Last Updated 09/30/99

Party Chief Surveying Software

Party Chief Surveying Software
Basic Cogo * Advanced Cogo * Data Collection

What Is Party Chief?

Party Chief is a total surveying system that runs on the HP48. Using Party Chief, you can take and record shots, perform surveying computations, manage and maintain your data. You can also transfer information from the field to the office and back again.

What Can Party Chief Do?

Party Chief is completely equipped with the programs that you need to produce accurate work quickly and economically. Party Chief's designers, professional surveyors, created programs that deliver maximum output from minimum input. Party Chief is so easy to use that you will be up and running minutes after taking it out of the box.

Why Use Party Chief?

Coordinate Geometry

The coordinate geometry software allows you to compute 3-D coordinates with ease. It's ability to interact with the stack allows you to use the calculator to solve for data and then use that data to run programs without writing anything down. We include all the necessary programs to solve the most complex problems.

How Party Chief Works

The keyboard overlay we supply with the software is designed to allow you to access programs with a minimum of keystrokes. Party Chief offers two modes of operation for both beginners and experienced users. For example, there are two ways to perform a stakeout tie. When working in beginner mode pressing the stakeout key will display the screen below:

Just enter the Backsite, Occupied and Stakeout point numbers and press the softkey to quickly compute the results. Experienced users can simply enter a point number and press the stake-out key to compute the results from the last occupied point. No other software package offers this type of flexibility. You can switch between these two modes at any time.

Party Chief allows you to maintain and access multiple files. This means you can interactively work between files with any cogo function.

The cogo functions can also accept and display angles in degrees-minutes-seconds format. The trigonometry functions also support this format.

Construction Stakeout

Party Chief includes the most powerful and easy to use stake out programs available. The software can interface with Total Stations or data can be entered manually. When staking out you can occupy a known point or use the Resection program to set up your instrument anywhere in view of two known points.

Stake by Points or Station/Offset

The stake program allows you to stake out by point number or station and offset. When staking, the program will continually display Left/Right, Ahead/Back, and Cut/Fill data for each point.

The station and offset program supports Baselines, Horizontal Curves, Vertical Curves and Straight Gradelines. When using curves the program can compute data on the back tangent, the curve itself and the forward tangent as shown below:

You can combine both horizontal and vertical alignment data allowing you to compute and stake-out 3-D coordinates with ease. Templates can also be attached to define road cross sections and to slope stake.

Gradesheets

After staking a point a single keystroke will record the stakeout data in a gradesheet file. An instant gradesheet can be printed on the job site. A full report can also be generated for quick verification of points staked.

Topo Collection

Topo collection is designed to collect raw data for Digital Terrain Mapping. This allows all line work and symbols to be reproduced on a finished map.

How It Works

When collecting topo data the keyboard is reassigned with topo features to provide a simple, efficient interface. For example, to locate a fire hydrant you would press for utility symbols and the following menu would be displayed

Now press [3] and the software will automatically shoot the instrument and record the data. You are now ready to take your next shot.

Additional Features

Communications

Party Chief can interface with all Total Stations that have an RS-232C port. This includes Topcon, Sokkia, Leica, Nikon, Pentax, Geodimeter, Zeiss and others.

Party Chief User Response

"Some of it's features are downright ingenious. The method of coding (during topo collection) is the simplest and most efficient that I have ever seen. I am highly pleased and excited by the software, and am looking forward to many profitable surveys using it."
William D. Fleming R.L.S. Anchorage, Alaska

"I believe that of all of the HP48 software I have used yours is the best, far ahead of the others. You include the most features, all needed by the serious surveyor."
Thomas B. Wilson P.L.S. East Longmeadow, Massachusetts


Party Chief consists of three sepatate modules: Basic Cogo, Advanced Cogo, and Collection. The Basic Cogo module is required, the other two are optional. The tables below list various programs and features available in each module.


Basic Coordinate Geometry

The Party Chief Basic Coordinate Geometry software is the most powerful, and affordable software package on the market. The software is designed to let you solve survey computations with ease. The software comes on a 128K card that plugs into the back of the HP48GX. The following programs are included in the Basic Cogo module.

Circle Solutions

  • From any two pieces of data (Delta, Radius, Arc, Chord, Tangent) compute the remaining values.
  • Computes midordinate, external, sector area, & segment area.

Triangle Solutions

  • Compute solutions to Side-Angle-Side, Angle-Side-Angle, Side-Side-Angle, and Side-Side-Side.
  • The area is also computed.

Elevations

  • 2 methods of setting the Instrument Elevation.
  • It can also use Total Station or Level and Rod data to compute elevations and cut/fills.

Cogo Programs

  • Traverse with Bearings, Azimuths, and Angles
  • Inverse with Point Numbers and Coordinates
  • Sideshots
  • Stakeout Ties
  • Resection
  • Offset/Run (Compute offset and run of a point from a baseline)
  • Radius Point (Compute a Radius point from 3 known points)

Intersections

  • Line-Line with Angles & Offsets
  • Line-Distance with Angle & Offset
  • Distance-Distance

Areas

  • Compute areas with point numbers or coordinates.
  • Figure may contain lines and curves.
  • Print area summary to a serial or infrared printer.
  • Compute predetermined areas using swing or slide method. You do not need to isolate a triangle, the program works with the DMD area routine.

