Using Depth and Slope Mode

NOTE – These instructions apply to both blade slope and cross slope systems. Use these instructions for either system configuration:

  • Blade slope systems measure - blade slope only
  • Cross slope systems measure - blade slope, blade rotation and machine mainfall

Depth and Slope mode lets you use slopes, sections, and offsets as required, to define your target grade.

You can also show the linework from a design file and get horizontal guidance to it, if your positioning source supports it and you have a license for 3D guidance. See Showing and guiding to linework.

To select Depth and Slope mode:

  1. From the Dashboard, tap the Machine Setup tile and select the positioning source that you require.

    NOTE – The positioning source you select will determine the modes that you can select from the Job Setup screen.

    When positioning source is not Cab/body mounted dual GNSS, the mast sensor toggle button is displayed on the Machine Setup screen. Enable the mast sensor to receive guidance from the mast sensor only. The mast sensor provides the highest blade pitch accuracy. Disable the mast sensor to use the blade sensor for guidance, which provides high blade pitch accuracy. If you change the setting, check the sensor accuracy with a known benchmark.

  2. From the Dashboard, tap the Job Setup tile.
  3. From the Job Setup screen select a project and set the Mode field to Depth and Slope.

  4. Optionally, if you have a 3D positioning source, select a design from the Design field to show linework.
  5. Tap Apply.
  6. From the Dashboard, tap Start. The work screen displays.

The work screen

In Depth and Slope mode, this icon displays at the top left-hand side of the work screen:

Touch and hold the icon to open the Job Setup screen.

The Depth and Slope target icons

The target icons always appear in the same order left to right on the guidance bar, as shown below:

Mainfall Cross Slope Horizontal Offset Elevation Offset

Mainfall Cross Slope Horizontal Offset Elevation Offset

Mainfall Cross Slope Horizontal Offset Elevation Offset

Mainfall Cross Slope Horizontal Offset Elevation Offset

Use the target icons in the following ways:

  • Tap to cycle through the configured target memories.
  • Touch and hold to access the respective target configuration screens.

The target settings screens

NOTE – The Apply button saves values temporarily. The values are overwritten the next time you enter a different value. If you want to save the entered values as a memory, use the Save button.

  • Use the Target Mainfall and Target Cross Slope screens to select, edit or create a new slope. If your system includes a heading sensor or GNSS receiver, you can also select, edit and create sections.
  • If you save a section, use a unique name. You can use the saved section in either the mainfall or the cross slope orientation.
  • Use the Elevation Offset screen to select, edit or create a new target offset.
  • You can use the increment/decrement elevation offset switch to increase and decrease the offset.

NOTE – If you switch from Depth and Slope mode to Design mode, the system reverts back to Horizontal and Elevation Offsets of 0.00.

Showing and guiding to linework

If you have a 3D guidance solution and a license for 3D guidance, you can load a design containing linework in Depth and Slope mode. You can show the linework as a reference and select one of the lines for horizontal guidance:

  1. Bench the machine in the work screen.

  2. Either:

    • Touch and hold on the line to open the context menu and then select the guidance line.

    • Touch and hold this icon to open the Horizontal Guidance screen and then select the guidance line.

Overlays

The overlays icon is in the top right-hand corner of the guidance bar:

Use this icon to directly access the Overlays screen, which controls what displays on the guidance view.

The guidance view

The guidance view displays the machine relative to the surface being worked. You can set up to three different views to display at once, from the following view types:

  • 3D

    NOTE – The 3D view only renders the design surface for a radius of 150 m (about 500 feet) from the current machine position.

  • Cross Section
  • Cross Section (Forwards) - unavailable when Cross Section (Backwards) is set
  • Cross Section (Backwards) - unavailable when Cross Section (Forwards) is set
  • Profile
  • Plan
  • Bubble
  • Cut/Fill Focus
  • Cut/Fill Left
  • Cut/Fill Right
  • Cut/Fill Center
  • Cut/Fill Center Back
  • Text Grid

Text items

Use the text ribbon area (across the bottom of the guidance view) to display text items of your choice. By default, the system displays ribbon items appropriate for your machine. Useful text items for Depth and Slope mode are:

  • Cut/Fill Center
  • Cut/Fill Left and Cut/Fill Right
  • Roll
  • Rotation
  • Body Slope
  • Cross Slope
  • Body Mainfall

Touch and hold any text item in the text ribbon to open the corresponding context menu:

  • Tap Add to select a new text item to add to the text ribbon.

  • Tap Replace to select another text item to replace the current one.

  • Tap Remove to remove the current text item from the text ribbon.

At the bottom of the context menu, you can tap Go to Text Ribbon . Alternatively you can access it from the System Settings menu . The Text Ribbon screen allows you to:

  • Drag-and-drop items to reorder your list. Alternatively, you can drag a text item in the text ribbon to shuffle it.

  • Tap Edit to select which items appear.

  • Tap Default to reload the default ribbon items for your machine.

  • Enable or disable the display of the text ribbon in the work screen.

System settings

The System Settings icon is on the work screen:

Use System Settings to access and configure various functions, including (but not limited to):

  • Lightbars
  • Units
  • File Transfer
  • Increments (where the inc/dec switches step size can be set)

The shortcut bar

The shortcut bar enables you to easily perform frequently repeated tasks. The shortcut icons are for Depth and Slope relevant items such as Bench Elevation, Bench Heading, and Attachment Focus.

The shortcut bar enables you to easily perform frequently repeated tasks. The shortcut icons are for Depth and Slope relevant items such as Blade Focus.

If a shortcut icon is blue, then you must configure that function before the system provides guidance for your machine. To do this, tap the blue icon to complete that function or touch and hold the icon to open the relevant settings screen and then edit as required.

If a shortcut icon is blue, then you must configure that function before the system provides guidance for your machine. This includes:

  • Bench Heading which sets the direction of the design slope (mainfall).
  • Bench Elevation which you can use to set a relative or absolute reference elevation.
  • Bench Heading which sets the direction of the design slope (mainfall).
  • Bench Elevation which you can use to set a relative or absolute reference elevation.
  • Bench Heading which sets the direction of the design slope (mainfall).
  • Bench Elevation which you can use to set a relative or absolute reference elevation.

Tap the blue icon to bench your machine or touch and hold the icon to open the relevant settings screen and then edit as required.

The Back icon

The Back icon is in the top left‑hand side of the title bar:

You can tap the icon or title to return to the previous screen; either the Dashboard or work screen.

Work settings

The Work Settings icon is in the lower right-hand side of the work screen:

Use the Work Settings menu to access and configure those settings that change according to the requirements of each individual task, including (but not limited to):

  • Bench Heading
  • Touch Point
  • Measure Mode
  • Target Mainfall
  • Target Cross Slope
  • Blade