Pipeline Observation System Management Manual http://www.posm.us

Table Of Contents

POSM Database Connection Manager ......................................................................... 4

Registering POSM ........................................................................................................................... 5

Open Selected Database ................................................................................................................. 5

Add Database Connection ............................................................................................................... 5

Delete Database Connection ........................................................................................................... 5

Edit Database Connection ............................................................................................................... 5

Update Database Files..................................................................................................................... 5

By Pass Database Connection Manager.......................................................................................... 5

Exit POSM ....................................................................................................................................... 5

Intro Page ......................................................................................................................... 6

Sessions List Box............................................................................................................................. 6

Session Information........................................................................................................ 9

Select Template ............................................................................................................................... 9

NASSCO PACP Mode ................................................................................................................... 10

NASSCO MACP Mode................................................................................................................... 11

WRc Mode ..................................................................................................................................... 12

Tabs............................................................................................................................................... 13

Fields ............................................................................................................................................. 13

Buttons .......................................................................................................................................... 13

GIS ................................................................................................................................................ 13

Cancel Session Edit ....................................................................................................................... 15

Quick Fill All ................................................................................................................................... 15

Save Information and Return to Intro ............................................................................................. 15

Save Info and Start Inspection ....................................................................................................... 15

Data Entry....................................................................................................................... 16

File Menu ....................................................................................................................................... 16

Modes ............................................................................................................................................ 17

Observation Data ........................................................................................................................... 17

Using Filters to Find Observation Codes ........................................................................................ 18

Session Box ................................................................................................................................... 24

RS232 JVC VCR Controls ............................................................................................................. 25

Inclinometer ................................................................................................................................... 26

Measurement Utility ....................................................................................................................... 29

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Generate Reports .......................................................................................................... 30

Title Page....................................................................................................................................... 31

Faults Page.................................................................................................................................... 32

Plot Page ....................................................................................................................................... 34

Video ............................................................................................................................................. 35

Defect Report................................................................................................................................. 36

Inclinometer Report........................................................................................................................ 37

Generate Report Functions ............................................................................................................ 38

Table Of Contents (Continued)

Import NASSCO PACP Data......................................................................................... 39

Import POSM Data......................................................................................................... 40

Observation and Code Editor ...................................................................................... 41

POSM Setup Preferences ............................................................................................. 45

Distance Counter/Overlay Setup .................................................................................................... 46

Text Overlay .................................................................................................................................. 47

Setup Software Video .................................................................................................................... 49

Setup Whole Run Video (MPEG) ................................................................................................... 52

RS-232 Devices ............................................................................................................................. 53

Voice Overlay ................................................................................................................................ 54

Filename Setup.............................................................................................................................. 55

Admin Password Setup.................................................................................................................. 56

Setup Language Options ............................................................................................................... 56

Template Editor ............................................................................................................................. 57

Edit Drop Down.............................................................................................................................. 59

Session Management/Advanced Find ........................................................................ 60

Calendar Pop Up ........................................................................................................................... 62

Summary Reports .......................................................................................................................... 63

Hansen/Neztek Manager............................................................................................... 65

Import CSV GIS Data..................................................................................................... 67

ESRI ArcMap Tools ....................................................................................................... 69

Add the POSM Import/Export Tools to ESRI ArcMap ..................................................................... 69

Export Data from ArcMap to POSM ............................................................................................... 74

POSM GIS Export and Report Generator ...................................................................................... 85

Import POSM GIS Data.................................................................................................................. 99

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POSM Database Connection Manager

Starting POSM opens the Database Connection Manager. This form allows the user to enter registration keys to unlock POSM. The main function of the Database Connection Manager is to add, edit or delete MS Access and SQL databases.

POSM Database Connection Manager

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Registering POSM

In order to run POSM, the software must be registered. To register the software call or email POSM support with the 10 digit product key that POSM provides. Enter the 16 digit registration key, from POSM support, and press “Set Registration Key”. If the key is correct the software will register itself and allow the user to continue.

Open Selected Database

Opens the currently selected Database.

Add Database Connection

Opens the form to add a new Access or SQL database connection.

Delete Database Connection

Removes the currently selected database connection from the list.

Edit Database Connection

Allows the user to edit the properties of a database connection.

Update Database Files

Will update the core files needed to run POSM for the selected database connection.

By Pass Database Connection Manager

When only one database is used the database connection manager can be automatically by-passed by checking the “By pass this screen and always use Default Database” checkbox. The manager can always be opened again by pressing the “Database Connection Manager” button in the introduction form.

Exit POSM

Closes POSM.

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Intro Page

The Introduction Page allows the user to start new sessions, resume and generate reports for older sessions, and access POSM advanced features.

Intro Page

Session List

The Session list contains every session stored in the database.
By clicking on a session, the details of that session will appear below. This allows the user to quickly see if this is the correct session before resuming, generating reports, modifying the session information, or deleting it.

Resume Selected Button

The Resume Selected button will resume the currently selected session. If a session is not selected an error will occur asking the user to select a session. Once the button is pressed, POSM will open to the data collection entry page. For more information see Data Collection Page.

Print Reports For Selected

The Print Reports for Selected button will open the report generator for the currently selected observation. If a session is not selected an error will occur asking the user to select a session. For more information on reports, see the Generate Reports page.

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Delete Selected Session

The Delete Selected Session(s) button will remove the checked session(s) from the database. This also removes any pictures or video collected in the session. To remove multiple sessions check the boxes in front of the session or use the Session Manager to search for specific sessions.

Modify Session Information

The Modify Session Information button will open the selected sessions header information. When the save button is pressed in the session information it will come back to the intro page rather than data collection page. This allows for quick adjustments the session information.

Database Connection Manager

Reopens the Database Connection Manager to open another database.

Session Management

The Session Management button (previously called Advanced Find) opens the page for searching the POSM database. Session Management can create CD/DVDs, create summary reports of sessions, and delete sessions. For more information on the Session Management function refer to the Session Management section.

Start New Session

Start New Session will open the Session Information page. Refer to the Session Information page for more information.

Hansen/Neztek Manager

The Hansen/Neztek Manager button will open the Neztek Manager. This manager allows POSM to import and export data with Hansen systems. For more information on this feature refer to the Hansen section.

Database Template Editor

The Database Template Editor allows the user to edit and create new Header Templates. These templates control what can be typed in when the Start New Session button is pressed and what will be printed out in the Report generator. For more information on this feature refer to the Database Template Editor function.

Observation and Code Editor

The Observation and Code Editor allows the user to add, edit or delete observations from the POSM database. The editor also allows the user to change what type of data is stored for each observation and rules for auto weighting for codes. Refer to Observation and Code Editor for more information.

Import CSV GIS Data

Import CSV GIS Data allows the user to import asset information from a city. This could include asset IDs and locations, start and end manhole information, and GPS coordinates for GIS data. For more information on how to import manhole and asset data refer to Import Manhole Data. For information on using the Imported Data, refer to Import Asset (Manhole) Data. Data imported from this function must be in CSV (Comma Separated Format). For importing directly from a shape file refer to the GIS manual.

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Export GIS and HTML Data

The Export GIS and HTML Data function allows the user to export POSM’s HTML reports into the GIS folder. This is useful for storing data on a server, thereby putting POSM into a server role. POSM can also export GIS coordinate data and setup its export database for ESRI ArcMap import though this function.

Import POSM Data

Import POSM Data allows the user to import data from a CD/DVD or a removable hard drive. Import POSM Data can import data from POSM directories as well allowing multiple installs to be merged into one POSM database. For more information refer to the Import POSM Data section.

Import NASSCO PACP Data

This function allows the user to import NASSCO PACP and MACP data. This is useful for importing data from other vendors’ software.

ReSync Database

ReSync Database will rebuild the entire POSM database and re-index all of the sessions. This should be done after deleting many sessions or when quick fill does not fill the last session. When deleting many sessions it is also recommend that the user defragment the hard drive.

Exit POSM

The Exit button will close POSM.

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Session Information

The Session Information page allows the user to enter header information about the session. POSM supports up to fifty fields of information. Up to one hundred characters can be stored in each field. The template determines what type of data can be put into the fields. For more information about templates refer to the Database Template Editor section. For mainline TV inspection a template will usually consist of project information, pipe information, and manhole information. All templates will have a GIS tab that will allow the user to enter the GPS coordinates of the start and end assets of the session. By using templates, POSM can store many types of information. This allows it to meet some of the most demanding specifications.

POSM Template Session Information

Select Template

When starting a session the first step is to select a template. The Session Information page will change every time a session is selected unless the templates are identical. Once a template has been chosen the data may be entered into each of the fields under the row of tabs.

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NASSCO PACP Mode

NASSCO PACP Template Header Entry

To enable PACP mode in POSM select the NASSCO PACP template. This will change all of the header fields to NASSCO Certified header fields and set the requirements to NASSCO PACP. This will also tell POSM to use PACP observation codes in the main data entry form. When a report is generated a special tab will appear to print the PACP formatted header entry. When the session is sent to disk (burned to a CD or DVD) an extra database will be exported that is the NASSCO PACP standard database.

