Enable GPS metadata for a shapefile

[HH_mhugo]

I'm using ArcGIS Pro 3.1.0 and I'm trying to enable GPS metadata collection (accuracy, number of satellites, etc.) for new feature layers that will get shared to AGOL and used in Field Maps during field data collection.

My research has turned up that there exists a tool for doing exactly this, but that it is designed to work only with geodatabases.

https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/3.1/tool-reference/data-management/add-gps-metadata-fields.htm

My question: does there exist a similar tool/method for doing this with feature layers derived from shapefiles? Our organization doesn't use geodatabases almost at all and I'm not trying to swim against the current with this.

[RyanUthoff · Accepted solution]

I understand you don't want to use FGDBs, but in this case, does it necessarily matter? The reason I ask that is because the data is going to be stored in AGOL, regardless if you use a FGDB or shapefile. So you could temporarily use the FGDB to enable GPS metadata, then publish to AGOL and then at that point you wouldn't need your FGDB (or shapefile) at that point.

Then, the data would be collected in AGOL/Field Maps, and you would have the option to download the data as a shapefile (which would contain the GPS metadata fields).

Besides this, I'm not sure if it's even possible to enable GPS metadata on a shapefile.

[HH_mhugo]

Appreciate the reply. I see your reasoning here and it's probably what I'll end up doing.

[PeterKnoop]

Also keep in mind that shapefiles do not support datetime fields, nor the length of the field names used for the GPS metadata fields.

So if you use "Export as Shapefile" for your data on AGOL, then the Fix Time field will loose its time information and only contain the date. Also, the field names will be truncated, such that you won't easily know which field is which, as they will all end up looking very similar when reduced to 10-characters (e.g., they will all start with "ESRIGNSS_...", like "ESRIGNSS_FIXTYPE" becoming "ESRIGNSS_F".)

[SeaRM]

You can use any gpx file with required fields and import this file to ArcGIS Pro with XTools Pro Import from GPX tool. It keeps all the attributes including additional fields. After that, you can create new feature class (geodatabase feature class or shapefile, whatever you want) with XTools Pro Modify Table tool importing the field schema of the imported gpx file.

So you can get the empty feature class with required field schema that can be used further.