GETTING STARTED GUIDE

GPS Pathfinder® Office

software
Pathfndr.bk Page 2 Thursday, June 17, 1999 11:02 AM
 GETTING STARTED GUIDE

GPS Pathfinder Office®

software

Version 4.20
Revision A
December 2009 F
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protected by U.S. Patent No. 5,710,835. Foreign Patents Resource Mapping Limited. All rights reserved.
Pending. For STL support, the software uses the Moscow • MrSID® Decoder Runtime, copyright © 1995-1999
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Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide. It applies over an internal network; but in such case you must
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4 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

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GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 5

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APPLICABLE LAW, IMPLIED WARRANTIES, TERMS

6 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

United States District Court for the Northern District of 5.2 The ECW JPEG 2000 Runtime component(s) of this
California. You hereby consent and agree not to contest, Software allowing decompression of ECW JPEG 2000
such jurisdiction, venue and governing law. images is provided under license from Earth Resource
4.2 Section 4.1 notwithstanding, if you acquired this Mapping Limited, 2 Abbotsford Rd., West Leederville,
product in Canada, this Agreement is governed by the Western Australia 6007. Any redistribution of such
laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada. In such case Runtime component(s) by you is prohibited.
each of the parties to this Agreement irrevocably attorns Trimble Navigation Limited / Trimble Europe B.V.
to the jurisdiction of the courts of the Province of Ontario Trimble GPS Pathfinder Office software
and further agrees to commence any litigation that may End User License Agreement
arise under this Agreement in the courts located in the Rev. 2009 October 31
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If you acquired this product in the European Union, this
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5 THIRD PARTY LICENSE RIGHTS
5.1 Portions of this Software incorporating MrSID
functionality are provided under license from LizardTech,
Inc. The MrSID software is protected by United States
Copyright Law and International Treaty provisions and by
U.S. Patent No. 5,710,835. Foreign patents are pending.
Some of the MrSID technology was developed through a
project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)
funded by the U.S. Government, managed under contract
by the Regents of the University of California (University).
The U.S. Government and the University have reserved
rights in the Technology, including the following: (a) the
U.S. Government has a non-exclusive, non-transferable,
irrevocable, paid-up license to practice or have practiced
throughout the world, for or on behalf of the United
States, inventions covered by the University's Patent
Rights, and has other rights under 35 U.S.C. § 200-212 and
applicable implementing regulations and under the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) Assignment and
Confirmatory License through which the DOE's rights in
the Technology were assigned to the University; (b) Under
35 U.S.C. § 203, the DOE has the right to require
LizardTech to grant a non-exclusive, partially exclusive or
exclusive license under U.S. Patent No. 5,710,835 in any
field of use to a responsible applicant(s) upon terms
reasonable under the circumstances, if LizardTech does
not adequately attempt to commercialize the MrSID
Technology. See, 37 CFR 401.6; (c) The University makes
no warranty or representation as to the validity or scope
of Patent No. 5,710,835, and neither the Government nor
the University have any obligation to furnish any know-
how, technical assistance, or technical data in connection
with MrSID software. For further information about these
provisions, contact Lizardtech, Inc., The Exchange
Building, 821 Second Avenue, 18th Floor, Seattle,
Washington 98104.

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 7

8 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
About the GPS Pathfinder Office software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Related information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Technical assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Windows error reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Your comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

2 Software Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Compatible GPS systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Platform requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Registering the GPS Pathfinder Office software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Obtaining your installation code after registration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Installing the GPS Pathfinder Office software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Before you begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Running the installation program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Updating the GPS Pathfinder Office software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Managing licenses for the GPS Pathfinder Office software . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Installing the Mapping and GIS License Manager software . . . . . . . . 39
Mapping and GIS License Manager Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
GPS Pathfinder Office License Administrator software . . . . . . . . . . . 39

3 Basics of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Starting the GPS Pathfinder Office software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Setting the time zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Selecting a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Features of the application window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 9

Contents

Map and Time Line windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Map window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Time Line window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Manipulating and moving the windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Saving the window layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Displaying a toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Floating a toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Selecting a tool in a toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Standard toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Project toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Mouse toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Utility toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Shortcut menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Measurement units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Exiting the GPS Pathfinder Office software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

4 Tutorial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Tutorial sample files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Exercise 1: Configuring the GPS Pathfinder Office software . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Starting the GPS Pathfinder Office software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Setting the local time zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Selecting a project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Selecting a coordinate system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Exercise 2: Preparing to collect data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
GPS data collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Attributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Opening a data dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Printing the data dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Transferring data to a field computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Exercise 3: Differentially correcting the field data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Postprocessed differential correction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Base data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

10 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Contents

Exercise 4: Viewing and editing the data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Opening the data files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Displaying the Map and Time Line windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Loading the background files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Configuring the Map window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Viewing the attributes of a feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Viewing the offset of a feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
Printing the data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Exercise 5: Exporting data to a GIS or CAD system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Exercise 6: Exporting data to KML/KMZ format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Exercise 7: Updating the data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Editing the tutorial data dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Saving the data dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
Importing data from a GIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
Exercise 8: Back in the office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
Opening the updated data file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
Finding a feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Viewing the positions of a feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
Using layers to view a feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
Viewing the status of a feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
Measuring distances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Exporting data to update the GIS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144
Exercise 9: Special exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Batch processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Managing waypoints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158

A Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Map and Time Line window display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
Printers and plotters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Internet problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Connection problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Files not present on the Internet server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
Web Map Server problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
Internet connection problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
Web Map Server connection problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 11

Contents

General issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

12 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 CHAPTER

1
Introduction 1

In this chapter: Welcome to the GPS Pathfinder Office

Software Getting Started Guide. This guide
Q About the GPS Pathfinder describes how to get started using the
Office software Trimble® GPS Pathfinder® Office
Q Related information software. It provides:
Q Technical assistance • software registration and
Q Your comments installation information
• detailed information about the
windows, toolbars, and menus in
the software
• a tutorial providing step-by-step
instructions for the main functions
of the software
• a troubleshooting section
Even if you have used other Global
Positioning System (GPS) products
before, Trimble recommends that you
spend some time reading this guide to
learn about the special features of this
product.

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 13

1 Introduction

If you are not familiar with GPS, go to the Trimble website

(www.trimble.com/GPS) for an interactive look at Trimble and GPS.
This guide assumes that you are familiar with the Microsoft®
Windows® operating system that you are using.

About the GPS Pathfinder Office software

The GPS Pathfinder Office software, together with its associated
utilities, provides all the functionality you need to manage and process
data collected using Trimble Mapping and GIS data collection systems.
It provides the tools you need to correct, view, and edit Global
Positioning System (GPS) data collected in the field, and to export it in a
format suitable for your GIS, CAD, or database system.
The GPS Pathfinder Office software enables you to:
• create separate projects, letting you manage the data associated
with these projects effectively and conveniently
• construct and edit data dictionaries, which are used to control
the data collection operation and ensure that the collected data
is complete, accurate, and compatible with your GIS, CAD
package, or database
• convert data from a GIS, CAD package, or database format to the
Trimble SSF format so that you can take the data back into the
field to check and update it
• transfer files to and from field computers running data collection
software
• edit collected data in the office
• display collected data in the office against multiple background
files in vector or raster formats, including images from an ArcIMS
or OpenGIS Web Map Server
• process the GPS data to improve its positional accuracy,
including data collected using a GPS receiver that has H-Star™
technology

14 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Introduction 1

• export the collected, processed, and edited data to a GIS, CAD, or

database format
• produce a scaled plot as a paper record of the data

Related information
Other sources of related information are:
• Help – The software has built-in, context-sensitive online Help
that lets you quickly find the information you need. Access it
from the Help menu. Alternatively, click the Help button in a
window, or press [F1].
• Release Notes – The release notes describe new features in this
version of the software and any changes to the documentation,
and provide any information not included in the product
documentation. The release notes are provided in the box with
the software. They are also provided as a PDF file on the GPS
Pathfinder Office Software CD and are installed in the program
directory (typically C:\Program Files\Trimble\GPS Pathfinder
Office) when you install the software.
• Website – For related information about the GPS Pathfinder
Office software, go to the Trimble website
(www.trimble.com/pathfinderoffice.shtml).
• Trimble training courses – Consider a training course to help you
use your GPS system to its full potential. For more information,
go to the Trimble website at www.trimble.com/training.shtml.

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 15

1 Introduction

Technical assistance
If you have a problem and cannot find the information you need in the
product documentation, contact your Trimble reseller.

Technical support
Go to the GPS Pathfinder Office software technical support page
(www.trimble.com/pathfinderoffice_ts.asp) on the Trimble website for
the latest support information about the software, including:
• FAQs
• support notes detailing the latest support issues
• documentation
• the latest files available for download

Windows error reporting

If for any reason a Microsoft Windows Error Reporting dialog appears,
indicating that the GPS Pathfinder Office software has encountered a
problem and needs to close, you are asked whether you wish to send an
error report to Microsoft.
Trimble recommends that you click Send and then click any
subsequent links that are used to obtain additional information.
Trimble can access the report that is sent to Microsoft and use it to
improve the GPS Pathfinder Office software.

Your comments
Your feedback about the supporting documentation helps us to improve
it with each revision. E-mail your comments to
[email protected].

16 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 CHAPTER

2
Software Installation 2

In this chapter: This chapter describes how to install

version 4.20 of the GPS Pathfinder Office
Q Compatible GPS systems software for the first time.
Q Platform requirements To install the GPS Pathfinder Office
Q Registering the GPS software, you must:
Pathfinder Office software
1. Make sure your computer meets
Q Installing the GPS the minimum platform
Pathfinder Office software requirements for successful
Q Updating the GPS operation of the GPS Pathfinder
Pathfinder Office software Office software.
Q Managing licenses for the 2. Register your copy of the GPS
GPS Pathfinder Office Pathfinder Office software and
software obtain an installation code.
3. Install the software using the GPS
Pathfinder Office Software CD and
the installation code you obtained
when you registered your copy of
the software.

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 17

2 Software Installation

Compatible GPS systems

Version 4.20 of the GPS Pathfinder Office software is compatible with
the following current Trimble GPS systems:
• GPS Pathfinder ProXRT receiver
• 5800 GPS receiver, or Trimble R8 GPS system with TerraSync™
software
• a GeoExplorer® series handheld (a GeoXH™, GeoXT™ or
GeoXM™ handheld) with TerraSync software or the Trimble
GPScorrect™ extension for ESRI ArcPad software
• a Juno™ ST, SB, or SC handheld with TerraSync software or the
Trimble GPScorrect extension for ESRI ArcPad software
• a Trimble Nomad® G series handheld with TerraSync software or
the Trimble GPScorrect extension for ESRI ArcPad software
• a Trimble Recon® GPS XB or XC edition with TerraSync software
or the Trimble GPScorrect extension for ESRI ArcPad software
• a GPS Pathfinder series receiver (a ProXH™, ProXT™, Pro XRS,
ProXRT, XB, or XC receiver), with TerraSync software or the
Trimble GPScorrect extension for ESRI ArcPad software
• Trimble Reference Station (TRS™) software
• GPSBase software

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 Software Installation 2

Platform requirements
The minimum platform requirements to ensure successful operation of
the GPS Pathfinder Office software are:
• an Intel x86 architecture
• 300 MB of free disk space for a standard installation (with
additional space for geoid and data files)
• one of the following Microsoft operating systems, including 64-bit
variants:
– Windows 7
– Windows Vista® (Ultimate Edition, Enterprise Edition,
Business Edition, or Home Edition SP 1)
– Windows XP (Professional Edition, Home Edition, or Tablet
PC Edition SP 3)
– Windows Server® 2003
• Internet Explorer version 6.0 or later
• a USB serial port ( for communicating with a field computer
running data collection software)
Note – If you want to transfer data files to or from a device powered by the
Windows Mobile® operating system, and you are using a Windows XP
operating system, make sure you have installed the appropriate version of
Microsoft ActiveSync technology. If you are using Windows Vista or
Windows 7, a connectivity driver for Windows Mobile powered devices is
included with your operating system.

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 19

2 Software Installation

Registering the GPS Pathfinder Office software

Before you can install the GPS Pathfinder Office software, you must
register your copy of the software to obtain an installation code that you
enter during the installation process.
You can only register your copy of the GPS Pathfinder Office software
once. For information about obtaining your installation code when the
software has already been registered, see Obtaining your installation
code after registration, page 26.
Trimble recommends that you register before beginning installation.
To register, you need:
• the Proof-of-Purchase Number (POPN) from the GPS Pathfinder
Office software packaging
The Proof-of-Purchase Number (POPN) is labelled “POPN” and is
located on the product label inside the software folder, below the
software CD.
• Internet access (including a valid e-mail address)
Note – If you do not have Internet access, contact your local Trimble
reseller for assistance.
To register your copy of the GPS Pathfinder Office software:
1. Go to the My Trimble account login page.
To do this, open your Web browser and go to
www.trimble.com/register.
Alternatively:
a. Insert the GPS Pathfinder Office Software CD in the CD drive
of the office computer.

20 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Software Installation 2

The Setup screen appears:

Note – If this screen does not appear, select Autorun.exe from the CD drive
folder.
b. Click Register.
Your default Web browser opens and displays the My Trimble
account login page:

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 21

2 Software Installation

2. If you already have an account, skip this step and go to step 4 to

log in.
To create your My Trimble account, click Create an account. Enter
your contact details and then click Save. Your account is created
and you are returned to the My Trimble account login page.
3. Enter your e-mail address and password, and then click Login.
The My Trimble page for your account appears. It will look similar
to the one shown below:

4. To register the GPS Pathfinder Office software, scroll to the My

Products section and then click Add.

22 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Software Installation 2

The Registration Method page appears:

5. Select the Add a Proof-of-Purchase Number (POPN) option and

then click Next.

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 23

2 Software Installation

The Proof-of-Purchase Number (POPN) Details page appears:

6. Enter the Proof-of-Purchase Number (POPN) provided on the

GPS Pathfinder Office software packaging. The POPN is located
on the product label inside the software folder, below the
software CD.
7. If you want to enter your own reference code, for example a sales
order number or an asset/inventory number, enter it in the Your
Reference field.
8. Click Next.
Note – If a message warns that the POPN you entered has already been
registered, click Cancel to cancel the registration process. Then obtain the
installation code for your copy of the software and install the software. For
more information, see Obtaining your installation code after registration,
page 26.

24 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Software Installation 2

9. If this is the first time that you have registered a Trimble Mapping
and GIS product, the Mapping & GIS Industry Details page
appears. From the drop-down lists, select your organization type
and most common market segment and then click Save.
You are returned to your My Trimble page, where the software
you have just registered now appears in the My Products section:

Installation
code

10. If the two lines below the GPS Pathfinder Office software do not
appear, click the + beside the copy of the GPS Pathfinder Office
software that you have just registered.
The Installation Code field shows the installation code for your
copy of the GPS Pathfinder Office software. Make a note of this
code. You must enter this code when you install or reinstall the
software.
Note – If you are entitled to an upgrade from a previous version of the GPS
Pathfinder Office software, you can install GPS Pathfinder Office version
4.20 using the installation code that you obtained when you first registered

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 25

2 Software Installation

the product. If you are not entitled to an upgrade, the installation program
will not accept your installation code. Contact your local Trimble reseller to
purchase a software maintenance option.

