No manual collection possible?

[DamonBreen]

Hi all,

We have a facility collection map that we have created to map our underground facilities, and have set a required accuracy to 2 meters. Under some testing, we have found it is possible to move the map, and collect whether the accuracy requirement is met or not. Is there a way to prevent this? I think it is a good thing to be able to move the map and collect a feature from a distance, but I fear that we have some folks that may take advantage of this and would really like them to stick to collecting with the antennae we have provided them.

Thanks,

Damon

[Kevin_McIntyre · Accepted solution]

Damon,

Location services in Field Maps can be overridden for manual input as you've figured out. In regards to high-accuracy data collection, refer to this article by Esri on high-accuracy data collection where it goes over how to collect GPS metadata. 

With the GPS metadata included in each point collected, you can QA/QC your data to meet your accuracy requirements and ensure your data is being collected properly. If a user adjusts the location of a point manually, the GPS metadata will be cleared and null which will give you your answer as to whether the points were collected by a GPS receiver or not. 

Sometimes though, just as an FYI, depending on your receiver, it sometimes can be more accurate for a user to adjust the location manually. Unless you're using a high-end Trimble unit with a base station (and even then...), your GPS signal can get really out of whack especially if you're operating around trees or other obstructions to the sky. I'd recommend including high-res leaf-off imagery for your web maps so that when the need arises, they can accurately (to at least some degree) plot the location of what you're surveying.

[DamonBreen]

I had just found the GPS Metadata tool. That's very nice. Still wish there was a way to completely lock it down. We have some older guys in the field that don't always do the best with tech and I worry that maybe they will accidentally move the cursor and we'll end up with poor data in those cases. However, being able to self-audit should do for what we're wanting to do. Thanks for the advice!

[Kevin_McIntyre]

Another option is to use Quick Capture which would help mitigate your concerns considerably, but at the expense of how much attribute data you can collect in the field.

[DamonBreen]

Yeah, we've played with it a bit, but after utilizing the smart forms in field maps, I think we'll just stick with it and monitor the metadata. Thanks again!