Orbitas Projects: A Orbitas RMS sandbox for data management

Tri-Global introduces Orbits RMS: Projects.

What is a Project?

Orbitas Projects serves to provide a "Sandbox" within the OrbitasRMS environment that allows users to preform several key functions to leverage the most from their collected data sets.

Accumulate multiple jobs into a "Project".

When a user wants to combine multiple Orbitas jobs into one large "project region." The original intent of Orbitas was to collect these Jobs and simply export them to be combined in some sort of GIS or CAD application. However, many of our clients want to maintain these projects directly inside the Orbitas RMS framework, without needing separate and/or complicated external applications.

Import external spatial data into a "Project".

Often times a user wants to bring in data such as parcel boundaries or proposed right of way and "see" that in the background of their Orbitas Mobile App jobs. This allows a user to view where they are with either integrated location services of their mobile device or even with our high precision Asteri GNSS data on top of this imported dataset.

Optimize the combined jobs and/or imported data for an Orbitas Field "Background" layer.

Optimize the combined jobs and/or imported data for viewing in the Orbitas mobile app "Background". This can included renaming layers, editing some attributes, moving features between "layers", changing symbology and setting viewing thresholds.

Export newly modified datasets to Industry Standard or Custom drawing formats.

Finally, users may decide they want to export this newly modified and combined dataset out to an industry standard or even *custom GIS or Drawing format, including in-depth datum and coordinate system transformations. This can perform the function of a very advanced data transformation service.

^{*This feature is only currently available through Professional Services or a Server App, consult Tri-Global if you are interested}

Request Beta Testing

Understanding Orbitas Licensing Creating a Project Importing Data Importing from CAD Importing from ESRI .shp Importing from a Job Optimizing for Publishing Publishing to Orbitas Field

1. Understanding the Orbitas RMS Licensing Structure.

First, access to "Projects" is controlled through licensing. A user can have the ability to "read", "write" or "export" projects. (much the same way we can control the ability to read, write and execute Orbitas jobs, configurations, server apps, etc… See the current list of Orbitas License combinations below.

Only Tri-Global can control or modify license types.
So if you feel you do not have the correct license type for your use, please contact Tri-Global.

ADMIN:
‍Users with this license can utilize Orbitas web calculations and download Configurations, Jobs and Projects to Orbitas Field™. An Admin also has the ability to View, Edit and Export Projects. An Admin CAN NOT upload jobs from the field. This functionality is reserved for "Pro" users.
ADMIN with PRO:
This allows the Admin functionality, but also allows they user to collect jobs in the field and upload them to the server.
ADMIN with SERVER APPS:
Same abilities as the standard Admin, plus the ability to use server apps
ALL:
Gives the User permission to use all Orbitas web services.
BASIC:
Users with this license can utilize Orbitas web calculations and download Projects to Orbitas Field™. Projects are managed however by project or subscription administrators.
PRO:
Users with this license can utilize Orbitas web calculations, download and upload Jobs to and from Orbitas Field™ and download Configurations and Projects to Orbitas Field™. Pro users can also "View" projects, but a project management license is necessary to Create or Modify features.
PRO with PROJECT MANAGER:
Same Functionality as Pro, but with the ability to Create, Edit and Export Projects
PRO with SERVER APPS:
Same Functionality as Pro, but with Server Apps
SERVER APPS ONLY:
For Server apps access only.
TESTER:
This is a Tri-Global Internal License for Testing, Non distributable.

2. Creating a Project in Orbitas RMS: Projects

To create a new project, simply click on Projects and click create.
(User must have a license with write permissions…i.e. an Admin, Admin with Pro, Pro with Project Manager, or All). See License types.

Give your Project a Name that is representative of what it is to be used for. Notice once it is created, you have created a 0 KB Sandbox for your CAD and GIS data that is "Unpublished" to field users.

Once a Project exists, you can select the project and choose to "import" data into the project:

3. Importing Data to Orbitas RMS: Projects

*Currently, Project imports have no inherent Datum conversion. The datum of your base data, will be the datum that is viewed in Orbitas Field. In other words, if you have an ITRF base datum, but you intend to use a state RTK network that works in NAD83 (2011) Epoch 2010, you will see a "shift" in your base data. Ensure you base data is properly projected for your field use before importing. If you are uncertain what to do about this, or need additional assistance, you can request Tri-Global Professional Services: https://calendar.triglobal.net/professional.services

Importing Options:

- Import from GIS or Drawing (see Project Limitations).

