Traverse Tool
The Traverse tool builds connected survey traverses by entering bearings and distances, rather than clicking points on the canvas — the standard way boundary geometry is specified on a plan of survey.
Basic use
- Select the Traverse tool from the Survey tool category.
- Enter a starting point (or snap to an existing one).
- Enter a bearing and distance for each subsequent leg.
- Each leg is added to a connected polyline as you go.
Bearing format
Bearings are entered and displayed in degrees-minutes-seconds (DMS), rounded to the nearest second — the surveying standard — not decimal degrees.
The default input is HP notation (DDD.MMSS), where the digits after
the decimal point encode minutes and seconds rather than a decimal fraction
of a degree:
| Input | Parsed as |
|---|---|
123.2312 | 123°23’12“ |
45.30 | 45°30’00“ |
90 | 90°00’00“ |
45 30 15 | 45°30’15“ (space-separated DMS also accepted) |
To enter true decimal degrees instead, prefix the value with d (e.g.
d45.5 → 45.5° = 45°30’00“). Append * to reverse a bearing by 180°.
Scale factor support
The Traverse tool supports a Combined Scale Factor (CSF) for grid-to-ground distance conversion, so entered distances can be treated as either ground distances or grid distances depending on how your survey data was recorded. See Combined Scale Factor for the formula and when to apply it.
Where this fits in the workflow
The Traverse tool is most commonly used in the Boundary Model phase, building the surveyable model from bearings and distances taken off historical plans. See Survey Phases.