Obtaining your installation code after registration

To reinstall the GPS Pathfinder Office software, for example if you
uninstall it from one computer and want to reinstall it to another, you
must use the same installation code that you received when you
registered the software before installing it for the first time.
If you do not know the installation code, do one of the following:
• If someone else at your company registered the software ask
them for the installation code.
If you cannot find out who registered the software, send an e-mail
containing the Proof-of-Purchase Number (POPN) for your copy
of the software to [email protected].
• If you registered your copy of the software yourself, you can check
your installation code from the My Trimble page of the Trimble
website.

26 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Software Installation 2

To do this:
a. Open your Web browser and go to
www.trimble.com/register.
Your default Web browser opens and displays the My
Trimble account login page:

Enter your e-mail address and password and then click

Login.

The My Trimble page for your account appears.

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 27

2 Software Installation

b. Scroll to the My Products section, where any software that

you have already registered appears:

Installation
code

c. If the two lines below the GPS Pathfinder Office software do

not appear, click the + beside the copy of the GPS Pathfinder
Office software that you have just registered.
The Installation Code field shows the installation code for
your copy of the GPS Pathfinder Office software. Make a
note of this code. You need to enter this code when you
install or reinstall the software.

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 Software Installation 2

Installing the GPS Pathfinder Office software

To install the GPS Pathfinder Office software, the computer must have a
CD-ROM drive, or have access to a CD-ROM drive over a network.

Before you begin

Before you begin the installation process, make sure that:
• The computer meets the minimum requirements for installing
the GPS Pathfinder Office software. For more information, see
Platform requirements, page 19.
• You have registered your copy of the software and have made a
note of the installation code that you must enter during
installation. For more information, see Registering the GPS
Pathfinder Office software, page 20.
• You have uninstalled any existing copy of the software from your
computer.

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 29

2 Software Installation

Running the installation program

To install the GPS Pathfinder Office software:
1. Insert the GPS Pathfinder Office Software CD in the CD drive of the
office computer.
The Setup screen appears:

Note – If this screen does not appear, select Autorun.exe from the CD drive
folder.
2. Click Install.

30 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Software Installation 2

The Installation screen appears:

3. Click Install GPS Pathfinder Office.

The Choose Setup Language dialog appears:

4. Select the language that you require to run the installation. To

run the rest of the GPS Pathfinder Office software in a language
other than English, after installing the software you must
download the appropriate language update from the Web using
the Updater utility. For more information, see Step 16 below.
5. Click Next.
6. In the GPS Pathfinder Office InstallShield Wizard click Next.
7. If you have previous versions of the GPS Pathfinder Office
software installed on your computer, a message box appears
listing any previous versions. Click Yes to uninstall the previous

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 31

2 Software Installation

versions of the software. An uninstaller for each previous version

found appears. Work through each step in the uninstaller and
then return to the GPS Pathfinder Office InstallShield Wizard.
8. Read the software license agreement and then click Yes to accept
it.
9. Enter your user name and your company name and then click
Next.

The Choose your License Type page appears:

10. To install the software using a:

– license that is for your copy of the software only, select the
Install GPS Pathfinder Office with a single use license option
and then click Next.
– floating license obtained from the Mapping & GIS License
Manager software, select the Install GPS Pathfinder Office
using a floating license option and then click Next.

32 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Software Installation 2

B Tip – You can change from a single use license to a floating license, and
vice versa, at any time using the GPS Pathfinder Office License
Administrator software. For more information search for the topic License
Administrator in the GPS Pathfinder Office Software Help.

The Register your Software page appears:

11. Do one of the following:

– If you have registered the software and obtained your
installation code for the software, select the I have already
registered option and then click Next.
– If you have not yet registered the software and do not have
an installation code for the software, select the I do not have
an installation code. I want to register my copy over the
Internet now option and then click Next.
The Register page opens in your default Web browser,
displaying the My Trimble account log in. For more
information, see Registering the GPS Pathfinder Office
software, page 20.

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 33

2 Software Installation

The Enter your Installation Code page appears:

12. Enter the installation code assigned to your copy of the GPS
Pathfinder Office software when you registered the software and
then click Next.

34 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Software Installation 2

The Setup Type page appears:

13. Select how you want to set up the software. To install:

– the default setup of the software, select Complete and then
click Next.
– a custom setup of the software, select Custom and then click
Next. Then do the following:

a. In the Choose Destination Location page, select the

folder where the setup will install the program files and
then click Next.
b. In the Choose Trimble Shared Files Folder page, select
the folder where the setup will install common
components used by the GPS Pathfinder Office
software and other Trimble software products and then
click Next.

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2 Software Installation

c. In the Select Features page, select the features you want

to install, and deselect the features you do not want to
install:

In the list of components, clear the check box beside

any components you do not want to install. For more
information about any component, highlight it in the
list. The Description field below the list provides a brief
description of the highlighted component.
By default, all components are selected, and this is
equivalent to selecting the Complete option in the Setup
Type page.
d. Click Next.
e. In the Upgrade Coordinate Systems page, make sure the
check box is selected and then click Next.
f. In the Select Default Project Folder page, select the
default folder under which projects will be created and
then click Next.

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 Software Installation 2

14. Select whether you want the Project Changer and Connection
Manager utilities to automatically start each time you restart
your computer, and then click Next.
15. The Start Copying Files page appears. Click Next.
The final page of the installation wizard shows InstallShield
Wizard Complete:

16. Trimble recommends that you click the Yes, check for program
updates option and then click Finish.
The GPS Pathfinder Office Updater utility appears. Use the utility
to download the latest software updates and documentation
from the Trimble website.
If you selected a language other than English in the Choose Setup
Language dialog (see Step 4 above), and you want to run the rest
of the GPS Pathfinder Office software in that language, the
Updater utility checks for available language files in the
appropriate language.

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 37

2 Software Installation

Once you download files, you can install them immediately, or

you can run the Updater utility later and select the downloaded
files that you want to install.

Updating the GPS Pathfinder Office software

Trimble recommends that you check for software updates during the
installation process (see Step 16, page 37).
To check for software updates at any other time, do one of the following:
• From the Windows Start menu, select All Programs / Trimble /
GPS Pathfinder Office / GPS Pathfinder Office Updater.
• From the GPS Pathfinder Office main window, select Help / Check
for new GPS Pathfinder Office updates now.
For more information about the GPS Pathfinder Office Updater utility,
refer to the GPS Pathfinder Office Updater Utility Help.

Managing licenses for the GPS Pathfinder Office

software
The Trimble Mapping & GIS License Manager software enables you to
manage floating licenses for Trimble Mapping and GIS software
products. You can use the Mapping & GIS License Manager software to:
• View floating license information
• Add new or updated licenses
The Mapping & GIS License Manager is installed on a network
computer and communicates with the client machine where the
License Administrator software is installed (see GPS Pathfinder Office
License Administrator software, page 39).

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 Software Installation 2

Installing the Mapping and GIS License Manager software

1. Insert the GPS Pathfinder Office Software CD in the CD drive of the
network server computer.
The Setup screen appears.
If this screen does not appear, select Autorun.exe from the CD
drive folder.
2. Click Install.
The Installation screen appears.
3. Click Mapping & GIS License Manager.
4. The Mapping & GIS License Manager installation wizard
appears.
Follow the instructions on the screen to install the Mapping &
GIS License Manager software.

Mapping and GIS License Manager Help

The Mapping & GIS License Manager Help is installed on the server
machine with the Mapping & GIS License Manager software. It provides
detailed information about using the software.
To view the Help, click the Help button provided in the Mapping & GIS
License Manager window, or click Start on the Windows taskbar, and
then select All Programs / Trimble / Mapping & GIS License Manager /
License Manager Help.

GPS Pathfinder Office License Administrator software

The GPS Pathfinder Office License Administrator software is installed
on the client machine when you install the GPS Pathfinder Office
software.
The GPS Pathfinder Office License Administrator displays information
about the type of license used by your copy of the GPS Pathfinder Office
software. It also enables you to:

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 39

2 Software Installation

• Change the license manager that the GPS Pathfinder Office

software obtains its license from.
For example, the license manager may be reinstalled on a
different computer.
• Change from a single use license to a floating license, and vice
versa.
For example, if you take your PC to a site office for several days of
field work, the GPS Pathfinder Office software will not be able to
communicate with the License Manager to obtain a floating
license. To avoid this, change to a single use license. You can
change it back once you return to the office.
For more information, search for the topic GPS Pathfinder Office
License Administrator in the GPS Pathfinder Office Software Help.

40 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 CHAPTER

3
Basics of Operation 3

In this chapter: This chapter describes the utilities,

windows, toolbars, and menu commands
Q Starting the GPS that comprise the GPS Pathfinder Office
Pathfinder Office software software.
Q Features of the application
window
Q Map and Time Line
windows
Q Toolbars
Q Shortcut menus
Q Measurement units
Q Exiting the GPS Pathfinder
Office software

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 41

3 Basics of Operation

Starting the GPS Pathfinder Office software

To start the GPS Pathfinder Office software, do one of the following:
• From the Windows Start menu, select All Programs / Trimble /
GPS Pathfinder Office / GPS Pathfinder Office.
• Double-click the GPS Pathfinder Office shortcut icon on
the desktop:
• The software opens and displays the main GPS
Pathfinder Office application window (see Features of the
application window, page 43).

Setting the time zone

The first time you start the GPS Pathfinder Office software, you are
asked to set the time zone. It is important to configure GPS Pathfinder
Office for the local time zone. If you do not, the time records in field
data files display as GPS time, which approximates Greenwich Mean
Time. For more information, see Exercise 1: Configuring the GPS
Pathfinder Office software, page 64.

Selecting a project
When you first start the GPS Pathfinder Office after installation, the
Select Project dialog appears.
A project consists of a set of folders on the computer that store the data
files for a particular job. Projects let you separate the data into different
areas on the computer so you can keep track of different jobs separately.
By default, all GPS Pathfinder Office software projects are located in the
GPS Projects folder. The location of the GPS Projects folder depends on
the type of Microsoft operating system running on your computer. If it
uses the:
• Windows Vista or Windows 7 operating system, the GPS Projects
folder is located in the C:\Users\<username>\Documents folder.

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 Basics of Operation 3

• Windows XP operating system, the GPS Projects folder is located

in the C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\My Documents
folder.
Note – If you are using version 4.20 of the GPS Pathfinder Office software
on a computer that had a version earlier than version 4.00 of the GPS
Pathfinder Office software installed, the default project folder continues to
be C:\Pfdata.
For more information, see Exercise 1: Configuring the GPS Pathfinder
Office software, page 64.

Features of the application window

When you start GPS Pathfinder Office, the main application window
appears. The GPS Pathfinder Office application window (with the Map
and Time Line window open) is shown in Figure 3.1.

The … does the following …

Title bar displays the name of the software (GPS Pathfinder
Office), followed by the name of the current data file,
if a data file is open. In this case tutorial.ssf.
Toolbars offer convenient access to frequently used operations
and utilities.
For more information, see page 54.
Map window shows the open file along with any background files.
For more information, see page 96.
Time Line window shows a visual display of when the data was collected
along a linear time axis.
For more information, see page 96.
Position Properties lets you view the positions of a feature. You can also
window delete a position.
For more information, see page 108.

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3 Basics of Operation

The … does the following …

Feature Properties lets you view a note and view and change the
window attributes, status, and offset of a feature.
For more information, see page 108.
Status bar displays the coordinated system selected and the map
coordinates of the current cursor position or selected
feature.

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 Basics of Operation 3
Position Properties window

Feature Properties window

Time Line window
Map window

Status bar
Title Bar
Toolbars

Figure 3.1 GPS Pathfinder Office application window

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3 Basics of Operation

Map and Time Line windows

The GPS Pathfinder Office software makes extensive use of windows.
There are two main windows:
• the Map window
• the Time Line window
These windows are described in more detail below.

Map window
The Map window is the primary means of viewing your data. It provides
a plan view of the area. The Map window can display the features you
have collected, the waypoints in the current waypoint file, and any
number of background maps:

You can select the features, waypoints, and notes to view information
about them, or to change them.

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Time Line window

The Time Line window provides an alternative view of your data. It
displays the features and notes you have recorded in the current data
file along a time axis (it does not display waypoints or backgrounds):

You can select the features and notes to view information about them,
or change them.

Manipulating and moving the windows

You can manipulate the Map and Time Line windows like any other
window. You can move them, resize them, zoom in and out, and ‘pan’
around the display.

Zooming
In both the Map and Time Line windows, you can:
• zoom in to view information in greater detail
• zoom out to view a greater area
• zoom to extents to view all the information in the window
• zoom to the scale that the map was previously set to

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To zoom in:
1. Click the Zoom In tool: . Alternatively, select View / Zoom / In.
The tool remains depressed.
2. Move the pointer over the window.
It now displays as a magnifying glass with cross-hairs
which mark the position of the pointer:
3. Do one of the following:
– Click a position in the window.
The scale of the window is halved, and the position becomes
the new center of the window.
– Drag the pointer across the window until you produce a
rectangle that contains the data you want to zoom in on:

The smaller the area, the greater the scale change.

Release the mouse button. The window zooms in on the
rectangle you defined, so that the contents of the rectangle
now occupies the whole window.
Zooming out is the opposite of zooming in and works in a similar way.

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To zoom out:
1. Click the Zoom Out tool: . Alternatively, select View / Zoom /
Out.
The tool remains depressed.
2. Move the pointer over the window. It becomes .
3. Do one of the following:
– Click a position in the window. The scale of the window is
doubled, and the position becomes the new center of the
window.
– Drag the pointer across the window until you produce a
rectangle. The smaller the rectangle, the greater the scale
change will be. Release the mouse button. The scale of the
window changes, and the area previously displayed in the
whole window now occupies the rectangle.
To zoom to extents:
1. Click the Map or Time Line window, to make it the active window.
2. Click the Zoom Extents tool: . Alternatively, select View /
Zoom / Extents.
The window now displays all the information for the visible layers
in the currently-open files. The previously selected tool remains
selected.
To zoom to the previous scale:
1. Click the Map or Time Line window, to make it the active window.
2. Click the Zoom Previous tool . Alternatively, select View /
Zoom / Previous.
The window now displays information at the scale used before you last
zoomed or panned.

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Panning
To view a different area or time period of the data file, pan around the
Map and Time Line windows. You can also configure the windows so
that they pan automatically to include the currently selected item.
To pan across the window:
1. Click the Pan tool: . Alternatively, select View / Pan.
The tool remains depressed.
2. Move the pointer over the window.
The pointer becomes .
3. Do one of the following:
– Click a position in the window. That position becomes the
new center of the window.
– Drag the pointer in the direction and for the distance you
want to pan. A dotted border indicating the amount the
window view will move appears as you drag the pointer:

Release the mouse button. The contents of the window

shifts in the direction and for the distance indicated by the
dotted border.

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To automatically pan the Map or Time Line windows to any selected

item:
1. Click the Auto-pan to Selection tool . Alternatively, select View
/ Auto-pan to Selection.
A check mark (3) appears beside the menu command.
2. Do one of the following:
– Select a feature using Edit / Find Feature or Data / Feature
Properties. The Map or Time Line window (whichever is
active) automatically pans so that the item is displayed.
– Select a waypoint using Data / Waypoint Properties. The Map
window automatically pans so that the item is displayed.

