To capture a ground track from a GPS device without a live MicroStation session, use the standalone utility GPS Recorder provided with MicroStation. The utility can record from NMEA or Garmin USB devices as well as from Windows Location Services. It calculates the sequence of positions and all data transmitted from the GPS device to client programs. The GPS session data is saved to a file for playback.

The GPS Recorder window resembles the Global Positioning System dialog. The window has three tabs — Settings, Status (available only for NMEA and Garmin USB device types), and Position, plus Record, Pause, and Stop buttons.