topic Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add? in ArcGIS Collector Questions

Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

SimonJackson — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:04:02 GMT

I have been doing some testing with the location tracking layer in Collector.

Some questions:

At the moment, I am getting a series of new points added to the layer which are a past record of where my collectors have been. There is an attribute for accuracy, but none for the collector user, or a timestamp.

Q1. Without these, how might one know which dots relate to which user, and when that user was there?
I tried enabling editor tracking, but this still does not feed in a timestamp?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]24348[/ATTACH]

Without these attributes, I am unable to symbolise or apply a definition query to show a 'snail trail' for each collectors movements in the last XX minutes.

Q2. How can I change the tracking layer to just show me the current position of my collectors, so that these can be seen in applications like Dashboard? I want to make the tracking layer an UPDATE as opposed to an ADD, but I cant see this option available?

For the demonstrations that were done at Dev Summit, I assume this was making use of GeoEvent Processor?

It might well be that I have missed a step in configuration and the above Questions might involve going back and changing something. Thanks.

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

RussRoberts — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:57:47 GMT

Q1: Are you using an ArcGIS Online hosted service? What is the sharing level for this item(public, private, group etc)?. Could you go to the rest endpoint for that layer(0) and in the Query enter 1=1 under the Where field and put * under Output Fields. Can you see that the fields are being populated there.

Q2: Currently we are just using add only and dropping a point at the intervall set and we currently do not support the update feature geometry only configuration. Some of the Dashboard presentations were leveraging GeoEvent. I am unsure if they were using all Dashboard, Geoevent and Collector all in the same demo. I will look into what was being done and see if there is a possible solution for you.

Cheers
Russ

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

DanielBrown — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:58:15 GMT

I am also interested in this topic.

I am putting together a prototype for our "potential" ArcGIS Online field collection solutions, where we can take advantage of ESRI applications. I have successfully collected data, attachments, and my tracked locations with the Collector.

So, I have the same question:
How can I change the tracking layer to just show me the current position of my collectors, so that these can be seen in applications like Dashboard? (or my other API applications)

I dont see any method for date and time filters through the hosted service, through ArcGIS Server, or through a webmap.

Was this the ESRI vision at this phase? Do I have to use geoevent server (beta right now) for this task?
d.

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

HiranZani2 — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:53:37 GMT

Hi guys,
This is an important issue for me also.
How can one know the last location for the field crew without a time attribute?
Thanks
Hiran

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

RussRoberts — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:27:00 GMT

The editor tracking fields will populate the collector out in the field and time it was collected. I went to the REST endpoint for my tracking layer and did a simple query. The attached photo will show all the information that gets collected by default in the tracking layer.[ATTACH=CONFIG]24509[/ATTACH]

I will check with the dashboard team and see if there are any possible solutions to show the most recent tracking point and update this thread.

Cheers
Russ

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

SimonJackson — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:29:55 GMT

Thanks for the response Russ.
I have started afresh with a new web-map/tracking layer and I can now see the editor/last edited date visible via editor tracking.

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

BradyScribner1 — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 21:34:02 GMT

Hi Russ. I am working on a damage collection system and would like to show the current locations of our emergency responders rather than a collection of points showing where they have been. This info would be displayed in our emergency operations center as well as to our decision makers using Operations Dashboard. I was hoping you were able to find out from the dashboard team if displaying current location rather than a collection of points was possible. Thanks.

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

LeahSaunders — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 17:43:57 GMT

Was there any solution to this either in a web map or dashboard? A regular filter won't work but I could see something like a definition expression that could work...however I'm wondering if anyone has found a solution or if you got an update on this (even though the thread is old).

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

RussRoberts — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 15:28:04 GMT

currently location tracking is still just a bread crumb trail and there is not an out of the box solution that will only display the most recent point in that track log.

Russ

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

LeahSaunders — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 15:35:44 GMT

So I have found a solution to this problem, however you have to add a definition expression to the JSON and you have to have standardized query set to false on the server (or ArcGIS Online) to be able to accomplish it. I have successfully got it working on both a hosted tracking layer and one in ArcGIS for Server (with an enterprise geodatabase backend) which is it's own hack. However there is something Portal that is blocking the advanced query. So a query can solve this problem, but you are editing things like the JSON at your own risk. We do have a customer who is successfully doing this though.

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

CharlesBailey3 — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 19:17:39 GMT

Could you elaborate on this a bit more? Can you access the json from the layer properties in AGOL? And what does the query look like? Thanks, cob

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

LeahSaunders — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 19:29:40 GMT

You can access the JSON from the ArcGIS Online Assistant: ArcGIS Online Assistant

The query would look like something that you have done in a definition query but using some of the advanced query functions. You also have to know the full name of the data table, not just what might show up in a connection.