B Tip – You can use this option to locate a feature or waypoint which is hard
to find on the Map or Time Line window.

Selecting an item
You can select items displayed on the Map or the Time Line window.
Only one item (one feature, note, or waypoint) can be selected at a time.
• If a feature is selected in the Map or Time Line window, it is
selected in both windows. It also appears in the Feature Properties
window. (If the Feature Properties window is not open, double-
click a feature.)
• If a waypoint is selected on the Map window, it is also selected in
the Waypoint Properties window.
• If a note is selected in the Time Line window, it is also selected in
the Feature Properties window.

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A selected point feature, waypoint, or note has a frame around it, for
example the fire hydrant symbol near the top of the window in the Map
window shown below:

A selected line or area feature is drawn with a thicker line type, for
example the line across the centre of the rectangle shown below:

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To select an item, do one of the following:

• Double-click the item to select it. The Feature Properties window
or Waypoint Properties window opens.
• Click the item using the Select tool. It is shown as selected and
the window it is in becomes the active window, if it was not
already.
• Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the cursor over the
map, and press the space bar to select a feature or map point.

Saving the window layout

When you run the GPS Pathfinder Office software for the first time, a
default arrangement of windows appears on the screen. You can change
this, so that the GPS Pathfinder Office software starts with the windows
you want open.
You can set up the windows you want to open automatically when the
GPS Pathfinder Office software starts. To set the window layout for
subsequent sessions:
1. Resize and position the GPS Pathfinder Office windows so that
they are the way you want them.
2. From the Options menu choose Save Window Layout on Exit so
that it has a check mark (3) beside it.
3. Exit the GPS Pathfinder Office software.
4. Each time you subsequently start the GPS Pathfinder Office
software, it recreates the last arrangement of windows that you
had when you closed the software.

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Toolbars
Tools with related functions are grouped together in different toolbars.
Some tools display a dialog; other tools change the pointer, and some
start utility programs.
The GPS Pathfinder Office software has four toolbars:
• Standard

For more information, see page 56.

• Project

For more information, see page 57.

• Mouse

For more information, see page 57.

• Utilities

For more information, see page 58.

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Displaying a toolbar
You can show or hide a toolbar.
To display a toolbar, select Options / Toolbars. From the pullout menu,
select the toolbar you want to display.

B Tip – To display the Toolbar submenu you can also right-click on the edge
of the toolbar area.

If a toolbar is visible, a check mark (3) appears beside its name. Select
the toolbar in the submenu to remove the checkmark. The toolbar
disappears.
Select an un-checked toolbar to make the toolbar appear again.

Floating a toolbar
You can move a toolbar from its ‘docked’ position and create a ‘floating’
toolbar, so that the toolbars are in a more convenient location for you.
To create a floating toolbar:
1. Place the mouse anywhere within the area of the toolbar, but not
directly over a button.
2. Click once and hold the mouse down (the toolbar is depressed).
3. Drag the toolbar away from its docked position while continuing
to hold the mouse down.
4. Release the mouse at a position where you want to place the
floating toolbar.
To move a floating toolbar to any position on the desktop, drag the
toolbar by its title bar.
To change the shape of a floating toolbar, use its window border to
resize it.
To close a floating toolbar, click the close box in the top right corner of
the toolbar.

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To return the toolbar to its previously docked position, double-click its

title bar. Alternatively, drag it back to the toolbar area. Toolbars can be
docked in any order.

Selecting a tool in a toolbar

To select a tool in the toolbar, do one of the following:
• Click the tool (button) on the toolbar.
• Select the equivalent menu command.

B Tip – Position the pointer over any tool. A small yellow popup window
(ToolTip) appears, showing the name of the tool. Additional information
appears in the status bar at the bottom of the application window.

Standard toolbar
The Standard toolbar contains tools
for file and window operations:

Tool Description Equivalent menu command

Open Opens a data file(s). File / Open

Save Saves a data file. File / Save

Plot Map Prints a data file. File / Plot Map

Map Opens the Map window. View / Map

Time Line Opens the Time Line window. View / Time Line

Feature Opens the Feature Properties window. Data / Feature Properties

Properties
Position Opens the Position Properties window. Data / Position Properties
Properties
Waypoint Opens the Waypoint Properties Data / Waypoint Properties
Properties window.

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Project toolbar
The Project toolbar contains items to
help you manage projects:

Item Description
Displays the name of the folder set for the present project.
Change the project by selecting a project name from the drop-down
list.
Opens the folder named in the Current Project drop-down list box in a
Windows Explorer view.
Displays the amount of free disk space on the drive where the current
project is stored.

Mouse toolbar
The Mouse toolbar contains tools for
the mouse and view actions:

Tool Description Equivalent menu

command
Select Lets you select an item in the Map or Time Edit / Select
Line window.
The pointer always appears as an arrow.
Click on an item in the Map or Time Line
window to select that item.
Measure Lets you measure distances between two or Data / Measure
more points, and areas within a polygon.
Delete Block Lets you delete all positions within a Edit /
selected rectangle. Delete Block of Positions
Pan Lets you pan across the contents of the Map View / Pan
or Time Line windows, so that a different
part of the window is displayed.
Zoom In Lets you zoom in on a part of the Map or View / Zoom / In
Time Line window.
This magnifies the display by decreasing the
scale.

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Tool Description Equivalent menu

command
Zoom Out Lets you zoom out on the Map or Time Line View / Zoom / Out
window.
This lets you see a greater area by increasing
the scale.
Zoom Extents Acts on the Map or Time Line window View / Zoom / Extents
(whichever is the active window).
It changes the scale so that the window
displays all the information for the visible
layers in the currently open files.
Zoom Previous Lets you undo the last zoom or pan View / Zoom / Previous
command and return to the previous view.
Auto-pan to Configures the Map and Time Line windows View /
Selection to always display the currently selected item. Auto-pan to Selection

Utility toolbar
The Utility toolbar contains tools for
opening utility programs:

Tool Utility Equivalent menu command

Batch Processor utility Utilities / Batch Processor

Trimble Data Transfer utility Utilities / Data Transfer

Differential Correction wizard Utilities / Differential Correction

Export utility Utilities / Export

Grouping utility Utilities / Grouping

Combine utility Utilities / Combine

Data Dictionary Editor utility Utilities / Data Dictionary Editor

Import utility Utilities / Import

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Shortcut menus
Shortcut menus in the GPS Pathfinder Office software appear when you
right-click items. The items that appear in the shortcut menu depend
on the item selected.
For example, right-click a feature in the Map or Time Line window to
display menu options such as Zoom In, Zoom Out, Pan, Delete, Properties,
and Symbol.

Measurement units
To select the units used to display or enter numeric values used by the
GPS Pathfinder Office software, select Options / Units. The Units dialog
appears:

Use the Units dialog to choose units for distance, area and velocity, as
well as the formats for display of offsets and bearings. The default values
and options are shown above.
To set units for coordinates and heights, and the reference for altitudes,
select Options / Coordinate System.

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Values that you enter into a field are often in a particular unit, for
example meters. The field displays an abbreviation for the unit after the
value, so that you know the current units.

B Tip – To convert data into the configured units, simply enter the value
followed by the abbreviation for the units it is in. For example, if meters is
the configured unit, and you enter 10 ft, it is converted to 3.048 m. This
applies only to fields that contain distances, offsets, heights, or
coordinates.

Table 3.1 lists the available units and their abbreviations.

Table 3.1 Unit abbreviations
Unit Abbreviation
Meters m
Feet ft
Inches in
Kilometers km
Millimeters mm
Miles mi
Namibian meters nam
Yards yd
Nautical Miles nm
US Survey Feet USft

Exiting the GPS Pathfinder Office software

To exit the GPS Pathfinder Office software:
1. Select File / Exit. If a data file is still open and there are unsaved
changes, a message appears asking if you want to save your data.
2. Click Yes to save and close the data file and quit the GPS
Pathfinder Office software.
The GPS Pathfinder Office application window closes.

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4
Tutorial 4

In this chapter: This chapter explains how to collect and

maintain data for a GIS, and process the
Q Tutorial sample files collected data using the GPS Pathfinder
Q Scenario Office software. It contains step-by-step
instructions for the main tasks involved.
Q Exercise 1: Configuring the
GPS Pathfinder Office The tutorial exercises are designed to be
software completed in sequence, with each
Q Exercise 2: Preparing to exercise using the results from the
collect data previous exercise. The exception is
Exercise 9: Special exercise, which has no
Q Exercise 3: Differentially
effect on the other exercises and may be
correcting the field data
performed independently.
Q Exercise 4: Viewing and
editing the data Note – The exercises assume that the GPS
Pathfinder Office software’s default settings
Q Exercise 5: Exporting data are unchanged. If they have been changed,
to a GIS or CAD system the software may behave differently.
Q Exercise 7: Updating the
The tutorial will take approximately 70
data
minutes for you to complete.
Q Exercise 8: Back in the
office
Q Exercise 9: Special exercise

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Tutorial sample files

The exercises use sample files supplied with the GPS Pathfinder Office
software. By default, these sample files are located in the GPS
Projects\Tutorial folder.
The location of the GPS Projects folder depends on the type of Microsoft
operating system running on your computer. If it uses the:
• Windows Vista or Windows 7 operating system, the GPS Projects
folder is located in the C:\Users\<username>\Documents folder.
• Windows XP operating system, the GPS Projects folder is located
in the C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\My Documents
folder.
Note – If you are using version 4.20 of the GPS Pathfinder Office software
on a computer that had a version earlier than version 4.00 of the GPS
Pathfinder Office software installed, the default project folder continues to
be C:\Pfdata.
If the tutorial files have been deleted from your GPS Projects folder,
copy and paste them from the GPS Project Files/Tutorial folder in the
GPS Pathfinder Office software program folder. By default this is in
C:\Program Files\Trimble\GPS Pathfinder Office.
Note – This tutorial assumes that you are familiar with GPS and the
Microsoft Windows operating system that you are using.

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Scenario
The local City Government maintains a GIS of its public assets. This
includes street signs, utility poles, parks and their amenities, parking
lots, and other types of assets. Information is stored about each asset,
including its condition and other information specific to each type of
asset.
Your task is to prepare the data dictionary so that the field crews can
collect the required information, process the data using the
GPS Pathfinder Office software, and then export it to your GIS.
A few months later, the data needs to be updated, so you must then
import the data from your GIS into the GPS Pathfinder Office software,
update the data dictionary, and send the field crews out with the data so
that they can update information on the assets.

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Exercise 1: Configuring the GPS Pathfinder Office

software
There are three options in the GPS Pathfinder Office software that are
important to configure before you use it.
This exercise shows you how to:
• start the GPS Pathfinder Office software
• set the local time zone
• select a project
• select a coordinate system

Starting the GPS Pathfinder Office software

To start the GPS Pathfinder Office software, do one of the following:
• From the Windows Start menu, select All Programs / Trimble /
GPS Pathfinder Office / GPS Pathfinder Office.
• Double-click the GPS Pathfinder Office shortcut icon on
the desktop:
The GPS Pathfinder Office logo appears while the program is
loading, followed by the GPS Pathfinder Office application window.

Setting the local time zone

You must configure the GPS Pathfinder Office software for the local time
zone. If you do not, the time records in field data files display as GPS
time, which approximates Greenwich Mean Time. Normally, you set the
local time zone once (and whenever summer time changes are
necessary).

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To set the local time zone:

1. The first time you start the GPS Pathfinder Office software, a
message may appear, asking you to set the time zone.
2. Click Yes.
3. The Time Zone Settings dialog automatically appears. If it does
not, select Options / Time Zone. The Time Zone Settings dialog
appears:

4. From the Time Zone field, select the time zone for your current
location.

B Tip – If the local time zone is not available, click New Time Zone. The
Add Time Zone dialog appears. Enter the name of the time zone and the
offset from Greenwich Mean Time. For example, if the time zone is 9 hours
and 45 minutes behind Greenwich, enter -9:45 as the offset. Click OK.

5. Click OK to save the time zone settings and close the dialog.

B Tip – To display GPS times at any stage, select Greenwich Mean Time
(+0:00) instead of the local time zone.

Selecting a project
A project is a set of folders on the computer that store the data files for a
particular job. They let you separate the data into different areas on the
computer so that you can keep track of different jobs separately.
You must decide how you want to use projects to separate the data. You
may want to have a different project for each different site you are
working on, or you may have a project for each of your clients.

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Note – If you include invalid characters, such as ?, +, >, or “ ”, when naming

a new project, you will receive an error message.
A project defines where certain types of files are stored on the
computer. Each project can point to a different set of folders. The types
of files that are distinguished by projects are:
• data files, including files created by importing from a GIS
• base files
• exported GIS or CAD format files
• backup copies of field data files
Each of these file types can be assigned a different default folder. By
default, this folder is selected whenever you open or save one of the
above types of files. In most cases you are not limited to just this folder,
but it serves as a useful default.
The types of data that are not distinguished by projects are:
• data dictionaries
• waypoint files
• background files
• configuration files
These four types of files can be stored in projects if you want. However,
if you change projects the default folder will not change. Usually these
types of files are stored separately from project data so that they can be
accessed easily by all projects.

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To select a project:
1. When you start the GPS Pathfinder Office software, the Select
Project dialog appears automatically:

If this dialog does not appear, select File / Projects to display it.

B Tip – To stop the Select Project dialog appearing each time you start the
GPS Pathfinder Office software, clear the Display this dialog at start-up
check box.

2. From the Project Name field, select Tutorial.

3. The default folders area will look similar to the following:

This area shows the folders that are defined for this project.
Table 4.1 describes the purpose of each folder.

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Table 4.1 Contents of the Tutorial folder

The folder … is defined as … Description
project GPS Projects\Tutorial This is the main project folder where the data files
are stored.
Whenever you open, save, or import a data file,
this folder is selected by default.
backup GPS Projects\Tutorial A folder within the main project folder.
\Backup This is the folder where backup copies of the field
data are kept. Backup copies are made when files
are transferred from a field computer to the
office computer.
export GPS Projects\Tutorial A folder within the main project folder of
\Export GPS Projects\Tutorial.
This is the folder where any exported GIS or CAD
format files are created by default.
base file GPS Projects\Tutorial A folder within the main project folder of
\Base GPS Projects\Tutorial.
When selecting base files for differential
correction, by default, the software looks in this
folder. If you have one central folder for all base
files, you can define this folder explicitly when
creating your own projects. For example, if all of
the base data resides on a network folder,
n:\Basedata, enter this folder in the Base files
field. The same rule holds for the other folders of
a project.

4. Click OK to accept the tutorial project.

For an introduction to projects, and for more information on the Select
Project dialog, search for the topic Projects in the GPS Pathfinder Office
Software Help.

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Selecting a coordinate system

You need to use a coordinate system that is suitable for the area in
which you are collecting data. For example, in order to display collected
GPS positions in relation to a background map, the GPS Pathfinder
Office software must be able to relate GPS latitude and longitude
coordinates to north and east coordinates on the map. It is also critical
that you have the correct coordinate system selected when you:
• enter waypoint coordinates
• print or plot the map
• export coordinates to a GIS or CAD package
• import features from a GIS or CAD package
• enter manual positions
In the GPS Pathfinder Office software you can choose the correct
coordinate system by selecting a coordinate system and an associated
zone, or by selecting a local site. To properly specify a system, you need
to select a zone and/or datum. Your choice affects the display of the
field data, but not the data itself.
For an introduction to the concepts of coordinate systems and zones
(and the associated concepts of a datum, an ellipsoid, and a geoid),
search for the topic About Coordinate Systems and Datums in the GPS
Pathfinder Office Software Help.

