Latest Contributions by JohnMcEwen__GISP

‎11-02-2018

Camille, Nested repeats is not a problem (unless you are trying to push data to it using API integrations with a data server). And it may be possible to nest repeats in repeats in repeats. But that might be going far. Regarding complicated calculations, it is just a matter of setting some constants if you need them and setting things up in the correct order to perform the calculation. You are right that if you need anything more than basic math, you would need to use Connect. But, if you happen to be pulling data into a server, you could just do the calculation in there. I've never had to do much that went beyond basic math so far. I've got a couple other posts that go into a bit more detail for some specific things I'd like S123 to be able to do. - John

‎11-01-2018

This idea post is one of several individual ideas that I had grouped together on this original post: https://community.esri.com/ideas/15660-survey-123-vs-gocanvas?commentID=66800#comment-66800. Even though Survey 123 Connect has many of these capabilities that can be "programmed", there are other applications that have web-based form design similar to the Survey 123 web designer but that are easier to use in terms building in capabilities that can only be built in using S123 Connect. Scott Prindle requested that I post each enhancement individually. These enhancement requests are based on my experience using a web app called GoCanvas* (GC) for damage assessments. Being able to set conditions to trigger other fields or even other pages of questions to create a choose your own adventure style of field data collection is another capability that S123 Connect does have. Again, not available on the web design version. GC has this ability in their web designer. It is easy to even use a combination of multiple different fields from different areas of the form to create and/or to trigger other fields or pages. The screenshot below is an example of that from GC: *GoCanvas is just what we use and is one of many similar field data collection platforms that, as far as I am concerned are easier to use than S123 Connect in a browser environment, automatically creates PDFs, integrates with cloud storage, and has email configuration options to automatically email specific people when a submission is complete.

‎11-01-2018

This idea post is one of several individual ideas that I had grouped together on this original post: https://community.esri.com/ideas/15660-survey-123-vs-gocanvas?commentID=66800#comment-66800. Even though Survey 123 Connect has many of these capabilities that can be "programmed", there are other applications that have web-based form design similar to the Survey 123 web designer but that are easier to use in terms building in capabilities that can only be built in using S123 Connect. Scott Prindle requested that I post each enhancement individually. These enhancement requests are based on my experience using a web app called GoCanvas* (GC) for damage assessments. This should be easy enough, and I think it may be possible to enable this on S123 Connect, but not in web design. In GC, you can enable the user to draw on a photo in several different after capturing the photo. The designed can allow photos from gallery or camera or only one of those two. What GC is lacking in this capability is being able to configure photos capture with camera to have a time/date stamp on it plus identifying one or two other fields to stamp on the photo. Geographic coordinates are often required for our work. But being able to stamp like a applicant/ticket/case number from another field would be huge leg up. Our current workflow is to use a separate camera app that will TDS a photo, then add it from the gallery in GC. See screenshot below for designer options for photos in GC. *GoCanvas is just what we use and is one of many similar field data collection platforms that, as far as I am concerned are easier to use than S123 Connect in a browser environment, automatically creates PDFs, integrates with cloud storage, and has email configuration options to automatically email specific people when a submission is complete.

‎11-01-2018

Thanks for your interest Scott. Sorry it's taken me a while to respond. I just started working on creating the individual post.

‎11-01-2018

This idea post is one of several individual ideas that I had grouped together on this original post: https://community.esri.com/ideas/15660-survey-123-vs-gocanvas?commentID=66800#comment-66800. Even though Survey 123 Connect has many of these capabilities that can be "programmed", there are other applications that have web-based form design similar to the Survey 123 web designer but that are easier to use in terms building in capabilities that can only be built in using S123 Connect. Scott Prindle requested that I post each enhancement individually. These enhancement requests are based on my experience using a web app called GoCanvas* for damage assessments. In S123 Connect, it is possible to configure fields that autocalculate math equations based on user input provided to other fields. In web designed, there are no calculation fields. For example, we had to do debris assessments that required us to provide estimated cubic yards of debris. Not everyone is trained how to eyeball a pile of debris and return a reasonably accurate measurement. In GoCanvas, I added a field each for the user to enter width, length, height of a debris pile in feet. We added a field to calculate cubic feet and a final field that divided cubic feet by 27 to return cubic yards. We then hid the cubic feet calculated field from the user and did not display it on the automatically created PDF report. This ability in GoCanvas allowed inexperienced field people to get three numbers they could measure to automatically generate another number that they were not qualified to estimate. See screen shots for how the field look in GoCanvas app designer and the general settings to calculate the final field. Additionally, calculated fields can be based on values from fields on other pages of the form or (for loop screens) it can sum or average all of the values that were entered into the same field for multiple repeated items. *GoCanvas just happens to be what we use and is one of many similar field data collection platforms that, as far as I am concerned are easier to use than S123 Connect in a browser environment, automatically creates PDFs, integrates with cloud storage, and has email configuration options to automatically email specific people when a submission is complete.

