Point of Beginning articles from March 2003

Point of Beginning archives from March 2003

On "button pushers". (Editor's Note).
March 1, 2003... I, as I imagine many of you, often hear complaints about "button pushers." (Perhaps even you bemoan these types.) The label of "button pusher" is often used in a negative connotation and followed by examples of the unseasoned or indifferent...

Offsets. (Letters to the Editor).
March 1, 2003... November 2002 I just about died laughing at [this] article. But I must take issue with the author's premise. First of all, let me preface my remarks with the following. I have been a surveyor my whole career. It's all I ever wanted to do....

Earthly Configurations. (Letters to the Editor).
March 1, 2003... November 2002 May I comment on the article "Earthly Configurations." At the end of the first section, there is reference to Eratosthenes finding the Earth's circumference as 25,000 miles; then in the last line of the section there is...

Surveyors of presidential proportion. (Letters to the Editor).
March 1, 2003... Thank you for bringing some historical perspective to your very interesting magazine. Your December 2002 issue describes briefly the role that surveying played in the lives of two of our most beloved presidents, George Washington and Abraham...

Editor's Note. (Letters to the Editor).
March 1, 2003... January 2003 I've been licensed for 14 years and worked in the industry 10 years prior to being licensed. Why would anyone want to be a surveyor? The state license boards works only to hurt us. The social organizations cater only to the...

Mapping out professional maintenance. (Letters to the Editor).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... January 2003 I feel continuing education has helped place a more responsible and higher educated surveyor in the field. As a member of a committee that is responsible for reviewing continuing education credits of the renewing...

Land Surveyors' "Bible" gets update. (The Latest News).
March 1, 2003... The Manual of Instructions for the Survey of the Public Lands of the United States, one of the "Surveyors' Bibles," will be receiving a facelift over the next few years. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has begun developing the next edition...

Homebuyers to be educated on the value of a survey. (The Latest News).
March 1, 2003... Is an aerial photograph of a homebuyers' property a sufficient "survey" of their newly acquired land? The American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM) appropriately says no and has taken its strong opposition to such a practice to the U.S....

Autodesk Inc. (ACSM-APLS Conference Preview: Manufacturer Offerings).
March 1, 2003... CAiCE Visual Survey CAiCE Visual Survey models your survey data using intelligent 3D object-based models in a comprehensive and interactive environment. CAiCE Visual Survey automates the entire survey workflow, including importing and...

Cyra Technologies Inc. a Leica Geosystems company. (ACSM-APLS Conference Preview: Manufacturer Offerings).
March 1, 2003... CloudWorx Pro v2.0 Cyra Technologies' new CloudWorx Pro v2.0 enables users to automatically create accurate piping drawings and models directly in AutoCAD from point clouds (i.e. laser scan files) captured by Cyrax 3D laser scanners. Users...

Bentley systems incorporated. (ACSM-APLS Conference Preview: Manufacturer Offerings).
March 1, 2003... GEOPAK Civil Engineering Suite GEOPAK Civil Engineering Suite is the MicroStation-based field-to-finish solution for transportation/civil projects of all types. Comprehensive modules address the workflow through construction: survey, site,...

Eagle Point. (ACSM-APLS Conference Preview: Manufacturer Offerings).(NavCom Technology partnership offers SMI Flex GPS solution)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... SMI Flex GPS Eagle Point has partnered with NavCom Technology to deliver a revolutionary GPS solution. SMI Flex GPS gives you extraordinary power, unprecedented simplicity, exceptional service and incomparable value, all packaged together...

Leica Geosystems. (ACSM-APLS Conference Preview: Manufacturer Offerings).
March 1, 2003... TPS1100 with PowerSearch Leica Geosystems now offers PowerSearch technology on the TPS1100 Professional Series robotic total stations. With just the touch of a button, PowerSearch enables the prism to be found within just a few seconds....

MicroSurvey Software Inc. (ACSM-APLS Conference Preview: Manufacturer Offerings).
March 1, 2003... FieldGenius XG With FieldGenius XC, MicroSurvey creates the most powerful graphics possible on a Windows CE device, making it easier to zoom, pan or view data in a 3D perspective. XC is the first data collector to create surface models and...

Nikon Instruments Inc. (ACSM-APLS Conference Preview: Manufacturer Offerings).
March 1, 2003... DTM-502 Series Total Station The newly designed DTM-502 series total station allows for a faster, more accurate data collection process and boasts a new, more user-friendly display system, an enhanced onboard software system, a...

Sokkia Corporation. (ACSM-APLS Conference Preview: Manufacturer Offerings).
March 1, 2003... Series 30R Reflectorless Total Station The Series 30R reflectorless total station measures remote distances more accurately. The Series 30R's extremely narrow, visible red laser precisely pinpoints difficult positions such as small...

