QuickCapture project item

A QuickCapture project is an item in your ArcGIS organization. You can view and change its thumbnail, title, summary, description, and access constraints in your organization. Those updates are reflected the next time the project is updated on your mobile device.

QuickCapture designer

The following can be edited in the graphical interface for the project:

• General—Set the required or recommended location accuracy, display preferences, location editing preference, and quality of captured photos.
• Layers—Manage layers used by the project. By setting a layer as default, any new buttons added to the project will use fields of that layer. For all layers used in the project, you can also set default values and variables for all fields within each layer.
• Map—Select a map to be used by your project. By default, the organization default basemap will be used. Optionally, choose a different online basemap, web map, mobile map package, tile package, or vector tile package. Choose to show the map side by side with the buttons when the project is viewed on a tablet device in landscape. Only maps with Web Mercator spatial reference are supported.
• Project details—Edit the project thumbnail (use landscape images with a 3:2 aspect ratio), title, data recovery email, summary, description, and terms of use. Hyperlinks can be used in the project description.
• Exclusivity groups—Prevent multiple line, polygon, or streaming point buttons from capturing data at the same time by placing them in a group. Only one button in a group can be active at any one time.
• Project user input—Create project user inputs. These allow users to define values that will be captured along with captured records. An example might be the cost center of the user.
• Webhooks—Configure webhooks used in the project and specify the name, target feature layer, webhook URL, and information to be included in the payload. You can add multiple webhooks in a project and set the status to be on or off for each of them.

The following can be edited in the graphical interface for groups:

• Label—Label shown in the project for the group.
• Number of columns—Number of columns in the group.
• Default state—Expanded or collapsed. The default is expanded.
• Colors—Outline color of the group as an HTML hexadecimal value.

New groups can be created by dragging the group icon onto the project preview.

The following can be edited in the graphical interface for buttons:

• Label—Button label.
• Image—Button image. Consider the size of your button when choosing an image. Button images are limited to 1 MB.
• Size—Button size can be small, medium, or large.
• Shape—Button shape can be rectangle or rounded corner rectangle.
• Colors—Colors of the button background and outline as HTML hexadecimal values.
• Data—Type of data to be collected for each field when the button is tapped.
  • Capture mode (points only)—Capture point or capture license points.
  • Take photos—Off, optional, or required. Hide camera preview.
  • Capture fields—These can be fixed values, device variables (for example speed or accuracy), or user input variables that allow users to enter or select a value from a list once the button is pressed.

New buttons can be created by dragging the button icon on the project preview. The new button will have the fields of the default layer. If a default layer has not been set for the project, the author will need to add the data source for the button by selecting it on the Data tab of the button side panel. An existing button can be duplicated or deleted. Select the button in the project preview and choose the Duplicate or Delete button on the Appearance tab of the button side panel.

These properties and more can also be edited by changing the project JSON.

Streaming points

A project author can configure a point button to capture continuously, similar to how line and polygon buttons operate. Streaming point capture is useful when you want to record GNSS metadata and other data such as speed for every vertex along a path. Each vertex of the path is represented by a point and can be continuously autosent to ArcGIS.

If a button user input is applied to a point button, streaming mode cannot be enabled on that button. If streaming mode has already been selected for a point button, a button user input cannot applied to that button.

Streaming point capture is not designed to actively track the location of fieldworkers. To learn more about types of point capture, see ArcGIS Tracker.

Fixed values

Fixed values can be applied to fields when a button is pressed. This fixed text is defined by the author and constrained by the field type and length. For example, an integer field could not accept a decimal or text value.

Device variables

Device variables are used to automatically populate QuickCapture fields with common GIS attributes. Not all variables can be applied to all types of fields. For example, the timestamp variable only applies to fields of type date.

The following table lists variables that can be used with line and polygon layers:

The following table lists variables that can be used with point layers.

The following table lists additional variables that can be used with point layers when an external GNSS receiver is used:

Exclusivity groups

An exclusivity group is used to ensure only one button within the group is active at any time. Consider capturing a series of lines that represent the changing condition of a footpath. As you travel along the path, the condition may be excellent, good, or poor. Press the excellent button to start capturing a line representing an excellent section of footpath. When the condition changes, press the poor button immediately. Capture of the excellent line will stop and capture of the poor line will start.

Exclusivity groups are typically applied to polyline and polygon buttons, but you can also add point buttons that are streaming mode enabled. Buttons from different template groups can be included in a single exclusivity group, and multiple exclusivity groups can be applied to a project.

Project user input variable

The project user input variable value is populated by the app user and can be applied to one or more buttons in a project. The app user enters the value; however, the project author must define the buttons and fields to which the variable will apply.

A project user input variable is different from a button user input variable in the following ways:

• Only one project user input variable is defined per project.
• Its value is entered by the user before pressing a button. If the user input is set as required, the user is prompted to enter this value when starting the project but can edit the value at any time.
• Its value can be applied to any text fields in any buttons.
• It is defined by the project author in Settings > Project user input.
• It cannot be applied to a text field that is configured with a range domain or coded value domain.

