.. toctree :maxdepth: 2 :caption: Beginners Guide Introduction Beginners Guide Account Management Typical Working Process .. image:: _static/media/logo/openforis.png :width: 150 :align: left :alt: OF logo .. image:: _static/media/logo/arena.png :width: 150 :align: right :alt: Arena Logo OPEN FORIS ARENA ================ **Arena** is an Open Foris cloud-based platform for survey design,data management,utilization and processing in field-based inventories. This is the official documentation for Arena. .. tip:: **Instruction to read documentation** - The documentation is divided into modules arranged logically to enhance comprehension. - Each chapter includes easy to follow steps with tips and screenshots provided. - Code examples are highlighted in code blocks. - Use the navigation bar on the left to find specific topics. - If you are new to Arena,start with the **Beginners Guide** that provides a gentle introduction to the interface,tools and user functions.Experienced users can skip to the modules. - If you are stuck,check the **Troubleshooting Chapter** or explore the **Annexes** for additional resources. INTRODUCTION ============ Welcome to Open Foris' Arena Documentation! This introductory chapter presents Arena- showcasing its offerings,advantages and limitations. Overview of Open Foris Arena ---------------------------- **Arena** is an Open Foris (OF) cloud platform for forest inventory data collection, management, analysis, dissemination and reporting. It combines two current tools, namely OF Collect and OF Calc, into a seamless application. Open Foris Arena serves as the main entry point for data collected in field-based inventories. Consequently,the tool is designed to provide online solutions for field data management; allowing full customization of inventory structure, variables, and data checks. Arena versus the legacy Open Foris Tools. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Compared to the legacy OF tools,Arena offers the following advantages: - No need for user installations; - All data stored in a secure server in the cloud (hosted by Amazon Web Services, AWS); - Data sharing and collaboration possible in a working group; - Easier to maintain: all updates available at the same time for all users; - No need for trained personnel to maintain the hardware and database management system. - Ensures data quality through an integrated data entry and data cleansing workflow. - Arena contains a formal description (i.e., metadata) of the types of variables, classifications and coding schemes used by the inventory. - Ease of intergration : Older OF Collect surveys and data can also be imported into Arena. - Arena handles multiple data types and complex validation rules, all in a multi-language environment. What does OF Arena offer? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ - Dynamic form designer. - Multilingual data entry forms. - Editor for entering complex validation rules. - Categories and taxonomies management. - Multiple surveys management. - Survey templates management. - Multi-cycle survey management. - Map with access to high-resolution satellite data. - Map queries using the power of Google Earth Engine via Earth Map. - Sample-based image interpretation. - Import for OF Collect survey and data. - Possibility to use multiple species lists; a species list can contain extra properties. - Concurrent data entry with workflow and real time updates. - User management with personal access rights. - Survey backup (export, import), and cloning. - Dashboard with activity logs. - Data query, cleansing, export. - Local off-line installation and usage via `docker `_ - Data analysis with local RStudio or RStudio Server. [1] Limitations of Arena ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Like any platform Arena has its own share of constraints namely: - While the service is free, the maximum size of survey data is limited to 10 GB. - The survey data size is shown only to the Survey Administrator. - The maximum upload size of any file is limited to 1 GB.(In general, it is better to avoid uploading very-high resolution images into Arena, and to plan in advance the amount of incoming data.) .. seealso:: More information about Arena including its development,system architecture and privacy policy are detailed in the :ref:`annexes ` .. _beginnersguide: BEGINNER'S GUIDE ================ This chapter is a comprehensive introduction to the Arena platform designed to provide new users essential knowledge of the tool and its functionalities. It covers all aspects of access,account management,typical workflows and troubleshooting. By the end of the guide,readers will have gained a solid foundation enabling them to access,navigate and further explore Arena. Accessing Arena --------------- Arena is available at https://www.openforis-arena.org/ .. image:: _static/media/1_landing_page.PNG :align: center :height: 400 :alt: Arena Landing page. There are two methods to access Arena: Method 1:Becoming a Survey Manager ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ As a Survey Manager can create a new survey and tailor it to fill your needs. You can also use ready-made templates to tailor your survey. 1. To become a Survey Manager, go to https://www.openforis-arena.org/ and request access to the Arena platform as shown below: .. image:: _static/media/Images/3/surveymanager_access_request.png :align: center :width: 450 :alt: Acessing Arena as Survey Manager 2. Clicking on the **New to Open Foris Arena?** should lead you to this page: .. image:: _static/media/Images/3/surveymanager_access_results.png :align: center :width: 600 :alt: Registering to Arena 3. Fill in all the required information.( If you are dealing with forest resource data or you are a first time user with no experience with Open Foris Collect, it is recommended to start using a template: read more about them in the :ref:`Templates Chapter