Compass Cave Survey and Mapping Software

COMPASS is a cave mapping software package designed to edit, process, analyze and view cave survey data using an IBM PC compatible computer. The programs in the system allow you to enter cave data, revise the data, generate statistics on the cave, close loops, view plots from various angles on the screen and finally, print finished quality plots on almost any of dot matrix, laser, ink jet printer and a variety of line plotters.

COMPASS has hundreds of powerful features, including a configurable survey editor, high speed real-time 3D passage wall modeling, GIS and data base compatibility, sophisticated loop closure and blunder detection. COMPASS is extremely fast capable of animating of caves in excess of 150 miles in length. It is also very easy to use, with built-in wizards and tools that make it easy for novice users to manage and work with large cave systems. COMPASS will run on any modern version of Windows ranging from Windows 95 to Windows-8. COMPASS is constantly being refined to add new features and take advantage of the latest technologies.

Latest Revisions and Features.

Update - 3-10-13

1. Automatic Backsight Validation. The Editor now supports automatic backsight validation. As you enter new data into the Editor, it is constantly testing all the backsights in the survey to make sure the agree to within a specified level of tolerance. All shots that don't agree are displayed below the main edit window, which allows you to be aware of any problems as soon as they are entered.

Double clicking on any line in the display will take you to the line that contains the error and highlight the appropriate measurement.

2. Sketch Editor. Has been improved to so that it can handle much larger images without running out of memory. The editor now stores "undo" and auxiliary images to disk, rather than in RAM memory, saving it for direct display and editing purposes.

Update - 1-28-13
1. LRUD Associations. When Compass builds passage models it needs to associate the LRUDs with either the From Station or the To Station. In the past, Compass could only do this at the file level, which meant that every shot in every survey was handled the same way.
Compass now has the option of a controlling LRUD Handling at the Survey Level. In other words, every Survey can associate the LRUDs differently. The Editor now allows you to set the option in the header of every survey.
2. LRUD Tools. To aid in the process of converting files to the new system, Compass has new tools that allow you to set the LRUD Associations for large blocks of selected surveys all it once.
There are also new tools that allow you to shift the LRUDs forward or backwards one shots for selected surveys. This allows you fix surveys where the LRUDs were entered with the wrong station.
3. Overriding LRUD Settings. You can override the survey-level LRUD Flags by changing the settings in the Project Manager. These "Override Settings" can be saved either to the MAK file or as the Project Manager Defaults.

Update - 1-1-13

Mark Fixed Stations. The Viewer now has the option of Marking Fixed Geographic stations on the line plot with a circle and crosshairs. The Fixed Station Markers appear as light blue and yellow dots in the picture to the right.

The feature allows you to see the relationship between each fixed stations and the rest of the cave. This is useful for verifying that survey errors between fixed stations are properly adjusted out.

You have complete control of the size and color of the Fixed Station Markers. There is also a new feature that allows you to offset the position of the Station Labels. This makes it easier to read the Station Name when there are other markers and text near the stations. The example to the right shows Station Labels offset by about 5 pixels which provides enough extra room to see both the Fixed Stations Marks and the label indicating which station is the Fixed Location.

Tutorials. There are two new tutorials. The first one walks you through the process of Installing Compass on Windows 8. The second one explains some of the options for running Compass on a Macintosh.

Update - 11-12-12

CaveXO now has additional features that make the 3D Rose Diagram more useful. You now have the option of displaying a 3D grid behind the Rose Diagram that gives the altitude of each Rose layer. The Grid can be enabled or disabled at anytime.The Base can also be removed to the Rose Diagram can be viewed from below.

Finally, the Rose base shows the thickness of each layer in the Rose Diagram. It also, since the length each pedal represents the accumulated length or frequency of passages in the specified direction, the Base now shows the radius of the outer circle on the base. This allows you to estimate the length of the individual petals.

Update - 6-10-12

This update contains several bug fixes and useful features. Here is a list of the most important changes:

1. Saving Complex Setting. There is now the option to save all Complex values and settings. This allows you to build a complex display and then restore it later can restore the display without going through the task of manually setting each individual option. The option saves 41 Complex Parameters in an XML-type file so the data can be edited using a text editor and any one of a number XML editors.

