Generating raster imagery tiles for mobile device in ArcMap

[EthanDuke]

I'm trying to generate tiles for rasters (NAIP) that I have in a mosaic dataset down to about 1:1,800. I defined a tile scheme and have an area of interest that contains many (40) areas dissolved which ends up being a polygon encompassing about 200-square Km. We are collecting data only within those forty areas and do not need imagery outside of those boundaries (albeit overview, low resolution is okay).

The end goal is to side-load onto a mobile device, so it would be best to keep file size down to less than a 1Gb. Does anyone have any experience with this? It seems like a much needed feature to make full use of Collector for ArcGIS offline in more than one area within a region. I've really searched the forums, but I could have missed something.

[DougBrowning]

We do a similar thing since our area of interest is smallish but spread out over a very large area.  Collector is not very good with this and the main reason we use a 3rd party app.

That said I think your option is to do a side loaded basemap (search for posts on how to do this - hopefully you have android since it is so much easier).  Build the basemap using the Manage Tile Cache tool using a AOI then package it up using Export Tile Package.  Do not count on the Export tool for AOI as it has 4 bugs in it.  My bugs are in this post along with a good post on how to - Create Cache and TPK without ArcGIS for Server - Workflows for Desktop users

The issue here may be that Collector still will not like the huge area.

I am not sure 1:1,800 is going to happen.  We go down to L17 (1:4,500) for out internal network caches and one of our areas that is 50,000 acres is about 1gb.  Again with the bugs if it is really spread out it may be more.  Then each level is 4x or so larger so 16gb?.  We do L16 on the tablets because after testing it does not really look much better using NAIP.  In the end the extra space needed was not worth it.  I would build a few small area tests and see.  I am also not sure if Collector can "overzoom" like our app and ArcMap can or if it goes to blank like AGO does (which is a bummer).  By overzoom I mean show the image but start to pixelate vs just going blank.

We do a topo basemap that covers our entire area (the whole Pacific NW) down to L14 for use between areas and as a nav option (in our app you can turn off the imagery and see under to the topo).  The topo is 5gb on its own.  Our total mobile package is 29 gb so we use sd cards - which collector does still not allow.

Hope that helps.

[EthanDuke]

Thanks, Doug. I've been using a 3rd party app, too. GeometryIT's iGIS. It is a little frustrating that this issue hasn't been dealt with. I'll chalk this one right up there with having to do a work-around to show labeling on mobile devices using collector. On the bright side, there seems to be a way to manage for the "overzoom."

I'll plug away at managing the tile cache and keep up the fun task of iterations of trial and error. I'm not a GIS professional or developer of your ilk. I'm a biologist that just wants a tool to work.

Unfortunately, I need to use NAIP or similar aerial imagery for this. I'm new to posting on the forum, so thanks for a thoughtful response to my first question. I'll post here again after significant progress or helpful failures occur.

[DougBrowning]

Just found out that ArcPro 1.2 will now allow creating TPKs of web services including Esri basemaps.  I just tested a small section so not sure the limits yet.  Hopefully this was on purpose and does not get shut down.  Not the easiest thing to use but it makes them quickly.

10.4 does still not work.

[DougBrowning]

ArcPro 2.0 is now failing on Create Map Tile Package tool.  Bummer it was so nice.

[EthanDuke]

Still no luck with creating tpks with multiple areas of interest, but I haven't given up on it. Field crews are able to download and side-load individual basemaps. One work around for having more offline basemap options is to create different maps in AGOL for Collector. Then you download basemaps for those maps, creating several basemaps on the device. Albeit, the basemaps aren't labeled in anyway on the collector thumbnails, so one would need to recognize the map in the thumbnail in order to chose the right one. Many basemaps could be downloaded to the device for offline use by reiterating this process with many maps, then accessed via iTunes or other program in the app's data folder on the device to be saved and shared with field crews. I know it's a long work around, but works in a pinch for those lacking knowledge of mosaic tiling or otherwise building non-contiguous basemaps on the desktops.

[DougBrowning]

Have you tried using Export Tiles with a AOI yet?  (unzip the tpk then run it through Export Tiles)  It gave a small error when zoomed all the way in our 3rd party app but it may work in Collector.  My bugs on on the list so hopefully fixed at 10.4.1?

You can also try using Manage Tiles with a AOI then export to turn it into a TPK.

Finally if you have a tpk for each site unzip them all.  Pick 1 as the "master" and use Import Tiles to add them all in.  Then use Export to get a TPK.