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NASSCO MACP Mode

NASSCO PACP Template Header Entry

To enable MACP mode in POSM select the NASSCO MACP template. This will change all of the header fields to NASSCO Certified header fields and set the requirements to NASSCO MACP. This will also tell POSM to use MACP observation codes in the main data entry form. When a report is generated a special tab will appear to print the MACP formatted header entry. When the session is sent to disk (burned to a CD or DVD) an extra database will be exported that is the NASSCO MACP standard database.

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WRc Mode

WRc Template Header Entry

To enable WRc mode in POSM select the WRc template. This will change all of the header fields to WRc header fields and set the requirements to WRc. This will also tell POSM to use WRc observation codes in the main data entry form. When a report is generated a special tab will appear to print the WRc formatted header entry. When the session is sent to disk (burned to a CD or DVD) an extra database will be exported that contains only WRc data.

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Tabs

A template must have at least one tab of information and it can have up to five tabs. Every template can name the tabs differently. Under each tab there can be up to ten fields of data. To move between the tabs of data, click on the name of the tab. There is no need to click the save button between tabs, POSM will remember the values as the user switches back and forth.

Fields

There are three types of fields that may be displayed. The first is a text box. The user can type in any alphanumeric character in this box, unless a requirement has been placed on this field. The second is a dropdown box. With a drop down, the user can type into the box or select a previously typed entry. Previous entries will only show up from the current template. Lastly there are checkboxes. These are either on or off.
The value can be changed by either checking or un-checking the box. Any field that is Pink requires the user to enter data in before continuing.

Buttons

Certain special fields have buttons associated with them. These are date, Asset ID, Start ID, and End ID. By clicking on the date button, the current date and time will be placed into the field next to it. By clicking on the Asset ID, Start ID, or End ID the find manhole number page will be displayed. When a manhole or asset number is selected all of the fields that have been marked with an asset, start or end special field will be filled in by POSM. If the start or end latitude and longitude have been imported they will be placed into the GIS tab.

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GIS

GIS Tab

The GIS tab allows the user to enter GPS coordinates of the start and end asset. If coordinates are being entered in manually with direction, degrees, minutes, and seconds they must be converted to decimal degrees. To do this, click the convert Deg to Dec button. To double check the coordinates click the Calculate Pipe Len button to calculate the length of these two points. Once the decimal points exist, POSM will create a file
named “gis.csv” when exporting the run. This text file will contain the coordinates of each observation added with POSM.
POSM also supports State Plane GIS coordinates. When state plane coordinates are detected POSM will create a GisStatePlane.mdb database and CSV file that has the calculated state plane of each observation.
After the pipe length has been calculated it can be pushed to the Pipe length field by pressing the “Insert Into
Asset Length Field” button.

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Cancel Session Edit

Cancel Session Edit will close the session information page without saving and take the user back to the previous form.

Quick Fill All

Quick Fill All allows the user to quickly fill in all of the information from the previous run. Typically in a project most of the information is the same. By clicking Quick Fill All the user only has to click the date button to change the date and time. Then the manhole numbers and other varying information are changed before starting a session. Quick Fill All will fill in all of the tabs for this template. There is no need to click Quick Fill All after clicking each tab. This action will actually change any data on tabs that have already been changed.

Save Information and Return to Intro

Save Information and Return to Intro will save all of the entered data to the database and take the user back to the introduction page.

Save Info and Start Inspection

Save Info and Start Inspection will save all of the entered data to the database and either open the data logging page or take the user back to the previous page.

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Data Entry

POSM’s Data Entry allows the user to create unlimited number of entries, observations and customize the data stored for each observation. POSM also supports standard code sets such as PACP, WRc, and Hansen databases. Data can be captured from video (live or recorded) or from a digital video file (MPEG or AVI).
POSM can now run in a simplified video mode where the video is taken out completely. This works well on laptops or in systems where taking pictures and video clips are not required.

POSM Data Entry

File Menu

File

The File Menu contains:

Open Project Session: Will open a session that has the same project name.

Open Intro Page: Will close the current session and open the start page for POSM.

Generate Report: Will close the session and open the Report Generator.

Quick Print: Will leave the session open and open a report to allow the user to quickly print the reports while still running the camera. This is used when users wish to keep the footage counter active while printing reports to save time while pulling the camera back.

Exit: Closes the session and exits out of POSM completely.

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Edit

The edit menu contains:

Session Info: Will reopen the session information. When the user is finished it will return to the Data

Entry Screen.

Comments: Will open the comments dialog for the session. The session comments may also be edited from the Session Information page.

Preferences: Will open the preferences page.

Tools

Reverse Counter: Puts the footage counter in reverse mode. It is recommended this is done from the preferences window under the counter tab.

Turn Overlay Off: Will turn the overlay off until the user reselects it from the menu.

Clear Overlay: Clears the screen of text and repaints it. If the video signal is “spiked” the characters can

sometime become garbled. Using a time base sync restore ensures that this happens as little as possible.

Full Screen Video: Will make the live video take up the whole monitor. To return from this mode click the mouse.

Print Snap Shot: Will save a temporary BMP image and open it up with MS Paint. Once opened the user can draw or type on the image. Note: some printers require you to print the image as landscape or scale to one page or they will print on two pages.

Fault Code Editor: Will open up the POSM Fault Code Editor to allow new observations to be added or changed while in a session.

Show Title Page: Will open up the Title Page of the Report Generator in a new window.

Display All Intro Pages: Will display all of the Intro Pages that are marked to be shown in the preferences.

Display Single Intro Page: Will show a sub-menu of all of the Intro Pages for a template. Clicking on a page will have it shown for the specified amount of time entered in the preferences.

Modes

The video can be run in one of three modes: Live video, digital video, and no video. To enable live video make sure the Enable Video box is checked in the video tab of the preferences. To enable digital video set the Video Source to digital video. To disable video, uncheck the Enable Video box. In live video mode the camera or pre recorded VCR tape is displayed along with the inclination controls, and VCR controls. In digital video mode, the user can view already attached digital video files or attach new ones. Digital video mode also works well in the office. It allows the user to click on an observation and have it jump to that location in the video file. This can also be done with POSM View off of the CD or DVD. In no video mode, only the observation list and add observation box are displayed.

Observation Data

The Observation Window allows the user to see all added observations, as well as add, edit and delete them. For each observation the user can also add: clock position at/from, clock position to, severity, 1st – 8th
Dimension, Percent, Continuous, Remarks, Joint, Structure Weight, and Maintenance Weight. With the fault
code editor each observation can have the properties modified to determine if each of these items are not required, required, or optional. If they are not required the entry item will not show up. If required the user will
not be able to add an observation unless they enter data for the item. If set to optional the item will show but it is not required for the user to input data into the field. In the other three modes the data for each observation code has already been defined. Observations can also be setup with category and type filters. Selecting the

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Category Filter will show only the observations in the observation list that have been defined in that category. To further filter the list a type can be selected.

Using Filters to Find Observation Codes

Method 1: Select the Observation from the full list of codes with no filters


In this method every code will show up in the Observation drop down and the user would have to scroll down to ROOTML30.

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Method 2: Select a Category Filter


By selecting Roots from the Category Filter all of the codes with a Category of “Roots” will show up in the
Observation list. The user can then scroll down and select ROOTML30.

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Method 3: Using a Category and Type Filter


By selecting a Category of “Roots” and Type of “Mainline” the user is given even fewer codes to choose from,
making the selection process faster and easier.

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Method 4: Type Filter only


By selecting a Type Filter of “Mainline” only codes with a Type of “Mainline” will be selected. As one can see, other codes than Roots show up in the list such as Infiltration. The user would have to scroll though the list of codes to select “ROOTML30”.

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Adding an Observation

To add an Observation, select an Observation from the Observation Drop Down or select a Hot Button. If using a large code set, it is recommended that the user set up category and type filters. This allows the user to
quickly filter the list of Observations. If any pink required fields appear for the Observation they must be filled out, any white fields may have data added to them as well. To add the Observation, click the pink Add Observation box. If take picture is enabled POSM will then take a picture from the current live video or digital
video. If clips are enabled POSM will take a clip of the Observation. While adding a video clip a recording icon will appear under the video with a countdown timer. When the timer reaches 0 the clip will end. If the text overlay is setup properly, POSM will also display the Observation Name on screen. If text to speech is setup,
POSM will speak the out the Observation Data.

POSM Data Logging Right Click Options

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Edit Observations

To edit an Observation, right click on it from the Data Logging List and click Edit Observation. The Add Observation Button will change to Save Data and a Cancel Edit Button will appear. Change any of the data about the Observation required and the distance if necessary and click Save or Cancel. If the distance needs to be changed, change the text in the White Distance Box. While in edit mode, POSM will not look at the current distance of the system only the white distance box by the Edit Observation Button.

Edit Observation

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Delete Observation

To delete an observation from the list, first select it by clicking on it from the data logging list. Then right click to open the menu, select delete observation. POSM will ask if you really want to delete this observation, choose yes or no.

Continuous Defects

Continuous Defects saves time by not having to re-enter information about something that continues along the pipe. Examples of this are cracks, roots, grease, and debris. To start a Continuous Observation select the Observation from the Observation drop down, enter all of data required for the Observation, then check the continuous box. In the text box next to the check box a SXX will appear, where the XX is 0 -99. When the end of the Continuous Observation has been found, simply right click on the Start Continuous Observation from the data logging list, and select Complete Observation. It will add an Observation with a FXX (0-99) continuous setting.

