The company I work for, we import both DC files from a TSC3 collector as well as a CAL file from our new TSC7 tablet. When we import the DC file we are able to see the base station location that the calibration came from as well as the vectors. When we import the CAL file all we see are the calibration points and no base station info or vectors. The TSC7 does export a DC file but it seems there is nothing in it unless I am doing something wrong. I like to be able to see the base station info because our foremen need it to set up there own base station when on the site and need the info from that setup. I attached 2 pics, one with a DC file imported and the other with a CAL imported. The red circle in the "DC" file one is our base station location and setup.
Thanks James. We are using Survey Access on the TSC3 but no where as much as Siteworks on the TSC7. We are basically using the TSC3 for Total station work until we get a new robotic station to use with the TSC7. So yes the use of a DC file is a bit outdated but still need to use it
Hi Tom
The workflows are quite different between Trimble Access and SiteWorks. I would recommend looking trough the TBC tutorials. The is a Link to them on the Support tab in TBC, or they can be found here:
Trimble Business Center: Tutorials | Trimble Geospatial
There is one called Working with Field Data for SCS and GCS, which you might find useful.
You also might want to have a look at the Trimble Community Construction Forums to see if there are any useful posts on SiteWorks.
What are you looking for in terms of "base station information", do the foreman actually use vector data? I believe that once you complete a calibration, Siteworks and SCS900 prompt you to choose if you'd like to save the base station as a control point, so if you choose yes, it should write the coordinates to the "control.field.csv" file generated within the project's folder on the data collector used in the calibration.
When using Siteworks or SCS900, your CAL file will contain all of your WGS84 coordinates as well as the grid coordinates used for the control that was shot, but not the actual applied calibration from the data collector. When brought into TBC it allows you to make edits to the calibration if needed, then apply those changes and create a calibration.
When you bring in the DC file from Siteworks or SCS900 software into TBC, you are applying the completed calibration from your data collector to your TBC job file, although points and vectors do not show up as they would with a Trimble Access DC file. You can verify this by going to your project settings in TBC and verifying the coordinate system settings.
Brandon, appreciate this info and was able to find the local site settings (lat and long) in the project settings. The only thing I am still trying to find is the local site height that would be used at a particular project. As I mentioned when I import a DC file I am able to see the the pole and its info where the base was set up, in TBC. In the pic attached to this message I circled in RED from the imported DC file, the pole and its properties which includes the local site and height. When I bring a CAL file in, the project settings do not show this.
Tom, I'm still a little confused on what you're trying to accomplish yet. Your "local site height" or "project height" is kind of an arbitrary measurement used in either Trimble Access or TBC to compute ground scale factor when working in ground coordinates, it can be entered in manually and be +/-75' of your base station's ellipsoid height with little or no effect .
What you have circled is the WGS84 position and ellipsoid height of your base station. This information should be readily available in whichever data collector was used to perform the calibration once the calibration is complete. Additionally, once the DC file (either from access or SCS900) is imported into TBC, along with the control points used in the project, you will be able to view the Lat, Long, and grid coordinates for any of the points, as well as import local or global coordinates that would transform into grid coordinates.
The reason that your CAL file doesn't show this is because, as I mentioned previously, it is not the final calibration, it is the record of measured WGS84 coordinates and associated control points. The only reason you would bring this into TBC would be to manually create the calibration by turning on or off horizontal or vertical elements and then computing it using the site calibration editor in TBC.
I'd like to better understand your current workflow and how you're sharing this information between Access, TBC, and Siteworks/SCS900 from start to finish. I think there's a much easier way to go about it, as the DC file, and grid coordinates can be easily shared between the three different programs.
I found a couple links (below) that may help to understand project height.
Why are you exporting a DC file from a TSC3 instead of importing the JOB file into TBC? DC file is a rather outdated format.
I assume you are running SCS900 on the TSC3 and SiteWorks on your TSC7? I'm not all that familiar with Construction field software, however I would recommend you talk to your dealer or work colleagues and find out the correct workflows for getting data from SCS900\SiteWorks into TBC. The DC file format dates back to Survey Controller and did originally contain the entire job (points, vectors, coordinate system, site calibrations, etc). I'm not sure what SiteWorks exports in the DC file but from your description if could just be the calibration parameters.