Working with Points
Points are available when you are in Compaction Mapping or Design mode and the machine has 3D sensors. If you use GNSS receivers, the machine must be within the GNSS Tolerance Precision.
You can create points in the office or in the field.
Displaying points
To control the appearance of infield points on the work screen, adjust the settings in the Overlays screen. To open the Overlays screen, tap in the top right-hand corner of the guidance bar. The Points drop-down on the Overlays screen enables you to hide on-screen points, or show combinations of the icon, Name and Code field.
If you choose to show points with their Name and Code, the system may truncate the onscreen text so the important parts of the name fit on the screen.
Office points that are included in a layer in a .vcl file are managed the same way as linework within the layer. When you use the Layers Manager screen to:
- Show the layer, the points also display.
- Hide the layer, the points are also hidden. Infield points remain visible.
Filtering points
On the Points Manager screen, you can filter to limit which points appear in the list. You can show:
- All points
- Only points created in the office
- Only points created in the field (all Measured Data stores)
- Only points contained in a specific Measured Data store
Deleting a point
In the Operator App, you can only delete a point that was created in the field. A point created in the office must be deleted from the office software.
When you delete a point created in the field, the system preserves the point so the data is still available to the office. The point is moved from the Measured Data file to a file named <Measured_Data_name>.<machine_name>.deleted.
To delete a single point:
- From the Points Manager screen, tap the overflow icon
on the right‑hand side of the point and select Delete.
- On the work screen:
- Touch and hold the point name. The pop-up menu displays.
- Tap > and then tap Delete.
To delete multiple points:
-
From the Points Manager screen, touch and hold the overflow icon
on the right‑hand side of any point to display check boxes for multiple selection.
-
Tap each check box next to the point you want to delete.
-
Tap Delete.
A Confirm Deletion message displays.
Recording a point
Use Record Point to save the 3D position (Northing, Easting and Elevation) of a point. It is useful for recording points of interest on site, such as the location of a manhole.
Your machine does not have to be stationary to record a point. Whether your machine is moving or stationary, the system records the current position of the focus point when:
- you enter the Record Point screen
- you use the Record Point shortcut key
You can access the Record Point screen from the Work Settings menu. The Record Point screen lets you set up how the system logs the points that you record. It allows you to set specific identifiers for the points, as required for the current job and environment. There are three types of identifiers for points: name, code, and Measured Data.
The Edit Point screen has the same fields as the Record Point screen. It enables you to modify an existing point.
Name
In the Record Point screen, tap in the Name field to enter a name for the point.
If a point in the system already has this name (for example Manhole) the system alerts you with a message and adds a numeric suffix to the new point (for example Manhole 3). The suffix automatically increases with each new point that has the same name. This lets you quickly and repeatedly record points via the shortcut key or record point switch without having to enter anything into the Record Point screen.
If you do not enter anything into the Name field the name is just the numeric suffix. If you do not specify a suffix, the system generates one automatically. You can edit the name and the suffix as required.
Use this icon (next to the Name field) to select from a list of previously used names.
Code
The Code field is a string of text that helps describe the point, for example Mainfall 1. In the Record Point screen, you can manually enter a Code string when you record the point, or you can use this icon to select a string that was predefined in the office software. The predefined Code strings are exported from the office software in a .fxl file.
If you do not enter anything into the Code field, the code will be undefined.
Measured Data
See Measured Data.
Northing, Easting, and Elevation
If the Northing, Easting, and Elevation coordinates are available at the time you access the Record Point screen, they will appear. The coordinates do not change if you move the focus point. You can use the on-screen keypad to enter or change coordinates if required.
The Always Prompt toggle
If Always Prompt is on, the Record Point screen displays each time you tap the Record Point icon in the Work screen. Do this if you want to change the point name, code, or work order for each point you record.
If you want to record a number of points with the same name, code, and Measured Data, set the Always Prompt toggle to off.
Cancel
To discard your changes, tap Cancel. The screen closes and the Work screen displays.
Save
To record the new point, tap Save. The screen closes and the Work screen displays.
How to record a point
1. Place the focus point onto the point that you want to record.
2. To record the point, do one of the following:
- Access the Record Point screen, enter a name, code, and Measured Data, tap Here and then Save.
-
Touch and hold the Record Point icon in the shortcuts bar
; this opens the Record Point screen. Enter a name, code, and Measured Data, tap Here and then Save.
- Tap the Record Point icon
to record a point that inherits the last used name (the system adds a numeric suffix to the new point).
Point files
Infield points are stored in a .pnt file. There is a separate .pnt file for each Measured Data, using the naming convention <measured data>.<machine name>.V01.pnt.
Navigating to a point
The system can provide navigation to an infield or office point. On the Points Manager screen, tap the overflow menu icon beside the appropriate point and select Navigate To Point.
When the system provides guidance to a point, the work screen border turns blue and shows a blue line between the focus and the point. The text ribbon shows:
- Nav Direction: the direction to the point relative to the machine direction
- Nav Distance: the horizontal distance to the point
- Nav Depth: the vertical distance to the point
Tap this icon to stop navigation.
Troubleshooting
If the record point icon does not appear in the shortcuts bar, and the Record Point option is not in the Work Settings menu, check that you are in Design mode and that your system includes a 3D sensor.