BENCHMARK SLOPE APPLICATION DETAILED USER INSTRUCTIONS

When first opening the application, there is a brief start-up screen, followed by the:

Settings Page (first time opening only)

·         Users can select choice of Unit of Measure between Feet & Inches (Imperial), Decimal, or Meters.

Imperial is the traditional unit of measurement in the US, using feet and inches.  Decimal Feet is the standard for most Engineering and Architectural plans, and CAD platforms, dividing the foot into Tenths.  Meters is the standard for those regions using the metric system

·         User can select LANGUAGE-- choice of ENGLISH or SPANISH

·         User can select SOUND & HAPTICS settings: toggle switches for Haptic feedback and Calculation chime

Along the bottom of the screen, users can choose which function they wish to use—CONVERT, SLOPE, or return to the SETTINGS page.  At the top of the setting page, users can tap the Manage Account tab to view and change subscription status.

CONVERT FUNCTION Screen

The first screen of the CONVERT function is the HOI, or Height of Instrument page. It allows the user to input initial set-up information. It is necessary for the user to have set up their level/instrument and have it active before proceeding with the following steps.  Choose a instrument location that is stable, clear of active work, and has a view of the entire worksite. 

1.      After setting up your level/instrument, the user should input the elevation of the indicated BENCHMARK as provided by the plans.  This input is always in DECIMAL FEET, as this is the default unit of measurement for most Architectural and Engineered Plans.  It is often labeled or denoted with a Benchmark Symbol on the plan and indicates a fixed and immovable point at the worksite.

2.      Next the user would use their graduated pole and receiver to determine the sighted elevation at the BENCHMARK location and enter this into the “Enter Pole Shot at Benchmark” input box. The “Calculate HOI” circle will turn green, indicating the App has what it requires to accurately determine the current Height of Instrument

3.      At any point, the user may tap the current unit of measurement tab to toggle between DECIMAL FT., IMPERIAL (FEET & INCHES), or Meters.  This is useful for quickly and accurately converting between these units of measurement and matching the unit of measurement to your sight pole.

4.      The user then taps the green circle “CALCULATE HOI”, prompting the App to now use these two inputs to automatically determine the “HEIGHT OF INSTRUMENT” or “HOI”, and then proceed to the CONVERT FUNCTION page.

5.      OPTIONAL GRADE MODIFIER Function (Advanced)--Use this optional function to automatically modify all calculated Pole Shots by a predetermined factor.  For example, if the user wants to consistently shoot elevations of the desired grade, rather than the top-of slab, they could enter an OPTIONAL GRADE MODIFIER of -6”, which for purposes of this example, reflects the plan-specified 6” depth of the concrete.  This is useful for establishing top of grade, or top of sub-base, rather than the indicated top of finished materials. Note: Be sure to use the (+/-) indicator appropriately when selecting a modifier.  Once a modifier has been entered, a red indicator becomes visible and the The “Calculate HOI” circle will turn green, indicating the App has what it requires to accurately determine the current HOI, or Height of Instrument, including the Optional Modifier. When the user taps the Green button, the app will proceed to the CONVERT FUNCTION screen.

CONVERT FUNCTION Screen

On this page users can choose to enter various elevations using one of two methods: the KEYBOARD or using the OCR SCANNER function using their phone’s camera.

Each of these methods are described below:

KEYBOARD INPUT METHOD (Default):

·         Tap the Keyboard Tab

·         Type the numeric elevation provided by the plans using the keyboard and tap ENTER-- The App instantly calculates the accurate target pole shot at that elevation point, highlighted in yellow.

