Automatic Offsets Using The Bingo Card Method

QuikMap has had the ability to automatically offset points in an exclusion zone for some time. The user typically enters a number of parameters on the Miscellaneous Settings dialog that defines a series of moves to make in order to offset each point. Up until Version 2007.3, these moves were approached as a series of inline and crossline steps that started near the original point location and progressively moved outward until the point fell outside the exclusion zone and other criteria (such as proximity to other points) were met.

A new automatic offset technique was added in Version 2007.4. This was added as a result of input from clients such as Steve Overmeer with Destiny Resources. As described, survey companies are often provided rules by which a point is to be offset. For example, if a point must be offset, the first acceptable location might be 100 meters (or feet) offline and 0 meters inline. Failing that the point is to be offset 200 meters offline and 0 meters inline. These rules could continue for a number of possible offset locations. In fact, some rules sent to our offices showed several dozen possible locations. These offset guidelines were laid out graphically somewhat like the numbers on a bingo card and thus the name.

With the requirements above in mind, QuikMap was modified to include this method. QuikMap will test every location in sequence remembering all locations which fell outside the exclusion zone (after applying both the tolerance and proximity tests). It will then cycle through all of these possible locations and return the one with the minimum radial distance from the original location (minimum offset).

This addition includes a graphic tool to allow the user to create a small template file which is used by the automatic offset proceess:

Above is a simple example showing four possible offset locations. Offset locations are defined by inline and crossline values. The user can prioritize the offsets by moving them up and down in the listing. There is also provision for importing a CSV file containing the offset locations. Again, the example above is a relatively simple one. There is no real limit to the number of offsets that the process can utilize.

The graphic below is looping through a demonstration in QuikMap in which the simple bingo card above is being utilized. The graphic shows a user lassoing points that fall in an exclusion zone and then choosing the automatic offset option from the popup menu. Prior to this action the user configured the automatic offset options on the Miscellaneou Settings dialog to use this particular method. For visualization purposes, the animation option is turned on for a while. When it is turned off the process speeds to completion.