topic Re: Insert / Export attachment photos to report ? in ArcGIS Explorer Desktop Questions

Insert / Export attachment photos to report ?

JackZHANG — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:57:17 GMT

Hi,
The attachment function in ArcGIS desktop is great. However, I wonder whether it's possible to export the attachment (mostly are photos in my case) to report, something like asset report that have a few words for each asset and a couple of photos.

Thanks.

Re: Insert / Export attachment photos to report ?

LisaMcAleer — Sun, 16 Aug 2015 18:11:50 GMT

Hi Jack,

Did you ever find a solution to your issue?

I could use some ideas when it comes to inporting geodatabase attachments in ArcGIS Reports. I have an SDE feature class with attachments enabled (photos taken out in the field), and I'd like to bring these pictures into our ArcGIS reports. It sounds easy enough to do in HELP, all 2 sentences:

“ If you are generating a report on Geodatabase data with Attachments enabled, you can add a RelatedReport control to access the attachment table and use attached images from the Blob field as the source for your picture element.

Tip: When using attachments, a definition query that filters the attachments by file types will be applied by default. The query is this: "Content_Type LIKE 'image/%'. If this query is removed, all attachment files will be used when generating the report, but only images will be displayed.”

So after adding the attachment table to the MXD they are using for the report and relating it to the inspections point feature class, I added a RelatedReport control into the report (a box to hold the image) -- that’s all good. But when I go to choose my data source for that RelatedReport image element, the blob field (called “DATA” by default when the attachment table is created) is not in the drop down list of available fields. Every other field in the attachment table IS in the dropdown list, but not the blob field….. I can type in the name of the blob field, but nothing happens. If I use any of the other available fields, I get the content of that field displayed in my report, but none of those are the image

What I’m missing????????? I’m so close, and yet so far away………

Thanks much!

Lisa McAleer

Re: Insert / Export attachment photos to report ?

ClaytonCooley2 — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 19:27:18 GMT

@Lisa... Did you ever have any luck with this? I'm currently trying to do this exact same thing and keep getting the same result as you.

Re: Insert / Export attachment photos to report ?

SuzannePolk — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 14:48:38 GMT

I am trying to do the same thing and having no luck either. If anyone has some advice about adding images to a report I would be eternally grateful!!!

Re: Insert / Export attachment photos to report ?

PeterFerretti — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 15:04:44 GMT

Hi All,

This is possible. Just be sure of the following:

- Add a RelatedReport element to your primary report layout (in the detail level in my case).

-Double click on the RelatedReport to open it in design view.

Add a Picture element to the RelatedReport

Change the image source of the Picture element (right hand side in element properties) to the "DATA" field

Change the Size Mode to Stretch (works best for me)

Arrange the size of the Picture element so it takes up most or all of the space of the RelatedReport

Arrange the size of the RelatedReport itself in design view of your primary report to ensure you have the image sized and aligned properly.

Run the report and you should be good to go!

Re: Insert / Export attachment photos to report ?

ClaytonCooley2 — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 15:49:33 GMT

Peter,

Your instructions worked perfectly! This will really help us generate reports based off of field inspections. Thanks so much!

Re: Insert / Export attachment photos to report ?

JacquelineKovarik — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 15:59:30 GMT

This forum saved me so much time! Thanks Peter Ferretti for taking the time to explain the process.

Re: Insert / Export attachment photos to report ?

MariusBurger — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 08:43:55 GMT

I am trying to create a report with attachments for 154 records in my FGDB. When I run the report I get a "System.OutofMemoryException: Out of memory" error. Any ideas why?

If I run it on a few selected records it works 100%

Re: Insert / Export attachment photos to report ?

RandyWeaver — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 16:07:18 GMT

I have had the same out of memory problem too, which for me is a deal breaker. I have shyed away from using the report tool out of ArcGIS for Desktop for this main reason. And now that Pro is out, there isn't any way to do reports at all.

Re: Insert / Export attachment photos to report ?

MichaelRivera — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 14:55:20 GMT

What software do you then use for your report needs?

Re: Insert / Export attachment photos to report ?

RandyWeaver — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 16:41:06 GMT

I use MS Access to create my reports with. I can tie directly to SQL using an ODBC DSN, which allows me to get to the feature classes and attachments tables. I had to utilize both linked tables and a make table query in order to get the relationships I needed in order to create the reports (the relationships do not come through in Access as they do in ArcMap). It isn't as easy as what ESRI has built in, but like I said the whole memory issue is what drove me to find something different. I am hoping to talk to the developers at the ESRI UC this July to see if I can pick their brains a bit more on an easier solution. But for now, at least I have what I needed, and I suppose I could use it for other reporting needs, but not sure if it is worth the time and effort.

Re: Insert / Export attachment photos to report ?

CynthiaMatney1 — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 17:15:53 GMT

So I am having the same issue - no blob field called "DATA" in the drop down list. Did you ever figure out what the issue was? I am trying to add pictures to a sewer manhole inspection report and the pictures are there in the related attachment layer - but no DATA field showing up when trying to add said pictures to the report.

Thank you!

Re: Insert / Export attachment photos to report ?

ZRex — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 18:26:21 GMT

Hello!

I hope you are still around Peter!

This was very helpful and I was able to get a little farther along in my project. I am running into an issue where the "Data" field is not showing up.

Here is how my database is set up (with the "1 to many" being the relationship type):

Form 1 (main table) - 1 to many - Photo table - 1 to many - Photo Attachment table.

The blob field is in the Photo Attachment table but I cannot directly relate the attachment table to the main table (Form 1). When I insert a related report into the main report for Form 1, I can set the relationship to the Photo table but I cannot set the relationship to the Attachment table. Even if I insert another related table into the first one.

Thoughts anyone? Thanks for your help and I hope everyone is staying safe during this craziness.