topic Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected? in ArcGIS Collector Questions

Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

DaveTewksbury — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 18:04:15 GMT

Wondering if there is a field type that can be set to automatically populate a field with lat and a field with long when a feature is collected using Collector.

Also would like to create a field that creates consecutively numbered stations as they are collected. Looking to have the field essentially be previous station # +1 without having to manually input the number.

Appreciate any thoughts.

thanks

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

BenGrod — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 18:46:18 GMT

Dave,

As I understand it, both questions are not possible yet. I heard at the last conference I attended (March 2015) that Esri is working on a future Collector release which will append and populate all of the common GPS fields and readings you might associate with higher grade equipment (PDOP, Elevation, Latitude, Longitude, etc.) At this point in time, if you want to autopopulate fields you would have to build the mobile application in ArcGIS Mobile and custom the data entry programmatically or perhaps the ArcPad route. Though I would be happy to be proven wrong if anyone in the community could point out the options or process to auto populate X/Y in Collector. Hope this helps and good luck!

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

DaveTewksbury — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 19:04:05 GMT

Thanks, I'll keep my eyes open for a future version of Collector.

Dave

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

MiaogengZhang — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 22:46:34 GMT

Collector doesn't support this capability yet. But if you have exported collected feature into File GDB or your data is in ArcSDE, you can take a look at Calculate geometry in ArcMap or Attribute Assistant (desktop solution) and see if it can apply to your workflow as a workaround.

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

DaveTewksbury — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 23:14:53 GMT

Thank you

Dave Tewksbury

GIS and Tech support

Dept. of Geosciences

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

BenGrod — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 12:23:04 GMT

Miaogeng, thank you for the reply and confirmation. In line with this question do you have any knowledge that the next release will or will not included Lat/Long and elevation fields? Thanks in advance!

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

DaveTewksbury — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 13:10:40 GMT

First off, thanks to everyone who has responded to this. Hopefully a new version of Collector will have these fields enabled.

Data exported from ArcGIS Online (AGOL) as a file geodatabase and opened in ArcMap will show latitude and longitude location of points when they are queried using the Identify tool. However there is no location data in the attribute table associated with the data. If lat/long data is needed I found that exporting the points from ArcMap as a shapefile, adding fields for lat & long to the shapefile attribute table and using calculate geometry to populate the cells with lat and long values worked. This attribute table can then be joined to the attribute table associated with the original file geodatabase to append lat/long cells to each of the points in the table.

As far as I have seen it is not possible to simply add fields and calculate geometry directly to the file geodatabase attribute table. You can add fields, but the calculate geometry function is grayed out.

Dave

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

MiaogengZhang — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:12:29 GMT

I am not sure why you can't calculate geometry directly from FGDB. That is out of my knowledge. FYI, I tried it with ArcMap 10.2.2 and it worked fine.

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

MiaogengZhang — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:14:33 GMT

Ben, next release focus on bug fix. It won't include Lat/Long auto-population capability.

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

DaveTewksbury — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:20:39 GMT

Miaogeng,

Can you outline how your created fields that would calculate geometry in

FGDB. I found if I opened the attribute table of a feature class in the

FGDB exported to ArcMap that I could add a field but the calculate geometry

function was grayed out in the pulldown for the field. Also working in

10.2.2

thanks,

Dave

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

BenGrod — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:30:33 GMT

Dave, if you can share the geodatabase I'll take a look. I'm sure Miaogeng can help as well but he is the Esri Rep for all things Collector on the GeoNet forum so it might take him longer. Perhaps upload the FGDB to AGOL and share it publicly. If you don't want to or can't share it publicly create a new group, share it to that group, and add me as a member. I'm guessing it is a projection issue but unsure unless I see it.

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

DaveTewksbury — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:38:03 GMT

Ben,

Have shared FGDB on AGOL. File is called "Structure Field Trip Stops

<http://hamilton1812.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=885843205b284eeab79509b6b2aab148>

Thanks,

Dave

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

BenGrod — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:45:56 GMT

Thanks Dave, looking at it now.

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

SamuelTompsett — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:51:24 GMT

Hello Dave,

Here is the documentation with step by step instructions on 'Calculate Geometry'.

ArcGIS Help 10.1

Hopefully that helps!

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

BenGrod — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:55:16 GMT

Hey Dave, it appears that the relationship class is causing the Calculate Geometry tool to be inactive. In order to activate the Calculate Geometry tool you have to begin an edit session. Not sure the exact cause and affect here but I was able to calculate the geometry inside of an edit session within ArcMap. Try it on your end.

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

SamuelTompsett — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:57:57 GMT

Try clicking CTRL + SHIFT + G after clicking the field.

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

BenGrod — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 17:12:58 GMT

Dave, I tried putting this into a model which would add the fields and calculate geometry. The model returned a RuntimeError: Objects in this class cannot be updated outside an edit session. If you want to use this data structure and automate the process I believe you will have to write the code in Python, I think you can activate an edit session in Python (someone please correct me if I am wrong). You may find some help by posting a separate discussion in the Python Group to ask for a script to add fields, calculate geometry, and whatever else you might need. Nice working with you and good luck

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

DaveTewksbury — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 18:34:27 GMT

Sol,

Seems that in order to calculate geometry on the FGDB data requires that

you be in edit mode for the dataset.

From ArcGIS help referenced above

"Start an edit session

<http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/01m6/01m60000005p000000.htm>.

You can make calculations without being in an editing session; however,

in that case, there is no way to undo the results."

This is not appear to be completely true for a FGDB. If you are in an

editing session for the FGDB data, Calculate Geometry is available. If you

are not in an edit session, it is grayed out. Shapefiles have Calculate

Geometry available if you are or are not in an edit session for the data.

Thanks, learned something new.

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

BenGrod — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 18:38:34 GMT

Dave, if you disable the relationship class in your geodatabase you can calculate geometry outside of an edit session, I tested this out. The relationship class is your limitation in this scenario.

Re: Is it possible to create fields in FGDB that will automatically populate with lat/long when feature is collected?

DaveTewksbury — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 18:42:51 GMT

Thanks Ben

Had not thought about that.

Dave