Shapefile updating: ArcGIS Online back to ArcMap

[GregoryMcMahon1]

Hey,

What is the best fastest and easiest way to update a shapefile back to ArcMap from ArcGIS Online. I will be using collector to edit and record features. I ultimately want to keep the shapefile on our network up to date. What is the best way to update the feature from ArcGIS online back to the shapefile that is saved locally on our network. Is there a way to do this or will we have to download and replace each time?

Cheers

Greg 

[KellyGerrow]

HI Greg,

What do you use the shapefile for on your network? If you want the most up to date data from a feature service, you may want to consider using the hosted feature service in ArcMap as your data source.

If you are looking to automatically download a shapefile copy of your data hosted in ArcGIS Online, I would suggest looking into creating a script that exports the data to a single location on a regular basis. You can look at using the ArcGIS API for Python to do this or making rest api calls to export the data: ArcGIS REST API 

-Kelly

[GregoryMcMahon1]

Thanks for that Kelly,

Primarily I want to have my final shapefile controlled through Arcmap but allow numerous people to record/update data through collector on site and would like to be able to update the shapefile at the end of each day back to one saved locally on our network folders.

Is there any documentation around using the hosted feature service as the source in arcmap?

In arcmap my shapefile is classified into 5 different types and when the shapefile is downloaded each time from ArcGIS online and brought into Arcmap I seem to have to classify these again hence why if I could update the shapefile as I go then this would be a better solution.

Hope that makes some sense!!!!!

[KellyGerrow]

Hi Greg,

Here are some links:

Editing hosted feature service in ArcMap:

Making a local copy of a feature service for editing—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop 

Adding Services to ArcMap:

Adding ArcGIS Server map services—Help | ArcGIS Desktop 

Add data to ArcGIS Pro:

Add data to a project—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS Desktop 

Let me know if this helps.

-Kelly

[GregoryMcMahon1]

Thanks Kelly,

These are helpful. However what I am looking for is a way to sync edits from the shapefile. IE when editing the feature in ArcMap and it is saved then it is automatically saved in ArcGIS Omline and vice versa. Adding the feature service does not allow me to carry out edits so I would have to download this and then edit and re-upload onto ArcGIS Online and vice versa.

Basically I would like to cut out the steps 3-5 below:

1. Create a shapefile/feature in ArcMap

2. Publishing to ArcGIS Online

3. Recording/Editing shapefile in Arc Collector/ArcGIS Online

4. Downloading a shapefile in ArcGIS Online

5. Uploading to ArcMap

6. Possible Editing shapefile in ArcMap

7. Steps Repeating  1-7

If the ArcMap and ArcGIS Online feature/shapefile could be synced so that any changes in both will be up to date and allow editing in either platform and automatically update in the other.

Regards

Greg

[KellyGerrow]

Hi Greg,

Currently, your best option will be to use a feature service as your data source and update the feature service with new data. You can do this in ArcMap and Collector. If you need a local copy of the data try automating the exported shapefile using some of the resources from my first post.

If you want to edit the feature service and shapefile separately, you will need to develop a script that checks for changes between the feature service and shapefile. Currently there is no out of the box functionality to synchronize data collection with local data.

-Kelly