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PLGR/GARMIN Download, ARCView & TerraModel Support Tools

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The following are known tools that are being used within NRCS to facilitate the processing of PLGR data. If you have or know of other useful tools that could be placed here, please send a message to doug.garrison@ne.usda.gov.

Looking for PLGR/GARMIN Notes?
Nebraska NRCS PLGR Notes 1-16, documentation on how to use PLGRs!
Nebraska NRCS GARMIN Notes 1-3, documentation supporting GARMIN units.

ARCView Extensions:

NRCS GPS Tools Version 1 (Adds Menu to View)

Overview:
With a View open, a new Menu called "NRCS GPS Tools" is available.

Menu Options:

  • [GPS -- > ArcView] Convert or Append GPS data to a new or existing ArcView Shapefile
  • [ArcView -- > Waypoint+] ArcView Graphic or Shapefile converted to Waypoint+ .txt file.
  • [Waypoint+ -- > Mission Planning Software] Waypoint+ .txt converted to MPS .way file.
  • [Set Default UTM Zone] Used to set default UTM zone for ArcView -- > Waypoint+.
  • [NRCS GPS Help] Overview of the script explaining each menu option in more detail.

Download Links:

Install:

  • Save the above file (nrcs_gps_tools.avx) in your Extension directory
    (C:\Esri\Av_gis30\Arcview\Ext32\).
  • Then open a project and from the File>Extension menu turn on the NRCS GPS Tools Ver 1 Extension.

 

PLGR GARMIN Version 2 (Adds Button To View)

Overview:
With a View open, a new Button (gps unit) is available. Click the gps unit button to Convert or Append GPS data to a new or existing ArcView Shapefile

Download Links:

Install:

  • Save the above file (plgrgarm.avx) in your Extension directory (C:\Esri\Av_gis30\Arcview\Ext32\).
  • Then open a project and from the File>Extension menu turn on the PLGR GARMIN Ver 2 Extension.


PLGR Data Formatter - Download and Mapping Tool.

 See  Adobe Acrobat document NE PLGR Note 11  and  Adobe Acrobat document NE PLGR Note 14 for documentation.
For Windows NT - Now Common Computer Environment Certified image of computer CD's

Download PLGR Data Formatter using one of these three alternatives:
CCE Certified Software Summary Web Page
FTP - Nebraska NRCS - 'plgrdata_inst.exe'

This Windows based program will capture a PLGR "ASCII OUT".  ASCII OUT is found on the fourth Menu in the PLGR.

Basic mapping functions are also included. You can create point, line and polygon maps. You can print to scale by specifying feet per inch. There are waypoint file editing tools. You can select points to print as "points" while the rest of the points make a polygon. This feature allows you to print a map with the "points" used to line up features on a Farm Service Agency photo. Written by Owen Kvittem, Nebraska State Engineer.


PLGR Data Formatter - UPDATE For Processing GARMIN Waypoint+ .txt Files along with PLGR .way Files!

Steps to install update:
1. Install the original 'plgrdata_inst.exe' program described above.
2. Download 'PlgrData.exe' and save the updated 'PlgrData.exe' file to: C:\Program Files\Usda\Plgrdata.
3. Start the program from START>Programs>Engineering Applications>Plgrdata>PLGRDATA.
4. When the program starts after the upgrade, the name of the Program is changed in the
    blue title bar area from the original name of "PLGR Data Formatter" to the upgrade
    name of "GPS Data Formatter".

Waypoint+ (© 1996, 1997, 1998 Brent Hildebrand) - GARMIN Data Download Tool

Refer to http://www.tapr.org/~kh2z/Waypoint/ for additional information.

FTP - Nebraska NRCS - 'waypoint.zip' and 'wayptw3.zip' (Both files can be found at: ftp.ne.nrcs.usda.gov/outgoing/soils/gps/garmin/ )

Refer to  Adobe Acrobat document NE GARMIN Note 2 on installation of Waypoint+ on CCE computers.

Refer to Adobe Acrobat document NE GARMIN Note 3 on Waypoint+ data downloading.


Browse the Nebraska NRCS GPS FTP Site: ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NE/Outgoing/Technical/gps/


Nebraska NRI Home Page

Contact:
Wayne Vanek
NRI/SSURGO Coordinator
Phone: (402) 437-4125
Fax: (402) 437-5327