Description
Distribute planar traverse closure by leg length using the Bowditch or compass rule.
Geodesy distinguishes a mathematical reference ellipsoid, a realized coordinate datum and the physical gravity field. Geodetic latitude follows the ellipsoid normal; geocentric latitude follows a radius from the center. Ellipsoidal height, orthometric height and geoid undulation are separate signed quantities. Keep the declared ellipsoid, coordinate axes, angular units and time scale with a result.
Distribute planar traverse closure by leg length using the Bowditch or compass rule.
When to use this tool
Use this tool when you need to distribute planar traverse closure by leg length using the Bowditch or compass rule.
How to use the tool and how it works
- Enter lengthsMeters, azimuthsDegrees using the definitions below.
- Run the operation. Resolve input-format errors before interpreting an output.
- Read result.originalClosureNorthMeters, result.originalClosureEastMeters, result.correctionsNorthMeters, result.correctionsEastMeters, result.northMeters, result.eastMeters, result.coordinatesEastNorthMeters, result.residualMeters, using the stated boundary, ordering, sign and absence conventions.
Calculate the planar traverse closure and distribute each negative closure component in proportion to leg length divided by total perimeter. Add corrections and accumulate [east,north] coordinates from [0,0].1
| Input field | Meaning and units | Accepted input |
|---|---|---|
| lengthsMeters | Nonempty aligned leg lengths in meters, each strictly positive and at most 10⁶. | Dense list of at most 128 finite numbers, under the stated integer/range rules. |
| azimuthsDegrees | Clockwise-from-north leg azimuths in degrees, each in [0,360), aligned to lengthsMeters. | Dense list of at most 128 finite numbers, under the stated integer/range rules. |
| Output field | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| result | Object containing the fields below. |
| result.originalClosureNorthMeters | Unadjusted north closure sum in meters. |
| result.originalClosureEastMeters | Unadjusted east closure sum in meters. |
| result.correctionsNorthMeters | Signed north correction for each original leg, in meters. |
| result.correctionsEastMeters | Signed east correction for each original leg, in meters. |
| result.northMeters | North increments per leg, in input order, including adjustment when this operation applies one. |
| result.eastMeters | East increments per leg, in input order, including adjustment when this operation applies one. |
| result.coordinatesEastNorthMeters | Cumulative [east,north] meter coordinates, including the initial [0,0]. |
| result.residualMeters | Final reconstruction or arc residual in meters under the stated algorithm; arc residual is signed, vector residual a magnitude. |
{
"input": {
"lengthsMeters": [
1,
1
],
"azimuthsDegrees": [
0,
0
]
},
"output": {
"result": {
"originalClosureNorthMeters": 2,
"originalClosureEastMeters": 0,
"correctionsNorthMeters": [
-1,
-1
],
"correctionsEastMeters": [
0,
0
],
"northMeters": [
0,
0
],
"eastMeters": [
0,
0
],
"coordinatesEastNorthMeters": [
[
0,
0
],
[
0,
0
],
[
0,
0
]
],
"residualMeters": 0
}
}
}Limitations and assumptions
- Positive leg lengths are at most 10⁶ m and azimuths in [0,360). Bowditch/compass adjustment follows a chosen proportional-error assumption rather than a least-squares network model; it does not detect angular or gross blunders.
- All quantities are finite and retain the units stated for this operation. Ellipsoid-parameter tools use semi-major axis 1–10⁸ m and dimensionless flattening 0–0.02; explicit-axis tools use 0.9a≤b≤a unless a tighter bound is stated. These tools do not fetch datums, geoid grids, satellite observations or Earth-orientation updates.
- Every declared outer field is required and unknown outer fields are rejected. Strings and JSON text have size limits, lists are bounded to 128 entries, and JSON nesting/node counts are bounded. Tighter operation-specific bounds stated above take precedence.
- Numeric results must be finite. Large physical magnitudes are allowed by the output evidence checks, while integer fields and source schemas retain their exactness rules. Source indexes are zero-based. Floating-point residues can remain even where an ideal formula gives an exact zero.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Use a coordinate transform for a change of representation and explicit datum parameters for a change of reference frame. Preserve model and convergence metadata, and use observation and datum information appropriate to a real survey before interpreting a computed tolerance as accuracy.
References
Similar or alternative tools
- Transit Rule Alternative Adjustment Distributor
Distribute planar traverse closure using the transit rule and return corrected coordinates.
- Traverse Misclosure Lat Departure Closure Calculator
Calculate planar north/east traverse increments, perimeter and closure-vector magnitude.