Vertex and Positions
command has been selected, the commands shown below become
available when you select an averaged vertex position:
Click...
to...
Undelete Vertex
Only
restore the vertex.
Undelete Vertex and restore both the vertex and all of its positions.
Positions
Latitude and Longitude These fields display the coordinates of the

current position. Latitude and Longitude may be replaced by North
and East, depending on the current coordinate system.
Altitude This field displays the altitude of the position above the
selected reference height (mean sea level or ellipsoid). Positions that
are arbitrary locations on the map do not have an altitude.
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Summary Tab
Select the Summary tab on the Position Properties window to display
the following summary information about the position:
Date and Time These fields show when the position was recorded.
Vertex This field show how many positions make up the averaged
vertex position contained within a line or area feature.

Position Table 1.8 shows the types of position which may appear.
Table 1.8
Position types
Value
Description
Average of n
The position of this point feature is calculated as the

average of n computed GPS positions.
n of m
The position is part of an area or line feature

consisting of m positions. Each averaged vertex
position is counted as a single position.
Quickmark
The position is a quickmark, interpolated from the

GPS positions recorded immediately before and
after it.
Failed Quickmark
The position is a quickmark that has failed. The

GPS positions before or after lie outside the
Quickmark Warning Interval.
Not in feature
The position is not part of a feature. It indicates

where you went between features.
Map location
The coordinates are for a location on the map

where you clicked. The location is represented by a
cross. This location is not recorded in the data file.
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Table 1.8
Position types (Continued)
Value
Description
Non-GPS
The position is not a GPS position; it could have

been imported from a GIS, for example.
Deleted
The position has been deleted. (No position is

displayed on the map.)
Waypoint
The position is a waypoint.
Horiz. Precision This field displays the horizontal precision estimate
for the position.

Status This field shows how the position was calculatedmore than
one method may have been used. Table 1.9 shows these methods.
Table 1.9
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Methods of calculating points
Value
Description
2D
The position was calculated by a receiver in 2D

mode using a supplied altitude.
3D
All three dimensions of the position were calculated

by the receiver.
Mixed
The position is a mixture of 3D and 2D calculations.
Uncorrected
The position has not been differentially corrected.
Differential
The position has been differentially corrected by

the Differential Correction utility.
Carrier phase
The position was carrier phase processed in the

Differential Correction utility.
P-code generated
The position was calculated using P-code or Ycode (military receivers only).
Non-GPS
The position is not a GPS position; it could have

been imported from a GIS, for example.
Real-time differential
The position has been differentially corrected in

real time.
RTK
The position has been collected using RTK roving

techniques.
Table 1.9
Methods of calculating points (Continued)
Value
Description
RTK Fixed
The position has been collected as an RTK fixed

position.
RTK Float
The position has been collected as an RTK float

solution.
Real-time WAAS
The position has been differentially corrected using

Real-time WAAS.
Filename This field displays the name of the file from which the
selected position comes.

Precisions tab
Select the Precisions tab on the Position Properties window to display
the following information about the positions estimated precision:
A position can have an estimated precision if it has been:
collected using a GPS Pathfinder RTK system
differentially corrected using the Differential Correction utility

(version 2 or later)
downloaded using the Trimble Data Transfer utility (version

2.10 or later).
Position estimates can also be generated using the Add Precision

Records option in the Check SSF Files utility.
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Table 1.10 shows the information that is displayed in the Precisions

tab.
Table 1.10
Precisions tab information
Value
Description
North
The error of the position in the northerly direction from the

position's displayed coordinate.
East
The error of the position in the easterly direction from the

Altitude
The error of the position in the vertical direction from the

Ellipse major
axis
The major axis to define the shape of the position's error

ellipse. The major axis is the largest horizontal error from
the position's display coordinate.
Ellipse minor
axis
The minor axis to define the shape of the position's error

ellipse. The minor axis is the smallest horizontal error from
the position's display coordinate.
Ellipse
orientation
The orientation of the error ellipse. The orientation defines

the angle between north and the major axis.
DOPs tab
Click the DOPs tab on the Position Properties window to display the
following DOP information:
The DOPs tab displays the PDOP, HDOP, VDOP, and TDOP values
for the selected position.
It also lists the satellites that were used in calculating the GPS
position.
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1.5.9
Waypoint Properties
Use the Waypoint Properties window to create waypoints and edit or
delete the waypoints in the current waypoint file. (To choose an
existing waypoint file or create a new one, select File / Waypoints.)
Select Data / Waypoint Properties, or the Waypoint Properties tool, or
double-click on a waypoint on the map. The following dialog appears:
The right-hand side of the dialog displays information about the

currently selected waypoint. The Edit button is highlighted, so that
you only need to click Enter to edit the waypoint.
If a waypoint is selected on the map, it is also selected in the Waypoint
Properties window.
Select Waypoint This list window contains the waypoints in the
current waypoint file. The waypoint currently selected on the map is
highlighted and information about it is displayed in the body of the
dialog. If no waypoint is selected on the map, the first waypoint in the
waypoint file is displayed. The waypoint selected in this list is also
selected on the map.
Edit Click this button to edit the currently selected waypoint. The Edit
Waypoint dialog appears.
Create Click this button to create a new waypoint. The Create
Waypoint dialog appears.
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Delete Click this button to delete the currently selected waypoint. You
are asked to confirm that you want to delete the waypoint.
Close Click this button to close the Waypoint Properties window.
1.5.10
Create Waypoint Dialog

The Create Waypoint dialog appears when you click Create in the
Waypoint Properties window:
Use this dialog to create a waypoint. Enter a position and give it a

name.
The lower panel contains read-only information on the currently
selected coordinate system, zone, and datum. Coordinate values that
you key in must be in terms of this system.
Name The GPS Pathfinder Office software provides a default
waypoint name based on the scheme DDHHMMSS, where:
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DD is day
HH is hour
MM is minutes
SS is seconds
The time reference used is UTC time. You can overwrite this name,
using up to 12 characters.
Note You can save a waypoint that has no name, but this is not
recommended, as the name enables you to identify the point later.
Latitude, Longitude, and Altitude Enter the coordinates of the
waypoint into these fields. You can key values in or select a position
from the map. If you use the latter method, the fields are automatically
filled in.
coordinate system.
Tip If you normally use one coordinate system and want to enter
waypoints from a map that uses a different coordinate system, switch to
the maps coordinate system, enter the waypoints, then switch back to
your normal coordinate system. Because the GPS Pathfinder Office
software projects all waypoints back to the WGS-84 datum, positions can
be used in any coordinate system defined for that area. Although the
actual coordinates of a waypoint change when the coordinate system is
changed, the physical position of the waypoint on the earths surface is
preserved.
The Altitude field displays HAE (Height Above Ellipsoid) or MSL

(mean sea level), depending on the setting in Options / Coordinate
System.
North and East may replace Latitude and Longitude, depending on the
coordinate system (specified in Options / Coordinate System).
Pick From Map Select this check box to enable you to select any
cross hairs appear and their coordinates are entered into the dialog.
If you click on the map close to a GPS position, the cross hairs snap to
it.
Note The cross hairs do not represent a waypoint. You need to click
Save in the Create Waypoint dialog to create the waypoint.
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If you click on an arbitrary position, the altitude is zero unless the

cursor snapped to a GPS position. This is because the map is
two-dimensional, not three-dimensional.
Save Click this button to save the waypoint as defined in the dialog to
the end of the current waypoint file.
Before saving, the GPS Pathfinder Office software checks that the
fields are filled in correctly. It prompts you to fix any problems.
Close Click this button to close the Create Waypoint dialog. The
Waypoint Properties window is displayed and the waypoint you

created is highlighted.
If the current waypoint has not been saved, you are asked whether you
want to save it before closing the dialog.
1.5.11
Edit Waypoint Dialog

In the Waypoint Properties window, select the waypoint you want to
edit and click Edit. The following dialog appears:
Use this dialog to edit the waypoint you selected in the Waypoint
Properties window.
For information on the fields and buttons in the dialog, see Create
Waypoint Dialog, page 120.
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Save Click this button or press [Enter] to save the edits made and close
the dialog.
Cancel Click this button or press [Esc] to cancel the edits made and
close the dialog. You are asked for confirmation.
1.5.12
Measure
This command lets you measure distances and areas on the map. You
can measure the distance between two points, or the distance along a
route. To measure the distance along a route and not merely the
distance as the crow flies, you measure a series of straight-line
distances between points along the route. The approximate route
distance is the sum of these distances. You can also measure the area
enclosed by a set of points.
Select Data / Measure, or click the Measure tool, and the cursor
changes to a cross with a small ruler:
The cursor has this form only when it is over the map window.
The status bar changes to show the measurement details:
To measure the distance between two positions:

1.
Click on the map at the start position.
2.
Move the mouse towards the position you want to measure to.
The status bar displays the distance and bearing from the
position you clicked on to the cursor location.
3.
Click on the end position. Distance and bearing freeze and

display the total distance and bearing between the positions.
4.
Double-click, press [Esc], or select another tool to end the

measurement.
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To measure a route:
1.
Click on the map at the start of the route.
2.
Move the mouse to the end of the first straight-line section.
3.
Click again. The status bar displays the distance and bearing of
the line.
4.
Move the mouse to the end of the next line.
5.
Click again. The Distance field shows the route distance (sum
of all lines measured) and the Bearing field displays the bearing
from the previous position to where you clicked.
6.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have reached the end point.
7.
Double-click, press [Esc], or select another tool to end the

measurement.
In this way, you can find out the approximate distance of a route
by measuring a set of straight lines that approximate it.
Note To obtain the length of a line feature, select Data / Feature

Properties and select the line feature. Line Length displays the length
of the feature.
To measure an area:
1.
Click on the map at the start of the area.
2.
Move the mouse to the end of the first straight-line section and
click on it.
3.
Move the mouse to the end of the second straight-line section

and click on it. Once three positions have been clicked on, the
status bar displays the area of the enclosed region formed by
joining the last point back to the first. The Distance field
displays the regions perimeter.
Continue clicking with the mouse until you have traversed the
entire area.
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1.6
Utilities Menu
The Utilities menu provides access to the utilities that are a part of the
GPS Pathfinder Office software. These utilities perform a variety of
functions as described below.
If you are a client user running the GPS Pathfinder Office software on
a network, you may find you cannot use some files because they have
restricted read and write access. If you have problems when trying to
work with these files, or if you receive an error message, please
contact your system administrator.
1.6.1
Batch Processor
Select this command to start the Batch Processor utility.
The batch processor is designed to increase your productivity by
automating repetitive tasks that must be performed each time you
come back from the field. You can come back from the field at the end
of the day, start the Batch Processor running, and go home. When you
arrive the next morning, your data has been downloaded from your
data collector, differentially corrected, formatted for your particular
GIS system, and possibly even imported and processed by your GIS
software, depending on the power of its own batch or macro language.
For more information, see GPS Pathfinder Office User Guide Volume 3.
1.6.2
Data Transfer
Select this command to start the Data Transfer utility.
The Data Transfer utility enables you to transfer files between a data
collector and your office computer.
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1.6.3
Differential Correction
Select this command to start the Differential Correction utility.
The Differential Correction utility allows you to differentially correct
field data to improve its accuracy.
1.6.4
Export
Select this command to start the Export utility.
The Export utility provides functionality for exporting files into a
variety of GIS and CAD formats.
1.6.5
Grouping
Select this command to start the Grouping utility.
If your data collector does not support data dictionaries, or for some
reason you do not want to work with data dictionaries, GPS positions
can be grouped into features that are recognized by the GPS
Pathfinder Office software, using the Grouping utility.
1.6.6
Combine Data Files

Use this command to start the Combine utility.
The Combine utility combines two or more data files into a single data
file. It combines (or concatenates) all records from each input file.
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1.6.7
Data Dictionary Editor

Select this command to start the Data Dictionary Editor utility.
The Data Dictionary Editor utility allows you to create and edit data
dictionaries for use in data collection projects.
1.6.8
QuickPlan
Select this command to start the QuickPlan software.
QuickPlan helps you plan and schedule data collection sessions.
For more information, see Chapter 3, The QuickPlan Utility.
1.6.9
Other Utilities
Select Utilities / Other to display a submenu of less frequently used
utilities. The following submenu appears:
SSF Record Editor
The SSF Record Editor utility allows you to view, filter, and edit a
Standard Storage Format (.ssf) file.
Note Data files created by Trimble Pathfinder mapping products are
in the SSF format. Not all SSF format files carry an .ssf filename
extension. Other extensions include .cor, .phs, and .wpt.
The SSF Record Editor allows you to view SSF format files in detail.
The ability to alter the coordinates of a GPS position record is
intentionally omitted. You can use the editor to delete or undelete a
position, but you cannot change the coordinates of that position.
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Warning Use the SSF Record Editor utility with caution. Deleting certain
record types may make the file unusable. Trimble recommends that you
edit features, attributes, and positions using the graphical GPS Pathfinder
Office environment.
Check SSF Files
The Check SSF Files utility checks a data or almanac file in SSF or
COR format for invalid or corrupt position records. The Check SSF
Files utility looks at all records in the file and checks that values are
valid and in the correct sequence, that the necessary information and
variables are present, and that files are complete.
Configuration Manager
The Configuration Manager is used to create a configuration file that
can be sent to one or many data collectors. A configuration file
contains commands that set, and optionally lock, many of the settings
on a GeoExplorer 3. This provides supervisors with extensive control
over data collection operations carried out in the field.
Connection Manager
The Connection Manager monitors a selected serial port. When it
detects that a Trimble data collector has been connected to that serial
port, it will automatically transfer the data files from the data collector
to the office computer, and optionally process them using the current
Batch Processor settings.
12 8
Coordinate System Manager
The Coordinate System Manager allows you to modify the geodetic
information used in the GPS Pathfinder Office software. This
information, which consists of coordinate system, zone, ellipsoid,
datums, and local site definitions, may be created, edited, or deleted.
Since geodetic data is of a highly technical and specialized nature, you
should only attempt to edit it if you understand the significance of
each piece of data and know what you are doing.
The GPS Pathfinder Office software provides a graphical environment
for creating local sites. See Create Local Site, page 150, for more
information.
Import
The Import utility lets you convert GIS format files into the Trimble
SSF format so that you can update the GIS information in the field.
You can transfer the imported .ssf files to a GeoExplorer 3 or to the
ASPEN field computer, then update and validate your information.
You can also add new features.
SSF to RINEX
The SSF to RINEX utility allows you to convert Trimble SSF format
files into Receiver Independent Exchange (RINEX) format.
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Text Conversion
The Text Conversion utility converts text strings in data files from the
ASCII character set used by DOS to the ANSI (ISO 8859) character
set used by Microsoft Windows, and vice versa.
You need this utility if you use extended or national characters in
features, attributes, attribute values, and notes. Characters in the ANSI
character set display correctly in the GPS Pathfinder Office software.
If characters do not appear correctly in the GPS Pathfinder Office
software, use the Text Conversion utility to convert from one character
set to another.
System Report
The System Report utility lets you create a text file describing your
computers configuration. If there is a problem with your computer,
you may need to supply this file (Report.txt).
Uninstall
The Uninstall utility removes the GPS Pathfinder Office software
from your computer's drives.
Note Your settings and project folders containing your data files are
never removed during the uninstall process.
13 0
Warning Ensure that all parts of the GPS Pathfinder Office suite of
applications have been closed before you run Uninstall. Failure to do so
will prevent those parts from being uninstalled. This includes the Project
Changer and the Connection Manager, which appear in the status area of
the taskbar.
To remove the GPS Pathfinder Office software:

