PDF basemaps for Collector

1856
6
05-04-2017 12:48 PM
Status: Open
AntonSizo_
New Contributor III

Allow Collector to use PDF maps with georeference information as basemaps.

Tags (3)
6 Comments
Jill_Andrea_Stokes

I concur. Staff need a GeoPDF reader for PDFs created in ArcGIS Desktop 10.x. These custom maps are being used on GPS-enabled mobile devices to navigate in remote locations where wifi/cellular service may not be present. Why Not have this functionality within Collector, directly?

ScottPrindle

Hello all,

Thanks for submitting this idea and providing additional context. When voting on this idea, please consider adding a comment to share how your current workflows can be improved or expanded upon if this were to be introduced.

Jill,

How were these georeferenced PDFs originally created, and how have they been used up to this point in your organization? Is there a reason tile caches cannot be generated from the same reference data? If you are currently using these PDFs for similar work in another application, could you describe your workflows?

Thanks,

Scott

Jill_Andrea_Stokes

Hi Scott,

I can only guess at the workflow... as I'm only working in the ArcGIS Desktop/AGS/AGO/Collector environments. My guess is that one or more staff created georeferenced PDFs through ArcMap 10.1 sp 1 or 10.4.1 > Export to PDF, using the GeoPDF options. An Avenza mobile app was being used to view the GeoPDFs on a GPS-enabled device. Mostly, it was used for navigation purposes in areas without reliable cellular connection. The influence came from a former staff member who worked previously with the Florida USFS.

Thanks for mentioning tile caches for our consideration. Next action would be to determine whether or not it would be an economical use of AGO credits to host the ArcGIS Desktop created content (tile caches).

Jill

LeeDavis1

There is a way to do something similar with a tile package, but you have to copy data to the local device. I used this for some offline collector use in Africa. Worked well.

GavinMcGhie

I know a bit late, but I'd like to add a workflow to this request. As a water utility, our contract drawings are used by Inspectors to oversee a job. They are generated with CAD, but then exported as a PDF. Currently, they take a paper print of the PDF to the field and make markups on that pdf which eventually get converted to an as-built and entered into GIS. If this GeoPDF could be used as the basemap for a few markup layers, then we could easily use Collector to capture their notes and sketches and cut out the paper process.

Thanks, Gavin

JoaquinRamirez

2022 and still no support not to display GeoPDF in ESRI mobile platforms or AG Runtime .NET support. Disappointing and making many users are using Avenza as the main mobile app in the Wildfire arena, and I bet some other markets.

Collector, Quick Capture, Survey 123 and our mobile appns based on Appstudio and Runtime cannot use those files. Please!!!