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Monitoring Point Movement

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 About this tutorial

About this tutorial

This tutorial steps you through the workflow for comparing point coordinates measured
on-site over a 3-day period (three epochs) to determine point movement (displacement)
during that time.
The workflow provides an excellent method for periodic or campaign-based monitoring
of earth or structure movement over a period of time.

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

Step 1. Sign in using your free Trimble Identification (TID)

In this tutorial, you will create a Trimble Connect cloud-based project into which you will
import monitoring point data so it can be retrieved and compared from epoch to epoch
in TBC. Therefore, if you have not already done so, you must sign in to external Trimble
services using your free Trimble Identification (TID) before continuing.

Note: Although you need to access only Trimble Connect for this workflow, you can
easily access the following external Trimble services as well with a single sign-in using
your free Trimble Identification (TID):
- Trimble Clarity
- Trimble Connect
- Works Manager
- Machine Data Service
- WorksOS

To sign in with your existing TID, or create a new TID:

1. Do either of the following:
 Select the Log In link on the TBC Start Page.

 Select the Login link located on the right end of the TBC ribbon.

2. In the Sign In window, either enter your TID credentials and click Sign In, or click
Create new Trimble ID to create a free TID account.

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 Step 2. Create the reference monitoring epoch

Once you are signed in, you can continue with the tutorial.

Note: It is recommended that you have a Trimble Connect Business subscription before
using the TBC Monitoring module. With a Trimble Connect Personal subscription (free
with every TID), only one monitoring project can be created using TBC. The Trimble
Connect Business subscription allows you to create unlimited monitoring projects. A
Trimble Connect Business subscription can be obtained in any of the following ways:

- Included with any Trimble Business Center subscription purchase.

- Included (3 total) with a Trimble Access Protection Plan. (Contact your local Trimble
Distributor to obtain access.)

- Included with the purchase of a monthly or yearly subscription to Trimble Connect

Business at connect.trimble.com

Step 2. Create the reference monitoring epoch

In this step, you will create a new TBC project and import point data for the first of three
monitoring epochs you want to create. Because this first epoch has the earliest time
stamp, it is referred to as the reference or baseline epoch. A reference epoch is required
to establish a baseline of point coordinates to which coordinates added in subsequent
epochs are compared to show point displacement over time.
You will then create a cloud-based project on Trimble Connect and upload (synchronize)
the data from the reference epoch in TBC to the cloud-based project.
1. On the TBC Start Page, click the New Project button.
2. In the New Project dialog, verify <Blank Template> is selected, and click OK.
You will now save the new project and include in the VCE project name the date for
the epoch data you will import into it: May 26, 2020. Including the date in the
project file name makes it easier to manage the collection of TBC project files that
might be required to perform monitoring on a site over a period of time.
3. To save the new TBC project:
a. In the TBCribbon, select File > Save
b. In the SaveAs dialog, enter the project file name Tutorial 5-26-2020 and save the
project to your downloaded ..\MonitoringPointMovement tutorial folder.

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 Step 2. Create the reference monitoring epoch

Next, you will import the reference epoch point data measured at the site on May
26, 2020. The data is contained in a JXL file included in your downloaded
..\MonitoringPointMovement\Data tutorial folder.
4. In the ..\MonitoringPointMovement\Data folder, click and drag the file Site1 05-26-
2020.jxl onto the Plan View in TBC to import the data into the project.

5. To verify that the correct coordinate system was imported into the project correctly:
a. In the TBC Status Bar, located at the bottom of the TBC window, click the
Coordinate System Zone control labeled Bayern 12 to display the Coordinate
System section of the Project Settings.

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 Step 2. Create the reference monitoring epoch

The coordinate system data was imported correctly.

b. Click Cancel to close the Project Settings dialog.
Next you will create a new point monitoring project on the Trimble Connect cloud.
Monitoring point data from this and each subsequent epoch will be stored in the
project on the cloud so it can be retrieved and viewed in subsequent TBC point
monitoring projects comparing the same point data.
6. To create a new point monitoring project on the Trimble Connect cloud:
a. In the TBC ribbon, select Monitoring > Manage > Assign Monitoring Project to
display the Assign Monitoring Project command pane.

b. Click the Monitoring project drop-down list and select (+) Create New Project.
c. In the New project name field, enter Tutorial.

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 Step 2. Create the reference monitoring epoch

d. Click the Create Project button.

The new Tutorial project is created on the Trimble Connect cloud, and it is
selected in the Monitoring project list.
Next, you will change the monitoring epoch date to match the date the point
data was measured.
e. In the Monitoring epoch field, change the date to 05/26/2020.
There is no need to change the time.

f. Click the Save button.

The Assign Monitoring Project command pane closes, and the Tutorial project is
saved on the Trimble Connect cloud. A new Monitoring Project Tutorial node
displays in the Project Explorer.

Next, you will select the points in the TBC project to be used to create monitoring
points that can be uploaded to the new cloud-based Tutorial project.
7. To create new monitoring points:
a. In the TBC ribbon, select Monitoring > Manage > Create Monitoring Points to
display the Create Monitoring Points command pane.

