How-to Export GSF

Both Qinsy and Qimera can export Generic Sensor Format (GSF), both support different versions and options. For more details please have a look at: https://qpssoftware.scrollhelp.site/qinsy/9.5/workflows-qps-caris

This How-to describes how to export GSF in Qinsy.

GSF file format notes

The GSF file version is 03.02.
Positions are exported as Geographical Coordinates (Lat/Long). The datum that is used is the Geographical Coordinate System (survey datum) (Ellipsoid) used for Projected Coordinate System (Projection). See picture below for more details:

Single beam data is exported as multibeam data with only one beam, as recommended by Leidos.

Qinsy can generate GSF from 2 places:

Replay (Raw Data Manager):
Selecting the DB files
Survey Manager:
Selecting the QPD files (Processed Point Files)
QPD = QPS Processed Data

Source Files

In both scenario's recorded Qinsy databases (.db) and DTM/Processed Point Files (.qpd) need to be available.

*.db file(s) need to be present in the Database folder and
*.qpd file(s) need to be present in the DtmData folder of your project.
Subfolders of those respective folders are also ok. If *.qpd files are missing, please replay your data first.

Use the Export function in the Raw Data Manager (Replay).

With SensorExport, you can add different export tasks.
Export tasks will be written by default to the Export subfolder of your project, but you can specify any location you have access to.

Export Tasks
Add	Click “Add” to add a task. If you hadn't added a task before, type in a new name for your task to create a new .xml task file. In case of a new file, the Task Setup Wizard will be shown.
Remove	This button allows you to remove the task from the list.
Edit	Edit which systems were used to record the data and which need to be exported now.

The SensorExport tool will check if you have selected an export task that can actually be performed on the DTM’s you have selected.
Check the ‘Valid’ column, that is says ‘Yes’. If this says ‘No’, edit the export task.

Overall Settings
Export All	By default, the entire DTM you have selected will be exported.
Export Partial	This setting will allow you to export a part of the DTM. Use the Start and End sliders to indicate within which time span the settings need to be exported. Note that the end time must be later than the start time.
Export	Press to start exporting the selected data.

Progress of sensor export
Open folder with explorer	Tick this box to view all files present in the target folder. The target folder is the folder the *.gsf file was saved in.
View the results	Tick this box to get an overview of what has been exported. (See illustration below.) In case multiple *.gsf files were exported, only the first will be shown.

Number of beams

If the multibeam system outputs a variable number of beams per ping and this is a problem for the 3rd Party software then it is possible to force the number of beams to a fixed value.

The Registry Key "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\QPS\Qinsy\8.x\Export\SensorExport\Settings\Force Beam Count" needs to be set to the maximum number of beams that the multibeam system can generate, for example 256, 512 etc.
The Export program will default the GSF ping to the maximum number of beams, invalidate all beams and based on the beam number will fill the data.

For Normal operation this registry key should be set to 0, then the option is NOT USED.