Collector Issues: Related Tables, Attachments and Opening with ArcMap

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02-24-2015 01:29 PM
MasonBailie
New Contributor III

Thank you ESRI, this latest update has been excellent! My organization had actually been developing our own mobile app so that we could easily collect data (requiring relationships) in the field; when it was announced in 10.3, that these capabilities were being added to collector, we were very excited! That being said, I'm having a couple of issues--- I'm not sure if they are features that haven't been developed yet or if I'm doing something incorrect.

Refer to this map, it is just a test map so you can feel free to add your own features to test out the functionality:

http://grmw.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=050e93147b0c4df18644c45b7fca0ac5

My three tables look like this:

Restoration Projects:

     - Object ID

     - Project ID

     - Polygon Field

     - Name and a few more text fields that aren't important

Project Features:

     - Object ID

     - ProjectKey (related to Restoration Projects 'Project ID' Field)

     - Point Field

     - Date and other fields

     - Attachment

Monitoring Records:

     - Object ID

     - FeatureKey (related to Project Features 'Object ID' Field)

     - Date/comment and other fields

     - Attachment

Projects 1:M--> Project Features 1:M--> Monitoring Records

I can create ‘Projects’ in the app just fine. Displaying how many ‘Features’ a Project has in the popup works in the ArcGIS Online viewer but not Collector. In Collector, it leaves Feature Count blank.

Problem #1 - Collector seems to not show related table information correctly in popups

Creating a Feature works just as I'd hoped. You click on the Project area, go to "New" at the bottom of the pop up form and create a feature for that project. Collector smartly adds the correct ProjectKey information into that Feature so that my users do not have to know the Project ID or type it in continuously when they are creating Project Features. Everything works great here. I click view and can see my Project Feature has been added nicely and displays correctly. The problem lies in the next step, the nested related table, adding a “Monitoring Record” for that Feature. I click "New" at the bottom of the Feature, and immediately I notice that the FeatureKey is not filled in. This is a bummer since it worked so well for the Project Feature previously.

Problem #2 - My Monitoring Records do not automatically add the FeatureKey to the field

I do not want my co-workers to have to remember the FeatureKey that they are creating a Monitoring Record for (likely, they won't be able to). Oddly enough, if I leave that field blank while filling out the Monitoring Records form, the Monitoring Record is still related to the Project Feature. I'm not sure how, since that field appeared to be blank.

So I change my use back to the ArcGIS Online viewer: Project Data is correct, Feature data is correct and attachments are working, here’s the kicker--- and I cannot view the Monitoring Records attachment. (That seems to be the only problem with the Online viewer. Other than this, I'm very happy with how well that works.)

Problem #3 - I can't see attachments for my table

Next it's time to open the data in ArcMap. Online, I browse to My Content, click on my Feature Layer and select Open in ArcGIS for Desktop. It downloads a file that I click and opens up ArcMap (this is a very nice way to do this, simple and easy to use). I see my Project and Feature data. I click the Project I created and it shows the Feature relationship it has. That Feature has an attachment as well that loads via my Windows Photo Viewer. (Great!) And then I notice that my Feature does not have any Monitoring Records associated with it. I then click the "List By Source" and notice that my Monitoring Records table doesn't seem to be included with the Service.

Problem #4 - ArcGIS Online doesn't seem to attach my related table to the service given to ArcMap

Those are the issues I'm having. Sorry that was long winded, I wanted to explain my scenario thoroughly. I'm nervous writing all this as I'll probably get a response of "you did your relationship wrong," or something simple like that. But I hope I gave you guys enough information to see my problems.

Thanks again for the 10.3 release, it has some very exciting uses! If I need to attach any files for people to test out, let me know.

40 Replies
RussRoberts
Esri Notable Contributor

The team is just about finished and we are hoping to have it out in the next week or 2.

glennhazelton
Occasional Contributor III

hi Russel,

I have found some odd behavior using Collector with related tables.

what is happening is that if I create a new feature and submit it and then select this new point location and attempt to add a NEW record in the related table I get a message in red at the top of the info panel  saying "no valid location' and a spinning wheel. what should happen is that the attribute table should open so I can add values to the fields.

I also note that the related field (in this case the ID of the feature, not the Globalid) is blank.

this behavior seems to be happening consistently when more that one person is accessing the webmap via Collector.

are you aware of this issue?

I suspect it has something to do with the creation of the new location as I have not seen this issue if I simply select an existing location pt and the add a new related table record.

Glenn

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RussRoberts
Esri Notable Contributor

I don't work on Collector team directly anymore so this could be an issue introduced in a recent update. Right now I am focused on AGOL and Web Scene Viewer but I will ask the team. Miaogeng Zhang​ will be able to help you out.

Few questions on the issue you are seeing:

Are you using iOS or Android?

What version of the app are you using?

Are you using a hosted feature service or an ArcGIS Server feature service?

What type of relationship are you using "1 to Many" ?

Thanks!

Russ

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glennhazelton
Occasional Contributor III

thanks

answer to questions

iOS iPad

latest collector version

the feature service is hosted on my arcserver install behind the firewall

i am running 10.3.2.

it is a 1:many

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VickyS
by
Occasional Contributor

Hi Mason

I am having issues to get a similar set of relationships to work offline. I've had a look at you web map and rest services on ArcGIS Online. Does this work ok offline with the collector app? If so is your data versioned or archived?

I can get Feature Class to Feature Class to Table relationships working online with the collector app but I get a failed to create replica message when I attempt to take them offline.

Thank you

Vicky

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MohammedMogahed
Esri Contributor

Hi Mason,

I can do the whole exercise but I cannot see attachments of related table.

I can see attachment of main feature, but not related table attachments.

Any idea?

THanks

Mohammed Mogahed

NathanielClement1
New Contributor II

So am I reading or understanding this correctly: You can only show a related table in Collector if the relationship is based on an ESRI field such as global ID or object ID? If this is true it doesn't seem to be all that useful. I have a number of tables with fields like project ID in them and feature classes with the same field. I want to relate these and have the info show up but it doesn't seem to work. I can see the related table and object info in ArcMap and AGO when I click on show related table. Why did ESRI go this route and make the collector popup not show this in the app itself. Or am I missing something here?

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RussRoberts
Esri Notable Contributor

Only ObjectID based relationships are not supported in the app. If we used OID based relationships there are chances with Offline that the OID could be duplicated and break the relationship model. GlobalID based and "user maintained" relationships are supported like the project ID one mentioned in your post are supported. Also the tables have to have a popups enabled on them to be displayed in the app.

Russ

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NathanielClement1
New Contributor II

Hmmm I must be doing something wrong then. I can't seem to get the pop up configured correctly. I have the show related table checked and the relationship shows up in the configure attributes but its just giving me a "1" in the pop up. Also, I can't find where I can set up the pop up to just have the related table like in the ESRI blog example:

Related Tables – Exploring New Ways to use Collector for ArcGIS | ArcGIS Blog

Can I maybe get you to take a look at it for me?

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RussRoberts
Esri Notable Contributor

Yup sure, send me an invite to a group with the map and services. The account to invite into the group will be Collector4ArcGIS

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