1.
Click
Uninstall.
. Select Programs \ GPS Pathfinder Office \
2.
The following dialog appears:
Click No to cancel the removal process, leaving all your files in

place.
Click Yes to completely remove the GPS Pathfinder Office
software.
3.
A series of dialogs, similar to the following, may appear.
Most of the shared files are used by the GPS Pathfinder Office
software and other Trimble products.
Click Yes or Yes To All to completely remove shared files.
Click No or No to All if you are unsure (and do not mind a few
extra files remaining on your computer's drive).
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4.
The following dialog may appear:
Click Yes to remove all the shared files and continue the
removal process.
Click No to leave the shared files in place and continue the
uninstall process.
13 2
5.
When the removal process is complete the following dialog

appears:
6.
Click OK to close the dialog.
Some elements may not be removed. This can occur when programs in
the GPS Pathfinder Office suite (like Project Changer and Connection
Manager) are still running, or when more than one installation was
performed before running Uninstall.
Note Installation information is stored in a separate log file (called
DelsL1.isu, DelsL2.isu, DelsL3.isu, and so on) every time an
installation is performed. The Uninstall utility uses the last of these
files when it removes GPS Pathfinder Office software. If you wish to
remove all GPS Pathfinder Office software installed in multiple
installations, double-click each log file (found in the application
folder). The Uninstall utility starts and removes the GPS Pathfinder
Office software recorded in the log file.
Project Changer
Use the Project Changer utility to change the project folder when the
main program of GPS Pathfinder Office is not running.
Note The Project Changer is not available while the GPS Pathfinder
Office software is running.
The Project Changer icon
the taskbar.
appears in the status area of
How to use Project Changer
Click the Project Changer icon to access its menu.
Tip Double-click the Project Changer icon to quickly open the current
project folder.
Hold the pointer over the Project Changer icon for a moment to see the
name and location of the current project.
The Project Changer utility is installed during a standard installation,

and a shortcut is placed in \Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup.
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1.7
GPS Pathfinder Office Software Options Menu
Options Menu
The Options menu groups together commands for configuring the
GPS Pathfinder Office software. Each command is described in the
following sections.
1.7.1
Units
Many fields in the GPS Pathfinder Office dialogs and windows
contain numeric values; you can specify the units for displaying or
entering these values.
Select Options / Units. The following dialog appears:
Use this dialog to choose units, as well as the formats for display of
offsets and bearings. The default values and options are illustrated
above. Units for coordinates and heights, and the reference for
altitudes, are specified in Options / Coordinate System.
13 4
Tip Let the GPS Pathfinder Office software convert your data into the
configured units. Simply enter the value followed by the abbreviation for
the units it is in. For example, if meters is the configured unit, and you
enter 10 ft, it is converted to 3.048 m. This applies only to fields that
contain distances, offsets, heights, or coordinates.
Distance Field This field specifies the unit for distances (used when
measuring). When a distance value appears in a dialog, an

abbreviation for the unit used appears alongside. The default is
kilometers. Table 1.11 shows the available units and their
abbreviations.
Table 1.11
Distance field units
Unit
Abbreviation
Kilometers
km
Meters
Nautical Miles
nm
Miles
mi
Yards
yd
Feet
ft
US survey feet
USft
Inches
in
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Area Field This field specifies the unit for areas, which are displayed
when you query an area feature. An abbreviation for the unit used
appears alongside the area value. The default is hectares. Table 1.12
shows the available units and their abbreviations.
Table 1.12
Area field units
Unit
Abbreviation
Square meters
m2
Hectares
Ha
Square kilometers
km2
Square feet
ft2
Acres
acres
Square miles
mi2
Velocity Field This field specifies the unit for velocities. The default
is kilometers per hour. Table 1.13 shows the available units and their
abbreviations.
Table 1.13
Velocity field units
Unit
Abbreviation
Kilometers per hour
km/h
Meters per second
m/s
Miles per hour
mph
Knots
kt
Feet per second
ft/s
Offsets Field This field specifies the unit for offsets from features.
This unit is also used to display standard deviations. The available

units are the same as for the Distance field. The default is meters.
13 6
Offset Distance Format Field You can define an offset as slope
distance and inclination, or as horizontal and vertical distance, as

shown in Figure 1.4.
Figure 1.4
Defining offsets
Choose the option that suits your method of working.

The default is horizontal and vertical distance.
Precisions Field This field specifies the unit for the display of
precision values. When a precision value appears in a dialog, an

abbreviation for the unit used appears alongside. Precision values are
displayed in the Position Properties and Feature Properties dialogs,
and can be exported as attributes. The default is meters. Table 1.14
shows the available units and their abbreviations.
Table 1.14
Precision field units
Unit
Abbreviation
Meters
Centimeters
cm
Millimeters
mm
Yards
yd
Feet
ft
US survey feet
USft
Inches
in
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Confidence Field This field specifies the statistical confidence level
with which to display precision values. The specified confidence level

determines the precision values displayed in the Position Properties
and Feature Properties dialogs, the size of the precision circle on the
Map window, and the precision values to be exported as attributes.
The default is 68% precisions. The available confidence levels are:
68% Precisions
95% Precisions
99% Precisions
North Reference Field When measuring distances on the map, the

bearing between points is computed with reference either to true or
magnetic north, as determined by the configured North Reference. The
default is true north. Table 1.15 shows the available units and their
abbreviations.
Table 1.15
Reference field options
Option
Description
True
Bearings are referenced to true north. This is useful if

you are navigating relative to a background map.
Magnetic
Automatic
Declination
Bearings are referenced to magnetic north. This is best if

you are navigating with the assistance of a magnetic
compass.
The GPS Pathfinder Office software will ascertain the
magnetic declination for your position from its own table.
Magnetic Manual Bearings are referenced to magnetic north. This is best if

Declination
you are navigating with the assistance of a magnetic
compass.
You must enter the magnetic declination into the Manual
Declination field. You can ascertain the value for your
area from most topographical maps.
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1.7.2
Coordinate System
The GPS Pathfinder Office software requires that you specify how
coordinates should be interpreted in a number of situations. For
example, in order to display collected GPS positions in relation to a
background map, the GPS Pathfinder Office software must be able to
relate GPS latitude and longitude coordinates to north and east
coordinates on the map. It is also critical that the GPS Pathfinder
Office software interprets coordinates correctly when you:
enter waypoint coordinates
print or plot the Map
export coordinates to a GIS, CAD package or database
import waypoints from a file
enter manual positions
You can instruct the GPS Pathfinder Office software to interpret

coordinates, either by selecting a coordinate system and an associated
zone, or by selecting a local site. For an introduction to the concepts of
coordinate systems and zones (and the associated concepts of a datum,
an ellipsoid, and a geoid), see the Datums and Coordinate Systems
section of the Mapping Systems General Reference. For a more
detailed description of these terms, see the Coordinate System
Manager Help.
You can typically use one of the pre-defined coordinate systems and
zones that are supplied with the GPS Pathfinder Office software.
However, in certain circumstances the coordinates computed by the
GPS Pathfinder Office software may not exactly match those of your
existing data, or your existing data may use coordinates which do not
correspond to any published coordinate system. In these
circumstances, you can ensure that coordinates computed by the GPS
Pathfinder Office software match your requirements by creating and
using a local site definition. A local site can be regarded as a
coordinate system which is customized for a particular (typically
small) area. See Create Local Site, page 150 for details of how to
create a local site.
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The Options / Coordinate System command allows you to specify how

the GPS Pathfinder Office software should interpret and display
coordinates in the Map window.
Select Options / Coordinate Systems. The following dialog appears:
This dialog also appears if you do any of the following:
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Click Change in the Select Background Files dialog.
Select the Coordinate System tab of the Export Setup dialog in

the Export utility.
Click Change in the Reference Position dialog in the

Differential Correction utility.
Import waypoints from an ASCII file.
The Coordinate System dialog allows you to specify how the GPS
Pathfinder Office software should interpret coordinates for the Map
window, for the selected background file(s), for export of data to a
GIS, CAD package or database, for a base files reference position, or
for waypoints imported from an ASCII file. You do this either by
selecting a coordinate system and zone, or by selecting a local site that
you have created. A local site is actually created on top of a
coordinate system and zone, but for your convenience the GPS
Pathfinder Office software allows you to simply select a site by name,
without having to refer to the underlying coordinate system and zone.
Note The Coordinate System dialog determines how the GPS
Pathfinder Office software interprets existing coordinates (for
example, in a background file, an ASCII waypoint file, or a keyed in
waypoint). It does not cause the GPS Pathfinder Office software to
actually modify the coordinates in a file.
You can change the coordinate system of the Map window at any time,
even if a data file is open. Some coordinate systems apply only to a
small area, and attempts to display coordinates lying outside this area
may result in considerable visual distortion of the Maps contents, or
may fail altogether.
Note If you select a different coordinate system or zone for the Map
window using Options / Coordinate System, any loaded vector files
are transformed to fit the new system. This transformation may take
some time. Raster files cannot be transformed by the GPS Pathfinder
Office software, and are unloaded whenever the maps coordinate
system is changed.
Select By There are two different ways to specify the current
coordinate system.
Choose...
to...
Coordinate System and

Zone
select a coordinate system and optionally a zone

within this coordinate system.
Site
select a local site.
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Site This field appears if you choose Site in the Select By field. Select
a site from the drop-down list containing all the local sites defined
using the Coordinate System Manager or using the Options / Create
Local Site command in the GPS Pathfinder Office software. For more
information on sites, see Create Local Site, page 150.
System This field specifies the coordinate system. The GPS
Pathfinder Office software provides over 650 pre-defined coordinate

systems and zones, covering most major regions of the world.
Note You can define new coordinate systems, zones, and sites using
the Coordinate System Manager. For more information, refer to the
Coordinate System Manager chapter in Volume 3 of this User Guide.
Zone This list contains all the zones belonging to the selected
coordinate system. Select the specific zone required for the area in
which you are working, or the zone used by your background map,
ASCII waypoint file, base reference position, etc. If you select the
Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system, the GPS
Pathfinder Office software computes the most likely zone and
hemisphere based on your most recently used data file. You should
check that these fields are correct, particularly if you work across a
UTM zone boundary.
Datum This field is usually read-only, and simply displays the datum
associated with your selected coordinate system and zone. However, if
you selected the Latitude/Longitude or Universal Transverse Mercator
(UTM) coordinate system, you must also specify the appropriate
datum in order for the GPS Pathfinder Office software to correctly
interpret coordinates.
Note Traditionally, the NAD27 datum was used as the base for UTM
coordinates in the United States. In recent years, however, the NAD83
datum has sometimes been used for UTM. You must select the correct
datum in order to ensure that the GPS Pathfinder Office software
computes and interprets UTM coordinates correctly.
14 2
Coordinate Units This field specifies the units to be used by the GPS
Pathfinder Office software when computing or interpreting

coordinates. For displaying and exporting coordinates, you will
typically use units such as meters, feet, or U.S. survey feet. However,
it is not uncommon for background files (particularly those created in
Engineering or CAD packages) to express coordinates in units such as
millimeters or inches.
Warning When indicating the coordinate system for a background file or

ASCII waypoint file, you must specify the correct coordinate units in order
for the GPS Pathfinder Office software to interpret coordinates correctly.
Altitude Units This field specifies the units to be used by the GPS
Pathfinder Office software when computing or interpreting altitudes.
If you wish to export, import, or display altitudes, you must specify
the correct altitude units.
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Altitude Measured From Altitudes are heights above one of two
different base levels, as described in Table 1.16.

Table 1.16
Altitude base levels
Option
Description
Mean Sea Level

(MSL)
Altitudes are displayed as a height above (or below)

the mean sea level. This is the usual altitude reference
for printed maps. The GPS Pathfinder Office software
computes heights relative to mean sea level using a
geoid model. The default geoid model used by the
GPS Pathfinder Office software is the EGM96 global
geoid model. You can change the geoid model
associated with each coordinate system or zone by
selecting Other, then choosing the required geoid
model from the list of available geoids in the Geoid
field. The accuracy of altitudes relative to mean sea
level depends on the quality of the geoid model used.
OR:
Approximate Mean
Sea Level
Height Above
Ellipsoid (HAE)
Altitudes are displayed as a height above (or below)

the current ellipsoid, as determined by your selected
coordinate system, zone, and associated datum.
Altitudes relative to an ellipsoid are precise, but may
be meaningless for your application. For more
information on ellipsoids, refer to Chapter 5 of the
Mapping Systems General Reference.
Note You can load alternative geoid models for selection from the
list of available geoids using the Coordinate System Manager utility.
OK, Cancel, and Help Buttons
Click OK to confirm your selections and to close the dialog.

Click Cancel to close the dialog without confirming your selections.
Click Help to view help on the Coordinate System dialog.
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1.7.3
Style of Display
This command lets you configure many of the ways that the GPS
Pathfinder Office software displays information on the screen.
Select Options / Style of Display. The following dialog appears:
The default values and options are shown in the dialog.

Null String Whenever there is no value for a particular field, the GPS
Pathfinder Office software displays the character string specified in
the Null String field.
To alter the display in fields with no value, enter a character string of

your choice into the Null String field.
Initial Letter for WPT Files This field determines the first letter of the
waypoint filename, which the GPS Pathfinder Office software enters
into the FileName field, when you create a new waypoint file. The
default is w (for waypoint). You can choose any letter of the alphabet.
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Scale Format This field determines how the map scale is displayed on
the Map window title bar and in the Scale Map dialog. Choose one of
the following:
This option...
Displays...
1:X
a straight ratio, independent of the units used, for

example: 1:24000.
1in:Xft
a ratio of inches to feet, for example 1in:2000ft.
Coordinate Order Choose one of the following group to determine
which of the north and east fields is displayed on the screen first. If
you are using the coordinate system Lat/Long, the options are
disabled:
This option...
Displays...
North/East
the northing first, then the easting
East/North
the easting first, then the northing
Lat/Long Format Choose one of the following to display and enter
latitudes and longitudes. It is only applicable when the coordinate

system is Lat/Long. If you chose a different coordinate system, the
field is disabled:
This option...
Displays...
DDMM'SS.ss''
degrees, minutes, and decimal seconds
DDMM.mm'
degrees and decimal minutes
DD.ddd
decimal degrees
Tip To enter a latitude or longitude, simply key in the degrees, a decimal

point, and the following numbers. You do not need to enter degree,
minute, or second symbols. For example, if you type 44.383741 and the
format is DDMM'SS.ss'', 4438'37.41'' is displayed. If the format is
DDMM.mm', 4438.3741' is displayed.
Click OK to confirm your choice and close the dialog.

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1.7.4
Quickmark Settings
This command specifies the maximum time allowed between a
quickmark and the GPS positions before and after it. (Quickmarks
obtain their position by interpolation from the closest GPS positions.)
If you decrease the maximum time allowed so that the GPS positions
closest to a quickmark lie outside that time, the interpolation fails and
the quickmark becomes a failed quickmark. A failed quickmark can be
displayed on the Time Line and the Query Feature windows, but not
on the map.
Select Options / Quickmark Settings. The following screen appears:
Quickmark Time Limit This field specifies the maximum time
between a quickmark and the GPS position before or after it. Select a
value from the drop-down list, or key in a value of your own.
If you change this value, the GPS Pathfinder Office software indicates
how many quickmarks failed:
Click Yes to display a report of the errors encountered.

Note When you change the quickmark time limit, quickmarks in open
data files are immediately updated, but background data files need to
be re-loaded.
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If there is a Windows file association for *.txt files, the GPS

Pathfinder Office software runs the file QMLOG.txt directly:
Otherwise, you need to run a text editor such as Microsoft Notepad,

and open the file from there.
1.7.5
Warning Quickmark positions are interpolated from a specified point or

"bounding position". If this bounding position is deleted, either manually or
within a block delete, the quickmark is also deleted. However, once an
export file containing a quickmark has been generated, the quickmarks
position is permanently created.
Time Zone
Use the Time Zone command to specify your time zone. Your data
files store GPS times (which approximate UTC), and the time zone
setting enables the GPS Pathfinder Office software to display local
times for the data you collected.
Note The time zone setting is common to the GPS Pathfinder Office
software and the QuickPlan utility; set the zone in one and it will
apply to the other as well. The QuickPlan utility uses the time zone
when calculating satellite availability.
14 8
Select Options / Time Zone. The following dialog appears:
Time Zone Select your zone from the drop-down list. The time
difference from UTC appears below. If your field work was done in
one time zone, and your office is in another, select the field works
zone to see what time of day the data was collected.
New Time Zone Use this field to define a time zone, for example, if
you are living in an area with a time zone that is different from any of
the predefined zones available in the Time Zone drop-down list.
Click New Time Zone. The following dialog appears:
Enter a suitable name into the Time Zone Name field. Enter the zones
time difference from UTC (GMT) into the Time Zone Offset field
(Enter a negative offset if you are west of the Greenwich meridian).
Click OK to add the zone to the Time Zone drop-down list and return
to the Time Zone Settings dialog. Click OK again to actually select and
use your new time zone.
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1.7.6
Create Local Site

A local site is an adjustment to the zone of a coordinate system. The
adjustment consists of a translation, scaling, rotation about an origin,
and an optional height adjustment. Creating a local site is for advanced
users only.
GPS Pathfinder RTK system users will usually want to create a local
site in order to calibrate GPS positions they have collected against
existing survey marks to derive a vertical and horizontal plane
adjustment.
A local site is applied in order to shift GPS positions by a certain
value. You may, for example, create a local site because your GPS
positions do not overlay perfectly with data in an existing geographic
database, or because the coordinate system you use differs slightly
from a coordinate system supported by the GPS Pathfinder Office
software.
Note A local site cannot be created when the Coordinate System
Manager utility is open. Ensure the Coordinate System Manager
utility is closed before creating a local site.
To create a local site, you enter vertices, which are pairs of positions
that indicate the direction and magnitude of the shift. You can key in
the coordinates of these positions or click on the Map window. The
vertices are then used to compute the best possible translation, scaling,
and rotation values.
A local site is created from a specific coordinate system and zone; it is
linked permanently to that zone. Make sure that the current coordinate
system and zone is the same as that of your existing database.
Note You cannot create a local site using a latitude/longitude
projection. This is because a local site is defined in linear units, such
as meters, which vary at different latitudes.
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Note Surveyors may find the following clarification helpful. A local

site is the result of plane and height adjustments. The plane
adjustment consists of a rotation, translation, and scale change of the
mapping plane. The height adjustment defines a plane that is inclined
relative to the mapping plane. A mapping plane is an underlying
coordinate system that already has defined datum and map projection
parameters.
Creating a local site is a simple way to compute the parameters
(rotation, translation and scale) associated with a plane adjustment
for a localized area (or site). Vectors define the relative movements of
positions for known coordinates. A least squares adjustment is then
"best fit" solution for the parameters of the plane adjustment.
You can use a local site to adjust GPS positions so that they fit an
underlying coordinate system better, for example, when the
background image has rectification errors.
Select Options / Create Local Site and the following dialog appears:
Vectors This group contains a list of the vectors that will be used to
create the local site.
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The Residual 2D and 3D columns show the residuals in 2 and 3

dimensions once you have added all the vectors and clicked Solve.
Each vector has a residual error, which is the distance between the
actual known point defined by the vector, and the calculated point
based on all the vectors. The difference is displayed in the current
distance units; you can use Options / Units to change them.
Figure 1.5 shows this concept graphically.
Figure 1.5
Residual errors
A residual may be high for a number of reasons, for example:
You entered an incorrect coordinate for the vector
You entered the vector backwards, that is, you swapped the
control position and the GPS position
The vector is at a distance from the others
The vector lies in a different direction from the others
If a vector is incorrect, it is usually the vector with the high residual

that needs editing.
Add Click this button to add a new vector to the list of vectors. The
Create Site Vector dialog appears.
15 2
Edit Click this button to edit the currently selected vector. The Edit
Site Vector dialog appears.
Delete Click this button to delete the currently selected vector.
Solve Click this button when all vectors have been added, or if any
vectors have been added, edited, or deleted since the last time it was
pressed. Solve computes the 2D and 3D residuals and displays them
in the Vectors group.
Create Site Click this button to create the site based on the current list
of vectors. The Create Local Site dialog appears.

