topic Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps in ArcGIS Field Maps Questions

Time stamp photo? Field Maps

BugPie — Thu, 20 May 2021 20:26:40 GMT

We are trying to implement Field Maps (well, we started with collector, but I see it's being depreciated) to assist with photo location mapping. A requirement is that the photo log must display time stamped photos. We can do everything else needed with the app, just need this time stamp piece.

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

Anonymous User — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 19:06:55 GMT

Currently this is not available in the Field Maps app. It is on the roadmap though.

There is an example Jupyter notebook we put together or Dev Summit 2021 that shows how you can post-process features to generate a report. One of the things in there is how to extract information from the photos EXIF data and then apply a watermark on the image with that data. It includes the timestamp and coordinates. It might be something to look into if you have experience with Python.

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

DougBrowning — Mon, 24 May 2021 15:33:24 GMT

There are 3rd party apps that can do this. Use the app then upload from your saved photos. We do this in iOS for drawing on photos since the crew likes it better than the 123 drawing tool. (123 also can do watermarks).

Hope that helps

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

BugPie — Tue, 25 May 2021 13:27:27 GMT

@Anonymous User Thank you for your response, although I'll admit I'm sad that this is still only on a road map after moving from Collector. I will give your solution a try and see if it will work. I'm guessing that because python is needed that our standard field user will not be able to accomplish the watermark themselves and would need an analyst to support.

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

BugPie — Tue, 25 May 2021 13:30:44 GMT

@DougBrowning Thank you for your response as well, I appreciate the different views that fellow users have. I will have to research 3rd party apps for iOS and Andriod (mixed env. here), and I'm thinking this solution is going to be too much to support for our 100 users and I'll be better off waiting for this to be implemented or see if S123 will help even though we are doing map driven collection.

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

BugPie — Tue, 25 May 2021 13:32:49 GMT

@Anonymous User - any chance you can provide a link to the road map documentation? Trying to understand how long the road is before this is going to be released.

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

DougBrowning — Tue, 25 May 2021 13:39:43 GMT

If it helps we gave up on watermarks at the time of collection. Sometimes a crew had the wrong location or info and then it burned this wrong info into the photo for all of time as they cannot be removed. So we went with post processing after QA as mentioned. Also the watermarks often covered up something we wanted to see in the photo.

If you are creating some type of report you could always display the date info above or below the photo in text. The info is in the photo all you are doing is displaying it with a watermark.

Hope that helps.

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

Anonymous User — Tue, 25 May 2021 19:56:09 GMT

We don't have a public roadmap. I would not expect this feature to be available until at least a year from now. First, we need to add support for in-line attachments in the form.

Do you have any additional requirements besides showing a timestamp?

Does it need to be formatted in a certain way? What about text color?

Where should it be placed on the image (e.g. top right, bottom right)?

What size font is required? Does it need to change based on the size of the image?

Do you need any other info like the coordinates embedded onto the photo?

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

BugPie — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 14:02:22 GMT

Yes, that does help a lot Doug. I helps to hear what others have done for a work around, thanks for your time and input.

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

BugPie — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 14:17:13 GMT

Hi @Anonymous User - thanks for your detailed inquiry seeking more requirements.

This is what I can provide, hope it helps the ESRI team develop a solution. My experience tells me that the simpler the better, but you folks are the ones to design and implement so I'll leave that to the pros.

The requirement we are in need of satisfying for the state historic preservation offices in re: to Section 106 consultation is to display the date and time of the photo. I was thinking it would be best to leave that to the technology and add automatically since our users will only have field user licenses.

To add my .02 to your other questions:

Applying date/time can't require an elevated user license type. These are field users who will be using apps and print widgets to create maps and reports.
No formatting - I'd recommend two options for text color. Back & White. - again, simple is best.
I would default to bottom right. Allowing each corner as an option would be thoughtful.
font... IDK something small like we used to see when we used point and click digital cameras. Again, I would think only 1 - 2 options would be best. Personally, I wouldn't want it to change with photo size. the font size should set that?
Our requirement is to show a map of each photo location as well as the direction the photo is facing. so perhaps the Azimuth woudl be useful. Perhaps coordinates may be needed by others but not in our use case.

Thank you for engaging with me on these requirement over the forum pages. I appreciate your interest in supporting my organization and all our users and client.

Cheers

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

PaulLong — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 21:11:12 GMT

Collin

We did something like this that we started back in 2014 before they had photo attachments in Collector and before you could carry the EXIF info in the GIS DB. We just used iPADs with there built in EXIF INFO and then would sync the Photo library to Dropbox for auto download and then run the Photo to points tool from ESRI on the different photo folders. You can then make a chevron symbol of the point and assign the geographic azimuth rotation (extracted from the EXIF automatically by the Photos 2 Pts routine to the symbol rotation and load them on a map which show the location. You may have to fiddle a bit with the rotation option (o or 180) in the Symbology tab by testing and imported photo point. Not sure how close you need the location, but we used it for identifying Storm Drain features for repair..

https://www.screencast.com/t/vmB96DZk

https://www.screencast.com/t/wsuHVLdhiml

https://www.screencast.com/t/U24f6YXc

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

GustafsonTerry — Wed, 04 May 2022 21:23:31 GMT

Aaron,

Do you by chance know when this feature might be added to field maps? I have tried to add another timestamp app. I have added am automation so that when the camera is used it defaults to the new camera timestamp app. But it seems like field maps uses the default camera app anyway so no time stamp is applied..

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

Anonymous User — Wed, 04 May 2022 23:36:08 GMT

I'd say this feature is on the medium-to-long term road-map. So probably at least 6 months to a year out.

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

EddBlaine — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 15:19:59 GMT

Hi Aaron,

Just checking in to see if the timestamp functionality has been rolled into Field Maps or is available as a post process in ArcGIS Pro perhaps...?

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

JustinReynolds — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 03:15:31 GMT

Right now we use 3rd party camera apps. I prefer Solocator. Theodolite is nice too, but locked to landscape, a bit busy, and iOS only and more expensive.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.solocator&hl=en_US&gl=US

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/theodolite/id339393884

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

Joshua_H — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 17:38:20 GMT

I would like to chime in and ask that this function be expedited to a short-term road map. This is typically a requirement for any standard field inspection photo-log/report. From governmental reports, construction, environmental, etc...

Just about everything in Field Maps is perfect (Although cascading drop-downs are highly needed too instead of having to code conditionals... especially if you have 30+), but Time/Date & Coordinate stamped photos are essential to most field data collectors.

To add to the properties requested, it would help if you could choose from the form features. Ie. if you're on a linear project, and you need to show survey station number to station number. See photo for example.

Cheers!

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

OnnoKeller — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 07:14:54 GMT

Too bad this function is not available yet. Having the opportunity to easily add date/time staps using watermarks would help us a lot in the field!

The workarounds mentioned here are not accessible enough for our field workers.

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

JanaNowak — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 08:00:09 GMT

Hello everyone, we are also looking for a way to automatically change the file name of the photo to a timestamp. Due to time constraints, we want to use the integrated camera. Using an external app or renaming the file name by hand is also not an option for us.

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

DougBrowning — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 20:21:23 GMT

See here https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-survey123-blog/survey123-tricks-of-the-trade-set-the-file-name-of/ba-p/1217125

Re: Time stamp photo? Field Maps

LPOSC — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 23:49:44 GMT

Has this feature been rolled out yet? We are very interested in seeing this as well.