B Tip – The currently selected coordinate system is displayed in the status

bar.

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For this project, you need to select a UTM coordinate system:

1. Select Options / Coordinate System. The Coordinate System dialog
appears:

2. Make sure that the Select By group is set to the Coordinate System
and Zone option.
3. Set the System field to US State Plane 1983.
4. Set the Zone field to Colorado North 0501.
5. Set the Datum field to NAD 1983 (Conus) CORS96.
6. Make sure that the Altitude Measured From group is set to the
Mean Sea Level (MSL) option.
7. Make sure that the Geoid Model group is set to the Defined Geoid
(GEOID09 (Conus)) option.
8. Set the Coordinate Units field to Meters.
9. Set the Altitude Units field to Meters and then click OK.

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Exercise 2: Preparing to collect data

This exercise introduces you to the concepts of:
• GPS data collection
• features
• attributes
It shows you how to:
• open a data dictionary
• print a data dictionary
• transfer a data dictionary to a field computer running data
collection software

GPS data collection

Organizations such as utility companies, scientific organizations, and
local governments have billions of dollars of fixed assets and equipment
located throughout their region. They must be able to accurately locate,
monitor, and maintain these assets.
The large task of managing these assets is greatly reduced with the use
of proper field information management tools such as GPS data
collection systems and GIS databases.
Information on assets can be collected in the field using a field
computer running data collection software. Data collection software
stores information in the form of “features” and “attributes”.

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Features
A feature is a physical object or an event in the real world for which you
want to collect position and descriptive information. For example, you
may want to collect information about lakes or roads.
Each feature has a feature name. Feature names are equivalent to
themes or layers in a GIS or CAD system. Each occurrence of a feature is
equivalent to a record in that theme or layer in a GIS system.
GPS data collection software uses feature classification to determine
the way the data collection software logs GPS positions.
A feature can be one of three different types. See Table 4.2.
Table 4.2 Feature types
Feature type Examples
Point Accident sites
Water faucets in a park

Line Paths
Pipelines

Area Lakes
Wetlands

Attributes
You can define a set of attributes for each feature type. An attribute is a
piece of descriptive information about the feature. For example, for the
feature, Path, you could have the attribute, Width. Each Path feature
that you collect in the field will have its own value for this attribute.
For each attribute you must define an attribute name. Attribute names
are equivalent to items, columns, or fields in a GIS or CAD system.

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An attribute can be one of six different types. See Table 4.3.

Table 4.3 Attribute types
Attribute type Example
Menu The surface type for a path
Numeric The width of a path
Text The name of the path
Date The date when information about the Path feature was
collected
Time The time when information about the Path feature was
collected
File Name Linking the Path feature to an image of the feature on a
computer

Opening a data dictionary

A data dictionary is a description of the features and attributes relevant
to a particular project or job. A data dictionary structures data
collection; it does not contain the actual information collected in the
field (positions and actual attribute values for each occurrence of a
feature).
A data dictionary is used in the field to control the collection of features
and attributes. For example, you may want to collect information about
power poles, lakes, and roads. Therefore you can create a data
dictionary that contains a list of all these features.
It is important to understand data dictionaries and how they are used in
the field to control feature and attribute collection. A data dictionary
prompts you to enter information; it can also limit what you enter to
ensure data integrity and compatibility with your GIS or CAD system.
Although data dictionaries are not always required for field work, they
do make collecting, updating, and processing data easier and faster.

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A data dictionary consists of the following elements:

• a list of features to be collected in the field
• a list of attributes (if any) that describe each feature
A data dictionary should contain all the features for which you want to
collect information. You can have different data dictionaries for
different projects, for example, a road map data dictionary and a utility
data dictionary. You can only use one data dictionary at a time in the
field. If you want to collect information about roads at the same time as
information about utilities, it is important to put all the features into
one data dictionary.
To open a data dictionary:
1. Select Utilities / Data Dictionary Editor. Alternatively, click .
The Data Dictionary Editor utility starts:

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2. Open the Tutorial.ddf file in the \GPS Projects\Tutorial folder. To

do this, click and then go to one of the following locations:
– If you are using the Windows Vista or Windows 7 operating
system, browse to C:\Users\<username>\Documents\GPS
Projects \Tutorial.
– If you are using the Windows XP operating system, browse
to C:\Documents and Settings\<username> \My
Documents\GPS Projects\Tutorial.
Select the file Tutorial.ddf and then click Open.
3. The data dictionary editor opens and you will see a number of
features and their attributes:

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4. Look at the Features column:

This symbol … indicates that the feature is a …

point

line

area

5. Now view some features and their attributes. Select the Fire
Hydrant feature.
6. The Attributes
column shows you
four defined
attributes:
– Color
– Number of
Spouts
– Last Inspection
Date
– Image
7. Click on each of these
attributes in turn.
Notice that the right panel shows information about the
currently selected attribute.
In this example, the number to be entered in the field must be a
whole number. There can be a minimum of one spout and a
maximum of 10 spouts. The default number of spouts is 2.

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8. In the Features list,

select the Path
feature.
There are three
attributes this time:
– Surface Type
– Width
– Image
9. Click on each of the
attributes.

10. In the Features list,

select the Parking
feature.
There are four
attributes:
– Surface type
– Capacity
– Disabled
capacity
– Image

The Surface type attribute has the values:

– Asphalt
– Concrete
– Turf
Notice the * shown beside the value Asphalt. This means that
Asphalt is the default value. Setting a default saves field crews
from entering repetitive data and also makes collecting data
simpler and faster.

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You do not need to make any changes to the data dictionary at this
stage. In the next section you will print the data dictionary.

Printing the data dictionary

To view the entire data dictionary description in text form, you can
print it. You may want to keep a printout of each of your data
dictionaries in case they are accidentally deleted.

B Tip – To check the printer setup and font before printing, select
File / Print Setup or File / Set Printer Font.

To preview the data dictionary printout before you actually print it:
1. Select File / Print Preview. The Print Preview window appears:

2. Click Print, check your printer settings and then click OK to send
the data dictionary to the printer.

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3. Select File / Exit to close the Data Dictionary Editor.

You are now ready to transfer the data dictionary to the data field
computers so that your three field crews can go out and collect some
data.

Transferring data to a field computer

You need to transfer the data dictionary to the field computer so that
your three field crews can use the dictionary in the field to collect data.
Normally, you would use the Data Transfer utility to do this. The Data
Transfer utility enables you to transfer files to a field computer that you
have connected to your office computer. The opening dialog of the Data
Transfer utility is shown below:

To transfer data to the field computer, select the Send tab, click Add,
and then select a file type from the drop-down list. The Open dialog
appears. Browse to the location of the files and select them. Then return
to the Data Transfer utility window and click Transfer All.
For the purpose of this tutorial, we have done this for you.

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Exercise 3: Differentially correcting the field data

The data has been collected in the field by the field crew. It has been
transferred back to the office computer and now you need to process it.
This exercise introduces you to the concepts of:
• postprocessed differential correction
• base data
It shows you how to:
• differentially correct SSF files

Postprocessed differential correction

Postprocessed differential correction can significantly improve the
accuracy of GPS positions collected in the field. The Differential
Correction wizard compares the collected GPS data with base data
collected at a known location at the same time that the field data was
collected. The process produces a .cor file that contains a new set of
GPS positions that are corrected.

Base data
Many regions have reference stations that can supply the base data
required for differential correction. The GPS Pathfinder Office software
provides a list of some stations that you can use to obtain base data. You
can access this list in the Select Base Provider dialog.
The base data for the tutorial is on the Trimble FTP site and is available
by selecting the GPS Pathfinder Office tutorial base files provider from
the list in the Select Base Provider dialog.

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To differentially correct the field data:

1. In the GPS Pathfinder Office software, click the Differential
Correction tool , or select Utilities / Differential Correction.
The first page of the Differential Correction wizard appears:

The Select SSF files to correct list is either empty, or it displays the
SSF files from the active project that were not selected for
differential correction the last time you used the Differential
Correction wizard.
2. Remove any SSF files that are listed by selecting them and then
clicking the Delete button .

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3. To select the SSF files that you want to correct:

a. Click the Add button .
The Select SSF File(s) dialog appears:

By default, the uncorrected files (.ssf) are shown. The GPS

Projects\Tutorial folder is selected, as this is the default folder for
data files that was defined when we selected the project (see
Selecting a project, page 65). There are three data (rover) files
available that have the filename of “TUTDATAX.SSF”. These data
files were collected at three different times. You need to correct
all three files.
a. Click TUTDATA1.SSF, hold down [CTRL], and click
TUTDATA2.SSF, then TUTDATA3.SSF to select all three
files.
b. Click Open. This confirms the selection and closes the
dialog.

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The selected SSF files appear in the Select SSF Files to correct
list in the Differential Correction wizard.

The fields below the selection list display information about

the selected SSF file. The Collected with H-Star receiver field
indicates whether the SSF file contains data collected using
a receiver with H-Star technology. The options displayed in
the rest of the Differential Correction wizard are dynamic;
H-Star processing options are only displayed if the value for
this field is Yes.
4. Click Next.

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The Processing Type page of the wizard appears:

It displays the processing options available for processing the

GPS data in the selected SSF files. The selected SSF files contain
data collected using H-Star technology, and so the GPS data can
be corrected against base data from either a single base station or
multiple base stations.
Tip – To learn more about processing options, search for the topic
Specifying the processing type in the Differential Correction Wizard Help.

5. Make sure the Automatic option is selected. This is the default

setting and it is the most thorough type of processing.
6. Click Next.

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The Correct Settings page of the wizard appears:

It displays the settings that will be used to differentially correct

the selected SSF files. The default settings are displayed above.
If the settings displayed are different to the default settings, click
Change. The Correction Settings dialog appears. In each tab, select
the appropriate options so that your settings match the default
correction settings. Click OK to close the dialog and return to the
Differential Correction wizard.
7. Click Next.
The Base Data page of the wizard appears.
There are three options for locating base data:
– download files from a base provider using the Internet
– use base files that you have previously downloaded and
saved in the base data folder for the project

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– browse for base files that you have previously downloaded

and saved elsewhere
Do one of the following:
• If you have access to the Internet, download base data files
from the tutorial base provider:
a. In the Base Data group, select Base Provider Search:

b. Click the Select button next to the Base Provider

Search text box.

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The Select Base Provider dialog appears:

The dialog displays a list of available base providers.

The list is arranged by distance from the location where
the field data was collected, so that base stations
closest to the location where the data was collected are
at the top of the list.
For this tutorial, we have set up an FTP site for the
tutorial base data and named it “GPS Pathfinder Office
v4.20, tutorial base files”.
c. Click the “GPS Pathfinder Office v4.20, tutorial base
files” provider (near the top of the base provider list) to
select it, and then click OK.
• If you do not have access to the Internet, use the base data
files in the base data folder of the Tutorial project:
a. In the Base Data group of the Select Base Data page of
the wizard, select Folder Search.
The path and folder name of the Base folder for the
Tutorial project should already appear in the box below
the Folder Search option.

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b. If the correct path and folder name is not shown, click

the Select button next to the Folder Search text box.
The Folder Search dialog appears.
c. Click Browse to navigate to the base folder that is
defined for the Tutorial project. The default location is
Tutorial\Base in the GPS Projects folder.
d. Click OK.
The dialog closes and you are returned to the Base Data
page of the wizard.
The base provider, or the path of the folder you selected, is
displayed in the text box below the Base Data option you
selected.

8. In the Reference Position group, select Use reference position from

base files.

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9. Make sure that Confirm base data and position before processing is
selected to allow you to verify base station accuracy.
10. Click Next.
11. The Output page of the wizard appears:

12. Make sure the Use project folder option is selected. The output
files will be stored in the GPS Projects\Tutorial folder, because
that is the project folder you have specified. The output files will
have a .cor extension.
13. Make sure the Create a unique filename option is selected. That
means that if you recorrect the SSF files, each subsequent
corrected file will have _n appended to the filename, where n
denotes the next number in the sequence.
14. Click Start. The differential correction process starts.

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15. When you are satisfied that the base data has been correctly and
completely downloaded, click Continue.

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As the GPS Pathfinder Office software begins differentially

correcting the selected SSF files, the Differential Correction
Processing page of the wizard appears:

It displays details about the status of the differential correction

process. The SSF files are processed sequentially. The Differential
Correction Processing page displays the number of corrected
positions for each SSF file.
When the last SSF file has been processed, the message
Differential correction complete and a summary of the estimated
accuracy values gained for the corrected GPS positions appears
at the bottom of the Differential Correction Processing page.
This summary provides immediate feedback as to the quality of
the corrected GPS positions. For example, if a base station with a
low integrity index has been selected for multi-base processing,
the results will indicate this by showing large estimated accuracy
values.

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16. Click Close.

The contents of the Differential Correction Processing page are
saved as the Differential Correction report. The report is stored in
the project folder.

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Exercise 4: Viewing and editing the data

You now need to visually check the data before you export it to a GIS or
spatial database. This is to confirm that all the expected data is there,
and to look for any unwanted positions.
This exercise shows you how to:
• open the data files
• select a coordinate system
• display the Map window
• display the Time Line window
• load the background files
• configure the Map window
• view the attributes of a feature
• view the offset of a feature

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Opening the data files

You must open the data files in the GPS Pathfinder Office software to
view them. You can open as many files as you like together, but you can
only edit files if they are opened individually.
To open data files:
1. Select File / Open. The Open dialog appears:

The three files that were just created by the Differential

Correction wizard are selected by default.

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2. Click Open to confirm the selection.

A warning message appears, stating that the files span more than
a week. For the tutorial this is not a problem, but if you see this in
your own files, Trimble recommends that you treat files spanning
more than one week seperately.
3. Click Yes to continue

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Displaying the Map and Time Line windows

There are two methods available to display the data. The first is the Map
window, where the file appears along with any background files. The
second is the Time Line window, which presents a visual display of when
the data was collected along a linear time axis.
To display the Map and Time Line windows:
1. Select View / Map. The Map window appears:

2. Select View / Time Line. The Time Line window appears:

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B Tip – If the Map window is not open and no files are loaded, select View /
Map to automatically open the Open Data Files dialog. This is a handy
shortcut for opening the data files. The same rule applies for the Time Line
window.

Loading the background files

You can specify one or more background files, such as street maps and
aerial photographs, for display in the Map window. These files provide a
background for the field data files.
There are two types of background files:
• Vector files (or drawings)
• Raster files (or images)

Vector files
A vector file loads and transforms into any coordinate system.
The vector file STREETS.DXF has its coordinates stored as
Latitude/Longitude (WGS-84), but the coordinate system for the
project is currently set to US State Plane 1983.
We will need to specify that this file is set to the Latitude/Longitude
coordinate system so that the GPS Pathfinder Office software can
automatically transform the file from that coordinate system into US
State Plane 1983.

