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Snap to Point and Collect GPS Data

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08-23-2023 10:12 PM
NathanHeickLACSD
Frequent Contributor

Is it possible to collect a point feature in Field Maps by snapping to an existing point layer while storing the actual GPS coordinates in GPS metadata fields using just an iOS or Android device?

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3 Replies
KerriRasmussen
Esri Contributor

Hi and than you for your question! Can you tell me a bit more about your workflow and your end goal for the workflow?

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NathanHeickLACSD
Frequent Contributor

Hi Kerri,

We have two vendors deploying flow meters.  We have two types of flow monitoring locations.  First, we have manholes where we measure depth only in the middle of the manhole.  Second, we have flow meters installed in pipes at manholes.  The location is really a combination of a pipe and a manhole.

My question is just one part of the whole problem.  Before they go out in the field, we know the pipes and manholes where we want them to monitor.  Depending on field conditions, they may need to deploy the meter at a different location.  One purpose of the field map is to provide data on the sewer system through popups.  Another purpose is to ensure the flow meters are deployed where they are supposed to.  That could be a read-only activity if it weren't for the fact that sometimes the meters have to be moved.

So, we need to record the locations where the meters were deployed and we would like to always record the GPS coordinates if possible.  The problem is that they aren't so accurate that you can identify the manhole accurately just from the coordinates, but we wanted the data as a backup just in case there were any questions.  I'm working on the app right now and snapping to the manhole works well.  I can even pull the manhole attributes using Arcade once snapped.  However, it would be nice if I could also log the GPS coordinates at the same time.  This is a softer requirement.

The next requirement is to pick the pipe connected to the manhole.  I should stop and say that the idea is that the map shows the proposed pipes and manholes and the actual pipes and manholes on top of them.  That way we can track progress in the field and in a dashboard.  So, I looked into contingent values and that seemed like a no go for 30,000 manhole pipe combinations.  It would be great if I could use the manhole to query the connected pipes and create a pick list out of them.  I would be so happy.  Without that, it seems like I would have to use Survey123, which seems like too much complexity, or labels and manual data entry.

The last requirement is to display the pipe diameter from GIS and enter the field measured pipe diameter to do additional verification of the monitoring location and the field measurements.

The whole thing was an idea I had after we had about 10% issues the last time we did this with 100 sites.  Now, we are doing 600 sites.  So, I am trying to make a workflow that isn't too complicated but accomplishes the goal of producing good data.  Everything we're trying to do is based on a lesson from the last time around.

In summary, we want to identify the manhole where the meter is deployed, the pipe where the meter is deployed, capture the actual GPS coordinates of the user even if they are approximate, and record the pipe diameter measured in the field.  Secondarily, we want to provide the sewer system as a reference in locating the proposed deployment locations or finding better ones.

I'm trying to make this concept of picking the manhole and pipe as simple as possible.  Snapping to the manhole works well but I can't find a way to pick a pipe.  Maybe setup relationships and enter the measured diameter on the related pipe?

Thanks Kerri!

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KerriRasmussen
Esri Contributor

Thank you for the background and workflow information, it was very helpful. This is a complex issue, but I think we can break it down into smaller parts and make it work. First, if you were to select the manhole first and snap to that, you won't also be able to snap to a pipe as well. My suggestion would be to add the point to the pipe, so you can use Arcade to pull the pipe diameter and any other information from that pipe that's needed. From there you can use Arcade again to pull the information from the nearest manhole. And lastly to round out the Arcade trifecta, you can use Arcade to calculate the X, Y coordinates for your point with: 

Round(Geometry($feature).X, 6)
Round(Geometry($feature).Y, 6)

This will round your x, y to 6 places, you can change that 6 to another number if you like. Let me know if this works for you or if you would like to workshop some other options. 

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