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 Step 2. Create the reference monitoring epoch

b. Click in the Points to monitor field. Then, in the Project Explorer, use Shift +
click to select all of the points (12 through 32). Then, use Ctrl + click to de-select
points 14 and 15.

You are omitting points 14 and 15 from your selection because these points
have Control Quality and will not move from epoch to epoch.
c. Click the Create Points button.
d. When prompted to save the project before continuing, click Yes.
The synchronization process begins immediately. A Progress Bar dialog displays
showing the progress of the process.

During synchronization, the monitoring points are transferred to the Trimble

cloud where they are added as a new epoch to the Trimble monitoring project.
The monitoring point nodes are added as child nodes to the parent Monitoring
Project parent node in the Project Explorer, which turns red during
synchronization and then black when synchronization is complete.

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 Step 3. Create subsequent monitoring epochs

Data synchronization is required to calculate displacements between epochs and

generate the monitoring deliverables described later in this tutorial.
This completes the creation of your monitoring project on the Trimble Connect
cloud and the synchronization of the data in the reference epoch.
8. In the TBC ribbon, select File > Close. When prompted to save changes, click Yes.

Step 3. Create subsequent monitoring epochs

Each subsequent epoch in your Trimble Connect monitoring project will compare that
epoch's point coordinates with coordinates in the reference epoch and other previous
epochs in the monitoring project to show point displacement over time.
In this step, you will create two additional epochs for the Tutorial monitoring project on
the Trimble Connect cloud: one each for point data measured on May 27, 2020 and May
28, 2020.
1. Create a new TBC project, name it Tutorial 5-26-2020.vce, and save it to your
downloaded ..\MonitoringPointMovement tutorial folder.
2. In the ..\MonitoringPointMovement\Data folder, click and drag the file Site1 05-27-
2020.jxl onto the Plan View in TBC to import the data into the new project.
3. In the TBC Status Bar, verify that the Coordinate System Zone control is labeled
Bayern 12.

4. To assign the monitoring project:

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 Step 3. Create subsequent monitoring epochs

a. In the TBC ribbon, select Monitoring > Manage > Assign Monitoring Project to
display the Assign Monitoring Project command pane.
b. Click the Monitoring project drop-down list and select Tutorial.
c. In the Monitoring epoch field, change the date to 05/27/2020.

d. Click the Save button.

The Assign Monitoring Project command pane closes, and the Tutorial project is
saved on the Trimble Connect cloud. A new Monitoring Project Tutorial node
displays in the Project Explorer. Nested beneath it are nodes representing each of
the monitoring points synchronized to the Tutorial monitoring project in the first
(reference) epoch.

5. To synchronize all of the newly imported points to the Tutorial project:

a. In the TBC ribbon, select Monitoring > Manage > Create Monitoring Points to
display the Create Monitoring Points command pane.
Because the same point IDs have already been uploaded to the Tutorial project
on the Trimble Connect cloud, all of the monitoring points selected for the
reference epoch are automatically selected.

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 Step 3. Create subsequent monitoring epochs

b. Click the Create Points button.

c. When prompted to save the project before continuing, click Yes.
The synchronization process begins immediately. A Progress Bar dialog displays
showing the progress of the process. All of the monitoring nodes are red during
synchronization and change to black when synchronization is complete.

After synchronization is complete, note that displacement vector arrows are

displayed in the Plan View indicating changes in the points' coordinates between
the two epochs. You will take a closer look at displacement after you create the
third epoch.

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 Step 3. Create subsequent monitoring epochs

This completes the synchronization of the data in the second epoch.

6. Save and close the project.
7. Use the previous steps to create a third epoch using the point data from the
..\MonitoringPointMovement\Data\Site1 05-28-2020.jxl file.
After synchronization is complete for the third epoch, note that larger displacement
vector arrows are displayed in the Plan View than were displayed with the second
epoch, indicating additional changes in the points' coordinates between the
reference epoch and the third epoch.

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 Step 4. Verify Warning and Alarm thresholds

Step 4. Verify Warning and Alarm thresholds

Before viewing point displacement information for the three epochs, you will verify the
Warning and more severe Alarm threshold values that, if exceeded, will result in color
coding being applied to point displacement vector arrows displayed in graphic views. A
yellow displacement vector arrow indicates that the point displacement exceeds one or
more Warning thresholds, but does not exceed any Alarm thresholds. A red
displacement vector arrow indicates that the point displacement exceeds one or more
Alarm thresholds.
Also, if either the △2D, △3D, or △Elevation option is selected exclusively in the
Monitoring Point Chart (as explained in "Step 5. View monitoring point movement"),
the chart is shaded to show coordinates that exceed the specified Warning threshold
(yellow) or Alarm threshold (red).
To view and verify Warning and Alarm thresholds:
1. In the Project Explorer, select all of the monitoring point nodes nested beneath
Monitoring Project Tutorial > Monitoring Points. Then, right-click and select
Properties to display the Properties pane.