Raster files
Raster files must be displayed in the coordinate system to which they
are “geo-referenced”. Geo-referencing involves matching the pixels in a
raster file to real-world coordinates. All raster files must be
geo-referenced before they can be loaded into the GPS Pathfinder Office
software.
The raster file open space.sid is geo-referenced in the US State Plane
1983, Zone Colorado North 0501 coordinate system, and US State Plane
1983, Zone Colorado North 0501 is the coordinate system for the

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project. The raster file is defined in feet whereas the GPS Pathfinder
Office display coordinate units is defined in meters. This is not a
problem for the GPS Pathfinder Office software because it converts the
feet into meters.
You can load this file without setting the coordinate system.
You will load the two background files one at a time so that you can see
what each background file looks like individually.
To load the background file STREETS.DXF:
1. Select File / Background. The Load Background Files dialog
appears.
2. Click Add. The Add Background Files dialog appears:

3. Open the Tutorial folder, select the file STREETS.DXF and then
click Open to return to the Load Background Files dialog.

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A message reminds you to set the correct coordinate system for

the new background files (you will do this in Step 5).

4. Click OK to clear the message. The Load Background Files dialog

appears:

The check mark to the left of the filename indicates that the file
loads when you close the dialog.

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5. You need to specify that this file is set to the Latitude/Longitude

coordinate system, so click Change. The Coordinate System
dialog appears:

a. Change the System field to Latitude/Longitude. (The Datum

field automatically changes to WGS 1984.)

B Tip – Latitude/Longitude appears at the top of the list of coordinate

systems.

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b. Click OK to accept the selected coordinate system and zone,

and return to the Load Background Files dialog:

The coordinate system information at the bottom of the dialog is

updated to reflect your changes.
6. Click OK to load the background file and close the dialog.

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The Map window displays the background STREETS.dxf file:

7. Start to load the second background file, open space.sid,

following Step 1 through Step 4 above.

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We do not need to change the coordinate system for this file as it

is geo-referenced in the US State Plane 1983 coordinate system,
which is the coordinate system for this project:

8. We do need to change the coordinate units; click Change... ,

select Feet from the Coordinate Units selection and then click OK.
9. Click OK to accept the selected coordinate system and to close
this dialog.

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A progress bar appears while the files are loading. When it is

finished, the Map window should look like this:

Configuring the Map window

You can configure the Map window to only show certain information.
For example, you can change the symbols or line colors used to display
features to make it easier to differentiate between features. You can also
hide features in the data file or layers in the background files to make it
easier to view the data.
Feature style settings are shared by the TerraSync software, version 2.20
and later, so you can have a common feature style in the office and in
the field. A change in one place affects the other when you transfer the
files.

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To change the style of point features:

1. Select View / Layers / Features. The Features Layers dialog
appears:

2. We will not change the symbol assigned to the Hydrant feature,

however, we will change its color and size. To change the symbol
details, select the Hydrant feature (click on the word Hydrant)
and then click Symbol.

B Tip – You can also change the symbol of a selected feature, by

double-clicking on the name of the feature. Alternatively, in the Map
window, right-click on a feature and select the <feature name> Layer
Symbol command.

The dialog opposite

appears:
3. In the Font list, make sure
that Trimble GPS Pathfinder
is selected.
4. Leave the Style field as is.
This field shows the
assigned “style number” of a
feature.

B Tip – If you know the style number of a symbol, you can enter it directly in
the Style field. For a table of assigned Trimble GPS Pathfinder symbol style
numbers, refer to the GPS Pathfinder Office Software Help.

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5. In the Size field, change the size of the symbol from the default of
15 to 20.

B Tip – To view all the symbols for a font, click Change. The Select Style
dialog appears. Select a different font, and then choose a symbol. Click
OK.

6. In the Foreground list, select

the color yellow. The
changed symbol appears in
the symbol preview area of
the Hydrant dialog:
7. Click OK to return to the
Features Layers dialog.
8. Make sure that the Show
check box next to the Fire
Hydrant feature is selected so you can view the symbol in the
Map window, and then click OK.
9. Click OK to close the Feature Layers dialog. The Map window is
updated to display the data file using the new symbols and
colors.
To change the style of line and area features:
1. Select View / Layers / Features. The Features Layers dialog
appears.
2. Select Path from the list of features. The Symbol button changes
to Line Style because you have selected a line feature.
3. Click Line Style to display all the
possible colors that can be assigned to
the Path line feature. The dialog
opposite appears:
4. From the Color field, select an
appropriate color.
5. From the Thickness field, select an
appropriate line thickness.

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6. Click OK to return to the Features Layers dialog.

7. Repeat Step 2 through Step 6 for the following features:
– Track
– Path
– Amenity
– Parking
8. Click OK to close the Features Layers dialog. The Map window is
updated to display the data file using the new symbols and
colors.

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Viewing the attributes of a feature

You can view and edit the attributes of any feature or note in the
GPS Pathfinder Office software. You can also view and delete the
positions that make up a feature.
Note – When multiple data files are open, you can view, but not edit or
delete, features and positions.
To view the attributes of a feature:
1. Click the Select tool or select Edit / Select.
2. In the Map window, double-click a
feature. The feature is highlighted
and the Feature Properties
window appears:
The feature shown here may differ
from the one you have selected.
The current feature type is shown
at the top of the Feature Properties
window. In the above example, it
is a Point feature called Bench.
To select another feature, click on
it in the Map window, or use the
First, <, >, and Last buttons to move to the first, previous, next,
and last features respectively.
Note – The Feature Properties window also shows the contents of notes.
Make sure that a feature, not a note, is selected before continuing on to the
next step.

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3. Below each feature name is a list

of attribute names and values for
that feature. Click the Attributes
tab. The value of the selected
attribute is shown in the bottom
of the window:
4. Move to the next attribute by
clicking on it in the Attribute
Name list.
Because more than one file is
open, you cannot edit attributes.
If you were to open a single file,
you could edit the attributes for
any feature in the file.

Viewing the offset of a feature

Offsets are an excellent tool for collecting features from a distance when
they cannot be collected directly. For example, a feature underneath a
bridge could be collected using an offset because the bridge will
obstruct the GPS signal. Using the GPS Pathfinder Office software, you
can view, add, or change an offset to any feature in an SSF file.
To view the offset for a feature:
1. Select the Lake feature. This is the
area feature to the top left of the
park boundary. (If the Feature
Properties window is not open,
double-click the feature to select
it and open the Feature Properties
window.)

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2. Make sure the Summary tab is displayed and then click Offset.
The Offset dialog for the feature appears:

This dialog shows how far and in what direction the feature is
from the path the GPS receiver followed when it was actually
collected.
In this example, the location of the lake is 6 meters to the left of
the path that the GPS receiver followed.
3. You cannot edit the offset because multiple files are open. Click
Cancel to close the dialog.

Note – For point features, a bearing from a point is defined. For line and
area features, a direction rather than a bearing, is defined. The direction
indicates whether the feature is to the left or to the right, looking along the
direction of collection.

Printing the data

Creating a hardcopy plot of the data is often required for
record-keeping, or as a part of a job submission. The GPS Pathfinder
Office software lets you plot the contents of the Map window directly to
any printer or plotter that is supported by Microsoft Windows.
Note – Even if you do not have a printer or plotter you can complete this
section of the tutorial.
To plot the contents of the Map window:

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1. Select the Map window to make it active.

2. Select View / Zoom / Extents to zoom the Map window to include
all information. The Map window will show all of the data files
and background files.
3. Select File / Plot Map. The Plot Map dialog appears:

4. If you have more than one printer or plotter set up on the

machine, click Setup to select the one you want to plot to. Select
the printer or plotter and then click OK.
5. Enter a title for the plot in the Title field. For example, type
Tutorial Files.

By default, a sensible scale is selected that fits the contents of the

Map window onto a single sheet of paper.

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6. Click Preview to see a preview of the plot before it is actually

plotted. The preview will look something like this:

7. Click Close to close the preview window.

8. Click OK to plot the map to the selected printer or plotter. Skip
this step if you do not have a printer or plotter configured.

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Exercise 5: Exporting data to a GIS or CAD system

After collecting GPS data you are likely to incorporate the data into a
database, such as a spreadsheet or a GIS. Depending on the database
that you use, you must export your collected and edited data files to a
format that your end-product software can use.
The GPS Pathfinder Office software supports a variety of major GIS,
CAD, and spatial database formats. You can also define your own ASCII
formats.
For this tutorial, you will export the data files to ESRI Shapefile format.
This exercise shows you how to:
• export data files to a GIS format
To export data files to a GIS format:
1. Click the Export tool , or select Utilities / Export.
The main window of the Export utility appears:

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When the Export utility starts, the most recently used data files
are selected by default as input files.
2. Look at the Output Folder field. This defaults to the export folder
specified in the current project, \GPS Projects\Tutorial\Export.
This folder is where all export files will be created.
3. Look at the Choose an Export Setup group. It shows information
about the export format, the type of data you are exporting,
output options, and the coordinate system used for the exported
data. The drop-down list in this group contains a list of available
export setups. An export setup consists of a format plus several
parameters that customize that format for a particular purpose.
You can create as many export setups as you like and use them
over and over.
4. From the drop-down list, select Sample ESRI Shapefile Setup.
This export setup creates output files in Shapefile format. The
resulting Shapefiles contain 2D coordinates. Tracking themes are
not exported.

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5. To export a .prj projection file with your files:

a. Click the Properties button.
The Export Setup Properties dialog appears.
b. Select the Coordinate System tab:

c. Click the Browse button next to the Projection File field.

If the ESRI ArcGIS software is installed on the computer, the
GPS Pathfinder Office software automatically looks for the
location where the ArcGIS software installed the .prj files.

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If the ESRI ArcGIS software is not installed on the computer,

you must browse to the location of any existing projection
files that you have installed.

d. Navigate to the location of the NAD 1983 State Plane

Colorado North FIPS 0501.prj file and then select it.
Note – If you cannot locate the correct projection file, leave the Projection
File field blank.
e. Click OK to return to the Export Setup Properties dialog.
f. Click OK to close the Export Setup Properties dialog.

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6. The rest of the information in the Choose an Export Setup group is

updated with information relating to the export setup you
selected:

7. Click OK to start the export process.

8. If the GPS Pathfinder Office software is unable to locate the
selected .prj file, a message asks if you want to continue with the
export. Click Yes to continue.
9. If a message warns that the files may be overwritten, click Yes to
continue.

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When the process is complete, the Export Completed dialog

appears:

10. Click Close to remove the message without displaying the export
log.
11. Using Windows Explorer or another file management utility, look
at the contents of the \GPS Projects\Tutorial\Export folder.
The folder contains the following file types:

File type Extension Description

SHP File .shp Exported data in Shapefile format.
SHX File .shx Index files.
DBF File .dbf Attribute data associated with the
Shapefiles.
PRJ File .prj Projection file.
TXT File .txt GPS Pathfinder Office Export log file.
Setup .inf information on the settings used in the
Information export process.
You can use a text editor to open this
file. This file is named after the first data
input file in the Export dialog.

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Exercise 6: Exporting data to KML/KMZ format

When you have collected and postprocessed the GPS data, you may
want to share the data with others using KML/KMZ format files. These
files can be used to visualise the data using the Google Earth™ mapping
service application.
The GPS Pathfinder Office software supports a native KML/KMZ export
utility. KMZ files are simply compressed KML files.
For this tutorial, you will export the data files to a KMZ file and then
display the dataset using the Google Earth mapping service.
This exercise shows you how to:
• export data files to the KMZ format
• display the KMZ files in the Google Earth mapping service
To export files to the KMZ format:
1. Click , or select Utilities / Export.
The main window of the Export Utility appears:

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When the Export utility starts, the most recently used data files
are selected by default as input files.
The Output Folder field defaults to the export folder specified in
the current project, \GPS Projects\Tutorial\Export. This folder is
where all export files are created.
The Choose an Export Setup group shows information about the
export type, the type of data you are exporting, output options,
and the coordinate systems used for the exported data. The drop-
down list in this group contains a list of available export setups.
An export setup consists of a format plus several parameters that
customize that format for a particular purpose. You can create as
many export setups as you like and use them over and over.
2. From the drop-down list, select Sample KML Setup.
This export setup creates output files in the KML/KMZ format.
The resulting KML/KMZ files contain 3D coordinates. When
captured with images, a sub-folder containing the images is also
created. These images are referenced from the KML/KMZ file.
3. Click Properties… at the bottom of the Export Utility dialog.
4. Select the Data tab. This tab allows you to select which feature
type to export. For the tutorial, we will be exporting features;
make sure Features - Positions and Attributes is selected, with the
option Export all Features.
5. Select the Output tab and then select Combine all input files and
output to the project export folder. This creates a single KML/KMZ
file for the export.
6. Select the Attribute tab and make sure Attribute Value is selected.
7. Select the Position Filter tab. This tab enables you to filter on the
type of position, including whether uncorrected, digitized (non-
GPS) positions are to be exported.
8. Select the Coordinate System tab. Notice that you cannot change
the coordinate system as, by default, KML/KMZ files are 3D and
use the WGS 1984 datum.

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9. Select the KML tab. This tab is only available when exporting to
KML/KMZ format files.
a. Select Time Stamps if time stamps are to be exported (this is
selected by default).
b. Group features enables you to group feature classes together
for easier handling in the KML/KMZ file navigation pane in
Google Earth.
c. Output enables you to select either KML or KMZ file format.
We will use the default value of KMZ in the tutorial.
d. Each feature type (point, line, or area) has an Altitude Mode.
The Altitude Mode enables you to display the feature in
Google Earth:
– on the Earth's surface (Clamp to ground) following the
terrain model (if enabled)
– hovering above the Earth's surface (Relative to ground)
– at an absolute elevation (Absolute), which may project the
feature into the Earth if terrain is enabled in Google Earth.
The latter two selections also allow the projection of an
'extrusion' vertically down from the feature to the Earth's
surface, represented as a 'fence'.
e. Lines and areas enables you to give the feature or feature
perimeter an opacity value (0 - 100%), which you can use to
see through the feature at underlying features.

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For Area features, you can also set a fill opacity (0 - 100%).
The icon or color are derived from the Data Dictionary used
when collecting the original dataset:

10. Click OK to close the Export Setup Properties dialog.

The rest of the information in the Choose an Export Setup group is
updated with information relating to the export setup you have
selected.
11. Click OK to start the export process.
12. If a message warns that files may be overwritten, click Yes to
continue.

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When the process is complete, the Export Completed dialog

appears:

13. Click Close to remove the message without displaying the export
log.
14. Using Windows Explorer or another file management utility, look
at the contents of the \GPS Projects\Tutorial\Export folder.
The folder contains the following file types:

File type Extension Description

KMZ File .kmz Compressed Keyhole Markup file
TXT File .txt GPS Pathfinder Office Export log
file
Setup Information .inf Information on the settings used in
the export process. You can use the
text editor to open this file. This
file is named after the first data
input in the Export dialog.
<project> ~files Sub-folder Sub-folder containing the icon
graphics of the exported point
features and associated images

15. If you have Google Earth installed, double-click the KMZ file to
launch Google Earth and to load the file into the temporary file
folder.

