<b>Gang:</b> What are your suggestions, or do you have examples of successes with the following, or other similar items?<br>"once the infrastructure is built for contributing, arguing, and resolving issues, the "how" will be easier."<br>
<br><b>Jeff: </b>Could you clarify this?<br>"maintain an open and transparent set of procedures for performing sample processing and inventory reporting tasks"<br><br>Do we want to adopt a "mission statement" or "goal" for the project, something we can all aim for? Maybe a list of guidelines or structure we want our community to abide by? It seems this mailing list will be used for primary communication, do we need anything else? Are we fine with a consensus driven approach to development, or do we want to look at formalizing some sort of decision-making process? <br>
<br>Personally, I think drafting some set of guidelines and mission would be useful for me. At least it helps me understand where everyone else is at, and what direction I need to head in. I think the mailing list is likely the most effective method of communication, and I'm fine with a consensus driven approach. However, I do think some sort of agreed upon guidelines and mission will help that along. Perhaps additionally a set of questions that we want to test all ideas against... "Does this meet our goal? Is this somehow advancing the use of QGIS among forestry professionals? etc."<br>
<div><br>--<br>all the best,</div>
<div>Lee Mueller<br>ISA Certified Arborist MI-4148A<br>Registered Forester #46043<br></div><div> </div>
<div> </div><br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Jul 18, 2012 at 5:32 PM, Jeff Hamann <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jeff.hamann@forestinformatics.com" target="_blank">jeff.hamann@forestinformatics.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div style="word-wrap:break-word"><div>I suggest we focus on the development of a very small set of features that perform the most basic operations for the plugin (plot layout, sample processing, vol calcs, simple report).</div>
<div><br></div><div>I think we'll need work on developing the community first, then once the infrastructure is built for contributing, arguing, and resolving issues, the "how" will be easier. </div><div><br>
</div><div>As several existing software packages don't expose their data processing procedures, I recommend that one of the goals for the project is to maintain an open and transparent set of procedures for performing sample processing and inventory reporting tasks. As part of the development process (CMake based) we would require particular tests be passed as well. More sophisticated components (yield table generation and harvest scheduling) can be developed concurrently, or as separate plugins, as the project moves forward. </div>
<div><br></div><div>I can donate some of the initial code for a basic sample processor (currently an old R package hack) and chunks of R code that didn't make it into the Springer book, where applicable. Most will need to be ported to Python or C++ for the add-in. </div>
<div><br></div><div>I don't see the project on github yet. </div><div><br></div><div>Is that where it's going to be hosted?</div><div><br></div><div>We'll need a one pager for using git won't we?</div><div class="im">
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<div>Respectfully,</div><div>Jeff.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div></div><div>Jeff Hamann, PhD<br>PO Box 1421<br>Corvallis, Oregon 97339-1421</div><div><div>230 SW 3rd Street Suite #310</div><div>Corvallis, Oregon 97333</div>
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<br></div><div><div class="h5"><div><div>On Jul 18, 2012, at 9:21 AM, Lee wrote:</div><br><blockquote type="cite">I've added Max Uhlenhuth to our emails based on the interest he provided in the talk:forestry tools page. He's a founder of <a href="http://www.silviaterra.com/" target="_blank">SilviaTerra </a>who developed the free phone applet plothound among other interesting forest inventory methods. <br>
<br>We can begin the discussion here, and move over to the mailing list once it's up and running.<br><br>Noli posed the following:<br>I think you start discussion details on what you want for this plugin.<br>
You know what you want.<br><br>So I'll start the chatter.<br><br>Right now, there's a few of us interested in allocating personal resources to developing this plugin. We're involved for a variety of reasons, but I think we all see a need and see it as a tool for engaging the forestry community in utilizing QGIS more effectively. Moreover, there are few effective, approachable, and free/open-source complete inventory and analysis software packages available to the average forester. So, that's the end goal.<br>
<br>We have to start somewhere. I feel it is important to begin with a foundation that is useful enough to create interest or buzz. Hopefully it will become noticed enough to interest others enough to leverage additional resources (manpower, etc). From this standpoint, I think we need the VERY basic functionality of a forest inventory analysis package. <br>
