Latest Contributions by MarkChilcott

Hi Peoples, A quick note on an upgrade issue I just came across.  May help others out in the future.   We are doing an upgrade to one of our ArcSDE instances. This has been bought about by the need to do an Oracle upgrade. Given the number of versions we are behind, we have had to create a new virtual machine on an updated OS, with a new instance of Oracle at 12c, then export the entire database from the old instance to the new instance. Once the new Oracle database came across, then do the ArcSDE upgrade from 10.1 to 10.3.1. So a fair bit going on here.   We did this all last week on a test instance – and went swimmingly well.   So to today.   To connect to the new Oracle instance, there are a few option in relation to the TNSnames.ora file. Option A We can add a new entry for the new database Option B we can use the same name in the TNS, but alter the server details. Option B in theory means you can make one change to the TNSnames, and then all your connections from ArcGIS, FME, SQL Developer etc just continue to work. No need to alter all your projects with the new connection. So we went with option B.   I was able to connect to ArcSDE as the SDE user, and to perform the per-requisite checks. So all looked good in relation to connections. When the upgrade ran : this was the result:   Executing: UpgradeGDB "Database Connections\rmcdb.dpipwe.tas.gov.au@sde@DC.sde" PREREQUISITE_CHECK UPGRADE Start Time: Thu Aug 18 08:57:52 2016 Paused the database for upgrade. There are no other active connections. User has privileges required to upgrade. Connected RDBMS instance is setup for ST_GEOMETRY configuration. Running Pre-Requisite check (C:\Users\mchilcott\AppData\Roaming\ESRI\Desktop10.3\ArcCatalog\rmcdb.dpipwe.tas.gov.au@sde@DC.sde). Instance supports XML type. Updating server tables and stored procedures. Could not update server tables and stored procedures. Refer to upgrade logfiles for more details: C:\Users\mchilcott\AppData\Local\Esri\Desktop10.3\GDBUpgrade.log (null) Unpaused the database. Failed to execute (UpgradeGDB). Failed at Thu Aug 18 08:57:52 2016 (Elapsed Time: 0.28 seconds)   Nothing in the UpgradeGDB.log Nothing in the sdesetup.log   These gave some hint as to the issue: http://support.esri.com/en/bugs/nimbus/TklNMDg0OTg3 http://support.esri.com/technical-article/000011653     Going back over the TNSnames.ora file, I found an extra bracket. Also, I am not sure if the TNS is case dependent, as we altered rmcdb.dpipwe.tas.gov.au > RMCDB.DPIPWE.TAS.GOV.AU   Fixing the tnsnames.ora file, and creating a new ArcMap database connection - and it worked.   It looks to me there is a bug in here somewhere. If the TNS was incorrect, or the connection file in SDE is slightly different –then the connection should have failed, or the per-requisite should have failed. To have the connection succeed, and the per-requisite succeed, only to have the upgrade fail is strange. This leads you to think it is a server issue, rather than a client issue. Bottom line - if you see this, then check your TNSnames.ora file, and recreate your connections.  Maybe even attempt the upgrade from another computer. ... View more

We are starting to scope out what we may need to do to implement GDA2020 once the coordinate system has been defined and the NTv2 grids become available at the beginning of 2017.  I have only touched the surface of this – but was hoping for a quick reality check on some of my initial thoughts. ArcMap As far as ArcMap goes – it all looks reasonably clear. Once registered with the EPSG and included with the software at some later release, once I upgrade ArcMap, it is just another projection and coordinate system. Just an ArcMap upgrade to support a new coordinate system and transform. Server It is not entirely clear to me what is going on with server (both ArcSDE and Server [Publishing]).  I suspect the new coordinate system and transform forms part of the server software – so if I want my ArcSDE data or my published services to support GDA2020 – I will need to do server upgrades.  Is this the case? The data What I was hoping for was to use some ArcSDE magic and ST_GEOM sql to just say : upgrade <feature_class> transform GEOM to GDA2020.  (you get the drift).  Then all the feature classes just become GDA2020.  Magic. What I am thinking is it will not be that easy.  I think I am going to have to run a tool that transforms the data into a new feature class.  This has some interesting challenges in relation to: Versioned editing:  Archives : Relationship classes : Topologies: … So … to the heart of the matter: If I have to export all the feature classes to transform them, and I have to upgrade the servers to support the new coordinate system – then for all intents and purposes – I am looking at a complete system rebuild – all new data on all new servers, with the additional challenges of moving complex data structures. Is this correct, or am I just missing something really obvious? Cheers, Mark ... View more

