Station Tie-In

The Station Tie-In section allows you to precisely register the cave to a location on the paper. This allows you to keep the cave at the same position on the paper even if the cave grows or the passages are re-mapped over time. This is essential for long-term mapping projects. (Note: for many projects the Station Tie-In option is over kill. The Target Matching option will allow do essentially the same thing with less work.)

The Reference Station. The Station Tie-In option works in conjunction with the Paper Position option. The Station Tie-In option works by selecting a particular Station that will be the "Reference Station" for the cave. This is usually the first station, which is normally the entrance, but it doesn't have to be. In fact, in some situations, it makes sense to pick a station near the center of the cave as the reference. Doing this will allow the cave to grow around the edges of the map without the need for move the cave on the paper. (Assuming of course that you have chosen a scale and paper size that provides room for growth.)

Station Tie-In section consists of the follow controls:

Offset From Cave Root. This control specifies a three dimensional offset that is added to the first station in the cave. The first station is usually the entrance. By changing the offset value, you can move the cave around.

Station List. This item displays a list of every station in the cave. The first in the list is the first station in the survey and it is the default "Reference Station." By selecting a different station, you can change the reference station. This station will then become the Reference Station and will then be placed at the position specified by the Paper Position option. In this way, you can precisely and repeatedly place a particular station at a particular point on the paper.

Selecting A Station. You can select a station from the list by clicking on it. This will highlight the station. Now you can press the "Tie-In" button and that selected station will become the "Reference Station." The value the "Offset From the Cave" will change to place this station at the specified Paper Position. Hitting the "Reset Button" will set the Offset to zero, which is the equivalent of setting the Reference Station back to the first station in the cave.