Tripod Data Systems (TDS) has released ForeSight DXM (Data eXchange Manager), a new program that allows surveyors to bridge the data management gap between field data collection and computer-aided design (CAD) software. ForeSight DXM office software makes it easy to transfer data between a data collector and a laptop or PC. From there, ForeSight DXM provides user the tools to graphically analyze the data, check for errors, export and generally manage the data more efficiently.
Surveyors can use ForeSight DXM to enter control data – including geodetic information – on a laptop or PC and preview the job graphically before heading out into the field. Then they can use ForeSight DXM to transfer the project to the data collector. At the end of the day, ForeSight DXM transfers the collected data back to the laptop or PC, and ForeSight DXM’s graphical layout and error-checking routines help the surveyor see whether the survey data is accurate and complete.
In the office, surveyors can use ForeSight DXM to make simple edits to files and prepare them for export. They can also view raw data in a graphical format, making errors easy to spot. ForeSight DXM includes basic COGO tools and the ability to show raw data graphically. Surveyors can adjust the data using translate, rotate or scale tools, and even change coordinate systems or projection on the fly. And with ForeSight DXM, that same graphic display can be sent to CAD with all the lines intact – surveyors won’t have to process even a single linework command.