Overview
Plan windows are maps that show the following information:
- Most recently updated machine position
- As-built surface information such as compaction and coverage
- Background line work such as structures, warning zones, and boundaries
Different types of plans are required in order to display the different types of as-built surfaces. The different types of plan windows that are set up for the different as-built surfaces are listed below:
- Grade
- Material
- Compaction
- Elevation
- Coverage
Grade
Purpose
A "Grade" plan window is used in order to display an as-built surface that shows the information for the cut and for the fill. Current elevation is compared with the elevation design in order to determine the cut and the fill that is required to reach the elevation design. When a map is designed, both the design information and the color code configuration for the cut and for the fill are based upon the display's primary machine configuration.
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| Illustration 1 | g01188884 |
"Grade" Plan Window | |
Instructions
Open a Grade Plan Window
Perform the following steps in order to open a "Grade" plan window:
- Open the "Window" pull-down menu.
- Select "New" from the "Window" pull-down menu. The "New" menu is opened.
- Select "Plan" from the "New" menu. The "Plan" menu is opened.
- Select "Grade" from the "Plan" menu. The "Select a Machine" dialog which is shown in Illustration 2 appears.
- Highlight a machine in the "Machine Name" list.
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| Illustration 2 | g01191125 |
The "Select a Machine" dialog | |
- Click the "OK" button. The "Select a Machine" dialog is closed and the "Select Grade Tolerance" dialog which is shown in illustration 3 is opened.
- Enter the "Grade Tolerance" value.
Note: "Grade Tolerance" specifies the on-grade limit. The areas of the as-built surface that are colored green are within the grade tolerance of the elevation design.
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| Illustration 3 | g01188889 |
The "Select Grade Tolerance" dialog | |
- Enter the "Grade Range" value.
Note: The "Grade Range" specifies the range for color gradation for both the cut and the fill. If a value is between the grade tolerance and the grade range, the value is represented by a shade of red or a shade of blue. Blue is used when the as-built surface is below grade. Red is used when the as-built surface is above grade.
- Click the "OK" button. The "Select Grade Tolerance" dialog is closed and the "Grade" plan window appears.
Modify the setup of a "Grade" Plan Window
Perform the following steps in order to modify the setup of a "Grade" plan window:
- Select the "Grade" plan window.
- Open the "View" pull-down menu.
- Select "Modify" from the "View" pull-down menu. The "Select Grade Tolerance" dialog appears.
- Click the "Defaults" button in order to set the default values for the "Grade" plan window. Otherwise, modify the "Grade Tolerance" and the "Grade Range" in order to obtain the required values.
- Click the "Apply" button in order to view the effect of the changes on the map without closing the "Select Grade Tolerance" dialog.
- Click the "OK" button in order to apply the changes. The "Select Grade Tolerance" dialog is closed.
Material
Purpose
A "Material" plan window is used in order to display the material design polygons and the state of the mining of the materials. The mine status information shows the area which contains the mining in progress and the mine status information shows the area that has been mined out of the material.
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| Illustration 4 | g01191119 |
The "Material" plan window shows the material design, the mining in progress, and the mined out areas. | |
Instructions
Open Material Plan Window
Perform the following steps in order to open a "Material" plan window:
- Open the "Window" pull-down menu.
- Select "New" from the "Window" pull-down menu. The "New" menu is opened.
- Select "Plan" from the "New" menu. The "Plan" menu is opened.
- Select "Material" from the "Plan" menu. The "Select a Machine" dialog which is shown in Illustration 5 appears.
- Highlight a machine in the "Machine Name" list.
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| Illustration 5 | g01191125 |
The "Select a Machine" dialog | |
- Click the "OK" button. The "Select a Machine" dialog is closed and the "Material" plan window is opened.
Compaction
Purpose
A "Compaction"plan window is used in order to display the material compaction level of the as-built surface. The color code for the level of compaction is based upon the configuration for the primary machine of the Compatciton Plan.
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| Illustration 6 | g01191128 |
The "Compaction" plan window | |
Instructions
Open a Compaction Plan Window
Perform the following steps in order to open a "Compaction" plan window:
- Open the "Window" pull-down menu.
- Select "New" from the "Window" pull-down menu. The "New" menu is opened.
- Select "Plan" from the "New" menu. The "Plan" is opened.
- Select "Compaction" from the "Plan" menu. The "Select a Machine dialog" appears. See Illustration 7.
- Highlight a machine in the "Machine Name" list.
