Surveying Glossary — Letter A

Agisoft Metashape is professional photogrammetry software that processes digital images to create 3D models, point clouds, and orthomosaics for surveying and mapping applications.

Airborne LiDAR is a remote sensing technology that uses aircraft-mounted laser scanners to capture three-dimensional topographic data and surface information over large geographic areas.

An ALTA survey is a comprehensive boundary and title survey that combines traditional boundary surveying with detailed title research and improvements mapping, primarily used for commercial real estate transactions.

The process of determining the correct integer number of wavelengths in GNSS positioning to establish an accurate baseline between survey points.

Angular accuracy is the degree of precision with which a surveying instrument measures horizontal and vertical angles, typically expressed in seconds of arc or gradians.

A protective electromagnetic dome or enclosure that shields GNSS antennas from environmental elements while minimizing signal interference and maintaining measurement accuracy.

ArcGIS Survey is a cloud-based field data collection platform developed by Esri that integrates surveying and mapping workflows with spatial analytics for real-time project management.

An as-built drawing is a final construction document that accurately records the actual physical location, dimensions, and specifications of completed structures and infrastructure as they were constructed in the field.

An as-built survey is a precise measurement and documentation of a completed structure or infrastructure project to verify that construction matches the original design specifications and to record any modifications made during construction.

ASCII Point Format is a standardized text-based data structure used in surveying to store and exchange spatial coordinates and survey point information in plain text files.

Atmospheric correction is the process of adjusting surveying measurements to account for the effects of the atmosphere on electromagnetic signals and light rays used in distance and angle measurements.

Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) is an advanced surveying technology that enables instruments to automatically detect, locate, and track reflective prisms or targets without manual operator intervention.

AutoCAD Civil 3D is a specialized civil engineering design software that integrates surveying data, terrain modeling, and infrastructure design within a three-dimensional environment.

Autodesk ReCap is a cloud-based reality capture software platform that processes laser scan data, aerial drone imagery, and terrestrial photographs into georeferenced 3D models and point clouds for surveying and construction projects.

Azimuth is the horizontal angle measured clockwise from north to a surveying line or direction, expressed in degrees from 0° to 360°.