Close Click this button to close the Define Site Vectors dialog.
1.7.7
Create Site Vector Dialog

The Create Site Vector dialog appears when you click Add in the
Define Site Vectors dialog:
Use this dialog to create a site vector. A vector consists of a GPS

position, which is where the GPS data currently is, and a correct
position, which is where it should be in relation to the existing
database.
Name The GPS Pathfinder Office software provides a default vector
name starting with Vector 1 for the first new vector. You can overwrite
this name.
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GPS Position Enter the coordinates of the GPS position which is to
be shifted. You can key values in or select a position from the map. If
you use the latter method, the fields are automatically filled in.
coordinate system.
The Altitude field displays HAE or MSL, depending on the setting in
Options / Coordinate System.
Known Position Enter the known coordinates of the location where
the GPS position should be in relation to your existing database. You

can key values in or select a position from the map. If you use the
latter method, the fields are automatically filled in.
coordinate system.
The Altitude field displays HAE or MSL, depending on the setting in
Options / Coordinate System.
Pick From Map Select this check box to enable you to select any
cross hairs appear and their coordinates appear in the dialog.
If you click on the map close to a GPS position, the cross hairs snap
to it.
All coordinates entered by clicking on an arbitrary Map location have
an altitude of 0.0 m. This is because the map is two-dimensional, not
three-dimensional. Coordinates entered by clicking on a position
within a feature have the altitude of that position.
Note If the Pick From Map check box is selected, the coordinate is
entered into the set of fields with focus. For example, to pick the
coordinate for the Known Position fields, click on the North, East, or
Altitude field in the Known Position group before selecting the
position in the Map window.
Add Click this button to add the current vector to the list of vectors.
Before adding the vector, the GPS Pathfinder Office software checks
that the fields are filled in correctly. It asks you to fix any problems.
15 4
Close Click this button to close the Create Site Vector dialog. If the
current vector has not been saved, you are asked whether you want to
save it before closing the dialog.
1.7.8
Edit Site Vector Dialog

In the Define Local Site dialog, select the vector that you want to edit
and click Edit. The following dialog appears:
Use this dialog to edit the vector you selected in the Define Local Site
dialog. For information on the fields and buttons in the dialog, see
Create Site Vector Dialog, page 153.
1.7.9
Create Local Site Dialog

When you click Create Site from the Define Local Site Vectors dialog,
the Create Local Site dialog appears:
This dialog lets you create a local site based on the current list of
vectors.
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Site Name Enter a name for the site in the Site Name field. A name
can be any string of characters. A name is required.
Create Click this button to create the local site without applying it to
the current coordinate system. Later, when you want to use the site,
select Options / Coordinate System to select it.
Create and Apply Click this button to create the local site and make it
the current coordinate system. All open data files and GPS-based
background files will be shifted by the parameters defined in this site.
1.7.10
Toolbars
By default, the GPS Pathfinder Office software displays four toolbars
with a number of tools for common operations:
To hide a toolbar, select Options / Toolbars and the relevant command

in the Toolbars submenu. The check mark beside the toolbar
command in the Toolbars submenu disappears.
See Basics of Operation in the GPS Pathfinder Office Getting Started
Guide for a detailed description of the toolbars.
1.7.11
Status Bar
By default, a status bar is displayed at the bottom of the GPS
Pathfinder Office application window. It shows you information about
the current project.
15 6
To hide the status bar, select Options / Status Bar. The check mark
beside Status Bar in the Options menu disappears. For more
information, see Basics of Operation in your GPS Pathfinder Office
Getting Started Guide.
1.7.12
Save Window Layout on Exit

By default, the positions of windows, icons, and some dialogs are
saved when you exit, so that when you start the GPS Pathfinder Office
software again, your window layout is the same.
A check mark beside Save Window Layout on Exit indicates that
changes will be saved. Select Options / Save Window Layout on Exit to
turn this option on or off.
1.7.13
Tip When you have a convenient window layout, exit the GPS
Pathfinder Office software to save it. The next time you run the GPS
Pathfinder Office software, deselect the Save Window Layout on Exit
command. The layout you saved now appears whenever you run the
software.
Minimize On Use
Select Options / Minimize On Use to automatically reduce the GPS
Pathfinder Office main program window to an icon in the Taskbar
whenever a utility program is started. Click the icon in the Taskbar to
restore the window to its original size. This feature reduces screen
clutter.
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1.8
GPS Pathfinder Office Software Window Menu
Window Menu
The Window menu provides access to ways of organizing the
windows and icons on the desktop. It also lists the currently open
windows or dialogs.
You can use the commands on the Window menu to organize your
desktop and make a specific window the active window.
1.8.1
Cascade
The Cascade command resizes the windows and dialogs open on the
desktop and arranges them in an overlapping pattern from top left to
bottom right.
Select Window / Cascade to cascade the windows and dialogs that are
open.
1.8.2
Tile
The Tile command moves and resizes the windows and dialogs open
on the desktop and arranges them in a tiled pattern.
Select Window / Tile to tile the windows and dialogs that are open.
1.8.3
Arrange Icons
The Arrange Icons command rearranges any icons of minimized
windows into a tidy pattern along the bottom of the screen, just above
the status bar, for example:
Select Windows / Arrange Icons to organize the icons.
15 8
1.8.4
List of Windows
The bottom section of the Window menu shows a list of currently
open windows or dialogs. The active window or dialog has a check
mark beside it.
You can make a particular window or dialog the active window or
dialog by clicking on its name in the Window menu or by pressing the
equivalent numeric key. For example, if the Feature Properties
window is the fourth on the list, click [4] to make it the active window.
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1.9
GPS Pathfinder Office Software Help Menu
Help Menu
The Help menu provides access to the GPS Pathfinder Office software
commands, as well as the standard About window.
You can use the help menu commands to learn about the different
commands, dialogs, and windows in the GPS Pathfinder Office
software.
1.9.1
Contents
Select Help / Contents to display the Contents dialog for the GPS
Pathfinder Office Help.
16 0
There are two types of icons in the Contents tab: one for pages and
another for books. Click a book icon in the Contents tab and click
Open to view the pages within the book. Click a page icon in the
Contents tab and click Display to view information on that page.
Note Book icons may contain book icons. For more information on
help files, select How to Use Help under the Help menu.
1.9.2
Search for Help on

Select Help / Search for Help on to display the Index tab for the
GPS Pathfinder Office Help. Use this tab to search for a topic in the
help file.
The Index tab lists all the keywords in the help file. You can use these
words to search for help on a particular topic. To display information
for a specific topic, type or select one of the keywords. Click Display
and the GPS Pathfinder Office Help displays the selected help topic.
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1.9.3
How to Use Help

Select Help / How to use Help to display the standard Microsoft
Windows How to Use Help information.
16 2
1.10
Registration
You can register your copy of the GPS Pathfinder Office software
online, or via fax or mail, either at installation time or later through the
Help menu of the main program.
To register at installation, select one of the following:
1.10.1
Register via the Internet (Web access required)
Register by fax or mail
Register later (use Help / Registration from main program)
Register via the Internet

Do one of the following in the Online Registration page:
Click New.
Click Update Existing Registration* if you are already

registered and wish to notify change of details.
The following fields will automatically contain details from the
setup process:
Serial Number
Version Number
Customer name*
Dept./Company or Organization*
Type your details in the remaining fields:
Street address*
City*
State or province (if applicable)
Zip or postal code (if applicable)
Country*
When you have completed the form, click Send Registration Now.
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Note You can use this form each time you want to update your
registration details.
1.10.2
Register by Fax or Mail

Do one of the following in the Register.txt form:
If this is a new registration, delete Update Existing

Registration*.
If you are already registered and wish to notify change of

details, delete New.
The following fields will automatically contain details from the setup
process:
Serial Number
Version Number
Customer name*
Dept./Company or Organization*
Type in the remaining details:
Street address*
City*
State or province (if applicable)
Zip or postal code (if applicable)
Country*
When you have completed the form, print it, and fax it to
408 481 7076 or it mail to:
Trimble Mapping & GIS Systems Marketing
645 North Mary Avenue
PO Box 3642
Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3642
USA
16 4
Note You can use this form each time you want to update your
registration details.
1.10.3
To Register Later
Select Help / Registration from the main GPS Pathfinder Office
program.
Select one of the following:
Via Internet
Via fax or Mail
Complete and submit the selected form as shown above.
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1.11
GPS Pathfinder Office Software Trimble on the Web
Trimble on the Web

Select Help / Trimble on the Web to access Trimble Navigation's
World Wide Web site.
1.11.1
Internet Setup
The GPS Pathfinder Office software does not install or set up your
Internet connection. It simply uses the Internet facilities built into
Windows 95 and NT. It is your responsibility to set up Windows for
your Internet connection.
Trimble is not responsible for setting up your Internet connection, or
for solving any Internet problems that may occur.
For questions or support concerning your Internet connection, please
contact your System Administrator or Internet Service Provider (ISP).
There are several steps required to set up Windows for Internet access.
The following is not a full description, but merely a starting point.
Consult the documentation supplied with Windows and by your ISP
for further details.
16 6
You must ensure that the appropriate parts of Windows are

installed. For example, Dial-Up Networking is an optional
component of Windows that is required for dial-up connections
to the Internet. Also, Windows 95 Plus! contains the Internet
Jumpstart Kit, which makes it easier to set up access to the
Internet.
If your organization already has permanent Internet access, then

contact your System Administrator for help to set up your
computer. You will need to set it up for access via a LAN, and
probably for access through a proxy server (also known as a
firewall). Your System Administrator will need to supply the
address and port of the proxy.
If you will be using a dial-up Internet connection, then you will

need a modem and an account with an Internet Service Provider
(ISP). The ISP will usually give you documentation on how to
set up Windows so that you can dial up and connect to the
Internet through them.
Once you have this required information, there are two ways of
setting up Windows for Internet access.
The easiest way is to run the Internet Connection wizard, by choosing

Start / Programs / Accessories / Internet Tools / Get on the Internet. If
this is not installed, an alternative is to directly change the settings by
double-clicking the Internet icon in Control Panel.
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GPS Pathfinder Office Software Trimble on the Web
GPS
Pathfinder Office
1.12
GPS Pathfinder Office Software Online Support
Online Support
The following support services are available:
1.12.1
Trimble Customer Support

Trimble is committed to providing customer support services that
complement our world-class GPS products. Our customer support
resources include a world wide network of Technical Assistance
Centers (TACs) with knowledgeable staff to answer your questions, as
well as a variety of electronic resources available 24 hours a day.
1.12.2
Trimble Product Training

The advantage of Trimble's Product Training is that you can become
as productive as possible by learning to use Trimble hardware and
software to its fullest potential. Trimble offers training world-wide and
has training centers in North America, England, New Zealand, and
Singapore.
1.12.3
Tips
Trimble TIPs (Technical Information Pages) are available for our
customers. Presently, these documents provide answers to common
questions about using the following products:
16 8
Mapping and GIS Systems
Land Survey Systems
Mining, Construction, and Agriculture
Marine Survey
1.12.4
Send Feedback
This Web page provides a method to submit enquires directly to
Trimble's Technical Assistance Center (TAC). It provides a form to
enter relevant details for enquires ranging from very general enquires
about Trimble products through to very specific enquires related to
using specific Trimble products.
1.12.5
Base Station List

The Trimble Pathfinder Community Base Station (CBS) list currently
provides information on over 200 Trimble base stations throughout the
world. The information includes the location and contact details for
each CBS site. The list is constantly being updated and a form is
provided on this Web page to enable new or unknown CBS sites to be
added to the list.
1.12.6
Trimble Mapping and GIS Home Page

This Web page provides the gateway to information about Trimble's
Mapping and GIS Systems. Detail is provided about Trimble's
complete GPS product line, which provides the accuracy, flexibility,
and ease of use required by mapping professionals. Information is
supplied about the products available for GIS and mapping
applications, as well as insight into ways in which they are being used
as every day data collection tools.
1.12.7
Trimble Home Page

This Web page provides the gateway to information about Trimble
Navigation's wide range of products, services and applications, which
include:
Surveying roads
Improving the efficiency of cellular paging networks
Instantaneously dispatching emergency vehicles

169
GPS
Pathfinder Office
GPS
Pathfinder Office
1.12.8
Mapping the damage from earthquakes
Navigating the featureless china desert
Recording and synchronizing financial transactions around the

world
About the GPS Pathfinder Office Software

Use this command to display the About GPS Pathfinder Office dialog.
This dialog provides information about the GPS Pathfinder Office
software version number, copyright, and licensing information.
17 0
CHAPTER
2
2
Background Files
In this chapter:
Introduction
Background raster files
AutoCAD DXF files
ArcView Shapefiles
Windows Bitmap files
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)
Tagged Image File Format
Trimble SSF files
Trimble Fast Backdrop format
GPS
Pathfinder Office
2.1
Background Files
Introduction
The Map window can display information such as a street plan or a
map or aerial photograph of the area you are working in. This
information is displayed as a background and can be provided by files
in the following format:
AutoCAD ASCII DXF
AutoCAD binary DXF
ArcView Shapefiles
Windows Bitmap files (BMP)
Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)
Trimble SSF Format
Trimble Fast Backdrop Format
You can load and display a number of files in any combination of file
formats at the same time.
The following sections describe these formats and how the GPS
Pathfinder Office software processes and displays the information in
them. Where particular features of a format are not supported, this is
indicated.
17 2
2.2
Background Raster Files

The GPS Pathfinder Office software supports the following types of
raster files:
2.2.1
Windows Bitmap files (BMP)
Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)
Geo-referencing Raster Files

To use a raster file in the Map window, it must be geo-referenced to its
location on the earth. Some GIS programs and utilities can do this.
2.2.2
Geo-referencing Explained
The World coordinates of the area represented by the image must be
supplied to the GPS Pathfinder Office software as a separate World
file or as part of the file (for example, later versions of MrSID).
Geo-referencing information is given in coordinate units and the
values must be valid for the appropriate coordinate system. This is set
through File / Background / Load Background Files.
Each background image file must be geo-referenced, which means
that it must have an associated World file. The World file determines
the relationship between the pixels in the raster file and the
corresponding real-world coordinates that each pixel represents. A
raster file can be geo-referenced in any coordinate system supported
by the GPS Pathfinder Office software. The name of this World file
must be the same as the image (raster) file but with the appropriate
extension.
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GPS
Pathfinder Office
2
2.2.3
Background Files
Recognized World File Extensions

The GPS Pathfinder Office software recognizes a variety of World file
extensions, as shown in Table 2.1.
Table 2.1
World file extensions
Raster Image Extension
Examples of recognized World file

extensions
*.BMP
BPW, WLD
*.TIF
TFW, WLD
*.TIFF
TIFFW, WLD
*.JPG
JGW, WLD
*.SID
SDW
Structure of the World file

