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
- 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.
Note:
The chat tool does not have a broadcast or send-to-all function. If this is a requirement for the mission, it is recommended that you create a mission team containing all mission members to reach everyone at once.
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.
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 Manager with a few specific details but can be edited by mission analysts after they are created. The details required for a task to be created are name, description, and location. Optional details are task priority, required report, due date, and due time.
Tasks are assigned to a single Responder or Manager user 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 in the Unassigned status until a mission member has been assigned, but they can be changed to Assigned, In Progress, Paused, or Completed as appropriate.
Tasks are represented by a point on the mission map. This point changes color to reflect the task's status, allowing you to identify and distinguish tasks from other map features and determine their level of completion.
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.