CHCNAV LandStar 8 Data Collection Software (Android)

User Guide - Training Videos

Overview

CHCNAV LandStar 8 is a fully featured Android field data collection application designed for professional GNSS surveying, total station surveying, engineering, mapping, construction layout, GIS data collection, road stakeout, pipeline surveying, and hydrographic surveying. It provides a unified field-to-finish workflow for creating projects, configuring instruments, collecting and staking points, working with CAD and surface data, managing coordinate systems, and exporting finished survey data.

LandStar 8 is designed to work with CHCNAV field equipment while providing a familiar Android-based interface that can be configured for different levels of experience. Users can choose between a simplified interface for common field operations and a more comprehensive Classic interface for professional surveying workflows.

Separate licenses are available for GNSS, TPS / Total Station, or combined GNSS + TPS operation, allowing users to select the functionality required for their field equipment.

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Key Features

• Android-based professional survey and data collection software
• Supports GNSS and total station workflows
• Available with GNSS, TPS, or GNSS + TPS licensing
• RTK, PPK, and static GNSS surveying
• Point, line, surface, and road stakeout
• Site calibration, base shift, and CORS shift tools
• Full coordinate system and datum transformation management
• Powerful CAD viewing and stakeout
• Road creation, import, survey, and stakeout
• Surface creation and editing
• Cut/fill and volume calculations
• Extensive import and export format support
• Online and offline background maps
• Code libraries and GIS attributes
• CHC Cloud project sharing and collaboration
• Visual Stakeout support with compatible CHCNAV receivers
• IMU and E-Bubble support
• Pipeline and hydrographic surveying workflows
• Simple and Classic interface modes
• Local and cloud project backup
• Built-in survey calculation tools

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GNSS Surveying and RTK Data Collection

LandStar 8 provides a complete GNSS field workflow for configuring receivers, establishing base and rover connections, collecting survey points, and performing stakeout.

Supported GNSS measurement methods include:

• Topographic point survey
• Quick point survey
• Control point survey
• Continuous survey
• Verified survey
• PPK survey
• Static surveying
• Tree survey
• Offset measurements

The software can enforce user-defined measurement tolerances for horizontal and vertical precision, correction age, PDOP, satellite count, pole stability, measurement averaging, and fixed-solution requirements. These controls allow survey crews to customize data collection standards for different types of work.

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GNSS Base and Rover Configuration

LandStar provides dedicated configuration tools for setting up compatible GNSS receivers as either rovers or base stations.

Rover Work Modes

Supported rover configurations include:

• NTRIP
• APIS
• Internal radio
• TCP
• PPP

Base Work Modes

Base configurations include:

• Internal radio base
• External radio base
• Receiver network base
• Receiver network + external radio
• UAV base

Common configurations can be stored as instrument profiles and work modes, helping crews quickly switch between different base, rover, radio, and network setups.

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Total Station Surveying

With the appropriate TPS license, LandStar 8 also supports total station workflows within the same Android application used for GNSS surveying.

Functions include:

• Total station connection and configuration
• Resection / Free Station setup
• Backsight to known point
• Backsight by azimuth
• Point surveying
• Point stakeout
• Line stakeout
• Surface stakeout

GNSS and total station functions are licensed independently, making it possible to purchase the functionality required for a specific field workflow or combine both into a single data collection platform.

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Point, Line, and Surface Stakeout

LandStar 8 provides multiple stakeout methods for construction, engineering, and land surveying.

Supported stakeout workflows include:

• Point stakeout
• Line and arc stakeout
• Surface stakeout
• Foundation stakeout
• Road stakeout
• Side-slope stakeout
• CAD-based stakeout

The stakeout interface can display both the operator's current position and the target position, with configurable tolerance rings and navigation prompts.

With compatible CHCNAV receivers equipped with cameras, LandStar can automatically transition into Visual Stakeout, using forward and downward camera views to visually guide the operator toward the target.

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CAD View and Graphical Surveying

LandStar is designed to work directly with common CAD and GIS files in the field.

Users can display background data while surveying and use built-in graphical tools to select, edit, create, and stake features directly from the map.

Supported offline and reference map formats include:

• DWG
• DXF
• SHP
• KML
• KMZ
• TIFF
• JPG
• MBTILES

LandStar also provides snapping tools for working with CAD geometry, including:

• Node
• Endpoint
• Midpoint
• Center
• Intersection
• Nearest
• Perpendicular
• Quadrant
• Tangent point

These tools allow users to select precise CAD geometry for surveying and stakeout without requiring every design point to be manually entered beforehand.

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Road Surveying and Stakeout

LandStar includes a comprehensive road module for creating, importing, and staking roadway designs.

Road definitions can include:

• Horizontal alignments
• Vertical alignments
• Station equations
• Cross-section templates
• Side-slope templates
• Superelevation
• Widening
• Road thickness

Users can manually create road definitions or import supported LandXML road files. Horizontal alignments can also be created from design elements, points of intersection, coordinates, or compatible CAD geometry.

Road workflows include centerline stakeout, cross-section work, side-slope stakeout, station calculations, and stakeout reporting.

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Surface Creation and Stakeout

LandStar allows surveyors to create and manage digital surfaces directly in the field.

Surfaces can be generated from collected or imported points, with support for:

• Breaklines
• Boundaries
• Wireframe display
• Shaded surfaces
• 2D preview
• 3D preview
• Online map overlay

Users can edit triangulation, remove or reorganize triangles, and view surfaces from multiple perspectives before using them for stakeout or calculations.

Supported surface imports include 3D DXF, LandXML, CASS triangulation, and HC triangulation files.