‎10-18-2018

Derek, Thank you for taking the time to listen and respond. I should have made my point clear that those capabilities have to be configured in Connect versus available through the web version. However, I stand by my main point that that are other options out there besides S123 that are easier to use in terms of configuring available capabilities in a browser environments, especially when it comes to creating more complicated field calculations, form flows, and report design. I did watch most of those tutorials again though so thanks for sharing that as well. Sincerely, John

‎10-16-2018

Esri needs to check out GoCanvas: Mobile Business Apps and Forms on Android, iPad, iPhone . It blows Survey 123 almost completely away.* Yes, S123 can capture photos, has cascading fields with drop down choices, and has a GUI for designing forms on the web. But if you want to get fancy with your form, you have to learn how to use S123 Connect. GoCanvas is one of many mobile field collection solutions but it is more capable, has more features, and is more flexible than S123. GoCancas is totally a GUI for designing forms. It has: 1) Fields that auto-calculate. 2) You can take photos and then DRAW ON THEM. 3) Set up If/Thens for turning on entire pages of questions. 4) Upload reference data that can be used to drill down to narrow choices as you go through a set of questions. 5) Reference photos can be uploaded and then drawn on. For instance, if you do a damage assessment for baseball fields, you can upload a template outline of a baseball field and then draw on it with different colors to highlight damage or make notes. 6) OFFLINE capability. Take the form into the field, collect your data and sync later. 7) Collect coordinates and include as a map or set of x,y in your report. 😎 Automatically generate PDF reports, standard or designed with their PDF designer. AND 9) Automatically submit reports to a connect cloud storage like Dropbox or Google Drive. 10) Workforce and dispatching capabilities. 11) API's to connect to a database or other web platforms such as Quickbase. 12) And this could all feed into a web GIS with a bit of programming. I have used GoCanvas for the past year for damage assessments and inspections; it has proven to be almost infinitely flexible as requirements change on a daily or weekly basis. It is our go-to for field data collection. Esri must either match the capabilities of GoCanvas (and save us from spending tens of thousands of dollars on another application), buy the GoCanvas company, or fall behind this competition. *No, I do not in any way work for or represent GoCanvas.

‎10-26-2017

This sounds great. I am on the ground in PR supporting assessments for public facilities. We keep encountering either FEMA not wanting to share 'FOUO' data, which we are developing a workaround for, or data that just don't exist. If anybody who sees this is either on the ground in PR collecting, creating, curating, controlling access to data, anything, please let me know so maybe we can meet up to discuss any potential data sharing, tips, tricks, etc. for getting hands on data. Good luck and be safe if your in PR, John

‎08-27-2017

Hi Gilberto, We use both the AGO builder and WAB for Dev., but what we started doing was just adding additional "instances" of the layer list widget with each instance containing a list of layers grouped by themes, like natural hazards, community facilities layers, local authorities layers, etc. Just a work around obviously, but Esri still needs to add this capability, because non-GIS users get really frustrated at us hackers and developers when they can't turn groups of layers on an off at once. - John

Re: The Geospatial Data Act of 2017 · ‎07-06-2017

Completely agree with Rudy. When it comes to survey-grade field collection (which should be the case for virtually any government project), the surveyors who are trained to collect data with that level of accuracy are the people who should do that work. Just like when it comes to desktop vector collection, cartography, managing databases, managing web services, working with Python, or writing JavaScript/HTML/CSS, etc. there are people who are trained experts for each of these different components of GIS. No single GIS user can be expected to be able to do all of these. That is why language in the bill (which does not appear likely to pass) needs to be altered so that it does not mistakenly exclude any of the experts who are necessary to any GIS endeavor. - John

