Working with surfaces

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This guide explains how to import surfaces into your projects in Emlid Flow 360 and how to stake out the surfaces and the objects within them in Emlid Flow.

Overview

The Surface tool allows you to import surface files in landXML format to visualize the surface features of the surveyed area. This feature is particularly useful for cut/fill tasks in construction projects, such as calculating the volume of material that needs to be moved to create optimal terrain.

When surveying using surfaces, generally, you have two possible workflows:

• Stake out the surface. In this case, you will be able to see the cut/fill values in Emlid Flow and physically mark the ground using them.
• Stake out the objects within the surface. This will allow you to save the staked points in your project and create the stakeout report for further use.

note

Currently, the stakeout report contains the information for the pairs of design and staked points with the coordinate deltas, but not the surface elevation data. We will add this in future releases.

note

You can import a surface in your project only in the Emlid Flow 360 app.

Importing surfaces

To import a surface file, follow these steps:

1. Open Emlid Flow 360 and go to your project.

   note

   Your project must be in a local coordinate system.

2. Click the Import button on the top of the screen.

3. Select Surface file and click Choose file.

   note

   If the file contains multiple surfaces, Emlid Flow 360 will import only the first surface. However you can add several surfaces in one project by adding several separate files.

   

4. Upload a file in landXML format. Your new surface will appear in the list of objects and on the map. By default, the most recently added surface from the list becomes active.

   note

   It may take some time for the surface to appear on the map. If the surface is active but not visible, try increasing the map zoom level.

   

Now, you can continue surveying with your surface in the Emlid Flow app.

Staking out using Surfaces in Emlid Flow

After uploading the surface to your project in Emlid Flow 360, the data will be synchronized, and the surface will automatically appear in the object list in the Emlid Flow app.

tip

To activate a surface from the object list, simply tap it. Only the active surface is displayed on the map and is available for the stakeout.

For stakeout, follow one of the workflows depending on the case:

Staking out the surface

note

Before starting the surface staking process, ensure that your Reach rover has an established RTK connection and the FIX status.

Staking out the surface allows you to see the cut/fill values that you can physically mark on the ground.

1. Tap the Stake out button.

2. note

   This step is optional.

   In the survey settings, set a vertical offset to work with a single DTM file at different stages of the project. This ensures the layers align correctly with the current base layer's height:

   
   
   
   note

   The design height will be shown without the offset, but the cut/fill value will include it.

3. Move your Reach towards the surface boundaries. Once you reach the surface, the stakeout interface will display the cut/fill values.

   note

   The Cut value means the amount of material to be removed and is displayed in red.
   The Fill value means the amount of material to be added and is displayed in blue.
   Green means that the height is within the tolerance thresholds.

     
   note

   If you leave the surface boundaries, the stakeout interface will show the “out of surface” error instead of height values.

4. Tap Save to collect the point and physically mark the position on the ground using the displayed cut/fill values.

   note

   Currently, measured points do not include delta information and are not included in the stakeout report.

5. To exit the stakeout mode and go back to the project, tap the back button on the Stakeout plate.

Staking out objects within the surface

Staking out the objects within the surface allows you to see the cut/fill values based on the difference between the design and actual heights.

Depending on the type of objects you want to stake out, follow the steps below.

note

You can exclude the surface height from the stakeout. To do this, deactivate the surface by tapping the Menu button on the Surface info bottom sheet. In this case it will be usual stakeout workflow, check the Stake out points and Stake out lines guides for the step-by-step instructions.

note

The workflows are shown using the By direction mode.

To stake out points

1. Select the point you want to stake out on the map or from the object list.

   
   tip

   The selected point will be highlighted in blue on the map.

2. Tap the Stake out button.

   note

   If the target object is within the surface, you will see the surface icon near the cut/fill section. This means that the surface height is used to calculate the object’s height.

3. note

   This step is optional.

   In the survey settings, set a vertical offset to work with a single DTM file at different stages of the project. This ensures the layers align correctly with the current base layer's height:

   
   
   
   note

   The design height will be shown without the offset, but the cut/fill value will include it.

