Cave Surveying Apps

ACTIVELY DEVELOPED APPS

TopoDroid Apr. 17, 2021 - First release Apr. 15, 2014

[about 10000 active installs, 100000+ downloads 4.3 MB, Android 4.1]. TopodDroid is the app this site is for. The development started in 2011, but it did not go on Google Play until April 2014. It can be built for Android 2.2 up, but the current release targets 4.1 up.

The latest version TopoDroid-X is not distributed on Google Play.

CaveSurvey Mar. 26, 2022 - First release Feb. 6, 2014

(SK Paldin, Bulgaria ) sk-paldin.eu [10000+ downloads, 4.04 MB, Android 4.0], The goal is to take the measures table with you underground and leverage all the sensors available to facilitate the process. Measures can be entered manually or read via Bluetooth laser distance meter (CEM iLDM-150) and build-in compass. It supports DistoX as well as many other BT devices. One can enter notes, get GPS location on the entrance, simple sketches (one or more for each shot), take pictures. Result is exported in Excel for further processing. Sketches are saved as jpg files. Display 2D maps.

Open source: https://github.com/lz1asl/CaveSurvey (website)

SexyTopo Oct. 27, 2021 - First release March 24, 2015.

(Rich Smith, UK ) [1000+ downloads, 2.32 MB, Android 4.3]. SexyTopo is a tool for assisting in cave surveying. It interfaces with an automated measuring device (the DistoX) and builds up an accurate model of the cave. It also provides a sketching environment for the cave surveyor to fill out the details. It has DistoX calibration. This app is very similar to an Android PocketTopo.

Open source: https://github.com/richsmith/sexytopo (website). Available from fdroid

Cave3D March 10, 2021 - First release June 26, 2014

[5000+ Downloads, Size and version vary with device]. Cave3D is the 3D viewer of TopoDroid. It can display Therion files (.th) and projects (thconfig). Loch file (.lox), and Compass files (.dat) and projects (.mak). It can also display TopoDroid surveys and project files (tdconfig). Hopefully Cave3D will be the next-generation cave surveying app. No longer on Google Play.

CaveRenderPro Jan. 14, 2021 - First release Aug. 28, 2011

(Jochen Hartig http://www.caverender.de/ , Oct. 2019) [1000+ downloads, Android 4.0.3]. This is the Android app of the CaveRenderPro PC program

CaveAR Mar, 14, 2022 - First release March 26, 2020

(paffel at gmail.com) [no rate, 100+ downloads, Android 4.4]. It is 3D viewer of cave surveys. It is based on the Unity framework.Supported input data formats: cave (Qave application file), svx (Survex files, single files only, not all commands have handling), srv (Walls files, single files only, not all commands have handling), json (exported from Survex, if you have multiple project in Survex this is the only way for to load in into CaveAR at the moment). Besides raw cave survey data (which are displayed just by lines) application allows to display cave bounds, cave grid, point markers, and paths.

Cave 09 May 20, 2022 - First release May 7, 2020

(mpl0917237 at gmail.com - Aug 2020) [5 stars 100+ installs). This is one of the apps of 2020, released in August. In spite of the size (19 MB) does not do much. It just help to collect survey data and draw sketches, that once closed cannot be reopened and edited.

Qave Aug. 30, 2021 - First release Sept. 30, 2014

(Svist, Poland, haruno.pl) [1000+ downloads, 6.91 MB, Android 4.0]. It is very similar to PocketTopo, with a straightforward flow of work: create or open a survey, and three tabs: the first for the data, the second for the plan sketch, and the third for projected profile sketch. Data are added to the active station (shown in green). The station names follow PocketTopo (Toporobot) syntax. The sketch can be centered, and rotated (around an imaginary "vertical" line, so that in the plan the north direction can point anywhere, while there is a projected profile for each direction). There are different pens to draw (continuous, dashed, with ticks, and light), a bucket for filled areas, and an eraser (lines and areas are erased as a whole). There is an "undo" (which reverts also erase actions). Finally there is a color picker.

