Workflow from ArcGIS Pro, to ArcGIS online, to Collector and back

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04-06-2019 09:59 AM
AGAMEMNONPSYRILLOS
New Contributor

Consider the following scenario ...

I have a point feature class (with data) in a file geodatabase living in my PC at the office.

Using ArcGIS Pro I publish the feature class and create a Hosted Feature Layer in ArcGIS Online. Then I create a Shared Web Map with the original point data.

Then I decide to take the data in the field to validate the points, correct any errors and hopefully add some more points. So I load the web map in Collector and do a couple of days’ worth of fieldwork.

When I am back at the office I already have a validated/updated set of data points living inside the Hosted Feature Layer in the clouds of ArcGIS Online.

Question:

Is there a workflow to migrate and synchronize the validated/updated data set back to the “original” file geodatabase in my PC?

3 Replies
Egge-Jan_Pollé
MVP Regular Contributor

Hi AGAMEMNON PSYRILLOS‌,

I would suggest to consider your Hosted Feature Layer in ArcGIS Online as the single source of your data. You can access this source from anywhere: you can view and edit the data with mobile apps (e.g. Collector for ArcGIS), within ArcGIS Online or with ArcGIS Desktop (ArcMap or ArcGIS Pro).

So, the moment you have published your feature class from your local fgdb to ArcGIS Online, this newly created Hosted Feature Layer should be taken as the source, and - in a sense - your local feature class becomes obsolete. Of course you can always make a copy of the Hosted feature Layer for backup reasons, but you should definitely avoid that part of your edits is done in the local fgdb and the other part in the Hosted Feature Layer...

What do you think?

Egge-Jan

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ChristopherMurdock
New Contributor

The original poster's parameters weren't quite observed, his question is "is there a workflow to... synchronize the validated/updated data set back to the “original” file geodatabase". Oftentimes we don't get to choose where data resides.

Question restated: by what process, set of steps, and products does ArcGIS accomplish the transfer or joining of the newly collected (or updated) data with its corresponding dataset/Enterprise Geodatabase Feature Class, whether it resides on a single PC or server... and if I might add, in sequence with the next objectID of any given feature.

Neither uploading tens or hundreds of thousands of assets to ArcGIS Online, nor subesequently overwriting tens or hundreds of thousands of assets in a feature class in order to add five new ones, is a sustainable or acceptable data management practice either. Just hoping for some added insight.

JessicaAdinolfi
New Contributor II

I have this same question, and it seems odd that it's so difficult to figure out/find information on how to do this. I have edits (made in Collector) to my hosted feature service that I would like to incorporate into my geodatabase using ArcMap. I added the data to my map, but how am I supposed to even copy and paste the changes if they were made by someone else in the field and I don't know exactly what info was edited or added?

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