FScruiser Bulletin Issued By:

Transcription

1 FScruiser Bulletin Issued By: FOREST PRODUCTS MEASUREMENTS GROUP FOREST MANAGEMENT SERVICE CENTER FT. COLLINS, CO BULLETIN NO: 0015 RELEASE DATE: MAIN TOPIC: New Version INTRODUCTION This is the second production version of FScruiser with across strata data entry and the P3P, F3P and FCM cruise methods. This bulletin provides a list of the most recent changes, repairs, known bugs and cautions, a list of planned improvements for future versions, and a table of contacts. If you've never used FScruiser please read the User s Guide, go through the exercises and take a look at the sample cruise files to get a general idea of how they were established. These files are available at: There is also an excellent computer-based FScruiser tutorial that can be downloaded from: CHANGES / REPAIRS (since version , which was recalled) Fixed a bug causing FScruiser to crash after entering data in an F3P or P3P strata. Fixed a bug causing FScruiser to crash with certain cruise designs when first going into data entry. Fixed a bug causing FScruiser to crash when the Variable Log Length box was checked in Customize > Data Entry Pages > Log. Fixed a tally table bug where a single numeric character could get inadvertently typed into the Count or SumKPI fields if one of those fields was selected with a single tap. The single tap wouldn't put the field into edit mode (only double tap does this on the tally table), but it would erroneously accept one number. It would still warn the user: "Are you sure you want to change

2 this Count from nnnn to n?" This was a relatively rare sequence of events but could happen if walking through heavy brush or understory with the tally screen on. A single tap on the Count or SumKPI fields now has no effect - they won't accept any character and the tally table operates as normal. Counts or SumKPI's can only be changed when in edit mode, via a double tap. The dropdown in the strata table's CruzMeth field is now linked to the "validate" list in Customize > Establishment Pages > Strata > Validate field on the CruzMeth record. (This means if you want to use the new FCM cruise method, you'll need to add it to this list.) Fixed a bug where the newer "Program" field wasn't getting added into an existing MessageLog table. Added a trap in the New Plot dialog to convert an entered plot number to an integer. For example, if an 05 is entered, FScruiser changes it to the plot number 5. Removed the SubPopulation audit for identical secondary product codes within a population (Stratum-SG). Fixed a bug where the new data audits called by going to Data Entry s Main page would miss the last cell edited if that cell was still in edit mode. (For example: user finishes entering a tree height on a data entry page, and taps on the Main tab to change cutting units. The audit wouldn t pick up that the height had changed from 0, and would issue a warning. CHANGES / REPAIRS (since version Beta) Fixed a bug where SubPopulation data (such as ProdP, HDefP, etc) wouldn t get updated if a Sp or SG code was changed on a tree record. Fixed a bug where the hourglass didn t go away when FScruiser asked for the plot number of the first plot in a stratum. Fixed a bug where the down arrow (to append a new tree record) didn t work when there were two tree records in a table. The cutting unit code is now displayed on the data entry title bar on all FScruiser versions except PPC. The Stratum field in all tables is now limited to two characters. The Contract Species field is now limited to four characters. Added a new customization option: Copy previous species checkbox. Fixed a bug in 3PPNT where a tree count of 1 was getting added to the plot record (tree number 0). The GPS dialog accessed from plot data entry pages now stores X, Y and Z coordinates that are hand typed onto those fields. These coordinates will show up in Cruise Processing s A1 report. A future enhancement will be to automatically acquire these coordinates from a GPS receiver. Fixed a bug on the plot already exists error message where the list of

3 existing plots was incorrect. When an existing plot number was accidentally entered on the new plot dialog and the plot already exists error message appeared, the Ok button on the dialog became disabled, forcing the user to cancel the dialog and use the New Plot button again. This has been fixed. Current tree data is now audited when the user goes to the main page in data entry. Added an additional tree data audit: MerchHtP must be less than or equal to HgtUStem. Modified PCM and FCM plot audit: count records shouldn t have measurements (DBH and height should be 0). Plot audit now catches count records with no (or incorrect) species or sample group codes with PCM and FCM. Loosened up the null plot audit. It will now allow a null plot to be designated unless a record contains a DBH or TotHt. Removed the automatic plot audit that occurred when a user left the plot page. In a nested plot design, this now allows the user to switch back and forth between plot pages without getting audit warnings. Plot audits are still performed when creating a new plot or navigating between plots within a stratum. Added a button on the limiting distance dialog to change BAF or fixed plot size for PCM and FCM to assist with sample selection (Big BAF). Added a limiting distance enhancement: if the cursor is in an empty DBH field on a tree record before the limiting distance dialog is opened, and the tree is calculated to be in, the DBH will be automatically copied to that field. If a DBH entered on the limiting distance dialog is outside validation limits, the user is now warned, but allowed to continue. There is now a way to account for 3P insurance trees in FScruiser: 1. Turn on the CM, 3Pcode and Remarks fields for 3P. 2. The tally person manually tracks a predetermined, systematic insurance tree frequency (e.g. every fifth sample will be an insurance tree). 3. When a 3P sample selected by FScruiser is an insurance tree, designate it in the tree table by changing the CM code from M to C, changing the 3Pcode from 1 to 9 and indicate that it is an insurance tree in Remarks. Entry of insurance tree measurements is optional. Flag the tree at eye level to uniquely identify it as an insurance tree. 4. If needed, the insurance tree can be used by changing the CM code back to M and the 3Pcode back to 1 and entering measurements. Related to 3P insurance trees: If the CM field is turned on for 3P, an M is automatically added for new sample trees. If the CM field has been changed to C, the tree audit ignores its measurements. PC: If entering paper STR data into FScruiser, you now have the option of entering total tree count into the tally records if you turn on the tree table s TreeCnt field and change each record s count from 1 to 0.