Hi Peoples, esri's current status is they do not support the use of SD cards with Collector for Android. However, I noted with the new release of Android 6.0 Marshmallow: Starting with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, though, some phones can use SD cards as internal storage as well. In this case, your Android device “adopts” the SD card as part of its internal pool. It’ll be treated as part of your internal storage, and Android can install apps to it and save app data to it. In fact, since it’s considered internal storage, any type of app can be installed to the SD card–including apps that provide widgets and background processes. Unlike older versions of Android, it doesn’t matter whether the developer has disabled the “move to SD card” permission or not. http://www.techradar.com/au/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/android-m-release-date-when-can-i-get-it--1297182 http://www.howtogeek.com/242937/how-to-set-up-a-new-sd-card-in-android-for-extra-storage/ Anyone tried this to see if it works? Anyone know if the use of internal storage SD cards with therefore technically be supported? Cheers, Mark ... View more

When you need to work offline – Basemaps can be downloaded directly to your smartphone or tablet using the Collector app.  This involved creating a tile package, and copying it to the device. If you use Apple devices - the only way Collector supports copying to the device is with iTunes.  This is somewhat difficult. Apps like Avenza PDF Maps offer the following 4 methods to copy data to the App. You can do so in four ways: 1. From the Maps list, tap the + button at the top-right. In the From the Web box, type a URL, network or server address into the box to download and process a map to load it from a public URL/network/server. 2. By Email, you can tap and hold an attachment until you see the "Open in PDF Maps" option. 3. Connect your iOS device to your computer and open iTunes. Add files to PDF Maps from the Apps section in iTunes. Once added, you can process these maps in the app by tapping the iTunes File Sharing option. 4.Link your Dropbox account to PDF Maps and choose compatible files (geospatial PDF, GeoPDF and GeoTIFF) to download to the PDF Maps app. Collector should be able to do the same. ... View more

If you want to use Collector in Offline mode, all the feature layers have to be sync enabled.  This may require the layer to be archive enabled, and have Global IDs.  If the layer is read only, it would be good to simply load the layer onto the device and add to collector map. ... View more

Hi Peoples, Is it possible to add a layer to a Collector Map that is for read only, and thus not sync-enabled.  My reading and testing would indicate that if you want to take a map offline, then all the layers need to be sync-enabled feature layers.  This would require me to enable archiving and add GlobalIDs. Would be ideal if I could side load a layer, the same way I can side load a basemap. Am I missing something here? References: Collector: Prepare maps for offline use http://doc.arcgis.com/en/collector/windows/create-maps/offline-map-prep.htm ArcGIS Online: Take Maps Offline http://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/use-maps/take-maps-offline.htm#ESRI_SECTION1_6CE94B6639C44D5AB860FD74256387CA Server: Prepare data for offline use http://server.arcgis.com/en/server/10.3/publish-services/windows/prepare-data-for-offline-use.htm Cheers, Mark ... View more

Hi Peoples, I note in the What’s New in 10.3 that ArcGIS Server creates a compact cache in an improved format.  This was achieved by including the tile index information (.bundlx files) inside the .bundle files. So … when I use the Data Management Tools > Tile Cache > Mange Tile Cache Tool to build a cache from an MXD, I was surprised to see the format is the old cache format, as opposed to the new cache format. One can also see this in the conf.xml file associated with the cache: This is when a cache is created in ArcGIS Server: <StorageFormat>esriMapCacheStorageModeCompactV2</StorageFormat> This is from the cache created in Desktop: <StorageFormat>esriMapCacheStorageModeCompact</StorageFormat> After discussion with esri support in Australia and the US the final response was: I have spoken my tech lead on this matter, and currently there are no plans to adopt the new cache format into the Desktop Manage Tile Cache tools. Really? So now we have one platform that creates two incompatible cache tile formats, with no plans to change.  Brilliant. References: http://server.arcgis.com/en/server/latest/get-started/windows/what-s-new-in-arcgis-10-3-for-server.htm http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/desktop/latest/tools/data-management-toolbox/manage-tile-cache.htm Cheers, Mark ... View more