Using additional tools

Terra Office add-in for ArcGIS Pro provides additional functionality through the Tools button on the toolbar. Functionality pertains to both TerraFlex Workflows and Legacy Workflows (e.g., TerraSync).

TerraFlex workflows

  • To enable ArcGIS layers with new schema for auto fields and/or sensor workflow fields:

    1. Click the Enable ArcGIS layers with new schema for TerraFlex auto and sensor fields… link. This will open an ArcGIS Pro Geoprocessing tool window with the Add Fields For TerraFlex tool selected (from the Terra Office toolbox that is installed with the add-in).

    2. Select the Input Features layers, the Auto Field Schema, and the Sensor Workflow Schema to use for each layer. In the case of auto fields, choose between adding Default TerraFlex auto fields (as configured), All possible TerraFlex auto fields (full set), or Do not add auto field schema. For sensor workflow schema, choose between the Active TerraFlex sensor fields (as configured) or Do not add sensor field schema. Hover over the warning triangle icon next to the Sensor Workflow Schema drop-down label to see what the active sensor workflow is currently set to.

    3. Click Run to add the selected auto field set to the selected layers. If any fields currently exist, they will be skipped. If you want to make changes to what that default set includes, or what field names are used, you should make those changes first (see next bullet).

      4. NOTE – You do not have to use this tool to add ArcGIS schema for auto field values and can instead create them using any ArcGIS tool or process. Terra Office just needs to know what field name to use for each auto field type (and the data type must match—double for accuracies/DOPs/height, datetime for created/updated, long for auto increment (numeric), and string for everything else). However, use of this tool is required for adding sensor workflow fields.

  • To change the default set of auto fields:

    1. Click the Edit the default TerraFlex auto field configuration… link. This opens the Auto Field Configuration window.

    2. To change which auto fields are included in the default set, use the checkboxes in the Usecolumn.

    3. To change the name of the ArcGIS field that will be used for the auto field, use the Field name column. For example, if you already used a different set of standard names, configure them here so that they get used for auto fields during template creation.

    4. To change the Units (for accuracy auto fields) or Start value (for unique ID auto fields), use the options presented in the Option column.

    5. The text in the Validation column provides information on whether or not a field of that Field name and Data type exists in the layers of the current map. To validate against a specific layer, use the Layers drop-down at the top.

    6. Click Save to store the current settings.

  • To edit the active TerraFlex sensor workflow:

    1. Click the Edit the active TerraFlex sensor workflow and field configuration… link. This opens the Sensor Workflow and Field Configuration window.

    2. To change the type of sensor, use the Sensor type drop-down. A sensor may provide multiple measurement methods. Use the Measurement type drop-down to choose the desired one.

    3. Based on the selection of sensor type and measurement type, the Fields table will populate with the available sensor data fields.

    4. To change which sensor fields to include with the measurement taken with this sensor type, use the checkboxes in the Usecolumn.

    5. To change the name of the ArcGIS field that will be used for the sensor field, use the Field name column. For example, if you already used a different set of standard names, configure them here so that they get used for sensor fields during template creation.

    6. To change the Units (e.g., for depth fields), use the options presented in the Option column.

    7. The text in the Validation column provides information on whether or not a field of that Field name and Data type exists in the layers of the current map. To validate against a specific layer, use the Layers drop-down at the top.

    8. Click Save to store the current settings. Only one sensor workflow can be active at a time - this will be used for all TerraFlex projects created from the add-in. Templates will only be enabled with sensor workflows if they contain the correct schema.

  • To create background layers for TerraFlex Local Projects:

    1. Click the Manage TerraFlex Local Project backgrounds… link. This opens the Manage TerraFlex backgrounds window.

      2. NOTE – If a previous background creation attempt failed, you will be prompted to delete the record of that attempt at this point in the workflow.

    2. There are two different types of backgrounds that can be created - offline raster basemap packages and vector reference layer packages. The list of TerraFlex backgrounds shows maps that have previously been created and are stored on the computer (typically in C:\ProgramData\Trimble\TerraOfficeArcGISProAddIn\TerraFlexBackgrounds).

    3. To view details of an existing background, select the row and note the Source, Description, and listed storage path.

    4. To create a new background based on the currently active map in ArcGIS Pro, click Create.

      • To select the type of background to create, use the Background type drop-down. A short description is displayed.

      • Use the Background name entry box to provide a descriptive name.

      • The Description field gets a default value but can be changed.

      • Click the Create button to start the process - this may take a while depending on the map and type of background.

      • A notification in ArcGIS Pro is used to alert the user to completion of the process. Use the Refresh link above the TerraFlex backgrounds list to see the latest Status of the new background. Click the row and note the Description where a failure or error might be indicated.

    • To import a background created from a different instance of Terra Office add-in (either for ArcMap or ArcGIS Pro), click Import and then browse to the GeoPackage file - these are specially formatted packages and those created outside of Terra Office will likely not work as backgrounds.

    • To remove an existing background, select the row and then click Remove.

  • To view the Local Project processing queue for all projects, click the Show GNSS data sessions for all projects… link. This will open the processing queue window where data for all projects on the local machine will be shown.

    1. Review the list of sessions that have been queued or processed. The list of projects shows the project, user/device, session start time and end time, when processing is expected (for those queued), the number of forms, the source of the session (e.g., the TerraFlex Forms file name), the status, and whether or not the GIS features have been updated following processing.

    2. Click the column headers as necessary to sort the list of sessions.

    3. To refresh the list (i.e., to see the latest processing status), click Refresh in the upper right corner of the window.

    4. To view processing details about a GNSS data session in the queue, either double-click the row or select the row and click Details. In the details window, for files that have one or more sessions processed, additional Details… links will be available; these can be used to view the detailed processing results (e.g., base station used and number of positions in each accuracy range).

    5. To remove the selected session from the queue (e.g., after it is corrected and the GIS features have been updated), click Remove. This does not affect the features that were created or updated from the session.

    6. Click Close when done.

Legacy workflows

  • To import a TerraSync data (SSF) or data dictionary (DDF) file, click the Import SSF/DDF to a file geodatabase… link. This will open a dialog box with several entries.

    1. Specify the source SSF/DDF file by clicking the … button next to the SSF/DDF file: entry box.

    2. Specify the target (empty) file geodatabase by clicking the … button next to the File geodatabase: entry box.

    3. Specify the horizontal and vertical coordinate system for the (new) feature classes to be created by clicking the … button next to the Geodatabase coordinate system (horizontal + vertical): entry box.

    4. To import features in addition to schema, select the Import features box.

    5. Specify the horizontal coordinate system used in the SSF feature geometries by selecting a value from the SSF geometry coordinate system (horizontal GCS only; vertical always HAE): drop down.

      NOTE – If you specified a coordinate system based on a local datum in the Geodatabase coordinate system entry box above, you will generally have the choice here of that datum in addition to WGS 1984 (with some dependence on the extent of the data in the SSF). You will also have the option of changing the transformations used (both horizontal and vertical if setting an orthometric height).