Location sharing (My tracks) visualization shows a straight line but the synced data shows where we actually traveled

[JFujikawa]

When using Location sharing (My tracks) in Field Maps to track where our crews surveyed for invasive species, the tracklog will stop showing, then start tracking again, but running a straight line from the last recorded point.  This seems to be a problem with visualization because when we upload the track and look at the points via ArcGIS Online, the part of the tracklog that showed as a straight line in Field Maps was showing as where the crew actually walked (so not a straight line in the data) in AGOL. Also, when taking a line feature, the line feature drew the route taken.

This error appeared while the field crew was using Field Maps 24.3.0. on an Android 13 device, Bad Elf Flex Mini (BE-GPS-2500) with the latest firmware update (25.1.1), and the Bad Elf Flex app (1.3.5.1370) as the mock location provider. We use Field Maps offline and sync while in the office. Other issues with My tracks popped up (mostly gaps) in 2024, but since the visualization and uploaded tracks differ, it this seems to be a Field Maps issue.

We have currently reverted to using Field Maps 24.2.0 as the version that gives us the fewest gaps or straight line issues among Field Maps versions released in 2024. We are map-centric and rely on our tracklogs to show where we've completed work and to be able to walk the same line when we reverse our survey direction. We frequently stop to take points, so having a tracklog that can run in the background and visualize correctly is key, especially during aerial surveys where stopping and starting a line is not feasible.

[IngridHogle]

+1

We get the same issue using Field Maps on an Android 14 device. We were able to submit this to the Field Maps team and I think they were able to reproduce the issue. Hopefully this will be resolved soon.

[ColinLawrence]

@JFujikawa @IngridHogle We plan to push an update around this with the next release of Field Maps in a couple weeks. Hopefully this update will improve the rendering of track lines in these types of situations, especially when a lot of stop/starting is involved  (changing of activity). Note: you may still see some issues in this area for now if you have battery optimization turned off.

[IngridHogle]

Thank you, @ColinLawrence and the Field Maps team!

[JeanFujikawa]

Thanks! Looking forward to the update!

[JFujikawa]

I installed the November 2024 release of Field Maps (24.3.0, previously we tried the beta version) and My Tracks still stopped drawing in my offline line Field Maps map. We are using My Tracks as a track log in Field Maps to visualize where we survey while in the field so we don't leave gaps, stopping frequently to examine areas closely or to control invasive plants frequently under dense canopy or gulches. We are offline in the field and map centric.

After trying different things over the past two days, it seems like My Tracks will stop drawing after 10 minutes of being stationary or after the user set accuracy is exceeded. On one use My Tracks resumed drawing after about 10 minutes of not drawing (but the missing 10 minutes did not draw). The points from the missing 10 minutes synced when connected to wifi again and showed up in AGOL for data entry, but we need to see those missing 10 minutes in the field while surveying.  Also, I streamed a line feature and that drew the whole time.

Without waiting the 10 minutes (maybe it always resumes after 10 minutes?) one way to prompt Field Maps to resume drawing My Tracks was to turn off location sharing in Field Maps, close all apps (clear all in Android 13), and open Field Maps, open Bad Elf Flex (mock location provider) and enable location sharing seemed to prompt My Tracks to resume drawing, but did not draw the missing sections. This worked for me several times, but we don't expect our tracklog to just stop drawing and in the field we might not always catch the gaps in time.

Also, the second condition I noticed in the past two days was that it seemed like My Tracks will not resume drawing after the maximum accuracy is exceeded. Anyway, noting that My Tracks does not resume drawing. Increasing the max accuracy seemed to work to keep My Tracks drawing, but then led to having a mess of less accurate tracks drawing.

We're using Bad Elf Flex Mini standard, Bad Elf Flex app (mock location provider) with latest versions and firmware as of two days ago. All battery optimization in Android and Field Maps off. Smart rendering off. Google Location Accuracy and wifi rendering off. 

@IngridHogle was your issue resolved?  @ColinLawrence did you say that there will still be issues with battery optimization turned "off"? or did you mean to say "on"?

[ColinLawrence]

Hi @JFujikawa thank you for the detailed response. Just to clarify, are you seeing any gaps in the track points that are being uploaded to the tracking service? You mentioned they showed up in AGOL but I wanted to be sure that there were no gaps in what is being uploaded and viewed online and that these are only occurring when rendered on your mobile device. We shouldnt be seeing the same frequency of this rendering issue once updated to 24.3 so i'm a bit surprised. I'm wondering if the mock provider is adding another variable here; we can look into that. 

Are you able to export the troubleshooting logs from the device and share them? Bonus points if you can pinpoint the timestamp for one or more of the gaps you see in the tracks so we can line it up with that is happening in the logs. 

[JFujikawa]

Yes @ColinLawrence No gaps in the points that are being uploaded to the tracking service. Gaps only occurring  when rendered My Tracks on my mobile device. The mock location provider is new to mock location, but the streamed line feature did not have any gaps. See attached log.

===11/16 ===

Before 15:20 Walking around to see what My Tracks was doing, but nothing definitive. Uploaded some tracks and deleted others.

15:20 Around this time started My Tracks in Field Maps and a line feature to see what that did and also started QuickCapture to see what that line did. Left it in my car while I packed up the rest of my things. 

15:32 to 15:40 My Tracks was not rendering during this part of my drive. Around  15:38 I stopped/started the streaming on the line feature to see if that would jog My Tracks to start rendering again. I might have done that to My Tracks as well, but rendering did not resume for My Tracks immediately, but a few minutes later it started rendering and was fine for the rest of the drive. Drive ended 15:58. 

I don't remember exactly what I was trying after that on 11/16.

===11/17===

I had a thought about when the gaps were occurring and the afternoon and evening was all about letting My Tracks run to reproduce the error (stationary for 10 minutes gap and max accuracy gap). Afternoon and evening all about triggering the gap and trying to figure out how to get it to render without having to restart the ulefone armor x12 pro which takes longer. A bunch of toggling Location Sharing off/on or smart rendering off/on, closing the apps with 'clear all'. End of the evening would represent the turning off  Location sharing/closing apps/open field maps, bad elf, turn on track log sequence more consistently.

[ColinLawrence]

Thank you for providing some additional context and logs. During the periods you outline, particularly on 11/16 15:20 and on, were you consistently offline? There are some periods where I see track uploads occurring but it does not seem consistent with what I might expect. 

Can you try testing with battery optimization turned ON and let us know if you have the same issue? The changes we added for the track line generation were built around some of the logic that only exists when battery optimization is turned on. You asked about this in an earlier comment so I apologize for not pointing this out earlier but your logs helped pinpoint that this might be a contributing factor. 

[JFujikawa]

On 11/16 15:20, yes, the wifi might have still been on. I was still parked at the office and in range, but once I drove away there wasn't any internet connection.

=====11/18 testing with battery optimization turned on===

~19:20 Location Sharing was on and turned on streaming a line. I was stationary for 10 minutes, then drove a little and noticed that the streaming line was rendering, but My Tracks was not. rendering I parked at ~19:33 to stop streaming to more clearly see if My Tracks was rendering and it was not. No points were uploaded to the tracking service between 19:20 and 19:32. I turned on streaming line and My Tracks started drawing as I started driving again and these points were uploaded to the tracking service.