Guide for Using ArcPad 7.1.1 on a Trimble GeoExplorer GPS Unit with Windows Mobile

The purpose of this tutorial is to very basically instruct you how to use the GPS unit we have provided for your tree inventory. This tutorial is for people working on projects in conjunction with the Department of Horticulture at the University of Georgia. Those not involved with UGA have permission to access and use this tutorial for educational purposes. Please note this instruction is specifically for a Trimble GeoExplorer XM or XH

model GPS unit.

Contents

Part 3: Windows Mobile Tools

Part 4: Navigating the Form (recording data for a point)

Part 2: The ArcPad Toolbar

Part 1: Turn on ArcPad

a.) Inventory Toolbar*

b.) Advanced Toolbar*

*The Inventory Toolbar is an ArcPad extension developed for use specifically with tree inventory projects. Not all inventory project GPS units will have this toolbar. It is still in the “beta” stage of development.

The Advanced Toolbar is the default setting for ArcPad.

Follow instruction based on the toolbar you are using for your project. The GPS unit given to you will have either the Inventory Toolbar or the Advanced Toolbar. Your point of contact will inform you of which one it is. In parts of this tutorial outside of Part 2 where differences exist, it will be noted. Please feel free to notify your point of contact if you have further questions.

1. If the unit you are using has a blank screen

when you receive it, or at any time during your

use in the field, press the green button on the

key pad to turn it on. The unit is programmed to

go to “sleep” when it is not in use to conserve

battery power. If it goes to sleep, none of your

data will be lost.

When you turn the unit on, you will either get a blue screen, or a screen with your base map on it. If you get a blue screen: Go to Step 2. If you get a map: Inventory Toolbar go to Step 4. Advanced Toolbar go to Step 5.

Go to Step 2. Go to Step 4 or 5.

Part 1: Turn on ArcPad

1.Key Pad

4. When ArcPad is open, it should look something

like the picture to the right.

Go to Part 2a.

(A location on UGA campus has been used as the exam-

ple for this tutorial. Your location map will not look exactly

like the screen shown. As long as there is a map, you

are on the right track.)

3. ArcPad will launch. The AutoLoader window will

open to inform you that layers have been loaded.

Select ok.

Go to step 4.

2. The blue screen is the main screen for Windows

Mobile. If you encounter this screen, it is because

ArcPad has been closed or minimized.

a). It has been minimized if there is an ArcPad icon

in the lower right corner of the screen. Tap on the

icon and ArcPad will re-open.

Inventory Toolbar (2a) users: Go to Step 4.

Advanced Toolbar (2b) users: Go to Step 5.

b). It has been closed if there is no icon. Tap on the

start icon in the upper left corner of the screen and

then tap on ArcPad 7.1.1 in the drop down list to

re-open the program.

Inventory Toolbar (2b) users: Go to Step 3.

Advanced Toolbar (2b) users: Go to Step 5.

a.

b.

3.

4.

5. If ArcPad was minimized, then it should open with

the map displayed. To navigate your map display,

see the Zoom Tool and Zoom Full Extent Tool in

Part 2b.

If ArcPad was closed, it should look something

like the picture to the right. Go to Part 2b.

Part 2b will guide you through how to open the

map. Look for these icons:

Add Layers

Table of Contents

5.

Zoom In

Zoom Out

Pan

Zoom Out to Full Map Extent

Select (any current tool you are using will have a box around it like this one)

Edit Form

Delete Feature

Part 2a: The Inventory Toolbar

Close ArcPad

Start/ Stop GPS

Inventory

Close ArcPad

Tapping this button will close the ArcPad program. If you close the program, it will

ask you if you want to save. Select No. You will not lose any data. It is only asking

if you want to save the map file, not the data. The data is saved as soon as you

finish the form for a tree. If you close the program, go back to Part 1, Step 2b.

Tap this button to turn on the GPS. When the GPS is on, the tool will highlight and

have a box around it. Select it again to turn off GPS. It is a good idea to turn it off

at the end of each inventory session. This will save battery power.

To zoom out, select the button with the minus sign and repeat the action across the

area you want enlarged.

You may also zoom in or out in small increments by tapping either button respectively.

Use these buttons to zoom in and zoom out of your map view. To zoom in on your

map, select the button with the plus sign and use the stylist to draw a box across

the area (or the GPS symbol, which is where you are standing) you want zoomed.

