Excavation recording
Using Site Recorder
you can now visualise survey and excavation work as it happens –
capturing and ‘digitising’ the site as work progresses.
During excavation Site
Recorder 4 becomes a finds handling and mapping program as it can take
in information about artefacts (finds), features and samples.
Detailed information about each artefact can be recorded in the
program as well as being shown in position on the site plan.
Much of the information about each find stored in the program is
selected from wordlists allowing more simple and standardised recording.
You can draw
‘live’ site plans that connect the positions of finds drawn on the
plan with the positions of survey points, so the plans adapt as more
survey and recording data is added.
One of the more
significant new features in version 4 is the ability to associate or link
objects with one another. Artefacts
can be associated with other artefacts, features and sectors used to
represent trenches or other areas on site.
Image objects and document objects can be associated with each
artefact, sample, dive log, wreck and target object.
The associations between objects can be seen in their property
pages or in a new Association display window.
Site assessment and monitoring
 Site
Recorder can be used during assessment work on a site by collecting and
processing basic survey and recording information.
Control and detail survey points can be added to the existing site
plan, each positioned using simple offset, ties and radial measurements.
Site Recorder includes similar drawing tools found in Computer
Aided Design (CAD) computer programs, so a detailed sketch can be quickly
drawn up showing the important features of the site.
Information from
each site visit can be grouped into separate projects allowing all or
selected parts of the information to be displayed.
By comparing measurements and drawings from different site visits
it is possible to determine if any significant changes have occurred on
the site.
Survey planning and recording
More accurate
survey techniques can be used where more precise recording is required.
Site Recorder 4 supports
full 3D survey data collection and processing using distance, depth and
position measurements. The
program uses a survey-quality least-squares adjustment to compute the
optimum position of the survey points and hence the finds positioned
relative to them. 3D recording
can be complicated so a special ‘Analyser’ Tool is included in Site
Recorder 4 to help solve survey-related problems.
Drawing or planning
frames are often used for detail recording but tying together the separate
drawings is often difficult. To
help with this problem the frame drawings can be imported into Site
Recorder 4 and be positioned on the site plan relative to survey
points and measurements.
Unlike other
GIS
programs the survey points can be used as a framework
for the drawing. You can draw
‘live’ site plans that connect the positions of finds drawn on the
plan with the positions of survey points so the plans adapt as more survey
and recording data is added.
Publication and reporting
Another powerful
feature only available in Site Recorder 4 is the ability to quickly and
easily share your work. Using Site
Recorder 4 it is possible to publish all of your site data in a form
that is secure, portable and at no additional cost.
Site
Recorder 4 files can be copied to CD or
DVD
then shared and published using a free viewer program
called Site Reader. The
published files cannot be modified or edited using Site Reader but options
exist to selectively allow printing and data export.
For further security Site files can now be locked, so the
information contained cannot be copied or extracted making it safe for
publication using Site Reader.
Publication via the Internet is also possible as Site files can be
added to your web site along with a link to allow others to download Site
Reader.
The ability to
associate and link objects such as picture and text files has meant that
publishing and archiving becomes more complicated.
This process has been simplified using the Package tool as this
tool can wrap up a Site file and all of its associated files in a way that
is easy to archive and publish.
Site plans can be
printed using any standard Windows printer or plotter and has tools to
help produce publication quality plans or plans for presentations that
look good even when shown through a video projector.
Site Recorder 4 also includes tools to allow export of data in many
standard formats for incorporation into other databases and
GIS
programs.
Reprocessing existing site data
One of the more
common tasks is to migrate or reprocess existing information about a site
into Site Recorder 4, so the program includes tools and features that
assist with this task. You can
easily import finds lists, samples lists, dive logs, drawings, survey
points and measurements as well as other types of information.
Existing digital site plans can be imported using standard file
formats while paper plans can be digitised then imported.
Once inside Site Recorder 4 the drawing objects from the original site plan can
be converted to artefacts, features, trenches and other objects using a
tool included with the program.
Tools are provided
to convert drawings and data in different co-ordinate frames and formats
into the format to be used for your site.
Information recorded in a local co-ordinate frame or in
geographical formats can be converted to real-world grid co-ordinates so
it can be shown on imported charts and maps.
The task of
importing data has been made simpler by adding a new Import Wizard.
This Wizard helps you through the steps involved in importing data
from each file type and offers options for different data formats.
The Wizard includes support for
CSV
, DXF, Web, XML,
TXT
,
GPX
, MapGen, XYZ and PTS files along with extended
CSV
format options.
Information from
other Site files can be merged into your file using the Merge Wizard.
The Wizard allows you to import single layers or whole Projects
with ease.
Resource evaluation and management
Site
Recorder 4 can be used during the planning phase of a project by
helping to collect together and display all the information about a site.
Magnetometer, sidescan sonar and multibeam sonar targets can be
imported and plotted on a georeferenced site plan along with information
about each target. Vector
charts of the search area can be imported and displayed placing target
points in context allowing easier interpretation.
The information is
stored in a hierarchy of levels used to represent set phases of work on
the site. A season’s work
can be gathered together in a project and this may contain many layers
containing different types of related information.
Information collected during surveys or site visits can also be
grouped in this way.
For sites that
share common information such as charts and base maps it is now possible
to reuse that information in a shared Site file.
The information common to both Sites is put in a separate Site file
that can be linked to other Site files.
Objects and drawings in the shared file appear in the Sites that
share it but are locked and cannot be modified.
Updating the information in the shared file updates it in all the
other Site files that use it.
Archiving
Archiving site
information is easy using Site
Recorder 4 as all of the information is in a digital form and it is
contained in one program rather than many separate ones.
Information contained in Site programs can be exported in a number
of standard file formats allowing them to be archived in a form that can
be read by a number of different programs.
However, most formats are not capable of supporting all of the
types of objects and data contained in a Site file so the Site files
themselves can be archived along with a copy of the free viewer program, Site
Reader.
Tracking boats, divers and ROVs
Site
Recorder 4 can take in live position data
from Global Positioning Systems (
GPS
) or underwater Acoustic Positioning Systems (APS) and
use it to show a boat,
ROV
or diver moving around the site plan.
Position fixes can be recorded at any time and be used as to
position finds and survey points. Search
areas can be added that can be used to guide the boat or
ROV
along search lanes (runlines) ensuring full and
complete coverage during a search.
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