Raster files geo-referenced in different coordinate systems may be
added to the list of background files. However, only raster files in the
currently configured coordinate system are loaded into the Map
window. Raster files cannot be displayed in a coordinate system that is
different from their original coordinate system.
Alternatively, you can try to create a World file by hand. A World file
is a standard text file that consists of six parameters on separate lines:
17 4
X scale
X rotation
Y rotation
Y scale
X origin
Y origin
where:
X and Y rotation terms are not used by the GPS Pathfinder Office
software and should be set to 0.0.
X and Y origin terms are coordinates of the center of the upper left
pixel in the area represented by the image. Coordinates are given in
appropriate coordinate units.
X scale is the number of coordinate units per pixel and could be
calculated as width of area in coordinate units divided by width of the
image in pixels.
Y scale could be calculated as height of the area in coordinate units
divided by height of the image in pixels. Note that Y scale, in most
cases, will be negative as the coordinate system origin for most
coordinate systems is bottom left. The origin of the image is set to be
the top left corner.
Open the tutorial file Aerial.wld in any text editor to see an example of
a World file.
2.2.4
Display of Raster Files

The Map window displays the raster file as follows:
Raster files always display behind other information in the Map

window so the information is not obscured.
Raster files do not have any layer information. Each raster file
loads as a separate layer. You can control the display of these
layers in the Background Layers dialog.
Raster files are not affected by the Single Color option in the
Background Layers dialog.
The Map window displays all the colors in the raster file.
However, if your video driver does not support that many colors
the image may appear incorrectly.
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GPS
Pathfinder Office
Background Files
If more than one raster file is displayed at the same time in the
Map window, the colors in all but one raster file may appear
incorrect, especially for systems set to use a 256-color palette.
Because only one palette can be displayed at one time, files
with mismatched palettes must all use one of the palettes. The
result is that one file may display correctly while the other files
appear with incorrect colors.
Note To avoid color display problems, Trimble recommends
using true-color (24-bit) settings. However, the GPS Pathfinder
Office software requires more memory and other system
resources with this setting selected.
17 6
Your computer has limited resources of memory and the graphic

subsystem. Loading large raster files uses large amounts of
these resources. When all the resources are used, further loading
of raster files is not possible. To avoid this problem, the GPS
Pathfinder Office software keeps track of the number of loaded
raster files and, if necessary, loads subsequent raster files using
the low-memory mode. However, while low-memory mode
uses less memory and other resources, it is much slower than
normal mode.
2.3
AutoCAD DXF Files

The GPS Pathfinder Office software supports the following types of
DXF file:
VAutoCAD Data Exchange Format (DXF) files created by

AutoCAD or other compatible products.
VDXF files created by releases up to and including Release 14.
VDXF files created using a DOS, UNIX, or Macintosh

platform.
VASCII DXF files using a carriage return, line feed, or

combination of both to terminate each line.
VBinary DXF and ASCII DXF file formats.
AutoCAD DXB files, and DXF files with external blocks or file
references are not supported.
2.3.1
Coordinates
The GPS Pathfinder Office software handles coordinates in the DXF
file as follows:
Reads and displays only X and Y values (eastings and northings

or longitudes and latitudes). It does not read or display the Z
value (altitude).
Reads and displays only World coordinates. Coordinates

mapped in paper space are not supported.
The coordinate system of each file, and the units that these
coordinates are in, must be defined when the DXF file is added
to the list of background files. If necessary, the GPS Pathfinder
Office software will transform the coordinates in the DXF file
to those of the currently configured coordinate system. If the
currently configured coordinate system is a local site, the site
adjustment will not be included in the transformation.
Multiple coordinate systems in a single file are not supported.
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GPS
Pathfinder Office
Background Files
The coordinate order specified in Options / Style of Display is

ignored when a DXF file is loaded. DXF files always have a
fixed coordinate order of east/north or longitude/latitude.
Note When loading a DXF background file, make sure that

longitudes and latitudes are in decimal degrees or radians.
2.3.2
Display
The map displays a DXF file as follows:
17 8
Displays only the feature geometry. It does not display the

attributes.
Draws all lines in the DXF file in a solid line type and changes
dotted or dashed lines to solid lines.
Draws polylines using the line width specified at the start of the
polyline.
Maps the first 15 colors specified in the DXF file to the default
AutoCAD colors. Displays additional colors in the window text
color (usually black).
Draws curved polylines as straight lines.
Does not display 3D face entities.
Does not display dimension entities.
Displays text in the Times New Roman font.
Displays individual points as a dot.
The colors in the DXF file cannot be changed in the GPS

Pathfinder Office software. Use a DXF file editor to change the
colors.
Each layer in the DXF file corresponds to a separate

background layer. You can control the display of these layers in
the Background Layers dialog.
2.4
ArcView Shapefiles
The GPS Pathfinder Office software supports Shapefiles created by
ArcView version 2 or later.
It displays only the geometry file with the extension .shp. It does not
display the index file (.shx) or the attribute file (.dbf). It displays the
Shape types points, arcs, polygons, and multipoints.
2.4.1
Coordinates
The GPS Pathfinder Office software handles coordinates in the
Shapefile as follows:
Ignores the coordinate system in the Shapefile.
Ignores the coordinate order specified in Options / Style of

Display. Shapefiles always have a fixed coordinate order of
east/north or longitude/latitude.
Transforms the coordinates in the Shapefile to fit the current

coordinate system, if necessary. (You must specify the
coordinate system of each file, and the units that these
coordinates are in, when you add the Shapefile to the list of
background files.) If the current coordinate system is a local
site, the site adjustment will not be included in the
transformation.
Note 3D shapefiles created in ArcView version 3.1 cannot be loaded

as background files in the GPS Pathfinder Office software.
2.4.2
Display
The map displays the Shapefile as follows:
Draws lines in a solid line type.
Displays information in the Shapefile according to the symbols

defined in the Background Layers dialog. Select View / Layers /
Background to change the symbol or line thickness.
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Pathfinder Office
Background Files
18 0
Treats each Shapefile as a separate layer. Shapefiles do not have

any layer information. You can control the display of these
layers in the Background Layers dialog.
2.5
Windows Bitmap Files

The GPS Pathfinder Office software supports all the standard
Windows bitmap file formats:
2.5.1
Monochrome bitmap files
16-color bitmap files
256-color bitmap files
24-bit (true color) bitmap files
Compression
RLE (Run-length encoding) compressed files are supported in normal
mode, but not in low-memory mode.
2.5.2
Geo-referencing
For information on geo-referencing through a World file, see
Background Raster Files, page 173.
2.5.3
Display
For information on how raster (bitmap) files are displayed, see
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Background Files
GPS
Pathfinder Office
2.6
Background Files

Most baseline, extended-sequential, and progressive JPEG processes
are supported in the GPS Pathfinder Office software.
Unsupported ISO (International Organization for Standardization)
options include:
2.6.1
Hierarchical storage
Lossless JPEG
Arithmetic entropy coding
DNL marker
Non-integral subsampling ratios.
Compression
The GPS Pathfinder Office software does not support lossless JPEG
and arithmetic entropy coding.
2.6.2
Geo-referencing
For more information on geo-referencing through a World file, see
2.6.3
Display
18 2
2.7

GPS Pathfinder Office software supports the latest file versions of
MrSID, that is 1.0.0 and 1.0.1.
2.7.1
Compression
GPS Pathfinder Office software supports MrSID wavelet
compression.
2.7.2
Geo-referencing
If a geo-referencing World file is not available, the GPS Pathfinder
Office software will read and use geo-referencing information from
MrSID file metadata, if it exists.
2.7.3
Display
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Pathfinder Office
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GPS
Pathfinder Office
2.8
Background Files
Tagged Image File Format

The GPS Pathfinder Office software supports a variety of TIFF file
formats including version 6.
Other format options:
2.8.1
Tiled TIFF files are supported. Large images display more

efficiently if they are tiled.
GeoTIFF format is not supported. However, GeoTIFF files can

be used as normal TIFF files.
Multiple images within a single TIFF file are not supported. In

this case only the first image will be loaded.
Color components stored in separate component planes are

not supported.
Greyscale and color TIFF files are supported.
Compression
GPS Pathfinder Office supports uncompressed TIFF files and the
following compression schemes:
CCITT Group 3 & 4 algorithms
Packbits algorithm
ThunderScan 4-bit RLE algorithm
NeXT 2-bit RLE algorithm
LogLuv algorithm
GPS Pathfinder Office does not support the following:
18 4
ZIP
LZW
PixarLog compressed files
2.8.2
Geo-referencing
The GPS Pathfinder Office software does not recognize
geo-referencing tags in GeoTIFF files. However, free utilities are
available in the public domain for all major computer platforms that
can extract geo-referencing data from a GeoTIFF file and create a
World file.
2.8.3
Display
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GPS
Pathfinder Office
2.9
Background Files
Trimble SSF Files

The GPS Pathfinder Office software supports all SSF format files,
which typically have .ssf, .cor, or .phs extensions.
2.9.1
Coordinates
The GPS Pathfinder Office software handles coordinates in the SSF
file as follows:
All SSF files are stored in the latitude/longitude coordinate system,
using the WGS-84 datum. SSF files are transformed into the currently
configured coordinate system. If the currently configured coordinate
system is a local site, the site adjustment will be included in the
transformation.
2.9.2
Display
The map displays information in the SSF file according to the symbols
defined in the Background Layers dialog. Select View / Layers /
Background to change the symbol or line thickness.
The map treats each feature type in the SSF file as a separate layer.
You can control the display of these layers in the Background Layers
dialog.
SSF background files cannot be queried or edited in the same way as
SSF foreground files. They are for display only. To query or edit a SSF
format file, open the file with File / Open.
18 6
2.10
Trimble Fast Backdrop Format

The first time that a vector format background file is loaded, an FBK
file is automatically created. In subsequent sessions, the FBK file is
loaded instead of the original file. This has the following advantages:
Loading speed can be increased by up to eight times.
Display speed can be doubled.
FBK files use approximately a quarter of the memory required

by the original vector file.
FBK files use less disk space than the original vector file.
If a coordinate system transformation is required to display the

vector file in the Map window, transformed coordinates are
saved in the FBK file so that the transformation does not have to
be repeated.
An FBK file becomes invalid if the following events occur:
The currently configured coordinate system is changed.
The original vector format file is modified in any way.
In these cases, the FBK file will be automatically recreated.

Usually, the original file appears in the list of background files and the
FBK file is automatically loaded if it exists. You can, however, load
FBK files directly into the list of background files. FBK files are
created in the \Program Files\Common Files\Trimble\PFOffice\FBK
folder but you can move or copy them to other locations. Note that if
you load an FBK file explicitly it is not updated if the original vector
format file is modified.
If an FBK file is loaded explicitly, another FBK file is not created for
it. If you select a different coordinate system, the FBK file is rewritten.
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GPS
Pathfinder Office
Background Files
2.10.1
Display
An FBK file inherits the display capabilities of its host vector file
format. For example, if the original file used to create the FBK file
was in DXF format, the FBK file will have the display capabilities as
described for DXF files. See the appropriate place in this section for a
list of display capabilities.
Note FBK files created by version 1.12 or lower cannot be displayed
directly as background images.
18 8
CHAPTER
3
3
The QuickPlan Utility

In this chapter:
Introduction
Overview
File menu
Session menu
Graphs menu
View menu
Options menu
Help menu
3.1
The QuickPlan Utility Introduction
Introduction
QuickPlan
The QuickPlan utility is a Trimble software product designed to help

you plan and schedule GPS field sessions. Use the QuickPlan utility
to:
3.1.1
create descriptions of field sessions
create descriptions of sites where measurements are to be made
create descriptions of obstructions to visibility at each site
modify any of the above descriptions
graph satellite visibility in a variety of ways, and display other

session data in a variety of forms
determine times when a required number of satellites will be

available at any site or all sites
When and Why to Use the QuickPlan Utility

Mission planning is usually the first phase of managing a surveying
project. Its objective is to define all significant aspects of the project
so that it can be performed effectively and efficiently under all
foreseeable conditions.
The QuickPlan utility is most often used near the end of the mission
planning phase, after you have decided what information your survey
must produce and what surveying procedures you will use. It usually
follows site reconnaissance, during which you note the size and
position of any obstructions that may affect satellite visibility at each
survey or reference mark.
The QuickPlan utility can help you to:
19 0
predict satellite availability at each mark
experiment with satellite selection, almanacs, time zones, site

visibility obstructions, and elevation masks
determine the best observation periods for a given session,

given any necessary constraints on PDOP and on the hours
during which the field crew can work
visualize satellite availability through tables and graphical

representations
Updating the Almanac

The almanac is a set of data that is used to predict satellite orbits over
a moderately long period of time (about a month).
The QuickPlan utility needs an almanac of no more than about a
month old to produce reasonably accurate results: if your computer
does not have one, it is important to obtain a current almanac before
using The QuickPlan utility.
Trimbles Series 4000 receivers and GPS Pathfinder receivers acquire
the current almanac from satellites during regular operations, and
maintain this in memory. You can download the almanac from a
Series 4000 receiver to your computer by transferring the ephemeris
and storing it in an .eph file. You can download the almanac from a
GPS Pathfinder receiver to an .ssf file. The QuickPlan utility can also
read almanac information in the Yuma ASCII format.
To tell how old your most current ephemeris file is:
1.
Get a listing of files with the extension .eph or .ssf in the

\Program Files\Common Files\Trimble\Almanacs folder.
The default file name for an almanac is Almanac.ssf or
Current.eph. You may, however, have chosen to name your
ephemeris files differently when you transferred them to your
PC.
2.
Look for the file with the most recent date.
191
QuickPlan
3.1.2
Three ways to obtain an almanac
QuickPlan
There are three ways to download an up-to-date almanac:
Transfer data files and/or an ephemeris file from a Series 4000

GPS receiver, using the Trimble Data Transfer utility.
Transfer an almanac file from a GPS Pathfinder receiver or

datalogger.
Download a current ephemeris file from Trimble's World Wide

Web site at www.trimble.com. This method is usually used only
if no receiver is available.
Updating the almanac used by the QuickPlan utility

When you transfer an almanac from a receiver or datalogger using the
Trimble Data Transfer utility, it will be stored in the \Program
Files\Common Files\Trimble\Almanacs folder by default. The
QuickPlan utility automatically chooses the most recent almanac file
in this folder; normally you do not need to do anything more to make
sure that only the latest almanac file is used.
If you wish to use an almanac file other than the one that the
QuickPlan utility chooses automatically, select Options / Almanac.
The QuickPlan utility displays the Load File with Almanac dialog.
1.
From the List Files of Type drop-down list in the lower left
corner of the dialog, select either EPH files (*.eph) or SSF files
(*.ssf).
2.
Select the drive and folder that contain the EPH or SSF file.
3.
Select the file.
4.
Click OK.
The QuickPlan utility opens the selected file and loads the almanac
from it.
19 2
The QuickPlan Utility Overview
This section discusses the concepts central to the operation of the

QuickPlan utility. It covers sessions and points, and describes the main
menu commands.
3.2.1
Sessions and Points

The concepts of sessions and points are central to the operation of the
QuickPlan utility.
A session is a period of time during which you plan to make

observations. To be defined in the QuickPlan utility, a session
must begin and end on the same day in whatever time zone you
are planning in (local time or GMT). The purpose of planning is
to let you schedule your observations so that the satellites you
need are available throughout a session long enough for you to
complete your work.
A point is a place where you plan for observations to take place.

It is equivalent to a mark or a station in GPS surveying
terminology. For planning purposes, an approximate point
position is sufficient. An error of 1 in the coordinates causes an
error of no more than four minutes in the predicted rise and set
times of a satellite.
You must define a point for every mark to be observed in the survey,
even if you are entering approximate point positions that are so close
together that they are equivalent. This is because the properties of each
point include a description of the obstructions visible from that point,
and predicting the effects of these obstructions on satellite availability
is an important part of the function of the QuickPlan utility.
193
Overview
QuickPlan
3.2
3
3.2.2
Starting the QuickPlan Utility
QuickPlan
Before you can start the QuickPlan utility, Microsoft Windows must
be running on your computer and the GPS Pathfinder Office software
must be installed. Start the QuickPlan utility from within the GPS
Pathfinder Office software or start it directly from Windows.
To start the QuickPlan utility from the GPS Pathfinder Office
software:
Select Utilities / QuickPlan from the menu bar.
To start the QuickPlan utility from Windows:
3.2.3
1.
Click
2.
Select Programs / GPS Pathfinder Office <version>

/ QuickPlan.
Defining the Session in the QuickPlan Utility

When you start the QuickPlan utility, you must define a session before
you can use the program main menu. The procedure you must follow
is described in the following sections and is the same as the procedure
for defining a new session with the Session / New Session command.
Note It is possible to reach the main menu without defining a
session. However, most of the commands in the main menu will not be
available.
19 4
The first dialog that the QuickPlan utility displays is the Select Date
dialog:
Step 1: Selecting a Date
QuickPlan
3.2.4
Select the date on which a session will be conducted. The QuickPlan

utility computes satellite visibility for that date.
To select a date:
1.
Use one of the following methods:

Click one of the following: Today, Tomorrow, or Day After
Tomorrow.
Click a date in the calendar. Click Prev Month or Next Month,

if necessary, to display the required month.
Enter the Julian date in the lower left corner or the calendar date
in the lower right corner.
2.
For more details on the Select Date dialog, see New Session,
page 208.
195
3
3.2.5
Step 2: Defining a Point
QuickPlan
When you close the Select Date dialog, the QuickPlan utility displays
the Edit Point dialog:
Select or define a point (a mark) at which observations will be made.

