Converting and importing survey file from old TST

[albionpjl]

Hi,

I'm trying to work out how to get our survey files from our (very old) total station into C3d 2017 without going through some very ancient software on a computer that's about to expire.

The total station downloads files as either .raw or .idex.
I've tried importing both of those using the survey link conversions but am having difficulty.
The .raw file doesn't work at all; the fbk file created is blank. I'm not too surprised because I know that the export of that was tweaked for our old software and I have no idea how to untweak it.

I'm having a little more success with the idex - but it's not there yet.

I changed the idex extension to gsi. There's no option to convert that to fbk but I can convert to fw5.

When I start the importing, it tells me that the point names for the stations must be numeric so as each comes up I'm changing SN1 into 1001, and SN2 into 1002. the measurement check shots to those (SN1m1 SN1m2 SN2m1 SN2m2 etc) I change into 10011, 10012, 10021,10022, etc.
A rw5 file is then successfully created .

I can then convert the rw5 to a fbk file, but when I attempt to import that it says that the backsight point number from occupied point 0 is 0 and asks what the point number should be.

Now, the occupied point (at the start of the survey)  SHOULD be 1001 with 1002 being the backsight.

Clearly I need to edit the rw5 that's been created to put the right station numbers in the right places, but I can't work out what bit needs addin.

Can anyone assist please?

The start of the rw5 (with the first few shots)reads as follows:

JB,NMFR2913-10-8-16,DT08-24-2016,TM10:27:41
MO,AD0,UN1,SF1.000,EC0,EO0.00,AU0
BK,OP0,BP0,BS0.00000,BC0.0000
--Date: 10/08/2016
SS,OP0,FP1001,AZ0.00000,ZE0.00000,SD0.000,--
SS,OP0,FP1002,AZ93.03463,ZE90.00000,SD0.000,--
SS,OP0,FP10021,AZ93.03478,ZE91.26172,SD70.732,--SN
SS,OP0,FP10022,AZ93.03471,ZE91.26171,SD70.732,--SN
SS,OP0,FP10023,AZ93.03471,ZE91.26179,SD70.733,--SN
SS,OP0,FP10024,AZ93.03457,ZE91.26174,SD70.734,--SN
SS,OP0,FP10025,AZ93.03474,ZE91.26176,SD70.733,--SN
SS,OP0,FP100,AZ267.52199,ZE90.24200,SD19.252,--CF
SS,OP0,FP101,AZ265.19285,ZE90.14359,SD27.692,--CF
SS,OP0,FP102,AZ264.05235,ZE90.08140,SD40.195,--CF
SS,OP0,FP103,AZ263.23322,ZE90.04071,SD49.907,--CF
SS,OP0,FP104,AZ263.03297,ZE90.03470,SD59.953,--CF
SS,OP0,FP105,AZ263.04514,ZE90.02360,SD61.504,--CF

[albionpjl]

It's a Leica TCR 705. Using with a mobile phone is not an option because it requires a serial connector to PC to download. It was secondhand when we got it about 14 or 15 years ago.

My boss is looking into trying to get updated software that will run on Win 7 and recognise the TST, but we really do need new hardware as well because none of our new laptops have the required port for downloading and they disposed of the old ones when they issued the new. The week long job in Suffolk will be an issue next month!
I think my workstation is the only one that has the port and it was added specially.

I tried downloading directly to C3d but the TST is not listed in their instrument list so it doesn't find it.

I've now got it back (someone tucked it away quietly after breaking the blasted box!!!!!!) and tried all the download options. There's no csv or text option. dxf downloads points only.
The best results are from the raw file which we usually use with the other software.
I do have to edit the file to tell it what station it's on and where it's back sight is, but I can then import the survey points, but it's not recognising the codes in order to draw linework.

[albionpjl]

Android phone apps would not be accurate enough. We do some survey with GPS (hiring in someone who has one)  but handheld type things are just not accurate enough.

[albionpjl]

I've bookmarked the second one thanks. That may help. The example on post 12 really doesn't explain much. He knows which code is which, but doesn't make it clear; he just says that it contains the info, not which bit is what. The second link looks like it may do that.

[AllenJessup]

---

@albionpjl wrote:

Android phone apps would not be accurate enough. We do some survey with GPS (hiring in someone who has one)  but handheld type things are just not accurate enough.

---

I'm not talking about using onboard GPS for collection. It would interface with the Total Station and collect the measurements.

I found Total Station Topo Pro for android. It supports Leica and mentions the cables needed for USB to Serial connection. 

[albionpjl]

Interesting, thanks. I wish it said which Leica TSTs exactly. C3d supports some Leica instruments, but not ours.

I'll pass it on to the boss. It doesn't say if it supports saving layers or setting up start and finish codes for lines (both essential.) It also doesn't appear to be available on an official apple site for iphone (we won't be allowed to take it from the third party sites I found)

[AllenJessup]

That's just a possible option for the future. Right now I think your best bet is to modify a copy of the RW5 using the OC and BK codes to include the coordinates for the Occupied point and Backsite point.

You might also try the Leica Field Data Extractor. It's for a more recent instrument but might be worth a shot. http://www.leica-geosystems.us/en/support-services-downloads_65879.htm?cid=11281&p=1&pagemode=print

[albionpjl]

The first part of this video may hold part of the answer. If I go back to the penzd file that I extracted from the idex I may be able to do some thing with figure codes

It seems that part of the problem is them creating new meanings for terms. I have NEVER seen 'figure' used for a drawing object in a survey before. To me a figure is an illustration in a report.

[albionpjl]

Hmm. The video didn't post, I see.

Well it involved setting codes for figures. It looks like the best way forward may be to extract the PENZD info from the idex file, save as a csv or similar, and set up figure codes. I will look into it at the weekend.
Btw thanks for the replies. I work things out best when I have someone I can discuss things with. Hopefully if I am aimed in a completely wrong direction, someone will say so.

The linked data extractor appears to be for a different series of data collectors (the 1200s.) We have a 705.