ArcGIS Mission is an all-inclusive geospatial communications and situational awareness tool that includes the following key features that are made possible by the integration of server and web-based and mobile software and applications.
- Chats
- Send sketches in chats
- Broadcasts
- Analyst Note
- Tasks
- Reports
Chats
Chats are the communication tool in ArcGIS Mission. The chat tool allows you to send text chats, sketches, and photo attachments to mission members, all organized into chat threads. The threads are created when you send messages to recipients you select from the lists of mission members and teams.
Chat messages are sent immediately or, if the intended recipient cannot receive messages at the moment, are stored by the server and sent when the user is available.
For details on how to send a chat, see the following:
Send sketches in chats
Adding a sketch to a chat in ArcGIS Mission allows users to create location-based map graphics during a mission that are included in a chat thread. In this way, users can communicate geographic information quickly to other mission members.
Note:
Because sketches contain geographic information and can be paired with text and image attachments, they are sometimes referred to as geomessages. These terms can be interchangeable, but the term geomessage is most often used to refer to a sketch that has been paired with text or other information.
Including sketches in a chat thread has the following advantages over using multiple separate tools:
- Allow mission members to optimize their communication.
- Share mission events or new map features.
- Ensure that new mission data is only visible to the mission members who need it.
- Avoid map tool clutter and overuse of chat tools.
- Allow analysts to track mission events and user activities precisely.
Both ArcGIS Mission Manager and ArcGIS Mission Responder include sketch tools that have identical functions, but they work slightly differently. For details about these tools, see Collaborate using the actions panel in ArcGIS Mission Manager and Responder Sketch tool in ArcGIS Mission Responder.
Broadcasts
Broadcast messages are stored in the chats layer with a type identifier of `broadcast`. A broadcast which can be submitted by Mission Owners or Leads within a mission are one-way messages that carry significance and need to be viewed by all mission members regardless of their role. These messages can be sent with extra context by adding an attachment, sketch to an area of interest, or both.
Analyst Note
Analyst notes are also stored in the chats layer with a type identifier of `note`. An analyst note is a personal observation or note that may need to be revisited at some point for greater research or exploration of significance. These notes are private to the individual user that is using Mission Analyst and allow for attachments, map chipping, and text notes to be entered and revisited.
Tasks
The Task tool provides focused communication between Manager and Responder users regarding specific actions during a mission. Tasks can also be linked to reports, requiring a report to be submitted before a task can be completed.
Tasks are created in Manageror Responder (as Mission leads) with a few specific details but can be edited by mission analysts after they are created. The only required field for a task to be created is a task name. Optional details include task description, task location, task priority, required report, due date, and due time.
Tasks can be assigned to a single member, multiple members, or unassigned with the ability to be claimed by Responder or Manager users to be fulfilled as part of their mission responsibilities. Responder and Manager users can create notes and attach images to any task. For more information about submitting a task in Responder, see Tasks.
Every task has a status, which can be changed by either the mission analyst who created it or the Responder or Manager user it is assigned to. By default, tasks are Unassigned until a mission member has been assigned to the task, but then it can be changed to Assigned, In Progress, Paused, or Completed as appropriate.
Tasks are represented by a point on the mission map which is identified by a purple square. Mission owners can adjust the symbology of a task editing the symbols of the tasks layer.
Reports
The Report tool allows you to gather and submit information relevant to the mission using a predetermined and optimized format. These formats include mission reports and sensor reports. When a report is submitted, regardless of the type, it is saved as part of the mission and made available to other mission members through the mission map. A tactical summary report is the default report created with all missions. Custom reports can be created through ArcGIS Mission Manager based on the requirements of a particular missions. Mission managers and administrators can edit report forms at any time during the mission.
Reports can be submitted independently or as part of a task assigned to Responder or Manager users. Once submitted, a report appears on the mission map as a point and opens as a read-only version. Responder users can submit reports based on their current location or through the map.
For details about reports in ArcGIS Mission Manager, see Create, edit, and view mission reports and View the Reports feed.