Properties of the project user input variable are as follows:

• Label—Text that will appear as the title of the project user input dialog box in the app.
• Text field type—Can be single-line text or multiline text.
• Apply hint—Display hint text on the project user input dialog box in the app.
• Apply an input mask—Define the format for data entry by using characters and symbols to define an input mask.
• Required—Specifies whether the user input value must be provided by the end user of the mobile app before any button can be pressed. When not required, the end user can optionally enter a user input value by selecting the edit button (next to the user input value displayed at the top of the screen) and typing a value.

  Note:

  When applying a user input value to a feature layer with required fields, ensure that its required property is set to true to avoid submission errors.

To assign a project user input variable to a capture field of a button, on the Data tab, from the drop-down menu of the capture field, select Project user input. Project user input variables can be applied only to text fields without domains.

In the mobile app, the user will be prevented from entering text that exceeds the length of the data field.

Button user input variable

A button user input variable value is populated by the app user after a button is pressed in a project. The app user enters the value; however, the project author must define the buttons and fields to which button variables will apply.

A button user input variable is different from a project user input variable in the following ways:

• Many button user input variables can exist in one project.
• Values are entered by the user after pressing a button.
• Can be applied to only one field within the one button.
• Configured by the project author on the Data tab for each button.

Properties of the button user input variable are as follows:

• Label—Text that will appear as the title of the project user input dialog box in the app.
• Text field type—Can be single-line text or multiline text.
• Apply hint—Display hint text on the project user input dialog box in the app. Not applicable when configured with a range or coded value domain.
• Apply an input mask—Define the format for data entry by using characters and symbols to define an input mask.
• Required—Specifies whether the user input value must be provided by the end user of the mobile app after a button is pressed.

  Note:

  When applying a user input to a feature layer with required fields, ensure that its required property is set to true to avoid submission errors.

Depending on field type, different user input variable parameters are available:

• String—User input label, display as multiline or single line, hint, input mask, required.
• Integer—User input label, required.
• Double—User input label, required.

To assign a button user input variable to a capture field of a button, on the Data tab, from the drop-down menu of the capture field, select Button user input and select Create new.

If you create a button user input for a field that has a domain (either coded value or range), the choices will be presented to the user as a single choice list. Free text cannot be entered when a coded value domain is present. When a range domain is present, data entry will be limited by the range.

Input masks

An input mask defines the format for data entry by using characters and symbols as part of a project or button user input variable. When you apply an input mask to a user input variable, values entered by the user must follow the specific pattern defined by the input mask.

To apply an input mask to your user input variable, define the mask in the userInputs.domain.inputMask property.

The following table lists the characters and symbols that can be used in an input mask:

The mask consists of a string of characters and separators, optionally followed by a semicolon and the character used for blanks. The blank characters are always removed from the text after editing. The following table lists example masks:

Webhooks

Webhooks are a widely supported method used to allow multiple applications to interact with each other, using HTTP POST requests to pass callbacks between them. For more information, see Wikipedia's page on webhooks. Common uses for webhooks include sending notifications via email or SMS, posting messages to social media, automatically writing records to a spreadsheet, and updating enterprise databases.

In QuickCapture, webhooks can be set up and activated when a record is submitted. For example, after a successful submission of information to the feature layer, the webhook could be called and trigger another action, such as sending a notification email, appending the record to a spreadsheet, and sending an alert.

Your workplace may have its own webhook provider, but a wide variety of third-party workflow services are available, such as Integromat, Microsoft Power Automate, Zapier, and tray.io. All of these can be used to incorporate QuickCapture as a trigger for a greater automated process. In particular, Integromat has a QuickCapture connector, allowing you to integrate QuickCapture into your webhook workflow with minimum difficulty, and without the need to configure the webhook in the QuickCapture designer or to input a payload URL.

There are many ways you can use QuickCapture as a trigger in your workflows. To get started, Integromat has templates that you can use to include attachments in your email notifications, add records to spreadsheets, and create calendar items. To learn more, see Automate workflows with Integromat.

A webhook can be configured in the QuickCapture designer by choosing Webhooks from the project Settings. When creating a new webhook, provide the following parameters:

• Name—The name of the webhook (unique within the project).
• Target feature layer—Select a single feature layer. The payload will be sent to the configured webhook URL each time a record is submitted to this layer.
• Webhook URL—Where the project information will be sent. This needs to be provided by an external webhook provider.
• Event data—Choose what information will be included in the payload, including project details, information of the user, portal and submitted record, and response from the server.
• Status—Determines whether this webhook will be enabled when the project is saved.

Project validation

Analysis is performed to help validate data and diagnose your project configuration when you open, save or share the project. Guidance is provided to help fix errors or warnings on the Messages pane. Click on the error or warning message to locate the issue.

The project can be saved with warnings. However, it cannot be saved until all the errors are resolved. Issues that may prevent saving include the following:

• Invalid data sources—Feature layers and map that have been deleted or unshared.
• Empty required fields—Fields marked as required must have a device variable, user input, or fixed value defined. When assigning a user input to a required field, ensure the user input variable is also marked as required.
• Invalid project settings—Incompatible values for recommended and required horizontal accuracy, settings marked as required must have valid input, invalid webhook configuration, or a project without any buttons configured.

JSON editor

As the graphical interface functionality evolves, you can always edit the project JSON code directly. You can copy and paste code between the QuickCapture designer and your preferred JSON editor, or edit it directly in the designer. There is limited syntax checking in the designer, so be careful when making edits. Checking code snippets in an online JSON validator may be useful.