OFF-LINE SPATIAL ALIGNMENT

A technique is developed for the three-dimensional alignment of a straight line from stations independent of the line itself. If a line is given by two points, no instruments are required to occupy the line. Alignment is accomplished by forming two planes, their line of intersection being the given line. Each of the two planes contains the two given points and a theodolite station chosen independent of the given line. The accuracy obtained with this technique is equivalent to that of horizontal alignment using theodolites.