Run multiple instances of Survey123 (to speed up data collection)

[MarkWilkinson1]

We have a collection of three surveys that we ask workers to use to create an inventory of public safety control measures at a given site. Control measures include signs, fences, gates, booms, barricades, etc. As the worker walks along, they will come upon different control measures that require them to switch between surveys.  This means that they have to close the survey they are using and then load the survey they need to use.  If all three surveys could be open concurrently, the worker could just switch between the surveys and a lot of time could be saved.   We are using Windows tablets, but I think this issue applies to Android and iOS as well.  I have tried using the Windows Sandbox to create a virtual environment so a 2nd instance of Survey123 can be opened and this scheme works but it is rather complicated.  I have to copy all the Survey123 folders associated the executable and the surveys into a temporary folder that exists only a long as the virtual machine is open.  It would require the worker to be very careful with the use of the copy of Survey123 running in the virtual machine to avoid losing all data collected during the session.

Are there any other ways people have come up with to streamline the use of multiple Survey123 surveys?  Is there a plan to add such a capability to the product at some point?

[MarkWilkinson1]

Hi @ChristopherCounsell 

I looked at how using Drafts might help our workflow and I think they could be used to improve the efficiency of data collection. 

I am thinking it would be useful for collecting line features, a fence for example.  I should note that my line survey sets the body::esri:style method to vertex.  This allows the user to collect vertices associated with a line, rather than sketching a primitive shape.  The drawing tools for a vertex based line allows the user to record a vertex location, move to a new location, record that vertex location and so on.  I did notice that if you start a line, you need to record at least two vertices (it is a line after all 😉 before you can save it and create a draft record.  However, when you reopen the draft, the line editing tools change.  You can add new vertices between existing vertices, you can move existing vertices but you can’t extend the line.  I think I have come up with a work-around that will allow us to do what we need to do.

The worker can record the staring point of a fence and then add a fictitious 2nd point that can be later deleted.  The record can saved as a draft, and the worker can collect other features using the other survey types.  The fence record can be reopened and a new fence vertex can be added between the two previously recorded vertices.  The fence survey record can thus be added to and modified as needed and eventually saved as final.

If I combine my Points survey with my Signs survey then users will have to contend with only two surveys and if they make use of Drafts for the lines survey, things will be much improved.

Thanks,

Mark

[ChristopherCounsell]

Thanks for the additional context, helps a lot. I think drafts is the answer, but maybe you could post an idea around improvements to the line editing tools for when the geoline question is re-opened. Line and polygon capture is still relatively new and the Survey123 team has made a lot of improvements to the question type over time.

You could also be fancy and capture a series of points in the survey then post-process in ArcGIS Desktop to create the line.

You could also consider using ArcGIS FieldMaps (or QuickCapture) to capture the line and then complete any detailed surveys as required. As these are separate apps it should be fine to run simultaneously.
Though note it's not available on Windows. Technically Collector still is but it's on the old release and not actively developed. So on Windows you could use Collector, but I'd be looking to upgrade to a modern mobile platform (iOS or Android) regardless.

[DougBrowning]

If you launch a second form from say a URL it will keep the first open somehow in the background so I have asked the team if we could have multiple forms open at the same time and then flip among them.  They said it would be very difficult to create a UI for that but they would look at it. 

There are a number of bugs when saving to drafts so it would be huge for us.  

thanks

[MarkWilkinson1]

Hi @DougBrowning ,

I opened a survey in the S123 app and then in my browser I entered the URL for a second survey (e.g. arcgis-survey123://?itemID=<32characterGUID>).  I got the request to launch S123 and when I clicked on Allow, the context flipped to the already open S123 app and the 2nd survey appeared in the app.  Now, strangely, if I entered data in a few fields and saved the survey as a draft and closed it, the original survey I opened appeared as if it was sitting in the background but was not accessible until the 2nd survey was gone.

This was an exciting prospect because a worker could open my lines survey, begin collecting data for a fence, come to a sign or a gate, open the signs or points survey using the URL, collect the data, save it to the outbox and then return to the lines survey and continue on.

However, when I disconnected from the network, I found the URL  method would no longer ask to launch the S123 app.  I just got the usual 'you are not connected to the network' type message.

As mentioned previously, our surveys are being collected on tablets that do not have network access.

Is there any way to launch the app with a 2nd survey with no network access?

Thanks,
Mark

[DougBrowning]

Yes that is what I meant it is somehow still open in the back.  This works from say field maps also.  You can launch then launch again and it keeps the first one in the background.

I am guessing you cant use a URL in a browser if you are offline which makes sense.  Not sure why you are using a browser offline?  I only launch URLs from Field Maps so not sure what your workflow is here.  

Sorry kind of lost me here.

[MarkWilkinson1]

@DougBrowning:

The only reason I mentioned using a browser and a URL was because of your suggestion. 

We have tablets that do not have any network access (we use Enterprise and it is in the company protected network and IT do not allow mobile devices to penetrate the firewall).  Users download the three surveys and a selection of TPK files I made while they are in the office then they head out with the tablets and GNSS receivers.  They collect data, come into the office and upload the data to the server.   My original post describes the problem associated with survey flipping.

I wonder if I can install a portable web server on each tablet and somehow fool the browser/app into thinking it has a network connection.

[DougBrowning]

So you just need something to launch links from?  What about just a word doc or pdf or something?  May be able to put links in Avenza and use GeoPDFs.

[MarkWilkinson1]

@DougBrowning 

I downloaded a portable web server and just let it run on the tablet in the background.  I disconnected from the network, ran the S123 app and opened my first survey.  Then I entered the URL of the 2nd survey in a browser and I got the 'do you want to launch S123?' prompt.  I said yes, it flipped over to the running instance of S123 and popped open the 2nd survey.

I am going to get some of my users to vet this idea but I think I might have something here.

Thanks for letting me know about "survey stacking". Reminds me of Reverse Polish Notation that HP Calculators and several languages use/used.

Mark

[DougBrowning]

I would also test just launching the links from a text doc.  I do not see any reason you need to paste into a web browser here.  The tablet should see its an app and just launch it.  Like from Field Maps no browser needed.

You could also put the link in the first form and launch it right from there.

Good luck

[MarkWilkinson1]

@DougBrowning 

Hopefully this will be the last time I bother you.  If I put a link in the form of arcgis-survey123://?itemID=<32characterGUID> in a text doc, when the doc is opened, there will be nothing to click.  But, if I put it in a Word hoc I can create a hyperlink and that will work. 

I like your idea of including a link in a survey but I can't seem to get it to work.  If I add a new line with type= note and a label=arcgis-survey123://?itemID=(32characterGUID), the text appears in the survey as straight (unclickable) text. If I insert a hyperlink in the Excel survey file, I can click on the link in Excel and, like Word, it works.  However the link turns into straight text in the survey itself.

I tried using <a href=arcgis-survey123://?itemID=(32characterGUID)>Survey </a> and I get a link that, when clicked, will launch the S123 app but the survey does not open.  I tried <a href=https://survey123.arcgis.app?itemID=(32characterGUID)>Survey</a> and that just launched my browser.  I referred to https://doc.arcgis.com/en/survey123/reference/integratewithotherapps.htm for this

The Word doc method works but it bugs me that I can't get it to work in Survey123.  

Any suggestions?

Mark