Seamless GIS Work Environment

Carlson SurvPC data collection software has been updated to enable the land surveyor to work in the GIS environment. Carlson SurvPC is a data collection system for Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS and total-stations with in-field coordinate geometry. As the application can be utilised on standard Windows PC computers such as ruggedised laptops, surveyors can access Esri or other GIS source data in the field.

"This new capability of SurvPC enables surveyors to work with ArcGIS, using the interface they are familiar with," says Bruce Carlson, president of Carlson Software. "This means there will be no need to spend any time learning new software before taking this out in the field and collecting data."

In the new ArcGIS-enabled version of Carlson SurvPC, Esri's desktop can be used intuitively to perform all survey functions and ArcGIS points, lines and polygons can be used for staking. ArcGIS Nodes can be used for resections and localisation; and users will be able to query GIS feature attributes at any time with the Store Points, Stake Points, and Map View screens.

Surveyors will also be able to access years' worth of projects and have that data saved to an Esri geodatabase with no import/export or translations issues since this new SurvPC uses the same CRD data file format for storing data. All data can then be seen in context.

Carlson offers this updated SurvPC on its own or it can be purchased as a package with the Carlson Supervisor, a small, light, fast, rugged field and Windows7-compatible tablet PC designed for land surveying and site management.

Esri-GIS commands and terminology are prepared to be applicable into SurvPC, according to Carlson. "This means that centimetre-accurate data collection will become the norm in GIS with all who work in that environment able to seamlessly move from one environment to the other."