Edit-Process Level Data

This command is for entering and calculating level data. It has a spreadsheet editor for entering the level measurements, and the level calculations are updated as the data is entered. There is also a processing and reporting feature.

Carlson Software supports two level file formats:

LEV Files: The .LEV file is the old format. You can still edit and process files in this format. The LEV format only supports differential levels, single and three-wire. The LEV file has 5 record types:

    1) SR - Start Record. Contains the starting benchmark measurement.
    2) TP - Turning point record, contains the backsight and foresight to the turning point.
    3) LV - Side Shot (or level) record. Contains the foresight measurement to the point.
    4) ER - End Record, contains the measurement to the ending benchmark.
    5) Note/Comment - starts with two dashes

TLV Files: The TLV file format can contain Differential and/or Trig-Level data. This is Carlson's new format and is supported by SurvCE (Carlson data collection program). The TLV file has the following record types:

    1) H1 - First header record contains project information
    2) H2 - Second header record contains date, time, temperature and pressure information
    3) BM - Benchmark record, contains the point number, elevation and description of the benchmark.
    4) LS - Rod height, only used with TRIG-LEVEL data.
    5) BS- Backsight measurement. This record contains the backsight point number and measurement:
             a) Differential data: VD and HD - Vertical Difference (rod reading) and Horizontal Distance
             b) Trig data: SD/ZE - Slope Distance and Zenith Angle
    6) FS - Foresight measurement. This record contains the foresight point number and measurement.
             a) Differential data: VD and HD - Vertical Difference (rod reading) and Horizontal Distance
             b) Trig data: SD/ZE - Slope Distance and Zenith Angle
    7) Note/Comment - starts with two dashes

This routine runs the *.TLV / *.LEV file editor and file report functions.

LEV File Editor:
 If you are creating a new .LEV file, you must choose either single-wire or three-wire for your level format data entry preference.

Three Wire leveling, or precise leveling, is a process of direct leveling wherein three cross hairs, or threads, are read and recorded rather than the single horizontal cross hair. Note below, in the sample three-wire editor graphic, the additional columns representing top and bottom readings.

The commands starts by asking you, with a dialog box, to select an existing level file  (.LEV) to process or to select a name for a new level file. The below examples are using existing files. Once this choice is made the small, Level Format dialog appears.

Format choice box

Regardless of whether you choose Single or Three Wire, the Level Editor appears in its own window. Below we see the editor displaying the contents of two existing files of level information. One is single wire and the other is three wire. The pulldown menus are the same for both, as described below in detail.

In the spreadsheet, the background color of the cells indicate the data type. White cells are for user-specified values. Blue cells are program calculated values. Black cells are data fields that aren't used by the level record for that row.

Level File Editor - sample Single Wire data

Level File Editor - sample Three Wire data
File->Settings

File: Standard File routines - Open, Save, Save As, Settings, Print and Exit. Settings brings up a dialog where you can adjust the 3-wire tolerance and distance values. Open will allow you to open up another existing .LEV file.
File->Import: This routine imports Carlson .LEV format, Leica level data in .GSI or .XML format, TDS .RAW format, Topcon or Trimble .DAT format into the level editor.
File->Settings: This function has a setting for whether to use the Report Formatter for the Print function. The Report Formatter allows for customized reports and output to Excel. Without the Report Formatter, the Print function creates an automatic report.
Edit: Cut, Copy, Paste and Go To. Go To will take you to the row of your choosing.
Add: These options provide the standard level run routines. Details on each and a graphic of the pulldown follow.
Tools: This pulldown is for adjusting and storing elevations.

The Add and Tools pulldowns at the top of the editor provide the following features:

Level Editor - Add pulldown menu

Level Start (SR): Starts the level run, usually with a know starting elevation or benchmark.
Level Turning Point (TP): Turning point procedure for leveling.
Level Side Shot (LV): For entering leveling side shots.
Level End (ER): Enter your value.
Note: You can add a note, or comments, into the editor as you move through the level run.

Level Editor - Tools pulldown menu

Adjust Elevations: This function will do a simple adjustment of your level data and place the adjusted elevations in the Adjusted Elevation column. If you are running 3 wire level loop the corrections will be inversely proportionate to the distance between the measurements. If you are running a single wire level loop, the corrections will be averaged by the number of turns.
Store Elevations to Coordinate File: It is important that the point numbers in the level file match the point numbers in the coordinate file. If you have an active coordinate file passed to the level editor, this option will be available to you. The elevations calculated in the level file will be stored in the active coordinate file by matching point numbers. The point must exist in the coordinate file before an elevation will be stored. After the elevations have been stored, a report will show which points were stored and which ones were not. If adjusted elevations have been calculated, they will be stored. If not, the unadjusted elevations will be stored.

