Assisi Forest 2023 Updates

Below is a list of the more important Assisi Forest 2023 software updates.

New Simulation Fields

2023.4.3

The following fields were added to the simulation summary tables to better match fields in the inventory summary tables.

SummaryByYearTree: DBHClass and DBHGroup

SummaryByYearStand: GrowthYear and BreastHeightAge

Table OperationSiteDetails Added

2023.4.2

Operation Sites are polygons that intersect portions of one or more stand polygons. The inventory values of a site is the average of the intersected stands weighted by intersected area. The OperationSiteDetails table stores the contributing stands to sites. When drawing sites in Assisi GIS, the intersected stand areas are stored here.

Table OperationActionDetails Added

2023.4.2

Operation Actions are activities that require tracking or simulating when plans are run. Examples are harvest, plantings, cruising and site maintenance. They have begin and end dates and typically impact volume, growth, cash flow or all three.

Each type of action has details that need to be described. For example, a harvest needs the amount of TPA removed by species and DBH. A planting needs the amount added. The OperationActionDetails table stores these details for each action.

Table OperationDetails Changed to OperationProgress

2023.4.1

The OperationDetails table stores the details and progress of an ongoing forestry operation such as harvest, prep work or general maintenance activities. Operations can detailed using a single record of completion or using many to track progress from design to bid to completion are tracked. Progress records can also be skipped entirely if the operation record already stores the information needed.

Because progress is really the main purpose of this table, its name was changed to OperationProgress and additional fields were added:

Progress - Title of progress record. eg. Started, Awarded, Complete, etc.

Date - Date of progress record.

Notes - Text notes.

Document - A Word formatted document for storing operation progress documents. eg. bids, pics, emails.

AllowedProgress Table Added

2023.4.1

The AllowedProgress table formally defines the types of progress records that can be recorded in the OperationProgress table. Any kind of progress can be defined depending the level of detail you desire to track. Examples are: RFP Created, Out for Bid, Awarded, Started, Complete, etc.

New Harvest Unit Reports

2023.3.9

Harvest units are defined by drawing harvest operations in the Operations Editor.

A harvest unit can intersect many stand boundaries so it is necessary to calculate volume using a weighted average of the intersected stands. This version adds harvest unit reports for:

Stand Table - Volume by species & DBH class.

Market - Volume by grade, sort or product.

Butt Diameter - Volume by species and log diameter classes.

New Stand Summary Report

2023.3.9

The Stand Summary report was added to the Inventory Editor. The report shows a map of stand and plots. Plot defect is denoted in red and slope/aspect as pointers. Measure and count plots are shown in different plot icons. Plot and tree values are shown as processed rather than as cruised, meaning sub sample regressions and growth are included.

New Cruise Report

2023.3.9

The Cruise Detail report was added to the Field Data Editor. The report shows a map of the stand, plots with measure or count indicators and slope and azimuth as pointers. A The cruise design with sub plots are detailed in their "overridden" state. Below that are Plots and then trees details with any notes. This is a "cruise" report in the sense that it contains measurement data only. The new Stand Summary report in the Inventory is similar but with processed tree results.

Added Drag and Drop Cruise Designs

2023.3.9

A cruise can now be set up directly on the mapping surface by dropping a cruise design on a stand polygon. Settings for layout can be random or grid and plot densities can be set.

Double Sample Measure and Count BA Added to Inventory Tables

2023.3.8

Not sure why I left out storing measure BA in summary tables, but it's there now. Both count and measure BA are stored to SummaryByStandSpecies, SummaryByStandSpeciesGroup, SummaryByPlotSpecies and the new SummaryByStandSpeciesGrade table.

String Numbers in Grids and Navigators Sorted as Numbers

2023.3.7

Strings such as stand names, have been sorted as strings whether they are actual words or numbers. Numbers sorted as strings sort from left to right so the result does not progress numerically.

This version implements a new sorting method on both tree navigators and grids. If an entry is a number it gets sorted as a number. If a word, it gets sorted as a string. And numbers appear sorted before strings.

Thinning From Above with Diameter Selection Adjusted

2023.3.6

Diameter based thinning was modified so that trees in both across diameter blocks and within diameter blocks are sorted by diameter for selection. In prior releases, only trees within blocks were sorted which usually resulted in some trees from every block being selected rather than just the smallest (from below) or the largest (from above) being selected.

For example, the screenshot below is of a typical selection cut rule.

Example selection cut rule.

"Method" says select on DBH from 0 to 120 DBH. Ie., all trees are to be considered.

"Species Target" says stop when 75 sq BA is left.