Drag the stylist from upper left down to bottom right:

Zoom In Zoom Out

Start/ Stop GPS

GPS Inactive GPS Active but Not Receiving GPS Active and Receiving

Zoomed Out Zoomed In

If you get lost on your map or way too zoomed in, tap this tool and your entire

map will come into view. Then use the zoom in tool to get back to a readable

scale.

The select tool is useful when you need to edit or delete a point you have

recorded in the field. You will use this in conjunction with the Edit and Delete

tools. Select this button and then tap on the point/ tree on your map that you need

to edit or delete. A small box will appear around the point to indicate it has been

selected.

Select this tool to pan around your map area. Slide the stylist across the screen to

move the map around.

Pan

Zoom Out to Full Map Extent

SelectGPS Inactive GPS Active but Not Receiving GPS Active and Receiving

Edit Form

Delete Point

Using the Select tool, tap on the point/tree you wish to edit. The point you select

will have a barely visible box around it as shown above. Next, tap on the Edit

Form tool and the form with the current data for that tree will pop open on the

screen. Edit the form or add information as needed, then tap the green ok on the

bottom left to save your changes.

Using the Select tool, tap on the point/tree you wish to delete. The point you

select will have a barely visible box around it as shown above. Next, tap on the

Delete Point tool to erase the point and all of its data.

If you do not see the GPS Active and Receiving icon: the GPS is still

working, or the receiver is being blocked. Make sure you or dense foliage are not

blocking the receiver. Move around until you get the above icon, then tap it for the

form.

If there is no icon, see Start/Stop GPS.

The button with the tree on it is what you will use to activate the form for

recording tree data. When you are in position to record data, tap this button, then

tap the center of the cross hair on the GPS indicator. This will open the form, BUT

your point will not be recorded until you select ok at the end of the form.

See Part 4.

Inventory

Select Inventory Tool

Tap the center of the GPS locator

The form will open

Accessing the Advanced Toolbar

If you are an advanced user and your GPS unit has

the Inventory Toolbar, you may wish to make further

changes to your map or preferences.

Or, if you are having technical difficulty in the field,

your point of contact may instruct you to access this

toolbar to make changes.

1. Push the grey button with a minus sign on it

in the upper right corner of the key pad.

2. The top bar from the Advanced Toolbar will

open above the Inventory Toolbar. See Part 2b

for further instruction about these tools.

In particular, tools you may need are

Add Layers, Table of Contents, or GPS.

3. To return to the Inventory Toolbar, press the

grey button on the keypad again.

1.and 3.Key Pad

Add Layers

Table of Contents

GPS

Tools

Help

Part 2b: The Advanced Toolbar

File

Save

Go Back

Identify

Find Features

Editing Active

Reload

Zoom

Zoom Full Extent

Editing Inactive

Tap on the black arrow to the right of a tool to open its menu. Not all tools have a menu.

File Menu Options: (exit arcpad)

Select Exit from the menu to exit ArcPad and return to

the blue screen.

Select No when a window asks “Save changes to

Untitled?” You do not need to save.

Save: (save a map file “.apm”)

The data you are collecting saves as soon as you

select ok on the form. If you select this tool, you will

only save a map file. This is not necessary.

Add Layers Menu Options: (to open your map)

1. Tap the icon or select “Add Layer...” from the

drop down menu to add map layers.

2. The screen may blink when it opens. This is ok.

Select the check box next to the “Personal” folder. It

will open and list the layers that make up your map.

The default will be with all layers checked. Uncheck

layers you do not want.

3. Select ok at the bottom of the screen.

4. Your map should open in ArcPad. If it does not show

up, use the zoom and zoom full extent tools to find it.

Table of Contents: (to edit layers and symbols)

Use this tool to open the Table of Contents. This

manages the layers that compose your map.

Make sure there are two check marks next to the layer

that has the form. “Form”, “Blank” or the name of your

project location will be in the title. Now the form is

ready to gather data. These boxes must be checked in

order to gather data.

Tap on a layer to highlight it. Use the up and down ar-

rows to change its position in the list. This will change

how visible it is on the map. A polygon layer like

“parcels” can cover the “roads” layer on the map if it is

listed before “roads” in this list.

Use the red X to remove a layer from your map. You

will have to add it again from the Add Layers tool in

this side toolbar or from the main toolbar once it is

removed.

