The Anchor Tool is a dedicated field type for capturing anchor locations and calculating anchor lead length (distance from the pole to the anchor). It can be added to any form in the Form Builder and is included by default in the Base Form template, replacing the general Vector field for anchor data capture.

Overview

Unlike the general Vector field, the Anchor Tool is purpose-built for anchor data. In IKE Field, it automatically calculates lead length and orientation based on captured locations, and in IKE Office, it includes placement options that allow anchor orientation to be associated with existing spans on the pole.
 

Adding the Anchor Tool 

The Anchor Tool field can be added to any form via the Form Builder in IKE Office. It is also automatically included in the Base Form template. The Anchor Tool, as seen within the Base Form template, is pictured below. 

If you have an existing custom form that uses the Vector field for Anchor information (or in an Anchor subform), you can easily add the Anchor Tool field in the form editor, adjust the field position in the form, and then delete the Vector field. If the Anchor Tool field is being used, the Vector field for Anchor data is no longer needed. To update to the Anchor tool in structured forms for Pole Loading Analysis (i.e. IKE PoleForeman, SpidaCalc, OCalc, DDS), select the Anchor subform level and change the Type dropdown from None to Anchor. 

Note: The Vector field will continue to function for Anchor data capture, and updating to the dedicated Anchor Tool or is optional (but recommended). 
 

Capturing Anchor Data in IKE Field

To begin using the Anchor Tool in IKE Field, tap the + button on the form field. The Anchor Tool offers two capture methods.

Method 1: Point Location Capture

This method captures a GPS point directly over the anchor location in the ground. Lead length and orientation are then calculated automatically using the pole and anchor coordinates.

To use this method:

1. Navigate to the anchor location in the field.
2. Open the Anchor Tool and click "Start" to capture a point over the anchor. An optional antenna height offset can be applied post-capture if needed.
3. Lead length and orientation around the pole are calculated automatically (pole location is required)

Accuracy notes:

This method is most accurate when using an IKE+ device connected to an RTK network with an RTK Fix active for both the pole and anchor location captures. It can also be used with a standard GPS fix from the device's internal GPS, though positional accuracy will be lower. For more information on IKE+ capabilities, see [RTK article link].

Method 2: Target Location Capture

This method uses A and B target-point captures at the base of the pole and anchor locations to determine the lead length. The capture workflow is similar to the general Vector tool. If the anchor is not directly accessible in the field, then this is the recommended method. 

To use this method:

1. Open the Anchor Tool - At the bottom of the screen, tap "Can't Access Anchor."
2. The target location capture screen will open.
3. Capture Point A (base of pole), then Point B (anchor) - the lead length (distance) and orientation between the points will be recorded

Using the Anchor Tool in IKE Office

When Anchor Tool data has been uploaded with a pole collection from IKE Field, the lead length distance and bearing will appear in the form in IKE Office. This information can be edited or deleted if needed.

When adding or editing anchor data in IKE Office, the Anchor Tool provides placement options to associate the anchor orientation with existing spans on the pole. These options include:

• Inline: Aligns the anchor lead length orientation with a single associated span.
• Bisect: Automatically adjusts the anchor lead length orientation to bisect the angle between two selected spans.
• Other: Allows manual entry of the anchor lead length orientation when Inline or Bisect alignments do not apply.

For Inline or Bisect placements, you can easily select the associated span(s) using the dropdowns in the form. If there are no spans available in the drop downs, then span data has not yet been added to the pole collection.