Features: connecting to DistoX via bluetooth, measurements processing, measurements preview, sketching, saving measurements as a text file, exporting measurements to a .svg file (SVG, SRV and SRX), manually adding measurements, labels can be added to sketches.

DISCONTINUED APPS

Abris Apr. 19, 2015 - First release Sept. 21, 2013

(Shturmsoft, LLC, com.shturmsoft.abris USA) [1000+ downloads, 543 KB, Android 2.3.3]. Abris is a cave surveying app aimed to make process of surveying faster and easier. A graphical editor was implemented in the app to make the drawing and editing of complex cave walls simple. The centerline is drawn automatically after each shot is added. The user interface was designed having in mind specifics of the work in caves.

Features: Drawing of centerline, Graphical editor for drawing of lines and cave elements, Entering of forward and backward shots, Entering of information about survey, Auto-hints of station names, Closure error calculations and loop defining, Statistical data, Export/import of survey for transfer between devices, Export of survey to therion, vector (.svg), raster (.png) and csv formats

Planned features: Export to popular desktop applications for cave mapping, DistoX support, Walls guidelines based on LRUD data, Cross-sections support, Map symbols and labels, Additional line types, Attaching photos.

Abris was a "spin-off" of Skedio, a vector drawing app. It came out for testing in August 2013.. The first release was Sept. 2013. Updated Sept. 2014 (v. 1.1.1) and April 2015 (v. 1.2.0). Abris appears to be no longer developed. Manuals are available in English and Russian.

SpeleoFacile - Easy Caving No longer on Google Play

(GrÖs Crazy Apps - Nov. 2011) sheitan.speleo [1000+ downloads, 312 KB, Android 2.0]. A simple application to use and very convenient for all lovers of underground explorations. Find your way in the dark, with no network and no data connection, with or without the site plan! The operation of the application is similar to that of a small GPS that only uses a compass and a pedometer. The application retrieves the three main information: the orientation to the north, thanks to a built-in compass; the mobility, thanks to a built-in pedometer; and the location on a map. The application then combines these three parameters for a function similar to a GPS underground.

Aragonite Cave Compass No longer on Google Play

(Argonga - Feb. 2014) com.argonga.aragonite [1000+ downloads, 2.2 MB, Android 2.2]. Pointing the camera at one point and measure, the application will indicate the direction and inclination. Aragonite Cave Compass replaces the typical compass and inclinometer used in conventional underground topography. It provides compass and inclinometer measures using Android device magnetic sensors and accelerometers. The distance measurement can be entered manually. The app keeps all information on measurement sessions, that can then be download to a PC for use with desktop programs.

Features: Compatible with DistoX: receive measurements through Bluetooth from DistoX telemeter. Inclinometer calibrating: improved clino readings by compensating factory error. 3 measuring modes: measuring with the device itself, with DistoX telemeter and Bluetooth, mixed (combination of the two). Multiple measurement sessions. Measurements editing. Export sessions measures as text files or Visual Topo files. Measuring shot by proximity sensor. Zoom

CaveMeter No longer on Google Play. It can be downloaded from the www.copycave.de (v. 2.0.5 - 90 KB).

(Gerhard Meidinger - June 2014 ) [1000+ downloads, 56 KB, Android 2.1]. Cave survey with smartphone sensors measuring declination and bearing. Length must be determined externally with a tape or laser. For any screen you geht help by pressing the magnifier button (or hold menu button). The app is an inexpensive alternative to DistoX.

CaveMeterNG Never on Google Play

(Malte Bayer https://neo-soft.org - Feb. 26, 2016, v. 1.3). This app is a re-implementation of CaveMeter with additional features. All data in SQLite database (with db JSON dump). Data CSV import/export (compatible with CaveMeter). Inclination snap to +90, 0, -90. Camera pictures saved with measurements (optional). Survey renaming and origin (GPS coordinates) redefinition. Magnetic declination correction. Graphical view of cave centerline. Data are stored in CaveMeterNG, one subdir per survey (cave).

Surveyor Never on Google Play

(Chris Hunter - 2012). t is a cave survey measuring app, but the project never got beyond the prototype stage. The beta code was distributed under GNU General Public Licence.