Terrasync

This is a rought draft of what will someday become a cookbook for using the Terrasync ipaq software for gathering GPS data and navigating.

VIEWING BACKGROUND MAP IMAGES

files must have a coordinate system file - .CS - and a world file in the .wld naming format - manually renamed if necessary from .bpw or .tfw or .jpw or whatnot.

.CS file is created by pathfinder office data transfer utility just previous to the file being transferred to the ipaq

World file may be created using ArcMap (open the file, choose what subset you wish exported, select "export as map" and under "options" check the "create world file" box) or using ENVI (in the image viewer window, under File, choose "save image as")

Storage Card
------------
Mobile Device
-->My Pocket PC
-->Storage Card

no subfolders allowed

ENVI:

open image file, pick .tif, load RGB
image file menu "save file as" jpeg on local harddrive (not network)

Pathfinder Office:

Data transfer utility, change coordinate system, put on storage card (should get .cs, .wld, .jpg)

files stored in mobile device/my pocket pc/storage card/ are accessible by both terrasync and arcpad

Potential Problems:
-------------------

don't open the same file at the same time in both arcpad and terrasync simultaeneously, it mucks up terrasync somethin fierce.

don't attempt to enable the GPS in terrasync and arcpad simultaeneously, the ipaq will freeze and can only be repaired by a hard reset - in the process deleting all programs and data files saved in the computer's memory (thus it's a good idea to back all of your GPS data up to another computer, or at least the microdrive card in the ipaq's backpack extension). Best bet is to just not run the two programs at the same time.

We have run into an issue where ENVI 3.5 (for, of course, no apparent reason) doesn't create a world file (.wld) when using the "save image as" command. In that case, use the ArcMap approach. ArcMap however won't create world files in assocation with .jpg's, only .bmp's.

Sometimes the pathfinder office utility fails to transfer the .cs file. I beleive it gives a "coordinate system file does not exist" error or something along those lines. Don't panic. Shortly before generating that error, it DOES create the .cs file, it just doens't regonize it's own file. So you can track down the .cs file in whatever directory pathfinder office if using on the desktop computer and manually drag and drop it into the ipaq directory.