With modern total station theodolites it is possible to directly set-out or pick-up features. These instruments have the facility to.

• Measure angles.
• Measure distances.
• Reduce polar (q,L ) to rectangular (E,N ) coordinates and vice versa.
• Store measurements in memory.
• Upload coordinate information from PC and download captured measurements.
• Often have programs to perform common survey tasks.

Setting-out and picking-up utilising these 'on-board' features can be easily performed with the total station coordinates set to the coordinates of the survey station and the horizontal circle set to the bearing. Many industrial applications perform daily survey tasks in the way.

The example shown to the right displays a mining application where the ore zone is marked out in an open pit for mining. There are many other applications from civil engineering to...Can you think of any applications?

Setting out form-work on the narrows bridge, Perth. A civil engineering application.

Interactive applets

1. Set out a grid.
2. Pick up a pre-defined grid.
3. Survey pick up of boundary features.