Re: The Geospatial Data Act of 2017 · ‎06-29-2017

All of this legal stuff is touch to make heads or tales of and the bill isn't even that lengthy. The AAG is concerned that the GDA of 2017 will block out GIS professionals who are not architects or engineers (A&E) from being used by the government to provide geospatial data services. See their article here. Other professional orgs. such as URISA and SCAUG are concerned as well. I am sure that most of us do not see the logic in this bill as we are understanding it, considering that GIS is distinct from A&E and requires specific education, training, and experience that A&E would not have as a core of their education. At the end of the bill, it looks like it seeks to revise the definition of A&E to include GIS professionals under that definition. This is the current definition from here: “Architect-engineer services,” as defined in 40 U.S.C. 1102, means— (1) Professional services of an architectural or engineering nature, as defined by State law, if applicable, that are required to be performed or approved by a person licensed, registered, or certified to provide those services; (2) Professional services of an architectural or engineering nature performed by contract that are associated with research, planning, development, design, construction, alteration, or repair of real property; and (3) Those other professional services of an architectural or engineering nature, or incidental services, that members of the architectural and engineering professions (and individuals in their employ) may logically or justifiably perform, including studies, investigations, surveying and mapping, tests, evaluations, consultations, comprehensive planning, program management, conceptual designs, plans and specifications, value engineering, construction phase services, soils engineering, drawing reviews, preparation of operating and maintenance manuals, and other related services. Of course, including GIS under the current A&E definition may end up excluding us if A&E means private entities who are specifically certified/educated in A&E. Most GIS professionals are not likely to to be professional engineers. We are more likely to be GISPs who were certified or passed a rigorous exam to earn the title granted by the GISCI. The point is, being a GIS professional is much more broad than being an architect or engineer and includes everything from cartographers to data analysts to IS/IT professionals. Our content specialties are even wider and encompass everything from population and demographics to emergency services/homeland security to environmental studies. Limiting who can provide GIS services to the federal government to only A&E severely reduces the pool of supremely qualified GIS talent and places the country and local governments in economic and environmental danger. At least that's the line that I put in the letter to my Senators and U.S. Representative. I hope that everyone who has a stake in or opinion regarding this potential new law will take the time to urge their federal representatives to consider the bill's language carefully and look to the GIS community for knowledgeable guidance regarding this. - John

‎06-23-2017

Robert, Awesome! that worked exactly the way I wanted. Except I think this.timeSlider .setThumbMovingRate(2000); made it go .5x speed. 1000 made it go 1x speed and 500 set it to 2x speed. Many thanks. - John

‎06-21-2017

I would like to alter the TS so that when the web app starts, the widget is already 1) playing and 2) moving at 2x speed. the default is not playing and when you do click the play button it runs at 1x speed. I'm not a developer, but I know enough to poke around in the widget files and Googled, but I have not found anything that indicates what I could change to achieve this. HELP!?

‎05-09-2017

Thanks, Thomas. But we've tried just about every combo of http & https for all the req'd URLs.

‎05-05-2017

Hi James, We are running the script in Catalog 10.4.1 to pull data from arcgis.com and into our SDE on a Windows 2012 SQL server. The messages from the tool are below. It seems like it's either the credentials i'm using (I'm the admin on our organizational portal) or the services2.arcgis.com server that is the problem. Thanks in advance! - John Messages Executing: SyncFeatureService [SDE database connection] s123 [http://services2.arcgis.com url that ends in 'feature server'] US/Central https://www.arcgis.com [my enterprise username] [mypassword] Start Time: Fri May 05 14:09:57 2017 Running script SyncFeatureService... -Getting Token ====================== FAIL: Logging in to Survey exception: [Errno socket error] [Errno 10061] No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it ['socket error', error(10061, 'No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it')] <type 'exceptions.IOError'> 544 ---------------------- arcpy messages: ====================== Completed script SyncFeatureService... Succeeded at Fri May 05 14:09:59 2017 (Elapsed Time: 1.74 seconds)

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My Ideas

Latest Contributions by JohnMcEwen__GISP

Re: Survey 123 vs. GoCanvas

Survey 123: Field/Page Conditions

Survey 123: Draw On Photos

Re: Survey 123 vs. GoCanvas

Survey 123: Auto Calculate Fields

Re: Survey 123 vs. GoCanvas

Survey 123 vs. GoCanvas

Re: Hurricane Maria Mapping Project: We Need Your Help

Re: Group layers in the layerlist widget

Re: The Geospatial Data Act of 2017

Re: The Geospatial Data Act of 2017

Re: Time Slider Widget Customization - WAB Developers

Time Slider Widget Customization - WAB Developers

Re: Migrating data from the Survey Feature Service to an Enterprise Geodatabase

Re: Migrating data from the Survey Feature Service to an Enterprise Geodatabase

Re: Group layers in the layerlist widget

Survey 123: Draw On Photos

Survey 123: Auto Calculate Fields

Survey 123: Field/Page Conditions

Re: Survey 123 vs. GoCanvas