# First steps

⏱ **15–20 minutes.** At the end you'll have a project with one borehole, its stratigraphy, and a generated borehole log.

This walkthrough takes you end-to-end through GeoDin's core workflow: open a database, create a project, add a borehole, describe its layers, and produce a borehole log. Each step links to the deeper reference page if you want more detail.

**What you need before you start**

* GeoDin installed and licensed — see [Install & activate](/getting-started/install-and-activate.md)
* The Express installation's **demo database** (installed by default) — or a database of your own

{% hint style="info" %}
**Already have data in AGS, Excel, gINT, or GeoDinML?** This walkthrough covers manual entry against the demo database. To import existing data instead, start at [Importing Data](/importing-data/import.md).
{% endhint %}

## Step 1 — Open the demo database

![](/files/9wMupoxubPDxKV8hwoQp) Launch GeoDin. In the left-hand **Databases** panel, expand the tree to find the demo database installed with the Express setup.

Double-click the database to connect. The tree populates with any existing projects.

{% hint style="info" %}
Databases are colour-coded — blue for local, yellow for network. The demo database is a local Microsoft Access database.
{% endhint %}

→ Reference: [Connecting to a Database](/databases/connecting-to-a-database.md)

## Step 2 — Create a new project

![](/files/Bhfpq5TvMdXaDQwXHoS2) Right-click the demo database and choose **New Project** (or double-click the **New Project** method in the ribbon). Give the project a name and save.

The new project appears under the database in the tree, with empty sub-branches for **Objects**, **Measurement Points**, and **Documents**.

→ Reference: [Working with Projects](/projects/working-with-projects.md)

## Step 3 — Create your first borehole

![](/files/2EmjUrWu7AuWdhrmxji3) Select your new project in the tree. In the central **Methods** ribbon, double-click **New object** (or right-click the project → **New object**).

Choose an object type — for a standard geotechnical borehole, ![](/files/6xaqG9K5nlvUDP38AmFZ) **(G1) Location** (GeoDin's standard geotechnical investigation object type — see [Object Types Overview](/object-types/object-types.md)) is the common choice. Enter identifying information: borehole ID, coordinates, and elevation.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Coordinates are interpreted in the project's configured coordinate system. If you'll be working in a specific CRS (UTM zones, British National Grid, SIRGAS for Brazil, etc.), confirm the project's system before entering data — see [Coordinate Systems and EPSG](/maps/coordinate-systems-and-epsg.md).
{% endhint %}

The new borehole appears under the project's **Objects** branch.

→ References:

* [Object Types Overview](/object-types/object-types.md)
* [Creating Objects](/objects/creating-objects.md)
* [General Data](/objects/general-data.md)

## Step 4 — Enter layer data

![](/files/mlwplpixxahHtYSsmdZi) With the borehole selected, double-click the **Data management** method in the ribbon. The data management editor opens — this is a parallel method, so it stays open as you work.

![](/files/eOmrxxa3PFgdzVaYdqFX) Switch to the **Layer Data** section and add stratigraphic layers: depth top, depth bottom, soil/rock description, and any other fields required by your workflow. Layer colours, patterns, and consistency come from the configured dictionaries.

Save your changes. Because Data management is a parallel method, you can keep it open while navigating to other parts of the tree.

→ References:

* [Layer and Stratigraphy](/concepts/layer-and-stratigraphy.md)
* [Dictionaries](/concepts/dictionaries.md)

## Step 5 — Generate a borehole log

![](/files/f4ipvj9FGAb2y0JugLPl) With your borehole selected, open the **Layout Overview** from the bottom-left of the object manager to see the templates available for this object type.

Pick a borehole log template and run it. GeoDin produces a PDF-style log showing the stratigraphy, annotations, and any configured elements (groundwater, samples, test results).

→ References:

* [Creating Borehole Logs](/borehole-logs/creating-borehole-logs.md)
* [Print Preview and Layer Overview](https://github.com/geodin-hq/geodin-desktop-docs/blob/main/public/en/reporting/print-preview-and-layer-overview.md)

***

## Where to go next

| If you want to…                                | Go to…                                                                |
| ---------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Bring data in from CSV, AGS, or GeoDinML files | [Importing Data](/importing-data/import.md)                           |
| Build cross-sections between boreholes         | [Creating Cross Sections](/cross-sections/creating-cross-sections.md) |
| Visualize boreholes on a map                   | [Getting Started with Maps](/maps/getting-started-with-maps.md)       |
| Query your database                            | [Creating Queries](/queries/creating-queries.md)                      |
| Produce a full report                          | [Report Templates](/reporting/report-templates.md)                    |

***

**Stuck on any step?** See [Troubleshooting](/support/troubleshooting.md) or [Get Support](/support/get-support.md).


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