Field Activity #8: Arc Collector

Introduction

This weeks field activity will have us creating our own data collection parameters for a feature class in ArcMap through the design of our own fields and domains.  Though this many seem like a simple task, assuring you have all of the fields and domains which are pertinent to a study poses to be a complicated task.  Prior planning and thought required to have a perfectly set up feature class, fields, and domains requires in depth planning and commitment to design perfectly.  After the creating of our feature class I will be utilizing the Arc Collector application with my Android phone to collect the data point location and the attributes associated with the location.


Methods

The first portion of this activity we were introduced to what different parameters are available when setting up domains in ArcMap.

A domain is a range or value of valid attributes which can be used in data collection to help streamline the process and aid in accurate values in the fields.

Domains can be set to various Field Types including, short and long integer, float, double, text, and date.  These field types allow you to maintain consistency of the data values.  Consistency is especially important when multiple people could be collecting data.  An example would be if a group was collecting street address data and the manner in which different people would collect the word "Avenue".  The word avenue could be recorded in a number of ways such as: "Ave.", "ave.", "Avenue", "avenue",...ect.  Each variation would register differently in ArcMap and would not register all of results when searching for "avenue".  You can also use domains to set an allowable range value, such as for temperature to assure you don't end up with 300 degrees Fahrenheit when you intended to type 30 degrees.   Using domains eliminates errors which are time consuming to fix later and allows data to be collected faster in the field when done properly.

To practice setting up a domain for the collection of points on the campus.  I selected to map some of the signs around campus.  I set my domains up to what I thought would thoroughly cover the variations of signs around campus.  Before completing the assignment I decided to collect a few points to see how well it was set up.  The first sign I collected information about proved I had set up my domains and fields poorly.  The first issue was I choose specific colors and did not allow for an "others" color variable.  My first sign was a color I had not input in my domain.  My second issue wasn't related to my domain but my preparation.  I had set a "height" field for the signs, but I did not have any form of measuring device to collect the information properly.  I collected a few other points with no other noticeable issues.  With these lessons learned I felt I was ready to design and prepare my geodatabase and domains for the second portion of the assignment.

I chose to survey businesses around the Eau Clarie area on Thanksgiving day, and record if they were open or closed.  I chose to record the date, whether the business was open or closed, if the business was open what time were they open till, what time I recorded the data, and the type of business being recorded.

I created a new geodatabase with in ArcMap and began creating my domains in the Database Properties menu (Fig. 1)

For the date domain, I set the only allowable date as Thanksgiving Day (11/26/2015).  For the open domain I set a coded domain to Yes or No.  I chose to set coded domains for the types of businesses, including Bar, Grocery Store, Gas Station, and Other.  I attempted to set the open till field to allow any time coded answer but something went wrong with this domain and I will be investigating what happened.  The time collection domain was set improperly as well, as I could only type in decimal form and could not use a semi-colon.  I am not sure if this is an ArcMap issue or with the manner in which I set up the domain field.

(Fig. 1) Domain setup for my assignment in ArcMap.

Then next step was to create a feature class for the point locations of the businesses.  After creating the feature class I assigned Field names in the Feature Class Properties menu.  I added Date, Time, Open, Opentil, and Business_Type to menu.  After add the fields I applied the above domains to the attributes to assist me in proper data collection (Fig. 2).

(Fig. 2) Feature Class Properties with Field Name and Domains applied.

My next step was to create a map in Arc Collector which will I will be able to connect with through my application on my phone.  The map will allow me to be able to display the data I collect.   To understand the step required to create the map I was directed to http://doc.arcgis.com/en/collector/ by my Professor.  This was the same process I used when I practiced collecting data around the campus. Next, I created a map for my Thanksgiving Business Survey using the streets basemap from ArcGis.


Once the previous steps were completed I was ready to go out and collect my data information.  The weather was not ideal, as it was sleet/snowing and the temperature was around 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to the in-climate weather all of my data points were collected from inside of my car.

After collecting all of my points I went back to the map I created in ArcGis to confirm all of my data was properly stored.  From the map window I could see my attribute data for the point locations I had entered (Fig. 3).

(Fig. 3) Display of Thanksgiving data points in ArcGis.com under my personal content.

I searched around to locate a way to classify the way the point locations were displayed on the map but I was not successful.

Discussion

The seemingly easy task of creating a geodatabase with a single feature class, and attributes does not seem like a important or particularly complicated task.  However, it is both important and complicated.  The extra work you do ahead of time will save you endless hours in the end of a project.

In my case I made errors in both of the fields and domain I created.  The errors I made could eaisly be over come by taking notes and editing the fields when I arrived back to my computer with the proper field notes being taken.  However, had I taken a little bit more care and done some preliminary scouting I would have been able to eliminate almost all of the errors I encountered.  I feel this is probably the most important take away from this assignment.  You can sit at a computer and contemplate all of the factors you will run into in the field but you will never think of them all. Giving yourself the flexibility to add notes and "other" fields to properly account for the variables you didn't think of is a must.

Additionally, I believe if you have the opportunity to head out into the field and "scout" or test your field and domains you should.  This will quickly bring issues to your attention and you can fix the issues before the actual data collection occurs.  Examining other databases similar to your may also bring attention to issues you have not thought of if a scouting mission is not feasible.

I am assuming you can download or extract the data from Arc Collector for use in ArcMap but I have not experimented with that.  I was disappointed when I was unable to change the way the point locations were displayed on the map.  I believe the majority of this needed to be preset when the map was created online.  This is just one more preliminary step you must complete to be successful with Arc Collector.

Conclusion

Preparation is the key when it comes to creating a geodatabase and feature classes from scratch.  The more precise work you do ahead of time the more time you NOT have to spend in the end fixing errors in the data.  Taking quality notes and having an "other" field is also crucial due to unscripted occurrences in the field.