<br>That would be:<br>- Allocating inventory plots to stands.<br>- Aggregating information from those plots to calculate stand tables and volume tables.<br>- Link the generated reports to stands in stand vector file.<br>
<br>
<ol><li>Let's say I have a 40 acre parcel. I use aerial photographs to pre-draw 2 stands in a standard vector layer. <br></li><li>I then use the forestry plugin to place 20 plots across the two stands in a new vector file. <br>
</li><li>I collect basic forest inventory data (Plot #, species, dbh, logs or ht or sticks, etc), bring it back, and place it in an accessible format like .csv. <br></li><li>This should probably then be loaded into a database which links with the stand vector file. </li>
<li>Forestry plugin links the plot #'s in the inventory file, to the plot #'s in the vector file, and assigns stand numbers based on their locations within the stand vector file.</li><li>Forestry plugin uses this linkage, to aggregate the plot's information to generate a stand table (trees per acre by species and size) and volume table (volume per acre by species and product) for each stand.</li>
</ol><p>I think this is the basic functionality that would generate a bit more interest in our project. The above is obviously simplified to illustrate a purpose. We can begin getting into a host of questions such as: which cruise method is used? Which formula for volume calculation? What about custom fields in inventory? How about aggregating volume in a stand, rather than per acre? How about species specific volume calculation methods? These are all valid questions for a complete, robust, useful plugin. Ones we will have to address as we progress. However, for the time being, I think we need something that shows the promise of being useful and comprehensive. We can then go back and add additional features as we begin to develop the framework. I think if we can at least accomplish the above, we're in a great place to begin to show some real promise for further development such as forest estate planning, economic analysis, and field collection.</p>
<p><b>Does the above seem to be the basic "first release" necessary? Are there elements missing? Extra elements? Does it completely miss the boat? Does it meet your vision for what this needs to be? Does it seem like a good platform to begin work from?</b></p>
<p>Then...</p><p><b>Where is the best place to start? How do we divvy the work? And how are you willing to help?</b><br></p><p>Again, I'm not at all familiar with the inner workings of QGIS or python. My past experience has been in C/C++ and moreso PHP. Therefore, I think the first steps to wrap my head around this is to sit down and begin writing some of the python functions necessary for volume calculation and handling the import of an inventory file. As we start to get into database linkages and GIS file handling, I'll be out of my element, but I'm willing to learn in conjunction with other's work or mentorship.<br>
</p><div><br>--<br>all the best,</div>
<div>Lee Mueller<br>ISA Certified Arborist MI-4148A<br>Registered Forester #46043<br></div><div> </div>
<div> </div><br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Jul 17, 2012 at 10:13 PM, Lee <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:muellerl@gmail.com" target="_blank">muellerl@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Looks like the process has been started to get us a mailing list on osgeo, which is where all the QGIS mailing lists are housed.<br><br>Based on the above opinions, It likely makes sense to use github to host the code.<br>
<br>I'm going to compile some thoughts over the next few days and begin the discussion on where we need to start in earnest.<br><br>Thanks gents.<div><br clear="all"><div><br>--<br>all the best,</div>
<div>Lee Mueller<br>ISA Certified Arborist MI-4148A<br>Registered Forester #46043<br></div><div> </div>
<div> </div><br>
<br><br></div><div><div><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Jul 17, 2012 at 10:08 PM, Jeff Hamann <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jeff.hamann@forestinformatics.com" target="_blank">jeff.hamann@forestinformatics.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div style="word-wrap:break-word">I second that. <div><br></div><div>If we're making a plug-in, I would piggyback on whatever QGis does. </div>
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<div>Respectfully,</div><div>Jeff.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div></div><div>Jeff Hamann, PhD<br>PO Box 1421<br>Corvallis, Oregon 97339-1421</div><div><div>230 SW 3rd Street Suite #310</div><div>Corvallis, Oregon 97333</div>
<div><a href="tel:541-602-5438" value="+15416025438" target="_blank">541-602-5438</a> (c)</div><div><a href="tel:541-754-2457" value="+15417542457" target="_blank">541-754-2457</a> (h)</div>jeff.hamann[at]forestinformatics[dot]com</div>
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<br><div><div>On Jul 17, 2012, at 6:28 AM, <a href="mailto:mhomann@telia.com" target="_blank">mhomann@telia.com</a> wrote:</div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div>If possible, align with QGis development and communication set up?<br>
<br>Magnus<br><br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br>
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