Ping to Standard Sheet: experiences in streamlining the processes to sheet creation using CARIS products
Mr. David Field, iXSurvey Australia Pty Ltd, Australia
Abstract
Some organisations still require a survey standard sheet as a product deliverable for contract surveys. Depending on the methods employed this process can often be time consuming. This paper will look at the efficiencies gained from employing a wider range of CARIS products and processes in the data processing and sheet creation phase of the project. It will draw on the experiences of using CARIS products over the previous several years. For survey sheet creation past methodologies of relying solely on CARIS GIS to create survey sheets would often require hours of computer processing to generate a product. By utilising more functions from CARIS HIPS the time taken to transform a processed data set into a survey sheet product has been significantly reduced. This has been achieved by a number of methods such as exporting BASE Surfaces from HIPS for DTM and GDE representations rather than creating these in CARIS GIS. For Cross Line comparisons a limitation of the HIPS QC Report function is that does not allow differences to be represented on a survey sheet. Using CARIS BASE Editor to conduct Surface Difference computations for eventual display on the survey sheet bridged this gap. Whilst both of these processes can be conducted within CARIS GIS the speed of computation and quality of product is far superior using HIPS and BASE Editor. For data processing efficiencies were initially gained from the use of CUBE Processing and Surface Filters. However, difficulties were experienced on steep and rapidly changing terrain. This created a need to employ both CUBE and area based cleaning processes but with an overall efficiency gained. Full use of the HIPS Sound Velocity Correction tool was required in a recent survey were large variations in SV were experienced. By making the maximum use of the XTF data format flexibility and the SVC tool a process was developed where data collection and post processing procedures effectively replicated surveying with a Moving Vessel Profiler. Overall, efficiencies have been realised by employing a wider number of products and there processes in both the data processing and product creation phases of a survey. The aim is to further streamline the product creation process by using CARIS Plot Composer 5.0, once released. The results of this work will be used in the final paper and presentation to show the efficiencies gained by employing the new processes and products.
David Field
IHO Cat A Surveyor, Operations Director, iXSurvey Australia Pty Ltd. Dave Field began his hydrographic career with the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) in 1998. He completed his IHO Category B survey course at the Royal Australian Navy base HMAS PENGUIN in 2000 before returning to NZ and serving primarily onboard HMNZS RESOLUTION, the RNZN’s survey vessel. In 2002 Field undertook a 2.5 year exchange with the Royal Navy (RN) and was part of the commissioning crew of the RN’s then newest vessel, HMS ECHO. In 2004 Field completed his IHO Category A survey course at HMS DRAKE, UK before returning to NZ. On return to NZ Field spent time at the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) Joint Geospatial Support Facility as a Staff Officer dealing in hydrography and other geospatial matters. Field returned to sea in early 2005 as the Survey Operations Officer onboard HMNZS RESOLUTION undertaking surveys on behalf of Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) around NZ and the South West Pacific. In 2007 he returned ashore to the position of Officer in Command of the Detached Hydrographic Survey Unit contributing towards the NZDF’s Beach Survey and Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) capability. Also in 2007 Field was fortunate enough to attend the International Hydrographic Conference as a delegate accompanying the LINZ delegation.
In late 2007, having reached the rank of Lieutenant Commander and having completed nearly every survey job the RNZN had to offer, Field resigned from the RNZN to undertake new challenges with iXSurvey Australia. In the first half of 2008 Field completed three multibeam surveys in Fiordland National Park on contract to LINZ.