Example: CreationDate IN (SELECT MAX(CreationDate) FROM db_193.user_193.Collector_Tracking_Layer_Location_Tracking GROUP BY Creator)

Your query would have to go in a definition expression for that layer (if you are doing it in a map) or as part of the layer properties for an item in Portal/ArcGIS Online. A way to figure out where that location is, add a filter to the layer in the map and look at where that shows up in the JSON.

Please keep in mind that editing the JSON is entirely at your own risk and not supported by Esri.

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

CharlesBailey3 — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 20:14:58 GMT

Thank you Leah. I see where the query is, but not sure how to reference the data table in the query i.e. the db_193 stuff - is this information in here?

"id": "Aerial_Tracking_5587",
"layerType": "ArcGISFeatureLayer",
"url": "http://services2.arcgis.com/iXA1dC6ldRMKRwra/arcgis/rest/services/Aerial_Tracking/FeatureServer/0",
"visibility": true,
"opacity": 1,
"title": "Aerial Tracking",
"itemId": "507623ea30c341ecb26b3652df53bd1a",
"layerDefinition": {
"definitionExpression": "Accuracy < 25"

Thanks! cob

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

LeahSaunders — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 20:50:40 GMT

If it is an enterprise geodatabase, you will need to go and look at the full name including the database, user, etc. Sometimes you can search through the rest api to find the table name as well. This is likely the trickiest part.

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

CharlesBailey3 — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 21:33:52 GMT

Well, it's just a feature service created in AGOL based on the location tracking template from ESRI. Is the info I need contained in the rest from the template file or from the one I created based on it? If it's ESRI's file is should be easy to come up with a boilerplate because most are using that template to create the tracking layer and we want to do the same thing (plot current location of collector). I'm sorry, it's likely I'm not following you too well - my understanding of database infrastructure is limited. Thanks much, cob

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

LeahSaunders — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 23:19:40 GMT

If it is a hosted layer you can go to the admin url and use the JSON to determine enough information to make an assumption.

For example:

1. My hosted layer url is: http://services.arcgis.com/2zRtyrQ6q4mGrLJK/arcgis/rest/services/Test_Tracking_Layer/FeatureServer/0

2. Modify this url to get to the rest admin and view the JSON: http://services.arcgis.com/2zRtyrQ6q4mGrLJK/arcgis/rest/admin/services/Test_Tracking_Layer/FeatureServer/0?f=pjson (notice the "admin" in the url and the json request at the end)

3. In the JSON search for "user"

4. You should find something with "user_<some number>"

5. Now you should have enough information to build the query: CreationDate IN (MAX (CreationDate) FROM db_<some number>.user_<some number>.<name of the layer>

So mine might look like this if I test it by adding my hosted feature layer to ArcMap: "CreationDate" IN (SELECT MAX ( "CreationDate") FROM db_123.user_123.Test_Tracking_Layer_Location_Tracking)

The number you found in the "user" information is the same as the db for these hosted services as far as I can tell.

Test the query in ArcMap by adding the layer to your map from your ArcGIS Online organization (either through Add Data or through the My Hosted Services node in Catalog. Then create a query in the definition query properties of the layer to see if it works.

Hope that this helps!

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

CharlesBailey3 — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 12:44:13 GMT

I think I'm getting close with this, Leah. I have the query working in

Arcmap using the hosted feature service, but I can't get the AGO-assistant

to accept the json for the query. I guess the syntax is a little different;

I tried several variations to no avail. Can you send me the exact query

syntax that worked for you in AGOL? Thanks for your help, time and

patience...cob

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

LeahSaunders — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 15:48:10 GMT

I used

"created_date IN (SELECT MAX( created_date) FROM Tracking.DBO.TrackingData GROUP BY created_user)" in one layer.

Make sure your fields are correct. One other issue is that you must be able to use advanced queries in your ArcGIS Online organization. If you are an admin you can change this by going to the Organization Settings > Security > Policies Make sure that the "Allow only standard SQL queries" is unchecked.

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

CharlesBailey3 — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 19:45:36 GMT

Got it working, hooray! At first it wouldn't hold the setting in AGO assistant, then it stopped tracking, and I removed the layer from all maps and created another tracking layer based on it, put it in a new map and saved the layer, then the map. It still feels kinda shaky but we will see. I never would have figured this out in a hundred years without your help...thanks!

Re: Tracking Layer - Update option over Add?

LeahSaunders — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 20:56:34 GMT

I have had it working great for quite a while, so hopefully you will have success! Glad I could help!