Latest Contributions by JohnathanHasthorpe

We have seen cases where duplicate features were submitted by the QuickCapture mobile application. This issue typically was experienced in areas with poor network connectivity. In some cases, the users saw timeout errors, while in other cases, they may not be aware of the duplicate submissions. Cause of the issue The problem occurs due to the app's logic, which aims to prevent data loss. When the app attempts to upload a feature (or batch of features), it waits for a success response from the server. If no response is received, the app assumes the upload has failed and will attempt to retry the upload twice more. If there is still no response, the app will show an error to the user. The user can then manually attempt the submission as many times as they like. The issue arises when a feature is actually successfully uploaded, but the app does not receive a response in time. In such cases, the app may mistakenly retry the upload, resulting in duplicate feature submissions. In the past, we accepted this as a trade-off to avoid data loss. However, the latest version of the application introduces a new mechanism to prevent this issue. Solution In the latest version of the QuickCapture app (1.21), a unique GlobalID is created for each submitted feature. If a feature with the same GlobalID is submitted again, the server will return an error. When the app detects this specific error, it will treat the feature as successfully submitted and will not attempt to resubmit it. Enabling the supportsApplyEditsWithGlobalIds capability in hosted feature services All you need to do is update to the latest version of the mobile application (1.21 or higher) and ensure that all your feature layers have the supportsApplyEditsWithGlobalIds capability enabled. This capability allows the app to create and assign a GlobalID to each feature before sending it, instead of relying on the server to generate the GlobalID on submission. Check if your feature service supports the capability: In the QuickCapture web designer, select a project button and navigate to the DATA tab. Click the (i) icon to open the item page for the feature layer the button is sending features to. Scroll down to the URL section for the feature layer and click the View button.   This will open the ArcGIS REST Services Directory page for the feature service. Look for the SupportsApplyEditsWithGlobalIds property and ensure it is set to True.   Enable the capability in a hosted feature service: If the property is not set to true, go back to the feature layer’s item page and click the Settings tab.   Scroll to the Editing section, check the Enable Sync option, and save the change. This will create the required fields and indexes, and set SupportsApplyEditsWithGlobalIds = true.   Note: This is a one-way process; you can uncheck Enable Sync later if it is not necessary for your workflows. Finally: in the QuickCapture web designer, re-save the project. Users in field will then be able to download the project update. That is it, you are done. No more duplicate features in your feature service! Bonus: More reliable sending of attachments When a target feature service is configured with SupportsApplyEditsWithGlobalIds = true, QuickCapture mobile users will also experience the more robust sending of attachemnents (photos or videos). Esentially, the mobile application will upload attachents first, and only when all attachments have been successfully uploaded, will it send the feature. This means that you should not get a feature that has been submitted with missing attachments, which is still possible for layers that have SupportsApplyEditsWithGlobalIds = false. That is it for now. Happy QuickCapturing!     ... View more

Solution-Based Templates   Solution-based templates are pre-configured, industry-specific templates created by Esri. These templates come with several components, including a QuickCapture project, layers, views, web maps, and dashboards. When you deploy a project from one of these templates, all associated items are automatically linked together. This makes it easy to capture data and then view the results in the connected web map or dashboard.   How to Use a Solution-Based Template:   1. In the QuickCapture Web Designer, choose Create a New Project. 2. Select the option Start from template. 3. Browse through the available templates. Clicking on any template will display more details before you proceed with deployment.   Deployment Process:   - Once you deploy a solution-based template, a new directory will be created in your content. This directory will include all the related items (QuickCapture project, layers, web maps, and dashboards). The directory name will be based on the original template (e.g., `TemplateName`)  If you deploy the same template multiple times, the folder name will be incremented (e.g., `TemplateName_2`, `TemplateName_3`, etc.). On completion, you can open the deployed project in the QuickCapture web designer, edit it, and share it with mobile users (ready for capturing data in the field).   Solution-based templates are a great starting point. You can either use them as-is or modify them to fit your specific needs. However, note that you cannot create your own solution-based templates, but you can create Project-based templates.   Project-Based Templates   Project-based templates are hosted within organization and are created and shared by you (not Esri). These templates include the project, views and layers, but unlike solution-based templates, they do not include web maps or dashboards.    How to Create a Project-Based Template:   1. In the QuickCapture Web designer create a project using the Create a New Project option using either: - Start with feature layers. - Start with an existing template. 2. Alternatively, use the Save As function to create a copy of an existing project. (Note: Save As works for layers you own or layers that have been shared with you.) 3. Once you’ve created the desired project, organize your project and layers: - Create a group in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise (e.g., "QuickCapture Templates"). - Share your project and layers with this group. - Ensure the project and layers are shared with your organization so everyone has access to them.   Sharing Templates with Your Organization:   - As an Administrator, log in to the QuickCapture Web Designer. - Go to Organization Settings and under the Templates section, select the group you created from the drop-down list. - You can choose to uncheck the option to include Esri templates, so only your organization’s custom templates are available.   Deployment Process:   - When users create a project from a template, they will be able to select any of the projects shared with the group. - Upon deployment, the project and layers (and views, if applicable) will be created as new items in the user’s content.   Key Takeaways   - Solution-based templates are pre-configured, industry-themed templates created by Esri that include the full set of related items (project, layers, web maps, dashboards, story maps). These are great for quick deployment, and while you can’t create them yourself, you can customize them to suit your needs. - Project-based templates are custom templates created from your own QuickCapture projects. You can share them with your organization, and allow other users to deploy and reuse them as needed. Both types of templates streamline the process of creating new QuickCapture projects, allowing you to either use existing templates or create your own reusable templates.   Final Thoughts   Whether you're just getting started or looking to create a repeatable process for your organization, templates in QuickCapture can significantly reduce the time it takes to deploy new data collection projects. Use the templates that best fit your needs and streamline your workflows today!   ... View more