Viewing Your GPS Data

After you send in the proper metadata form(s), you will receive an e-mail with your shapfile (plus other files). In order to view your files, you’ll need at least one of the following softwares: ArcGIS (ArcView, ArcEditor, ArcInfo), OR Excel/Wordpad/Notepad. The files will be e-mailed to you in a zipper folder. Right click on the folder and choose Extract all. (If you don’t have Winzip installed you need to install that first).

GeoXT

The zipped folder will contain four types of files:

1. .ssf files: These are uncorrected Trimble field data files. These cannot be viewed outside of the Trimble software Pathfinder Office. Save these files, however, in case you need to recreate your shapefile.

2. .cor files: These are corrected Trimble field data files. These cannot be viewed outside of the Trimble software Pathfinder Office. Save these files, however, in case you need to recreate your shapefile.

3. At least one folder, containing your shapefile(s) The shapefile is made up of three components (.shp, .shx, .dbf). You need to keep all of these components.

Hiper Pro The zipped folder will contain three sets of files:

1. text file: This will be a text file with your last name first initial (smithx). It contains all your points (as well as all localization points), and gives them in ground coordinates (not lat/long). Remember that these  coordinates and elevation are all relative to the starting point for the localization used. These would be  helpful if you are trying to get back to a localization using the conventional Total Station, which reads in  ground control units.

2. text file2: This will be a text file with your last name first initial and the #2 (smithx2). It contains all your points (as well as all localization points) in lat/long (decimal degrees), as well as elevation. These are the data that you would use if you wanted to navigate back to the location using the Hiper Pro, GeoXT, or other GPS unit. Both of these text files can be viewed using Excel, Wordpad, or Notepad.

3. A shapefile, which will consists of your last name, first initial, and a data (smithx08142006).  There may be a second shapefile called GOTHIIC, which has the monument (localization) points. Again, the shapefile is made up of three components (.shp, .shx, .dbf), and you need to keep all three.