4. Move your Reach in the direction of the point. When you get closer, the map zooms in automatically.

   note

   The direction arrows on the stakeout plate can help you navigate to the point.

   

5. Move your Reach so that the bull’s eye turns green, showing that your Reach is less than 2.5 cm (0.08 ft) away from the point you are staking out.

   note

   Ensure the pole isn’t tilted if you’re using Reach receiver model other than Reach RS3.

   

6. Tap Save as staked point to fix the actual position with deltas. The staked point will get its design point name with a '_stkd' suffix. You can enter a different name for this point or change it at any time.

   The staked point will be saved in your project and marked with a flag. The design point that has a stake will be highlighted in cyan. These points will appear in the list of objects and on the map as follows:

   

   To see the deltas, the coordinate differences between the design and the staked points, tap the staked point.

   
   note

   You can save the staked point in your project and prepare a stakeout report. Learn more in the Prepare stakeout reports guide.* *Currently, the stakeout report contains the information for the pairs of design and staked points with the coordinate deltas, but not the surface elevation data. We will add this in future releases.

7. Switch to another point by tapping the arrow buttons in the Stakeout navigation area.

8. Tap the back button on the Stakeout plate to finish staking out the point.

To stake out lines

1. Select the line you want to stake out on the map or from the object list.

   
   tip

   The selected line will be highlighted in blue on the map.

2. note

   This step is optional.

   In the survey settings, set a vertical offset to work with a single DTM file at different stages of the project. This ensures the layers align correctly with the current base layer's height:

   
   
   
   note

   The design height will be shown without the offset, but the cut/fill value will include it.

3. Tap the Stake out button.

   note

   If the target object is above the surface, you will see the surface icon near the cut/fill section. This means that the surface height is used for calculating the height of the object.

You can stake out lines in several ways. Choose the way below and continue staking out the line:

Along the line

You can navigate to the line and see if it’s set out according to the project.

3. Move your Reach so that the navigation sections turn green, showing that your Reach is less than 2.5 cm (0.08 ft) away from the line you are staking out.

   
   note

   Ensure the pole isn't tilted if you’re using Reach receiver model other than Reach RS3.

4. Switch to the Along line mode.

   

5. Watching the Offset plate, check if the line is set out according to the project.

   

6. Switch to another segment you want to stake out using the arrow buttons under the Stakeout plate. To finish staking out the line, tap the back button on the Stakeout plate.

With a chainage

This way, you can stake out the line with a chainage to set out fence posts with a required distance between them.

3. Navigate to the line.

   

4. Switch to the Along line mode.

   

5. Tap the To B section to select from which end of the line or segment the chainage is calculated.

6. Watching the Stakeout plate, mark the points with the required interval.

   tip

   Use the Offset plate to check if you’re on the line.

   note

   Ensure the pole isn't tilted if you’re using Reach receiver model other than Reach RS3.

   

7. Switch to another segment you want to stake out using the arrow buttons under the Stakeout plate. To finish staking out the line, tap the back button on the Stakeout plate.

With an offset

You can use this method to set out a road or pavement. Simply stake out the road axis and then use stakeout with a 2D offset to mark road edges.

3. Navigate to the line.

   

4. Switch to the Along line mode.

   

5. Move your Reach to the line so that it has the required offset. As you get closer, the map zooms in automatically.

   note

   Ensure the pole isn't tilted if you’re using Reach receiver model other than Reach RS3.

   

6. Mark the line with the required offset on the ground.

7. Switch to another segment you want to stake out using the arrow buttons under the Stakeout plate. To finish staking out the line, tap the back button on the Stakeout plate.

8. Once you finished staking out the line, close the Stakeout tool and select the next line you want to stake out.

note

Emlid Flow automatically remembers the stakeout mode you used the last time.

Further reading

• Create lines from existing points
• Edit lines
• Collect lines
• Collect points
• Prepare stakeout reports