Upload (Write) Processed Features to a GIS Data Source

After you process feature codes using an FXL file created from a downloaded GIS data source schema, you can use the Write Features to GIS command to upload (write) the processed feature data matching the schema back to the same data source.

Notes:

File geodatabases and shapefiles exported from TBC may have additional fields which are not part of an original feature definition (GIS schema). Those fields will not be populated when using the Write Features to GIS command.
To understand how coordinate systems are handled when working with GIS connections, see Working with Coordinates Systems in GIS Connections.
When you exchange feature data with a GIS data source that includes feature attributes with attached files (for example, a photo JPG file), the attached files are included in the exchange. This ensures a more complete transfer of feature data to be shared with others.
To correctly write features with elliptical arcs back to the data source from TBC, a projected coordinate system is required in both the TBC project and the data source.

Prerequisites:

See the Subscription Plans page. For a license matrix by command, see the License page in the TBC Community. Also see View and manage licensed features.

To upload processed features to a GIS data source:

If you have not already done so, use the GIS Connection Manager to establish a connection to the data source you want to use to exchange GIS data.
Select Write Features to GIS in GIS > Connection to display the Write Features to GIS command pane.
In the Select GIS data connection drop-down list, select the connection to the data source to which you want to upload the processed feature data.
This must be the same data source from which the GIS schema (feature definitions) was downloaded and used to create the FXL file that was, in turn, used to collect the feature data in the field and process it in TBC.
Click in the Select feature classes field and then, using a graphic view or the Project Explorer, select the objects whose features you want to upload.
Select the Options button for additional selection options (for example, select all objects in the project).
After you make your selection:
- The number of features selected for upload that have not been previously uploaded to the GIS data source is displayed for each feature in the New column in the Select feature classes list.
- The number of features selected for upload that havebeen previously uploaded to the GIS data source is displayed for each feature in the Written colun in the Select feature classes list.
Optionally, uncheck the check box for any feature that you do not want to upload to the data source.
Do either of the following:
- To specify to upload previously uploaded features to the GIS data source (the features included in the count displayed in the Written column), check the Write previously written features to the data source check box. These features will be duplicated in the data source (except in cases where the previously written feature has been deleted from the data source).
- To specify to not upload previously uploaded features to the GIS data source (the features included in the count displayed in the Written column), uncheck the Write previously written features to the data source check box.
Click OK.
Before the upload actually takes place, TBC compares the schema (feature definitions) for the GIS data source connection with the features associated with the selected objects to make sure they are compatible
In addition, to avoid serious errors when writing data to the GIS data source, TBC compares the coordinate system specified in your TBC project with the Trimble coordinate system specified in the GIS data source to ensure they match. If there is a mismatch, you must specify a resolution.

If the Trimble coordinate system matching the file geodatabase coordinate system (or constructed for it based on available parameters) does not match the coordinate system currently specified for the project, the GIS Coordinate System Mapping dialog displays. Use it to specify whether to:
- Change the project coordinate system to match the GIS (file geodatabase) coordinate system and not transform grid coordinates
- Keep the project and GIS (file geodatabase) coordinate systems and transform the grid coordinates
- Consider the project and GIS coordinate (file geodatabase) systems to be the same and not transform coordinates
Specify the elevation type coming from the GIS data source: Orthometric heights or Ellipsoidal heights.
Click OK after making your selection.
Note: Values for TBC feature attributes of types "Photo" and "File" will be written to the shapefile/file geodatabase fields with the same names (if such fields exist). After the upload process completes, each of the fields will contain the file name and path of the photo or other file type, but the file itself will remain in its original location. Depending on the size limitation of the field, the file name and path may be truncated.
When the update process completes, a Features Written to GIS message dialog is displayed showing the number of features that were uploaded.