Session Box

The Session Box allows the user to start and stop sessions, manually set the distance, show the session size, and camera speed. To manually set the footage of the system, click the Set Button and enter a value into the pop up box. The Session Size Box shows how large the digital files of this session are. If CDs are being used it is recommended that the session size not go over 650 MB, and in all cases a session should not be larger than
4GB. The camera speed shows the speed of the camera based off of the footage counter change. The Exit
POSM button will exit POSM.

Session Box - Start/Stop Sessions, Set Distance, Session Size, Camera Speed and Exit

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RS232 JVC VCR Controls


JVC RS232 VCR Controls and the Cue Time window

POSM can control the JVC VCR though a rs232 connection. By turning on Auto Start/Stop, POSM will start the VCR recording when the session is started and will stop the recording when the session is stopped. POSM will try two times to start the VCR when using auto start. If it does not start the VCR after two tries it will alert the user of the error. POSM will also record the VCR time stamp of each Observation taken. Starting from the left, and going right, the controls on the first row are: Play, Record, Stop, Pause Recording (Warning if you press this while playing a tape you must hit stop or the VCR will start recording when you press Play), Rewind, Fast Forward, Eject Tape. The second row buttons from left to right are: Speed select, Reverse at the Speed Selected in Speed Select, Forward at the Speed Selected in Speed Select, Reset VCR. The third row buttons are: Current VCR Time Count, and Set Cue Point.
The Reset VCR button is useful if the JVC VCR stops responding for any reason. If the reset button does not work and the VCR does not respond on the local buttons, you must unplug the VCR for a least one minute and plug it back in.
The Set Cue button allows the user to set a position for the VCR to jump to. Whenever a tape is ejected or the power button is pressed, the VCR will lose its time position on the tape. In order to re-sync the VCR time you must rewind the tape to the beginning then play at least 6 seconds of tape. Finally press the Set Cue Point and enter the last known time that the VCR recorded. If you do not remember, open the last session and look at the last Observation added for the VCR counter time.

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Inclinometer

POSM Inclinometer Controls

The Inclinometer Controls allow POSM to record the angle and percent grade of the camera as it makes it way through the pipe. Currently, with the RST Inclinometer, POSM will record an Observation ever 1/10 of a foot or every 560 milliseconds. It will take only one reading per 1/10 of a foot. If communications with the Inclinometer unit are lost, POSM will try ten times to reconnect. If unsuccessful, it will turn the Inclinometer off and give a warning to the user. In order to turn the Inclinometer on you must check the Inc On Box.

Inclinometer Calibration

At a minimum the Inclinometer should be recalibrated every time the wheels or tracks are changed on the camera. There are two methods to calibrate the Inclinometer in POSM.
The first method requires the camera be placed on the ground. At this point press the “Set Offset 1 Button”. Then rotate the camera 180 degrees (for example if the camera head was facing you, the back of the tractor would be facing you after you turned it around) and press the Set Offset 2 button. An offset degree measurement will display below the Set Offset Buttons. This is the offset POSM will use to create a correct angle measurement of the pipe.

Setting Offset 2

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To reset the offset distance to zero place the letter “A” in the offset degree measurement box and press the
“Set Offset 2” button.

Reset Inclination Offset with an “A”

The second and more precise method to calibrate the Inclinometer is to use the “Zero Inc” button. This button will communicate with the inclination device in the camera to set the new zero level in its firmware. Make sure that the Offset Value has been set to zero by placing an “A” in the Offset box and pressing the “Offset 2” button.
To use the “Zero Inc” button, the camera and tractor must be placed on a perfectly flat surface. This is best done with a bubble surface level and a flat board with adjustable legs.

3 Leg Adjustable Table with a Bubble Surface Level


Calibrating a Camera on a Skid Calibrating a Crawler

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After adjusting the feet so the board is level, place the camera and tractor on the board. Let the camera sit for
a few moments so the Inclinometer can come to complete rest, then press the “Zero Inc” button. Press “Yes” to
the conformation window to continue or “No” to stop.

POSM “Zero Inc” Conformation Window

When the Zeroing has completed, a “Done” window will appear. Press “OK” to continue.

Zeroing has completed

Inclination Performance

Proper use, setup and calibration of the inclination system can produce smoother more accurate plots. In order to produce a correct representation of the pipe, POSM needs as many points as possible. Cleaning the line to remove grease, rocks, sand and other debris will help the camera stay on the pipe walls and keep the camera from jumping up and down. Running slowly down the line will allow the software to collect more points and it
will keep the camera from jarring which can throw off the sensor. Use of a camera skid in the line is recommended for the highest quality data. A crawler (tracks) motor would be recommended if skidding is not
available or possible. Wheeled tractors can produce acceptable results but have a tendency to throw out more
data. The key to the most accurate data collecting is calibrating the camera correctly and running slowly to collect more data points.

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Measurement Utility

The POSM Measurement Utility allows for measurements to be made based off of a known distance.
This is accomplished by using two lasers in parallel. The distance between the lasers is known ahead of time. By calibrating the screen, POSM will count the pixels of the drawn line and give an accurate distance measurement of that line. For the most accurate measurement, zoom in as close as possible to the defect while keeping the laser lines in view of the camera. The more pixels that are used in the measurement, the more accurately POSM can measure.
After enabling the POSM Measurement Utility, set the “Enter Length of Targets” box with the distance between
the laser dots or lines. If using imperial units, enter this in inches. If using metric, use millimeters.
The measurement utility must be calibrated each time a measurement is taken. To calibrate the measurement utility, right click on the screen and drag a blue line between the laser points. This will let POSM know how many pixels per inch or mm there are on screen. Anytime the camera is moved or zoomed the calibration must be redone.

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Make a left click on the video screen then drag the mouse to create a red line. As the line grows larger the “Calibrated Length” value will get larger. Releasing the mouse button will copy the value to the field that was set up in the preferences. That field can then be set up to display on the overlay if necessary. This broken joint example has a 1.72 inch distance between the joint and broken concrete.

Generate Reports

The POSM Report Generator allows user to print and save HTML reports that can easily be burned to a CD or
DVD. Each of these reports can be customized to meet the user’s needs.

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Title Page

Generate Reports - Title Page

The Title Page or Header Page creates an HTML report from the session information data that was entered. This report can be modified by using the POSM Header Page Report Editor. Each template used in POSM must have a title page template. Any aspect of the template can be changed such as pictures, font size, items shown, background, and the layout of the report itself. 3rd party editors such as Microsoft FrontPage or any other HTML editor may be used to modify the template itself. The HTML title page templates reside in the folder C:\Program Files\POSM\Templates. The name of the file correlates with the name of the template.

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Faults Page

Generate Reports - Faults Page

The Faults Page will display a report of all of the observations taken in the session.

Filtering

The Faults Page Report may be modified by first filtering data. In the upper left hand corner of the window is a filter box. All of the observations or individual observations may be displayed in a report. This feature is useful in cases where only major observations need to be printed to save paper and ink.
A set of checkboxes allows the user to fine tune the report to their needs.

Fault Options:

The Faults Page can be modified to show as much or as little data as needed. Checking the boxes will turn
data or pictures on or off. The user can also reverse data for when a session was put into a reverse run. This is done by setting the flow direction to Upstream or Reverse or by checking the Reverse check box in a session. By checking the reverse boxes, POSM can reverse the distance and the clock positions entered by the user.
If the user was in a Hansen mode POSM can reverse the distance of Hansen runs by checking the Measure
from Rev Data box.

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Links point to:

When set to MPEG, the HTML link will point to the video clip of the observation when the picture is clicked. If the MPEG does not exist, it will link to the picture by default. By moving the option to JPEG, the HTML link will point to the full screen image of the observation.

Header:

The Header for the Faults and Plot Page can be modified to include up to ten special fields. This can be done in the Database Template Editor.

Side By Side Reports:

Side by Side Reports allow the user to print a report with four pictures per page and each page has a header.

Large Pictures:

The default image size for POSM’s reports is 320x240. This allows for three pictures per page to be displayed in the normal layout. To fit more images per page large pictures can be unchecked which will allow up to six images per page to be displayed. However the images will be smaller.

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Plot Page

Generate Reports - Plot Page

The Plot Page shows a bird’s eye view of the pipeline segment. As with the faults page, the observations shown can be filtered, and the links can point to either MPEGs or JPEGs.

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Video

Generate Reports – Video

The Video Tab will display a list of whole run videos attached to this session. If the file does not exist it will not be displayed. To view the video, click on the link and it will open up in the user’s computer’s default video player. While this method does allow the end user to view the video, it does not allow for advanced features such as viewing the images and video at the same time or clicking on an observation and having it jump to that section in the video. In order to do this POSM View must be used or the session must be run in POSM under digital mode.

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Defect Report

Generate Reports – Defect

When using PACP or Wrc mode, POSM will generate a Defect Report. This is a specialized report for these modes that displays specific information that pertains to these standards.

