Vivax External GIS Data

Owned by Steve Peregrine
Last updated: Jan 15, 2024
3 min read
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Abstract

Some advanced information on working with Vivax GIS data

Author

Stefan Bregy, Operations Manager, WinCan

Improving Vivax Data

I had a recent meeting with Vivax regarding the Z-height problem with their device. I initiated this meeting since I wanted to be sure that the corrections that they did for Zosseder are also available in their API. Here’s  the summary:

The measured Z coordinate from their device was not accurate enough, with a deviation of approximately +-1 meter. This was one of the major complaints from the company Zosseder. To address this, Vivax introduced a new feature in their beta environment, allowing the Z coordinate to be corrected based on a tif file (attached).

Zosseder was provided with a beta account and a special version of the device software already some weeks ago. Currently, there are two options available for obtaining the corrected Z height:

  1. Via the Vivax Beta Cloud Portal - Users can export the data as a shape file and select the tif file under the new option "vertical datum" to apply the correction. The exported shape files will have the fixed Z height, which can be added as new layers in WinCan Map.

  2. From the GPS locator device - The shape file can be exported directly from the device by connecting it to the computer via USB. During the export, the user needs to select the tif file under "vertical datum" (same as option a). However, it's important to note that when exporting directly from the device, the shape file will always include all surveys conducted so far, not just those from the current day.

The current process involves several manual steps for the user, including accessing the Vivax cloud, exporting the shape file, selecting the tif correction file, and adding the shape file in Map. To simplify this process, we implemented a direct access to the Vivax cloud through their API. However, in yesterday’s meeting with Vivax, they informed me that they were unable to incorporate the tif correction into their API so far. As a result, the Z height obtained through the API remains uncorrected. Vivax asked if we could handle the correction on our side, but it is not feasible as we require accurate data and this is definitely the task from Vivax.

As a conclusion, the customer must continue using the current manual procedure (without the Vivax API). I personally do not see a big negative impact here since it is more important to get accurate data instead of a more simple workflow. But I wanted to inform you anyway.

Figure 1: Current Vivax Cloud (Production) without Vertical Datum correction option.

Figure 2: Beta Vivax Cloud with new Vertical Datum correction option.

I also clarified one of the other questions: It is definitely possible to select the correct projection system when exporting shape files from Vivax. In the past, we had the re-occurring situation that the exported shape files got the wrong projection system. This can be avoided with correct export options in the Vivax cloud.

Figure 3: Projection system selection in Vivax Cloud.

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