Getting started
===============

This short tutorial introduces you to the basics of a complete ERTdesign project 
through 3 quick steps.

Set the main survey parameters
------------------------------
The first thing to do to start working with ERTdesign is to define the survey area. 
The most convenient way to do this is to draw a profile or area - a polyline or polygon - 
in Google Earth :sup:`TM` and then to import the related KMZ or KML file.
Don't worry, however, if you miss a defined working area and you just need to 
perform a generic modeling task: ERTdesign allows you to :doc:`define simple layouts from interface <define>`.

Select the **Survey Design** icon of the Menu Bar to the left of the screen and set the 
configuration parameters in the corresponding panel.

.. figure:: surveydesign.png
	:scale: 100%
	:alt: Survey design panel.
	:align: center
   
	Survey design panel.

* In the **Survey area** section select the **KML or KMZ file** containing the area for 
  the design project. The layout of the area to be investigated will be 
  shown on the map of the **Survey design summary tab** (:numref:`summary`). 
  Then define the desired **depth of investigation** in the corresponding text box.

* In the **Receivers** section, set the spacing for the receiving electrodes of the V-FullWaver boxes. 
  The geometry of the electrodes is defined for each box in a reference system local to the P2 electrode.

* In the **Run Generation** section click on the **Run** arrow to generate the total set of 
  receivers and transmitters. Appropriate :doc:`advanced settings <advanced>` allow you to make 
  more flexible the sensors generation.

Check and modify the survey project
-----------------------------------
You can analyze the details of the design project through the 3 main tabs of the software.

The :doc:`Survey design summary <design_summary>` tab shows the details of the set of sensors: 
the total number of V-FullWaver boxes needed to cover the survey area, the total number of receiving and 
transmitting electrodes, the total combinations of transmitting dipoles. This information is 
accompanied by a figure with the map of the sensors, which can be easily zoomed, panned or saved to file.

.. _summary:
.. figure:: summary.png
	:scale: 50%
	:alt: Survey design summary tab.
	:align: center
   
	Survey design summary tab.

The :doc:`DOI/Vmn charts <design_doi-vmn>` tab allows you to display plots of the maximum sensitivity and 
depth of investigation for different combinations of receiving and transmitting dipoles 
(left in :numref:`doi-vmn`) and to check how the Vmn signal changes 
when the background resistivity or the input current is modified (right section in :numref:`doi-vmn`).

.. _doi-vmn:
.. figure:: doi-vmn.png
	:scale: 50%
	:alt: Plots with maximum sensitivity, depth of investigation and expected Vmn signal.
	:align: center
   
	Plots with maximum sensitivity, depth of investigation and expected Vmn signal.

In the :doc:`TX/RX schedules <design_schedule>` tab you find the sheets with coordinates
of the generated transmitting and receiving electrodes and with the details on quadrupoles.
In the bottom part of the tab you find the graphs with the measurements pseudo-plot 
and sensitivity plot for each quadrupole.

.. figure:: tab_TX_RX.png
	:scale: 50%
	:alt: Tab with sensors schedules and pseudo-plots.
	:align: center
   
	Tab with sensors schedules and pseudo-plots.

The analysis of the above parameters allows you to eventually redesign the survey, 
by modifying one or more parameters of the design panel, and to re-evaluate the project.

Save the project
-----------------
Select the **Load and save** icon of the Menu Bar to the left of the screen to access the panel 
with the saving functions.

.. figure:: loadsave.png
	:scale: 100%
	:alt: Load and save panel.
	:align: center
   
	Load and save panel.

The **Save Project** command allows you to save three files with the project details:

* the *KML* file contains the locations of all sensors (V-FullWaver box, receiving and transmitting 
  electrodes, survey area). You can open this file in Google Earth :sup:`TM` , edit it and 
  import it again into ERTdesign using the command **Load project** to check how signals and 
  sensitivities change with the new geometry of the electrodes.

* The *DATA* file contains the complete list of electrodes and quadrupoles. You can use this file 
  to perform modeling tasks within the ERTLab64 :sup:`TM` and ViewLab3D tools.

* The *TXT* file contains the full configuration used to generate the project. You can open 
  this file to reload the settings for a new survey design.

The **Export TX spreadsheet** command allows you to save a *HTML* document to be used on site 
to keep track of transmitting activities, in order to control every step of the survey.