Explorer Sneak Peak Features

Question

I would really like to be able to use the explorer app for editing as well as map viewing.  I can see there is planed development for that here http://doc.arcgis.com/en/explorer/#sneakPeek  but is there any place to see some sort of timeline or order in which features planned to be released?

I know that collector is available for editing, but I don't want our field guys to have to jump around between different apps do what they want/need to do.

Specifically I am interested in the editing and support for related tables on the ipad.

And when you talk about support for related tables does that including editing of related tables?

Thanks,

Tom

BrentPierce · Answer

Tom/Brad,

This feedback is really helpful and very much inline with the editing workflows we are targeting in Explorer. Thanks for your comments on this they really do help. We are looking forward to getting this functionality in a future release of Explorer.

-Brent

BradBolton1 · Answer

We use iPads because of the hyperlink ability with Explorer and pdf's in the GoodReader app.

I can say from my experience, trying to get non-technical people to jump between different apps is a difficult concept to grasp. user: Why does one map do this function and the other a different function? Why can't the good map (Explorer) edit the attribute?

I would love to see some simple editing features added to Explorer ASAP. For us, capabilities such as adding gps point or a simple attribute is all we need. And unfortunately, because the user has to switch from Explorer to Collector, they actually do not even peform a simple attribute edit from 'n' to 'Y'. Which is all it takes to track their progress. As a GIS person, it seems like a simple process, but it isn't for them.

ThomasFurcron · Answer

The reason I started with Explorer is we were looking for an app that would work well to get our field personnel maps in the field.  Prior to this they only had a paper map with them of the area they would be working in.  That obviously had a lot of limitations.

To start with the explorer app made the best sense for us, we didn't want to give the field personnel editing  capabilities and I would say we are still at the point for most of them, but we want to start rolling out editing capabilities for specific job functions for specific personnel.  But also want to keep tight controls over who has editing capabilities, and what they can edit.

The first place I want to take start with editing in the field is for our leak survey personnel.  For them I can see using the collector app, they want to stream points as they walk to create an audit trail of where they have surveyed and when they were there.  When they find a leak they need to be able to add it to the map with all the necessary attributes.  But we also get leak calls that are investigated by different personnel, and they would need to be able to
create these leak points as well and for them their main job function is not editing map features it is putting pipe in the ground, and we need to keep it as simple and easy as possible.  The leak point doesn’t have to be GPS’sed it may just be placed on the map via a user pointing to the location of the leak.  So for this I would think should be possible in either app.  I wouldn’t say the explorer app should be restricted to only non GPS editing, but maybe leave the finer GPS controls to the collector app.  If you are looking for control of the accuracy I think that is a good place to look towards the collector app.  I think the Explore app should at a minimum have the ability to edit/update
features that don’t require GPS locations.

So giving a user the ability to add it to the map with a finger touch or select a feature and add a related record or update its features in the Explorer app I think would go a long way. This would really help with the ability to perform inspections in the field.  And we do a lot of inspections!

Unfortunately for me, you don’t just have to please me with this, but the entire ESRI community.  I wish you luck
with that, we are a tough bunch to please.  But I look forward to hearing where ESRI is going to take the Explorer App.