idea ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps in ArcGIS Field Maps Ideas

ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

rsun_TQB — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 16:11:52 GMT

Hi All,

I believe that we should have a web/Windows App version of ArcGIS Field Maps. New Web Map Viewer is too tedious to perform editing for non-GIS users in the organization. For field workers, they can use their work phones (on if your organization provides that), but for office workers... or workers prefer to do their edit/update using web browser. I know there is "Experience Builder" that has an editing widget to be added (not on my Enterprise 10.9.1 but only AGOL). Few suggestions here...

Make the new web map viewer editing as easy as Android/iOS ArcGIS Field Maps
- Show relationship class links
- Copy/paste attributes/geometry etc.
- All other functionalities that mobile version has
- Make UX as good as mobile ArcGIS Field Maps
Build web version of ArcGIS Field Maps (not just configuration) with same functionalities as Android/iOS ArcGIS Field Maps. It will make pushing out AGOL/Enterprise way easier for many organizations!
Please don't wait for Windows 11 or Microsoft's promising "android" app integration to do this. They may never do a good enough job on this, and ask people to use unnecessary "amazon" account...

Thanks a lot,

Reno

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

schenardi — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 05:27:11 GMT

I had the same thought when looking around for an easier to use client instead of MapViewer.

Using FieldMaps in the office ... would give the possibility to configure one application to be used in several environments. But it's also a risk that it would be more overloaded with features that make it more complicated agagin (field maps has already too much buttons, menu entries etc).

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

jeffj — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 16:22:05 GMT

Hi Reno,

Really appreciate your suggestions. Regarding (3), we have been running Field Maps on Windows 11 using the beta version of Windows Subsystem for Android and it looks really good. When Windows 11 goes final, Field Maps will be available and viable on 4 platforms - iOS, Android, Windows 11, and macOS (with Apple silicon).

One note is that currently the WSA does not support Bluetooth, so external GPS receivers would not work. Based on the use case you described, that won't be an issue, but it might be for others so we are working closely with Microsoft to come up with a solution.

We are always looking for beta testers for Field Maps on Windows.

Best,

Jeff

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

rsun_TQB — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 16:52:19 GMT

Hi @jeffj ,

Thank you. I hope the Android Field Maps will eventually work on Windows 11 smoothly. It will be fantastic if the app will support Bluetooth GPS device such as Trimble Catalyst DA2. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help testing to help your team. I really hope Microsoft has given up the idea of requiring using "Amazon Appstore". I may be able to get all our field workers to have SSO using Amazon Appstore, then...they can still use Microsoft 365 to log on Amazon Appstore without needing to remember additional credential.

You can contact the Town of Qualicum Beach (Canada) IT to be one of your beta testers.

Cheers,

Reno

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

BrentPierce — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 18:26:23 GMT

Hi Reno,

We are testing Field Maps in Windows 11 environments right now and are hoping to certify Field Maps in this environment later in the year. Thanks for your interest.

It's a fast evolving story from Microsoft be we are working closely with them to make sure we can provide the best possible experience to Field Maps users on Windows.

Please email bpierce@esri.com with the best contact email for the beta program. Our team would love to work with you in beta testing.

-Brent

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

RyanBohan — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 16:42:18 GMT

Hi @BrentPierce,

I windows version would be great. Please also consider a web version.

I keep steering users to Survey123 because a single web URL works everywhere. Which makes it very easy to send out to users, as they just have to click the link.

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

AndrewVentham — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 10:34:19 GMT

The release version of the Field Maps Android app runs fine on my Windows 11 laptop, but installing it involved jumping through some awkward hoops, to set up the "subsystem" and sideload it via adb.
I've found the latest beta apk, but I still can't see any accompanying instructions about how to install it on Windows 11. I imagine a fair amount of work must be being done on devising a more streamlined installation procedure than I ended up going through, with the release version... have any such instructions been published, as part of the beta programme?

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

MelanieWawryk — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 17:00:56 GMT

Please just develop it natively on Windows! We shouldn't have to add a subsystem and sideload things to enterprise systems to run a program. It's not like Windows in an obscure operating system, and we have invested in enterprise Corporate GIS. We are not some small shop that can just cobble a solution together. This sounds like something you would code in your basement. You are forcing us to move from Collector which had a Windows version to field maps which is a great improvement however making Field Maps available on Windows was just left out of your plans. Sorry, you really need to provide it, you can see that it is a requirement for many organizations. There is no way sideloading a subsystem will be approved on our corporate network.

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps - Status changed to: Needs Clarification

BrentPierce — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 19:09:48 GMT

Good news we are now in beta on Field Maps running on the WIndows Subsystem for Android as part of Windows 11, Join the beta and help us make it great: https://earlyadopter.esri.com/key/ArcGISFieldMaps

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

rsun_TQB — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 15:31:11 GMT

Hi @BrentPierce ,

I will try it and provide feedback. However, you can see there are users who desire native Windows 11 App and web version of Field Maps. I am not sure if you are aware of the Amazon Appstore on Windows rating is 1.7 stars...you can see how people already frustrated with this new platform before we even be able to use ArcGIS Field Maps on Amazon Appstore...

It seems like it is taking forever at the stage of setting up the Amazon Appstore (Step1).

Extra software (layer) of implementing a solution requiring a separate 3rd party account to be able to use an Android app was never a good idea.

If Microsoft really want to make this work, they will have android app installed able on their Windows Store, and people can use it without Amazon Appstore and Amazon account...

