What customers will need ForeSight DXM?

Any customer who uses a TDS Windows CE data collector - Ranger or Recon - or Survey Pro on the iPAQ. Also, any customer who uses older TDS data collectors can take advantage of ForeSight DXM's advanced capabilities. ForeSight DXM is designed to support TDS data collectors. It is a tool that will greatly aid in project management and general data management. It should be considered a necessary tool for any TDS customer.

What does ForeSight DXM do that Survey Link does not do?

As far as the basics, ForeSight DXM does everything that Survey Link does. ForeSight DXM uses a project concept. It allows for multiple files to be linked or associated with project. Each linked Job file can be individually edited and saved or selected data can be moved from a Job into the actual project file or back from the project into a Job file. Customers will be able to graphically see all of their data in several different map views so they can work with it much more efficiently. Also, geodetic support is integrated into the program making it easier to deal with these systems. The complete differences are too many to list here. For more details please see the ForeSight DXM and Survey Link function tables.

What does Survey Link do that ForeSight DXM does not do?

Survey Link has a digital level module that ForeSight DXM currently does not have. Survey Link natively edits CR5 files, but has to import Job files. Survey Link has a longer list of conversions than ForeSight DXM, but many of these formats are for older CAD and data collection systems that are no longer sold.

Will ForeSight DXM replace Survey Link?

Yes, ForeSight DXM is a replacement for Survey Link. For a transitional period, a fully functional version of Survey Link (including the digital level and geodetic modules) will be included with ForeSight DXM packages. This should ease the transition, allowing customers familiar with Survey Link to utilize it while learning to use ForeSight DXM.

Can I get a demo copy of the program?

Yes. You can get the demo version online or from a current TDS Works CD. The web download will be somewhere around 20MB without the manual. The entire install of the program can be as large as 150MB with the geodetic files.

What kind of hardware/OS can ForeSight DXM work on?

Minimum requirements are a Pentium processor and at least 100MB of free disk space. RAM requirements are dependent on the operating system being used. ForeSight DXM will run on all Windows operating systems starting with Windows 95 on up. There are particular requirements for some of the operating systems:

• Windows 98: Internet Explorer® 5.0 or later installed;
• Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP: no special requirements.

Will ForeSight DXM use a hardware lock?

Yes, however, TDS is switching to USB style locks, which are much smaller than the current parallel port locks. They are also less prone to communication problems and are generally much more robust than the parallel versions. For customers who do not have a USB port on their computers, the parallel port hardware lock will still be available. You must request the parallel lock at the time of order.