Spectra Precision Survey Pro v4.6 Ranger User Manual - Manual (Page 55)

Getting Started
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Polylines
Lines can be added to your project that can represent anything such
as a roadway, a building, or a lot boundary. These lines are referred
to as polylines. Polylines can be compared to the point lists used in
other TDS data collection software. They can consist of several
individual curved and straight sections. A point must be stored in the
project for all the locations on the polyline where a new section begins
and ends.
Polylines can be used to compute information such as the perimeter
and area for a lot boundary. They can also make it easier to compute
and store offset points for the sides of a roadway when a polyline
exists that defines a roadway centerline.
Refer to the Reference Manual for information on all the screens that
are used to create and edit polylines.
Alignments
Alignments are similar to polylines in that they define specific lines
in the current job and typically describe the centerline of a road. An
alignment can then be used in the Offset Staking, Offset Points,
Offset Lines, and Slope Staking screens. Unlike polylines,
alignments do not need points for the locations where the alignment
changes (called nodes).
Alignments are created by separately defining the horizontal and
vertical details of a line. Although no points are required to define an
alignment, the starting position must be tied to a specific location in
the current job, the POB, which can be defined by an existing point or
known coordinates.
The horizontal and vertical details of an alignment are defined in
sections. The first horizontal and vertical section always begins at
the specified starting location and each new segment is appended to
the previous horizontal or vertical segment.