Leica UK Quick Guides

Using Format Manager For Creating Format Files

This guide will be relevant for the TPS 300, 400, 700, 800 and 1200 series and also GPS 500 and 1200.

Step

Action

Format Manager
This sub-program can be found in Leica Survey
Office, Ski Pro, Leica Geo Office Tools and Leica
Geo Office Combined.
It is found by going to Tools and starting Format
Manager.
Please note in Ski Pro the program is found in: C:\Program
Files\LEICA Geosystems\SkiPro\FormatManager

The Format Manager program allows the user to

custom design the data output from the total station or
GPS unit.
The data output format can be designed to meet most
survey program requirements or just display the data
to specific user demands. For example the data output
can be tailored for GSI format, CSV format or any
standard text format to import into survey processing
software. The measurements, points and codes can
all be arranged in any order, including additional
identifier text added to suit.

Creating Format Files

Open Format Manager

Go to File, New
Select the Instrument class and specify Format Type

If you wish to use the format file on-board the

instrument then use Field type if given the option.

Screen Display

Leica UK Quick Guides

Step

Action

On left hand side of the screen are the available

sources of data output from the instrument.
Data Export is for the output of measured information.
Logfiles is for the output of quality control information
and reporting of specific applications.
Expand Data Export: here you can set to export
information in the Header of Footer of the output file,
but for now we will look at Export Formatstrings only.
This is where the main bulk of data will be output.
Expand this and then expand Data Blocks:
The most popular blocks where information is exported
are the Points, TPS Measurements (or
Measurement TPS) and Free Codes. Expanding any
of these will reveal the Exportstring.
In this tutorial, expand the Points source.

Click on Exportstring.
This will give you a blank white window in the centre
and also different variables on the right-hand side.
The upper centre (main) window is where text and
variables are entered these define what data is
exported from the instrument.
The lower centre window shows an example of what
the data will look like once exported from the
instrument.
The right-hand window shows the list of available
variables. Double clicking on these moves them into
the main window.
Any variable that appears in the main window will
mean that the particular variable is exported from the
instrument every time the block event occurs. For
example, in Points block, every time a point is
recorded on the instrument, the information will be
exported as defined in the main window.
You can add text in the main window; this will also be
exported with the data. Any text will appear on every
line of data when that particular block is exported. For
example in GSI format, 21.024 could be added to
appear before every horizontal angle.

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Step
4

Action

Screen Display

In the tutorial we will create a simple comma separated

file (CSV) using the Point ID, Easting, Northing, Height
and Code.
- From the variables on the right, find Point ID and
double click on it. This will move it to the main window.
- With the cursor after <Point ID>, enter a comma
character using your keyboard. Any characters can be
added if required and will appear every time the block
is exported.
- From the variables window, find Easting and double
click on it. Enter a comma from your keyboard to follow
this.
- Continue to enter Northing, Ortho height, Point
Code (each separated by commas). Finally hit enter
on your keyboard to take the cursor to the next line
(this ensures each line of data output is on a new line)
In the main window, double click on <Point ID>. This
will open a new dialogue box formatting options.
In the General tab you can define various parameters:

Length defines the total length in characters of the

exported value if a standard length is required, but
ONLY when the truncate value option is ticked (see
step 6). Otherwise the output will be as long as the
value requires or use fill characters to meet the
minimum length stated.
Enter 1 in this example and the output will adjust to the
length of the real value.
The Precision is the length of characters after the
decimal point. For example enter 3 for a distance
stated accuracy to 1mm. Enter 0 if the value is not a
number or does not require a decimal.
Enter 0 in the tutorial as the <Point ID> is text.
The Fill character defines what character will fill the
output when the number of characters does not meet
the number in the length field (only applicable when
alignment is right). If the length is set to 10 and the
value only contains 2 digits, then the preceding 8
values will be filled with either a zero or a space.

Example 1

Example 2

Length =10

Length =5

Recorded value = 12

Recorded value = 12

Alignment = right

Alignment = left

Fill character = 0

Alignment will send the characters to the right or left if

they do not fill the whole field.
- In the tutorial, leave the fill character as space (as it
will not be used)

Output =
0000000012

Output = 12----(where - = space)

Leica UK Quick Guides

Step

Action

There will be further settings available if you doubleclick on a variable that has numeric values:

Screen Display

Representation leave as normal

Sign will add a positive or negative sign to the value if
required.
Unit defines the values units to be used, or tick box to
use the same units as the instrument.
In the Flags tab, you have the option to set the
following:
Truncate value will cut off part of the value if it
exceeds the specified length. The value is truncated to
the specified length, either the left or right characters of
the value as defined by the alignment.
Selecting Export nothing if variable is empty will
mean the value is left blank if there was no value
entered (instead of using the fill character)

For the tutorial, configure the <Easting>, <Northing>

and <Ortho Height> variables so that they all have
length =1, precision = 3 and Fill character = 0. Leave
any other settings as they are. This will mean the
characters before the decimal point are as long as the
value requires and it always has 3 characters after the
decimal point.
Configure the <Point Code> variable so that length = 1,
precision = 0 and Fill character = space.
An example of the output would be as indicated:

23,920.443,1030.853,56.565,CODE
24,1032.231,1132.223,56.776,CODE
25,1132.351,912.273,56.471,CODE

Once these settings have been completed the format

file is ready to be saved and then transferred to a GPS
unit or Total Station for data export.
Format files are generally saved in the Formats folder
on an instrument, or the Convert folder on the flash
card and then transferred to the system RAM to be
used.

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Step

Action

Advanced settings
Double clicking on a variable and entering flags will
show further options on some variables.
Allow scaling leaving this ticked will allow the
values to be scaled in the Options section (see below)
Suppress rounding Truncates the value instead of
rounding them eg 100.9 becomes 100

Options Settings
General - Scales the scales allow any value to be
multiplied by a factor defined. This is useful when
writing a GSI format for example, that doesnt have a
decimal place. Inputting a scale of 1000 will mean that
a value of 123.456 will be output 123456.
The Linear scale applies to distances and coordinates.
These settings apply to the whole file.
Units you can define the various units to be output or
check the use instrument units box to use whatever
the instrument was using.

String Pool copy and pasting values

Accessed by right-clicking in the main window. Use the
string pool to copy and paste entries between different
blocks. Saving a string pool is the equivalent of
copying the entire row of variables and any additional
text. Loading a string pool is the equivalent of pasting
the variables and text.
Note that loading a string pool into certain datablocks
may not work as the variables may not be valid in that
datablock type.

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