Free Stationing - How To

Free Stationing's Purpose

Free stationing lets you start measuring and recording existing conditions without using any control points. While the coordinate locations of the objects you measure may be arbitrary (and may have to be aligned to a design later), obtaining in-field as built conditions can be started right away.

Remember, however, that to use Free Stationing, you must be working on an empty project within HCL (no existing coordinate information, such as points or a CAD file). The software will prompt and help you make sure this is the case.

Free stationing's core use case is to perform as-builts for existing field conditions. These as-builts can then be used for several reasons:

1. Prepare a digital design to fit the as-built conditions
2. Troubleshoot the as-built conditions to compare them to your digital control point set up
3. Perform quality control of pre-laid out objects

It is likely that you will find your own unique use cases for using this station set up as well, given its convenience.

When should you not use Free Stationing?

If you have been given existing control points within a specific coordinate system to work with, using Free Stationing is likely not the stationing option you need. It would likely be better to first attempt to station via control points before resorting to use Free Stationing.

Remember that control points have specific coordinates given them within a design. When you station on the coordinates as the design calls for, it allows for total station measurements to also be directly aligned to the digital design.

Free Stationing is for when you are working in a situation where you can create your own coordinate system that you can use on independently.

How to Step 1: Create a Blank Project

Simply open the project application and create a new project - just make sure not to import any points or CAD files into it. Make sure that is the active project you are working in.

How to Step 2: Click on "Free Stationing"

Once you have your active "blank" project, you can click on "Free Stationing" from the home screen.

How-To Step 3: Observe your new Station Coordinates

Immediately when you press "Free Station," the total station assumes the coordinate location of 2000m N, 1000m E, and 100m H. The logic behind these coordinates is simple:

1. These are very high numbers, it is very unlikely that you will have to work with any negative values.
2. The N coordinate is distinctive from the E coordinate for convenience (potentially makes it easier to quickly distinguish Northern vs. Eastern values)

How-To Step 4: Adjust Station Height if Needed

While not always the case, it is likely that you would like to work with a specific height benchmark on the jobsite. If this is the case, before you begin, click the "set station height" tab under stationing on the home screen.

Here, you can adjust the height value of your working area to match your own benchmark if necessary.

If you are not working with heights, and would prefer to turn them off, simply go to general settings and turn heights off. In this mode, your total station will only record Norther and Eastern values as you work.

How-To Step 5: Start Working

You are now able to go into the layout or measure applications as desired to begin your work.