Tutorial: Create a field data collection app for groundwater studies

Input comes with built-in functionality to seamlessly synchronise your projects and data through Mergin.

In this section we'll synchronize the project from the previouse sections with the Mergin cloud service.

1. In your file explorer go to the project folder and remove every file except:

Remember that we created mbtiles and other intermediate layers. Everything should be now in the GeoPackage, so you can safely remove these files. Note that a GeoPackage is one file, but here we have 3 files. The 2 other files are only there when you have you QGIS project open. Once you close it they'll be gone. Mergin will not synchronise these temporary files.

2. Go to your internet browser and sign up to Mergin (https://public.cloudmergin.com/).

3. In QGIS install the Mergin plugin.

4. Restart QGIS and load the project.

5. In the Browser panel you'll now find a Mergin folder.

6. Click right on Mergin and choose Configure.

7. A new window will appear:

• For Username: type your Mergin username
• For Password: type your Mergin password
• Click Test Connection and it should show OK.

8. Click OK to return to the Browser panel.

Now you can see under Mergin:

• My projects. If you expand you can see your own projects on Mergin.
• Shared with me. Here you find the projects that others have shared with you.
• Explore. Here you can explore public projects on Mergin.
  

Now let's add our project.

9. Click right on Mergin and choose Create new project.

10. In the Create Mergin Project dialogue give a Project name (e.g. Groundwater Bangula), you can check the box for Public if you want to enable others to use your project. Click Initialize from local drive and choose the folder where you've stored the GeoPackage with your project.

11. Click OK.

Now your project will be synchronized with Mergin.

When the synchronisation is completed successfully you'll see this popup.

12. Click Close.

Now you'll find the project under My projects.

means that it's also a local project.

means that the project is available in the cloud but not locally.

The project is now also visible in the web browser:

If you click on the project you'll see it only contains the GeoPackage. Note that for synchronisation to you mobile phone in the next step you need the space that is mentioned, here 30.66 MB.

Now we're ready to synchronize the project with the Input app on the mobile phone. We'll eplain that in the next section.