Add option to Date-Time stamp photo attachments in Collector

6179
19
10-07-2015 08:25 AM
Status: Open
BarryWilliams
New Contributor II

Currently to get a date-time stamp on a photo attachment in Collector we have to use a third party app to date stamp the image.  The image must then be saved to the mobile device.  It can then be added as an attachment in Collector.

It would be helpful to have the option to add the date-time stamp to photo attachments directly from Collector.  This would streamline field data collection.

19 Comments
DustinGlass
This is a great idea for legal purposes to document field photos.
ScottPrindle

Hello Barry,

Thank you for submitting this idea. Is it just a timestamp that you'd like to include on the photo, or other information as well? Does the photo's EXIF data include the timestamp for possible post-processing?

Others,

When voting for this idea, consider commenting to share your thoughts or alternate workflows where this functionality would help.

Thanks,

Scott

DaveSivertsen

We periodically inspect and photograph. Currently, the fieldworker can view past photos, but has no way to tell if they are from yesterday or two years prior. Short of scripting a program to burn the creation date into the JPG, there is no way for the fieldworker to determine when past JPGS were attached.

MichaelHubbard2

We have a field worker go to the field and take photos of the status of buildings (new construction) or additions to buildings as they are being built for purposes of assessing the value at a particular time.  Instead of taking the photos in a phone where sometimes the user forgets to turn on the timestamp, downloading them back in the office and then trying to make sense of which photos go to which locations, I was hoping to use Collector.  I have a script that copies the new attachments to folders based on their parcel number and was hoping this would save a lot of time and confusion.  After developing this, of course, I was told that they need a date stamp on the photo...

Jesse_Friend

Have you tried Survey123? You can auto populate a time field based on an action, such as uploading a new photo to the survey. You could also include a geolocation question within the survey to help give the location of the photo directly.

JasonWatson

This would be useful for our organization as well. We use photos and Collector for verification of meter installations. An automatic date/time stamp would save us time by not having to input a manual entry into Collector. Dreaming big here but the ability to add a station id to the photo would at least give you the ability to utilize historical photos if a relationship was broken.  

ER_Michigan

I'm building workflow in Geocortex for pictures that were taken in the field using the Collector app. Our users want to be able to cycle through the photos in the order in which they were taken, but since the ATTACH table which contains the photos doesn't have date/time info they just seem to be random and we can't show them in order. I would love to see this implemented!

BPriyaK

Barry Williams‌ ,Im curious to know about the third party app that you use to time stamp the photos currently in Collector

RobertThomas2

For Android we use AngleCam Lite

BenWagner3

This is an often requested feature for our Code Enforcement Officers. All of their photos taken with cases are required to have a timestamp to be admissible into court as evidence. As of now, they take photos using the free Timestamp Camera app from the iOS App Store. They then have to one-by-one attach the photos to the case in Collector. I really hope this option is implemented soon. It would save a lot of time, both in the field and back in office. The timestamps should just be the date and time, not a location due to potential poor GPS accuracy that could say the photo was across the street or on the next door property. The ability to have a black background to make the text stand out from the rest of the photo is a must as well.