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Exercise 7: Updating the data

It is important to keep your GIS up-to-date so that accurate records can
be maintained and that the information in the GIS can be used
efficiently.
Some time after the original field crew went into the field and collected
the data, you now need to send another field crew back to some of the
sites to update some data and to collect a new feature.
This exercise shows you how to:
• edit the Tutorial data dictionary to add a new feature and
attributes
• save the data dictionary
• import data from a GIS so it can be taken back into the field

Editing the tutorial data dictionary

The local City Government that you work for has recently installed
some trash cans in the local park. You need to add this feature to your
data dictionary so that the field crew can collect data about where each
trash can is located.
In this section you will:
• start the Data Dictionary Editor and open a data dictionary
• add the new Trash Can feature and attributes for it
• add a new attribute to the Park Amenities feature

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To open a data dictionary:

1. Start the Data Dictionary Editor utility and open the
TUTORIAL.DDF file. (For a reminder on how to do this, see
page 74.) The data dictionary opens. You will see a number of
features and their attributes:

To add the Trash Can feature:

1. Click New Feature. Alternatively, press [F3].
The New Feature dialog appears.
2. In the Feature Name field, enter the text Trash Can.

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3. In the Feature Classification group, make sure that the Point

option is selected:

4. Select the Symbol tab and change the Style to 74 (the trash can
symbol). Click OK.
5. Click OK to return to the main Data Dictionary screen.
The feature now appears in the Features list.
You can now add attributes to the Trash Can
feature:
1. Make sure that the Trash Can feature is
selected. Click New Attribute or press
[F7]. The New Attribute Type dialog
appears.

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2. Select the Menu option and then click Add. The New Menu
Attribute dialog appears:

3. In the Attribute Name field, enter the text Condition.

4. Click New to enter values. The New Attribute Value - Menu Item
dialog appears.
5. In the Attribute Value field, enter the text Good.
6. We will make this value the default. Setting a default saves field
crews from entering repetitive data and also makes collecting
data simpler and faster. Select the Default check box:

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7. Click Add. The value is added to the Menu Attribute Values group
in the New Menu Attribute dialog:

The New Attribute Value – Menu Item dialog remains open so you
can add more values.
8. In the Attribute Value field, enter the text Repair then click Add.
9. Repeat Step 8 but enter the text Replace.
10. Click Close to return to the New Menu Attribute dialog.
11. Click OK to return to the New Attribute Type dialog.
You now need to add a Date attribute to the Trash Can feature so that
the date the field crew visited the feature can be logged:
1. In the New Attribute Type dialog, select the Date option and then
click Add.
The New Date Attribute dialog appears.
2. In the Attribute Name field, enter the text Date Visited.

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3. To have the data collection software automatically supply the

current date when a new feature with this attribute is collected,
make sure that the Auto Generate on Creation check box is
selected.
4. To have the data collection software automatically supply the
current date when an existing feature with this attribute is
updated, select the Auto Generate on Update check box.
5. In the Format field, select the Day – Month – Year option:

6. Click OK to return to the New Attribute Type dialog.

7. We want the field crew to take a picture of the trash can, so we
will now create a new attribute of type File Name. We will then
call it Image.
8. Click OK to return to the New Attribute Type dialog.
9. Click Close to return to the main Data Dictionary Editor screen.
Select the Amenity feature. Note that it has one attribute called Type.
We will now add another attribute called Name so that the field crew
can enter the name of the amenity.

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To add an attribute:
1. In the Features list, select Park Amenities.
2. Click New Attribute or press [F7].
The New Attribute Type dialog appears.
3. Select the Text option and then click Add. The New Text Attribute
dialog appears:

4. In the Attribute Name field, enter the text: Name.

5. In the Length field, change the value from the default of 30
characters to 100. This is the maximum length of a text attribute.
6. Click OK to return to the New Attribute Type dialog.
7. Click Close in the New Attribute dialog to return to the main Data
Dictionary Editor screen.

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Saving the data dictionary

For the purposes of this tutorial, save the data dictionary with a
different name to tutorial.ddf.
1. From the File menu choose Save As. The following dialog appears:

2. Make sure that the Tutorial folder is selected and in the File name
field, enter the following name for your changed data dictionary:
TUTORIAL_updated.ddf.

3. Click Save.
The name of the new data dictionary appears in the title bar of
the main Data Dictionary Editor screen.
4. Select File / Exit to close the Data Dictionary Editor utility.

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Importing data from a GIS

To import the data from the GIS that we want the field crews to visit
and update in the field:
1. Select File / Close to close any data files that are currently open.
2. From the Utilities menu choose Import. Alternatively, click .
The main window of the Import utility appears:

3. In the Choose an Import Setup group, make sure that the Sample
ESRI Shapefile Setup item is selected.

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4. Click Properties. The Import Setup Properties dialog for the

selected import setup appears:

To import some data from the GIS and match it with the data
dictionary, which you just changed:
a. In the Type of Data to Import group, select the Features with
External Data Dictionary option. The Select Data Dictionary
group becomes available.
b. Click Dictionary File. The Select Data Dictionary File dialog
appears.
c. Select the Tutorial_updated.ddf file, which is in the Tutorial
folder and then click Open.
5. In the Import Setup Properties dialog, select the Coordinate System
tab.

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If the Current Coordinate System area does not have the current
coordinate system selected (US State Plane 1983 Zone Colorado
North 0501) click Change and change the coordinate system.
(For the coordinate system settings that you need to use, see
page 70).
6. In the Import Setup Properties dialog, select the Output tab:

a. In the Output group, make sure that the Combine input files
into one output file option is selected. This will create only
one data file for taking back into the field for updating.
b. Click OK to return to the main Import utility screen.
7. In the Input Files group, click Browse.
The Select GIS Data Files dialog appears.

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8. Select the 13 Shapefiles that were exported in Exercise 5 (these

files are in the GPS Projects\Tutorial\Export folder) and then
click Open to return to the Import Utility dialog:

The selected files appear in the Output File area of the Import
Utility dialog.
9. In the Output File area:
a. Make sure that the file will be stored in the \GPS Projects
\Tutorial folder.
By default, the name of the file is automatically generated.
Note – The file itself is the same as an .ssf file except that it has a different
file extension. The file extension is changed to make sure that files are not
overwritten when they are transferred from the field computer back to the
office. By default, the file name uses the 24-hour clock format,
YMMDDHHa, where a is the number of the file that has been created in the
hour. For example, the file 9111712a.imp was created on 17 November
2009 between 12:00 and 13:00 hours. It is the first file created that hour.
b. Click Browse. The Specify Output File dialog appears.

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c. Rename the file to TUTORIAL_updated.imp. Make sure this

file is selected in the File name field and then click Save. You
are returned to the Import Utility dialog:

10. Click OK. The files are imported.

The Import Completed dialog appears, which contains a summary
of the import process.

B Tip – To see a detailed log of the import process, click More Details.

11. Click Close.

The .imp file can now be transferred to the field computer so that
the GIS data can be checked in the field.

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Exercise 8: Back in the office

The field crew have collected data on the new trash cans. They have also
updated some data. You have transferred the updated file from the field
computer back to the office computer (the file has been stored in the
main tutorial project area). Note that this file is automatically renamed
with an .ssf extension to eliminate the overwriting of files. It also makes
it easy to identify which files were imported from your GIS and which
were updated in the field.
Because the updated data has been collected in real-time, there is no
need to differentially correct it as we did in Exercise 3: Differentially
correcting the field data.
Once you have opened the updated data file, you need to check the data
for GPS spikes or other irregularities and edit as appropriate. Do this
before you export the data to a suitable format for your GIS.
This exercise shows you how to:
• open the updated data file
• find a feature that needs repairing or replacing
• view the positions of a feature
• view new and updated features that were collected by the field
crew
• view the status of a feature
• measure the distance between two features

Opening the updated data file

To open the updated data file:
1. Open the file Tutorial_Updated.ssf. (From the main
GPS Pathfinder Office software select File / Open.)
2. Make sure that the Map window is open.
If necessary, refer to Displaying the Map and Time Line windows,
page 96.

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Finding a feature
You can search for a particular type of feature or for a feature with a
particular attribute value. In this case, we will search for all features
with the Condition attribute set to the value of Repair or Replace.
To find a feature that needs repairing or replacing:
1. Turn on the Auto-pan to Selection tool or select View / Auto-
pan to Selection.
Finding a feature with the Auto-pan to Selection tool ensures that
the Map window always displays the feature when it is found
even if it is not already in the Map window.
2. Select Edit / Find Feature. The Find Feature dialog appears.
3. In the Feature field, select the first feature listed: Light.
4. In the Attribute field, select the Condition item.
5. In the Test field, select the Not equals item.
6. In the Value field, select the Good item.
7. In the Search group, make sure the
From Start option is selected:
The software searches for all Light
features that need repairing or
replacing. The search starts from the
beginning of the data file. This is the
default when you first search for a
feature. Once the first occurrence of
a feature is found, the For Next
option is selected.

B Tip – To search for a particular feature that needs repairing, set the Test
field to Equals and the Value field to Repair.

8. Click Find. The GPS Pathfinder Office software searches for the
first feature in the file that is a Light feature with a value that does
not equal Good.

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When the feature is found in the Map window it becomes the

selected feature: .

B Tip – You may find it easier to view the found features if you turn the
aerial background map off.

9. Repeat the above steps to search for other features that need
repairing or replacing.

Viewing the positions of a feature

To view the positions of a feature:
1. Select the Path line feature surrounding the soccer pitches.
2. Click the Position Properties tool
or select Data / Position
Properties to display the Position
Properties window:
This window displays the
individual positions of the
currently selected feature. It can
also be used for Not in Feature
positions and general map
locations. Currently displayed is
the first position in the Path
feature. A small crosshair shows
its position in the Map window.
3. Click >. The crosshair moves to the next position in the Path
feature and the Position Properties window changes to show these
coordinates.

B Tip – To see where the positions were logged more clearly, zoom in on the
Path in the Map window.

4. Click >>. The crosshair jumps to the last position in the Path
feature (position 274 of 274).
5. Click Last. The crosshair jumps to the very last position in the
open file, which is in a Trash Can feature.

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Using layers to view a feature

Layers let you determine which features are displayed in the Map and
Time Line windows, and how they are displayed.
All information is grouped into layers, which can be turned off or on. For
example, all notes form a layer, as does each feature defined by the data
dictionary. By turning layers off or on, you can view only those items
that you are interested in. The default setting is to view all layers.
Layers help you control the display of feature layers. You can:
• show or hide any particular feature layer
• select several features and show or hide them all
• select several point features and change them all to the same
symbol
• select several line and area features and change them all to the
same line style
To view the Bench and Trash Can point features:
1. From the View menu
choose Layers / Features.
The Features Layers dialog
appears:
2. Clear the check box in the
Show column next to each
point feature, except for
the Bench and Trash Can
features.
3. To show these features in
context, select the Path
feature and then click OK.

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4. The Bench and Trash Can features appear in the Map and Time
Line windows, along with the Path features to put the features in
perspective. You can also see where the trash cans are located in
relation to the park benches:

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Viewing the status of a feature

1. Open the Feature
Properties window. (From
the Data menu click
or choose Data / Feature
Properties.)
2. Click < and > to scroll
through the list of
features collected.
3. View the status of each
feature in the Status area
near the bottom of the
window.

Table 4.4 shows the three values for the status of a feature.
Table 4.4 Feature status
Status Description
New A new feature is one that has been added to a data file in the
most recent data collection session. A new data file will only
contain new features.
Imported An imported feature is one that previously existed in a data file
and has not been edited or updated in the most recent data
collection session.
Updated An updated feature is one that previously existed in a data file,
but has been edited or updated in the most recent data
collection session.

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Measuring distances
The Measure command lets you measure distances and areas on the
map. You can measure the distance between two points, or the distance
along a route. To measure the distance along a route and not merely the
distance as the crow flies, you measure a series of straight-line distances
between points along the route. The approximate route distance is the
sum of these distances. You can also measure the area enclosed by a set
of points.
To measure the distance between two positions:
1. Select the Map window to make it active.
2. Click the Measure tool or select Data / Measure to activate
the Measure tool.
3. Click on the Map window at the start position.
The status bar changes to display the measurement information.
4. Move the mouse towards the position you want to measure to.
5. Click on the end position.
The status bar in the main window of the GPS Pathfinder Office
software displays the total distance and bearing between the
positions:

6. To end the measurement command, double-click, press [Esc], or

select another tool.

B Tip – To change the measurement units select Options / Units and change
the distance measurement.

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Exporting data to update the GIS

If you want to export an updated data file to a format that is suitable for
your GIS, you would use the Export utility.
If you are going to use the Status flag to determine how to update the
features in the GIS, make sure that the Update Status generated
attribute is exported.
To do this, in the Export dialog, click Properties and then select the
Attributes tab). Select the check box next to Update Status in the All
Feature Types list, and then click OK.

For more information, refer to the Export Utility Help.

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Exercise 9: Special exercise

The special exercise has no effect on the other exercises and may be
performed independently. It is divided into two parts. You do not have
to complete both parts, and it does not matter which part you do first.
In the first part of the special exercise Batch processing, you learn how
to use the Batch Processor utility to automate repetitive tasks.
In the second part of the special exercise, Managing waypoints, you
learn how to create and view waypoints.

Batch processing
The Batch Processor utility is a powerful tool designed to help you
increase your productivity by automating repetitive tasks. This means
that you can spend more time collecting data in the field.
You can set up the Batch Processor utility to transfer data, differentially
correct, format, and then export files to your particular GIS system. It
can also import and process your files with your GIS software,
depending on the power of its own batch or macro language.
You can save your settings as a batch setup to use in future sessions. A
batch setup stores information about, and specific settings for, the Data
Transfer, Differential Correction, and Export functions you select. You
can also associate a particular project with a batch setup.
The first part of this special lesson shows you how to:
• create a batch setup
• differentially correct files
• export corrected files
• run the Batch Processor utility

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To create a new batch setup and run the Batch Processor utility:
1. Click the Batch tool , or select Utilities / Batch Processor. The
Batch Processor window starts, then the Batch Setup dialog
appears:

2. Click New. The New Setup dialog appears:

3. In the Setup Name field, type a name for your batch setup. Choose
a meaningful name so that you can easily identify it each time
you use this batch setup. For example, use the name of your client
and the date you create the setup.

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4. Click OK. The Batch Setup Properties dialog appears:

The Batch Processor utility follows a wizard-style process of

moving through a series of pages using the Next and Back
buttons.
5. The first three options are selected by default but, for the
purposes of this tutorial, clear the Data Transfer check box. This
prevents the Batch Processor utility from attempting to connect
to and transfer data from a field computer.
The check marks next to Differential Correction and Export
indicate that, in this setup, the Batch Processor utility will
differentially correct and export the selected data files.
In the Project group, the Current project field shows the project
associated with the last-used batch setup. If you want to specify a
project that will always be associated with the batch setup you
are creating, select the Selected project option, click the drop-
down arrow and choose a project from the list.

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6. In the Project group, choose the Selected project option and make
sure that the Tutorial project is selected.
7. Make sure that the Allow files to be overwritten check box is
selected, otherwise the Batch Processor utility stops when it tries
to create a file that already exists.
8. Click Next. The Processing Type page appears:

It displays the processing options available for the data files.

Because you have not yet selected the files for processing, all
processing type options are availble.
9. In the Single-base group, make sure that the Automatic option is
selected. This is the default setting and it is the most thorough
type of processing.