Thales Navigation. (ACSM-APLS Conference Preview: Manufacturer Offerings).
March 1, 2003... ProMark2 Kinematic GPS Survey System Thales Navigation's ProMark2 with kinematic capabilities is the first kinematic CPS survey system to combine precise positioning and street navigation capabilities in one compact solution. ProMark2...

Topcon. (ACSM-APLS Conference Preview: Manufacturer Offerings).
March 1, 2003... Integrated GPS System The Topcon HiPer-GGD is a fully integrated GPS receiver and antenna with GPS + tracking ability. Combined with Topcon's Integrated GPS System. an internal RTK communication system and external field computer, it is...

Trimble. (ACSM-APLS Conference Preview: Manufacturer Offerings).
March 1, 2003... 5600 DR Total Station Visit the Trimble booth at ACSM to earn about the new DR EDM options or the 5600 DR Total Station--DR Standard for precision work and DR300 + for extended long-range work. DR Standard delivers measurements ideal for...

Tripod Data Systems. (ACSM-APLS Conference Preview: Manufacturer Offerings).
March 1, 2003... ForeSight DXM TDS's new ForeSight DXM (Data eXchange Manager) software gives users better ways to view, manage and analyze survey data. Users can quickly transfer files from most data collectors to their laptops or PCs to see surveys...

Conference events.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... NSPS Trig-Star Awards The NSPS Trig-Star committee determined the recipients of the 2002 Richard E. Lomax National Trig-Star scholarships and Teaching Excellence Awards, which will be presented at the NSPS Board of Governors meeting at the...

Restricted access: the challenges of working at an Air Force base after 9/11.(Grand Forks Air Force Base in Grand Forks, North Dakota)
March 1, 2003... Like most Americans, I watched the World Trade Center attack with horror and disbelief and wondered if our lives would ever be the same. It never occurred to me, though, that we would not return to work. How 9/11 would impact the business of...

Mapping Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks: how three entities banded together to form a cooperative mapping agreement in Missouri.
March 1, 2003... Missouri's largest lake, Lake of the Ozarks, is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise. Located in the heart of the state, the 58,000-acre lake and surrounding area offer sailing, boating, water skiing, swimming, and excellent fishing opportunities,...

Geographic Information Systems: one surveyor's perspective.
March 1, 2003... What does GIS stand for? Until recently I defined it as "Get It Surveyed." Last year, Arizona, the state in which I reside and work, experienced a step toward unification among its GIS professionals and its land surveying professionals by...

2003 total station survey: advanced total station offerings from industry leaders; the precursor to our tabulated survey data coming in April 2003.
March 1, 2003... Laser Technology Inc. (LTI) manufactures and markets laser-based speed and distance measuring instruments, which utilize proprietary technology. Its products are sold worldwide and are used in a wide variety of applications, including traffic...

Footprints in time. (Surveying GIS).(geographic information system)
March 1, 2003... We as a society seem to have a propensity, if not an obsession, with making things (and people) fit into groups or niches. Surveyors, rugged individualism aside, don't seem to be that much different. Most of us fall in with one of the two main...

Charting a clear course. (From the Ground Up).
March 1, 2003... Editor's Note: Photo Science Inc. was recognized as a winner of an Honor Award at the national Engineering Excellence Awards competition held by the American council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) for this project. The tugboat, towboat...

Tool tips. (GIAA Mailbag).
March 1, 2003... Q: I use the three tribrach system for traversing, swapping the total station and targets as I move up. I've noticed that the instrument will "rock" in one of the tribrachs if I push hard against its side. This doesn't happen with the other two...

Surveying solutions.
March 1, 2003... Each month we present a surveying problem from the second edition of 1001 Solved Surveying Fundamentals Problems by Jan Van Sickle, PLS. As in the following example, the answer will appear beside the problem, in a shaded box. We hope you enjoy...

The Lietz Company. (Turning Points).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Lietz Company was reestablished in Tampa, Fla. The Lietz name and trademarks were purchased from Sokkia Co., Ltd. in April, 2002 by Kansas-based III Inc. as part of the acquisition which created FieldWorks, Olathe, Kan. Robert J. Peterson,...

Improved Construction Methods. (Turning Points).(FieldWorks retail stores)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Improved Construction Methods (ICM), Jacksonville, Ark., acquired the FieldWorks retail stores in Dallas, San Antonio and Corpus Christi, Texas. ICM officially assumes operations on March 1, 2003, under the new name ICM Survey Systems.