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| Illustration 7 | g01191125 |
The "Select a Machine" dialog | |
- Click the "OK" button. The "Select a Machine" dialog is closed and the "Compaction" plan window is opened.
Elevation
Purpose
The "Elevation" plan windows are of limited value. The "Elevation"plan windows provide a grayscale image of either the current surface elevation or the design surface elevation. The surfaces that can be selected are listed below:
- Elevation Design
- Current Elevation
- Original Elevation
- Compaction Elevation
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| Illustration 8 | g01191132 |
The "Elevation" plan window shows the gray color for a design elevation. | |
Instructions
Open an Elevation Plan Window
Perform the following steps in order to open an "Elevation" plan window:
- Open the "Window" pull-down menu.
- Select "New" from the "Window" pull-down menu. The "New" menu is opened.
- Select "Plan" from the "New" menu. The "Plan" menu is opened.
- Select "Elevation" from the "Plan" menu. The "Elevation" menu is opened.
- Select one of the four offered surface options. For example, select "Design". The "Select a Machine" dialog appears.
- Highlight a machine in the "Machine Name" list.
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| Illustration 9 | g01191135 |
The "Select a Machine" dialog | |
- Click the "OK" button. The "Select a Machine" dialog is closed. The "Design Elevation" plan window is opened. The grayscale range is set by the default, based on the current range of elevations.
Modify the Grayscale Range for the ElevationPlan Window
- Select the "Elevation" plan window.
- Open the "View" pull-down menu.
- Select "Modify" from the "View" pull-down menu. The "Select Elevation Range" dialog which is shown in Illustration 10 appears.
- Click the "Defaults" button in order to set the default values for the Elevation plan. Otherwise, modify the "Minimum" and the "Maximum" elevation values in order to obtain the required values. Clickon the "Color Range" slide bar. Then, drag the slide bar to the left or to the right in order to adjust the Color Range and obtain the required values.
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| Illustration 10 | g01191137 |
The "Select Elevation Range" dialog | |
- Click the "Apply" button in order to view the effect of the changes on the map without closing the "Select Elevation Range" dialog.
- Click the "OK" button in order to apply and accept the changes. The "Select Elevation Range" dialog is closed.
Coverage
Purpose
The "Coverage" plan window is used in order to display coverage as-built surfaces. Coverage as-built surfaces include a map for tracking machine activity, radio latency coverage maps, and machine passes maps. The color code configuration is based on the primary machine for the Coverage plan.
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| Illustration 11 | g01191148 |
A Coverage plan that shows the machine passes. | |
Instructions
Open a Coverage Plan Window
Perform the following steps in order to open a "Coverage" plan window:
- Open the "Window" pull-down menu and select "New". The "New" menu is opened.
- Select "Plan" from the "New" menu. The "Plan" menu is opened.
- Select "Coverage" from the "Plan" menu. The "Select a Machine" dialog appears.
- Highlight a machine in the "Machine Name" list.
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| Illustration 12 | g01191125 |
The "Select a Machine" dialog | |
- Click the "OK" button. The "Select a Machine" dialog is closed and the "Coverage" plan window is opened. The coverage from group 0, which is the coverage file in the site group is displayed by the default settings.
Various types of as-built coverage surfaces can be recorded by METSmanager. The different types of as-built coverage surfaces are listed below:
- "Machine Wheel Passes"
- "Machine Activities"
- "Radio Latency"
- "GPS Position Accuracy"
- "Number of Satellites"
If CAESultra and METSmanager are configured correctly the different types of coverage as-built surfaces are recorded in different groups. For more information, refer to Systems Operation, RENR9966, "METSmanager User Guide" .
The "Coverage" plan will not automatically show the various Coverage as-built surfaces.
View a Particular Type of Coverage File
Perform the following steps in order to view a particular type of "Coverage" file:
- Use Windws Explorer in order to scroll to the folder with the appropriate group and the appropriate year under CAESoffice.
- Select the "Coverage" file.
- Drag the "coverage" file and drop the file into the right side dialog box of the "Machine Status" window for the machine that is recording the coverage surface data.
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| Illustration 13 | g01191150 |
The "Coverage As-Built Surface" file within a specific group under CAESoffice | |
- The coverage surface information appears in the "Coverage plan" window. Do not use "Refresh". The "coverage" files are removed when "Refresh" is used.
- Repeat the steps 1 through 4 for each of the coverage surfaces from each of the groups.
- In order to display a particular surface in the plan window, drag the "coverage" file from the right side list of the "Machine Status Window" and drop the file onto the machine in the left side list of the "Machine Status Window". For more information, refer to Systems Operation, RENR7887, "Machine Status Window".