2. Scroll to the Warning Thresholds and Alarm Thresholds sections to view the default
threshold settings for all of the selected monitoring points.
You could change the threshold for all of the monitoring points, which you will not
do for this tutorial. Or, you could change the thresholds for a specific point, as
described in "Step5. View monitoring point movement".

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 Step 5. View monitoring point movement

Step 5. View monitoring point movement

In this step, you will view the movement (displacement) information for both a single
monitoring point and for all of the monitoring points in the project.
1. To view displacement for a specific monitoring point in the Properties pane and
Plan View:
a. In the Project Explorer, right-click Monitoring Project Tutorial > Monitoring
Points > 25 and select Properties to display the point's Properties pane.
The Displacement section of the pane shows the read-only displacement values
for the current (third epoch) point coordinates when compared to the point's
coordinates in the reference epoch.

As you can see, the △2D displacement value exceeds the 2d warning threshold
but does not exceed the 2D alarm threshold.
b. Since the point 25 displacement vector arrow is selected in the Plan View, click
off of it to de-select it.
You can see that the arrow is colored yellow, indicating its Warning status. The
length of the arrow indicates the distance of the displacement of the point
between the reference epoch and the third epoch.

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 Step 5. View monitoring point movement

Next, you will change the 2D alarm threshold for monitoring point 32 so that its
△2D displacement value no longer exceeds the threshold.

2. To change the 2D alarm threshold for monitoring point 32:

a. Select monitoring point 32 n the Project Explorer to display its Properties pane.

b. In the Properties pane, change the 2D alarm threshold from .007 to .008 and
press the Tab key to save your change.

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 Step 5. View monitoring point movement

c. Click off of the 32 displacement vector arrow in the Plan View to de-select it.
Before lowering the 2d alarm threshold, the displacement vector arrow is red,
indicating an Alarm status .

After lowering the 2d alarm threshold, the displacement vector arrow is yellow,
indicating a Warning status .

Next, you will view a Displacement Chart for monitoring point 25 to better views its
displacement between each of the three epochs.
3. In the Project Explorer, right-click Monitoring Project Tutorial > Monitoring Points
> 32 and select Show Monitoring Chart to display the Displacement chart: 32 tab.

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 Step 5. View monitoring point movement

The Displacement Chart displays displacement values along a scrollable epoch

timeline. The chart provides a simple visual tool for determining trends in a single
point's movement in its separate components, which are listed as display options
along the bottom of the chart. Just click to hide or show any option or combination
of options.
For more specific information, you can hover your cursor over each of the epoch
milestones in the chart:

In this case, you can see that monitoring point 32 moved horizontally away from the
reference epoch in the second epoch, and it moved farther away in the third epoch.
Elevation-wise, the point moved higher in the second epoch and then lower
(beneath the reference epoch) in the third epoch.
Here is an example with all options (components) selected.

If either the △2D, △3D, or △Elevation option is selected exclusively, the chart is
shaded to show coordinates that exceed the specified Warning threshold (yellow) or
Alarm threshold (red).

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 Step 5. View monitoring point movement

You can use the Chart context menu located in the upper-right corner of the chart
to print the chart to a printer or PDF file, or select to save the chart as an image.

Next, you will generate a Monitoring Points Report that contains complete
displacement information for all of the monitoring points using tables, charts, and
scatter plots.
4. Ensure no monitoring points are selected in the Project Explorer. Then, in the TBC
ribbon, select Monitoring > Deliverables > Show Monitoring Report to display the
Monitoring Report.

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 Step 5. View monitoring point movement

The report includes multiple sections, each providing displacement information via
various prespectives.
The scatter plots at the beginning of th report provide useful diagrams for
diagnosing outliers based on time. On the x- and y-axis of the plot are one of three
coordinate components. The points are color-coded based on when they were
measured in the time series.

The combined point displacement Component Charts provide context showing how
all points are moving in specific components. This can help diagnose trends across
the project site or individual points that exhibit abnormal movement behaviors.

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 Step 5. View monitoring point movement

The individual point displacement Point Charts allow for analysis of specific points.
Any measurements outside of the Warning and Alarm thresholds are flagged using
triangle and star symbols.

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 Step 5. View monitoring point movement

The final section of the report provides a tabular view of displacement values. Any
movements outside of the tolerance relative to the reference epochs are flagged
yellow (Warning) or red (Alarm). In addition, displacement values to the previous
epoch are displayed to verify when substantial movement has occurred.

As with all reports in TBC, you can use the controls located at the top of the report
to download the report as a PDF file or print it to a printer.

Finally, you will view the Monitoring Points Spreadsheet, which includes point
displacement values for all monitoring points in the project, along with
Warning/Alarm statuses and specified Warning/Alarm threshold values.

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 Step 5. View monitoring point movement

5. In the TBC ribbon, select Monitoring > Deliverables > Monitoring Points
Spreadsheet to display the Monitoring Points Spreadsheet.

As with all spreadsheets in TBC, you can use the built-in controls to sort by column
headings, hide columns, copy rows, and make selections.

This concludes the tutorial.

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