4 Added a new Cruise to Excel utility. I see two benefits from this utility: 1) It might help boost some users comfort factor by allowing them to export all their cruise data into a single M.S. Excel file, and 2) It provides a way to get cruise data into a more common and generic format which could be useful to our non-forest Service clients. The Excel file could also be used to generate individual tree volumes using the Volume Excel Functions macro. FDR: Improved button and other control positioning and sizing for the Itronix Q200. Added a check that disallows more than one copy of FScruiser to open with HPC-Pro based field data recorders (all Allegros, DAP5320, FEX-21). KNOWN BUGS AND CAUTIONS It has been reported that double clicking the Count or SumKPI fields on the tally table occasionally doesn t put the field in edit mode. I can t duplicate this. Watch what you re doing when copying and pasting cruise data files: If you have multiple cruise files with the same name (like you would when making backup copies) be careful not to overwrite a newer file with an older one. If you accidentally do this there is no going back. Be careful with the now editable Units field in the Stratum Table: This is not where you delete cutting units. Removing a cutting unit code from the Units list will orphan any tree data within that unit-stratum. The Utility module is where you delete entire cutting units or strata. PC Never open a cruise file residing on a server, even via a mapped drive (e.g. J, K or L). Copy it from the server to a local directory on your PC first. Never try opening a cruise (*.crz) or setup (*stp) file with a non-national Timber Cruising Suite program. PLANNED ADDITIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS Implement S3P cruise method. Improve PCM and FCM by having FScruiser keep track of sample frequency. Improve 3P by having FScruiser keep track of insurance tree frequency. Add additional options for entering 3P estimates (for 3P and S3P): 1)

5 estimate DBH calculates a rough volume estimate using a given mean tree height, and 2) select a volume estimate from a custom volume table appearing in a grid. PC Version: Utility function to copy whole cutting units or strata from one cruise to another. The cruises would not need to have the same design. Continued enhancements to the Merge Two Cruises utility. Continued enhancements to Make FDR Components utility. Add Establishment Report file generation. Add Windows Help. Data Recorder Versions: Improve program speed during area-based data entry. Power warning options. Provide FScruiser executables for additional data recorder models. Add Windows CE Help. Implement geospatial data acquisition from a GPS receiver.

6 CONTACT INFORMATION If you are in the U.S. Forest Service or an organization listed in the table below and have any questions or problems, please contact your representative. Agency Region/Office Representative USFS 1 Northern Mike McVeigh USFS 2 Rocky Mountain Don Martinez USFS 2 Rocky Mountain Gerald Ryszka USFS 2 Rocky Mountain Mary Lu Eilers USFS 3 Southwestern Jeff Hogg USFS 3 Southwestern Steve Marsh USFS 4 Intermountain Danny Smith USFS 4 Intermountain Lucy Wilkins USFS 5 Pacific Southwest Craig Bodenhausen USFS 5 Pacific Southwest Dan Merritt USFS 6 Pacific Northwest Frank Duran USFS 6 Pacific Northwest Jeff Penman USFS 8 Southern Kathy Andregg USFS 8 Southern Joe Kennedy USFS 9 Eastern Mike VanDyck USFS 10 Alaska Ken Dinsmore BLM Oregon and Washington Frank Cooper BLM Oregon and Washington Cloy Bittinger BLM Montana Bill Hensley Idaho Department of Lands Andy Anding State of South Dakota Bill Hill If you are from an organization not listed in the table, please feel free to contact me directly. Matt Oberle USDA Forest Service, Forest Management Service Center Natural Resources Research Center 2150 Centre Avenue, Building A Fort Collins, CO moberle at fs dot fed dot us Voice: Fax: