Software/Hardware Protocols: Complete Protocol

Contents

Benefits associated with using MediaMapper

Calibrating your Digital Camera with your Trimble GPS Unit

Creating a data dictionary for the GPS unit

GPS Data Collection

Transferring GPS-Linked Photographs to MediaMapper

 

Benefits associated with using MediaMapper

  • Data can be continually updated
  • Field data can be easily shared between many stakeholders
  • Higher quality and usable data
  • Efficient and cost effective mapping
  • Less equipment in field
  • “Operational simplicity, user-friendliness, support of more detailed reporting, and importantly, facilitating information sharing across the USFS organization.”[1]
  • “Multimedia mapping provides an overall picture that is clearer and more complete”[2]
  • Identify, inventory, and assess environmental changes in a time series, i.e., images collected from the same location over a period of time: weeks, months, years. [3]
  • Audio narration serves as a valuable compliment to what has been documented visually[4]

Back to Top

Calibrating your Digital Camera with your Trimble GPS Unit

Calibrating your digital camera and GPS unit allows you to take photographs that will be linked to their coordinates. This can be done before going out or while you are in the field. Calibration must be done before linked photographs can be taken.

  1. Doubleclick the TerraSync icon on Trimble GPS screen.
  2. In the upper left hand corner of the Trimble GPS home screen, make sure screen is set to Status. Touch the button under the Status button, and click on UTC Time. 
  3. Set your digital camera’s clock to be the same as the GPS UTC time. If your camera does not have seconds, wait until the GPS UTC changes to a new minute and set the clock at this moment.
  4. Take a picture of the UTC screen with your digital camera. Make sure you are able to read the screen clearly in the photograph.
  5. Set your GPS unit to start collecting data. In the upper left hand corner, choose Data. Type in your new file name using the keyboard (if not open, the keyboard icon is located in the lower right hand corner). Dictionary name (see Creating a data dictionary for the GPS unit). Touch the Create button located in the upper right hand corner. You will then be asked what type of data to collect: Point, Line or Area. After choosing the appropriate option, touch the Create button.
  6. Take as many pictures as needed. The GPS unit will be able to match up the time code on your digital camera with its own once the data have been downloaded onto the computer.

 Back to Top

 

Creating a data dictionary for the GPS unit

This allows you to label features specifically as opposed to using generic features
  1. Open GPS Pathfinder Office
  2. Select or create a project name
  3. Utilities > Data Dictionary Editor
  4. Name the data dictionary (such as Low Tide Data)
  5. Create a New Feature (button in lower left corner or F3)
    i.e.  Low tide line - using a line feature will allow you to give it a text attribute such as tidal height
               OR  Eelgrass shallow point
  6. When finished adding new features to dictionary:
              Utilities > Data Transfer
     The program will scan to see if the GPS unit is attached
  7. Choose the Send tab  

      Back to Top

GPS Data Collection

This will allow you to begin collecting data on your GPS unit, to later be matched with your digital camera images using the time stamp.

To create a new file:

  1. In upper left hand corner of screen, click on arrow next to Status and select Data

  2. Enter a new file name

  3. If you have already created a data dictionary, select the appropriate dictionary name; otherwise, leave the dictionary name on Generic

  4. Select Create in the upper right hand corner of the screen

  5. Select either Point or Line and doubleclick
         a. The Point data feature collects GPS coordinates at a certain interval of time. To adjust this logging interval, select Options in the upper right hand corner of the screen, and choose Logging Interval
         b. The Line data feature collects GPS coordinates and connects them into a continuous line of data. To adjust this logging interval, select Options in the upper right hand corner of the screen, and choose Logging Interval

  6. Data is being collected when the pencil icon in the upper right hand corner of the screen is drawing continuously and data points are being record. This is occurring only when the GPS unit has a secure lock on satellites in good configuration. The satellite icon in the upper center or the screen will be on continuously (not blinking).

  7. Comments can be added as needed throughout data collection

  8. When data collection is complete, select OK.

To add data to an existing file:

  1. In upper left hand corner of screen, click on arrow next to Status and select Data

  2. Select the arrow next to New and choose Existing File

  3. Select your existing file, then select Open in the upper right hand corner

  4. Select Update in the upper left hand corner and choose Collect Features

 Back to Top

Transferring GPS-Linked Photographs to MediaMapper

Once you have taken photographs of your desired site and subjects (see Photo Point Monitoring Protocol in collaboration with GPS), you can now download these images to begin creating an interactive, user-friendly map of your site.

  1. Hook up Trimble GPS unit to its port, which should be connected to your computer

  2. To begin a new map:
               Open MediaMapper
                     Open new media map and save

  3. To download your GPS data from the field:
                Open GPS Pathfinder Office
                      Utilities > Data Transfer > Add > Data Files
                      Select your saved GPS file > Open > Transfer all
                      Utilities > Export
                      Under Export Setup, make sure MediaMapper is selected
                      Also make sure the System is UTM (to calibrate with your digital camera)

  4. To download your digital pictures:
                 Connect your digital camera to the computer
                 When asked what to do with them, Save under your new map name in MediaMapper

  5. To export your pictures onto your media map
                 In MediaMapper
                       Add Media > Select Match media with GPS data > Next
                       Select your GPS Log file (this will be in a gml format under your Export folder) > Next
                       Select Existing Media > Next
                       Select your digital camera > Next
                       Select the folder in which you saved your photos > Next
                 Calibrate the photographs with the GPS unit by entering the UTC numbers in your first photograph into the appropriate boxes > OK
                 Select all the photo files (using Shift-Click to select all) > Open
                 Select √
                 Select a Destination Feature Layer (a folder saved under your MediaMapper file) > Finish
    Your pictures will be put onto your media map, linked to their GPS coordinates

  6. To get an aerial map of your surveyed area
                  Map > TerraServer Maps…
                  When window box pops up, choose the Map Type you desire
                  Select Download
          Your map will be downloaded onto the screen

Back to Top

Webpage and project content by:

Dr. Joel Elliott, University of Puget Sound, Department of Biology
Liz Fly, University of Puget Sound, Department of Biology
Erin Spear,  University of Puget Sound, Department of Biology

This project is funded by the Northwest Academic Computing Consortium and the University of Puget Sound

.                

 

jkelliott@ups.edu | lfly@ups.edu | Send Feedback!