The guidance for ArcGIS Collector on how to sideload TPK/TPKx/VTPK etc, is very clear if you want to add basemaps to your Android device, but it is not clear if you want to add to your SD card.
As per documentation:
"""On Android—Plug your device or SD card into your computer. Using a file explorer on your computer, browse to \Android\data\com.esri.collector\files\basemaps (if that folder doesn't exist, create it). Copy the basemap file (.tpk, .tpkx, or .vtpk) you want on your device to that basemaps folder."""
However, it's not possible to create this folder structure in the SD card if its still in the device (due to system restrictions). The SD card needs to be removed from the device and plugged directly into the PC.
Now that Collector can only reference data held in the com folders, it makes it a very restrictive procedure, as you can't perform sideloading wirelessy to your device due to Android preventing you from copying data into these folders from within the device. Unless you root the device.
My question is, can somebody update the documentation to explain WHY the SD card must be plugged into the PC directly, and WHY you can't copy into the com folders from within the device itself? It would help a lot of people I think.
David
..Maps with no limits..
