(Implemented) Add streaming feature to geotrace/geoshape in Survey123

[ReedOjala-Barbour]

A streaming feature (similar to Collector) would be helpful for creating geotrace and geoshape features in Survey123.  The current vertex method does not allow for a user to easily collect a feature by streaming.

It would be great to keep streaming active until I stop streaming in the map toolbar.

Thanks for your consideration,
Reed

[WhitneyWeber]

We need to collect point, line, and poly data in a single survey, which we are doing via repeats. When the survey was initially developed (maybe 2 years ago), I think it was using the geotrace and geoshape capabilities of the old Collector, since lines and polys were not officially supported at the time in Survey123. Since then, the streaming capabilities for lines and polygons no longer exist in Survey123. So, I tried integrating with QuickCapture for this functionality, but that does not work because of the repeats being used. The spatial features are recorded in the repeat but the ParentGlobalID is not returned. And creating a unique ID and passing that data is useless, because not only are 2 records then created in the repeat - one with the ParentGlobalID but no spatial feature and one with a spatial feature but no ParentGlobalID - but there is no way to link the ParentGlobalID to the record with the spatial feature except by manually doing so. You can't use a pulldata to a java function to calculate the ParentGlobalID since ParentGlobalID is not reflected in the spreadsheet (Survey123 Connect). Anyways, the way streaming works in QuickCapture currently, with the ability to set a distance threshold between vertices is ideal.

[DarraghOSullivan]

This would be a huge help for us as well. We carry out inspections on walking trails, where we use Survey123 to locate and collect information on any issues found along the route. However, we also need to record the actual route of the trail itself. I tried a Collector/Survey123 combo but it didn't work well. So we tether Bad Elf GPS devices to iPads and stream the trail route using the Bad Elf itself. It would be much easier and more useful (in reports etc) to capture the route from within Survey123. Hope it can be implemented soon... 

[Anonymous User]

Hi @ReedOjala-Barbour 

Just letting you know that we now have a beta implementation of location streaming for geotrace and geoshape question types which allows the user to directly stream location updates to the line or polygon being created in the map question as they move around.

You can test out the latest 3.15 beta builds with this feature via the Early Adopter Community and the relevant documentation can be found here:

Location streaming and other geotrace / geoshape capture method improvements - ArcGIS Survey123 (esr...

Regards,

Phil.

[JamesTedrick]

We have introduced a first implementation of streaming functionality in the Survey123 Early Adopter Community.  Please review the documentation in the EAC.  We know that it won't meet every streaming use case; if there are ways it can be improved, let us know in the EAC!

[IsmaelChivite]

Implemented in version 3.15 (June 2022)

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-survey123-blog/what-s-new-in-arcgis-survey123-june-2022/ba-p/11...

[DarraghOSullivan]

@IsmaelChivite @JamesTedrick @Anonymous User 

Thanks for implementing this ... looks good and will have a lot of uses. Our particular potential use case is for inspecting walking trails. Ideally we would like to stream (record) the route while identifying issues along the way. It seems like in the current version, it is not possible to continue streaming while answering other questions in the survey. Might this be possible in future ... to let the streaming continue in the background as other parts of the survey are completed? 

Similarly, for longer trails, we would also need to restart streaming where we left off after a break or even the next day. Currently there is no option to continue a stream, only to replace it. Might this be a future option?

Thanks again, Darragh

[IsmaelChivite]

@DarraghOSullivan  If you want to collect point observations while you are digitizing a line, I would recommend ArcGIS QuickCapture. This mobile app is specifically designed to address this use case you describe.   In case your point observations require the complexity of a Survey123 form, there are ways to launch Survey123 form QuickCapture. I will be happy to discuss the details with you. 

[DarraghOSullivan]

@IsmaelChivite Thanks Ismael,

In our case, the survey is very complex with many pages and fairly complex calculations going on as well as repeats etc. In the past I tried using Collector to collect the route and launch the Survey from there. But I found it very unstable and the route tracking kept turning off, especially when the survey was open - didn't like both running concurrently. I haven't tried with QC - do you think this might still be an issue? And can QC be configured to launch specific pages of a S123? This might help in our case...