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Inclinometer Report

Generate Reports - Inclinometer

The Inclinometer Report will plot the calculated profile of the pipe. POSM can filter raw data from the inclinometer to produce a correct representation of the pipe. This is done with 4 values.
The first filter is “Max Percent Diff from Mean”. This allows the user to set a limit on the maximum difference between the average percent grade of all of the values and one point. If that point is greater than that value, then it will be thrown out. For example, the average percent grade of the pipe above is -3.0%. The “Max Percent Diff from Mean” has been set at percent. If a value was greater than +2 percent grade, or less than -8 percent grade, it would be thrown out.
The second filter is “Number of Window Values” which, in this case, is 2. In this example, for each data point POSM will look at 2 points in front and behind that piece of data. The window percent sensitivity will set how far a point can deviate before it is thrown out. If over the 5 points of data that this example is looking at, a value is larger or smaller than 50 percent different than any of the values, it will be thrown out. All other points are kept for the next filter, “Round Feet.” Round Feet will take however many feet of data (minimum 1 foot) and average them. The maximum number of points per foot that POSM will record is 10. For example, if the user inspected the line at a rate that recorded 10 points per foot, there would be approximately 750 data points to look at. Assuming they all fell within the window filter, POSM would then round every foot of data, creating a plot of 75 points, producing a smooth graph.

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Generate Report Functions

The buttons at the bottom of the report generator allow the user to prepare the reports for burning to a recordable media.

Print All: Will print all of the reports that are displayed under each tab with one click.

Print Report: Will print the currently displayed tab. When under the Faults Tab POSM will use a special function to split the pages of the reports so that they may print properly.

Print Preview: Will open the currently displayed tab in a preview window.

Exit: Closes the Report Generator.

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Import NASSCO PACP Data

Import Other Data

Import other data allows the user to import standard PACP or MACP databases into POSM’s database. To import a database, select the drive that it is located on then navigate to the folder that the database is in. Every time the folder is changed, POSM will look for all files with the .mdb (Access database format). It is important that the database being imported is in the NASSCO PACP database format. While POSM will show other databases, it will not import them. To import a database check the box in front of the name, then click the Import Session Button. POSM will show a progress window and say done when it is finished. To see the newly imported sessions, go back to the Main Introduction Screen.

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Import POSM Data

Import POSM Data

Import POSM Data will import data from POSM directories (whole database with many sessions), or POSM CD and DVDs (A location with all of the sessions broken down into many folders). To import data first locate the database. The Drive drop down will choose the drive that the database resides on and the folder window will
let the user browse the drive for the report folders. When POSM finds a location with its database it will be displayed in the window at the bottom of the screen. When the item is highlighted the details of that session
are displayed on the right. To select all of the sessions in a location click the Select All Button. To select individual sessions check the boxes in front of the session names. POSM Import can import POSM data, TwC SubCam 1.x data, and TwC SubCam 2.x data. It can also convert whole directories by navigating to the programs database folder then selecting the one database and clicking import. If a custom template is used it
will be imported. For SubCam 1.x templates a new POSM template will be created. In the case of SubCam 1.x databases, the user will have to go to the POSM Template Editor and mark all of the special fields such as project name, manhole number, etc.

Overwrite Options

When importing data, there are three options for overwriting existing data. Create New Session will create a new session each time a session is imported regardless if it is in the database already. Overwrite Session will delete any data belonging to the old session and import the new one. Skip Session will skip importing a session if it already exists in the current database.

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Observation and Code Editor

Fault Code Editor

The POSM Observation and Code Editor allows the user to create, edit, delete and hide fault codes (Observation Codes). It also allows the required fields to be setup for each observation, auto weighting rules, category filters, and type filters. The Required Fields are the extra data entry fields for each observation such as clock position, severity, value 1-8, percent, joint, and continuous.
To create a new fault, select the template name for the code set to be edited and type in the name of the new observation. If a code is desired to be associated with this code type it into the Code box. Select the fields that the end user should use when adding an observation with this code. Selecting No will cause that box to not appear. Selecting yes will make it appear and require the user to input data into the field before adding the observation. Selecting Optional will make it appear but not require data input. To finish adding the fault, click Create New. The system cannot have two codes of the same type.
If a code needs to be updated, select the code from the drop down, make any needed changes, and click
Update Fault.
If a code needs to be deleted (hidden) from the drop down, select the code, then check the box that says it should be deleted. This will keep the code from appearing in POSM drop downs, but will allow it to show in the Report Generator. To save the changes, click Update Fault.
To remove a code permanently, check the observation(s) and click “Delete Fault(s).” POSM will only delete observations that are not currently being used in a session.

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To create a Category Type , Select a Name in the Category box while a code is highlighted. Updating the code will then associate that category name with the observation. When the user selects the category name in POSM it will then only show observations with that category in the observation list. A 2nd type filter can also be created by typing in or selecting a name from the type filter. This allows the user to further filter results in the observation list.
Weighting allows the user to assign a weight to a code. There are two types of weights that can be set: structural and maintenance. These codes can either be a value, such as in the example above, or they can be calculated based off of a field used with that code. If the user wanted a code system for roots that gave a value of 10 for roots < 20%, 50 for > 20% and less than 50%, 100 for > 50% they can add rules using the Field, Operator, and Value.
Code sets may also be copied from template to template by choosing a template in the “From” drop down and then choosing a template to copy it to in the “To” drop down. To copy the codes click the “Copy codes to other template” button. POSM will delete all observation codes and sessions for the “To” template. Make sure any data from the template that is being copied to is backed up or not in use before continuing this operation.
To print a code or weight set, press the “Print Weights” or “Print Codes” buttons.
There are two special options for each observation that can be used to fill the remarks drop down with pre- entered data. If the user checks “Fill Remarks with Manhole IDs,” POSM will look at the header for the special fields “Start ID” and “End ID.” It will then place those values in the remarks drop down, allowing the user to quickly choose them for the beginning and end access point values. The Asset IDs associated with a manhole ID can also be filled in the remarks down drop for users inspecting manholes by checking “Fill Remarks with Asset IDs”.

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The “Edit Observation Labels” button will allow the user to change the labels in the main data observation
page. For example for the PACP template the user may wish to change Val 1 and Val 2 to Size and Intruding.

After pressing “Save and Exit” and closing the Observation and Code Editor the main drop down will change to look like the following.

After editing the labels, the main drop down will change to Size and Intruding.

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To speed up data entry and ensure users enter the correct data for drop down values, any drop down in the main form can also be preloaded with data. To edit the combo boxes in the data entry form, click on the “Edit Observation Combo Values” button in the Observation and Code Editor.

Select the drop down to have values added to it, add the value in the text box below, and click “Add Value”. If a mistake was made, highlight the value from the list and click “Delete Selected Value.” After all of the values have been added, go back to the main form and check the drop down.

The Size drop down now has the values for 4, 6 and 8 inch.

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POSM Setup Preferences

Setup Preferences allows the user to turn hardware on or off and set up the way POSM will be displaying and recording data. There are nine items to the POSM setup: Distance Counter, Text Overlay, Software Video Encoder, Hardware Video Encoder, RS-232 Inclination and Laser Measurement Devices, Voice Overlay, Filename Time and Date Options, Admin Lockdown, and Language Options.

Setup Options Menu

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Distance Counter/Overlay Setup

Preferences - Footage Counter Tab

To begin, click on the Counter tab to setup the footage counter. In POSM the footage counter and text overlay units are combined into one unit. The Comm Port and Overlay version of the footage counter also setup the
text overlay Comm Port and version. If using a version 3 overlay, the user can press Auto Find Overlay. POSM
will then scan all of the Comm Ports for the version 3 XBOB.
Clicking on the Enable Footage Counter Box will enable and disable the footage counter. The direction sets up which way POSM will count. Forwards will count up as the camera travels out; Backwards will count down as the camera travels out. Typically measurement should be set to Standard. If set to Metric, POSM will divide the current footage count by 3.28. The Comm Port allows the user to set which serial port the Decade text overlay (footage counter) is connected to. Overlay Version allows the user to change overlay versions. Most users will be using version 2 (Decade Bob II) or version 3 (Decade XBOB).
The current setting assigns the footage calibration index. In this case POSM will count 10 pulses per foot. This should be set to the resolution of your footage counter. Clicking Manual Set will store the setting in Current Set to the database. POSM has a feature which will determine your footage counter resolution as well as calibrate for any changes in your system setup. Click the 0 Footage button to begin calibration. Pull 10 feet (or 10 meters if your reel is setup for 1 meter per revolution) as accurately as possible. Click Set Calibration when 10 feet of cable has been pulled. The value will be stored in the database.
The Feet/Meter of cable amount can be changed to increase the accuracy of calibration. Changing the value to
100 and then marking 100 feet of cable will give accuracy to the .01 values.

