The beginning part of the Digital Surveyor workflow starts at the Feature Attribute Template. This is similar to how AutoCAD has drawing templates with predefined layers and Microstation has seed files with predefined drawing levels. An attribute template serves as a configurable mapping tool between Mach9’s recognized objects and a client's data format, often a File GeoDatabase (GDB). This functionality is key for translating and preparing data for client deliverables. There is no limit to how many templates a company can have set up, allowing for the ability to have custom templates tailored to different customer requirements.
When a user goes to start an Automated Survey on a dataset, they are required to specify an Attribute Template for the automated survey to place features on.
In the screenshot above, the Feature column is the user specific layers they plan to use within Digital Surveyor. The Mach9 Object column will show if the user’s layer is associated with any automated layer or is just a standard line type or survey point object.
From there, users can expand upon their layers to include specific attributes, some of which can also be pre-populated thanks to Digital Surveyor’s automation. Some additional attribute examples include:
- Sign - Dimensions
- Sign - MUTCD Codes
- Sign - Wording
- Pole - Heights and Lean
- Tree Diameters
- Paint Stripe - Coloring (White or Yellow)
- Paint Stripe - Solid vs Dashed Lines