Trimble Business Center

Processing GNSS Baselines

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 About this tutorial

About this tutorial

In this tutorial, you will process baselines from GNSS data that has already been
imported into the project.

Note: If you need additional help at any time you are using the software, press F1 to
display the online help.

Step 1. Open the project

For this tutorial, you will use the project file Processing GNSS Baselines.vce. GNSS data
has already been imported into the project, but baselines have not yet been processed.

Note: The downloaded ProcessingGNSSBaselines folder contains this PDF file, a

Processing GNSS Baselines project folder, and the Processing GNSS Baselines.vce
project file.

1. In TBC, select File > Open.

2. In the Open File dialog, browse to ..\ProcessingGNSSBaselines\Processing GNSS
Baselines.vce and click Open.
The project opens in the Trimble Business Center window.

Processing GNSS Baselines 2

 Step 2. Select Project Settings

The project file is read-only. You can perform the tutorial steps without saving the
project file. However, if you are interrupted while performing the tutorial, you can save
it with a new name by selecting File > Save Project As. Then, you can re-open the
project to continue the tutorial at a later time.
Before you process baselines for the project, you should check the baseline processing
settings to ensure they are appropriate for your project.

Step 2. Select Project Settings

Before processing baselines for your project, you can choose the interval (in seconds) at
which you want to select field data to process, or you can choose to use the interval
specified in the data file. The shorter the interval, the more data is processed, resulting
in a longer processing time and higher precision.
Ideally, you would choose to use the interval specified in the data file to ensure you are
using the shortest intervals possible. However, for long occupation times with intervals
(epochs) of 1 second or less, the processing time could be very long. In this case, you
might choose to use a longer interval to shorten the processing time.

Note: If you choose an interval that is shorter than the interval at which the data was
collected, the interval at which the data was collected is used.

A third option, which is used in this tutorial, is to allow the software to automatically
determine the best interval setting to use based on the length of the baseline and the
duration period. This option balances the highest processing efficiency with the highest
results quality.
1. In the Quick Access Toolbar (located at the top of the TBC window), select Project
Settings.
2. In the navigation (left) pane in the Project Settings dialog, select Baseline
Processing > Processing.
3. In the Processing interval drop-down list, verify Automatic is selected.

You can select other options that affect baseline processing. Helpful tips are
displayed in the lower portion of the dialog, or you can press F1 at any time for
additional online help. For this tutorial, you should not make any other changes.

Processing GNSS Baselines 3

 Step 3. Process baselines

Next you will check horizontal and vertical tolerance settings for points in the
project.
4. In the navigation (left) pane in the Project Settings dialog, select Computations >
Point Tolerances.
Note that the default Horizontal tolerance and Vertical tolerance for Survey
Quality points in the project are 0.020 m and 0.050 m respectively. Point tolerances
that exceed these values are flagged in the Plan View. There is no need to make
changes at this time.

Next, you will make a change to the quality acceptance criteria for processed
baselines.
5. In the navigation (left) pane in the Project Settings dialog, select Baseline
Processing > Quality. Then, change the If horizontal precision > Flag value to 0.035
m + 1.0 ppm.
Baselines that exceed the Flag acceptance criteria are identified with a yellow
warning flag the Plan View. Baselines that exceed the Fail acceptance criteria are
identified with a red failure flag the Plan View.
6. Click OK to save your changes and close the Project Settings dialog .
You are now ready to process all of the baselines in the project.

Step 3. Process baselines

1. In the TBC ribbon, select Survey > GNSS > Process Baselines.

Note: If no baselines are selected in the various views when you select the Process
Baselines command (as in this case), all baselines in your project are processed. If
any baselines are selected, only those baselines are processed.

The Process Baselines dialog displays showing the progress of the process.
When processing is complete, the processed baselines are listed in the table. You
can sort the baselines as necessary by clicking any of the column headings. For
example, you can sort baselines to verify that desired accuracy has been met by
clicking the Horiz. Precision and Vert. Precision column headings.

Processing GNSS Baselines 4

 Step 3. Process baselines

To see more information about any specific baseline, select the row and click the
Report button to display the Baseline Processing Report in HTML format in your
browser window.

Note: When you select to open a Baseline Processing Report from anywhere else in
Trimble Business Center, the report opens on a viewing tab in RDLC (Report
Definition Language Client-side) format, which can then be saved in PDF format.