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Text Overlay

Preferences - Text Overlay

The video text overlay device may be turned on and off by checking the Enable Video Overlay Box. Enable Refresh Overlay will repaint the text on the screen. If a refresh is not desired disable this feature. Set the number of seconds between refresh updates. The text overlay itself is broken up into 11 (Version 2) or 17 (Version 3) rows and 28 (Version 2) or 40 (Version 3) columns of video. To make it easy, POSM splits the columns into 3 groups, Left, Center, and Right. To change a line of text click on its row, then modify the settings in the Left, Center, and Right boxes. To clear a line of text, select the line and click Clear Line.
There are two types of text: Pre-Text and an Item. The Pre-Text is the text box on top. The Item is the drop down below the Pre-Text. If MH is typed into the Pre-Text box, and MH Start Num is selected from the drop down, POSM will put the Start ID (Start Manhole Number) on screen in this location and MH before the
Start ID.
The Up and Down buttons will change the order that the Intro Pages will display. If a page needs to be temporally hidden it can be turned off by highlighting the page and un-checking show page. The time that a

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page will be displayed may be changed by highlighting the page and changing the time in seconds. Intro pages may be edited by clicking Page Editor.

Page Editor

Text Overlay - Page Editor

The Page Editor allows introduction pages to display when the Start Session button is pressed. Each template must have its own intro page because each template has a different set of information stored. To add a new page, click the Add Page Button, then type in a name and click Ok. Once the page is added, it can be selected from the Select Page list. Click on a Page name then click on a number or line from the Text Overlay List to begin adding a row. Just like the Text Overlay Setup the Page Editor has Pre-Text and Items. For each line, type in a pre-text and/or select an item from the drop down. Click Update to save the changes. If a line needs to be removed, select the line, clear the pre-text and select the first item in the drop down, which is blank, then click Update. To delete an entire page, click the Delete Page button. Press the Done button when finished editing the pages.

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Setup Software Video

Preferences – Video

POSM Software Video Setup allows the user to adjust all settings for live video viewing in POSM. Starting in
the upper left section of the Setup Page are the Enable options. To disable video completely in POSM uncheck
Enable Video. POSM’s Software Clips, Pictures and Long Clips can be enabled and disabled by selecting their checkboxes. The user will still have the ability to add a picture, clip or long clip before the observation is added
because these check boxes are also on the main form of POSM. The options on this page simply auto check or uncheck the values for the user.
The Clip Length sets how long a Software Clip will record after pressing the Add Observation Button. Make sure this time isn’t too short to ensure that the person viewing the report can fully see the observation. If the pre-defined time is not long enough a Long Clip can be used which will run until the operator presses Stop
Clip. The operator can also pause the Long Clip if need be (such as pausing while launching a lateral launcher into the lateral). The user can also add pictures to the newly added observation while the Long Clip is running by left clicking on the observation in the Data List, then right clicking on it and pressing “Add Picture” or “Add
Picture and Clip”. In either mode POSM will just take a picture while recording the clip. This is useful in the case of a Lateral Launch and the operator wants to have one video for each lateral without stopping the session. The user can just take a long clip of the lateral code and add pictures of any defects (with remarks) as they are found in the lateral. When the lateral inspection is done the operator presses Stop Clip and the mini
movie stops. When the report is being reviewed the end operator just clicks on the picture of the lateral to open the entire lateral inspection.

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The Viewing Source option lets the user change if Live Video from a capture card is being used or if the hardware whole run video capture is being used as a source. Typically for office users the viewing source will be set to Captured Digital Video. In Digital Video Mode the user can add pictures from the previously taken video, but clips cannot be taken from captured digital video. For TV inspection vehicles this setting is usually on Live Video allowing the operator to see the video coming from the camera.
To configure software devices look at the Settings Frame.

The Device drop down will list all compatible video capture sources that POSM can use. Select the appropriate Video Capture device for your system (Typically ATI or Kworld DVD USB Maker). To see the advanced features of a device, press the Device Dialog. If the preview does not appear at first, press the Preview Video button to force POSM to display the currently selected preview.

The View Size drop down sets the resolution for the capture device. Most systems use 640x480 to have a large, high quality, full screen video.

The capture size allows the user to choose if captured video is to be captured in the full, half or quarter resolution selected in the View Size. If the system being used is a high performance system, full size resolution can be used. If the video capture fails in POSM while adding observations or the video is very jerky and low quality, a smaller capture size may need to be used. Check the processor time while recording a few test clips to see how well the system is performing to determine if this setting needs to be changed. If the computer is running over 95% processor time to run POSM and record a clip, then the video resolution for clip recording is too high.

The Video Renderer allows the user to specify which Windows Video Render Engine should be used to display the video. If you are not sure of the capabilities of your machine, leave this setting on Auto. VMR9 and VMR7 both use Microsoft DirectX to overlay graphics and video. Standard is usually the last option to be used, and

the most processor time will be required to render the video. Overlay uses the computer’s video card’s overlay pin to directly overlay the video onto the screen. Depending on your computer’s specifications and drivers,
trying different video render settings may use less processor time to render the video, leaving more processor to encode video and run the POSM application.

The Audio Device drop down lists all compatible audio capture devices on the system. Select the appropriate

Audio Capture Device for your system.

The Audio Input selects which input POSM should be used to listen for audio.

The Audio Format specifies the recording frequency, bits, and mono/stereo options.

The Audio Input Level sets the recording audio levels. If the audio is hard to hear slide this slider to the right to increase the recording gain. If the audio is to loud or distorted slide this level to the left to decrease the recording gain.

The Audio Play Level sets how loud POSM will play back recorded audio in POSM Video Edit and Edit

Pictures and Clips.

The Video Compression Dialog lists all compatible Video Compression codecs available to POSM. There are many choices for video codecs, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. On factory install, POSM systems we install the DivX ( http://www.DivX.com ) codec for use with Software Video capture. Once a codec has been selected, its properties can be set by pressing the “Settings” button next to the drop down. When encoding video it is important to set an appropriate video bit rate, quality and many other options, as this will all contribute to the size and quality of the software clips in POSM.

The Audio Compression dialog lists all compatible Audio Compression codecs available to POSM. There are many choices for audio codecs. PCM is the standard audio codec used in most windows AVI videos. MP3 is another very popular audio format for its small size and high quality sound. The LAME Audio Encoder is a freely available MP3 encoder that can be installed on the POSM system for MP3 audio encoding. It can be downloaded from: http://www.elecard.com/ftp/pub/directshow/lame_dshow.zip

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The Aspect Ratio drop down allows the user to change the aspect ratio of the video viewed in POSM. The options are Stretch, No Resize or Box. Box is recommended as it will ensure that the pipe is not distorted in the main view.

Stretch: The video is stretched as needed to fill the control.

Box: The video appears in full within the control in a letterbox (bars on the top and the bottom) or pillarbox (bars on the left and the right).

No Resize: The video appears in its "native" size. If the native size is larger than then control, it appears centered within the control. If the native size is larger than the control, the video appears truncated.

The Video Input Source will list all of the available video inputs for the selected video device. The choices are normally Tuner, Composite, or S-Video. If the live video is connected to the composite input, select Composite. If the live video is connected to the S-Video input, select S-Video.

The Analog Video Std will force a regional video setting. North American users almost will always use

NTSC_M.

The Video Subtype drop down allows the user to force POSM to use a specified video Subtype. For most installations, the default setting will be fine.

The Brightness slider will increase the brightness of the video by sliding the bar right and decrease the brightness by sliding it left.

The Contrast slider will increase the contrast of the video by sliding the bar right and decrease the contrast by sliding it left.

The Hue slider will increase the hue of the video by sliding the bar right and decrease the hue by sliding it left.

The Saturation slider will increase the saturation of the video by sliding the bar right and decrease the saturation by sliding it left.

Deinterlacing the video is a technique to remove the horizontal black lines seen on screen and in pictures during high motion. If the resolution is below 640x480 there is no need to deinterlace the video as the lines will not show. 640x480 and 720x480 users may want to experiment with these options. Half-Size will reduce the quality of the video to half of the resolution. 640x480 video would effectively become 320x240 video blown up to 640x480. In this mode the quality suffers. Full Size Deinterlacing will remove either the even or the odd scan lines from the video. The video will still be 640x480 but will be missing half of the video data which also affects the quality of the video. DeScaler is an open source video processing tool that uses different techniques to

remove the horizontal interlacing lines and maintain high quality video. Anytime Deinterlacing is used more cpu processor time is required to view the video. Unless the interlacing is affecting the picture output of the system, it is suggested to leave the Deinterlacing off.

Snap Shot settings tell POSM to open images that were taken by pressing Print Snap Shot in the main observation form with either Internet Explorer or MS Paint. Opening the images in IE does automatic scaling of the image forcing it to print on one piece of paper. Opening the images with MS Paint allows the user to draw or write on the image before printing it.

The Image Compression setting allows the user to choose been uncompressed BMP images or compressed JPG images. JPG images are typically much smaller yet still high quality. If quality of the image is of the utmost importance, BMP images should be used.

The Path to Internet Explorer by default is “C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe”. If your system uses another drive letter or has IE installed in another folder it must be specified in order for POSM to correctly open Snap Shots.

The Path to MS Pain by default is “C:\WINDOWS\System32\mspaint.exe”. If your system uses another Drive letter or has MS Paint installed in another folder it must be specified in order for POSM to correctly open Snap Shots.

