The UKHab & BNG Platform #5: Working with baseline data – Editing Records

4 minutes

In this user guide we’ll walk through how to tidy up your UKHab Survey data ready for use.

Note: This user guide primarily covers editing the spatial data of a record. To edit other data attached to your record such as habitat data, condition criteria or species data you will need to use the Coreo App.

Editing a Record

To begin editing a record you must first select it. You can do so by:

  • Clicking the record on the map or in the records tab

With your record selected, the blue pencil icon in the bottom right corner of the map will become available.

  • Click the blue pencil icon to open the geometry tools and begin editing

You will notice that the polygon is highlighted in yellow with the vertices shown. You can click on other records while in the editing mode and edit these as well before saving should you wish to.

Each of the tools works as follows:

  • Cutout: The Cutout tool will remove a section, which you draw or place, from a polygon.
  • Merge: The Merge tool will effectively allow you to extend an existing polygon by drawing a new area (it must partly overlap with the existing polygon).
  • Split: The Split tool will split an existing polygon into two separate polygons along a drawn line (the line must start and end outside of the polygon you wish to split).
  • Clip: The Clip Tool will remove overlaps belonging to your selected polygon from another polygon that you select.
  • Clip All: The Clip All tool will remove all overlaps belonging to your selected polygon (whether it affects one or many neighbouring polygons).
  • Snapping: Will snap vertices to the nearest point or segment on an adjacent geometry (including the redline boundary), thereby allowing you to achieve a perfect fit.
  • No Overlaps: The No Overlaps toggle will prevent the polygon you are drawing or editing from overlapping with any other polygon.
  • Settings: The tool settings allow you to set snapping tolerance (adjusts how easily points snap to another when Snapping is enabled) and simplification amount (number of points associated with geometry when the Draw Tool is used)

Note: These tools in the UKHab portal work in much the same ways as those found in the Coreo app and admin area. You can read about them in more detail here.

Once you are happy with the alterations you have made to your record(s) you need to confirm your edits:

  • Click the blue ‘Save Changes’ button

If you have made a mistake whilst editing or are otherwise unhappy with your changes you can discard them.

  • Click the white ‘Discard Changes’ button

Dealing with Overlaps & Gaps

Overlaps and gaps are a common problem when working with area geometries which need to align. Due to BNG, they are even more critical to resolve. The Overlap & Gaps analysis and No Overlaps tools in the UKHab & BNG Platform have been designed to help you effectively eradicate these issues.

Overlaps

To begin:

  • Click the Overlaps & Gaps tab on the right hand side of the map

The overlaps tab will open by default showing you a list of all detected overlaps. These will also be highlighted in red on the map for you to correct. Using the list you can jump directly to each overlap, saving you from having to find them manually. To do so:

  • Click the ‘View Overlap’ button next to the listed overlap

The map will now zoom to the overlap and you can correct it using the geometry tools. You can also filter overlaps based on their minimum area. By default this will be set to ‘1m2‘showing all overlaps. To adjust:

  • Click and drag the point on the ‘Min Area’ bar

The clip or clip all tools will usually be the most effective way of removing overlaps. However, where you’d like more control, manually adjusting your polygon using the No Overlaps tool may be more effective.

Once you have made your corrections, the Overlaps tab should be empty.

Gaps

To work with gaps:

  • Click the ‘Gaps’ tab

Just like in the Overlaps tab, you will be shown a list of gaps which are highlighted on the map, in red. You can also view the gaps and filter using minimum area in the same way. Just as with the overlaps use the geometry tools to correct these gaps. The No Overlaps tool is usually the most effective way to clear gaps.

Once all gaps have been dealt with the Gaps tab should also be empty.

Now that you’re familiar with editing records we’ll look at how to export your data from the portal.

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