Using Arc Collector
Introduction
In this lab, we made use of two online tutorials on ArcGIS Online. The tutorials (Try Collector and Make your First Collector Map) walked us through how to use the Arc Collector app, the abilities of it, and how to create a collector map with it. The Arc Collector app is a mobile data collection app that makes it easy to capture accurate data in the field and return it to the office. This can be helpful if you are on a job site, taking field notes, and employing traditional GCP markers, having an image associated with it. The type of geospatial data that is able to be collected and recorded in the field can make a GIS project invaluable, as it allows for a higher accuracy project (UAS project potentially). Let’s get started!
(The park that will be used for the data in this lab)
Methods
To start, the first tutorial (Try Collector) is extremely helpful in understanding some of the basic aspects of the Arc Collector app. Some of these basic aspects are adding data on a type of amenity such as a picnic table and how to record a path. I would recommend starting there if you have never done this before, as I did. Due to many of these same aspects mentioned in the next tutorial, I will not talk much about this one and provide the details on the next tutorial. The first step is preparing a layer template in ArcGIS Online. This is done by clicking Create a Feature Layer on the Content tab, in My Content, under Create and Feature Layer. This can be seen in Figure 1: Create a Feature Layer.
Figure 1: Create a Feature Layer
Next, select Build a Layer and choose the Points, Lines, and Polygons option. This can be seen below in Figure 2: Create Points, Lines, and Polygons.
Figure 2: Create Points, Lines, and Polygons
The Places layer was renamed Places, the Line Layer was renamed Paths, and the Polygon Layer was named Areas. This can be seen below in Figure 3: Renamed Feature Layers.
Figure 3: Renamed Feature Layers
The next button was selected. The template can now be named. Since this will be used for Parks, the layer template was named Parks_RV due to it needing a unique name. This can be seen in Figure 4: Parks_RV.
Figure 4: Parks_RV Layer Template
The fields that will define the form for the Places layer can now be created. This is done by going to the Data tab, clicking on the Fields button. This can be seen in Figure 6: Fields Selected.
Figure 6: Fields Selected
The Add button is now selected which will allow a name to be given and an alias. For this case, the name was AssetType and the alias is Type of Amenity. Integer was chosen as the type and the Add New Field button was selected. This can be seen below in Figure 7: Add Field.
Figure 7: Add Field
This was then clicked on in the Display Name list and the Create List was selected to create the list of choices for the type of amenity. Since I am familiar with the park I will be collecting data at, I decided to create the amenities of Bench, Information Signs, Parking, and Welcome Sign, each having a code of 0-3 respectively. This can be seen below in Figure 8: List of Amenities.
Figure 8: List of Amenities
The Save button was then selected. Another field needs to be created named Notes that is a String type. Lastly, attachments need to be enabled to allow pictures showing the amenities in the parks to be added. This can be seen below in Figure 9: Enable Attachments.
Figure 9: Enable Attachments
The map can now be created. This is done by selecting Add to New Map in the drop-down list for Open in Map Viewer. The map can then be saved with a title of Parks with a tag. In the Contents pane, the layer can be renamed by click More Options and choosing Rename. This was renamed to Places. Next, the Chage Style was clicked on for the Places layer. The Type of Amenity attribute was then selected with the Types (Unique symbols) Options being selected for the Drawing Style. This can be seen in Figure 10: Change Style.
Figure 10: Change Style
Symbols were then selected for the Type of Amenities created. The size was then set to 30. The symbols for the amenities selected can be seen below in Figure 11: Symbols for Amenities.
Figure 11: Symbols for Amenities
The map was then saved. The data collection can now begin. The park I chose to collect data was one in close proximity to where I live. This park is the Beverly D. Crone Restoration Area. The map of the park can be seen below in Figure 12: Beverly D. Crone Restoration Area.
Figure 12: Beverly D. Crone Restoration Area
An interesting fact about this park is that it used to be known as the Jackson Road Landfill that was owned by St. Joseph Country where it operated from the late 1960s to 1979. The landfill sits on 111 acres that was capped in the early 2000s and turned into a park. More information about the park can be seen below in Figure 13: History of the Park.
Figure 13: History of the Park
The data was extremely easy to record. Essentially, all that has to be done, is select the type of amenity and hit Add Point on your smartphone. I then added a picture of every amenity that was recorded, as this could be used as a Ground Control Point, or GCP. It is important to note, however, that a true GCP that has the accuracy to include in a real project must be done with a survey GPS, not the geo-location feature from the photo taken. The points can be seen in Figure 14: Adding Points and Figure 15: Sample Picture Added.
Figure 14: Adding Points
Figure 15: Sample Picture Added
The paths were recorded as well. A majority of the paths recorded can be seen below in Figure 16: Paths Recorded, and the entirety of the paths can be seen in Figure 17: Park Paths.
Figure 16: Paths Recorded
Figure 17: Park Paths
The final map is embedded below in Figure 18: Final Map.
Figure 18: Final Map
Discussion
From this lab, I learned the basic aspects of the Arc Collector app. This app provides a process to collect valuable data that could greatly help a UAS project. In particularly, this app can help generate GCP points that can be used to improve the accuracy of the project. This can be seen in the final map below, where each intersection could be used as a GCP, as well as the actual points marked such as the welcome signs, information signs, and the bench. This can be seen below in the embedded map.
This can be related to what I am interested in with construction surveying, as the points allow for base that could be beneficial when adjusting it for a project.
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