In order to use the GPS related functions in Fusion, you'll need to have your feedlot mapped out. This video explains how to do that.
Time: 9:21
Using GPS technology with Fusion in your feed trucks offers several benefits. With Feed Guard, drivers receive warnings to prevent accidental feeding of the wrong ration to a pen. Delivery Guide helps them discharge feed at the ideal rate, ensuring even distribution and reducing wear and tear on your trucks. Plus, you'll have access to an audit trail, which can be a valuable training tool.
In this video, we'll walk you through the process of mapping out your yard, a necessary step to unlock these benefits. We are assuming someone has already correctly integrated and set up a GPS device in your feed truck. You'll know it is set up correctly if you see the "connected" status in the main menu window. In Fusion Truck, click the Options button and choose GPS Mapping to open the window which is used to do the mapping.
Before we begin the mapping process, it's important to understand a few fundamental concepts. First, you only need to map your yard once, and this single map will be shared among all your trucks, eliminating the need to repeat this process for each truck.
Secondly, you should ensure that the GPS device on each truck is positioned consistently. They should all be at the same distance and relative position from their respective discharge units. Consistency in GPS placement is critical because all your trucks rely on the same underlying map for accurate navigation and feed delivery.
The mapping process itself involves two phases. In the first phase, one of your trucks will drive alongside each bunk in your yard. The second phase occurs back in the office, where pen mapping will be calibrated against a base map.
Okay, let's dive right in. Here, you'll see a list of all the pens at this location, conveniently organized in drive order. With the first one selected, let's take a look at the fields to the right. In the first field, you'll use it to let Fusion know whether the bunk is on the left or right side of the truck. (Fusion expects the discharge units to be on the same side for all your trucks.)
The next three fields enable Fusion to draw an accurate representation of the pen on the map. For example, if there's a 16-foot gate between the start of the pen and the start of the bunk, enter that value. And, if there's no space between the end of the bunk and the end of the pen, simply leave it at zero. As for the fourth field, it's used to specify the length of the pen which happens to already be correct for us. It's worth noting that you can adjust these four fields even after you've driven the bunk if that's more convenient.
Now, we're all set to drive the bunk. Click the "Drive Bunk" button and then position your truck as if you were about to begin delivering the feed. Take a moment to wait for the GPS to settle down and then hit the "Start" button. Begin driving along the bunk, as if you were feeding the pen. Fusion will keep track of your speed, and you should aim to keep it within the green area displayed on the interface for optimal results.
As you approach the end of the bunk, bring your truck to a stop and wait a few seconds to let the GPS settle once again. Finally, click the "Stop" button to complete the bunk mapping.
Now that we've mapped this pen, Fusion displays a representation of it in the mapping area. If what you see doesn't look quite right, feel free to adjust with the "Drawing Hints" fields or, if needed, you can re-drive the bunk to get it just right. When you're satisfied with how it looks, go ahead and select the next pen, and we'll follow the same procedure.
Our second pen butts up against the last one, so the initial distance is zero. The gate is located at the far end of this pen, so we'll need to enter the distance to account for that. Once again, the pen's length is already correct so we'll go ahead and drive the bunk. We'll show this sped up quite a bit.
After hitting the "Stop" button, you'll notice that both pens we've mapped so far will be displayed, with the selected pen highlighted in red.
Now, repeat this process for all your pens until your entire yard is mapped.
Let's shift our focus to the "Points of Interest" tab. It's worth mentioning that you don't have to mark out points of interest unless you want to. When you do create a point of interest, a black dot will be added to the map. To create one, click the plus button to add a new point. There are some pre-defined points, and you can also use the "Custom" option to create your own. In any case, you can tap the "Label" field to give it a name.
Once you've defined a point of interest, simply drive your truck to that spot. After waiting a few seconds for the GPS to stabilize, click the "Record Current Position" button. You'll see the point added to the map.
Now that your yard is mapped out, it's time to calibrate the map. Technically, you could do this in the truck, but it's much easier to do in the office where you have the precision of working with a mouse and a larger monitor. So, let's save the mapping progress as it is for now, and then perform a sync to make sure the mapping is available in the office for further calibration.
Alright, we're in the office now, and we've got Fusion Client up and running. With the Fusion Admin menu bar currently active, let's head over to the Setup menu and choose "GPS Mapping." We'll need to specify which location we're interested in, and then click OK.
Next, let's navigate to the "Base Map Calibration" tab. Here, you'll see the pens we mapped out earlier. If you have a large enough monitor, it can be helpful to resize the window to maximize your workspace.
Our first step is to click on the "Device Position" button. This is where you'll inform Fusion about the relative position of the GPS unit from the discharge chute, as indicated on the diagram. Remember, it's ideal to position the GPS unit on all the trucks at the same relative distance from their discharge chutes. Once you've entered the correct values, click OK.
Now, we'll add a base map by clicking the world icon in the Base Map tool area. Usually, the default zoom level works best, so we'll just click the "Get Map" button . However, you can always request a new map at a different zoom level if needed.
With our base map in place, the next task is to adjust its size and position to align it as closely as possible with the map of your pens. We'll utilize the "zoom" button in the Base Map area to start tweaking the size of the base map relative to the pens. Additionally, we can drag the base map around, but be sure to switch the Drag Mode to "Base Map" first. This is an iterative process, so we'll keep refining it until the base map and the pens are fairly closely aligned.
While making these adjustments, you have some useful options. You can change the Drag Mode to "All Layers" to move around and examine other pens. Adjusting the working scale allows you to zoom in or out on specific areas you're trying to align. If your yard isn't perfectly aligned with the cardinal directions, you also have the option to rotate the base map as needed.
Sometimes the base map may appear too dark, making it challenging to see the outlines of the pens and bunks clearly. To address this, we recommend adjusting the opacity of the base map. The goal here is to strike a balance where the base map remains visible enough to provide perspective but doesn't interfere with the pen information.
By default, the map is bounded by the edges of the outermost pens, represented as a purple rectangle. However, you might find it more visually appealing to extend these boundaries a bit. This can be done using the button located in the boundaries area. Keep in mind that after you've changed the boundaries, you may need to readjust the position of the base map to ensure everything lines up correctly.
Once you're satisfied with the mapping and everything is aligned to your liking, it's time to save your work. Simply click on "Save As A New Mapping." The next time your trucks sync, they will receive the updated mapping, and you'll be able to enjoy the benefits of GPS technology.
By the way, if you ever find that a specific pen wasn't mapped accurately or you've added a new pen to your yard, don't worry. There's no need to remap the entire yard or recalibrate the map unless you want to. Just remap one pen by following the same process we've discussed here.
For more detailed instructions, including how to revert to a previous mapping in case of any mistakes or additional tips, we recommend checking the documentation. And of course, feel free to reach out to our support team for help.