"Diameter Target" says block trees into DBH ranges and cut until the total BA of each range is at the BA specified. The diameter target method is set to “FromAbove” which means select trees both within each range and across the ranges from largest to smallest DBH. In prior versions, trees were selected from largest to smallest only within each range, usually resulting in a little of each range of DBH being cut. Now, with the DBH ranges themselves selected from largest to smallest, the result is a true largest to smallest DBH cut first, until the total BA of the range is met.

Estimated Total Heights < Broken Heights Changed from Error to Warning

2023.3.4

If an estimated total height is less than a broken height, an error would flag and compiling stopped. Now the total height estimate is raised to the broken height value and a warning rather than error is flagged.

Cash and Volume Flow Reports Added to Plan Viewer

2023.3.4

The Plan Viewer is used to browse the results of plan simulations. Two new reports and table views were added.

The Cash Flow report shows net income from harvests, discounted cash flow and remaining stumpage value.

Cash Flow report for the Northwest Plan sample.

The Volume Flow report shows standing volume, carbon and harvest volume.

Volume Flow report for the Northwest Plan sample.

Both reports have table views where results can be copied to other programs.

Cash Flow view for the Northwest Plan sample.

Volume Flow view for the Northwest Plan sample.

Remove Broken Height Change During Parsed Growth Modeling

2023.3.4

The Parsed growth model was scaling broken height after growth. Broken height should remain fixed throughout growth, never changing its height. The scaling in the Parsed growth model was removed.

Summaries Added to Table Views

2023.2.2

Sums and averages were added to the footer of table views. Now you can directly filter or group by species, etc and see the resulting sum of BA and volume or average of height. If a report does not have the tree size classes summarized as you need, then just filter and group trees within the Inventory Editor and get the values you need.

Example tree list with DBH>=6" and no snags.

The same filtered tree list as above, but grouped by species.

Max DBH Added to Equations

2023.2.2

Most equations (volume, height, growth, etc.) have a min DBH criteria. Max DBH has now been added. This is helpful for example when using tree volume equations to calculate board on large trees and cubic on smaller trees.

Note that when volume is calculated and graded using log level equations, the graded volume summaries will already be summed by board or cubic. Also note that some growth equations have large and small tree versions that already have settable transition values. Max DBH just rounds out the options for assigning equations to trees based on DBH size.

Calibration and Market on Cruise Sheet Import Now Optional

2023.1.5

Calibration and Market can now be left empty when importing using the Cruise Sheet Import.

Option to Drop Field Called Sawlog Heights Added

2023.1.1

Sawlog height is the height where sawlog grade volume turns into non sawlog grade volume such as pole, pulp or cords. Calling sawlog height has been common for hardwood surveys for many decades.

However there are times when you may not want to use the field called sawlog heights such as when you want Assisi to segment trees using tree taper. It is often the case that using taper to stop segmentation at a field called sawlog height results in a short log in the remaining sawlog section that will end up as cull rather than sawlog.

This version adds an option to drop field called sawlog heights so that segmentation can continue up the tree to sawlog heights without creating short sawlog lengths. When used with optimized scaling, log lengths will be determined by grade definitions which themselves have criteria that defines sawlog quality logs.

GIS Added to Assisi Forest

2023.1.1

GIS layers for stands and plots are formally defined using geometry fields in their respective tables. Stand and Plot layers can be imported using KML format or created using Assisi's GIS editor. Grid or random plot layouts can be created by dropping a cruise design on top of stand polygons. Locations are exported to the field data app, Assisi Cruiser for GPS location in the field.

Assisi Cruiser Updated

2023.1.1

Assisi Cruiser was ported to MAUI, been given a new navigation approach and now includes all Assisi Forest data fields.

Actual Diameter Added to Grade Min Diameter Criteria

2023.1.1

Board and cubic diameters are distinct when testing grade min diameter criteria. For grades using board volume, a log's board deducted and scaled diameter is used to match grade min diameter criteria. For grades using cubic volume, the cubic scaled diameter is used.

This version adds actual diameter as a comparison for grades using units of weight, carbon, user or none. Actual diameter is the calculated dib of a log before deductions or scaling.

Grade & Sort Volume Type Fields Removed

2023.1.1

The Board Type and Cubic Type fields used by Grades and Sorts tables were an earlier method mapping board or cubic to grade tallies. Value Units and Value Type were introduced later after Carbon, Weight and User tallies were added to Assisi.

Assisi has not used these fields for a while and they are now removed.

Missing Height Checks in Volume Equations

2023.1.1

Checks for missing heights required by volume equations were checking height relative to ground for null rather than height as recorded, which can be either relative to ground or relative to stump, for null.

With this version, height as recorded is checked for null. This may result in more trees being flagged for missing heights than in prior versions. This may also result in different volumes for trees where a height was missing and stump was > 1'.