Survey
and Cartography Section
of the National Speleological Society
Digital
Cave Surveying Presentations on Zoom
Cave surveying is transitioning from a manual process to one
incorporating various levels of modern technology to facilitate both
in-cave data collecting and sketching, and actually drawing cave maps
electronically.
The schedule below is for a series of Zoom presentations on discussing
various aspects of digital cave surveying.
Anyone interested in cave
surveying is welcome to attend.
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Presenter: Bert Ashbrook
Topic: Overview
of Paper vs. Electronic Book/Sketch for Cave Survey
• Foundations: Start sketching on paper, or jump
right into digital?
• Is digital for you? Advantages (and disadvantages,
too!).
• Gear you’ll need.
• What to expect: Differences in cave survey team
operation.
• What to expect: Differences in bookkeeping and
sketch.
• What to expect: Differences in data management and
cartography. This presentation was recorded and is
available on YouTube athttps://youtu.be/_A0R5ebXzCY?si=ja4ernjchRTqrPn0
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Presenter: Derek Bristol
Topic: Digital
Sketching vs. Paper Sketching
• Comparison of digital and paper sketching quality.
• Common issues with digital sketches (lack of
spatial awareness, artistic ability, etc.). This
presentation was recorded and is available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ttwe6zcWPM
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Presenter: Aaron Bird
Topic: Data
and Sketch Preparation with Cave Survey Software and AI
• Preparing data and sketches using Walls, Compass,
Topodroid, Illustrator, Python.
• Using AI (Claude Sonnet, ChatGPT) for cave survey
data. This
presentation was recorded and is available on YouTube athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUZL75BY-3Q
THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2025 at 7:00 PM (EDT)
Presenter: Beau Gergel
Topic: Paper
to Digital Transition
• Lessons learned from transitioning from paper to
digital sketching.
• Using TopoDroid and Illustrator for post-processing
digital sketches. This presentation was recorded and the link to the YouTube recording will be posted as soon as it is available. THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2025 at 8:00 PM (EDT)POSTPONED
Presenter: Christian DeCelle
Topic: Sketching
in Topodroid for Therion
• Overview of sketching in Topodroid for Therion.
• Managing large maps (e.g., Helms Deep) in Therion. This presentation has been
postponed because the speaker has a work travel conflict. It will be
rescheduled.
THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2025 at 7:30 PM (EDT)
Presenter: Dane Garreau
Topic: Advanced
Topodroid Tips and Tricks
• Advanced techniques and tips for using Topodroid
more effectively.
Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84621503174?pwd=pvCaWahhcBc1sb74iwxiT7OwyQfGgX.1
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2025 at 8:00 PM (EDT)
Presenter: Jon Zetterberg
Topic: Project
Planning and Management
• How to set standards before the project begins.
• Structuring data collection to ensure consistency
and organization.
Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88073703339?pwd=MEa7mPFZgz3yMpwWxSKHlGwSxBZNL8.1