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10. Click Next. The Correct Settings page appears:

It displays the settings that will be used to differentially correct

the data files. The default settings are displayed above.
If the settings displayed are different to the default settings, click
Change. The Correction Settings dialog appears. In each group,
select the appropriate options so that your settings match the
default correction settings. Click OK to close the dialog and
return to the Batch Processor utility.
11. Click Next.
The Base Data page appears.
There are three options for locating base data:
– download files from a base provider using the Internet
– use base files that you have previously downloaded and
saved in the base data folder for the project

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– browse for base files that you have previously downloaded

and saved elsewhere
Do one of the following:
• If you have access to the Internet, download base data files
from the tutorial base provider:
a. In the Base Data group, select Base Provider Search:

b. Click the Select button next to the Base Provider

Search text box.

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The Select Base Provider dialog appears:

The dialog displays a list of available base providers.

The list is arranged by distance from the location where
the previously corrected rover files were collected.
Note – If there are no data files open, the list of available base providers is
arranged alphabetically and ? is shown in the Distance and Integrity Index
fields.
For this tutorial, we have set up an FTP site for the
tutorial base data and named it “GPS Pathfinder Office
tutorial base files”.
c. Click the “GPS Pathfinder Office tutorial base files”
provider (near the top of the base provider list) to select
it, and then click OK.
If you do not have access to the Internet, select the folder where
base data files for the tutorial are stored:
• If you do not have access to the Internet, use the base data
files in the base data folder of the Tutorial project:

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a. In the Base Data group, select Folder Search.

The path and folder name of the Base folder for the
Tutorial project should already appear in the box below
the Folder Search option.
b. If the correct path and folder name is not shown, click
the Select button next to the Folder Search text box.
The Folder Search dialog appears.
c. Click Browse to navigate to the base folder that is
defined for the Tutorial project. The default location is
Tutorial\Base in the GPS Projects folder.
d. Click OK.
The dialog closes and you are returned to the Base Data
page of the wizard.
The dialog closes and you are returned to the Select Base Data
page of the utility. The base provider, or the path of the folder you
selected, is displayed in the text box below the Base Data option
you selected.
12. In the Reference Position group, select Use reference position from
base files.

WARNING – The reference position in the base files is normally only an

approximate position. The Integrity Index is calculated using the base
provider coordinates. It is imperative that the coordinates are surveyed
and referenced in the ITRF 2000 reference frame.

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13. Click Next. The Output page appears:

It displays the options for outputting the processed files.

14. Make sure the Use project folder option is selected.
15. Make sure the Create a unique filename option is selected. That
means that if you reprocess files, each subsequent processed file
will have _n appended to the filename, where n denotes the next
number in the sequence.

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16. Click Next. The Export page appears:

It displays the options for the export part of the batch process.
17. Click the drop-down arrow below the Export Setup field and
select the Sample ESRI Shapefile Setup option. The export folder
defaults to \GPS Projects\Tutorial\Export, which is the export
folder specified for the project.

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18. If the ESRI ArcGIS software is installed on your computer, do the

following:
a. Click the Properties button. The Export Setup Properties
dialog appears.
b. Select the Coordinate System tab:

c. Click the Browse button next to the Projection File field. The
software looks for the location where the ArcGIS software
installed the .prj files. Navigate to the location of the NAD
1983 State Plane Colorado North FIPS 0501.prj file and select
it.
d. Click OK to return to the Batch Setup Properties dialog.
19. If you left the Projection File field empty, a message warns that no
ESRI projection file has been found. Click Yes to continue.

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20. Click Finish to return to the Batch Setup dialog.

21. Click Run.
22. Because you chose not to transfer files from a field computer, the
Batch Processor utility requires you to select files from the Select
Files to Process dialog:

All data files are shown in this dialog, including a set of Standard
Storage Format (.ssf) files. These are files that have been collected
in the field.
23. Select the files TUTDATA1.ssf, TUTDATA2.ssf, and
TUTDATA3.ssf, as follows:
a. Click TUTDATA1.ssf, then, while holding down [Ctrl], click
TUTDATA2.ssf and TUTDATA3.ssf.
All three data files are now highlighted.

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b. Click Open to run the batch setup.

As the batch setup runs, a series of progress dialogs is displayed,
and a record of what happened during the batch process is saved
in a log file. You can refer to this log file once the batch session
has finished to confirm that everything was processed as
expected.
Once the session is complete, the batch log window appears,
indicating that the data was correctly processed:

24. Examine the detailed log by clicking on the Details tool or

selecting View / Show Details.
The detailed log shows you the input data files, the names of the
automatically selected base files, and other information about
the batch process. If anything goes wrong, check this log to
determine what happened.

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25. To save the log file:

a. Select File / Save As.
b. Give the file a meaningful name.
c. Save the file in the \GPS Projects\Tutorial folder.
26. Select File / Exit to close the Batch Processor utility.

Managing waypoints
Waypoints are named locations that you can record using a field
computer running data collection software, or create in the GPS
Pathfinder Office software. Waypoints are useful for navigating to a
point.
In the GPS Pathfinder Office software, waypoints are stored in files that
usually have the extension .wpt. You can store as many waypoints as you
like in one file.
The second part of this special exercise shows you how to:
• create a new waypoint file
• create a waypoint
To create a new waypoint file:
1. Start the GPS Pathfinder Office software and open the Tutorial
project.
2. Select View / Map to display the Map window.

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3. To display files in the Map window:

a. Select File / Background. The Load Background Files dialog
appears:

b. Click Add. The Add Background Files dialog appears:

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c. Select the three .cor files (or the first three .ssf files if no .cor
files are available).
d. Click Open to return to the Load Background Files dialog.
e. Click OK.
Progress bars shows that the files are loading, then the map
will display the features from the data files.
4. Select File / Waypoints / New. The following dialog appears:

By default, the new waypoint file is named using the current date
and time in the 24-hour clock format, wMMDDHHa, where w is
the waypoint file identifier and a is the number of the file that
was created in that hour. For example, the file w111714a.wpt was
created on 17 November between 14:00 and 15:00 hours. It was
the first file created in that hour.
5. If you want, change the filename and the current folder, then click
OK.

16 0 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Tutorial 4

The Waypoint Properties dialog opens automatically when you

open a waypoint file:

Using the Waypoint Properties dialog you can create new

waypoints, edit existing waypoints, or delete waypoints from the
waypoint file.
6. Click Create. The Create Waypoint dialog appears.

7. Select the Pick From Map check box.

If the Map window has no files displayed in it, the Pick From Map
field is unavailable.
8. Click anywhere in the Map window ( for example, on a feature
that you want to revisit).

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 161

4 Tutorial

The North, East, and Altitude fields have been filled in the with
coordinate of the location that you clicked on:

9. If you want, change the default waypoint name to a more

meaningful name, and then click Save to save this as a waypoint.
10. Click Close to close the Create Waypoint window.
The Waypoint Properties window reappears with the waypoint
you just created displayed in the list on the left. The waypoint
appears as a crossed-flag symbol on the map.
11. Select File / Waypoints / Close to close the waypoint file. It is now
saved permanently on the disk.
In a real situation, you can create as many waypoints as required, and
then transfer the waypoint file to the field computer using the Data
Transfer utility. You can then navigate your way (back) to these
waypoints.
Note – There is no limit to the number of waypoints that can be stored by
the TerraSync software. However, some older types of field computers and
receivers limit the number of waypoints you can store. For more
information, refer to the file types you can transfer topic for your device in
the Data Transfer Utility Help.

16 2 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 APPENDIX

A
Troubleshooting A

In this chapter: This appendix describes problems that

can occur and explains how to solve them.
Q Map and Time Line
window display For information on the latest support
issues, go to the GPS Pathfinder Office
Q Printers and plotters
software technical support page at
Q Internet problems www.trimble.com/pathfinderoffice_ts.asp
Q Web Map Server problems and then click Support Notes.

Q General issues

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 163

A Troubleshooting

Map and Time Line window display

Table A.1 lists symptoms related to the display in the Map or Time Line
windows, possible causes, and their fixes.
Table A.1 Map and Time Line window display errors
Symptom Cause Solution
The coordinates You are using the In the Coordinate System dialog,
displayed appear to Latitude/Longitude coordinate select Latitude/Longitude and specify
be incorrect. system and you selected the the correct datum.
wrong datum.
You are using the UTM In the Coordinate System dialog, set
coordinate system and you System to UTM and specify the
selected the wrong UTM zone. correct zone.
You are using the UTM In the Coordinate System dialog, set
coordinate system and you the System to UTM and specify the
selected the wrong datum. correct datum.
Note – The current UTM datum for
the U.S.A is NAD 1983. Older UTM
coordinates use NAD 1927 datum,
which will need converting
beforehand.
You selected the wrong In the Coordinate System dialog,
coordinate system or zone. select the correct coordinate system
and zone.
You are using the wrong In the Coordinate System dialog,
coordinate units. select the correct coordinate units.
The background file When loading a background Check the coordinate units used in
has the wrong scale, file, the GPS Pathfinder Office the background file. Change the
it is too large or too software uses the coordinate configured units in the Coordinate
small units specified in the Coordinate System dialog. Then reload the
System dialog to interpret the background file.
coordinates in the file. If the
units configured in the GPS
Pathfinder Office software are
different from the units
specified in the background file
then the background will have
the wrong scale.

16 4 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Troubleshooting A

Table A.1 Map and Time Line window display errors (continued)
Symptom Cause Solution
GPS information is When loading a background In the Load Background Files dialog,
not overlaying file, the GPS Pathfinder Office highlight the background file and
correctly on the software uses the coordinate check its associated coordinate
background file. system you specified to interpret system. If necessary, change the
the coordinates. If this configured system with the Change
coordinate system is different button in File / Background.
from the one used by the
background file, GPS positions
will not overlay correctly.
The waypoints The coordinate system used on Re-enter the coordinates from the
entered previously the paper map and the paper map using the correct
from a paper map coordinate system configured in coordinate system in the GPS
are not in the correct the GPS Pathfinder Office Pathfinder Office software.
position on the map software when you entered the
and their waypoints were different. You
coordinates appear must use the same coordinate
incorrect. system in the GPS Pathfinder
Office software as the
coordinate system used on the
paper map.
The Map window You zoomed to extents and you If you do not need the waypoints in
appears to be empty, have a waypoint file with the current waypoint file, close the
yet you know you waypoints a long way away file. Alternatively, select
should have data from where you are currently. View / Layers / Waypoints and clear
displayed in it. This can make the background the View check box; this hides the
map and SSF file very small in display of waypoints on the Map.
the Map window. Then select View / Zoom / Extents or
the Zoom Extents tool and you should
see the data clearly in the Map
window.
You lost where you The Map is zoomed in or Select the Map window and then
are on the Map panned away from the current select View / Zoom / Extents or the
window. position. Zoom Extents tool. The Map window
zooms to extents.
Information in the You turned some layers off. Select View / Layers / Background and
background file is turn the appropriate layers on.
not displayed on the
Map.

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 165

A Troubleshooting

Table A.1 Map and Time Line window display errors (continued)
Symptom Cause Solution
Information in the You turned some layers off. Select View / Layers / Features and
SSF file is not turn the appropriate layers on.
displayed on the
Map or Time Line.
Notes in the SSF file You turned the notes layer off. Select View / Layers / Notes and turn
are not being the notes layer on.
displayed the Time
Line.
SSF files that have Display the positions in the
carrier and code foreground instead. To do this, select
processed data and File / Open.
are loaded as
background files,
appear slightly
different in the Map
window to how they
appear when
opened in the
foreground—point
features may not
match exactly the
file.
Waypoints in the You turned the waypoint layer Select View / Layers / Waypoints and
waypoint file are not off. turn the waypoint layer on.
being displayed on
the Map.
You cannot see notes The Time Line window has been Resize the Time Line window
or nested points on resized so that the notes and vertically.
the Time Line. nested point features are
hidden.

16 6 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Troubleshooting A

Printers and plotters

Table A.2 lists possible causes and fixes for problems relating to printing
and plotting.
Table A.2 Printer and plotter errors
Symptom Cause Solution
The plot contains By default, the scale of a plot is Change the scale value to a different
more information rounded down to a regular value. value in the Plot dialog.
than appears in the Compare the scale displayed in the
Map window. Map window with the scale
displayed on the plot.
Background raster Pen plotters cannot display Select a printer such as a laserjet or
files do not appear background raster files. inkjet printer, if available.
on the plot.
Some text does not Some non-postscript printer Edit the background file which
appear on the plot, drivers do not display colored contains the rotated text and convert
or is colored rotated text correctly. Dark colors all text into a dark color.
incorrectly. display as black and light colors Contact the printer manufacturer for
display as white. Non-rotated text an upgrade for the printer driver, if
is always displayed as black. available.
The edges of the Plotters and printers with a non- In the printer options, select a page
plot are clipped off. printable margin of greater than size smaller than the physical size of
1cm are not supported. the paper.
When running GPS In the Plot Map dialog, click Set
Pathfinder Office in Font to set an appropriate font
Chinese, Korean, or before plotting.
Japanese, text does
not print properly.
My background Some Web Map Servers impose In the Load Background Files dialog,
Web Map does not limits on the size of the image select the Web Map background and
print properly. that can be requested. Such limits click Save As. Create a new
can easily be exceeded when using background image at a reduced
the Plot Map functionality in GPS resolution, and then load the new
Pathfinder Office. This is due to a file as a background file.
combination of printer resolution
and image extents.

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 167

A Troubleshooting

Internet problems
If Base Provider Search cannot download the required files, then:
1. Check that your internet connection is working.
For more information, see Connection problems, page 168.
2. Determine why the files are not present on the Internet server.
For more information, see Files not present on the Internet
server, page 169.

Connection problems
A helpful rule for problem solving is that if Microsoft Internet Explorer
works, then the Base Provider Search option in the Differential
Correction wizard will also work. That is, if Internet Explorer can access
and download base files from the chosen Internet base data provider,
then this establishes that Windows is set up correctly to work with the
Internet.
Internet Explorer uses the Windows settings, as does the Differential
Correction wizard. Some other Internet browsers do not use the
Windows settings; they use their own settings. Using a browser other
than Internet Explorer does not help with troubleshooting Differential
Correction problems.
If Internet Explorer cannot download the base files, then there is a
problem with the Windows setup. You may need help from your System
Administrator or Internet Service Provider (ISP) to resolve the problem.
Note – After changing the Windows Internet settings, you must close and
restart the Differential Correction wizard for the changes to take effect.

16 8 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Troubleshooting A

Table A.3 lists possible causes and solutions for problems relating to
Internet connections.
Table A.3 Internet connection errors
Symptom Cause Solution
You cannot The Internet Check the Windows Internet
connect to the configuration for settings. Try using Internet
Internet. A Windows is not set up Explorer to determine
timeout error correctly. Perhaps the whether it can access and
occurs, or it fails to modem is not installed download the base files. For
dial up the ISP. correctly, or Dial Up further assistance, contact
Networking is not set up the System Administrator or
correctly. ISP.
Failure to dial into The ISP may be busy with Try again, immediately or
the ISP. other customers, leaving later. Consider changing to
no spare lines free. an ISP that has more lines.
The Internet The Internet server is very Try again, immediately or
connection is very busy, or the ISP is busy, or later.
slow. the line is noisy.
You can connect to A firewall is preventing Contact your System
the Internet but you making the Administrator or ISP to
not to the base connection, or the base enable connectivity through
station server. station is offline. the firewall. Contact the base
station administrator to
enquire the status of the
base station.

Files not present on the Internet server

If your Internet connection is working correctly, then the problem may
be that the files which the GPS Pathfinder Office software expects are
not yet present on the Internet server. There are many possible reasons
for this.