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Setup Whole Run Video (MPEG)

The Whole Run Recording setup in POSM allows the user to enable or disable which MPEG encoder will be used. POSM currently supports the Hauppage WinTV Cards for MPEG 1 or 2 encoding. For MPEG 1, 2, 4 and DivX Encoding the Darim Mpegator 4 card can be used. The Darim card also has the ability to pause the video encoding without the need to merge the files later.
Checking Pause VCR will pause the VCR anytime the mpeg encoders are paused.
Merge Options allow the user to choose which application to use when merging video. For MPEG 1 and MPEG
2 files mpgtx is typically selected. FFmpeg can also be used with MPEG 1 and 2 files. When encoding AVI or
DivX files MEncoder can be used to merge video files. MEncoder can also do a good job with MPEG 2 files if problems with mpgtx occur, however it cannot encode MPEG 1 files correctly.

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RS-232 Devices

Preferences - RS-232

Currently POSM can control the JVC SR-S365U and SR-MV50 RS232 VCRs and the RST or Cues Inclinometers. The Cues inclination unit requires an optional hardware add-on to convert the cues data signals to POSM RS232 signals. Auto Start and Stop will start the VCR recording when the start session button is pressed, and stop the recording when the stop session button is pressed. Select Enable or Disable to turn the VCR controls on or off. Select the serial port that the VCR is plugged into. Select Enable or Disable to turn the inclinometer controls on or off. Select the serial port that the RST inclinometer box is plugged into.
To enable POSM Measure, check the Enable POSM Measure Box. Selecting a field from the “Store Measurement in Field” drop down will tell POSM to put the current Laser Measurement into a certain data entry box. For example in this case, after a measurement is made it will be placed into the 1st Dimension field.

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Voice Overlay

Video - Voice Setup

POSM has the ability to speak the details about each observation added. This can be enabled by checking the Enable Fault to Speech box. Intro pages may also be spoken by checking the Speak Intro Pages box. Up to four items may be spoken each time an observation is added. By default POSM will say for example: Lateral Left at 45.6 Feet, 9 O Clock, Light Severity, the distance, fault name, fault position, or severity. To choose an item, select it from the drop down. POSM can also speak extra text after the item to describe the item. POSM supports SAPI 5.1 text to speech engines. To select an engine, select it from the drop down. To change the rate of speech, move the slider. Moving the slider to the left slows speech and to the right speeds the speech up. The settings may be tested by typing some words into the box and clicking the test settings button.

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Filename Setup

Preferences - Filename Setup

Every time POSM starts a session or adds an observation it will either take a picture, MPEG, or AVI clip. The names of these files can be adjusted to meet the user’s needs. The separator is the item that shows up between the text in the file name. This can be empty, a space, or a dash. The file name can consist of up to ten items. Select an item from the drop down to set it. An example of what the file will look like shows up at the bottom. There are many items that POSM can use to ensure that each file is unique. At a minimum the date
and time should be in the filename. Pictures (JPEG) and Video (MPEG) files are separate. Each must be setup for POSM to operate correctly.
The date and time format for POSM may be changed by selecting a date format and time format from the radio button options.
If the Flip Data box is checked, POSM will reverse the Start and End IDs for the filename and on-screen text when a user is running in a reverse mode. If a word other than Reverse, Upstream, or Against Flow is used to

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denote a reverse run, the user can enter it into the Optional Word to enable Flow Direction box. This is mostly useful when POSM is used in languages other than English.
Use Measure From in POSM mode enables the Upstream and Downstream box to appear in the main data entry form. This allows the user to tell the POSM software which direction the observation that is being entered is measured from.
The NASSCO PACP Picture and Video Path is an override for the NASSCO PACP and MACP file path fields. If the user needs to tell the export routines where NASSCO PACP data will reside when importing into another system, it should be entered here.

Admin Password Setup

The Admin Password setup allows for POSM to have specified forms locked down. Once a password has been set it must be entered in order to open the Admin Password Setup. To choose which forms require a password check the box in front of the form name.

Setup Language Options

If a Language Pack has been installed it can be selected from the Setup Language Options menu. By default
POSM is available in English. For custom language pack creation please contact POSM technical support.

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Template Editor

The POSM template editor allows the user to edit, create and delete database session templates from POSM. By default POSM comes with five built in templates. The POSM template can be modified to meet the user’s needs, but it is recommended that a template be created while using the POSM template as an example.

Template Editor

To edit a template select it from the Template Name drop down and click the Edit button. After pressing Edit the template can be deleted by pressing the Delete button by the Template Name drop down. A whole page can be deleted by pressing the Delete button by the Page Name box. A single row may be deleted by clicking the Delete button at the end of each row.
There are 15 pages to edit. Each page holds up to 10 fields. Select the current page from the Edit Page drop down. Each page must have a Page Name. This is the name that will show up in the Tab menu of the Session Information page. Field names can be assigned or changed by editing the text in the Field Name box.
There are three field types: a text box (which will store text), a combo box (which stores text but has a drop down of all text entered previously into that box), and a checkbox (which is a yes or no box). You can group fields together to make them store information faster. In this case, when a pipe name is chosen from the Pipe Name combo box, the Size of Pipe and Type of Pipe are filled in as well. When using groups, the item in Field
1 must be a combo box. Special fields allow POSM to know where important data is located in the template, such as the Project Name, Start ID (Start Manhole Number), Date, etc. By checking the required box, the user will be required to enter data into this field when starting a session. There are three types of valid data: text, numeric and date. Once selected one can set an operator and a length to enforce data is entered correctly. Common operator types may be assigned to a field validation. The maximum length a field can be is 100. The length field may be set from 1-100. For instance, to enforce a correct year to be entered, one could set valid type to Numeric, Operator to =, and Length to 4. This would ensure that a year, such as 1977 be entered.
The Print Template button will print out a list of all of the fields in the template. This is helpful when creating
HTML report templates.

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Make Default Report Template will make a basic HTML report template. This is the first report when the report generator is opened. The HTML template may also be modified with the POSM HTML report editor or any other HTML Editor. All HTML templates are placed in the Templates folder in the main POSM directory.
The “Setup Report Header” button will allow the user to modify the header that shows up on the Faults
(Observation) and Plot reports.

The user has up to 11 fields that can be placed in the header. Any special field can be placed into the header of these reports. To enable borders in the header check the “Show Table Borders” box.

Opening a report will show the newly modified header. The Special field names will be converted to the field names entered by the user.
“Make Default Text Intro (Title) pages” will create the text overlay pages that show when a session is started. These can be edited by opening the Text Overlay preferences form.
Save will save any changes made to this page. To finish editing the template, click done.
Click exit to close the Template Editor.

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Edit Drop Down

Template Editor - Edit Drop Down

The Edit Drop down allows the user to fill in data for the operator to select when filling out the session information. If data is pre-entered in the drop down, it must be used. The operator will not be allowed to enter their own information into that field
To create a new item for the drop down type in a description of the item such as 10 Inch PVC and fill in a code that will be used for this item. Next click create new to enter this item into the drop down list.
To remove an item from the list, highlight the item, and click delete to remove it. A pop up box will appear to verify the deletion.
Click Exit to close the drop down editor.

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Session Management/Advanced Find

Advanced Find

The Session Management form allows the user to search for sessions, save, print, create summary reports, burn CDs and DVDs, and delete sessions from the POSM database. To begin searching for data, select the template to search within. Then select an item from the Search For drop down. Every field in the template can be an item to search for as well as Dates, Fault Names, Positions, and Severity Levels. Once an item has been selected, a Data value must be selected. The Where Data value box will be filled with values that may be used. When searching for dates the calendar pop up will display. Refer to the Calendar Pop section for more information on using the calendar. To search for the values selected, click the Search button.
The Search Results box will fill with sessions once the Search button is pressed. All of the results may be selected by checking the Select All box, or individual reports may be selected by checking the boxes in front of each session. When a session has been checked or highlighted, it will display the details for that session on the right. The Session Size will indicate how large the session is.
Once the results have been selected they can be saved to the temporary CD folder by clicking Save. When the
Save button is pressed, POSM will begin to create the HTML pages for each session. In order to export pictures and video to a folder the Export Sessions to a Folder or Drive button should be used. POSM will respond with a Done box when it has finished generating the temporary folder.
The Print button will print all of the reports for each selected session. The Resume button will resume the currently highlighted session. The Reports button will open the Report Generator to the currently highlighted session.

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The Delete button will delete all of the currently selected sessions. It will confirm that really want to delete the sessions. Once the sessions are deleted, they cannot be undeleted. Make sure that the sessions have been burned or moved and you are sure that it is ok to remove the session from the database.
The Summary Report button will generate a short summary for all of the selected sessions. This report will show up at the bottom of the index page if View Reports is clicked.
When generating the temporary CD folder, make sure to pay attention to the CD folder size. If burning to CD
media make sure the CD folder size does not go over 700 MB. When burning a DVD the size cannot exceed
4.3 GB.
Individual reports can be removed from the temporary CD by checking the boxes in front of the session in the Report CD list, then clicking Delete Selected Report. The report can be re-added by searching for that session then saving it back into the CD folder.
To view the currently complied CD, click the View Temp button. This will open the Index.html in the Report CD
folder in the computer’s web browser.
To burn the current CD or DVD, press the Record CD/DVD button. This will open the disc burning application. Once the CD or DVD has been burned click the Clear Report CD button to empty out the temporary Report CD
folder. This does not delete the sessions from the database, it only deletes the sessions from the temporary folder. To delete sessions from the database, the sessions must be searched for and selected, then press the delete button.

