# How to Create a New Project
There are several methods of creating a new Mergin Maps project:
- If you want to take full advantage of Mergin Maps, use QGIS to prepare new projects.
- Mergin Maps mobile app offers the quickest (albeit limited) way of creating a Mergin Maps project.
- You can also use app.merginmaps.com, especially if your project files are already fully prepared and only need uploading.
If you want to make a copy of your projects or the ones shared with you, you can clone them in QGIS or merginmaps.com.
WARNING
When creating a project, keep in mind that its name cannot be changed later.
# Create a project in QGIS
TIP
Creating a Project in QGIS tutorial will show you how to create a new project in QGIS, add layers, configure attributes forms and save changes to Mergin Maps.
To work with Mergin Maps projects in QGIS, you will need to install the Mergin Maps QGIS plugin first.
Open a blank or an existing project in QGIS.
Click on Create Mergin Maps Project from the toolbar.
There are three options available (the last two options are available only if you have an existing project open):
New basic QGIS project. If you are new to QGIS, this is a good starting point. The new basic QGIS project will contain a survey layer (a point layer) and a background map (OpenStreetMap).
Package current QGIS project. This option will create a copy of your project and all the files in a single folder. There are three options for handling layers: package, keep as is (the layer will be referenced as is in the new project) or ignore (the layer will not be included in the new project). For more details, see Mergin Maps project.
Use current QGIS project as is. This is for cases when you already have a stand-alone folder with your project packaged.
Change the workspace (if needed), name the project and select a path where your project folder and associated files will be generated.
Keep in mind that the project name cannot be changed later.
WARNING
Your project should be saved on a local drive. Using shared network drives and cloud storage (such as OneDrive or Google Drive) is not supported.
The new Mergin Maps project will be created locally on your computer and also on the Mergin Maps server.
# Clone an existing project in QGIS
Using Mergin Maps QGIS plugin, you can make a copy of projects you have access to.
Navigate to Mergin Maps in the Browser panel.
Find the project you want to clone. Right-click on it and select Clone.
You might need to switch to another workspace to locate the project.
Select the workspace from the drop-down menu and enter your new Project Name. Click OK.
The project will be saved in the selected workspace.
# Create a project in Mergin Maps mobile app
TIP
Capturing Your First Field Data tutorial will show you how to create a new project and capture field data in Mergin Maps mobile app.
Open Mergin Maps mobile app on your mobile device
Go to the Home tab of the Projects screen and press Create project
Give the project a name. Keep in mind that it cannot be changed later.
Press Create project
Your new project should now be visible on the Home tab of the Projects screen
# Create a project through merginmaps.com
WARNING
The preferred way of creating a project is to use QGIS plugin or Mergin Maps mobile app. This option is for advanced users composing their project manually.
Navigate to app.merginmaps.com and sign in.
To create a new project, click on Create in the Projects tab:
Give the project a Name
After creating a new project, you will be directed to the project page.
Add files to your project:
- Click on Drag & drop here to click and select file(s) to upload
- Select files or folders to upload
- Once the files and folders are selected, press Update in the Data Sync window.
# Clone an existing project through merginmaps.com
You can also make a copy of projects you have access to or of a public project.
# Clone a project from your workspace
In the Projects tab, find the project you want to clone, open it and click on Clone.
If needed, switch to another workspace to locate the project.
Enter the name of the cloned project and choose the workspace in which the project should be saved. Confirm by clicking Clone.
The new project will be saved to the workspace you have specified.
# Clone a public project
You can also make a copy of a public project.
In the Projects tab, click on the Find Public Projects button
If a project was shared with you via link, open the project link in your web browser.
Using the search bar, find the project you would like to clone and click on it.
The project's page opens. Click on the Clone button to clone the project.
Now you can change the project's name and select a workspace from the list. The project will be saved to this workspace.