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| Illustration 14 | g01191153 |
The Machine Status window shows the various coverage surface files from different groups that are loaded for the machine. | |
Machine Wheel Passes
"Machine Wheel Passes" is a coverage that is based on wheel passes. "Machine Wheel Passes" displays the number of wheel passes over an area.
The color code for the wheel passes is determined from the machine configuration file.
ReferenceFor more information on the Mapping a Machine Pass As-Built Surface, refer to Systems Operation, KENR6338, "CAESultra", "Coverage As-Built Surface".
Machine Activities
"Machine Activites" is a coverage that is based on activity. This coverage displays the machine activities over a site. When the operator selects a machine activity, a number which is assigned to the machine activity is recorded to the associated area on the "Coverage" plan window. The color that is associated with the machine activity number is displayed on the coverage plan.
The color code for the activities is determined from the machine configuration file.
ReferenceFor more information on the Mapping an Activity As-Built Surface, refer to Systems Operation, KENR6338, "CAESultra", "Coverage As-Built Surface".
Radio Latency
Radio Latency is the time that is lost between the transmission and the reception of a radio signal. The radio latency is calculated and a correction factor is used in a solution in order to maximize the accuracy of the GPS position. The radio latency values are plotted to a map of the work site in the plan window. This map provides a view of the framework for the radio system. The radio latency map can be used in order to identify the areas for needed improvements to the radio system.
A color code is used for the Radio Latency that is plotted in the plan window. Table 1 shows the colors that are assigned to each value for the Radio Latency color code.
| Color Codes that are Used for Radio Latency | |
| Color | Radio Latency |
| Blue | < or = 2 seconds |
| Dark Green | > 2 seconds and < or = 3 seconds |
| Orange | > 3 seconds and < or = 4 seconds |
| Yellow | > 4 seconds and < or = 5 seconds |
| Red | > 5 seconds |
GPS Position Accuracy
The estimated accuracy of the GPS position is plotted in the plan window. Table 2 shows the color codes that are used for the GPS accuracy which is plotted in the plan window.
Note: This map is only valid for the satellite availability at the time of the observation. Satellite availability varies with time.
| Color Codes that Are Used for GPS Accuracy | |
| Color | GPS Accuracy |
| Green | High |
| Yellow | Medium |
| Magenta | Low |
| Red | Autonomous |
| Gray | No change in position |
| Orange | No position update |
Note: GPS position error is provided as an estimated error value. The High accuracy GPS error limit is 0.04 m (0.13 ft) by the default settings and the Medium accuracy GPS error limit is 0.08 m (0.26 ft) by the default settings. Both the High accuracy GPS error limit and the Medium accuracy GPS error limit can be modified.
Number of Satellites
The number of satellites that are used in the GPS position solution is plotted. The map shows the effect of structures and trees on satellite availability.
Note: This map is only valid for the satellite availability at the time of the observation. Satellite availability varies with time.
Table 3 shows the color codes that are used for the number of satellites that are plotted in the plan window:
| Color codes that Are Used for the Number of Available Satellites | |
|---|---|
| Color | Number of Available Satellites |
| Black | 0 |
| Red | 1 |
| Yellow | 2 |
| Green | 3 |
| Cyan | 4 |
| Blue | 5 |
| Magenta | 6 |
| White | 7 |
| Charcoal | 8 |
| Light Gray | 9 |
| Peach | 10 |
| Plum | 11 |
| Tan | 12 |
| Steel | 13 |
| Orange | 14 |
Group Bounding Region
Purpose
Group bounding regions restrict the surface update to a specified limit. These limits are set up in METSmanager.
ReferenceFor more information, refer to Systems Operation, RENR9966, "METSmanager User Guide", "Groups".
Group bounding regions are automatically drawn in the plan windows. The limits of the group bounding region are shown as white dashed lines. The surface information is contained within these limits.
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| Illustration 15 | g01191155 |
A compaction plan window shows the bounding region. The compaction surface is restricted to the bounding region. | |
Move Design
Purpose
In the CAES software, the operator has the capability to move a design file if the option is enabled within the design file. The enabling of this option is done in METSmanager. For more information, refer to Systems Operation, RENR9966, "Transferring a File to a Machine".
If the operator moves a design, then CAESoffice will display the file in the new position. When the design is moved, the position in the file is propagated through METScomms to CAESoffice. The new position is reflected when the display is refreshed. In time, the display will refresh automatically, or the "refresh" button may be actuated in order to refresh the display manually.