Here is a review of the newest In Cave Digital Survey(ICDS) rig to be tested soon http://www.tabletpc2.com/Review-OtterBo ... 020105.htm or http://tinyurl.com/3zshb
The new site I am working on as well will be designed to share Illustrator Libraries, ideas, and ICDS maps and should be completed soon at http://www.InCaveDigitalSurvey.com
ICDS Tablet Models
The model I chose was an Fujitsu ST5010 from Ebay($600) with 2 batteries, wireless keyboard etc. The battery life is fantastic and operation flawless thus far. I then paired it up with the Otterbox 4600. This should prove to be the device for ICDS and audio capture.
Pocket PC
The ability to move data back and forth between a Pocket PC and the tablet will prove indispensible for ICDS.
Walls is my survey software of choice so a simple spreadsheet in the Pocket PC will be used for quick and easy data entry.
For instance in our ICDS trips we enter 5-10 shots per Walls SVG roundtrip. This data will be transferred to the Tablet from the Pocket PC then opened in Excel. Then with a simple highlight of the data...a copy...and a paste into Walls we are ready to generate the new SVG which is merged with the existing SVG and opened in Illustrator CS1. More detail is drawn in Illustrator CS1 and then saved as the Zic_W2d_mrg.svgz. Then more data is transferred from the Pocket PC and on an on the ICDS goes.
Why Illustrator CS1?
I had noticed on earlier trips with a Windows98 tablet and Illustrator 10 that a Layer 1 showed up in the SVG file when I opened it in Illustrator from Walls. This created a drawing problem.
Anyway I just got off the phone with D. McKenzie on this issue and for those familiar with Walls and roundtripping you will find this information very useful. CS1 it appears for now is the only Illustrator verson that opens up the SVG file from Walls without a "Layer 1" at the top. CS1 treats each Walls section as a Layer(W2d Frame, W2d Legend, W2d Grid, W2d Notes, W2d Labels...etc. etc.) and the other versions 10,CS2,CS3 treats them as Groups.
Why is this little difference important?
Well for the digital sketcher using Walls the ideal is to be able to click on say <W2d Walls---W2d Walls shp> and start drawing. Once complete the section drawn would then be in the <W2d Walls shp> sub layer. Those who are using Illustrator 10,CS2 and CS3 know this is not the case. What happens is the newly drawn section will go at the top under the Layer 1 leaving you with the nasty task of having to drag the drawn section, symbol etc. back down into <W2d Walls shp>. Perhaps not to bad at home on the desktop computer to do, but on an In Cave Digital Survey(ICDS) trip it becomes a real slow down in the process.
I use CS1 but David has 10, CS1, CS2, CS3 so we were able to test this tonite and CS1 is for now the magic pill.
A Bit about In Cave Digital Survey(ICDS)
ICDS is still in its earliest stages. However, ICDS even at this early stage facilitates faster sharing capabilities and has the potential to capture a whole lot more relevant data!
Where gains will be really made is when others jump on board and we begin sharing Illustrator brush stroke libraries(scatter, art & pattern),symbol libraries, swatch(fill) libraries, and much more.
The new site will be designed with just this in mind i.e. a place to download shared libraries and learn how to use them to gain radical efficiencies for in cave digital surveying.
What will result is the ability to produce STUNNING In Cave Digital Survey results just days after finishing the in cave work trip.
An experienced Adobe Illustrator sketcher who has his/her device loaded with elaborate and carefully created brush, symbol, and fill libraries will be able to generate a far far more detailed working map in far less time while in the cave. For instance the ICDS sketcher can brush in a whole section of cobbles, a complex boulder pile(using a good scatter boulder brush), a massive mud slope, or a pool with full color in a few clicks and strokes!
The key is an investment of time at the front end i.e. symbols, custom brush strokes, boulders, cobbles, pools, fills etc. Different parts of this can be done by different ICDS folks from around the globe and shared for download by all!
Most importantly in all this is that prices are dropping on the technology so even more doors open for capturing even more data with the same device.
AUDIO
For instance the ability to capture audio at each station by the ICDS sketcher. This will become an invaluable part of the online working map. It is simple for those ICDS minded that decide to put themselves at the helm of the ICDS project. Simply record the audio then make a link on the station on your online working map. Then six months later a person looking at a lead list can click on a station near a marked lead on the working map and hear what the ICDS sketcher and team relayed specifically about the lead.
The goal moving forward is to reorder the process for 2 different types of ICDS's which will:
*Reduce total man hours ICDS vs Traditional by 20-40% depending on which routine is chosen
*Produce less chance for errors
*Generate twice as many relevant survey vectors for the drawn to scale ICDS sketcher
*Include voice data at each survey station that can be ran through Dragon software and extracted as text(or it can be loaded as audio links to the working map) and then added as "links"to each survey station on the online working map(with fast connections now the audio will be the fastest route to go).
*Speed up ICDS sketching through shared libraries.....very few if any paper sketchers on a traditional survey routine will be able to keep up with the sketcher at the helm of this reworked ICDS process.
*Reduce battery consumption by 40-50% vs previous ICDS process for the same footage surveyed.
I will be updating http://www.InCaveDigitalSurvey.com and welcome any content that others experimenting with the process want to submit or share...i.e. Illustrator symbols, boulders, fills, libraries etc.
Mark Passerby, InCaveDigitalSurvey.com
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