UKHab & BNG #1: Setting up a Project

6 minutes

This is the first document in a series looking at how to use the UKHab & BNG Platform. In this document we’ll be taking you through how to set up a new UKHab project. If you prefer, we also have a video tutorial that will take you through it step by step (note this is available for customers only and is password protected).

The Organisation Home Page

The home page is where you organise your existing projects for use within Coreo and create new projects from scratch.

If you are a member of multiple organisations you will be able to select the organisation you wish to work with from the top down menu in the top left of the sidebar This will change the available projects to those associated with the organisation you have selected.

Your available projects will be displayed in the list in the middle of the screen, you can scroll through the list or use the search box in the upper left hand corner of the list to find an existing project to work on. You might also have folders set up in which case projects will be kept in their relevant folders. If you don’t see any projects, this will either be due to permissions (speak to your Organisation owner or admins) or because you haven’t yet created any projects.

Creating a new project

To create a new project you will either need to be the Owner or the Admin of the organisation you are working in:

  • Click the blue ‘Project From Template’ button.
  • Select ‘UKHab Survey’ template.

A new window will open prompting you to provide a name for your new project and to assign users to your project. Note that your project name must contain more than four characters. You can also add an optional description to your project if you wish.

Then add team members to your project, if required, by clicking the text box next to their name. You will also need to assign their project role using the drop down menus.

  • Once complete, select ‘Next‘.

Adding a Red Line Boundary

You will now be prompted to add a red line boundary. You can skip this step if it’s not relevant or you’d prefer to add your boundary later on. For this walkthrough we will assume you wish to add your boundary on project creation.

There are two ways to add a boundary at this stage, you can either draw your boundary manually or import an existing boundary. We’ll start by uploading a boundary.

Note: Before uploading your project boundary ensure your file is in the correct format. Files should be either a GeoJson (.geojson extension) or shapefile. Shapefiles should be zipped and files should contain only one polygon or multipolygon and be under 1 MB in size.

Once your chosen boundary file is ready simply add it to your project:

  • Click the ‘Import Redline Boundary’ button and locate and select your file on your device.

If your file is in the correct format and of the correct size the boundary will appear on the map. This boundary is fully editable.

To create a boundary from scratch:

  • Either drop point on the map and build out your shape.
  • Click the ‘Pencil’ icon to access the freehand tool and draw your boundary.
  • Once you have uploaded or created your chosen boundary click the ‘Create Project’ button.

A modal will appear informing you that the project was created successfully, you can jump right into the project by clicking the blue ‘Go to project button’.

Adding Pre-Survey data

While you can go into the field and collect UKHab Survey data directly, it is common practice to undertake a pre-survey. There are two ways to add pre-survey data to a project via the The UKHab & BNG Platform. You can import existing pre-survey data or add your pre-survey records into the portal directly using our GIS tools.

Before you can begin adding pre-survey data you will need to navigate to the pre-survey page.

  • Click the ‘Pre-Survey’ tab under ‘UKHab’ in the sidebar

Importing existing data

Importing existing pre-survey data is very straightforward. Simply upload a shapefile containing your pre-survey data or import using an SBI code. For this example we will import an existing shapefile.

  • Click the blue ‘Import Pre-Survey’ button in the upper right hand corner of the pre-survey page.

The ‘Upload pre-survey data’ window will now open.

Should you need help with the format of your file you can download a template using the ‘Get Pre-survey template’ button

Just as with uploading a redline boundary you will have two options for uploading your pre-survey data.

Either:

  • Drag and drop the file into the upload box 
  • Click the white ‘Browse Files’ button  and locate and select your file on your device.
  • Once your file is uploaded click the blue ‘next button’

The ‘Match your data’ dialogue gives you the option of mapping Level 2 codes or notes from your source file into the pre-survey form.

  • When finished click the blue ‘import button

While your file is being imported you will see a ‘spinning wheel’ icon denoting that the upload is taking place. Depending on the size of your import this process may take a while.

Once the process is complete your records will appear on the map and table, ready to use.

Manually adding records

You can also add pre-survey records directly.

  • Click the blue ‘+’ icon in the bottom right corner of the map

You will now have access to the full suite of polygon geometry tools, the same as those found in the app and admin area. You can read about how these work in more detail here.

  • To create a new pre-survey record use your preferred tools to draw or place your shape
  • Once your polygon is complete lick the blue ‘Save Changes’ button

You can now add a level 2 habitat to the record should you wish to.

  • Select the record on the map or in the table.
  • In the table, click the ‘Select a L2 Habitat’ dropdown and then select the appropriate habitat type.

Repeat this process until you have completed all your pre survey records.

Your project is now set up and you’re ready to go out and collect your field data, using the Coreo app. For more information on how to use the Coreo App to conduct a UKHab Survey, check out our UKHab focused documentation here.

In the next user guide we’ll look at the baseline tab and working with the map.

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