2. Displaying LRUD Values. You now have the option of displaying the LRUD distance values on screen in association with the Passage Wall Marking feature. This is helpful for drawing maps and passage-wall tracing operations. It saves having to look in the survey book for the values.

3. Exporting LRUD Values. The Custom Export option in the Statistics section now has the option of exporting the LRUD values for each station.

4. Misc. Improvements. The processing of LRUDs has been improved so that erroneous values aren't propagated. LRUDs can now be exported along with other values in the Custom Export option. The Declination Calculation options have been simplified and clarified so they are easier to use and more logical.

SVG Exporter Major Update - 3-19-11

There is a major new release of the SVG Exporter that contains many new features that help you deal with compatibility and corruption issues when working with SVG files.

The program now handles problems caused by the accidentally deletion and corruption of key layers that can prevent a file from being loaded or processed. It also handles changes made by Adobe Illustrator that can make the file unreadable by Inkscape and vice versa. The program can replace missing tags and layers and can remove extraneous tags that can cause compatibility problems. Click here for a complete description of the Compatibility issues and improvements.

Major Update - 3-20-10

This is a major update for Compass. Here is a description of the newest features.

I. Cartography Tools. The Compass Cartography Tools are a new set of tools that helps you create presentation quality digital survey map from Compass files. The tool kit consists of the two basic pieces: the Sketch Map Editor and the SVG Exporter/Merge/Morph (round-trip) Tool. To download these programs, go to the Compass Download Page.

A. Sketch Map Editor. The Sketch Map Editor helps you to take the sketch maps you generate in the cave and use them as the basis for your finished maps. The Editor allows you to take a scanned bitmap image and edit it to remove flaws, align it to north, scale it to a standard scale, and trim the image to size. It also allows you to merge multiple images into single image, using transparency to precisely align the passages. Finally, it allows you to warp or "morph" the image so station positions in the sketch map, precisely match the positions in the cave data.

Once a combined image has been created in the Editor, the image can be loaded into a drawing program for tracing. Having a precisely aligned, single image makes producing a map much quicker and easier because you don't have to load and align individual images. Also, since the image has been warped to match the survey shots, you don't have to constantly shift the image as you are tracing.

To guide you through the process of using the Sketch Map Editor, I have created a detailed tutorial that will walk you through the process:

Click here to view the Sketch Map Editor Tutorial.

B. SVG Exporter. SVG is a widely used file format for drawing programs. Because it is so widely used, it is an ideal format for exporting cave data. For example, programs like Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw will read and write these file. Even more important there are Freeware programs like Inkscape that can read and write SVG files.
The SVG Exporter allows you to export cave survey data as SVG files. The SVG files contain a complete cave map on multiple "layers" that include stations, shots, passages, LRUD marks, a grid, a north arrow, a scale bar, a frame, and a colored background. The exported map also contains empty layers into which you can place your hand-drawn passage walls, floor details, a legend, notes, etc. This allows you to use the SVG map as the starting point for a high quality, finished digital map.
For a complete tutorial on using the SVG Exporter click here.

C. Converting And Adopting. The SVG Converter has special tools that allow you to use maps that were generated with different drawing programs. For example, Inkscape has different layering system than Adobe Illustrator so Illustrator layers do not show up in Inkscape.

In addition, programs like the Compass SVG Exporter and Walls, require certain layers to be in place before they can be merged, morphed, or round tripped. The SVG Exporter can add these layers to any SVG file, whether it was originally generated by cave survey program or not. As a result, the SVG Exporter can "adopt" an existing cave map even if it wasn't originally generated by Compass (or Walls.) Once the map has been "adopted," it can be treated like just like a map that was generated by Compass or Walls. In other words, It can be merged, morphed or round tripped.

Click here for a detailed explanation of the Converting and Adopting Process.

D. Using Inkscape. One of the big advantages of SVG is the fact that there are several Freeware drawing programs that support it. One of the best is Inkscape, a drawing program that is very similar to Adobe Illustrator. Since Illustrator can costs hundreds of dollars, Inkscape is a perfect alternative for cavers on a budget.

Because Inkscape is free and works well for cave mapping, I have developed the Exporter to be compatible with Inkscape. (It will also work fine with other programs such as Illustrator.)