B Tip – The most likely reason that file(s) are not present on the server is
that the base station logs data periodically (for example, hourly) and has
not yet made the file(s) you need available.

You may want to contact the administrator of the base station to see if
anything has changed.

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 169

A Troubleshooting

Trimble regularly updates base provider information. To get the latest

provider information:
1. Start the Differential Correction wizard.
2. In the Select Base Data page, select the Base Provider Search
option and click Select. The Select Base Provider dialog appears.
3. Click Update List. A progress dialog indicates that base providers
are being downloaded.
Once download is complete, the list of base providers in the
Select Base Provider is updated.
4. Choose the base provider you want to use and then click OK to
return to the Differential Correction wizard.
5. Select the Confirm base data and position before processing
checkbox and then click Next.
6. Select your output and file naming options, and then click Start.
7. Check the Differential Correction Report in the progress window
to see if the base files have been downloaded from the selected
base provider.
– If the files have been downloaded, click Confirm to continue
with postprocessing the data.
– If the files have not been downloaded, use the Back buttons
to return to the Select Base Data page and select a different
base provider.
Table A.4 lists possible causes and solutions for problems relating to
files on the Internet.

17 0 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Troubleshooting A

Table A.4 Internet file errors

Symptom Cause Solution
You cannot find a The base data provider Click New in the Internet Search dialog, and
local Internet base list is not up to date. select the Copy the most up-to-date list from
data provider in Trimble’s Internet site, and select from it
the list. option in the New Provider dialog.
Even the latest list does Create a new provider in the Internet Search
not contain a local dialog, and select the Enter the details
provider. yourself option in the New Provider dialog.
You may need to contact the local provider to
ask for some of the important details.
Failure to copy This is a general Internet The file may not exist because it is too old.
files from the error code. The most Most base providers only keep one to three
Internet (error likely causes are that the months of data online before archiving. The
code 500 or 550). file or directory does not file may not exist if it is outside the hours
exist on the server, or logged by the server. For example, some base
that the server was not stations only log data for normal working
found. hours. Also, the base station may have been
put out of service during the required time
period.
It is possible that the specified directory is
incorrect, perhaps because the provider has
changed the server configuration.
If you entered the Base Provider details, check
that the server address is correct. Also check
that the proxy server is set up correctly. In
most cases, you can use Internet Explorer to
double-check the required URL (Internet
address). If necessary, contact the base data
provider.

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 171

A Troubleshooting

Web Map Server problems

If you cannot connect to a Web Map Server using the GPS Pathfinder
Office software, do the following:
• Check that your Internet connection is working. For more
information, see Internet connection problems, page 172.
• Check that the Web Map Server is responding. For more
information, see Web Map Server connection problems, page 173.

Internet connection problems

A helpful rule for problem solving is that if Microsoft Internet Explorer
can access and download information from a chosen website, it should
be possible to connect to a Web Map Server. This establishes that
Microsoft Windows is set up correctly to work with the Internet.
Internet Explorer uses the Windows settings. Some other Internet
browsers, such as Netscape, do not use the Windows settings; they use
their own settings. Using a browser other than Internet Explorer does
not help with troubleshooting Web Map Server problems.
If Internet Explorer cannot access or download information from the
Internet, then there is a problem with the Windows setup. You may
need help from your systems administrator or Internet Service Provider
(ISP) to resolve the problem.
For information about possible causes and solutions for problems
relating to Internet connections, see Table A.3 on page 169.

17 2 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Troubleshooting A

Web Map Server connection problems

Before you contact Trimble Support with any Web Map Server queries,
work through the solutions described in this troubleshooting section.
Table A.5 provides possible solutions for some difficulties that you may
encounter when using a Web Map Server..
Table A.5 Problems when connecting to a Web Map Server for the first time
Symptom Cause Solution
The message Error It is likely that you have See Internet connection problems,
connecting to Web Map an Internet connection page 172.
Server appears immediately problem.
after any operation.
The message Resolving It is likely that the URL is Try using a known URL.
server <URL> appears a few invalid.
seconds after the progress
dialog.
The message Waiting for the It may mean that the Try again later.
server to respond appears for Web Map Server, or some
a long period of time in of its services, are
response to a request. temporarily unavailable.
The message Cannot get The GPS Pathfinder Select a different server.
services - do not use this site Office software does not
appears. support the PNG images
that are being sent by
the Web Map Server.

Table A.6 Problems when reconnecting to a Web Map Server

Symptom Cause Solution
When reconnecting to a Web This may be because of Try again later, or use other tools to
Map Server, you may problems with the Web validate the Web Map Server state.
experience the messages Map Server. For example, to check the status of
Error connecting to Web Map the Web Map Server, visit the URL
Server or Waiting for the using a Web browser or contact the
server to respond as Web Map Server host directly to
described above. check for any known problems or
server downtime.
Remove the existing URL from your
Backgrounds list and create a new
Web Map component for the same
server using the Web Map wizard.

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 173

A Troubleshooting

Table A.7 Problems when connected to a Web Map Server

Symptom Cause Solution
Some or all of the Some or all of the layers Return to the Web Map wizard and change or
selected layers are have been removed from reselect these layers.
not visible in the the Web Map Server, or Select All Layers in the Web Map wizard and
Map view of the their configuration has zoom in and out to determine which layers
GPS Pathfinder changed, since you last are visible at particular scales. You can then
Office software. visited that URL. deselect the unwanted layers.
Some Web Map Servers set
layers to be visible only for
certain scales.
The coordinates The coordinates for the Use the Internet and other resources to find
displayed for your selected layers received the actual coordinate system for each
selected layers in from the Web Map Server server/service/layer (for more information, see
the Web Map may be invalid for the below) and ensure that the Web Map Server
wizard are either corresponding GPS and GPS Pathfinder Office coordinate systems
not shown or they Pathfinder Office correspond.
are not sensible coordinate system. Use the Web Map wizard to change the
values. coordinate systems until the Layers dialog
displays sensible coordinates.
Web Map Server The coordinate system Most layers on ArcIMS map servers are in
layers do not received from the Web WGS-84 (Lat/Long). If in doubt, try this as the
appear in the GPS Map Server is not the same corresponding GPS Pathfinder Office
Pathfinder Office as the coordinate system in coordinate system.
software. GPS Pathfinder Office. For OpenGIS, the Web Map Server coordinate
system is described using the European
Petroleum Survey Group (EPSG) standard
EPSG codes. The most commonly used code is
EPSG: 4326, which corresponds to WGS-84
(Lat/Long). The EPSG website (www.epsg.org)
has a link to a Microsoft Access (.mdb)
database that lists all the EPSG codes and a
description of the corresponding coordinate
system.
Note – If you have problems opening the
.mdb file provided, try importing the tables
contained within the database into an empty
.mdb database.

17 4 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 Troubleshooting A

If after working through these solutions you still need to contact

Trimble Support, make sure you have all your files and relevant
information available from the Web Map Server, including:
• the correct URL
• the service chosen
• layers selected
• the GPS Pathfinder Office software coordinate systems used

General issues
Table A.8 lists general problems, their possible causes, and fixes.
Table A.8 General issues
Symptom Cause Solution
The GPS Pathfinder Office A corruption has occurred Restart Windows, and restart the GPS
software has locked up. while running Windows Pathfinder Office software.
software.
You cannot find the The window has scrolled off Maximize the application so that you
window you want to use. the desktop. can see more of the windows. You
can also select Windows / Cascade to
cascade the windows on the desktop
so that you can see them.
The GPS Pathfinder Office Settings in the registry or Reinstall the software. For more
software is not behaving configuration files may be information, refer to Chapter 2,
as expected, and you incorrect. Software Installation.
cannot find the symptom
in this Appendix.
The file that you are The Data Transfer utility Ensure that the correct system locale
trying to transfer using may not be able to transfer and code page settings are used,
the Data Transfer utility the file because of certain using the Windows Regional
will not transfer. characters in the filename Settings. For more information, refer
(in particular, Asian to the Windows Help.
language characters)

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 175

A Troubleshooting

17 6 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

Index
Symbols automating tasks 145
Auto-pan to Selection tool 58
.dbf files 118
.imp files 135
.shp files 118
.shx files 118
B
.ssf files 156 background file
.wpt files 158 loading 98
overview 97
backup folder 68
A base data 80
base file folder
account, My Trimble 22, 27 overview 68
ActiveSync technology 19 batch log window 157
adding background file 98 Batch Processor utility
aerial photographs 97 closing 158
application window 43 overview 145
area feature 72 starting 146
changing style of 106 toolbar button 58
area, measuring 143 Batch Settings wizard 146
assets, capturing information about 63 batch setup
attributes confirm batch process in log file 157
see also Date attribute creating 146
see also Menu attribute Current project 147
adding to a feature 130 Differential Correction 148
adding to a feature in a data Export 153
dictionary 126 export 154
data dictionary 74 log file 157
overview 72 overview 145
setting a default 77 Properties Overview dialog 147
viewing 108 Select files to process 156
viewing definitions of 76 Selected project 147

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 177

Batch tool 146 Date attribute
see also attributes
adding to a feature 128
C default projects folder 42, 43
Delete Block tool 57
closing Details tool 157
Batch Processor utility 158 differential correction
Data Dictionary Editor 79 correcting data 81
GPS Pathfinder Office 60 overview 80
color, changing for features 105 postprocessed 80
Combine utility 58 settings 85
configuring Map window 104 Differential Correction Report 92
coordinate system Differential Correction tool 81
overview 69 Differential Correction wizard 58
selecting 70 disclaimer of warranty 4
viewing details of currently selected 44 distance, measuring 143
correcting field data 81
Correction Settings dialog 85, 149
creating
waypoint file 158
E
waypoints 161 export folder 68, 114
Export tool 113
Export utility
D main window 113
toolbar button 58
data dictionary
exporting
adding a feature 125
data files 113
changing 124
data to a GIS 113
closing 79
opening 74
overview 73
printing 78
F
saving 131 feature
Data Dictionary Editor utility 58 see also area feature
data files see also line feature
differentially correct 81 see also point feature
exporting to a GIS format 113 adding attributes to in a data
opening 94 dictionary 126
Data Transfer utility 58 adding to a data dictionary 125
problems transferring files 175 attribute, adding 130
data, importing 132 changing line style 106

17 8 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 changing the color used 105 starting 81
changing the symbol used 105 GPS Pathfinder Office software
collecting from a distance 109 desktop 43
data dictionary 74 exiting 60
Date attribute, adding 128 starting 42
displaying in Map window 46 GPS receivers, supported 18
displaying on Time Line window 47 Grouping utility 58
editing 108
filtering 104
finding 138 H
locating on Map 51
Menu attribute, adding 127 Help, context-sensitive 15
offsets 109
overview 72
selecting 51 I
using layers to view 140 Import utility 58
viewing attributes of 108 importing data from a GIS 132
viewing offsets 109 installation code 25, 28, 34
viewing positions of 139 installation, custom 35
Feature Properties tool 56 installation, software 29
Feature Properties window 44, 108 internet
Features Layers dialog 105 connection problems 168
field data, differentially correcting 81 problems with files 169
file types Internet Map Server. See Web Map Server
raster 97
Shapefile format 118
Standard Storage Format (.ssf) files 156 L
vector 97
Waypoint (.wpt) files 158 layers
filtering features 104 changing feature style 105
finding a feature 138 changing line feature colors 106
floating license 32, 38, 40 overview 140
Folder Search dialog 88, 152 LIcense Administrator software 39
fonts, changing for features 105 License Manager software 39
license type, selecting 32
licenses, managing 38
G line feature 72
changing style of 106
geo-referencing 97 line style, changing 106
GIS, exporting to 113 loading background file 98
GPS editing

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 179

location see waypoints online Help 15
log window 157 Open tool 56
opening
data dictionary 74
M data files 94
Map tool 56
Map window 43
automatically opening 53
P
changing 104 Pan tool 57
displaying 96 panning
displaying all information in 49 manually 50
displaying at previous scale 49 to keep selected item in view 51
filtering features 104 Pathfinder Office software
overview 46 see GPS Pathfinder Office software
panning 50 platform requirements 19
plotting contents of 110 Plot Map tool 56
selecting item in 51 plotting
troubleshooting 164 contents of Map window 110
zooming 47 previewing on-screen first 112
Measure tool 57 problems with 167
measuring distance 143 point feature 72
Menu attribute see also feature
See also attributes 127 adding to a data dictionary 125
adding to a feature 127 changing style of 105
Mouse toolbar 57 pointer
My Trimble account 22, 27 display as hand 50
display as magnifying glass 48, 49
POPN 20, 24
N Position Properties tool 56, 139
Position Properties window 43, 139
notes
position, viewing 139
displaying on Time Line window 47
previewing plot on-screen 112
selecting 51
Print command 78
showing 108 Print tool 78
viewing in Map window 46 printing
see also plotting
data dictionary 78
O problems with 167
offsets, viewing 109 project
default folder 42, 43

18 0 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

 overview 65 software upgrade 26
selecting 42, 67 Standard toolbar 56, 57
tutorial 65 starting the GPS Pathfinder Office
project folders 67 software 42
project name, invalid characters 66 status bar 44
projection file 116 street maps 97
support 16, 163
symbols, changing for point features 105
Q
quitting the GPS Pathfinder Office
software 60
T
tasks, automating 145
technical support 16, 163
R TerraSync 104
Time Line window 43
raster files 97
displaying 96
receivers, supported 18
selecting item in 51
reference position 88, 152
Time Line Window tool 56
registration, software 20, 33
time zone
related information 15
overview 42
release notes 15
setting 65
requirements, platform 19
Time Zone Settings dialog 65
route, measuring 143
title bar 43
toolbars 54
displaying 55
S floating a toolbar 55
Save tool 56 Mouse 57
saving data dictionary 131 selecting a tool 56
Select Base Provider dialog 80, 87, 151 Standard 56, 57
Select Project dialog 67 Utility 58
Select tool 57, 108 Trimble website 15
selecting troubleshooting
items on Map or Time Line 51 Data Transfer problems 175
project 65, 67 general problems 169
selecting GPS sessions for correction 81 internet connection 168
sending error report 16 internet files 169
Shapefile (.shp) format 118 Map window 164
importing data from 134 printing 167
single use license 32, 40 Time Line window 164
Web Map Server 172

GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide 181

tutorial 61 properties 161
Tutorial.ddf file 75 selecting 51
viewing in Map window 46
Web Map Server problems 172
U windows
see also Map window
units 59 see also Time Line window
updating the software 37, 38 overview 46
upgrade, software 25 panning, manually 50
utilities saving layout of 53
Batch Processor 58 selecting an item in 51
Combine 58 zooming in 48
Data Dictionary Editor 58 zooming out 49
Data Transfer 58 zooming to extents 49
Differential Correction 58 zooming to previous scale 49
Export 58, 113 Windows Error Reporting 16
Grouping 58 World Wide Web site 15
Import 58
Utility toolbar 58
Z
V Zoom Extents tool 58
Zoom In tool 57
vector files 97
Zoom Out tool 58
viewing
Zoom Previous tool 58
attributes 108
zooming
certain features 140
in 48
offsets 109
out 49
positions 139
to see everything 49
to see the previous scale 49

W
waypoint file
closing 162
creating 158
Waypoint Properties tool 56
waypoints
creating 161
limits 162
overview 158

18 2 GPS Pathfinder Office Software Getting Started Guide

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