Taking projects and data to the field

Once a project has been created (and published if applicable), the day-to-day work of data collection can begin. Each of the different types of projects has a slightly different workflow for getting empty schema and optionally, existing data, to the field. This functionality is typically accessed through the Terra Office Field Data dockable window with the required project set as current. To toggle the visibility of the dockable window, click the Terra Office Field Data button on the toolbar.

The Field Data dockable window has two primary modes or layouts that are used for the current project based on the project type and its source of accuracy:

  • Session Manager mode is used any time a project has been set for Best of Real-time Corrections + Manual Post-processing in Terra Office. This includes all TerraFlex Local and TerraSync projects and whichever TerraFlex Cloud projects are published with this setting. In this mode, Terra Office users are working with collected data sessions—with one or more features per session.

  • Form Manager mode is used for TerraFlex Cloud projects when configured for Real-time Corrections Only or Best of Real-time Corrections + Automatic Post-processing in the TerraFlex Cloud. In this mode, Terra Office users are working with collected data forms—with each form representing a single feature.

This is explained in more detail in Integrating collected data.

In the TerraFlex Cloud workflow, the project is actually ready to be used in the TerraFlex field workflow for new data collection shortly after it is published as described in Creating and managing projects. No additional steps are required.

For workflows that require the user to edit existing data in the field, TerraFlex provides data maintenance functionality through tasks; tasks are groups of features with a title and a user / group assignment. Specific instructions for this depend on the Field Data dockable window mode:

  1. Using any feature selection tool or workflow available in ArcGIS Desktop (interactive or by location/attribute queries) select existing features in project layers. You do not need to worry about only selecting features in project layers as this filtering will happen automatically.

    Strictly speaking, features do not need to be selected prior to the next 3 steps; you can still change the selected features up until step 4 below.

  2. Click Handle Sessions and select the Create new TerraFlex task… context menu item.

  3. In the window that opens, provide a Name, and optionally Notes. If it is necessary to limit the task assignment to a subset of users or groups, use the Assignment (if not All Users) tab.

  4. Click Create Task. If you click the Upload Selected Features (outside of a task) link text, the same selected features will be sent to the TerraFlex Cloud but no task will be created.

To close or delete tasks, use the Manage existing TerraFlex tasks… context menu item available on the Handle Sessions button.

  1. Using any feature selection tool or workflow available in ArcGIS Desktop (interactive or by location/attribute queries) select existing features in project layers. You do not need to worry about only selecting features in project layers as this filtering will happen automatically.

    Strictly speaking, features do not need to be selected prior to the next 3 steps; you can still change the selected features up until step 4 below.

  2. Click Manage Tasks.

  3. In the updated dockable window area, provide a Name, and optionally Notes.

  4. Click Create Task.

To close or delete existing tasks, select the desired task in the Current tasks list and click Close Task or Delete Task.

In either case, duplicate features will not be created in the TerraFlex Cloud. If features have previously been sent to the TerraFlex Cloud in tasks, they will be updated. Only features not sent previously will be added as new. If it is necessary to limit the task assignment to a subset of users or groups, use the Assignment (if not All Users) tab prior to clicking Create Task. If you click the Upload Selected Features (outside of a task) link text, the same selected features will be sent to the TerraFlex Cloud but no task will be created.

In the TerraFlex Local workflow, you need to save the project to a TerraFlex Projects file (.tfin) and transfer it to the field device running TerraFlex using any supported file transfer mechanism. As the TerraFlex Local workflow will always use the Session Manager mode of the Field Data dockable window, all required functionality is available there.

  1. Click Handle Sessions in the Field Data dockable window and select the Check-out to a TerraFlex Projects file context menu item.

  2. In the TerraFlex Local Check-out window that opens, select optional items to include with the project (more information in sections below).

  3. Specify an existing or new file by clicking the … button next to the TerraFlex Projects file (.tfin) entry box. A file can contain one or more projects. Use the Show contents… link text to verify what’s in an existing file.

  4. Click Check-Out to save the file.

  5. After the file is saved, use any file transfer mechanism supported by your organization (USB, email, file sharing services, etc.) to transfer the TerraFlex file to one or more field devices.

  6. Once the file has been transferred to the field device and opened in TerraFlex, the user can proceed with collecting new features into the empty schema.

For workflows that require the user to edit existing data in the field, TerraFlex provides data maintenance functionality through tasks; tasks are groups of features with a title. ArcGIS Desktop selection tools (interactive or by location/attribute queries) can be used to select existing data in project layers. After selection, this data can then be sent to the field in TerraFlex tasks. You do not need to worry about only selecting features in project layers as this filtering will happen automatically.