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Volume and Earthwork Calculations

LandStar includes built-in tools for field calculations, including volume calculations.

Survey crews can create surfaces and use collected field data for applications such as:

• Stockpile calculations
• Excavation quantities
• Cut-and-fill analysis
• Earthwork verification

Additional calculation tools include:

• Areas
• Inverse
• Point-to-line distance
• Offset distance
• Deflection
• Rotation
• Intersection point
• Bisect angle
• Divide line
• Point averaging
• Tangent point
• Coordinate transformation
• Area subdivision
• Least squares
• Plot deed

 

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Coordinate Systems and Site Calibration

LandStar provides extensive coordinate reference system management for local, regional, and international surveying.

Coordinate system configuration includes:

• Ellipsoid
• Projection
• Datum transformation
• Horizontal adjustment
• Vertical adjustment
• Geoid models
• Grid correction files

Supported datum transformation methods include:

• No transformation
• 3-parameter
• 7-parameter
• Strict 7-parameter
• Helmert
• 10-parameter Molodensky
• Datum grid

LandStar also supports site calibration, base shift, CORS shift, and single-point localization. Coordinate systems can be imported from compatible Trimble, Leica, and CHCNAV files or shared through QR codes and cloud services.

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Extensive File Compatibility

LandStar is designed to fit into established survey and engineering workflows through extensive import and export support.

Supported Import Formats Include

• DWG
• DXF and 3D DXF
• SHP
• KML
• KMZ
• JPG
• CSV
• DAT
• XLSX
• TXT
• TIFF
• MBTILES
• Carlson CRD / CRDB
• LandXML
• Trimble DC
• Trimble JXL
• Trimble CAL
• Leica LOK
• CHCNAV coordinate system files

Supported Export Formats Include

• DWG
• DXF
• SHP
• KML
• KMZ
• RAW
• HTML
• CSV
• DAT
• TXT
• XLSX
• Survey reports
• Stakeout reports
• Verified Survey reports
• Star*Net formats
• Trimble JXL
• MicroStation-compatible output

Custom CSV, DAT, and TXT import/export formats can also be configured to match specific office workflows.

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Online and Offline Maps

LandStar can display mapping and design information alongside live survey data.

Supported online map services include options such as:

• OpenStreetMap
• Bing
• Google imagery
• WMS
• V-World
• Geoportal
• Naver

Offline CAD, imagery, GIS, and map files can also be loaded directly into the project, allowing field crews to work with design information even when internet connectivity is unavailable.

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Code Libraries and GIS Data Collection

LandStar supports customizable feature codes and code libraries for organized field data collection.

Users can create different code templates for different project types and assign codes while collecting points and linework.

GIS attribute fields can also include multimedia information such as:

• Photos
• Videos
• Voice recordings
• Custom attributes

LandStar's multi-code functionality allows multiple polylines or polygons to share surveyed points, helping streamline field coding and feature collection.

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CHC Cloud and Collaborative Work

LandStar includes integration with CHC Cloud for sharing projects and configuration information between field crews and office personnel.

Cloud-supported items include:

• Projects
• Coordinate systems
• Imported files
• Exported files
• Code libraries
• Road files
• Base settings
• Rover settings

Projects and coordinate systems can also be shared using generated share codes, helping field crews transfer configuration and project data without manually recreating settings on each controller.

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Project Backup and Restore

LandStar provides multiple options for protecting field data.

Projects can be automatically backed up locally at selectable intervals, and cloud backup intervals can also be configured. Deleted projects generate recoverable backup files, while complete Deployment Backup and Restore can archive projects, settings, instrument profiles, coordinate systems, geoid files, map tiles, import/export profiles, and other application configuration into a single backup file.

This makes it easier to move a complete LandStar configuration to another Android controller or recover a field setup if a device needs to be replaced.

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Simple and Classic Interface Modes

LandStar offers two interface styles:

Simple Style provides frequently used survey functions through a streamlined interface intended to reduce complexity for newer operators.

Classic Style provides access to the full professional workflow through four primary tabs:

• Project
• Survey
• Config
• Tools

Users can select the interface that best matches their experience level and field responsibilities.

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Ideal Applications

CHCNAV LandStar 8 is well suited for:

• GNSS RTK surveying
• Total station surveying
• Boundary and cadastral surveying
• Topographic surveys
• Construction layout
• Site development
• As-built surveys
• Control surveys
• Road and highway stakeout
• Surface stakeout
• Earthwork and volume calculations
• Utility and pipeline surveying
• GIS data collection
• Hydrographic surveying
• Static and PPK GNSS workflows
• CAD-based field layout
• Visual Stakeout with compatible CHCNAV receivers

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License Options

LandStar functionality is licensed according to the instruments being used.

LandStar GNSS License

Provides GNSS surveying and data collection functionality for compatible GNSS receivers, including RTK, base/rover configuration, static and PPK surveying, GNSS stakeout, site calibration, and related GNSS workflows.

LandStar TPS License

Provides field data collection and stakeout functionality for supported total stations, including instrument setup, survey, resection, backsight, and stakeout operations.

LandStar GNSS + TPS License

Combines the GNSS and total station functionality into one LandStar installation for crews that work with both instrument types.

The LandStar 8.2 user guide confirms that GNSS and total station functions are licensed independently and can be registered separately.

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Powerful Android Field Software for Surveying and Construction

CHCNAV LandStar 8 brings GNSS surveying, total station operation, CAD stakeout, roads, surfaces, coordinate systems, volumes, mapping, cloud collaboration, and field calculations into one Android application. Its combination of professional survey functionality and flexible interface options makes it suitable for both everyday RTK data collection and more advanced engineering and construction workflows.