ADVANCED DISPLAY OF BASE MAPS CAD base map rendering in seconds LandStar 8's proprietary MetaCAD graphics engine opens DWG and DXF base maps faster, with smoother rendering and an improved user experience. DXF files up to 200 MB can be opened on CHCNAV handheld controllers in less than 10 seconds. Smart base map functions include "Quick Code" for one-click feature coding to automatically create line features to increase project productivity. LandStar 8 supports the opening of external reference files, automatically recognizes CAD length units, and allows editing of CAD base maps directly in the field.

 

Quick introduction to LandStar8:

  

Evaluating LandStar8 LandStar8 can be installed most Android devices. Without activation it is full featured, only device connection is limited. You can easily self service a 30-day demo code to work with supported devices. Check out Page 223 of this [ User Manual ] for step-by-step installation instructions. Page 7 details how to automatically obtain a 30-day demo. Once installed and activated, follow the path shown on Page 3 for a quick introduction. Consider watching the short installation [ videos ] to help with your evaluation. Purchasing LandStar8 LandStar8 is licensed by purchasing a unique Registration Code (formally PreCode). A Registration Code can only be deployed on a lifetime total of 5 devices; however, the code can be freely transferred between (back and forth) these 5 devices an unlimited number of times. LandStar8 is $490 for all GNSS functionality including Volume, Roading, and Visual Survey. iGage has driven most of the North American version changes and literally has written the book LandStar8. We are confident of our ability to support, drive new features, and obtain quick bug fixes. If you purchase LandStar8 or equipment from other sources, no support will be available from iGage. The only way to obtain support from iGage is to purchase from iGage.   LandStar8 supported equipment LandStar supports a very large list of RTK Instruments, generic NMEA receivers, the host Android Internal GPS receiver in the PDA and includes a position Simulator. This is partial list of devices: CHC M5, X900+, X91+, X6, iBase, E90, E91, M6, i50, i73+, i73, i70, i83, i80, i89, i90, i93 JY i80, Z3, X91+ Champion Pro Prince iBase, i90VR, i90, i80, i70T, i80Air, i80Pro, i50, i30, i30 IMU Tx, X91 ELMIZ elNav, M3, i70, i70Pro Horizon Kronos C3 ComNav G9GNSS, G7GNSS TopoMap T10, T20, T20 plus iGage iG3S, iG4, iG5, iG8, iG8a, iG9, iG9a eGPS M5, eGPSM6, eGPSM7, eGPS20T, eGPS20TL Datronix D1, D20 GeoGenie NX, PRO NMEA support works with most receivers. Best NMEA operation requires GGA, GST, GSV, GSA at any interval. Performance will improve with GGA at 1 HZ or faster.   What's new in the LandStar8 2024 Edition? In preparation for the release of the i93 and i89 Visual Survey receivers into the North American market, we have made extensive enhancements to LandStar8 2024 Edition. This is a partial list: Extensive prompt updates to 'American English'. Quadrant bearings with 1234 shortcut entry, "342.354187641" => "S 42 35 41.87641 W" Units:   length: meters, iFeet, USfeet with override entry for Chains,   Area: sq Meters, sq Miles, sq Feet, Acres, Hectares, sq Yards, mu   volume: cubic Meters, cubic feet, cubic yards, acre-feet N, E or E, N coordinate order Inline unit overrides for feet, survey feet, chains links Inline point inverse math for distance and bearing:   "1001,1004" bearing from point 1001 to 1004   "1001,1005+90" bearing from point 1001 to 1004 plus 90 degrees Inline calculator for distances and bearings:   "1001,1004" the distance from point 1001 to 1004   "1001,1004/2" one-half the distance from point 1001 to 1004 Automatic description builder/editor. Option to store automatic photographs stored when using Visual receivers for stored and staked points. Offset point/line staking with entered starting station: Landstar8 has extensive offset staking methods for both Points and Lines. See the "Offset staking a point" section of the User Manual for Point offsets. Line stakeout includes Perpendicular, Skew ahead and Skew behind. Roading routines are not optional, they are included with all LandStar8 licenses. Road staking with alignments. LandStar8 has an extensive cadre of alignment and profile editors built in. Station equations for road staking. Extensive offset point/line survey for hidden point survey. Continuous live project backups while you work. Deployment backups and restore makes it easy to build a single file to move an entire deployment including: Projects, Settings, Instrument Profiles, Defaults, cached background tiles, background maps, photos, Codes, Layer descriptions, custom projections. Google Drive support, extensive sharing