The QuickPlan utility computes satellite visibility for that point.
To select a point, do one of the following:
Click World Map to display a map of the world, then use the
mouse to select a point on the map.
Click Cities to display a world-wide or local list of cities, then

select a city from the list.
Click Keyboard to open a dialog, then define a point by

entering its latitude, longitude, and other properties.
Once you have selected a point:

1.
Click OK in the world map, city list, or dialog to return to the

Edit Point dialog.
2.
Click OK in the Edit Point dialog to close it and proceed.
For more details on Edit Point, see Editing an Existing Point,

page 213.
19 6
When you close the Edit Point dialog the QuickPlan utility displays
the Status window:
Step 3: The Status Dialog
QuickPlan
3.2.6
For more information, see Options Menu Commands, page 238.

Note The satellite and almanac information appears in the Status
dialog after you work with the Options / SVs... commands.
At this point the main menu bar for the QuickPlan utility becomes
accessible.
Main Menu Bar Many of the commands that you can select from the
main menu bar display dialog boxes and other windows in the main
window of the QuickPlan utility.
197
QuickPlan
The main menu commands and functions are listed below:

Select...
to...
File
Print graphs, optimal observation time lists, and

observation reports; exit the QuickPlan utility.
Session
Create and modify sessions and points within sessions.

Note You can select different dates within a single
planning session by opening the Select Date dialog, and
you can select different points by opening the Edit Point
dialog. These dialog boxes are accessible through the
Session / New Session and Session / Edit Session
commands.
3.2.7
Graphs
Create and display graphs of satellite data.
View
Resize, zoom, and pan graphs. The View menu is

available only when at least one graph window is open.
Options
Select available satellites, time zone, program status,

elevation mask, and almanac.
Help
Display information about how to use the program.
What Next?
Once you reach the main menu, you are ready to begin planning. You
have already defined one session and one point, and have added the
point to the session.
Use Session / Edit Session to define and add additional points.
Use Session / New Session, if necessary, to define additional

sessions and add points to them.
After you have defined the sessions and points you need, experiment
with different observation schedules and session parameters:
19 8
Session / Edit Session lets you vary the schedule.
The Options menu commands let you vary parameter settings

such as the elevation mask.
Options / Auto Time controls the minimum required observation

period, the minimum required number of satellites, and the
PDOP mask.
Select...
to...
Graph / Number of
SVs and PDOP
find observation periods that offer the best

combination of satellite availability and low PDOP.
Graph / Elevation
determine how many satellites (and which ones) will

clear site obstructions at any time.
Graph / Azimuth
find safe observation periods for a site in which an

entire part of the sky is obstructed. At any time,
satellites with azimuths in that part of the sky may be
unavailable.
Graph / Number of
Satellites
make preliminary studies of satellite availability; help

you find observation times when many satellites will
be available.
Graph / Satellites
find observation periods when particular satellites are

available. This is helpful if you know which satellites
you want to observe.
Graph / PDOP
select a set of satellites to observe. You can enable

and disable specific satellites and see the effect on
PDOP.
Graph / Skyplot
visualize satellite paths and their relations to

obstructions.
Options / Show
Status
put graphic displays in context by providing data

about the ephemeris file, time zone, etc. This helps
you avoid making plans based on obsolete or
inappropriate data.
Options / Auto Time
compute and display list of optimal observation times,

given specified criteria.
199
QuickPlan
The commands listed below display and print information that can
help you define the best plan for your needs:
QuickPlan
There are essentially two ways to use the QuickPlan utility:
You can let the program do the planning. Enter appropriate

parameter settings then select Options / List Times. A list of
observation times that meet the criteria you have specified will
be produced.
You can do the planning yourself. Use any combination of

commands to display information that helps you visualize
satellite availability over the period of time when the
observations must be made, and decide on a plan.
A practical approach usually combines both techniques. You can use

Options / List Times to get a list of suitable times, then produce
various graphs to help you decide, within those times, what schedule
of observations best suits your needs.
20 0
The QuickPlan Utility File Menu
File Menu
z
The File menu has three commands for printing various types
of information:
Use the Print Graph, Print Auto Time, and Print Report commands to
print graphs and reports.
Each command is available only when the QuickPlan utility is
displaying the type of information that command is meant to print. For
example, Print Graph is available only when the QuickPlan utility is
displaying one or more graphs.
It is a good habit to activate the window or dialog you want to print by
clicking it before you select a Print... command. If several graphs are
open, for example, click the one you want to print before you select
Print Graph. Otherwise Print Graph prints the graph you opened most
recentlywhich may or may not be the one you want.
Note See your Microsoft Windows online help for more information
concerning printing features, and naming and saving files in Windows.
3.3.1
Print Graph
You can print a graph only when that graph is displayed in the
QuickPlan window.
To print a graph:
1.
Display the graph in the QuickPlan window.
2.
Click in the graphs window to activate it.
201
QuickPlan
3.3
3.
Select File / Print Graph to open a standard Print dialog:
4.
Click OK to print the selected graph.
QuickPlan
You may be able to speed up printing of graphs by reducing the

resolution of your printer. Resolution control is a function of the
Windows printer driver and is not supported by the drivers for all
types of printers.
To see if your printer driver supports resolution control:
1.
Click on a graph.
2.
Select File / Print Graph.
3.
Select the Print Quality drop-down box.
If Print Quality offers a choice of resolutions, you can speed up

printing by selecting a lower resolution.
Changing the resolution in the File / Print Graph command affects
only the printing operation you start with that command.
20 2
Open the Printers dialog by selecting Settings / Control Panel /

Printers from the Windows Start menu.
2.
In the Printers dialog, double-click the icon of your printer

driver, or select the icon of your printer driver and select Open
from the File menu.
3.
In the Printer window select Properties from the Printers

menu.
4.
Set the print quality option on one of the tabs. (Not all printers
offer a print quality option.)
Any changes you make last until you make another change and affect
all Windows applications.
3.3.2
Print Auto Time

The Print Auto Time command prints the contents of the ListTimes
dialoga list of optimal observation times for the current session.
To print the ListTimes dialog:
1.
Select Options / Auto Time. The Auto View Time Selection

dialog appears.
2.
Fill in the fields with the values you want. Click OK to display
the ListTimes box.
203
QuickPlan
1.
To permanently change the resolution of the printer:
3.
Select File / Print Auto Time. This presents the AutoTime List
Destination dialog, which prompts you to choose whether to
print the ListTimes box to the printer or an ASCII (text) file:
4.
Click the appropriate button to close the dialog and proceed.
QuickPlan
To print the report to a printer

If you click Printer in the AutoTime List destination window, the
QuickPlan utility opens a standard Print dialog.
Click OK to send the list to the printer. When you click OK the Report
Format dialog appears, prompting you to select the report format:
1.
20 4
To insert breaks between constellation changes, select the

Dividing Lines check box. Clear the check box to insert no
breaks.
Click Fonts to display the Font dialog. This dialog lets you
select the font type, style, size, and color of the output. (All of
these choices are subject to limits on the capabilities of your
printer. The Font dialog contains the following fields:
3.
Click OK in the Report Format dialog to print the report.
QuickPlan
2.
205
To print the report to an ASCII file
QuickPlan
If you click ASCII-File in the AutoTime List destination window, the

QuickPlan utility opens a standard Save As dialog:
20 6
1.
Use the Drives and Folders lists to choose the destination of the
file.
2.
Use the Save File as Type list to specify the file type. The
default is REP (a QuickPlan report file).
3.
Type the name of the file into the File Name edit box.
4.
If you do not add an extension to the file name, it defaults to a

value that depends on the type of file you are saving. The
default type for a QuickPlan report file is *.rep.
5.
Click OK to write the report to the file.
Print Report
1.
To print a satellite visibility report:

Use the Options / Show Report command to display the report.
Once the report is visible, the File / Print Report command
becomes available.
2.
Select File / Print Report to open the Report Destination dialog:
3.
Click Printer to write the report to the printer or ASCII-File to

write it to a file.
The procedure for printing a satellite visibility report is the same as the
procedure for printing an auto time list. For more information, see
Print Auto Time, page 203. Similarly, the procedure for writing a
satellite visibility report to a file is the same as the procedure for
writing an auto time list to a file.
3.3.4
Exit
Select File / Exit to exit the QuickPlan utility.
207
QuickPlan
3.3.3
3.4
The QuickPlan Utility Session Menu
Session Menu
QuickPlan
The Session menu has three commands. This section describes the
commands, along with dialogs and other elements used in the
commands. Some of the dialogs and other elements are shared by
more than one command.
Note Because the QuickPlan utility does not save information from
run to run, you must create a new session before it will let you use the
main menu. In effect, it selects Session / New Session for you when you
start the program. You may use Session / New Session to define
additional sessions, but remember that none of the sessions you create
will be saved.
3.4.1
New Session
Use this command to describe each session that will be conducted in
the course of the project.
To create a new session:
1.
20 8
Select the Session / New Session command. (When you start the
QuickPlan utility, the program performs this step for you.)
If you have not yet created or edited a session in this run,

the program opens the Select Date dialog. Select a date for
the session and click OK. (For more information, see
Changing a Sessions Date and Time, page 225.)
If you have created or edited a session in this run, the

program assigns the new session the same date as the last
one you created or edited. You can change this date later in
the procedure if necessary.
If you have not yet defined any points, the program opens
the Edit Point dialog to let you define the first point. (For
more information, see Edit Point, page 212.) If you have
defined points, the program skips this step. You can define
additional points later in the procedure if necessary.
Figure 3.1 shows details of the Add New Session dialog:
QuickPlan
Session date and time
Session name
Points in session
Define points
Set session time
Set session date

Display sessions
combined curtain
Define new point
Edit selected points

curtain
Edit selected point
Set receiver ID
(Plan only)
Figure 3.1
The Add New Session dialog
The program automatically assigns the session a four-digit

session ID consisting of the day of year and a unique digit to
distinguish different sessions created on the same day.
2.
Change the contents of the Session Name text box if you want to
change this session name. You may use an alphanumeric
session ID up to nine characters long.
3.
Add each point at which observations will be made:

double-click on the point in the All Points list, or highlight it in
the All Points list and click Add. (For more information, see
Adding and Deleting Points in a Session, page 224.)
209
When defining a new session:

To add a point that has not yet been defined, first define it
by clicking Create. This displays the Edit Point dialog.
You can define curtains for the point that is selected in the
n Points list. (The n represents a number; the label of the
list box tells how many points are in the list.)
QuickPlan
Note A curtain is any obstruction that blocks satellite

signals from a GPS receiver located at a particular point.
A points curtains are part of the definition of that point
3.4.2
Click Curtain to run the Curtain Editor. For more

information, see Curtain Editor, page 227.
4.
Click Date to open the Select Date dialog and select a date for
the session.
5.
Click Time to open the Enter Start & Stop Times dialog and
specify the sessions start and stop times. For more information,
see Changing a Sessions Date and Time, page 225.
6.
Click OK to close the Add New Session dialog.
Edit Session
Use this command to change the date, time, and set of points in a
session, and to edit the properties of points.
1.
Select the Session / Edit Session command:

The QuickPlan utility displays the Choose a Session dialog.
This box contains a list of session IDs.
21 0
QuickPlan
The list ordinarily contains just one entry: the session ID of the
session that you created at the start of the run:
2.
Double-click the session you want to edit, or select the session

and click OK.
The QuickPlan utility closes the Choose a Session dialog and
displays the Edit Session dialog (not shown here, but very
similar to the Add New Session dialog).
Use the dialog as follows:
To create a new point, click Create. For more information,

see Creating a New Point, page 213.
To edit the properties of an existing point, highlight the

point in the n Points list and click Edit Pt. For more
information, see Editing an Existing Point, page 213.
To define or edit the curtains for the selected point, click

Curtain. For more information, see Curtain Editor,
page 227.
Note You can display the sessions combined curtains by

clicking Combined Curtains (For more information, see
Displaying a Combined Curtain, page 234.)
3.
When you are finished, click OK to close the Edit Session

dialog.
211
3
3.4.3
Edit Point
To edit a point:
1.
QuickPlan
2.
Select the Session / Edit Point command. The QuickPlan utility

opens the Choose a Point dialog.
Double-click the point you want to edit, or highlight it and click
OK. The QuickPlan utility opens the Edit Point dialog:
21 2
3.
Click World Map, Cities, or Keyboard, depending on the

procedure you want to use to edit the point.
4.
Make your changes. (All three procedures are described in the

following sections.)
5.
When you return to the Edit Point dialog, click OK to close the
dialog and complete the editing operation.
Tip You can also edit a point by highlighting the point from the list on the
left side of the Add New Session or Edit Session dialog, then clicking
Edit Pt.
The following sections describe dialogs that the commands in the

Session menu may display. The dialogs are described separately from
the commands as many of them are used by more than one command.
3.4.5
Creating a New Point

To include a point in a session, you must first create (define) the point.
The QuickPlan utility maintains a temporary database of points: this
database is not saved when you exit the QuickPlan utility.
To create a point from the Add New Session or Edit Session dialog,
click Create. The QuickPlan utility opens the Add New Point dialog.
To define a point:
1.
Click one of the following:
World Map to define the point by clicking on its position
on a map
Cities to define the point by selecting the name of a near
by city from a list
Keyboard to define the point by entering its coordinates
and other properties on the keyboard
3.4.6
2.
Use the appropriate procedure to define the point. (Procedures

are described in the following sections.)
3.
Click OK to create the point and close the Add New Point
dialog.
Editing an Existing Point

You can edit (redefine) a point, using one of the following procedures:
Highlight the point in the list on the left side of the Add New
Session dialog (if you are creating a new session) or the Edit
Session dialog (if you are editing one). Click Edit Pt.
213
Session Menu Dialogs
QuickPlan
3.4.4
Select the Session / Edit Point command from the main menu.
The QuickPlan utility opens the Choose a Point dialog. Doubleclick the point you want to edit, or highlight the point and click
OK.
QuickPlan
The Edit Point dialog opens. It shows the name and coordinates of the
point you selected.
To edit the point you selected:
1.
Click one of the following:
World Map to redefine the point by clicking on its position
on a map
Cities to redefine the point by selecting the name of a
nearby city from a list
Keyboard to redefine the point by editing its coordinates
and other properties on the keyboard
21 4
2.
Use the appropriate procedure to edit the point, as described in

the following sections.
3.
Click OK to create the point and close the Edit Point dialog.
If you go far afield, you will probably find that the world map is the
most convenient means of defining points for your sessions:
Creating or Editing a Point with the World Map
QuickPlan
3.4.7
All of the procedures for adding or editing a point lead to the Edit
Point dialog, from which you can open a world map by clicking World
Map.
215
World Map opens the Select Pt dialog, which displays the map in a
QuickPlan
Mercator projection. There is a panel of buttons on the right and a

status bar at the bottom. The dialog has two variations: one displays a
Mercator projection, the other a global view.
In the map, a colored block marks the city nearest the selected point.
Major political boundaries are shown in several colors to make them
easier to distinguish. The coordinates of the mouse cursor are shown
in an inset box at the upper right.
In a Mercator projection, the status bar shows the map scale. In the
example shown, each segment of the scale bar represents 5000 km.
(The scale is subject to the usual distortions inherent in a Mercator
projection.) The inset box at the right end of the status bar shows the
name of the city nearest the selected point.
21 6
To define a point:
Click on the point.