2. In the Process Baselines dialog, click the Save button to save the processed
baselines.
The project is re-computed with the newly created baselines.
You can view the Point Derivation Report for any point to see the resultant
coordinates.
3. Select the point fsi in the Plan View or Project Explorer. Then right-click and select
Point Derivation Report in the context menu.

Processing GNSS Baselines 5

 Step 4. Edit a session and reprocess a baseline

The Point Derivation Report displays in your browser window.

If a red error flag had displayed for a baseline in the Process Baselines dialog, you would
need to ensure all the information about that baseline is correct (for example, antenna
type, antenna height, and point name). In some cases, reprocessing the baseline by
itself will clear a flag by using a different coordinate setting. Depending on the
underlying problem, there are a number of actions you could take, including possibly
editing the associated session.
In the next step, you will edit a session and reprocess a baseline as if an error flag had
been displayed in the Process Baselines dialog, even though one did not. This will help
familiarize you with the Session Editor.

Step 4. Edit a session and reprocess a baseline

The Session Editor allows you to visually analyze the quality of the raw satellite data
collected for the selected session. Gaps in satellite data can indicate satellite signal cycle
slips, invalid range errors, and other signal loss problems. To improve the quality of a
processed baseline, you can use the Session Editor to disable unhealthy satellites, mask
bad sections of satellite data, and adjust occupation times.
In this step, you will edit a session associated with a baseline to correct for gaps in the
satellite signal. Then you will reprocess the baseline.

Note: This procedure is intended to familiarize you with the Session Editor. If this were
a real project, there would be no need to reprocess the specified baseline since it is
within the acceptance criteria specified for the project.

1. Click on the Plan View and use your mouse wheel to zoom in so that you can
distinguish the baseline between the points fsi and 3. Then, click on the baseline and
select Baseline fsi --- 3 (B15) in the context menu.

Processing GNSS Baselines 6

 Step 4. Edit a session and reprocess a baseline

2. Right-click anywhere on the Plan View and select Session Editor in the context
menu.
The Session Editor dialog displays.

Satellites that provided data for the session include blue and/or green lines on the
timeline. Each blue line represents data collected for the first point in the baseline
(fsi). Each green line represents data collected for the second point in the baseline
(3).
Each satellite is represented by a letter and number in the left column:
 G = GPS satellite
 R = GLONASS satellite
 E = Galileo satellite
 C = BeiDou satellite
 J = QZSS satellite
Note that the signal for the satellite G7 ends early in the session. The satellite
probably moved beyond the horizon at that point. Although it is not necessary in
this case, you will disable the satellite G7 data for this tutorial.
3. In the left column, click G7.
The entire row is shaded to show the satellite data will be disabled (that is, the data
will not be used for processing) when you click OK later in this procedure.

Processing GNSS Baselines 7

 Step 4. Edit a session and reprocess a baseline

Next, you will disable part of the R17 and R18 satellite data in which there are cycles
slips as indicated by breaks in the blue and green lines.
4. In the R17 row, click in front of the first slip and drag your cursor to the end of the
row.
5. In the R18 row, click and drag across the cycle slips in the earlier part of the session.

In this procedure you are disabling satellites data only for the selected baseline. If
you wanted to disable a satellite for all baselines in your project, in the Project
Settings dialog you would select Baseline Processing > Satellites and remove the
check mark from the satellite you wanted to disable. This is also where you could
raise or lower the elevation mask to try and improve baseline results. For this
tutorial, you will not make any Satellites changes in the Project Settings dialog.

Processing GNSS Baselines 8

 Step 5. Identify and disable dependent baselines

6. Click OK to close the Session Editor dialog.

You are now ready to reprocess the baseline.
7. With Baseline fsi --- 3 (B15) still selected, select Survey > GNSS > Process Baselines.
The Process Baselines dialog displays and the selected baseline is reprocessed.

8. When processing is complete, click the Save button.

You are done processing GNSS baselines. In the next step, you will identify and disable
dependent baselines in your project.

Step 5. Identify and disable dependent baselines

If you plan to use only independent baselines in the network adjustment, you can use
the Time-Based View to identify dependent baselines and disable them.

Note: Disabling a baseline deletes the associated vector. If you want to retain a vector
you must disable it, not the baseline. Instructions for disabling vectors are not included
in this tutorial.

Following is a diagram of the survey data used in this project.

