Support Resources

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Collecting Locations with Orbitas

Orbitas Field is powerful data collection software for the Utility asset management industry.

Our custom Collection Form allows you to collection GPS accurate locations and freely edit the content being collected.

Locations can be classified in two different form factors. The first being what we would call a "dynamic" location and the second being a "static" location.

Dynamic location types will send you to a series of forms to further define your collected location after saving, while a static location type will send you back to main map screen after saving your current location.

Collecting a basic Location

To collect a basic Location within Orbitas first open a job and make sure you are connected to your Asteri GNSS receiver or other supported GPS solution. Or using ILS.

You can refer back to the Connecting an Asteri guide for help.

Once you have acquired a fix and an acceptable accuracy you can click the LOCATION COLLECTION Icon to being collecting a location.

The Location Collection Screen appears.

Location Collection Screen (Form)

The Location Collection form is a universal form within Orbitas Field that appears when you collect a location. Configuration aside, this form will always be the default collection form. While collecting a location you have the ability to change the Name, Location Type, Line Type, add a photo, and more!

  1. Current Job Name
  2. SAVE Icon
  3. Current Location Name
  4. Naming Conventions Icon
  5. Location Notes ( text editable)
  6. Current Latitude Value
  7. Current Longitude Value
  8. Current associated Parent
  9. Parent Selection Icon
  10. Current Location Type
  11. Location Type Selection Icon
  12. Current Line Type
  13. Line Type Selection Icon
  14. Photo Icon 
  15. Add a photo to the current location
  16. Sensor Data Field
  17. Displayed data from supported locator devices
  18. Current HORIZONTAL and VERTICLE values
  19. Current PDOP, HDOP, and VDOP values
  20. Positional Dilution of Precision, Horizontal Dilution of Precision, and Vertical Dilution of Precision
  21. Offset Location Feature Icon
  22. Copy Location Icon
  23. *no longer functioning on Orbitas v1.1.7

NAMING CONVENTION FORM

Locations collected in Orbitas are  numerated by default. The first location will be labeled 1, followed by 2, then 3, etc.. Orbitas allows the user to create custom naming conventions for collected locations. 

  • Prefix
  • This will add the entered Prefix to all newly collected locations after saving.
  • Number
  • Changes the current location number to the number entered. The next locations collected will follow suit. For example if you enter in 5 and save, this renames the current location to 5, and the next collected location will be 6.
  • Suffix
  • This will add the entered Suffix to all newly collected locations after saving.
LOCATION OFFSET FORM

You can perform an offset location using a rangefinder and this Location Offset Form. 

Refer to the Offset Location Support Note for more information. 

  • Bearing Value
  • Distance Value
  • Inclination Value

Click image to Enlarge

Editing a collected Location

To EDIT a previously collected Location simply open the job in which the Location was collected. Within the main map screen click on the desired location to access the 'quick menu

Select EDIT from the menu options.

You are brought to Location collection form. From here you can make the following edits:

  • Name
  • Note
  • Lattitude / Longitude Values
  • Change Parent
  • Change Location Type
  • Change Line Type
  • Add a photo
  • GPS move the Location‍

Once your Edits are made click the SAVE icon to lock in your edits and return to the map screen.

Changing Name of Location

Click on the NAMING tag on the top line of the collection form.

You can add a Prefix, a Suffix, and change the number scheme.

Enter your Prefix and Suffix name as desired. Be mindful of special characters like @&*+/ and extra spaces  after your naming convention as these may interfere with other programs database schemes  upon export.
Adding a Note

You can add a note to help further define your location, or make internal references that can help another field user.

Enter your notes as desired. Be mindful of special characters like @&*+/ and extra spaces  after your note as these may interfere with other programs database schemes  upon export.
Changing a Parent

Please read the standalone section on Understanding the Parenting System

Click to play video!

Changing Location Type

A powerful feature of Orbitas is the ability to collect different location & line types within a job. Location & Line types are configuration based so your types may differ from what is shown in this example. You can have multiple location & line types within a configuration.

To change a location type simply click on the LOCATION TYPE icon while in the collection form and choose your location type.

The current location will become the selected type and will continue to be used as the location type on collected locations until it is manually changed again, using the steps listed above.

Changing Line Type

Another powerful feature of Orbitas is the ability to collect locations on multiple lines within the same job. An example of this would be collecting several locations on a Water line, then while in the same job switching to an Electric line and continuing to collect locations. This ability allows multiple lines of collected locations that may or may not be related to each other.

You can change the Line Type from the Line Types menu on the main map screen.

Click on the LINE TYPES icon in the top right corner of the Orbitas

Select your desired Line Type and be brought back to the main map screen.

You should notice your Line Type is now selected.

This Line Type is now considered the “default” line type for the current job.

Continue collecting locations as normal. Your Line Type for each collected location will represent the selected default line.

Different Line types are represented on the map with different color lines connecting the locations on that line.

*NOTE* You can change the Line Type from the collection menu while collecting a location. However, using this method will change the Line Type for that location ONLY. 
The next location you collect will revert back to default line type.

Locations with different Line types will not parent by default.

Click image to Enlarge

Click to play video!

Adding a Photo to a Location

You can add a photo while collecting the initial location simply by clicking on the PHOTO icon on the collection form.

The process the same for when you are editing a location.

Click image to Enlarge

GPS Move a Location

GPS MOVE will re-locate the selected location to your current position.
To GPS move a location, click on the location from the main map and select EDIT.

Scroll to the bottom of the collection form and click on the GPS MOVE icon.

Please keep in mind this feature will instantly re-locate the Location and any units/spans and parenting to your current location.

Deleting a Location

*NOTE* Deleting a location will also remove the parenting. You may need to re-adjust your parenting sequence.

To delete a collected location, select which location to delete by clicking on it from the main map screen.

Select DELETE from the Quick Feature Menu, much like you would do with Editing a Location.

Click image to Enlarge

Click to play video!

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