Sync Collector for ArcGIS via USB

5445
13
01-07-2015 07:51 AM
Status: Open
ThomasColson
MVP Frequent Contributor

Currently, the only way to sync Collector for ArcGIS offline data is via wireless. For those organization with no, limited, or restricted wireless capacity, Collector is a non-solution. Users should be able to connect Collector devices to a computer with the devices USB cable and sync to Portal or AGOL via some sort of Arc Tool Box script or other desktop tool. In addition, when collecting features with attachements not even the best wireless connection allows sync when many dozens or hundreds of photo attachments have been collected.

13 Comments
PatrickFilyer

We have the same issue in New Brunswick. Limited Cell Service + Limited access to wifi. This leads to a number of syncing errors due to syncing with poor connectivity. This would be great! 

StephanieLeusink

Because of the volume of data collected offline with Collector, including photo and video attachments, we have had to resort to extracting the runtime geodatabases using iTunes and running the Copy Runtime Geodatabase to File Geodatabase tool to access offline edits that refuse to sync over wifi. https://support.esri.com/en/technical-article/000012460

We often have people in the field for a few weeks collecting data and the wifi connection is not necessary strong enough at the remote sites to sync daily, and once data from too many days builds up, the sync becomes impossible.

While the Copy Runtime tool works, it is not a good solution for remote field workers as they do not have access to ArcGIS and are not generally tech-savvy GIS users. Plus, this process doesn't actually sync the data to AGOL so if they are adding to or modifying data that already exists in AGOL, it becomes a nightmare to merge the dataset that has been extracted from the tablet with the data that already exists in AGOL, plus the edits are not marked as synced on the tablet.

ThomasColson

What was wrong with ArcPAD where they had to disable this feature?