The inset coordinates freeze at the point you clicked on. The
coordinates of the point are defined as the coordinates at the
mouse, not as the coordinates of the nearest city. The point may,
however, be given the name of the city. For more information,
see the description of the Take City check box in the next table.
Tip If you make a mistake, click the mouse button again. This frees the
colored block to follow the mouse cursor around the map.
When you have frozen the coordinates, the QuickPlan utility

enables the Magnify and Demagnify buttons. You can use these
buttons to zoom in on an area of interest (to magnify it) and to
zoom out again (demagnify). Zooming in makes it possible to
define a point more precisely than the world map would allow.
2.
When you have defined the point to your satisfaction, click OK.
The QuickPlan utility defines the point and closes the Select Pt dialog.
The controls to the right of the map are described below:
Click...
to...
Redraw
redraw the map.
Mercator or Globe
change the map projection.
About
display an About box describing the origins of

the information in the map.
Magnify and Demagnify (in display a smaller part of the world at a greater
the Mercator projection
magnification, and a larger part of the world at a
only)
lesser magnification. These buttons are enabled
only when a point is selected. They redisplay
the map roughly centered on that point.
Redraw
redraw the map at its largest (global) scale;

thus, it might be called Demagnify all the way.
217
QuickPlan
1.
QuickPlan
Click...
to...
Left, Right, Up, and Down

(in the global view only)
rotate the map in the indicated directions to

display different parts of the world.
Rivers
display major rivers on the map. If you clear this

box, rivers will not display.
Take City
make the QuickPlan utility name the point the

same as the nearest (highlighted) city. If you
clear this box, the QuickPlan utility will not name
the point; if you want the point to have a name,
you must edit it from the keyboard.
OK
accept the point definition you have made and

close the Select Pt dialog.
Cancel
close the Select Pt dialog without defining the

point.
You can also use the mouse, as described below:

In both map views...
to...
Click
select point; change mode from moving to fixed.
Double-click
magnify map, centered on the current point.
In Mercator Projection
Only ...
to...
Double right-click
demagnify map, centered on the current point.
[Shift] + click
redraw the map at current magnification,

centered on the point where you clicked.
[Ctrl] + click
redraw map at the original (global) scale.
Click and drag
zoom in to an area defined by the drag (the

points where you click the mouse button and
release it become diagonally opposite corners
of the map).
Note Political boundaries have changed since the world map was
created, and continue to change. Trimble will update the map
periodically in an attempt to keep it as current as possible.
21 8
The city list is a convenient means of defining a point if you are

planning a session in or near a listed city. It is also useful as a means of
locating an area whose place on the world map is unknown to you.
You can use the city list to define the point at the nearest city, edit the
point with the world map, zoom in on the region around the city, and
locate the true position of the point.
All of the procedures for adding or editing a point lead to the Edit
Point dialog.
To create or edit a point with the City List:
1.
In the Edit Point dialog, click City List to open the Select City
dialog:
Select City can display either of two lists of cities: a world list or
a local list. (The local list is initially a list of cities in the United
States, but can be changed. For more information, see Editing a
City List, page 220.)
2.
Click either World or Local to select a list.
219
Creating or Editing a Point with the City List
QuickPlan
3.4.8
3.
Double-click the city you want, or highlight the city and click
OK.
Either action makes the QuickPlan utility define a point at the
coordinates defined for that city.
QuickPlan
Tip You can also select a city by typing the first part of its name into the
Select City box. The QuickPlan utility highlights the first city name that
begins with the same letters. If you entered CA, for example, the
QuickPlan utility would highlight Cairo; add an N and it would highlight
Canberra instead.
The name of the point is the name of the city. If the Take
Country Name Also box was selected, the name of the point is
the name of the city followed by the name of the country, state,
or province in parentheses, for example:
3.4.9
San Francisco (CA)
Cape Town (South Africa)
Editing a City List

You can edit the city lists: add the city names you need and, if you
like, remove those you do not.
There are two ways to edit the city lists:
Edit the files that contain the lists with a text editor.
Edit the list with the world map.
These are explained next.
3.4.10
Editing a City List with a Text Editor

The city lists are stored in \Program Files\Common Files\Trimble\Plan
folder. The world list is kept in a file named City.wor, the local list in a
file named City.loc.
22 0
QuickPlan
You can use any editor that handles unformatted ASCII files. A city
list looks like the following when edited in Microsoft Notepad:
If you add cities to either file, make sure that the city list remains in
alphabetical order and that the information is placed into the file in the
format shown in Table 3.1.
Table 3.1
3.4.11
City list format
Field
Column
Name
121
State/Province
2243
Minutes of longitude
4450
Minutes of latitude
5157
Editing a City List with the World Map

You can add a city to either city list from the world map in the Select
Pt dialog. You cannot use this technique to edit or delete a city list
entry.
See Creating or Editing a Point with the World Map, page 215 for
instructions on using the world map to create or edit a point in a
session.
221
QuickPlan
To add new cities to the world map:

1.
Open the Select Pt dialog (which contains the map).
2.
Make sure that the Mercator map projection is displayed.
3.
Magnify the map sufficiently to be able to locate the city with

reasonable precision.
4.
Click the left mouse button on the location of the city to fix the
point on the map.
5.
Hold down [Ctrl]+[Shift], and right-click. The QuickPlan utility

displays the Value Input dialog:
6.
Enter the city name, including the state, province, or country

name in parentheses.
7.
Click OK.
The QuickPlan utility opens a message box which prompts you
to select the list to which the city is to be added.
8.
Click Yes to add the city to the local list or No to add it to the
world list.
The QuickPlan utility adds the city to the appropriate list and
closes the message box.
22 2
If you know the coordinates of the points that you wish to observe,
click Keyboard in the Edit Point dialog to enter them through the
keyboard.
You can also use this technique to set several properties of a point that
are not accessible through the world map or the city list, such as the
height and the station ID of the point.
The keyboard displays a new dialog (also called Edit Point).
To use the dialog, fill in the fields as appropriate. You must supply a
name, a latitude, and a longitude. The other fields are optional.
223
Creating or Editing a Point through the Keyboard
QuickPlan
3.4.12
The fields in the dialog are described in Table 3.2.
QuickPlan
Table 3.2
3.4.13
Edit Point dialog Station identification and station

position fields
Field
Includes the following information...
Name
The points name, as it appears in the world map and in the

QuickPlan utilitys other dialogs. It is limited to 20 characters.
It can be a station name.
Latitude and
Longitude
The coordinates of the point. Note that the quadrant

(north/south or east/west) is specified by clicking the buttons
to the right of the coordinate numbers, not by entering a letter
with the number.
Height
Height of the point above the ellipsoid, in meters.
Adding and Deleting Points in a Session

To add or delete points in a session, use one of the following:
The Add New Session dialog (if you are creating a new session)
The Edit Session dialog (if you are editing an existing session).
The method is the same in each case.

Add New Session is shown in this documentation. For more
information, see New Session, page 208; Edit Session is not shown,
but is very similar.
To add a point:
1.
If the point does not appear in the All Points list on the right side
of the dialog, create it as explained in Creating a New Point.
2.
Double-click the point in the All Points list, or highlight the

point in the All Points list and click Add.
The QuickPlan utility adds the point to the n Points list on the
left side of the dialog.
22 4
Highlight the point in the n Points list on the left side of the
dialog box.
2.
Click Remove Pt.
Changing a Sessions Date and Time

You must specify a sessions date and time when you define the
session with the Add New Session dialog. You may specify a different
date and time when you edit the session with the Edit Session dialog.
To specify the date:
1.
Click Date. The QuickPlan utility displays the Select Date

dialog:
2.
Select the date using one of the following methods:
Click Today, Tomorrow, or Day After Tomorrow. (These

buttons are based on the date settings of your computer, so
make sure that the computers date is correctly set.)
225
QuickPlan
3.4.14
1.
To delete a point:
QuickPlan
3.
Click the date in the calendar in the middle of the dialog.

If the date is not in the current month, click Prev Month or
Next Month to display the appropriate month.
Type the day of year into the Date (Julian) field. The
QuickPlan utility assumes that the date is in the current
year.
Type the date itself into the Date field. Use the date format
selected in the Control Panel in Windows (International
dialog, Date Format field).
Click OK.
To specify the time:
22 6
1.
Click Time. The QuickPlan utility displays the Enter Start and
Stop Times dialog:
2.
Enter the start time for the session in the form hh:mm.
3.
Enter the duration of the session or its stop time in the form
hh:mm. (Whichever field you fill in, the QuickPlan utility
automatically fills in the other.)
4.
Click OK.
A curtain is any obstruction that blocks satellite signals from a GPS

receiver located at a particular point. A points curtains are part of the
definition of that point.
The QuickPlan Curtain Editor lets you define the curtains (station
obstructions) that affect each point in a session. The QuickPlan utility
takes the curtains into account when it computes satellite availability.
You can create and edit curtain definitions from the Add New Session
dialog or from the Edit Session dialog. The steps you follow are the
same.
To create and edit curtain definitions:
1.
Highlight a point in the Points list.
2.
Click Curtain to run the curtain editor.
227
Curtain Editor
QuickPlan
3.4.15
3.4.16
Curtain Editor Window
QuickPlan
The Curtain Editor window appears
The curtain editor displays curtains from the perspective of a spot

above the observation point. The display resembles a graph in polar
coordinates.
Directions are as on a conventional map; for example, up represents
north. The distance of a point from the origin represents its elevation.
The outermost circle represents the horizon (elevation 0); the middle
circle is 30; and the inner circle is 60. In addition, the standard value
of the elevation mask (15) is marked by a circle drawn with a broken
red line.
Each curtain is represented by a sequence of lines that trace the upper
edge of the curtain. The obstructed area is shaded.
22 8
There are two types of curtains:

A single curtain is defined by a left boundary and a right
boundary. Its sides are vertical; its top is a straight line.
A continuous curtain is defined by a left boundary, a right

boundary, and any number of internal boundaries. Its sides are
vertical; its top is a zigzag line from the left boundary, through
each internal boundary, to the right boundary.
In both cases left and right are defined from the perspective of an
observer at the origin: from left to right means clockwise, or in order
of increasing azimuth values.
The Sky Coords box in the upper right part of the window displays the
coordinates of the mouse cursor, and also lets you define curtains by
editing boundary coordinates through the keyboard.
A status message often appears at the bottom of the window (but is not
shown here); the message tells you what the QuickPlan utility is doing
or suggests what you should do next.
229
QuickPlan
3.4.17
Defining a Curtain with the Mouse

The easiest way to define a curtain is to draw it with the mouse. To do
this you must understand how the curtain editor represents the mouse
cursor.
QuickPlan
The mouse cursor of the curtain editor has three possible states. These
are shown in Table 3.3:
Table 3.3
Curtain editor mouse cursor
Cursor
Meaning
+1
Ready to define a curtains left boundary. When you start the

curtain editor, the mouse cursor is in this state.
+2
Ready to define a curtains right boundary.
Neutral; not ready to define a boundary.
To define continuous curtains:

1.
Click on the position of the curtains left boundary in the curtain

diagram. The mouse cursor changes from +1 to +2.
2.
Click on the curtains first internal boundary, then its second,

third, and so on, up to and including its right boundary.
3.
To complete the curtain, press [Esc] or right-click. The mouse

cursor changes from +2 to +.
To define a second curtain for the same point, select the

Edit / Edit Continuous Curtains command. Then define the second
curtain just as you defined the first.
To define single curtains:
23 0
1.
Select the Edit / Edit Multiple Single Curtains command. The

+1 mouse cursor appears.
2.
Click on the curtains left boundary. The +2 mouse cursor

appears.
3.
Click on the curtains right boundary. The curtain editor

completes the curtain and displays the +1 cursor again.
3.4.18
4.
To define another single curtain, return to step 2.
5.
To stop defining curtains, press [Esc] or right-click. The mouse

cursor changes from +1 to +.
Defining a Curtain with the Keyboard

You can define curtains by entering the coordinates of their boundaries
through the keyboard. This is a more precise method than drawing
curtains with the mouse. You may find it more natural if you are
entering curtain descriptions that were recorded as lists of boundary
coordinates during site reconnaissance.
Each coordinate of a curtain is described by an azimuth and an
elevation. Coordinates of this kind are called sky coordinates.
To define a curtain with the keyboard:
1.
Enter the sky coordinates of the curtains left boundary in the

Sky Coords box. Click OK.
2.
Enter the sky coordinates of the first internal boundary, then the
second, third, and so on. After entering each pair of coordinates,
click OK.
3.
Enter the sky coordinates of the right boundary. Click OK.
Note The Sky Coords list displays the coordinates of the mouse
cursor as you move the mouse. Therefore, you can use the mouse to
enter moderately accurate boundary coordinates by watching the box.
231
QuickPlan
3.4.19
Defining a Curtain with the Magnetic Bearing Option

If you are using compasses in the field, the QuickPlan utility supports
magnetic bearings in the Curtain Editor to construct the curtains.
QuickPlan
1.
Select Options / Azimuth/Bearing...A (or B, if bearings were

last used) in the Curtain editor dialog:
A new dialog for Curtain Input appears:
2.
23 2
Select either Azimuth or Bearing for your obstruction direction

input.
You may also input a declination, if the azimuths or bearings are

relative to the magnetic pole.
For bearing input, note the Sky Coords dialog in the upper right
of the Curtain Editor window. A curtain may be specified by
azimuth and elevation, where each approximate angle point is
entered manually.
If you use the mouse, note the change in quadrants in the Sky
Coords dialog as you move the mouse around the curtain field.
Click on angle points for your curtain, and right-click to end the
curtain.
4.
3.4.20
Click OK when you have finished entering your information.
Reading a Curtains Elevation

To read the elevation of a curtain, move the cursor to the azimuth you
want to read, press [Shift], and move the mouse slightly. The cursor will
snap to the top of the curtain at that azimuth, and you can read azimuth
and elevation from the Sky Coords dialog.
You can adjust the mouse position by moving it in a circle around the
center of the curtain diagram. The mouse cursor will follow the curtain
around the diagram.
3.4.21
Correcting an Error
If you make a mistake while defining a curtain, you can correct it.
To correct an error made while defining a curtain:
1.
Complete the curtain.
2.
Select Edit / Undo.

The curtain editor undoes the curtain definition you entered.
3.
Enter the curtain correctly and proceed.
233
QuickPlan
3.
QuickPlan
If you make an extensive mistake and want to discard all of the

current points curtain definitions, select Edit / Clear. The
curtain editor asks you to confirm your intentions, then clears
(deletes) all curtains for that point.
3.4.22
Saving Curtain Definitions and Exiting

To save a curtain definition, do one of the following:
Click Save Curtain.
Select File / Save.
The new curtain definition for the point is saved in the sense that the
program will use it in satellite availability computations later in the
same run. It is not saved permanently. When you exit the QuickPlan
utility, any curtain definitions that you have created are lost.
To leave the curtain editor:
C
3.4.23
Select File / Exit.
Warning If you select File / Exit without first selecting File / Save, the
Curtain Editor exits and discards your work. The curtains prior definition,
if any, is retained. The curtain editor does not prompt you to confirm that
you want to discard your work.
Displaying a Combined Curtain

A combined curtain is a combination of the curtains defined for all of
the points in a session.
The combined curtain display is a useful planning tool because the
receivers at all points in a survey should collect data simultaneously;
therefore a curtain that interferes with observations at any point will
affect the usefulness of observations at every point. Observations
should proceed only when the combined curtain shows that a
sufficient number of satellites is visible.
23 4
Highlight that point in the Points list of the Add New Point
dialog or the Edit Point dialog.
2.
Click Combined Curtains.
The QuickPlan utility opens the Combined Curtains window. This

window is similar to a Curtain Editor window, but has no menu and
does not allow you to enter a curtain definition.
To close a combined curtain display, do one of the following:
Click the close box in the top right corner of the Combined
Curtains window.
Click the system box in the top left corner of the Combined
Curtains window; select Close from the resulting drop-down
menu.
235
QuickPlan
1.
To display the combined curtain for a point:
3.4.24
Summary of Curtain Editor Commands

This section briefly describes each of the commands in the menus of
the Curtain Editor.
QuickPlan
File Menu Commands

The File menu contains the following commands to save and clear
curtain definitions, and to exit the curtain editor:
This command...
Does this...
New
Prompts you to confirm your intentions, then deletes

all curtain definitions. This change will not become
permanent until you save. File / New and Edit / Clear
are equivalent.
Save
Saves the current points curtain definition.