options. Cached background map tiles with adjustable opacity. It is possible to download a background map, then modify the opacity of the cached tiles to Instrument profiles with one-click selection. Single button switching from UHF to Network to Robotic operation. Single-point localization with grid, geodetic, aligned and manual basis of bearing, manual or automatic NGS matching scale factors. SPCS2022 Preliminary zones included for experimental use Verified surveys for automatic collection of high-confidence measurements under canopy with graphical reporting and residual display for mapping out ‘bad’ measurements. The GNSS measurement engine is factory initialized between groups to insure that full new fixes are obtained. Additional measurement groups can be collected with long intervals between measurements. Automatic Control point survey for high-confidence measurements in wide-open canopy. Similar to the Verified survey, however CPS runs from a start time to completion with no breaks. Alignment survey: prompting for collection along an alignment (polyline) at even intervals and specified offsets. Auto Code increments for Z (zig-zag) collection. Foundation profile stakeout: build offset profiles for pit excavation. Sideslope stakeout for Area. Subdivision by hinge or sliding edge, specified by percentage or absolute Import: .crd, .crdb, .loc, .xml, .kml, .kmz, .shp, .dxf, .dwg, Leica, Trimble coordinate files. Vector Export: starnet .dat and .gps, .jxl. It is possible to directly write a .jxl file and import points with vectors for import into TBC. Extensive 2D and 3D Surface building, viewing, editing, Stakeout with onboard volume computations between surfaces. Code file imports from other tools, Code Grouping. ‘Code?Description’ The "?" can be used to enter both the Code and Description in the Code entry box. Auto OK: enable to greatly reduce the number of operations that require an OK to continue. Transformation: translate, rotate, scale or align by points. Deed description entry with arcs, lines and bearing + distance, cord bearings. Smart Point averaging with graphs. Previously stored measurements can be averaged with graphical visualization of the spread, 1 and 2-sigma ellipses. Americanized Inverse with Chains / Links and Traverse modes. Point to Line COGO: compute a the offset of a point to a line, store/stake a point at the intersecion point. Lines and arcs annotated with live Bearing / Distance dimensions in the CAD View. Text notes in CAD. Direct stakeout from CAD. Direct stakeout from Map Survey (in alpha) Site calibration with point imports from common tools. Base shift for OPUS adjustments. CORS shifts for VRS server solution adjustments. Useful for making a network position exactly match a specified value (dX, dY, dZ with no rotation or scale.) Support for forcing cellular data connection when connected to a visual receiver by Wi-Fi while using Visual receivers without onboard internet connections. This allows older X91+ and iG8 receivers to be used as UHF bases for new Visual receivers. Support for all CHC, iGage instruments including updated drivers for the X900+. Robotic and manual Total Station Support (release expected Q1 2024) Detailed 300+ page, printed, American English User Manual. LandStar8 has no maintenance charges. One license can be shared (single use) on 5 devices. 25-frame per second video supported for visual instruments. Unlike competing tools, LandStar8 can instantly activate visual functions. Support for Android 13 on latest generation Google Pixel devices. Enhanced Visual survey status balloons to not interfere with high rate point selections and stores.

Visual Survey Data Collectors

Checkout the Android [ Data Collectors for Visual Survey ] page for detailed data collector comparisons.

Price Comparisons

We believe that LandStar8 is a great field application, regardless of price. It stands against all other field software on a feature bases. However, it may be interesting to compare deployed and maintenance costs for GNSS capability:   GNSS Base Price Annual Subscription Volume GIS Roading LandStar 8 $490 $0 included included included SPC $1,750 $395 /major update     $500 GXP $1,285 $258/year $258 $65 $258 FGA $795/year         FGAP $1,795 $225/year       FGW $3,085 $385/year       TA $995/year         TM $2,065 $395/year       In addition, LandStar 8 allows 5 installations with unlimited license movement between the 5 installations. This means you can use a phone for boundary survey and a full sized tablet for construction survey, with the same license. Providing considerable additional value and flexibility at no additional cost.  (The license can only be used on one device at a time.)

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