Stakeout

  • Stake out by coordinates, point numbers, or station/offset
  • Interfaces with your instrument to provide left/right & come/go distances to get you on the point
  • Automatically generates cut/fill for coordinates with elevations
  • User settable angle tolerance prevents errors

Horizontal Baselines

  • Lay out lines and curves
  • Generates coordinates or radial stakeout data from any station and offset.
  • The baseline can be linked with a vertical profile for three dimensional work.

Vertical Profiles

  • Lay out lines
  • Lay out vertical curves
  • Generate grades from a station and vertical offset.

File Manager

  • Directory
  • Create
  • Delete
  • Search
  • File Info
  • Resize
  • Renumber
  • Rename

File Access

  • STORE Point North, East, Elev, and Text
  • RECALL Point North, East, Elev, and Text
  • Edit cogo files with a full screen display of points

Transferring Files

  • Communicate with another HP48 or a PC using FileMan48, our transfer/database software.
  • Print Cogo files to a infrared or serial printer.

Configure

  • Select type of input (Manual or Automatic) from:
    • Hor.Angle, Zen.Angle, Slope Distance
    • Hor.Angle, Ver.Angle, Slope Distance
    • Hor.Angle, Hor.Distance, Vert. Distance.
    • Automatic includes Lietz, Topcon, Wild, Nikon, Geodimeter, Pentax, and Zeiss Total Stations.
  • Select North or South azimuth mode in addition to bearings.

Trig. Functions

  • All Trig functions can use angles in degrees or DMS format. The following functions are included: SIN, ASIN, COS, ACOS, TAN, ATAN, RD, DR, RP, PR, DMS+, DMS-, DMS*, DMS÷

Traverse Adjustment

  • A simple yet powerful compass rule program allows you to test angles and closure separately or simultaneously. You can edit and test the data numerous times before adjusting it into a cogo file. It can print a summary to a serial or infrared printer.

Advanced Coordinate Geometry

Party Chief Advanced Coordinate Geometry software offers some of the most powerful programs ever written for the HP48. Its major enhancement over the basic package is that it allows you to store horizontal baselines and vertical profiles in files. This allows you to store entire roads and utility lines in a single file. You can compute XYZ coordinates with just a station and offset. It also includes Gradesheets to give you quick verification of points that were staked out. You will need a PC serial cable and access to a PC to download programs to the HP 48. This package includes all the Basic Coordinate Geometry programs plus the following.

Match

This program will compute the best match between two files which are on different grid. This will provide the data needed to rotate and translate one of the files. This program is very useful for setting outlines.

Rotate and Translate

Allows you to rotate and translate a cogo file at the same time. The file can be scaled if necessary. It can also adjust vertical data as well.

Horizontal Baseline Files

Baseline files allow you to store miles of roads and utilities. It works by linking horizontal baselines together. Baseline files can be downloaded to your PC using FileMan48 for archiving and printing.

Vertical Gradeline Files

Gradeline files allow you to store miles of roads and utilities by linking vertical profiles together. Gradeline files can be downloaded to your PC using FileMan48 for archiving and printing.

Templates

Templates define the complete cross section of a roadway. Link templates with a vertical profile so you can stake out curbs, water lines, and sewer lines with ease. You can also plot templates on the HP48 screen. Templates can be downloaded to your PC using FileMan48 for archiving and printing.

Slope Stake

Allows you to radially slope stake using a horizontal and vertical baseline linked with a template. Slope staking has never been easier.

Gradesheets

The Gradesheet program is very simple to use, and can produce impressive print-outs. A serial printer is required to print Gradesheets from the HP 48 or they may be downloaded to the PC. The software allows you to print instant reports for contractors and government agencies, and full reports for your records. Full reports show the raw and computed data used to stake out points. It then computes an error so that you can quickly check points that were staked out. Gradesheets can be downloaded to your PC using FileMan48 for archiving and printing.

Cogo Collection

This program allows you to collect cogo points with ease. Unlike the Topo Collection software, this program will not store the raw data. It automatically converts the raw data into coordinates as you collect points. Each shot is stored with north and east coordinates, an elevation and text description. The points can be used instantly after collecting them. The raw data can be entered manually or with a total station.

Data Collection

The Party Chief Data Collection module provides fast efficient coding of points located in the field. Data collection stores all the raw data associated with a measurement, allowing you to collect topo before having coordinates for your control. This means you can collect topo before your traverse is adjusted. Raw topo data can then be reduced to coordinates either in the field on the HP48, or in the office using FileMan48 or Survey Chief.

The data collection module is used with either Basic Cogo or Advanced Cogo.

Party Chief prices and ordering
Home RAMSS Survey Hydro Hardware Prices Updates Support Download

RAMSS Inc. * Surveying & Engineering Software
54 Winters Street * Westminster, MD 21157
800-617-7267 Sales * 410-876-7267 Support * 410-876-7603 Fax

Copyright © 1999 by RAMSS Inc. All rights reserved. Party Chief and the RAMSS logo are trademarks of RAMSS Inc. HP48 is a trademark of Hewlett Packard.

Revision History
02/10/99 Reformatted with table, added DL button, revised address, added META.
03/01/99 incorporated main brochure text
09/30/99 added bc, ac anchors for links from order and link to order, changed colors