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 Step 5. Identify and disable dependent baselines

The circled numbers indicate the session in which each baseline was measured. In the
session 1, points fsi, 5, frey, and hanna were occupied. The total number of baselines
that can be observed during a session is equal to

where n equals the number of receivers used during the session.

For example, if four receivers were used in a session, six baselines can be observed (4
times 3, divided by 2).
The number of independent baselines for a given session is equal to .
For this project, three independent baselines were measured for each session. In the
five sessions observed, 30 baselines were measured, but only 15 are independent.
Using the CORS station, you must add another receiver into the count. This increases
the total baselines per session to 10 and the number of independent baselines to four.
There are 50 total baselines and 20 independent baselines for all sessions.
To disable dependent baselines, follow these steps:
1. In the TBC ribbon, select Survey > GNSS > Time-Based View.
The Time-Based View displays. The following figure identifies sessions 1 and 2. (The
other sessions are not shown in this figure.)

Processing GNSS Baselines 10

 Step 5. Identify and disable dependent baselines

You can use your mouse to navigate the Time-Based View as follows:
 Place your cursor over the sessions, press your mouse wheel, and move the
mouse back and forth to pan the view horizontally.
 Use the mouse wheel to scroll the view vertically up and down.
 Place you cursor over the sessions, press and hold the left mouse button, and
move the mouse up to zoom in, or move it down to zoom out.
 Right-click to see other zoom options.
2. To ensure you are working with the correct session, use Shift + click in the left
column to select all of the baselines in session 1.

Processing GNSS Baselines 11

 Step 5. Identify and disable dependent baselines

3. Using Ctrl + click, deselect the independent baselines in session 1. These are the
baselines you do not want to disable.
 P041 --- hanna (Note that since you are using the observation from P041 to the
points on the exterior of your network, you must deselect this baseline.)
 5 --- fsi
 5 --- frey
 hanna --- frey

4. Right-click on any of the remaining selected baselines in session 1 and select Disable
Baselines in the context menu.
A message is displayed alerting you that associated vectors will be deleted.
5. In the Delete Vectors message dialog, click Yes.
6. In the Time-Based View, the disabled baselines are displayed with a dark gray bar.

7. Repeat this procedure for sessions 2 through 5, ensuring all dependent baselines are
disabled.
The independent baselines for each session are as follows. These baselines should
not be selected to be disabled. All other baselines should be selected to be
disabled.
Session 2:

Processing GNSS Baselines 12

 Step 5. Identify and disable dependent baselines

 3 --- filter
 P041 --- sixtwo
 3 --- sixtwo
 sixtwo --- hanna
Session 3:
 hanna --- filter
 filter --- 5
 filter --- frey
 P041 --- frey
Session 4:
 P041 --- fsi
 fsi --- 3
 3 --- sixtwo
 3 --- 5
Session 5:
 P041 --- sixtwo
 sixtwo --- hanna
 frey --- hanna
 frey --- 5
Now that you have disabled baselines, you must recompute the project.
8. Press F4 to re-compute the project.
Note that out-of-tolerance flags now display on points frey, filter, and 5 in the Plan
View.

9. In the TBC ribbon, select Home > View > Flags Pane.

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 Step 5. Identify and disable dependent baselines

In the Flags Pane, you can see that the flagged points exceed the 0.020 m horizontal
point tolerance that has been specified for the project.

For this tutorial, you will change the tolerances to be less restrictive so the flags no
longer display.
10. To change the horizontal tolerance for points in the project and the horizontal
tolerance for baselines, do the following:
a. Open the Project Settings dialog and select Computations > Point Tolerances in
the navigation pane located on the left side of the dialog.
b. In the Survey Quality section, change the Horizontal tolerance (Survey) value to
0.03 m.
c. Click OK.
The flags no longer display.
11. To view only the enabled observations and baselines (for postprocessing) in the Plan
View, do the following:
a. Select the Plan View.
b. In the TBC ribbon, select, Home > View > View Filter Manager.
The View Filter Manager pane displays.

c. Select the GNSS Data Types tab in the bottom area of the pane, and select the
By enable status: Enabled baselines only option.
d. Click on the Plan View and use your mouse wheel to zoom in. Press the mouse
wheel and move the mouse to center the points as shown in the second figure.
Plan View before filtering the view:

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 Step 5. Identify and disable dependent baselines

Plan View after filtering the view:

You are done disabling dependent baselines in your project. This concludes the tutorial.

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