Is there going to be capability soon where you can upload the data via USB and not Wi-FI?

[AlicePence]

The wi-fi is spotty (I would like to use a different term but will keep it rated G) in the office and would like to know if the capability of uploading data via USB to desktop is coming. Most the time I need to go to the local Thomas Hammer to download data so there are no sync errors.

[RussRoberts · Accepted solution]

Yes we are working on tools that will help bring the data on your device to a fgdb and it then can be merged into a master database.

Cheers

Russ

[ThomasColson]

Being able to sync only via wireless is a pretty big barrier to implementing collector for most federal land management agencies, which, big surprise, don't have wireless coverage over 99.9999% of the lands they manage. Looking forward to seeing this FGDB capability.

[ThomasColson]

Any update on "Yes we are working on tools that will help bring the data on your device to a fgdb and it then can be merged into a master database.".

Collector's a great tool in the testing that we've done, unfortunately, I don't see any way we can use it operationally if we have to hang feature services outside of a firewall to work with AGOL or spend $$$$ on secure wirelss to Portal for Org.

[RussRoberts]

This tool to migrate data from the database on the device to a gdb will be in the 10.3 release of ArcMap. 

Cheers

Russ

[ThomasColson]

Russell the tool appears to only deal with one-way sync: from the device, back to the feature service, and assumes that the provisioning of the device via wireless was successful. Are there, or are there not, any plan to add the ability to provision and sync collector via USB for those of us with no access to wireless at all?

[ThomasColson]

Russel are there planned upgrades to this tool to allow bi-directional sync where no wireless is available to provision the device, or sync it back to the parent service?

[RussRoberts]

I dont work directly on the Collector product anymore but I did talk to the product owner and right now a full sync tool is being considered but there is no time frame for when it would be introduced. What exact requirements do you have for this sync tool.

Thanks!

Riss

[ThomasColson]

Same as how ArcPad works: Plug the device into a computer via USB, provision base maps and data via USB, and sync Adds/Updates/Deletes collected on the Collector Device back to host databases via USB.

Given the quantity of comments on Geonet about displeasure with performance with wifi syncing, especially with photo collection, and the number of current ArcPad users that will not be able to convert to a "works with wireless only" product once ArcPad is retired in a few years, I find it shockingly surprising that Esri is taking mobile applications in the must-have-wireless connection direction, especially considering where most mobile data collection occurs: remote environments where back-offices have no wifi.

[MichaelDavis3]

I agree with your sentiment - just wanted to point out that there isn't technically a wireless connection requirement, just a network connection requirement.  Adapters (at least in iOS) are available to connect to a network via Ethernet, which should be a good solution for syncing in environments where wifi is not possible. 

It will probably also help when syncing large numbers of photos, however I think a real improvement to workflows with large numbers of photos is probably dependent on improvements on the server side...