Editing Active

Editing Inactive

When you have selected both check boxes next to a

layer in the Table of Contents, that means you are

essentially editing a layer. This icon on the toolbar

highlights and another tool bar is added below the first

two. See Editing Tools.

GPS Menu Options: (activate GPS)

Select “GPS Active” to activate the GPS for the unit.

A window will open to ask if you want to activate the

GPS. Select Yes.

When it is active, there will be a red box around the

icon next to the listing in the menu.

To deactivate, select “GPS Active” from the drop down

list again. It is a good idea to do this at the end of a

field session to conserve battery power.

NOTE: If you get a notice telling you that the .ssf file has not been updated, select Yes to overwrite it. This file is a time stamp that is necessary to enhance the precision of your data later on.

If you do not see the GPS Active and Receiving icon: the GPS is still working, or the receiver is being blocked. Make sure you or dense foliage are not blocking the receiver. Move around until you get the above icon. See Part 4.

Zoom Menu Options: (find your way around the map)

Zoom Full Extent Menu Options: (to find where you are)

Select items from this menu to zoom in, zoom out and

pan your map view.

To zoom in or zoom out: Select the icon with the plus

sign (or minus to zoom out) and use the stylist to draw

a box across the area (or the GPS symbol, which is

where you are standing) you want zoomed. Drag the

stylist from upper left down to bottom right:

Select Pan to move up, down, left, or right in the view.

Drag your stylist across the screen to where you want

to go.

If you get too zoomed in, or lost on your map view, select

Zoom to Full Extent from this list, or tap on this tool and

the map will zoom all the way out. Use the zoom tool to

zoom back in to a closer view.

Or, select Zoom to Layer, which will open a list of your

layers. Select the one from the list that you would like to

see. Pick your form layer from the list to get a quick view of

your project area.

The Editing Toolbar (conducting the inventory)

To start your inventory, make sure the Point has

been selected from the Blue Point drop down

menu. The Point is the default.

1. Blue Point Menu

When your GPS is active, this tool will light up. To

begin recording data for a tree, stand near it, make

sure your GPS locator is active and receiving.

Select this tool and then tap the center of the

GPS symbol. The data form should open.

2. GPS Recording Point

Select this tool if you need to edit a form or delete a

data point (feature).

Tap on the symbol marking the tree’s location on

the map, and a box will appear around it.

Now use the feature tool.

3. Select tool (for editing a form)

4. Feature Tool (for editing a form)

Select Feature Properties from the menu to

re-open the form and edit/ add/ delete data for the

tree you have selected.

Select Delete Feature from the menu to totally

delete the tree location and its data.

1.

4.

Minimize ArcPad (return to Blue Screen)

Lock Screen

QWERTY Keyboard

This is located in the upper right corner

of the screen. To minimize ArcPad and

return to the blue start screen, select

this button. To return to ArcPad, go to

Part 1, Step 2a.

This is located in the lower left corner

of the screen. Tapping this button will

lock the touch screen on your unit. Tap

it again and answer Yes to unlock.

This is located in the lower right

corner of the screen. To access the

touch screen keyboard, tap on this

button at the bottom right of the screen.

Tap it again to minimize it. When the

keyboard is activated, it will be

highlighted. Otherwise, it will be barely

visible at the bottom of the screen.

Part 3: Windows Mobile Tools to Know

There are 7 tabs you can scroll across for each set of data for 1 tree. Use the left

and right black arrows to scroll across tabs. Select a tab title (ie- ROOTS) to

access that tab. See Part 3 to access a keyboard for data entry where necessary

if it does not appear automatically.

3. When you have gotten to the end of the form, make sure you have been standing

in one spot for at least a minute for the GPS to a lock onto your position, then

select the green ok button at the bottom left corner.

If you do not want to record that tree or any data, select the red x to

exit the form.

1. When you are ready to record data on a tree, position yourself near the tree.

a.) Inventory Toolbar Users: Select the Inventory tool.

b.) Advanced Toolbar Users: Select the GPS Recording Point tool.

2. Tap in the center of the cross hair on the GPS locator when it looks like this:

The form for recording data will appear on the screen.

The tree’s data and location will not be recorded until you select the green ok button. TSL 07.16.09

Part 4: Navigating the Form (recording data for a point)

Scroll Tabs

Tabs

The Form