Note The QuickPlan utility saves curtain definitions
for use later in the same run, but does not save them
in a database; it discards them when you exit.
23 6
Print Curtain
Prints the current point's curtain definition.
Exit
Makes the curtain editor return control to the dialog

that invoked it.
Warning If you have edited the curtain definition since you last saved it,
File / Exit discards your changes. It does not prompt you for confirmation
first.
Edit Menu Commands
This command...
Does this...
Undo
Undoes the last curtain definition you entered.
Continuous
Curtains
Lets you define a continuous curtain. To define the

curtain, click on the left boundary, then at each internal
boundary from left to right, then at the right boundary.
Complete the curtain by right-clicking or by pressing
[Esc].
Multiple Single
Curtains
Lets you define a series of single curtains. To define

each curtain, click the left mouse button at the left
boundary, then at the right boundary. You may
terminate single-curtain mode by clicking the right
mouse button or by pressing [Esc].
Clear
Prompts you to confirm your intentions, then deletes all

of the current points curtain definitions. However, the
deletion will not become permanent until you save.
Edit / Clear and File / New are equivalent.
237
QuickPlan
The Edit menu contains the following commands for defining

curtains:
Options Menu Commands
QuickPlan
The Options menu contains the following commands that change

settings in the Curtain Editor:
This command...
Does this...
Azimuth/Bearing...
Opens a dialog that lets you define the use of

Azimuth or Bearing for your observation
directions input.
Grid
Changes the pitch of the displays grid. This

command cycles the grid through three states:
First time: Sets azimuth grid at 30 intervals,
elevation grid at 15 intervals.
Second time: Sets azimuth grid at 5 intervals,
elevation grid at 10 intervals (plus broken red
line at 15).
Third time: Resets azimuth grid at 90 intervals,
elevation grid at 30 intervals (plus broken red
line at 15).
You can also select this command by pressing
[G].
gridSnaps
Opens a dialog that displays and lets you

change the pitch of the snap grid of the curtain
editor (see Grid Snaps below).
Grid Snaps
Whenever you enter a curtain boundary with the mouse, the curtain
editor snaps the boundarys coordinates to the nearest intersection on
the snap grid. For example, if the pitch of the snap grid is set to
5 azimuth and 10 elevation, a curtain boundary entered with a mouse
click at 26 azimuth, 16 elevation is recorded as 25 azimuth,
20 elevation.
23 8
QuickPlan
You can effectively turn off the snap grid by setting the pitch to
azimuth 1, elevation 1 (the initial setting), as shown in the following
dialog:
Note The snap grid is not the same as the visible grid set by the
Options / Grid command. Their functions are different and their
pitches are independent of each other.
Help Menu Commands
The Help menu of the curtain editor is identical to the Help menu on
the QuickPlan main menu bar.
239
3.5
The QuickPlan Utility Graphs Menu
Graphs Menu
QuickPlan
The Graphs menu produces the QuickPlan utilitys graphical displays

and controls their appearance. The Graph commands fall into several
groups, each of which is described below:
24 0
Command
Function control appearance of graphs
Tile
Arranges the open windows vertically, filling the screen in

one column. Each window is as wide as the screen, and
all windows are of equal height.
Tile 2 Column
Arranges the open windows vertically, filling the screen in

two columns. Each window is half as wide as the screen,
and all windows are of equal height.
Close All
Closes all open graphs in the QuickPlan window. (To

close individual graphs, use the View / Close command.)
Command
Function control the time Interval shown in graphs
Time Locked
Alternately sets and releases time interval locking among

the graphs in the QuickPlan window. When time intervals
are locked, all of the graphs show the same time interval;
when you change one, the QuickPlan utility automatically
changes others.
Command
Function control the resolution of graphs
Resolution
Lets you set graphs for:
Min Resolution
Max Resolution
Set Resolution
Graphs with finer resolution show more detail, but take

much longer to draw. Set Resolution lets you set
resolution to a specific value. Even if you select Min
Resolution, resolution becomes finer as you zoom in on
the graph.
Command
Function display graphs
Number of
SVs and
PDOP
Number of available satellites and PDOP plotted against

time.
Elevation
Satellite elevations plotted against time.
3.5.1
Function display graphs
Azimuth
Satellite azimuths plotted against time.
Number
Satellites
Number of available satellites plotted against time.
Satellites
Which satellites are available at a particular time.
PDOP, HDOP,
VDOP, GDOP,
and TDOP
Separate displays plotting the respective types of dilution

of precision (DOP) against time.
SkyPlot
Satellite tracks through the time interval being plotted,

showing elevations and azimuths in polar coordinates.
Notes on Graphs
All of the graphs present information for the last point added or edited
in the session. Open displays are updated when curtains are added or
removed from a session station, and when the set of enabled satellites
is changed. Therefore, the displays always reflect the conditions of the
current session.
Most of the graphs plot one or more properties of satellites on the
vertical axis against time on the horizontal axis. The time interval
shown is initially the interval between the sessions start and stop
times. If the sessions start and stop times are not defined, the time
interval is the entire day of the session.
241
QuickPlan
Command
The QuickPlan utility uses color to distinguish different types of

information in many of the graphs. The colors listed in Table 3.4 are
standard in displays that plot a number of available satellites against
time.
QuickPlan
Table 3.4
Standard color display for graphs
Color
Meaning
Red
< 4 SVs
Yellow
4 SVs
Green
5 SVs
Dark Green
6 SVs
Dark Cyan
7 SVs
Light Cyan
8 SVs
Blue
9 SVs
Dark Magenta
10 SVs
Magenta
11 SVs
If you do not have a color monitor you may use the View / Force
Monochrome command to make the QuickPlan utility display the
graphs with distinctive patterns instead of colors. The conventions
used to display graphs in monochrome are described in Force
Monochrome, page 258.
3.5.2
Other Related Features

The Status window can help you interpret graphs. It shows the current
values of several important QuickPlan parameters. The window is
described in Show Status, page 271.
The View menu has several commands that control the time interval
displayed in a graph: Redraw, Mag, Demag, and Pan. View Menu,
page 256, describes these commands.
24 2
Time ruler slides provide a means of controlling the time interval of a

graph with the mouse. They are described in Using the Time Ruler
Slides, page 260.
Note In connection with changing a graphs time interval, note the
effect of the Graph / Time Locked command (described previously).
When you change one graphs time interval, it can make the
QuickPlan utility change every other graph automatically.
3.5.3
Tile
Tile rearranges the graphs in the QuickPlan window to fill the window
in a single column. Each display is as wide as the window and all are
the same height:
243
QuickPlan
Each time that you create a new graph, you can re-tile the display so
that all of the graphs are visible.
3.5.4
Tile 2 Column
QuickPlan
Tile 2 Column rearranges the graphs in the QuickPlan window to fill

the window in two columns. Each display is as half as wide as the
window and all are the same height:
Each time that you create a new graph, you can re-tile the display so
that all of the graphs are visible.
24 4

3.5.5
Close All
Close All closes all of the graphs in the QuickPlan window.
3.5.6
Time Locked
Time Locked alternately sets and releases time interval locking among
the graphs in the QuickPlan window. When time intervals are locked,
changing the time interval of one graph causes the QuickPlan utility to
set all other graphs to the same time interval:
245
QuickPlan
To close a single graph, click the close button in the windows upper
right corner.
QuickPlan
When a check appears next to Time Locked in the Graphs menu, time
interval locking is set. When no check appears, time interval locking is
released.
3.5.7
Resolution
The Resolution command controls the resolution of the graphs.
When you select this command, the QuickPlan utility opens a
submenu next to the command name in the menu:
You can select:
Min Resolution This option sets minimum resolution. This makes
the graphs look somewhat coarse, but makes the QuickPlan utility
display them more quickly.
Max Resolution This option sets maximum resolution. This makes
the graphs look sharper, but makes the QuickPlan utility display them
significantly slower.
Set Resolution This option lets you enter a resolution setting
between 0 (the minimum) and 100 (the maximum). This lets you
choose the best compromise between resolution and speed.
When you select Set Resolution, the QuickPlan utility opens a dialog
that prompts you to enter a resolution setting. Enter a number between
0 (the lowest resolution) and 100 (the highest) and click OK:
Note When you print a graph, the maximum resolution is always

used, regardless of the resolution setting.
24 6
Number SVs and PDOP displays a graph of the total number of visible
satellites and the PDOP for the given satellite constellation, both
plotted against time:
Number SVs and PDOP
QuickPlan
3.5.8
This graph is a composite of the Number Satellites graph and the

PDOP graph.
PDOP (position dilution of precision) is the best overall measure of
the precision obtainable from measurements taken with a given
satellite geometry. A PDOP of 4 or less yields excellent precision. A
PDOP between 5 and 7 is acceptable; a PDOP of 7 or more is poor.
247
3
3.5.9
Elevation
QuickPlan
Elevation plots the elevation of each visible satellite over time:
The elevation mask is displayed on the graph as a dashed horizontal

line. This makes it easy to compare a satellites elevation to the mask
value. You can use the Options / Elevation Mask command to change
the masks value.
The graph also displays the combined curtains (a composite of any
curtains that you have defined for stations in the session). Satellite
tracks that are obstructed by the combined curtains are represented by
thicker lines. This lets you see when obstructions prevent a satellite
from being visible at all stations.
24 8
Azimuth
Azimuth plots the azimuths of visible satellites against time. The

vertical axis represents the azimuth of a satellite (0 to 360).
QuickPlan
3.5.10
Azimuth is particularly useful for examining the visibility of satellites

over time in certain quadrants of the sky. This is important when
obstructions may block out large portions of the satellite window in
specific quadrants.
If, for example, the northeast and southwest quadrants of the satellite
window are blocked by obstructions, you might try to find satellites
that rise in the northwest and travel overhead to the southeast.
You can also use the Azimuth graph to see when satellites pass due
north from the current point. This causes the azimuth to change from
360 to 0, represented by a vertical drop in the line on the graph.
Another, perhaps more intuitive, way to view both elevation and
azimuth with respect to a point is via a skyplot. This graphical
representation is discussed in SkyPlot Graph, page 254.
249
3.5.11
Number Satellites
QuickPlan
Number Satellites plots the number of available satellites against time,

as shown in Figure 3.2:
Not able to survey:

Fewer than 4 SVs
Optimal survey period: More than 4 SVs
Marginal survey period: 4 SVs
Figure 3.2
Number satellites
If the # SVs Receiver Can Track option is set (see Number of SVs
Receiver Can Track, page 274), the setting is shown by a broken line
across the graph. If one of the bars extends above this line, at that time
more SVs will be visible than the receiver can track.
You can use the Number SVs and PDOP graph to plot both the number
of available satellites and PDOP against time.
25 0
Satellites plots available satellites against time. Each healthy satellite

present in the almanac is graphed when it rises above the local
horizon, as shown in Figure 3.3.
Satellites
QuickPlan
3.5.12
SV 26 sets
Figure 3.3
9 SVs are visible SV 9 rises, then sets SV 26 rises again
Satellites
Note that satellites may rise and set once or twice during a day. In this
case, breaks in tracking are represented by gaps in the satellite
availability bar chart.
251
3.5.13
PDOP HDOP VDOP GDOP and TDOP Graphs
QuickPlan
These graphs plot several Dilution of Precision metrics against time,

as shown in Figure 3.4:
Graph...
What it plots
PDOP
Position Dilution of Precision, the best general measure

of the precision obtainable from a particular satellite
geometry.
HDOP
Horizontal Dilution of Precision
VDOP
Vertical Dilution of Precision
GDOP
Geometric Dilution of Precision
TDOP
Time Dilution of Precision
Low PDOP, adequate number of SVs

(green, cyan, blue, or magenta)
Figure 3.4
25 2
High PDOP, marginal number

of SVs (red or yellow)
Plots of dilution of precision metrics against time
The DOP graphs use the QuickPlan utilitys standard color coding to
represent the number of satellites. Therefore, the optimal times for
observation are times with a low DOP that are represented in green,
cyan, blue, or magenta (not in red or yellow).
Some older GPS Pathfinder receivers have tracking modes in which
only the four satellites that yield the best PDOP are used for
positioning. The QuickPlan utility does not support this mode directly,
but you can get a similar effect by setting the number of SVs the
receiver can track to 4. For more information, see Number of SVs
Receiver Can Track, page 274. The QuickPlan utility uses only the
four SVs with the highest elevations at any time.
You can plot the number of available satellites together with PDOP in
the Number SVs and PDOP graph.
A sample TDOP graph is shown:
253
QuickPlan
A DOP value of 4 or less yields excellent positions. A DOP between

5 and 7 is acceptable; a DOP of 7 or more is poor.
3.5.14
SkyPlot Graph
QuickPlan
SkyPlot produces a polar graph that plots the paths of available

satellites throughout the graphs time interval, with each satellites
elevation represented by the radial dimension, and its azimuth
represented by the angular dimension. Figure 3.5 shows the result,
which is roughly equivalent to showing the satellites paths as they
would appear to an observer looking down from a place that is directly
above the current survey point and far beyond the orbits of the GPS
satellites.
Figure 3.5
Skyplot graph
The background of the plot is divided into three primary circles at the
horizon (0), 30, and 60. Note that the horizon is the extreme outside
circle. The zenith (90) is at center of the graph. The elevation mask is
also displayed.
25 4
The Skyplot representation is particularly useful because it is the same

as the representation used to show curtains. The Skyplot shows the
current survey points curtains as well as the satellite paths. Where a
satellites path is obstructed by a curtain, it is represented by a thicker
line.
Each SVs number is drawn at the end of its sky track.
As with all of the other graphs available within the QuickPlan utility,
the SkyPlot graph can be zoomed in time by using the time ruler
slides. Note that unlike most of the other graphs, the Skyplots time
line is not a label on one of the graphs axes; it simply describes the
time interval represented by the graph.
255
QuickPlan
3.6
The QuickPlan Utility View Menu
View Menu
QuickPlan
The View commands are available when graphs are displayed on the
screen. The View commands control the graphical displays presented
by the Graphs commands and influence their appearance.
This section describes the View commands and several related
features, such as use of the time ruler slides.
3.6.1
Redraw
View / Redraw redisplays the selected graph with its time interval set
to match the current session. If you have not defined start and stop
times for the session, the Redraw command displays the entire day of
the session.
There are two ways to redraw a graph:
3.6.2
Select View / Redraw from the menu bar.
Select the graph and then press [R].
Mag
View / Mag restricts the time interval represented by the selected
graph. In effect, the graph is magnified. Each time you select Mag, the
graphs time interval is roughly halved. The start and end times both
change, while the center point remains the same.
There are three ways to magnify a graph:
25 6
Select View / Mag from the menu bar.
Select the graph and then press [M].
Select the graph and double-click.
Demag
QuickPlan
View / Demag expands the time interval represented by the selected

graph. In effect, the graph is demagnified. Each time you select
Demag, the graphs time period is roughly doubled. The start and end
times both change, while the center point remains the same.
There are three ways to demagnify a graph:
3.6.4
Select View / Demag from the menu bar.
Select the graph and then press [D].
Select the graph and right double-click.
Pan
View / Pan centers the selected graph on a specified time.
There are two ways to use the Pan command:
3.6.5
Click on a point over the desired time on the graph, then select
View / Pan.
Click on a point over the desired time on the graph, then

press [P].
Close
Close closes the selected graph.
There are three ways to close the graph:
Select View / Close from the menu bar.
Click the close icon in the upper right corner of the graphs
window frame.
Select the graph, then press [C].
To close all open graphs, select Graphs / Close All.
3.6.3
257
3
3.6.6
Force Monochrome
QuickPlan
If you do not have a color monitor, the color coding used in many of
the QuickPlan utilitys graphs is not useful. You can use the Force
MonoChrome command to make the QuickPlan utility present these
displays with distinctive crosshatched patterns instead of colors. The
following diagrams illustrate the difference between the two types of
displays.
25 8
View / Force Monochrome is available only when one or more graphs

are open; it affects all open graphs and all graphs subsequently opened
during the same run of the QuickPlan utility. If you select View / Force
Monochrome repeatedly, the graphs alternate between colors and
patterns.
Number SVs and PDOP
Number Satellites
PDOP
QuickPlan
The patterns take on special significance in a few of the graphs:
In these graphs, patterns represent a measure of quality based on the

number of visible satellites. Figure 3.6 shows the patterns and their
meanings.
Figure 3.6
Satellite display in Force MonoChrome mode
The other graphs use black lines to represent satellite location and
availability. The Satellites graph uses a hatching pattern for its bar
chart, but the pattern has no special significance.
259
3
3.6.7
Using the Time Ruler Slides
QuickPlan
You can control a graphical windows time interval with the time ruler
slides. These are the arrows at each end of the graphs time scale, as
shown in Figure 3.7.
Left-hand time ruler slide
Figure 3.7
Right-hand time ruler slide
Time ruler slides
To restrict the time interval of a graph:

1.
Drag one of the time ruler slides toward the center of the graph.
2.
Release the slide at the time when you want the interval to begin
(for the left-hand slide) or end (for the right-hand slide).
To expand the time interval of a graph:

1.
Attempt to drag one of the time ruler slides away from the
center of the graph.
2.
The slide does not actually move, but the QuickPlan utility
expands the time interval to begin earlier (for the left-hand
slide) or end later (for the right-hand slide).
Note If you hold the left mouse button down as you move the mouse
cursor around a graph, the time value at the cursor position is
displayed in the graph title.
You can also control the time interval of a graph with the Redraw,
Mag, Demag, and Pan commands described earlier in this section.
26 0
The QuickPlan Utility Options Menu
The Options menu controls the settings of several options that affect
various aspects of the QuickPlan utilitys operation. These commands
are described below:
This command...
Does this...
Auto Time
Creates a list of optimal observation times, given

the specified PDOP mask, session time, and
available satellites.
List Times
Lists the optimal observation times computed by

Options / Auto Time.
SVs
Enables or disable individual satellites.
Almanac
Loads almanac data from a specified ephemeris

file.
Time Zone
Specifies the time zone for the current session.
SV Sample Rate
Specifies the sample rate for satellite azimuth

and elevation; indicate that the QuickPlan utility
should compute satellite visibility at intervals of
n minutes in the almanac.
Show Status
Shows the Status message box. This box shows

the satellites used for computations, the current
almanac, the time zone, the sample rate, and
the elevation mask.
Report Type
Changes the type of report displayed when you

select Options / Show Report. The report may
be Azimuth Elevation Table or Constellation
Changes Only.
Show Report
Displays a text report on satellite availability.
Elevation Mask
Changes the elevation mask: the lowest

elevation at which you plan to collect data.
# SVs Receiver Can Track Sets the maximum number of satellites your
receiver(s) can track.
261
Options Menu
QuickPlan
3.7
3
3.7.1
Auto Time
QuickPlan
Auto Time calculates optimal times for making observations. It

considers the other option settings you have specified, such as the
times during which observations can be performed and minimum
number of satellites required, and the curtains you have defined for the
points in the current session.
Auto Time opens the Auto View Time Selection dialog:
This dialog lets you set several parameters that affect the calculation
of optimal times. They are described in Table 3.5.
Table 3.5
26 2
Options in the Auto View Time Selection dialog
Auto Time Selection
Controls...
Number Sats
The minimum number of satellites

required. (The default, shown above, is
the recommended value.)
Working Hours
The time period during which

observations must be performed.
PDOP
A limit on acceptable PDOP values

during observations. Only values less
than the limit are acceptable. The
default (7) is the maximum
recommended limit.
Options in the Auto View Time Selection dialog (Continued)

Controls...
Minimum Observation Time
Shortest acceptable duration of

conditions for valid observations.
(Appropriate values depend on the
type of field procedure to be used.)
Auto Recalc
If this box is selected, the QuickPlan

utility recalculates the optimal
observation times whenever you
change a setting that could affect them.
If the List Times box (described below)
is displayed, it immediately reflects the
recalculated times. All open graph
windows reflect the recalculated times
as well.
Auto Time Selection
If this box is cleared, the observation

times are recalculated only when you
select Options / Auto Time.
Once you have calculated the optimal observation times, you can
display them with the Options / List Times command and print them
with the File / Print Auto Time command.
3.7.2
List Times
List Times opens the List Times window, which displays the optimal
observation times calculated by Options / Auto Time:
You can close the List Times window by clicking the close icon at the
right end of its title bar. This does not affect the calculated observation
times; you can reopen the List Times window by selecting Options /
List Times without recalculating the optimal observation times first.
263
QuickPlan
Table 3.5
QuickPlan
You can also print the list of optimal observation times by selecting
the File / Print Auto Time command. You must select Options / Auto
Time before you print the list of times, but the List Times box need not
be open when you print it.
3.7.3
SVs
The SVs command displays a toolbar that you can use to select and
deselect individual satellites, as shown in Figure 3.8. This is useful for
updating the status of a satellite if it has gone from healthy to
unhealthy (or vice versa) since the almanac was collected.
Each button represents one SV.

