Updating Desktop layers from Collector field data

TravisAnderson · ‎10-06-2015

If I was to gather a new GPS point of a hydrant in the field using Collector, how do I add that point and field data to my local data base? I'm looking for a solution that was/is similar to when you would check data back in when using ArcPad. I want my local .mxd file to be updated with the new information from the field, but I do not want my local layers being pulled from the cloud. We are not always connected to the internet and when we are it is slow. I was told this could be done by going to "My Hosted Services" and that map change services would update the field changes to the local drive. This was called "change management". I don't see anywhere under "My Hosted Services" that I can complete this task and I can't find anything termed "change management" that relates to this topic.

JakeSkinner · ‎10-07-2015

No, you should not need an additional license. Is it possible to capture the error before the crash?

TravisAnderson · ‎10-07-2015

I will certainly try.

TravisAnderson · ‎10-07-2015

Jake,

I added a feature layer from "Add Data from ArcGIS Online. In my case it was a Hydrant layer. I then created a local copy for editing as you had shown above. I then started Editor and selected the Hydrant layer for editing. There is a hydrant gps point that I obtained on Friday last week that I know is in the wrong location. So I moved this particular hydrant to the known location at the end of our water main and added a couple notes in the attributes. I then went to "Synchronize Local Edits with Server" and received the following error. I then tried to sync it again and it crashed. I got the "ArcGIS for Desktop has Encountered a Serious application error and is unable to continue" window.

JakeSkinner · ‎10-07-2015

It appears synchronizing edits to a hosted feature service is only available with a Desktop Standard or Advanced license. If you are using Desktop Basic, you will receive this error.

An option you have is to save your edits locally, and then overwrite the service in ArcGIS Online by going to File > Share As > Service > Overwrite an existing service.

TravisAnderson · ‎10-07-2015

I'm not sure exactly what this did (File > Share As > Service > Overwrite an existing service), but I tried it. I pulled everything in as before, created the copy, edited the hydrant and followed File > Share As > Service > Overwrite an existing service. I then saved the local file. Closed out of the program. Reopened Desktop, and I now only have the one hydrant that I edited. The rest are gone from that layer. If I open Collector and go to my map, the hydrant that I edited using Create Local Copy is back in the original position as it was before, as if nothing happened and all the hydrants still appear. There's are no visible changes in Collector

If I create a copy from the service layer, where does that show up in the Table of Contents, or does it? Or how do I know if I'm looking at the copy, or the shared service layer. If I "Overwrite an existing service", am I just overwriting the "Create Local Copy" copy. I don't think I overwrote the Shared Service Layer that's in the cloud since there is no change in Collector. And when do I use the "Disconnect Local Copy from Server"?

I think I'm missing a step or something. Or I'm trying to get around something that ESRI doesn't want being done. I just can't see spending $1,000's to upgrade our license for this one function.

Thanks again for help Jake. I've learned a lot in past couple days that I'll be able to pass along to my constituents in the Ohio Rural Water Association. Everyone is wanting to do the same thing that I'm trying to accomplish (iPad, iPad app and external GPS receiver).

JakeSkinner · ‎10-07-2015

Here are the steps you will want to take in order to update your local database with an ArcGIS Online hosted feature service:

1. Open ArcMap

2. Sign in to AGOL by going to File > Sign In

3. Add the hosted feature service from AGOL to ArcMap

4. Create a local copy for editing

5. To update your local database you can perform a Truncate and an Append

Your local feature class is not updated with the data collected from the field. If you make additional edits to your local database feature class, and now want these edits pushed back out to Collector, you will perform the following steps:

1. Add the local feature class to ArcMap

2. Go to File > Share As > Service > Overwrite an existing service

3. Select the service you added in the previous step 3

The service will be overwritten, and contain the new edits. Now the field crew will have access to these edits as well.

TravisAnderson · ‎10-08-2015

This seems to be getting above my level and more involved, Jake. It occurs to me that if I don't have ArcGIS Desktop Standard or Advanced, or Arc Sever, then I can't edit or do anything with the field data collected with Collector, within the confines of my office. There is no simple way to pass information back and forth. I can export the layer as a shape file from Online, import it back into Desktop, make my edits if I can figure out what new points were taken, and then recreate the hosted service layer again. That sure doesn't seem to be very convenient and is it worth another $5,500 for Standard for that convenience? Unless something changes I don't foresee utilities that are using ArcGIS Basic, using Collector on an iPad or other device to collect assets and/or information. I have a new $3,000 submeter receiver sitting here and I'm not sure how to gather data. It's pretty frustrating.

Thanks for your help Jake. I do appreciate your contribution on this. It was helpful.

RobBlash · ‎10-08-2015

It's a little frustrating but if you can nail the workflow it gets easier. I would suggest time-stamping all of your creates and edits (you can do this on desktop using the Attribute Assistant) to make it easier to sort through new, updated, and unchanged features.

TravisAnderson · ‎10-08-2015

Robert,

Is Attribute Assistant a Basic or Standard feature?

Are you actively using Collector to gather field data? I have a EOS Arrow 100 receiver using an RTK connection that is connected to an iPad by Bluetooth. I'm getting really good accuracy, and the interface is easy to use. But if I want to edit a point or add additional information to an attribute, there's no way to do that in Desktop Basic, outside of exporting a file for the desktop, importing it, and then exporting back again as a hosted feature. You can create a local copy from the hosted service, make edits within Desktop and then sync it back to the hosted service, but they disabled this feature in Basic. I would like to see how well that works in Standard, but spending an extra $5,500 for one small feature seems to excessive to me.

RobBlash · ‎10-08-2015

We have not used collector for gathering new data, but we have successfully tested it for gathering inspection data on assets that are already in the GIS. I haven't tried collector for large scale data collection, but I don't see why it wouldn't work once you nail the process.

It sounds like you're able to actually collect data with collector so that's a start. There's always going to be a certain level of head scratching and frustration to get these things working. Stick with it and you can get it sorted. For example, we use a completely non-ESRI approach for collecting points via RTK GPS (using Leica). We then export as a csv and use ArcGIS to assemble a master database of points.

Attribute assistant is free, its a desktop plugin that allows you to auto-populate attributes based on a config table you set up. It's helpful to track who's editing what and when. I also use it to do things like auto-populate a valve diameter based on the pipe it's snapped to (but of course you need to pay attention to those cases when the valve size is different than the pipe, etc.), auto-rotate fittings, and you can also set it up to calculate new asset IDs sequentially for new valves and hydrants. This is all on Desktop BTW.