Autodesk. (Turning Points).(names Chris Bradshaw)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Autodesk named Chris Bradshaw vice president of the GIS division. He is responsible for setting the strategic direction and managing daily operations for the GIS division. Rick Mascitti, who served as the GIS interim vice president, will return...

Bentley Systems Inc. (Turning Points).(acquires part of TransDecisions Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Bentley Systems Inc., Exton, Pa., acquired the Department of Transportation Division of TransDecisions Inc. of Natick, Mass., including the Linear Referencing System Extensions (LRSx) software. The associated TransDecisions employees have also...

Topcon. (Turning Points).(appoints Hank Boudreau)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Topcon, Pleasanton, Calif., appointed Hank Boudreau as northeast regional manager for survey and GPS products. Boudreau is a former regional manager for Trimble and former district manager for Leica Geosystems. Based in Bridgewater, Mass.,...

NavCom Technology Inc. (New & Notable).
March 1, 2003... NavCom Technology Inc. introduced its new mobile wireless broadband network radio, the Safari Network SR-7100 Mark II. Unlike local area wireless communications systems such as 802.llb, the Safari Network SR-7100 Mark II transmits high-speed...

Leica Geosystems and ESRI. (New & Notable).
March 1, 2003... Leica Geosystems and ESRI announced geodatabase support capability in ERDAS IMAGINE V8.6. ERDAS IMAGINE V8.6 features the use of ESRI's ArcObjects environment to interact with the latest generation of ArcGIS software and data formats including...

Universal Map. (New & Notable).
March 1, 2003... Universal Map released SmartMaps Viewer 2.0. SmartMaps is an advanced Internet mapping platform that displays data in vector format using SVG technology. This allows for more intuitive navigation and faster access to client data. SmartMaps...

Sokkia Corporation. (New & Notable).
March 1, 2003... Sokkia Corporation released G2 version 1.20, the newest release of its G2 Graphic Field Assistant data collection software for Windows CE devices. Improvements include new restructured menus to more closely follow the traditional SDR menu...

MapFrame Corporation. (New & Notable).
March 1, 2003... MapFrame Corporation introduced FieldSmart Route, a mobile point-to-point, street-level routing system with route optimization for utility crews operating in the field. Route combines client GIS and mapping data with turn-by-turn directions to...

Mattracks offers Rubber track conversion systems. (New & Notable).
March 1, 2003... Mattracks offers rubber track conversion systems to access challenging remote work sites. The molded rubber track is formulated to provide extended wear, smooth ride, trouble-free operation and performance even in extreme conditions. Mattracks...

Blue Marble Geographics. (New & Notable).
March 1, 2003... Blue Marble Geographics released updated versions of the Geographic Calculator and Geographic Transformer. Several new coordinate systems for Florida, Australia, New Zealand and Fargo, N.D., are implemented. Over 20 new datum transformations...

Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions. (New & Notable).
March 1, 2003... Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions' IntelliWhere division announced availability of IntelliWhere LocationServer 5.0, a server-side software development platform based on Intergraph's CeoMedia that location-enables and automates data...

Tele Atlas. (New & Notable).
March 1, 2003... Tele Atlas released its comprehensive turn-by-turn digital map database, MultiNet North America 2.4. This database includes map coverage for the United States, Canada, international waters and country borders, supported by 13 million thirdparty...

Trimble. (New & Notable).
March 1, 2003... Trimble introduced the BD950, a real-time kinematic (RTK) compact GPS card for high-precision guidance and control applications. Featuring extremely low power and a small form factor, the BD950 receiver is designed to allow OEMs and system...

ESRI. (New & Notable).
March 1, 2003... ESRI announced the release of MapObjects 2.2-Windows Edition. MapObjects-Windows Edition is ESRI's collection of embeddable mapping and GIS components that can be used to add dynamic mapping and GIS capabilities to existing Windows applications...

Safe Software Inc. (New & Notable).
March 1, 2003... Safe Software Inc. released FME Suite 2003. FME Suite 2003 is an ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tool for spatial data that allows organizations to translate, transform, share and enhance their data among over 100 GIS, CAD and database formats....

Spicer Corporation. (New & Notable).
March 1, 2003... Spicer Corporation announced that ViewCafe now provides highly integrated document viewing and markup capabilities for FileNet's new P8 architecture, an integrated framework that leverages content management, business process management and...

Tripod Data Systems: new Recon makes rugged handheld computing affordable. (Advertisement March 2003: Product of the Month).
March 1, 2003... Tripod Data Systems' new Recon rugged handheld computer delivers the extensive capabilities of Windows CE at a price comparable to a TDS HP 48 data collection system. Bundled with TDS surveying software, the Recon starts at just $1,799 MSRP....