  1. Using any feature selection tool or workflow available in ArcGIS Desktop (interactive or by location/attribute queries) select existing features in project layers. You do not need to worry about only selecting features in project layers as this filtering will happen automatically.

  2. Click Handle Sessions in the dockable window and select the Create TerraFlex task context menu item. Alternatively, select the Check-out to a TerraFlex Projects file context menu item, and in the TerraFlex Local Check-Out window that opens, click the Create task… link text.

  3. In the window that opens, provide a Task Name, and optionally Task Notes.

  4. Click Create. This will create an in-memory version of the task.

  5. You can now refer to the steps above for including tasks in the project when saving it to the TerraFlex Projects file.

The TerraFlex Local workflow provides some ability to include background layers in the projects sent to the field (i.e., what gets included per project in the file). At a basic level, there are two types of background layers supported - offline basemaps (to replace the online versions used in TerraFlex Cloud projects) and vector layer packages (to include read-only reference data in non-project layers). Created based on the currently open map document in ArcGIS Desktop, background layers get created in geopackage files and are stored in a default directory on the local computer so that they can be included in multiple projects as necessary.

ArcGIS Online content (e.g. ArcGIS basemaps) generally cannot be included in background layers for TerraFlex Local.

  1. Click Handle Sessions in the Field Data dockable window and select the Manage TerraFlex Backgrounds context menu item. Alternatively, select the Check-out to a TerraFlex Projects file context menu item, and in the TerraFlex Local Check-Out window that opens, select Include background layers and click the Manage background layers… link text.

  2. In the Manage TerraFlex backgrounds window that opens, select one or more existing background layers to associate with the project. Further details are available in the Source and Description boxes at the bottom of the window.

  3. Click Create to create a new background layer. Alternatively, click Import to bring in a TerraFlex background file (in the geopackage file format) created elsewhere, or Remove to delete a previously created TerraFlex background file from the local folder where they are stored.

  4. In the Create a TerraFlex background window that opens, select the type of background layer to create— Offline basemap or Vector layer package.

  5. Provide a Background name and optionally, a Description for the background layer.

  6. Click Create to initiate the creation of the file. The large area at the bottom of the window will display status messages. The process utilizes built-in ArcGIS Desktop geoprocessing (GP) tools for some of the steps.

  7. When the process completes, you will be able to associate the new background layer with the project. You can now refer to the steps above for including background layers in the project when saving it to the TerraFlex Projects file.

In the TerraSync workflow, the workflows are different for taking empty schema to the field versus existing features; the former uses TerraSync data dictionary files (DDF) while the latter uses TerraSync data files (SSF). TerraSync does not use the task concept. The Field Data dockable window will always be in Session Manager mode for this workflow.

  1. Open the Terra Office Projects window using the button on the toolbar.

  2. Select the desired TerraSync project and click Edit… button. If you do not have a compatible map document open, the button will be labeled View… and this process will still work.

  3. On the first page of the Project Wizard that opens (the step is labeled Project Options), click Save to DDF . This saves the current TerraSync project as a data dictionary file (DDF).

  4. Transfer the file to TerraSync using the Data Transfer utility, installed separately.

  1. Using any feature selection tool or workflow available in ArcGIS Desktop (interactive or by location/attribute queries) select existing features in project layers. You do not need to worry about only selecting features in project layers as this filtering will happen automatically

  2. Click Check Out/In… in the Field Data dockable window and select the Check Out SSF to TerraSync context menu item.

  3. In the Check out selected entities to SSF file-save dialog that opens, provide a File name for the SSF file and select a location to save it.

  4. Click Save.

  5. Transfer the file to TerraSync using the Data Transfer utility, installed separately.

Although TerraSync doesn’t have full background map capabilities, there are a few ways to take feature data to the field for non-editing, reference purposes.

To create a background SSF file from selected features:

  1. Using any feature selection tool or workflow available in ArcGIS Desktop (interactive or by location/attribute queries) select existing features in map document layers.

  2. From the TerraSync Tools toolbar, click TerraSync Background SSF.

  3. In the Check out selected entities to SSF file-save dialog that opens, provide a File name for the background SSF file and select a location to save it.

  4. Click Save to save the file.

  5. Transfer the file to TerraSync using the Data Transfer utility, installed separately.

To create a waypoint file (WPT) from selected point features:

  1. Using any feature selection tool or workflow available in ArcGIS Desktop (interactive or by location/attribute queries) select existing point features in map document layers.

  2. From the TerraSync Tools toolbar, click TerraSync Waypoint File.

  3. In the Save selected features to a waypoint file file-save dialog that opens, provide a File name for the background WPT file and select a location to save it.

  4. Click Save.

  5. Transfer the file to TerraSync using the Data Transfer utility, installed separately.