Selecting Print (editor File menu) provided this Level File Report sample

Editor Columns:
Type: These are small pulldown menus with two-letter level procedure choices. The two letters are abbreviations as indicated in the next dialog. These steps may be made with the Add pulldown or with this method. The options are SR, TP, ER, LV and DS. DS stands for description shot.
Point # - Point number of measurement.
BS - Backsight rod reading
HI - Calculated height of instrument
FS - Foresight rod reading
Elevation - Elevation of point
Code: The code is used by SurvNet for network least-squares processing of networked level loops. The code can be either EL or FE where EL is for calculated elevations and FE is for fixed elevations. FE should only be assigned to a START or END record (where you can enter the value for the adjusted elevation). If FE is assigned to an intermediate record it is ignored. Here is how the FE records are used. Say you run from one benchmark to another (point 1 to point 10). Point 1 and point 10 are the START and END records of the first loop and both are FE records. Then you start another loop at point 5 (halfway between 1 and 10). This is not a benchmark and can be adjusted so it should be assigned an EL code. Point 5 is the START record for the second loop. You run from point 5 to point 20 which is a benchmark. Point 20 is the END record and is assigned an FE code. When SurvNET processes the file, it will hold points 1, 10 and 20, allowing all others to be adjusted, including point 5 (even though it is a START record).
Adjusted Elevation - Adjusted elevation of point
Description - description of point

TLV File Editor:

TLV files can contain trig-level and/or differential level data. The editor will allow both type records in the same file.

Below is a sample Trig-Level TLV file:Below is a sample Differential-Level TLV file:

Menu Options:

File Menu:
 Open - Open an existing .TLV file.
New - Creates a new TLV level file.
Save - Save changes
Save As - Save as different file name
Settings - Not used with TLV files.
Import - You can import the following level file formats: Leica GSI format, Leica XML format, and Trimble DAT format.
Print - get hard copy printout of data.
Exit - Exit Level Editor Program

Edit Menu:
 Clipboard: Cut, Copy, Paste
Go To - "Go To" will  take you to the row of your choosing. Enter the row number.

Add Menu:
 Add: These options allow you to add or insert a new record into the level editor.
Benchmark Record (BM): Point with known elevation.
Backsight Record (BS): Differential-level measurement to the backsight point.
Foresight Record (FS): Differential-level measurement to foresight point.
Backsight Record (BT): Trig-level measurement to the backsight point.
Foresight Record (FT): Trig-level measurement to foresight point.
Note: You can add a note, or comments, into the editor as you move through the level run.

Tools Menu:

Adjust Elevations: This function will do a simple adjustment of your level data and place the adjusted elevations in the Adjusted Elevation column. If you have distances, either HD or SD for all your measurements, the corrections will be inversely proportionate to the distance between the measurements. If you are running a single wire level loop (VD but no HD), the corrections will be averaged by the number of turns.

Store Elevations to Coordinate File: It is important that the point numbers in the level file match the point numbers in the coordinate file. If you have an active coordinate file passed to the level editor, this option will be available to you. The elevations calculated in the level file will be stored in the active coordinate file by matching point numbers. The point must exist in the coordinate file before an elevation will be stored. After the elevations have been stored, a report will show which points were stored and which ones were not. If adjusted elevations have been calculated, they will be stored. If not, the unadjusted elevations will be stored.

Editor columns

Measurement records will have the following columns:
Trig Level Record:
 Type - Two character abbreviation that shows the record type:
    BM - Benchmark
    BS - Differential-level backsight record
    BT - Trig-Level backsight record
    FS - Differential-level foresight record
    FT - Trig-Level foresight record
    DS - Note or Comment
Point # - Point number of measurement.
RodHt - Rod reading
Zenith - Zenith angle
S.Dist - Slope Distance
HI/Elev - Elevation of HI if a backsight record, or the foresight point if a foresight record
Adjusted Elevation - Adjusted elevation of foresight point
Description - description of point

Differential Level Record:
 Type - Two character abbreviation that shows the record type, same as above.
Point # - Point number of measurement.
V.Diff- Rod Reading
H.Dist - Horizontal Distance
HI/Elev - Elevation of HI if a backsight record, or the foresight point if a foresight record
Adjusted Elevation - Adjusted elevation of foresight point
Description - description of point


Pulldown Menu Location: Survey
Keyboard Command: diglevel
Prerequisite: .LEV (level) file to process