Collecting features on a Windows device

Using the ArcGIS application running on Windows device, you can collect geometries, attributes and attachments for features.

Tip:

The data used in this topic is based on the data model discussed in Sample data model for field data collection.

To collect a feature's geometry, you can use a Global Positioning System (GPS) location, GPS streaming, map sketching, or known coordinates. Starting from version 10.1.1, you have the flexibility to use these tools interchangeably. You can also collect a feature's attributes and attachments together with geometry on the same page. The attribute list allows you to input values directly or choose values from a list. If your feature layer supports attachments, you can also take pictures on-the-fly and attach them to a feature or attach existing files to a feature.

To start collecting data, use the Collect Features task:

Steps:

1. Start the field application and open the project on which to work. See Opening/Closing/Deleting projects for detailed instructions.

   After the project is open, the View Map page appears.

2. At the bottom of the page, tap Tasks > Collect Features to bring up the Collect Features page. If there's only one feature type, this page is skipped.
   Tip:

   You can filter some map layers by tapping Menu > Filter Layers, uncheck the layers you don't need, then tap OK. You can also group feature types by layers via Menu > Group By Layer. The result is shown below:

3. Tap the feature type you want to collect.

   The attribute view of the Collect [name of feature type] page appears as shown below:

   Note that the page has the following structure:

   • A Map tab and an Attributes tab on the right that allows you to switch between the map and attributes views
   • The Shape (lines and polygons) or Location (points) section at the top
   • The Attributes section in the middle
   • If the feature type has attachment support, the Attachments section appears at the bottom.

   Tip:

   While you are in the middle of collecting geometry using the map view, you can tap the Attributes tab to collect attributes and/or attachments, and vice versa.

   When you finish collecting the feature, save the feature by tapping the Save button at the bottom right.

Collecting geometry

The tools you can use to collect geometry include:

• GPS position—Capturing the location from a GPS receiver at one shot.
• GPS streaming (for line and polygon features only)—Capturing a series of locations from a GPS receiver in a regular time/distance interval.
• Map sketching—Collecting vertices by tapping the map.
• X/Y location—Entering known coordinates.

To start collecting geometry for a point feature type, on the attribute view of the Collect [name of feature type] page you can directly tap Use Current Location to capture the current GPS location as a vertex. You can also tap the Shape (for polygon and polyline) or Location (for point) button to switch to the map view, and use any available collection tools listed above.

You can apply an offset to the geometry you are capturing. Using an offset is particularly useful when the feature you want to collect is not easily accessible, such as a feature in the middle of water, or on a busy street where there is a lot of traffic.

You can apply offset to a single collected location (for example, one vertex of a polyline/polygon feature or a point feature). For polyline and polygons, you can also perform GPS streaming with offset.

• To apply an offset to a single location, tap the Menu button at the bottom, then tap Offset Last Location. The Offset Last Location window appears. Enter the bearing (0 is north, 90 is east), distance and the unit you want to offset, then tap Ok to accept.
• To apply offset with streaming, read the Streaming with offset subsection.

If you're collecting a line or a polygon and you want to edit or recollect the geometry, tap Menu at the bottom, then tap Remove Last Location or Start Over.

Using GPS position

Steps:

1. On the map view of the Collect [name of feature type] page, tap Collect using GPS Position. This collects a vertex based upon the current GPS location. The application tries to connect to a GPS device if it's not connected.
2. When you have a GPS connected and the signal quality satisfies the GPS quality filter, a little red square is drawn on the map representing the vertex you collected. For polyline or polygon features, repeat this step to collect more locations. For point features, click the button again if you want to re-collect the position using a GPS.

Using GPS streaming (for lines and polygons only)

On the map view of the Collect [name of feature type] page, tap Stream GPS Position.

For more details on how to perform GPS streaming, read the Streaming with default settings subsection. To learn more about how to offset the collected geometry being, read the Streaming with offset subsection. By default, when you collect data using GPS streaming, vertices are collected based upon time interval, which is set to 5 seconds. To change time interval or to switch to GPS streaming based on distance interval, read the Configuring streaming settings subsection.

Streaming with default settings

Steps:

1. When you tap Stream GPS Position, you are automatically connected to a GPS and the streaming starts if the signal quality meets GPS quality filter.

   The collected geometry displays on the map as a series of connected blue squares.

2. To pause or finish streaming, tap Stop Streaming. You can tap Stream GPS Position again to resume.

Streaming with offset

Steps:

1. Make sure streaming hasn't started or is paused. Tap the caret button next to Stream GPS Position, then tap Offset Location.
2. The GPS Streaming Offset window appears. Select the lateral offset direction (with respect to the direction you are heading to), the distance and the unit to offset, then tap Ok.

