OpenGround Cloud Professional has been updated to include the option to report data in its primary unit value as well as a secondary unit value. This is useful as HBSI now will convert data recorded in the field in one unit and report it in a different unit value.
An example of this being Canadian Geotechnical Engineers who must work with their drilling teams in Ft and Inches in the field while having to report to the client in metres.
This results in a situation where the data needs to be imported or typed in a different unit to the one used for reporting.
Data Import
AGS already has the concept of units but for CSV there is now an added file called Unit Mappings. This file contains a list of all the groups and fields which contain units and then lists these units. On import this file is read and HBSI will perform the conversion if needed.
For example, if the data was reported in ft. and the HBSI project is set up in metres, HBSI would read the CSV Unit Mappings file is set in feet and convert the values to metres when imported.
The below is an example of a CSV units mapping file.
The result in HBSI is the data is successfully imported and the data stored in the CSV file is converted from ft. to m. (see the image below showing the csv file sample data recorded in ft. and
HBSI reporting in m having been successfully converted)
Setting Secondary Units and Switching Views
Despite unit conversion occurring you may also want the ability to report the data in a secondary unit. This may mean that data is recorded in ft. and reported in metres but you still want to see the recorded ft. values in HBSI or a different unit altogether. It is possible to do this by assigning a secondary unit to each of the fields you wish to report in.
In the Model Manager select a target group to edit, once the fields that belong to the group are displayed you can see there is a new column called Secondary Units.
By default, the Secondary Units fields are blank so if you then edit the required field you will be able to select a secondary unit.
The example below shows the Secondary unit being set as mm. Notice that there is a greyed-out field called "Unit Group". Each unit belongs to a Unit Group (in the example this is length). Unit groups cannot be edited.
After saving the Depth Top field in the Sample Table will display the primary unit of metres and the Secondary Unit of mm. To switch views, open the grid in HBSI and press the Secondary Units button within the grid tools menu.
The grid view will update to reflect that you are viewing the field in its secondary units. This can be switched back by pressing the button again.
Errors that Could Occur with Importing Data
As OpenGround Cloud Professional has added the concept of unit groups and unit conversion there may be instances where there are errors reported during data importing. It is important to review what these errors are. An example of an error is that HBSI will not allow data recorded in a unit to be imported if the target fields unit group is different from the recorded fields. To expand upon this, below is an example where there is an error in unit mappings CSV and when reviewed it shows that the fields Pocket Pen and Torvane cannot be imported because they are recorded in tsf, which is in the pressure unit group and the target fields in HBSI are set to Kn/m3 which is in the density unit group.
If this occurs, it is imported to check with whoever sent the data to confirm if the recorded unit groups are correct. To rectify the error will involve changing the primary unit to the same unit group as the file. This may not be advised so it is important to consult. This is one example but there could be many others.