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Calendar Pop Up

Calendar Pop Up

To select a date range first select the Month and Year to display, then click on the day that is desired. To set the start date, click Set Start. To select the end date, click Set End. To speed up searches, the Month button can be selected to select a whole month and the year button can be selected to select the whole year. When the Close button is pressed, the search box will be filled with the dates that have been selected.

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Summary Reports

Summary Report Options

POSM Summary Reports provides an overview with the totals of the selected sessions. To begin making a summary report search for a project, date range, asset name, fault name, etc and select the sessions to be summarized. Press the Summary Report button and the Summary Report Options window will display. Select the fields to be summarized. POSM can summarize any of its 56 special fields. Select the fields to summarize and the display will change to reflect the added fields. The reports can also be sorted and grouped by changing Sort Summary By and Group Summary By. Grouped reports can also have sub-summaries by clicking “Summarize Groups.” This is useful for creating a summary report that lists how much of each size of pipe was televised for example.
To print the Summary Report press “Print Report” or “Print Preview”. The Print Preview will allow the user to quickly change printing options such as portrait or landscape printing.
The new Summary Report will also display in the Report CD list. To erase a Summary Report select it from the list and press Delete. If you wish to clear everything in the CD folder press Clear Report CD. Below is an example of a Summary Report.

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POSM Summary Report

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Hansen/Neztek Manager

The Hansen city management software uses a special database interface made by Neztek. All work orders and data are imported from the Hansen database to POSM. This includes header entry data and observation data. In Hansen Mode the user only has to import the Hansen database, select the inspection, check to make sure the header entry is correct and make changes as necessary. Then add observations as the line is inspected. To use this interface the Hansen/Neztek Manger should be used. To start the manager, press the Hansen/Neztek button in the session’s tab of the introduction form.

POSM Hansen/Neztek Manager

To import a database press the Import Database button. A dialog box will pop up looking for files with .mdb extensions. Select the Hansen import database to be used to import. The other way to import Hansen databases is to simply copy the database into the HansenDB folder located in the same directory as the POSM database. POSM will show a list of all databases in its HansenDB folder. Select the database that the current inspection is in then select the inspection from the list. If this database has been used for previous inspections, POSM will display the last inspection number at the bottom of the form. Inspections can be viewed as Inspection Numbers, Upstream Manhole Numbers, Downstream Manhole Numbers, or Upstream Manhole Addresses. To begin an inspection, select it from the list and click Start Inspection. This will open the Hansen Header Information page.

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Hansen Header Information Pages

At a minimum the user should click the Insert Date button in the Start Date field. This tells POSM when the session was started. When the session ends POSM will ask if this run has been completed or not. If it has been completed POSM will then fill in the Completed Date field. The operator should change any incorrect fields in the header before continuing to the inspection. When all the necessary changes have been made
press the save info button to begin the inspection. In the data entry portion of the inspection everything will look just the same as a POSM session except the observations are loaded from the imported Hansen Database.
The only extra observation field is Measure From. In normal upstream to downstream manhole runs the Measure From will always be set to 'U' for measure from upstream. When the Reverse box is checked in the Hansen session information page the measure from box will set itself to 'D' for downstream. The only time the user will have to manually change the measure from box is if they start from the upstream, but have to finish
the inspection from the downstream manhole. All observations will be added to the POSM database until time of export when they are then exported to the Hansen database. While Hansen currently only supports image capture, POSM will capture images, MPEG 4 clips, and record the whole run as an MPEG file. These files may be accessed by creating reports with the POSM generator after the run has been completed.
If a new manhole is found while in a session stop the session and complete it. Then select the inspection from the inspection list and click Create New Asset. POSM will then fill in the Upstream manhole with a new,

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temporary ID, and the inspection can then be completed. The database will be flagged with a new asset to create a variance report during the Neztek import of the data.
Once all of the runs have been completed in the Hansen import database, the database can be exported. This is done in the Hansen/Neztek manager. Select the database from the list to be exported and click Copy Database to CD folder. This will export all of the data out of the POSM database into the Hansen import database in a new unique folder. All of the pictures will also be exported along with the database for import into the city's Hansen database.
If POSM finds a match for the Start and End manhole in its manhole database it will automatically fill in the
GIS information.

Import CSV GIS Data

POSM can import GIS data directly if It is in is CSV (Comma Separated Format). Typically the data will be setup with the Pipe information, Upstream Manhole, and Downstream Manhole information already joined on each row the of the file.
The following is an example of a CSV file with the Pipe, Upstream and Downstream information joined together.

The CSV data is then selected in POSM. Highlight the file then click Select Data File. Each of the dropdowns on the right will then be loaded with the header row from the CSV file. Line up the columns from the CSV with the POSM special fields. To save the settings that have been lined up press the Export Settings button. They can then be reloaded later, by pressing Import Settings. This makes it faster for GIS updates when more manholes and pipes have been added to the system. Before starting the import, it may be necessary to clear out the current GIS database. This can be done by pressing the “Delete All Assets” button. This will not delete session data it will only clear out the POSMGISdata.mdb database. To begin importing, press the “Start Import” button. The Row Numbers will increase as it imports the GIS data.

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To use the new GIS data, start a new session and press the “Asset ID”, “Start ID”, or “End ID” buttons. The newly imported data should show up in the search drop downs.

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ESRI ArcMap Tools

Tools have been created for use in ESRI ArcMap (ArcView) to assist in using, importing and exporting GIS
data in POSM.

Add the POSM Import/Export Tools to ESRI ArcMap

1. Start ArcMap and then open a map. Click on Tools, then Customize. Click on the Commands tab and select the UIControls from the Categories list.

2. Click on New UIControl and then add a UIButtonControl

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3. Add Two Controls and rename them to POSM_Export and POSM_Import

4. Drag the newly created button to a tool bar in ArcMap. A new toolbar can be created on the Toolbars tab.
Click the New button, and then enter a Toolbar name. Press OK then check the box next to the newly created name.

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5. Click back on the Commands Tab and Drag the two new UI commands to the newly created toolbar.

6. The button can be customized by right clicking on it while the Customize window is opened. In this example the button has been set to an Image and Text button. The image can be changed under the Change Button Image menu.

7. Close the customize window.
8. Right click on the new button and scroll to the bottom. Click on View Source.
9. Click on the File Menu, then Import File.

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10. Select the frmExportDataToPOSM.frm file. Repeat this process for the frmImportPOSMGISData.frm and frmSelectGisField.frm files.

11. Click back on ArcMap Objects, This Document. Under the Private Sub POSM_Export_Click () add a .show, repeat for frmImportPOSMGISData.Show
Option Explicit
Private Sub POSM_Export_Click()
frmExportDataToPOSM.Show
End Sub
Private Sub POSM_Import_Click() frmImportPOSMGISData.Show End Sub

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12. If an ADODB error occurs, click on the Tools menu then References. Add the Microsoft ActiveX Data
Objects 2.8 Library. Also add the Microsoft Scripting Runtime.

13. Save the file, and close the VBA editor.
14. The ArcMap interface should now have a toolbar with the POSM Import and Export tools.

15. Clicking on either button will open the POSM Import Tool or the POSM Export Tool.

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Export Data from ArcMap to POSM

1. After clicking on POSM, Export a window will show with many configuration options.

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2. To begin a POSM Database Location database must be selected. Press the “Select POSM Database” button to select the “DatabaseLocations.mdb” database. This database can be on your local computer or on a web server folder for systems running POSM in server mode. Even if your server is running a SQL POSM database, the Database Locations database still holds the connection information for POSM to connect to the SQL database.

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3. After selecting the database, the Database Connection window should populate with all of the connections available in the selected database location. Click on the database to save the Export information to then click “Open Database.”

4. If there are already saved export settings they will show up in the “Export Settings Name” drop down box.
If this is a new Export setup, enter a name for Export. In this example “Richmond Utilities” was used.
5. Select the Pipe Layer(s) by checking them from the “Pipe (Asset) Layers” list box. The pipes can exist in more than one layer; however POSM will search each layer and only map fields that match in each layer.
6. Select the Manhole Layer(s) by checking them from the “Manhole Layers” list box. The pipes can exist in more than one layer; however POSM will search each layer and only map fields that match in each layer.
7. After the Pipe and Manhole layers have been checked, the fields must be mapped to POSM Special Fields.
Select the Pipe (Asset) tab from the tab menu.
8. Under the Pipe (Asset) tab, the “Pipe Layer Field” drop down will contain a list of each data column in the ArcMap Shapefile. The “POSM Asset Field” contains a list of each special field that pertains to Assets (Pipes). Select the correct matches for the data that is desired to be transferred to POSM. Text values can also be saved for matches as well by typing in a value to the “Pipe Layer Field.” This is useful for typing in values such as City Name and Coordinate Systems. To save the match, press the “Add Pipe (Asset) Match” button.

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9. Repeat the same process for the Manhole information.