- Import from CAD.
Cad Data can only currently be imported from a DWG file with the default Project importer. We will import the following file (ACCStormwarter.dwg) into the example project created above.

Notice this data was in a WGS84 Web Mercator. If you don not see your desired Coordinate System, contact support@triglobal.net and request the coordinate system be added.

*As of 07/16/24:
Version 1 of the CAD and SHP exports will only import data into a new "Layer" that does not already exist.

Once data has been imported, you will be notified via the Que when the import is complete:

Clicking on the Green View Icon (magnifying glass) once the import is complete to "View" the project spatially:

*If you have over 2000 features in your layer, not all features may "view" at max zoom. See the section below about optimizing the project for publish. Also, notice the "Layer" name is taken from the layer in the DWG file, NOT The DWG name itself. Conveyances and Structures in our example.

*If nothing happens in the Que, please review this support note on popup blockers.

- Import from ESRI Shapefile.
A shapefile must be "zipped". It must contain at least the .shp, .shx, and .dbf files within the zip. A zip can contain multiple shapefiles. The name of the imported "Layer" shall be taken from the name of the shapefile within the zip.

*UPDATE As of 08/07/24:
The SHP import can either import into an existing layer or create a new layer. However, the data can not currently be appended (much like the CAD information).
Both the CAD and SHP imports are currently designed as a visual reference. The SHP import will look for (2) Field Names. Name and Note (case sensitive). The name will be the feature name displayed in Orbitas RMS. The Note can be anything else desired. See the example below (I used Parcel ID for "Name" and "concatenated" the Owner Name, Address, State and Zip into my "Note". Should more attribute information be desired, contact Tri-Global for feature enhancements or professional services.

Follow the same procedures as the CAD import section above for defining when the SHP import is completed.

- Imported from Job (Available in Version 3.3.0).
Click on the project you wish to bring a job into, just like importing from CAD or SHP above. This time, instead of hitting a format… simply select Import from Job.

*You will only be able to view the jobs that your account has permission to view.
‍
*You can import an unlimited number of jobs at once, however it is recommended to import only a couple at a time to ensure they properly import before proceeding to the next.

Just like with the CAD and GIS import, you will be able to see when your job is properly imported via the que.

4. Optimizing a Project for Publishing to Orbitas Field

Once you have imported your data into the GIS "sandbox", you may want to optimize it to provide the data back out to field users. Click on the project name, or click the green "View" icon to open your project:

If your project has a large number of features… It won't view well on the mobile. So, we should set some thresholding. My ACC job in the example above is a job I used to create a very simple "bounding box" for our viewable data. You could have used the CAD or GIS import to do this same thing.

I am going to start with clicking the edit icon to the side of my "Location-Pole" layer. I don't want to keep these points in my project, so I am going to "Delete" the layer.

Next I will rename the layer that was called "Electric" and will call it "Clarke County Extents" Instead . I also change the Stroke and Fill Color to a bright red, make the stroke weight thicker, make the layer "dashed" and change the viewing threshold to something high like Google Level 1.

Notice my current zoom is a Google Level 11, for reference

Next Change The name of the ACC Parcels, to just parcels, Make them a lighter color and change the threshold to not "view" until a zoomed in level of 17. I will also change the Conveyances to just be Stormwater, set the color to green and set the zoom threshold to 15.

*Make sure if you are importing a polygon such as a parcel, that you change the "alpha" on the fill color to be something transparent. An alpha of 1 (100%) is the default and you will not be able to see data below your parcels. Another good option is to set the fill color completely transparent so that you only see the parcel outline.

*Notice at zoom 11 only the "Clarke Extents" layer is visible now (for optimized drawing speed).

*Zoomed into 15, my stormwater shows up:

Then zoomed into 18 both Stormwater and parcels show up:

5. Publishing a Project to Orbitas Field

Finally, we are ready to publish to the field. Click Actions / Publish. After Publishing, you can choose which users you want to see your project. Click Actions / Dispatch to send to the appropriate field user.

For more information on dispatching, refer to the dispatching configurations help guide

After launching Orbitas Field be sure to go into your Settings / Map Settings and turn on the layers you wish to view.

The above images are the sample data in our Project being viewed inside of Orbitas Field.

Orbitas RMS: Projects