What's New with Trimble Access Monitoring v1.1.5

The latest Trimble® Access™ Monitoring software release presents more user options to cater to different monitoring setup needs. Users can now incorporate scanning, further modify reporting, have flexibility in height measurement methods and shorten their observation measurement time.

This blog post will give a brief overview of each of the new enhancements. For more information, additional resources will be mentioned at the end.

New features

    •    Trimble SX10 and Trimble SX12 scanning in monitoring rounds
    •    Ability to remove incomplete rounds from reporting
    •    Height measurement methods are consistent with Trimble Access General Survey
    •    Optional angle and distance measurement method that allows for quicker rounds

Trimble SX10 and Trimble SX12 scanning in monitoring rounds

This version of Trimble Access Monitoring software supports incorporating scans into monitoring. Some unique advantages of using scans in monitoring include being able to monitor a large spatial area faster and without needing to predict movement patterns to set out appropriate targets. This can be especially useful when monitoring areas where it might not be safe to install targets due to limited accessibility, such as dam walls and landslide-prone areas.

There are different configurable scan settings available for the user. A user can choose the following settings: Framing, Scan density, and At distance. They also have the option to add scanning limits by specifying a minimum and maximum distance. The estimated scanning time is generated and displayed in order for the user to have a better understanding of how the configuration will affect the way they would want to schedule their monitoring rounds. Panoramic images can also be taken at the end of each monitoring round.

All the data gets stored in the Trimble Access project folder. The scans can be imported into Trimble Business Center to perform comparison scan inspections and generate scan inspection reports.

Ability to remove incomplete rounds from reporting

Users now have the option to exclude incomplete rounds from reports. The ability to not report on incomplete rounds can be beneficial if there is planned site activity in the middle of a monitoring round. The choice to discontinue the round prevents recording movement caused by vibrations from the site activity.

This is helpful when decision-makers who aren’t aware of the times the planned site activities take place have to review the reports. They won't be alarmed by false flags. The default is still set to include incomplete rounds so that the report represents everything that happened, but the default can easily be switched by choosing No in the Include Incomplete Rounds dropdown menu available on the Reports page.

Height measurement methods are consistent with Trimble Access General Survey

Trimble Access Monitoring now supports the bottom notch height measurement method in terms of both target height and station height information and this is consistent with the height measurement methods available in Trimble Access General Survey. This added flexibility supports semi-automated monitoring projects better.

Previously, the monitoring application only had the True height measurement method. For fully automated monitoring, instruments are permanently installed on-site and often mounted on a pillar. Measuring the true height of the instrument is easily measured from the top of the pillar. However, when measuring from a fixed reference station (e.g., a total station mounted on a pillar), the height of the targets does not have to be accurate—just precise—because the relative height displacement over time is what is being monitored.

On the other hand, with semi-automated monitoring projects, the instrument—and possibly the targets—need to be set up multiple times and often not on pillars. Each independent setup introduces unique errors. Because of this, to detect true movement from one site visit to another, it is essential to have accurate heights each time to reduce the influence of height measurement errors on the computed coordinates of the targets in each visit.

Without pillars, slant height measurements are common. The bottom notch height measurement method is more accurate than treating slant heights to the instrument or center of the prism as true heights. The bottom notch height measurement method corrects for the slant in the measurement and adds the appropriate vertical offset. This better supports semi-automated monitoring projects, where pillar setups are less common.

Optional angle and distance measurement method that allows for quicker rounds

Depending on the project requirements, saving time may be more valuable than having longer distance range capabilities. With the newest release, users have more flexibility to prioritize what is most appropriate for their project requirements. The flexibility comes from having the option to choose from two measurement methods. In the Trimble Access Monitoring software, one measurement method prioritizes distance capabilities and the other prioritizes speed.

In the Options page, when the Set instrument mode for distance setting is enabled, Trimble Access Monitoring software splits measurement-taking into two: an angle measurement and a distance measurement. This measurement method allows for taking measurements in all environmental conditions. In addition to splitting measurements, this setting will automatically select the appropriate working mode for the measured targets. For monitoring at open pit mines and dams—where the measurement distances can vary between medium range (50 - 100 m) to long range (500 - 2000 m) distances—switching between working modes automatically is beneficial.

In the newest version, choosing not to enable the Set instrument mode for distance option will increase the measuring speed because measurements are no longer split into two. However, the tradeoff is that the distance range may be reduced, which would be more noticeable when measuring in the LR Fine Lock working mode. This version’s flexibility enables users to choose the measuring mode most appropriate to their project needs. 

Recall that the different working modes are the following: Long Range FineLock, FineLock and Autolock. The Autolock working mode has a bigger search window for finding a prism. FineLock has a smaller search window. Therefore, the instrument is more capable at differentiating between two prisms that seem close to each other in an angular perspective from the instrument’s point of view. This can be helpful for tunneling and rail projects that follow a very linear direction and have targets set out at regular intervals. The Long Range FineLock working mode helps increase the distance capabilities while maximizing the ability to differentiate between targets.

Conclusion

Trimble Access Monitoring v1.1.5 software is reimagining the monitoring workflow for the field and the office. With this version, game-changing scanning capabilities are incorporated into monitoring rounds. Reports can be cleaned up by excluding incomplete rounds. Expanded options for height measurement methods further supports semi-automated project demands. Measurement time can be reduced through an optional measurement method.  Users now have more tools to make better decisions for their projects and resources while prioritizing safety.

Additional resources

Install or upgrade

To install Trimble Access Monitoring software or upgrade an existing version, follow the steps detailed in the Help Portal here.

More documentation

For more detailed technical updates on the new enhancements, please refer to Trimble® Access™ Monitoring software v1.1.5 release notes here. For further support information, go to the Support & Downloads section online.

Contact us

Reach out to the Trimble Monitoring team here to discuss your monitoring projects and learn more or contact your local Trimble Distribution Partner.