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10. The “Manhole – Pipe Match” tab allows the user to tell the Export routine how to match the manhole information with a pipe. The Upstream and Downstream Manhole information must be referenced in the Pipe (Asset) layer or the import will not work. A third lineup can be used such as Sub-Basin or Area if they are the same in the Pipe and Manhole table. This can be lined up with the “Area Grouping Fields.”

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11. The last tab “Import From POSM” maps which fields the Import to ArcMap tool will push to the Pipe Layer.
It may be necessary to add some additional fields to the Pipe layer such as Inspection Date, PACP Scores, HTML Report Location. Just like the Pipe and Manhole lineup, select the Pipe Layer field and the POSM
GIS Field to map then press “Add GIS Import Match.” This data will not be transferred to the map until the user exports the data out of POSM, then imports with the ArcMap Import tool. The “Pipe ID (Asset ID)” and POSM Special Field “Asset ID” must be matched or the import will not work.

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12. Once the mappings have all been made the settings can be saved by pressing the “Save Settings” button.
If older mappings need to be removed from the database, select it from the “Export Settings Name” combo box and press “Delete Settings.”

13. Before importing it may be necessary to clear out any old GIS data from the POSM GIS Database. Click the “Clear POSM GIS Database” button to clear it. This will not delete any POSM sessions; it only deletes the “POSMGISData.mdb” database that holds all of POSM’s GIS data.
14. To begin importing click the “Begin Import” button. The import has three phases. The first phase imports all of the selected Pipe Information mapped in the “Pipe (Asset)” tab. The second phase imports all of the manhole information mapped in the “Manholes” tab. The last phase joins both the pipe and manhole data based off of the field selections in the “Manhole – Pipe Match” tab and then adds it to the “POSMGISData.mdb” database.
15. When the importing has completed an “OK” box will appear.

16. Make sure the settings have been saved and press “Exit” to close the ArcMap to POSM Export Tool.
17. To test that the data has exported properly open POSM and select the green “Start New Session” button.

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18. Pressing the “Asset ID” button will open the GIS Search Window. The user can search any of the Imported
Fields from the Map. Once a Pipe has been found, click “Add Data to Session Information” to load its data.

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19. Clicking on the “Manhole” tab will already have the Manholes loaded.

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20. Clicking the “GIS” tab will show the imported coordinates, GPS Accuracy, and Coordinate system. To test that the coordinates are correct, press the Calculate Pipe Length. If the Length was not transferred from GIS, press the “Insert Into Asset Length Field” button to copy it to the Pipe Length field.

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POSM GIS Export and Report Generator

The POSM GIS Export and HTML Report generator serves a few functions. It can use the Report Generator to create HTML reports for sessions and store them in the “GISReports” folder. It can also export data collected from sessions into a database that is compatible for the POSM to ArcMap Import Tool. It can also create a calculated X and Y export database, that exports observation data and its X and Y position and links them to
an HTML report. It is recommended that the POSM database, video and reports be stored in a folder location that is Web enabled. This allows users with web browsers to easily view any report generated by POSM. It
also allows permissions to easily be set on the POSM folder.

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Setup POSM to run in a Web Folder

1. To run POSM from a web folder so many users can access POSM and reports can be generated for web viewing. First install POSM to your computer.
2. Go to the “C:\Program Files\” folder.
3. Cut the POSM folder from Program Files and Paste it into a folder designated for web access and storing the POSM data.

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4. When using a Windows Server Internet Information Services (IIS) is the default web server. From the Administrator Control Panel the IIS settings can be changed. The POSM Folder can be added to the list of folders enabled for web services.

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5. One import property to add for IIS is the “Index.html” document. By default IIS does not use four digit HTML extensions and it must be added as this is the default document that POSM produces for its HTML Indexes.

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6. If a new user wants to run POSM they must first install any needed OCX and DLL files. To do this open the POSM folder and click on the “POSMInstallOCX.exe” file. It’s known as the file with the toilet icon. A message box will show up with a status of 1-100% until the installation is complete. After running the install POSM can be run on the local machine from the storage server.
7. It is also recommend that POSM be setup to run in Digital Video Mode. That way if a user resumes a session, it will show the video that was captured. Changes to the observations can be made and pictures are captured when a new observation is added.

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Export reports for the POSM to ArcMap Import Tool

To export HTML reports and Data for the ArcMap Import Tool make sure the GISReports folder is setup.
Enter the Path to the web server in the “Path to Web Server and GIS Reports Folder.” In this example the web server is the local computer called “localhost.” The POSM program is in the “POSM” directory and the reports are in the “GISReports.” The full pathname would be: “http://localhost/POSM/GISReports/.” It is important to enter the server name so the reports are indexed properly.

To begin, select all of the sessions to be exported by placing a check next to each session. Select the “GIS Export Name” that was created in the ArcMap Export routine. In this example “Richmond Utilities” will be used. This will tell POSM which fields to export to ArcMap. The options that can be selected allow the user to
override some of the default settings. Such as if all of the reports have been created, and only the database
needs to be refreshed the “Do No Create HTML Reports” checkbox can be selected. To export for the ArcMap
Import Tool press the “Export GIS Database and HTML Reports” button. POSM will then begin to save its
HTML reports to the GISReports folder.
After the reports have been saved, POSM scans all of the folders and creates a master index file for all of the folders. The same interface is used as in the Summary Report Generator, except the Report Links link to the HTML Folder for the session listed. Choose the options to show, sorting and grouping options, then press “Save” to continue. If the index may also be printed with the “Print Reports” or “Print Preview.”

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Export GIS Coordinates

When the GPS coordinates of the manholes are entered, POSM calculates the X and Y position based off of the distance counter position. This can be useful for updating maps with point data such as Tap (Lateral) positions. To export these coordinates first the coordinates must be entered for the Start and End points of the pipe in the GIS tab of session info. Then open the GIS Export and HTML Report Generator.

If the coordinates were entered after the session was completed (for instance back in the office), first select the sessions then press the “Update Calculated Coordinates for Observations”. This will make POSM recalculate all of the positions for each observation.
By selecting a Template Name from the “Template Name” drop down box, all of the observation codes that were used for the selected sessions will be listed. In this example all observation codes with Tap were selected. This will make an output coordinate database of all the Taps for each run. If no observation codes are selected or the “All Templates” is used then POSM will export all observations.
If the HTML reports are not needed for the coordinate export, or if they have already been generated, check the “Do Not Create HTML Index” before exporting the data. This will speed up the export time greatly. Press the “Export Observation Coordinate Database and HTML Reports” button to start the export.

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When finished a folder will be created in the GISReports folder with the name of “GISExport-“ date – time of the export. Inside the newly created folder is a comma separated value (CSV) file of the data and an access database (GISStatePlane.mdb) of the data. ArcMap will use the access database to import the coordinate XY data.

Opening the “GISStatePlane.mdb database will show the export coordinates with all of the data collected for each observation.

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When the export is complete the GISReports folder will contain folders for each session and GroupIndex folder for Pipes that have more than one session associated with them. There will also be GISExportData.mdb that the ArcMap import tool reads when importing the data to ArcMap. If NASSCO PACP or MACP sessions are used, a NASSCO exchange database will be created with all of the session information, including links to the HTML reports. This allows city management software programs that import NASSCO PACP and MACP data to link POSM NASSCO data to their databases with full HTML, images and video reports.

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Open ArcMap then click on Tools then Add XY Data.

Click the Open Folder button, to select the POSM “GisStatePlane.mdb” database.

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Double clicking on the “GisStatePlane.mdb” database will open it up. Highlight and click Add or double click on the GISStatePlane table.

If the Coordinate System is known, press the Edit button and then select or import the coordinate reference.

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Click Ok to Add the XY Coordinate data to ArcMap. It will create a new layer in the map with the points added to the map.

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Zooming in on the map will show the points line up with the drawn pipes and manholes. If the Identify tool is used to select a point, the imported details of that point can be selected. If the HTML reports were generated for the Session associated with that point, the HTML link can be clicked on to open the POSM HTML
Report Data.

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Import POSM GIS Data

Before importing GIS data from the POSM GIS database, ensure that the import fields have been configured. This must be done from the Export GIS tool in ArcMap. The data must also be exported from POSM using the “Export GIS and HTML Data” window.
1. Click on the Import POSM GIS Data button from the toolbar.
2. Check the layers that you want the import tool to import data to. POSM can search any table you choose for data matches.

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3. Click the Select POSM GIS Import Database button. Select the GISExportData.mdb database from your POSM Server’s GISReports folder.

4. To begin the import process, press Begin Import.

5. POSM will search through each selected layer with every record it finds in the import database.
For larger databases, this can be slow.

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6. When finished, a message box will display the results of the import.

7. Opening the Attributes of the imported table will show the newly imported data. Now the user can link pipes to HTML reports on the POSM Web Server and search by inspection date or PACP Score.

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8. After applying a label query the user can see which pipes have the largest Structural and maintenance issues. Using the Hyperlink tool (Lighting Bolt) in Arcmap will allow the user to click on the map and open the HTML report from the POSM web server.

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9. After clicking on the map, the index for the session will open.

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10. If more than one inspection exists for the pipe, POSM will create an index of all of the inspections for that pipe.

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11. Viewing a Plot report of a POSM session off the web server.

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12. If a picture or clip exists for the observation, the user can click on it to open the image.

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