Should I transfer my existing MCTI data into i-Tree Streets?

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azelaya
i-Tree Team
Posts: 372
Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2008 10:50 am

Should I transfer my existing MCTI data into i-Tree Streets?

Post by azelaya » Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:57 am

Several MCTI users have inquired about transferring their existing MCTI inventories into the i-Tree Streets v3.x application. Current MCTI users should consider some of the issues below which are not detailed in the i-Tree Streets manual. Hopefully, this will help existing MCTI users have a better understanding of what is involved in migrating existing MCTI data into Streets, and if it is worthwhile.

1. Inventory vs. Assessment -Consider the fundamental differences in the applications. MCTI is a very basic tree inventory program while Streets is an urban forest assessment tool designed to quantify benefits based on tree inventory.

2. Functionality - Although Streets has more reporting functionality and flexibility, it may not always accommodate all existing MCTI data fields. For example, Tree ID numbers can be assigned in MCTI but not in Streets.

3. Structural differences- The MCTI Tree Evaluation categories do not transfer seamlessly into Streets. Compare the fields in MCTI with Streets carefully to see how existing data may be reconfigured and stored in Streets categories if migrated. Also, Streets has (3) basic user definable fields and a comment field available which may accommodate existing MCTI data if needed.

4. Reformatting - There is not a simple crosswalk for transferring data from an existing MCTI project or MCTI.mdb Access database into i-Tree Streets. Therefore, an existing MCTI database would need to be reformatted to the specifications that Streets will accept. Basically, this would be the same procedure that someone with an existing external inventory would need to follow. Remember to work with a copy of your database if you decide to reformat it for Streets.

5. Future updates- There are no future updates planned for MCTI and it is not offered in i-Tree v3.
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