Current Help System: PC-DMIS Portable (View Core Help)

### Total Station Probe Compensation

For a Total Station device, PC-DMIS retrieves the compensation direction information from a reference plane or work plane (for point features), feature information (hole type features) or Total Station Position (line and plane features) defined when you measure a feature using the Quick Start dialog box.

The options inside the Compensation area of the Quick Start dialog box change depending on the type of measured feature you are measuring. However they all perform the same function, changing the direction of the compensation.

Also, depending on the system configuration, the Compensation section of the Quick Start dialog will change or may not be accessible at all.

Three possible scenarios are described followed by a more detailed explanation of the Quick Start Compensation section.

Quick Start Dialog for an AT901 with a T-Probe

The Compensation section is not available to the user as PC-DMIS configures this using information provided from the tracker and T-Probe.

Quick Start Dialog for an AT901 with a Reflector

The Compensation section is available and the user has the option to select the Predefined feature along with the associated radio buttons described in a later section below.

Quick Start Dialog for a Total Station

With a Total Station, PC-DMIS automatically selects the Predefined option in the Quick Start Compensation section and makes it unavailable to the user. The user can select the associated radio button option described in a later section below.

For Points (+ or -)

The + and - buttons determine the compensation direction of the point along the vector of the reference (measured) plane. In the case of a measured plane, the + button will compensate in the same direction as the vector, - compensates in the opposite direction of the vector.

Note: The compensation area is not displayed when projecting to a workplane since you can choose plus or minus workplanes which inherently specify compensation direction.

For Measured Lines and Planes (Toward or Away)

The Toward or Away buttons determine the compensation of lines or planes by either using the vector that is toward the Total Station (measuring from the Total Station to the point) or away from the point (measuring from the point to the Total Station) as the vector for compensation.

For Circles, Cylinders, Cones, Spheres, and Slots (In or Out)

The IN and OUT buttons determine the compensation direction for hole or stud type features. If you are measuring the inside of a feature, you should choose IN. If you are measuring the outside of a feature, you should choose OUT.

For Circles and Slots (Toward or Away)

The Toward or Away buttons appear for circles or slots if you have the 3D type selected from the Reference Feature area of the Quick Start interface. They determine the compensation of circles or slots by letting you specify whether or not a feature's normal vector should point more toward the Total Station or more away from the Total Station. PC-DMIS will mathematically evaluate the feature's current vector and flip it as needed based on your selection.

This does not mean that the vector then points directly at or directly away from the device, because a feature's vector might be more perpendicular to the vector of the device's optics than parallel to it. But the vector will be flipped as needed so that normal vector that points more toward or away from the device as specified.