·         To enter the next elevation, simply type the next numeric elevation into the keyboard.  The App will instantly calculate each Pole Shot, while also displaying the previous two entries for reference

·         NOTE: If an Optional Modifer was entered on the previous HOI screen, then the calculated result highlighted in yellow with reflect this modifier as indicated by a red indicator

·         At any point, the user may tap the current unit of measurement tab to toggle between DECIMAL FT., IMPERIAL (FEET & INCHES), or Meters.  This is useful for quickly and accurately converting between these units of measurement

·         At any point, the user may tap the <Change HOI tab at the upper left part of screen to return to the Set HOI Screen.  Note that HOI should be reset ANY TIME the instrument/level is moved, reset, or disturbed.

·         At any point, the User may tap the OCR Scanner tab to use the camera entry method.

·         At any point, the User may close the keyboard to reveal options along the bottom of the screen to select SLOPE function, or return to the Settings screen

OCR SCANNER INPUT METHOD (USING PHONE CAMERA)

(USER MUST GRANT PERMISSON FOR APP TO USE THE CAMERA ON INITIAL USE.  OCR SPEED AND ACCURACY IS SUBJECT TO CLARITY OF PLANS, FONTS, AND OTHER FACTORS)

·         Tap the OCR Scanner Tab

·         Using the Display viewfinder, the User simply hovers their camera over the Numeric elevation figure on their plan until captured.

·         The App instantly calculates the accurate Target Pole Shot at that elevation point, displayed and highlighted in yellow.

·         To enter the next elevation, simply move the view-finder to the next numeric elevation on the plans.  The App will instantly calculate each Target Pole Shot, while displaying the previous two entries just below for reference

·         At any point, the User may tap the Keyboard tab to use the Keyboard Entry method.

·         At any point, the user may tap the current unit of measurement tab to toggle between DECIMAL FT., IMPERIAL (FEET & INCHES), or Meters.  This is useful for quickly and accurately converting between these units of measurement

·         At any point, the user may tap the <Change HOI tab at the upper left part of screen to return to the Set HOI Screen.  Note that HOI should be reset ANY TIME the instrument/level is moved, reset, or disturbed.

·         At any point, the User may tap options along the bottom of the screen to select Slope function, or return to the Settings screen

SLOPE CALCULATOR FUNCTION

Slope Calculator Function that allows users to quickly and accurately determine Change in Elevation (Rise), Distance apart (Run), and Gradient % between any two Elevation points, termed Pt. A  and Pt. B, This allows the User instantly determine grade-range compliance, pitch, and grade.

The User can enter any three items of data, and the application efficiently calculates and displays six interrelated results in a clear and intuitive interface.

1.      ELEVATION OF Pt. A

2.      ELEVATION OF Pt. B

3.      DIRECTION OF SLOPE BETWEEN A and B

4.      DIFFERENCE IN ELEVATION BETWEEN A and B

5.      DISTANCE BETWEEN POINT A and B

6.      % GRADIENT OF SLOPE

To use this function, simply tap the entry panel on whichever data you wish to enter.  The keyboard will automatically appear. Once you have entered information into at least three of the panels, tap next—the app will dismiss the keyboard and instantly provide results displayed in yellow panels.

·         Tap the ↑↓ to toggle between climbs or falls

·         At any point, the user may tap the current unit of measurement tab to toggle between DECIMAL FT., IMPERIAL (FEET & INCHES), or Meters.  This is useful for quickly and accurately converting results between these units of measurement

·         At any point tap the Reset tab to clear all date and start over

After the results have been calculated choose to change any of these factors by tapping any panel—the panel will change to white, and the keyboard will pop up, allowing the user to clear and then enter new data.  Depending on the data points selected, the app may prompt you to select which factor you wish to change, with options presented highlighted in green with a  ⭯ tab

For Example, when selecting to change the Gradient, the app will need to know if the user wishes to change the elevation of Point A, Point B, or the Distance (Run) between them.  Tap the circular ⭯ tab to make your selection, prompting the app to recalculate results using the new data.  Note that at any point the user may tap the Reset tab to start over.

·         At any point, the User may tap options along the bottom of the screen to select Convert function, or return to the Settings screen