Because all sophisticated drawing programs require a lot work to learn, I have designed a detail tutorial on making cave maps using Compass and Inkscape. Here is a link to the Compass Inkscape Tutorial.

E. Working With Illustrator. The exported SVG files from Compass will work with Adobe Illustrator, but Illustrator has some anomalies that you need to be aware of. Click here for tips and techniques for working with Illustrator.

F. Merge/Morph Tool (Round-tripping). The final tool solves one of the biggest problems for cave cartographers: updating an existing map as the data changes. For example, if you survey a new passage, the new data will need to be added to the existing map. If the passage is extensive, you may have to reduce the scale, use bigger paper or even rotate the cave so everything fits on a piece of paper.
In addition to adding new data, you may correct errors in the data or improve the loop closure. When this happens, all the shots in the cave may move. This may change the angle that shots come together and passage intersect. When this happens all the carefully drawn wall details will need to be moved, stretched, compressed or warped to match the new shot position. Normally these kinds of changes would require lots of painful and tedious hand adjusting. If the changes are extensive enough, it may even require starting a new map from scratch. The image to the right shows a section of a cave map before a 30-degree correction is made at Station B7.
The Merge/Morph tool allows any SVG-based map to be adjusted even after passage lines have been drawn, floor detail placed and the map has been finished. It allows you to move, rotate and scale all the hand-drawn elements of a finished cave map, so the map can be completely re-configured without losing any of the hand-work in the map. The tool will also smoothly warp (morph) the passage walls, floor details and other hand-drawn elements so they track changes in the shot positions. For example, if the angle at a passage junction becomes tighter, the passage walls will be compressed to fit and still maintain the same relative distances from the shot lines.
This image show how the passage and details are warped to accommodate a 30 degree change at B7. You will notice how the passage walls and details are stretched right at the corner and the rest of the passage is only moved and rotated, with no warping.
Click here for a complete tutorial on using the SVG Exporter's Merge/Morph Tools

II. Showing Loops. The Viewer now allows you to select loops and highlight them in the display. You can choose to highlight one or more loops at the same time. The loops can be "natural loops" which are the first loops in the sequence of surveying. They can also be optimized loops, which are loops with the smallest total length.

III. Station Coordinates: You now have the option of displaying station coordinates next to each station. The coordinates can be displayed as UTM (Feet or Meters) or Longitude and Latitude in degrees or degrees minutes and seconds.

IV. Zone Crossing. In some rare instances, you may have two or more caves that aren't in the same UTM zones. This usually occurs when you have a cave system close to the Zone boundary. Compass now allows you to handle that situation by extending the base zone so it encompasses the caves beyond it. This is standard practices in cartography.
V. Latest Magnetic Declination Models. This version of Compass has the newest magnetic declination models covering the years 2010 through 2015.

7-20-08 Update

Google Earth KML File Export. Compass now supports the export of cave data to Google Earth in the form of KML files. This allows you to place the passage foot print of your favorite cave on the surface terrain and display it in Google Earth.

The image to the above shows Fulford Cave superimposed on the terrain around the cave. Exporting KML files makes it very easy to view the relationship between the cave and the surrounding terrain. It also allows you to share the latest cave data with project members without the delay of drafting maps. This is perfect for surveying and exploration projects.

KML files can be embedded in web pages to allow other people to view the cave. For example, if you have Google Earth installed on your computer, click on either of these two links to view some Colorado Caves:

Fulford Cave

Fault Cave

The image to the below shows the image of another Colorado Cave called the "Fault Caves". These caves are associated with tectonic faulting along the Front Range of Colorado and viewing them in Google Earth makes it possible to see how the caves relate to the geology.

The Compass KML exporter gives you complete control over the Fill Color, the Outline Color and the transparency of the passages. By making the passage partially transparent, you can see the details of the terrain through the overlay.

11-17-07 Update

There are now printable manuals available for all the Compass programs. They are in the Microsoft Word "doc" format and can printed from Word Pad which comes free with every copy of Windows. There are more than 270 pages of documentation and you can download copies of the manuals by clicking here.

