topic Re: Downloading photos taken in Collector? in ArcGIS Collector Questions

Downloading photos taken in Collector?

TimHayes1 — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 23:55:41 GMT

I have photos I have taken in Collector. Each photo is associated with a point. How do I download these photos to a local geodatabase on my server machine (not AGOL)?

I want to download the Points to my local geodatabase and ensure that each photo stays linked to the point when I open it on my ArcGIS for Desktop (again not using AGOL). Is this possible?

Re: Downloading photos taken in Collector?

JohnDye — Sat, 08 Oct 2016 01:06:12 GMT

I don't know what you mean when you say "How do I download these photos to a local geodatabase on my server machine (not AGOL)?"

Were you serving the Feature Service from your own ArcGIS for Server instance and don't know how to pull the attachments back down?

Is the Feature Service on AGOL and you want to download it and then upload it to your own ArcGIS for Server instance?

Can you be a little more descriptive with your problem statement? Where is the service being hosted, AGOL or your own Server?

Here's the workflow to download a layer to a local file geodatabase on AGOL. If it has attachments, they'll come with that File Geodatabase.

Go to the Item Details page of the layer in the Web Map which you were editing through Collector and adding attachments to.
You should see an Export Data button.
Click it and select the option Export to FGDB.
Enter a Title, Tags, Summary and select the folder in your My Content directory you want the File Geodatabase saved to, then click Export.
Once the Export is complete, you will be redirected to the Item Details page of that new File Geodatabase.
Click the Download Button
Open your new File Geodatabase in Desktop and enjoy.

Now, if you want to them deploy that to your own server as a service, then it would just be a matter of loading up the feature class in ArcMap and publishing a new service.

Re: Downloading photos taken in Collector?

TimHayes1 — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 14:41:20 GMT

I tried this and the actual photos do not get downloaded, only the File Geodatabase.

Re: Downloading photos taken in Collector?

JohnDye — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 21:12:35 GMT

Are you expecting to see the photos in a folder of some sort? If so, that's not how it will work.
Inside of the File Geodatabase, you should see your feature class, a table that has _ATTACH in its name, and a relationship class.
If you load the feature class into ArcMap and then use the identify tool to click on a feature, if that feature has attachments then the Identify Window will display a paperclip. You can click on that paperclip to view the attachments.

What is the ultimate goal of what you're trying to accomplish?

Re: Downloading photos taken in Collector?

TimHayes1 — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 05:00:23 GMT

John, I figured it out, with your help of course. Your replies spurred me to new ideas and new lands. Thanks a million!

Here is the other thread I started that has the answer I needed:

https://community.esri.com/thread/184393-setting-python-tool-properties

Re: Downloading photos taken in Collector?

JustinJohnston — Sun, 27 Feb 2022 20:13:16 GMT

Not to rehash this thread, but I think it gets to something I am trying to figure out. So you take pictures in the field using Collector, they are "attachments" of some sort, saved in some location, which I don't know where collector saves them on iPad or the naming convention it uses, or how to access them outside of Collector. I can view the photos in collector, but no idea how to see the photos in ArcGIS online and no idea how to then get the photos into ArcGIS Pro where I can use them to make real maps and tables for a report. Is there a video anywhere with these workflows? Basically, I want to use photos and inputs from Collector to create a photo location map and an associated "photo log" that automatically puts the photo with a caption with the other inputs from collector. For instance, create a log of trees with a map of numbered tree points then a word file with photos for each point and captions with species, diameter, condition, and a comment.

Cheers,

Justin

Re: Downloading photos taken in Collector?

ScottEmmett — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 22:42:52 GMT

I am keen to know what happens with this workflow also Justin - did you end up getting any further with this?