Colored buttons pressed down represent
selected SVs.
Grey buttons represent deselected SVs.
Select all SVs

Deselect all SVs
Update open graph windows
Figure 3.8
SVs toolbar
Selected satellites are assumed to be available for use in observations.

They are represented on the tool bar by colored buttons that appear to
be pressed in. The color of each button corresponds to the color used
to plot and code that satellite in the QuickPlan utilitys graphs.
26 4
Deselected satellites are assumed to be not available for use in

observations. They are represented on the toolbar by grey buttons that
appear to stand out from the toolbar, and their numbers are followed
by the letter X.
If a satellite was unhealthy when the almanac was collected, the
QuickPlan utility automatically deselects it. Other satellites are
selected. You can change the status of any satellite from Selected to
Deselected and back by clicking its button.
You can also control satellite status with the wide buttons at the
bottom of the toolbar:
All: Selects all satellites
None: Deselects all satellites
Graph: Updates all open graphs to reflect which satellites are
now selected and deselected

The toolbar has no OK and Cancel buttons because it is intended to
remain open while you work. However, you can close it by clicking
the close icon in the right corner of its title bar.
Note Enabling and disabling satellites affects the observation times
computed by the Options / Auto Time command. Before you change
the set of enabled and disabled satellites, be sure to select the Auto
Recalc feature in Auto Time so that the QuickPlan utility will
recalculate the optimal observation times automatically.
3.7.4
Almanac
As satellite orbits change, new satellites are launched, and old
satellites become unhealthy, you must periodically update the almanac
that the QuickPlan utility uses to predict satellite availability. Trimble
recommends updating the almanac on a regular basisat least once a
month.
265
QuickPlan
To update the almanac you must acquire a current version with a GPS
receiver. If your receivers are used regularly this requires no effort,
since a receiver collects almanac data whenever it is used. Otherwise,
log satellite measurements for about 15 minutes to get a current
almanac.
QuickPlan
Once the receiver has a current almanac, you must download the
information to your computer and store it in an EPH file (if you have a
Series 4000 receiver) or an SSF file (if you have a GPS Pathfinder
receiver with datalogger). You can do this in the course of regular
download and check-in operations. For more information on this
topic, see Three ways to obtain an almanac, page 192.
Once you have downloaded a current almanac, this will be
automatically used when you next run the QuickPlan utility (provided
it is in the \Program Files\Common Files\Trimble\Almanacs folder).
To use an almanac that has been saved to a different folder, or to use
an almanac other than the most recent, use the Options / Almanac
command to select that almanacs ephemeris file for use in the
QuickPlan utility. The command opens the Load File with Almanac
dialog:
Select the appropriate ephemeris file and click OK.
26 6
The time zone that you define for your project area affects the
graphical displays. You must set the QuickPlan utilitys time zone
correctly for the project area to for the QuickPlan utility to compute
correct satellite availability times.
The Options / Time Zone command allows you to:
check the time zone setting
modify an existing projects time zone
add a new time zone into the library
delete a time zone from the list
Select Options / Time Zone to display the Time Zone dialog:
In addition to the observation location, the Time Zone dialog shows the
name of the selected time zone and the time difference from GMT
(difference between local time and GMT). The QuickPlan utility
checks the selected time zone against the longitude of each point in the
session. If any point is more than two hours away from the selected
time zone, the QuickPlan utility displays a warning message. Note that
this calculation does not consider changes due to daylight savings
time.
Time Zone
QuickPlan
3.7.5
267
QuickPlan
To select a different time zone:

1.
Click the arrow next to Zone Name to open the drop-down list
of time zones.
2.
Click the appropriate time zone to select it. Notice that the Time
Difference from GMT changes accordingly.
3.
Confirm that the time difference from GMT is correct.
4.
Click OK to set the time zone and close the Time Zone box.
To modify an existing time zone:

1.
Select the time zone to be modified from the list:
2.
Make the changes in Time Difference from GMT:

a.
Place the cursor in the appropriate boxhours or

minutesand use the buttons provided to change the time.
(To enter the time from the keyboard instead, highlight the
time to be changed and then type in the new time.)
b.
Specify the correct sign. East longitudes are generally

positive and west longitudes are generally negative.
3.
Click Modify.
4.
Click OK to accept the changes.
Not all time zones are predefined in the QuickPlan utilitys files.
26 8
Type a new time zone name in the Zone Name text box.
2.
To enter the appropriate time difference from GMT:
3.
a.
Place the cursor in the current time box (hours or minutes)

or highlight the time.
b.
Use the up or down arrows to change the displayed time or

enter the time from the keyboard.
c.
Specify the correct sign. East longitudes are generally

positive and west longitudes are generally negative.
Click Add to add this new time zone to the list of currently
defined zones.
To delete an existing time zone:

1.
Select the time zone from the list.
2.
Click Delete.
There is no confirmation of this action. The time zone is
removed from the list of available zones.
3.
Click OK to close the Time Zone box.
Note If you do your project planning in Greenwich Mean Time

(GMT), use the same procedure but set the time zone to Greenwich
Std. Be sure to recalculate optimal observation times after changing
the time zone, or enable the Auto Recalc feature of the Options / Auto
Time command so that the QuickPlan utility recalculates observation
times automatically when you change the time zone.
269
QuickPlan
1.
To add a new time zone:
3
3.7.6
Sample Rate
QuickPlan
SV Sample Rate opens a dialog that lets you set the sampling interval
for satellite visibility calculations. For example, if the sampling rate is
2 minutes, the QuickPlan utility computes the visibility of each
satellite at intervals of 2 minutes throughout the session being
planned:
The SV sample rate can range from 2 to 10 minutes. A faster sampling

rate makes the visibility computations more precise, but also makes
them take longer.
For very long survey sessions (several hours or more) use the slowest
sampling rate (10 minutes). For very short survey sessions (1 hour or
less), use the fastest sampling rate (2 minutes) for an accurate view of
the satellite availability.
27 0
Show Status opens the QuickPlan utilitys Status window. Once this is
open, it remains open until you exit the QuickPlan utility or until you
explicitly close it.
Show Status
QuickPlan
3.7.7
The QuickPlan utility opens the Status window automatically when

you create or edit a session: you need never select Options / Show
Status unless you have closed the Status window.
The Status window displays information about:
The selected point and the current session: point name, point
coordinates, and session date.
Important QuickPlan options: elevation mask, ephemeris file

name and date collected, time zone, sampling rate, and set of
selected satellites.
271
3
3.7.8
Report Type
QuickPlan
Report Type opens a dialog that lets you select the type of report that
the Options / Show Report command produces:
The command opens a dialog with two option buttons:
Azimuth Elevation Table: Selects a report that shows the

azimuth and elevation of each visible satellite at the time
increment specified by Options / SV Sampling Rate.
Constellation Changes only: Selects a report that shows each

unique constellation of satellites, the time or rise and time of set
for each constellation, and the PDOP at the time of rise and the
time of set.
To use the dialog, click the appropriate button then click OK.
Two types of reports are shown:
27 2
QuickPlan
3.7.9
Show Report
Show Report displays a report on constellation changes of the type
specified by the Options / Report Type command. The types of reports
are shown in the previous diagrams.
The QuickPlan utility calculates satellite availability for the interval
specified by Options / SV Sample Rate. If you set a 10-minute sample
rate, the QuickPlan utility reports on constellation changes at 10minute intervals, although the changes might actually occur at times in
between.
The constellation change report always displays satellite visibility for
the entire day for the current session. It does not use the start and stop
times.
To print the report, use the File / Print Report command. The
QuickPlan utility automatically generates the visible report when you
create or open a session.
273
3.7.10
Elevation Mask
QuickPlan
Elevation Mask opens a dialog that lets you set the elevation mask that
the QuickPlan utility uses to compute satellite availability:
The default (and the recommended value for most types of work) is
15. The minimum value is 0, the maximum value 90.
If the elevation mask is set too low, your receivers will waste memory
storing measurements from low-elevation satellites whose signals are
probably not useful. If these measurements are not discarded in
postprocessing, they will expose your observations to atmospheric
distortions and interference from distant obstructions.
If the elevation mask is set too high, it will unnecessarily reduce
satellite availability.
3.7.11
Number of SVs Receiver Can Track

The Options / # SVs Receiver Can Track command opens a dialog that
lets you set the maximum number of satellites your receiver(s) can
track. Use this command if you are working with receivers that do not
have enough channels to track as many satellites as may be visible.
27 4
The dialog contains a drop-down list of values that have been selected
in the past.
QuickPlan
You can open the drop-down list by clicking the down-arrow and then
select a value, or you can type a value into the box that heads the list.
Click OK when you are finished.

When this # SVs is set to Not used (the default), the QuickPlan utilitys
graphs and reports show as many SVs as are available or visible.
When the option is set to a numeric value (n between 4 and 12),
certain graphs and reports show the n SVs with the highest elevations
at any given time.
This command affects the following graphs and reports:
Number of SVs and PDOP graph
Number Satellites graph
PDOP, VDOP, HDOP, and GDOP graphs
Azimuth Elevation report and Constellation Change report
275
3.8
The QuickPlan Utility Help Menu
Help Menu
The Help menu has two commands. Select:
Index to access Help
About for information on the QuickPlan utility
QuickPlan
27 6
Index
Symbols
.cor 33
.cor files 21
.phs 33
.phs files 21
.ssf 33
.ssf files 21
background
layer 89
background files 29
displaying 79
raster 173
base stations 169
BMP files 173, 181
A
Add from Map option 103
Add Web map 32
almanac
obtaining 192
updating 191, 192
altitude
measuring 144
Altitude units 143
ArcView Shapefiles 179
Area field 136
ASCII import 49
attributes
editing 108
AutoCAD DXF files 177
Auto-incrementing 99
Auto-pan to selection 93
Averaged Vertices 78
C
changing the logo on a Plot 62
Confidence field 138
Coordinate System 139
Coordinate system of selected file(s) 32
Coordinate units 143
Create Local Site dialog 155
Create Site Vector dialog 153
Create Waypoint dialog 120
creating
features 98
local sites 150
waypoints 119
customer feedback 169
customer support 168
customizing the fields on a Plot 59
277
Index
D
default folder for projects 25
deleting 71
block of positions 75
features 71
displaying
background files 79
feature information 106
features 79, 81
information 145
map view 77
notes 82, 109
precision circles 92
raster files 175
waypoints 79
displaying background files 29
Distance field 135
E
Edit Site Vector dialog 155
Edit Waypoint dialog 122
editing
notes 109
waypoints 119
editing attributes 108
elevation masks
setting 273
Enter Attributes dialog 100
displaying information 106

finding 67
feedback 169
fields
customizing on a plot 59
hiding on a plot 60
file extensions, world 173
files
.cor 21
.phs 21
.ssf 21
ArcView Shapefiles 179
AutoCAD DXF 177
Joint Photographic Experts Group
(JPEG) 182
Multiresolution Seamless Image
Database (MrSID) 183
opening 20
opening as read-only 21
raster 174
Tagged Image File Format 184
Trimble Fast Backdrop format 187
Trimble SSF 186
Windows bitmap 181
world 174
finding 67
notes 70
Frequently Asked Questions 168
FTP site xv
G
F
FAQs 168
feature information
displaying 106
features 67, 71
creating 98
displaying 79, 81
27 8
georeferencing
raster files 173
graphs
azimuth 249
dilution of precision 252
elevation 248
force monochrome 258
number satellites 250
Index
Number SVs and PDOP 247

resolution 246
satellites 251
SkyPlot 254
tile 243
tile in 2 columns 244
time interval 260
time locked 245
time ruler slide 260
Layers
in map or time line views 82
layers
background 89
notes 87
waypoints 88
loading background files 29
local sites
creating 150
logo
changing on a plot 62
H
Help menu 162
Help, context-sensitive xiv
hiding fields on a Plot 60
how to use online Help 162
Importing waypoints from an ASCII file 49

initial letter for WPT files 145
Internet map wizard 32
Internet setup 166
Map scale 95
Map window (view) 77
mapping and GIS Home Page 169
measuring
altitude 144
MrSID files 173, 183
Multiresolution Seamless Image Database
(MrSID) files 183
Joint Photographic Experts Group

(JPEG) 182
JPEG files 173, 182
North Reference field 138

notes
displaying 82, 109
editing 109
finding 70
layer 87
Null String field 145
279
Index
O
Offset dialog 111
Offset Distance Format field 137
Offsets field 136
online Help xiv
opening files 20
P
Pan command 93
Phase Processor software 21
Plot
changing the logo 62
customizing fields 59
hiding fields 60
Plot Map 52
positions
deleting blocks of 75
undeleting 75
view information 112
Precision circles
displaying 92
Precisions field 137
printing
QuickPlan reports to ASCII files 206
satellite visibility reports 206
product training 168
Project Changer 133
Project Folders dialog 27
Projects 23
default folder for 25
Q
Quickmark
settings 147
time limit 147
28 0
QuickPlan 190
city list 219
curtain editor 227
defining 194
edit session 210
global view 216
Mercator projection 216
new session 208
observation times 262
options 261
reports 273
session 193
setting elevation masks 273
starting 194
using 200
world map 215
R
raster files 173
displaying 175
georeferencing 173
readme.txt file xiv
read-only files 21
registering your software 163
release notes xiv
reports
satellite visibility 206
restricted access to files 19, 129
S
satellites
number to track 274
sample rate 270
searching for help on a topic 161
selecting background files 29
Session Menu dialogs 213
SkyPlot graph 254
Index
Smart Averaging 97
starting QuickPlan 194
Status dialog 110
style of display 145
support service 168
SV sample rate 270
V
Velocity field 136
view information
positions 112
W
T
Tagged Image File Format 184
technical information Pages 168
TIFF files 173, 184
tile graphs 243, 244
Time Line scale 96
Time Line window (view) 80
time locked graphs 245
time zone 148
TIPs 168
Toolbars 156
training 168
Trimble customer support 168
Trimble Fast Backdrop format files 187
Trimble Home Page 169
Trimble Navigations World Wide Web
site 166
Trimble SSF files 186
waypoint files
initial letter 145
Waypoints
layer 88
waypoints 46
creating 119
displaying 79
editing 119
importing from an ASCII file 49
Web map wizard 32
Web map, selecting layers 42
Windows bitmap files 181
world file extensions 173
world files 174
World Wide Web 166
World Wide Web site xiii
U
undeleting
all positions 75
update notes xiv
updating the almanac 191
281
Index
28 2
Reader Comment Form

March 2001
Part Number: 31310-28-ENG
Revision: B
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