8-19-07 Update

With the release of Windows Vista earlier this year, we are entering a new phase in the development of PC. Unlike some previous versions of Windows, Vista makes some radical changes in the way programs work under the operating system. All Compass programs work fine with Windows Vista with one exception:

CaveXO. CaveX uses DirectX "Retained Mode" to display cave passages. Vista doesn't support "DirectX Retained Mode" and so CaveX will not run properly under Vista. To deal with this problem, I have created a new version that uses OpenGL to render the 3D passage models. OpenGL is widely available across many computer platforms and most graphic cards provide drivers for OpenGL that will work under virtually any version of Windows. The new version is called CaveXO and can be downloaded by clicking here. The latest version of CaveXO has most of the features of CaveX. It also has Vista-compatible help files. The only features that aren't available are Joystick control and the ability to load and save X files. These featues will be added over the next few months

Help Files. The help files that were shipped with previous versions Compass don't work with Vista. The latest version of Compass now has all the help file converted to a Vista-compatible format. If you don't have the latest version, you can download it by clicking here.

New Release on 6-1-07 - Over 26 Combined Changes

Unfolded Profiles or Developed Profiles

Normally, when you view a cave in profile, some parts of the passage will run directly toward or away from the screen. In this case, the passage will appear to be just a short segment even though it could be thousand of meters long. You could rotate the cave to get a better view of the passage, but, at the same time you are likely to rotate other passages so their length becomes invisible.

The cave passage to the right is a good example. Basically, the passages form a descending spiral. Viewing it in profile, you cannot see three passage segments that pass directly toward or away from the screen. Because of the spiral shape, no matter how you rotate cave, some part of the cave will be hidden.

To solve this problem, Compass has a feature called “Developed Profiles” or “Unfolded Profiles.” The program basically unfolds or flattens out the cave so you can see the full length of every passage. This will distort some parts of the cave, but it will allow you to see the full lenght of every passage.

The image to the right shows the same passage as an Unfolded Profile. You can now see a full profile of every shot. Before, you could not tell anything about the slope of the hidden shots. With the new image, you can see the full length of every shot and see that cave slopes evenly down the entire spiral. (Note, the image has been scaled down so the unfolded length will fit on the web page.)

Compass gives you several options for controlling the way the profiles are produced. For example, passages can be flatten using the "nearest-angle" method or the "fixed-angle-method." You can also control the angle of the plane to which the cave is flattened. Unfolded profiles are useful for maps of deep, winding pits where you want to display as much detail as possible.

Entrance Distance

This new option allows you to color the passage according to the distance from the entrance. This is not the straight line distance, but the actual travel distance required to reach a certain point in the cave. You have complete control over the colors and how much distance is covered by an individual color. This allows you to setup zone maps of the distance from the entrance that are perfect for expedition planning. For example, the map above shows the entrance distance in Lechuguilla Cave. Each color is represent 1/2 mile distance from the entrance. In this picture the green zone would be appropriate for day trips, whereas the purple zone would probably require overnight camping.

Italian Tutorial

Thanks to Andrea Maconi, we have a very nice Compass tutorial in Italian. The tutorial is a well produced, PDF file complete with screen shots. It should make it a lot easier for Italian cavers to learn and use Compass.

Precise Distance Displays

You can also displays the precise entrance distance at each survey station. Again, this is not the straight-line distance, but the travel distance through the passages to get to the station. Like the Color-by-Distance, it is useful for estimating the difficulty of reach a certain point in the cave.

It is also useful for orienting yourself in the cave by finding the direction back to the entrance. You have the choice of either meters or feet and the size, font and color of the distance-labels is configurable.

Displaying Shot Azimuth, Inclination and Length

You now have the option of displaying the Azimuth, Inclination and Length of each shot. The image to the right shows a display of the Azimuth for each shot. Again, you have the choice of fonts, size and color.

Block Modify Options

The Block Modify Option in Compass allows you to make complex changes to survey data across a range of shots and surveys. This is useful repairing problems where large blocks of data were entered incorrectly. It is also useful for reorganizing the data. Text items can be selectively modified. Station names can be selectively prefixed or post-fixed. Numerical items can be modified. Shot flags can be selectively set or cleared. All these options can save hundreds of hours of manual labor.

Fit Cave to Screen

The Compass Viewer now has a special tool that will automatically fit the cave display to the current window size. This makes it easy to view the whole when you have resized the window to take up only part of the screen. This is particularly useful when you are looking at several caves at the same time.

More New Features >>

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