   The offset applies to all the subsequent locations collected after streaming resumes.

Configuring streaming settings

Steps:

1. Make sure streaming hasn't started or is paused. Tap the caret button next to Stream GPS Position, then tap Streaming Settings.
2. The GPS Streaming Settings page appears. Under the Streaming Settings area, tap Time or Distance as the mode, set an interval, then tap Save to accept.

Sketching on a map

Note:

Make sure that streaming is not running.

Sketching on a map is the default geometry collection method when you collect a new feature. The tablet application allows a user to do this without having to tap any button or menu. If a user taps the map, it is interpreted by the tablet app as sketching. If a user taps and holds, then pans, it is interpreted as panning the map.

To sketch a feature, open the map view of the Collect [name of feature type] page. Tap the map directly to collect a single vertex for a point feature, or to collect multiple vertices for polyline or polygon features.

Adding X/Y location

Note:

Make sure that streaming is not running.

Adding X/Y location allows users to collect new features or modify existing features by using an external GPS unit.

Steps:

1. To add a known X/Y location, tap Menu > Add X/Y Location.
   The Collect X/Y Location window appears. If you've started collecting the geometry of a feature, the windows shows the coordinates of the last collected vertex.
2. Edit the coordinates for the new vertex and tap Ok to accept.

   A new vertex is added on the map using the specified coordinates.

3. Repeat the steps above to collect more vertices if necessary.

Collecting attributes

To collect attributes, open the attribute view of the Collect [name of feature type] page as previously shown on the Collect Fair dialog box. Based on how your project administrator configured the project, you might find that:

• Some attributes have red text indicating that the field is required but the current value is invalid. You must complete those fields to save, for example, What's the street name? and What's the street number? fields previously shown on the Collect Fair dialog box.
• Some attributes provide you with a pick list from which to choose values.
• Some attributes have been completed for you (such as the Assessment Date and Assessor Identification field on the previously shown Collect Fair dialog box).
• Some attributes show you the valid range of values you can input (as shown on the screen shot below, the Number of Floors field has a range of 0-5)

To edit an attribute, tap it to bring up an input page, add a value or select a value from a list, then click Ok to save the value.

Collecting attachments

If the feature type you're collecting has attachment support, you will see the Attachments section on the attribute view of the Collect [name of feature type] page (as shown in the second screen shot in this topic). You can add an attachment by adding a stock file (image, video, or other types of files) or by taking a picture on-the-fly (if your device has camera support).

Tip:

Multiple attachments can be added to a single feature.

Steps:

1. To attach a stock file, tap . The Select a File window appears. Tap the Folder drop-down menu, then browse to the folder containing the attachment. Tap the attachment you want to add, then tap Ok.
   Tip:

   While you can add a file of any format as an attachment, only the files with the following extentions are supported by hosted feature services. Files of other types will not be uploaded when you synchronize data. This restriction does not apply to mobile services.

   Supported attachment file types are: bmp, ecw, emf, eps, ps, gif, img, jp2, jpc, j2k, jpf, jpg, jpeg, jpe, png, psd, raw, sid, tif, tiff, wmf, wps, avi, mpg, mpe, mpeg, mov, wmv, aif, mid, rmi, mp2, mp3, mp4, mpa, mpv2, qt, ra, ram, wav, wma, doc, docx, dot, xls, xlsx, xlt, pdf, ppt, pptx, txt, zip, 7z, gz, gtar, tar, tgz, vrml, gml, json, xml, and mdb.

   Note:

   The attachment is copied from the source location to the mobile project folder.

2. If your device has camera support, the button is enabled and you can take a picture and attach it to the feature. Tap Take a Picture to open the Take a Picture page, then tap the Capture button at the bottom right to capture an image.
   Tip:

   You can also switch to other shooting modes by tapping Menu, then select Switch Camera, Flip Horizontal, or Flip Vertical.

3. After you've added an attachment, it shows on the Attachments section under the Collect [name of feature type] page.
   • To view an attachment, tap to open it.
     Note:

     When an attachment is tapped, the tablet application tries to find an applicaton to open it through the operating system's registry table. In a Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 machine, if you try to open an attachment where your device doesn't have an associated program installed, a dialog box appears prompting you to copy the file path of the attachment. Tap Yes, then you can save the path and open the attachment from the path later when you install the associated program. In a Windows 8 machine, you are prompted to select an associated program to open the file.

   • Repeat steps 1-2 to add more attachments.
   • To delete the added attachments, tap Menu > Delete Attachments. Tap to check one or more attachments and tap Delete at the bottom right of the Delete Attachments page.