Monitoring 1.1.5

In addition to displacement reporting, the Monitoring application provides a streamlined workflow for repetitive total station measurements that are common for deformation monitoring and precise control workflows.

Monitoring version 1.1.5 released in July 2022. It can be run on both Windows and Android controllers that support Trimble Access, and is compatible with Trimble Access version 2022.00 or later.

New features and changes

Trimble SX10 or SX12 scanning total station in monitoring rounds

Trimble Access Monitoring version 1.1.5 supports incorporating scans into monitoring. Some unique advantages of using scans in monitoring include being able to monitor a large spatial area faster and without needing to predict movement patterns to set out appropriate targets. This can be especially useful when monitoring areas where it might not be safe to install targets due to limited accessibility.

To include scans, from the Monitoring Measure menu, select Add scan. There are different configurable settings available, including Framing, Scan density and At distance. You can also add scanning limits by specifying the minimum and maximum distance. The estimated scanning time is generated and displayed to provide a better understanding of how the configuration will affect your monitoring rounds schedule. Panoramic images can also be taken at the end of each monitoring round. All the data is stored in the Trimble Access project folder.

Scans can be performed at the end of each monitoring round and their progress is displayed on screen. In the View drop-down list, select List to see the progress of the scan. A check mark in the Scan column indicates that the scan is complete; an ellipsis (...) indicates that the scan is in progress. Video is unavailable when a scan is in progress.

Using scans with the Monitoring app is slightly different to using scans in Trimble Access General Survey. In Monitoring:

  • When creating a new scan area, it is important to perform an initial scan after creating the area. Scan areas that are created and saved without performing initial scans, will not appear in the list of scan areas and will not be performed during the monitoring process. Make sure to click start to perform the initial scan of the area.

  • The Horizontal band and Half dome scan types are not fully supported by this version in terms of the monitoring workflow. Scans with these framing settings can be performed and saved in the main project folder, but the scans will not be visible in the list of monitoring scan areas and will not be included in a monitoring round.

Ability to remove incomplete rounds from reporting

You can now exclude incomplete rounds from reports. A round is considered complete when there is at least one observation to each target point, otherwise it is an incomplete round.

Previously, when creating a report in Trimble Access Monitoring software, incomplete rounds would be included in the report. The default is still set to include incomplete rounds so that the report represents everything that happened, but the default can easily be switched by choosing No in the Include Incomplete Rounds field in the Reports screen. The ability to not report on incomplete rounds can be beneficial if there is planned site activity in the middle of a monitoring round that requires discontinuing the round.

Height measurement methods are consistent with Trimble Access General Survey

Trimble Access Monitoring now supports the bottom notch height measurement method in terms of both target height and station height information and this is consistent with the height measurement methods available in Trimble Access General Survey.

This update applies to all functions where you can specify height information, such as Station Setup, Orientation, Measure topo, and some edit menus.

Optional angle and distance measurement that allows for quicker rounds

Depending on the project requirements, saving time may be more valuable than having longer distance range capabilities. With version 1.1.5, you have more flexibility to prioritize what is most appropriate for your project requirements. The flexibility comes from having the option to choose from two measurement methods. In the Trimble Access Monitoring software, one measurement method prioritizes distance capabilities and the other prioritizes speed.

If you select the Set instrument mode for distance check box, Trimble Access Monitoring splits measurement-taking into two: an angle measurement and a distance measurement. This measurement method allows for taking measurements in all environmental conditions. In addition to splitting measurements, this setting will automatically select the appropriate working mode for the measured targets.

In version 1.1.5, choosing not to enable the Set instrument mode for distance option will increase the measuring speed because measurements are no longer split into two. However, the tradeoff is that the distance range may be reduced, which would be more noticeable when measuring in the LR Fine Lock working mode.

Resolved issues

  • Add point: We have fixed an issue where tapping Add point did not add a point when the Trimble SX10 or SX12 scanning total station had the Video screen enabled.

  • Esc monitoring: We have fixed an issue where tapping Esc to cancel a monitoring round failed to cancel the round.

  • Site Setup transfer to Settop M1: We have fixed the following issues:

    • Failed to name a station in Settop M1 with a name that is made up of one character.

    • Failed to name a target in Settop M1 with a name that includes a period “.”.

    • Mismatched the number of epochs in Trimble Access Monitoring to be equivalent to the number of rounds in Settop M1 settings.