Spectra Precision Survey Pro v4.6 Recon and Nomad User Manual - Manual (Page 47)

Getting Started
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Some users prefer to keep a set of known points in a separate control
file when repeatedly working on new jobs in the same general area.
That way when they return to the job site, they can create a new job,
but select the external control file to easily have access to the known
control points.
Once an external control file is selected, the control points can be
used in the same way as the job’s points with the following
exceptions:
• An external control file has read only attributes. This means
that the points in the control file cannot be modified or
deleted; they can only be read. For example, you can select a
control point to use as an occupy point during data collection
or as a design point during stake out, but you could not use a
control point for a foresight where you intend to overwrite the
existing coordinates with new coordinates. You would also be
unable to modify a control point from the Edit Points screen.
• Since the points in an external control file are shared with the
points in the current job, you cannot open an external control
file if any of the point names used in it are also used in the
current job. If you attempt to do so, a dialog will tell you that
a duplicate point name was encountered and the control file
will not be opened.
Description Files
A Description File is used to automate the task of entering
descriptions for points that are stored in a job. They are especially
useful when the same descriptions are frequently used in the same
job.
A description file is a text file containing a list of the descriptions that
you will want to use with a particular job. The file itself is usually
created on a PC, using any ASCII text editor such as Notepad, which
is included with Microsoft Windows. It should then saved using any
file name and the .txt extension and then transferred to the data
collector.
It is important to realize that when you use a more sophisticated
application, such as a word processor to create a description file, you