topic Re: Offline map area unidirectional sync in ArcGIS Field Maps Questions

Offline map area unidirectional sync

GarrettHerrin — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 15:41:04 GMT

Having issues with offline areas map sync. We have a feature layer that is in multiple web maps, one for online Field Map editing, and one for offline Field Map editing.

If we go into the offline Field Map, make an edit, and sync, that edit is shown when the layer is viewed in ArcGIS Online. We are also able to go into the online Field Map and make edits that are also reflected in the source layer in AGOL. However, when we sync the offline map, edits from either AGOL/the online field map are not synced back to the offline map. Logs in the Field Maps app show no errors with the sync job, and that the sync type is bidirectional - however what it looks like we are experiencing is unidirectional sync - the offline map edits flow upward, but it is unable to pull down edits to the offline area map, even with cellular/wifi service.

Download updates for features and attachments is enabled in the Field Maps Designer configuration menu.

Anyone have thoughts/troubleshooting guidance on this issue?

Re: Offline map area unidirectional sync

RhettZufelt — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 20:08:00 GMT

Are you using the same map for offline and live field map editing?

In Field Map Designer, Offline features and attachment deliver, is it set to not update feature?

Re: Offline map area unidirectional sync

GarrettHerrin — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 13:13:58 GMT

The maps are separate but contain the same layer. It is set to download and get updates for features and attachments in the settings under "Features and attachment delivery."

Re: Offline map area unidirectional sync

RhettZufelt — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 15:01:24 GMT

Hmm, not able to reproduce. Perhaps something 'changed' since the offline areas were created (my offline areas 'changed' on 6/5 for attachment size and started overloading my offline sync with 'actual size' images, even though they were set to medium. had to change, save, change back to medium, save, and re-create offline areas to fix, this also affected the live mapping though).

You might try syncing all your offline maps, then remove the offline area(s) from the device(s), and re-create the offline areas in Field Maps Designer (re-create seems to capture 'changes' that update doesn't).

Then re-download the offline area(s) and test to see if that resolves it.

Make sure everything is synced to the source data first, as once you remove offline area from the device, any edits are gone.

Re: Offline map area unidirectional sync

RM-AnneDunckelGISS — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 23:28:26 GMT

YES @GarrettHerrin ! We are having the same issue on a fire. We are stumped! Edits made to the service are not properly syncing back down to offline area maps, but show correctly in connected maps. An example of one of our issues is that we have added a new point, that shows up, but also changed the attribute on two other points to "archive" which then should trigger the definition query to not show those two points, but it does not. As a result the new point is in there along with the two old ones. HUGE issues for safety for us.

Wondering if this is a bug and if other people are having in the same issue. @GlenShepherd have any ideas?

Re: Offline map area unidirectional sync

RM-AnneDunckelGISS — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 00:28:24 GMT

We think that the map is caching the attributes, and then not syncing the attributes correctly to trigger the def query to remove it from maps. Our work around is to have people re-download an offline area each morning, but for fire with limited cell and wifi service that is a huge strain.

Re: Offline map area unidirectional sync

GlenShepherd — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 00:01:17 GMT

Hi all,

This behaviour isn't currently recognised as a known defect with ArcGIS Field Maps. As @RhettZufelt mentioned, it doesn't look like what you're describing can be consistently replicated; as I'm also seeing bi-directional sync as expected...

Some troubleshooting questions:

Do you have other offline dedicated web maps that you can test with? Is this behaviour affecting all of your offline web maps, or just the one?
Next, is this occurring in all offline map areas within that web map?
Can you add another editable feature layer to the same web map and test whether the same issue occurs? (i.e. narrow down whether all feature layers within the web map are affected, or just one)

Thanks,

Glen.

Re: Offline map area unidirectional sync

NR-MichaelaHansonOPS — Sun, 18 Aug 2024 14:47:59 GMT

Hi Anne,

I see you posted this issue over a year ago but wanted to see if you found a solution besides re-downloading the offline map. I am currently on a fire and having a similar issue.

Re: Offline map area unidirectional sync

MarkEastwood — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 22:01:36 GMT

"However, when we sync the offline map, edits from either AGOL/the online field map are not synced back to the offline map."

My organization consistently encounters this issue, and it creates a very poor user experience with Field Maps. The only way we've found to guarantee that a user has the latest data in an offline map is to remove the offline area and download a new offline map.

Re: Offline map area unidirectional sync

BenjaminNolan — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 23:35:02 GMT

@GlenShepherd I, also, am experiencing this issue. The feature with which I am experiencing this issue was initially created in ArcPro, and then edited for several months through Field Maps. Following that, I added a few fields to the feature in AGOL. Afer that, I began experiencing unidirectional sync just with that specific feature. Features within this same Map to which I have not added fields still function bidirectionally.

Re: Offline map area unidirectional sync

RhettZufelt — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 04:17:41 GMT

Have you Recreated the offline areas (as per my post above)? Just updating the offline area(s) won't recognize schema changes.

Re: Offline map area unidirectional sync

JamesHead-Mears1 — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 03:31:07 GMT

Not sure if there is a more recent post that is covering the unidirectional sync but I've also just started experiencing this issue. I was able to capture a verbose logfile from the device (attached) which shows that the sync direction is bidirectional.

We found that we had to create a new offline area to get the changes to push down. It wasn't an ideal solution, but I set predefined offline areas that refresh every evening to capture and changes.