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Configure the Survey in Mapit

3. Configure the Survey in Mapit GIS Professional​

Configuring the survey in Mapit GIS Professional involves setting up the project, creating the necessary point layer, and defining attribute fields according to the survey design. The next steps involve linking the layer fields with the attribute set to allow collection of data using features like dropdown lists, multi-selection lists or barcodes.

3.1 Create a New Project​

For detailed information on project management, see Manage Projects.

  1. Open Mapit GIS Professional.
  2. Tap the Menu tab → Project Management.
  3. Tap Create New Project - use + button in the bottom right of the screen.
  4. Enter a descriptive name for the project (e.g., Tree SurveyProject) and optionally provide a description.
warning

Please try to avoid special characters when naming the project.

  1. Confirm creation.
tip

Each project is stored as a GeoPackage (GPKG), which is portable and compatible with desktop GIS software such as QGIS or ArcGIS.
Projects allow logical separation of data, making surveys more manageable and audit-friendly. They can be exported and shared using the context menu.

3.2 Create a Point Layer​

For detailed information on layer management, see Manage Layers.

  1. Set the new project as active, tap Layer Management on the main menu.
  2. Tap Add Layer - use + button in the bottom right of the screen.
  3. Choose Point as the geometry type.
  4. Provide a descriptive layer name (e.g., Trees).
warning

Please try to avoid special characters when naming the project.

  1. Enable Mapit fields if desired:
    • Created → automatically captures date and time of record creation.
    • Updated → automatically captures date and time of last modification.
tip

Enabling Mapit fields ensures every record has automatic timestamp metadata, supporting quality assurance and audit trails.

3.3 Add Necessary Fields​

After creating the layer, configure fields to capture survey attributes. Field types and usage recommendations should match your design:

Field TypeUse Case
TEXTSingle-selection dropdowns, barcodes, free-text notes
INTEGER / LONGNumeric dropdowns or counters (e.g., number of trees, DBH band)
DOUBLENumeric measurements requiring decimals (e.g., tree height in meters)
MULTISELECT (TEXT)Multi-choice checklists (e.g., structural defects, habitat features)
BOOLEANYes/No fields (e.g., presence of tagging, accessibility)
DATE / DATETIMEOptional event tracking or survey timestamp fields

Best Practices​

  • Use dropdowns and multi-select lists wherever possible to reduce errors.
  • Avoid free-text entry for critical attributes that need to be standardised.
  • Map barcodes as TEXT fields, linked to the camera barcode scanner.
  • Group fields logically according to survey workflow: Identification → Size/Structure → Condition → Risk/Management → Notes.

3.4 Linking Attributes to Attribute Sets​

Once you have created your layer and defined the fields, you need to link them to Attribute Sets to enable dropdown lists, multi-select options, and barcode scanning.

See Linking Layer Fields to Attribute Sets for detailed instructions on how to connect your layer fields with attribute sets.

The complete process is demonstrated in this video:

3.5 Summary​

By following these steps, users ensure that:

  • Each tree record is captured as a point feature with structured attributes.
  • Attribute fields are correctly typed for controlled input.
  • Automatic created/updated timestamps are enabled for quality assurance.
  • Fields are ready to use with the dropdowns, multi-select lists, and barcodes are linked via attribute sets, maximising consistency and replicability.