Thanks,

Reno

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

MelanieWawryk — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 15:41:46 GMT

I agree with @rsun_TQB; we need a native Windows app. I will test the beta at home, but adding an Android subsystem in a corporate environment will never pass the security sniff test. And then requiring Amazon accounts will never work. We also can't upgrade to Windows 11 because it isn't compatible with our network drives. The current solution is not an acceptable solution for a corporate setting. Please go back and create a windows app, your customers deserve it.

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps - Status changed to: Needs Clarification

AlisonKeener — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 16:14:13 GMT

Thanks! We are not yet on Windows 11 but will be soon. Does this software need to be downloaded from the Microsoft App Store? Our IT department prohibits us from downloading applications in this way, unfortunately.

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

JoFlo — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 16:03:53 GMT

Same. Want to echo the above comments. Amazon app store is not a viable solution. Stating that there is now a beta Field Maps for Windows 11 is misleading. I wish I could be an early adopter, but like others can't go through the hoops.

Make the investment esri - you have a wide user base that needs this.

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

BrentPierce — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 19:04:23 GMT

We appreciate the feedback on the limitations of the Amazon App Store approach. We are working closely with both Microsoft and Amazon and will certainly take this feedback to them. As of this writing the only way to get the Windows Subsystem for Android installed on a Windows 11 device is through the Amazon App Store but it is still very early days for this technology.

The hopes for this beta testing session is for those willing and/or able to install the Android Subsystem for Windows on their Windows 11 deployments they could give us feedback on how the Field Maps app meets their workflow needs. Still many details to be worked out so greatly appreciate the candid feedback.

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

MelanieWawryk — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 19:56:38 GMT

I completely appreciate your work on this. However, I think trying to create it as a subsystem app is the wrong direction to go. It should be a native windows app. It needs to be re-developed for windows, not an android app in a container on windows. I understand that it would mean developing two similar but not identical apps which is way more development time on your end, but the way it is currently being developed leaves it out of reach for most customers. The important part is that the field map document on AGOL can be used by both the Windows desktop application and the android/iOS app.

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

BigBry79 — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 19:00:16 GMT

I agree, we need a native windows app. There is no way sideloading a subsystem will be approved on our corporate network and I would assume this is the case for many users. This needs to be available from the Microsoft Store as a native app.

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

DavidTipping-Jsy — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 22:42:34 GMT

Agreed - in the way that Survey123 has a native Windows app. I would also suggest that Windows 10/11 compatibility is better as many larger organisations are slower to move the the latest versions of Windows.

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

ErikLash_HiCo — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 19:43:28 GMT

We're a Windows shop, Microsoft through and through from the desktop to the enterprise.

However, I'm going to be the contrary voice on this one. Microsoft abandoned its mobility product line. After a painful several year transition off of Microsoft Mobile the GPS industry no longer builds for Microsoft. Why would any developer create deployable/installable mobile apps for Microsoft platforms anymore? It doesn't seem like a workable business model.

Personally, I'm using Field Maps via the Amazon AppStore on my Win 11 workstations without issue. Easy setup and install on the most up to date Win 11 version.

ESRI is not unique in movement away from binary deployment for web products on Windows. Many mobile app developers are moving to a web wrapper model for Microsoft Windows instead of building a binary specific to Microsoft for installations.

For those that like a button to push, an easy way to build a web application for any web end point is to use Edge to create a web application that opens in its own window and can be pinned to the Start Menu or Task Bar. Can be created for Field Maps on the local Windows machine for sites or maps that are specific to a customers needs.

The Windows app in that case is just a wrapper for what's available in a browser - this is how we are also making ChatGPT access available to our user community as a Windows application in-house.

Only thing I wish is that our Microsoft G3 licensing integrated better with Amazon Marketplace so that we don't need multiple accounts to setup and work with the software. But we need multiple accounts to use Field Maps on iPads, so for us not so much of a difference to the end user regardless of platform.

Alongside the Windows Subsystem for Android we are also running the Windows Subsystem for Linux for any apps that function better with Bash than Windows command. Specifically, WSL for addressing Containerized GIS workflows as Docker Desktop licensing models changed and Microsoft and Docker Enterprise have recently parted ways, leaving another huge gap in GIS capabilities unfulfilled by Microsoft.

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

rescuemap — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 11:02:15 GMT

@rsun_TQB absolutely agree with your points above. You can't even add a related record in an experience builder app.... (sure, you can in the map viewer but it's unintuitive and not user friendly). I think it's absolutely insane the lack of feature parity across all of the various apps in regards to related records especially. Whoever is supposed to be coordinating across the teams (is there even someone??) is doing an abysmal job and should be replaced asap.

Re: ArcGIS Field Maps Web or Windows 10/11 Apps

BrettLessner_Nsight — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 15:15:57 GMT

We are also facing issues with this. As a company, we still run Windows 10 and my security team literally laughed when I asked about running Windows Subsystem for Android. It's an additional layer they would need to protect.

For us, we and our contractors were using ArcGIS Explorer on Windows to view mmpks offline and in the field (no collecting being done). We ran into a bug where the app would not download the updated mmpk consistently. Esri has stopped supporting ArcGIS Explorer for Windows. That's fair, the goal is to consolidate into Field Maps - I can appreciate that. However, Esri provided a native Windows application and functionality that, clearly by all of the comments on this post, was and is still needed.

For people who would say this application and functionality can be created in-house, it doesn't seem fair for all of us to recreate something Esri already developed but took away access to.

Esri, we are your customers asking for something you had already supported. Until Windows is an extinct OS, we will be asking for this functionality to be brought back in a more accessible manner.

- Brett