Capture a record

ArcGIS QuickCapture is a field data capture app that allows you to capture data quickly. You can capture both the location and attributes of assets or incidents as you travel. A project author determines the arrangement of buttons, how they appear, and the information they collect. The app allows you to capture photos, video, and sensor information from the device.

Install the QuickCapture app and sign in

To install the app and sign in, complete the following steps:

  1. Get the app from one of the app stores, or download it from the QuickCapture Resources page.
  2. Start the app.
  3. Sign in using your ArcGIS account. See ArcGIS account requirements for more information.

If you do not have an ArcGIS account, you can still use QuickCapture. Select Continue without signing in on the sign-in page to download and use one of the sample projects.

Note:

If you sign out while offline, you cannot sign in again until you are next online.

Find and download a project

The first time you sign in, you need to download a project to your device.

  1. Select the add project button Add project.
  2. Select Browse Projects to see the projects available to download.
  3. Select the project card for the project you want to download.

    If the project is not already on your device, the download icon changes to an information icon once the download is complete. If you do not see projects to download, contact your project administrator and ask for the project to be shared with you.

    If an offline map is included, it is downloaded with your project. Downloads pause if the device enters sleep mode.

Open a project and capture data

To open a project and capture data, complete the following steps:

  1. Tap a project in the gallery to open it.
    Optionally, a project can be configured to accept user input on launch. Enter a value to proceed to the project page.
  2. Tap a button to capture a field observation or launch a URL.

    Optionally, a project can be configured to use an exclusivity group. In this case, tapping a button can stop the capture of one feature and start capturing the next one.

    A project can also be configured with a required horizontal accuracy. If so, the user cannot capture a record until the accuracy threshold has been met.

    If the project was configured to request a user input after a button is pressed, enter a valid value before pressing another button.

    If enabled and supported by your device, tapping a button gives an audio response (text to speech or beep) and haptic feedback to provide confirmation that the button has been pressed.

    Note:

    Lines and polygons are not captured until the user has moved a minimum distance from the first vertex. Lines require a minimum of two vertices, and polygons require a minimum of three vertices.

    The horizontal accuracy error only stops the user from pressing the button to start capturing lines, polygons, or streaming points. Once active, line and polygon vertices with an accuracy below the threshold are excluded from the captured geometry. Conversely, all streaming points are captured, even if they don't meet the accuracy threshold.

    If a button is used to launch a URL, it does not capture a record, but instead opens the URL with the default browser on your device. You can configure the button to pass predefined values along with the URL as parameters. For more information, see Integrate with other apps.

User input

A project can be configured to accept input from the user. The user can enter the input before or after a button is pressed. The project author defines the buttons and fields to which the value is applied.

User input is configured by the project author and can be typed with a keyboard, selected from a list, or scanned from a barcode.

Note:

QuickCapture uses the predictive text capabilities of the device for user input. When entering a single word on Android, you must select the word from the recommended options or enter a space after the single word to be able to select Done. On iOS, you can immediately close the keyboard and select Done.

Exclusivity group

An exclusivity group is used to ensure that only one button in the group is active at any time. The project author can include buttons from different template groups in a single exclusivity group, and multiple exclusivity groups can be applied to a project.

Location sharing

A project can be configured to require or optionally enable location sharing. If your project requires location sharing, it cannot be disabled in the mobile app. If it is optional, you can turn off location sharing.

Close a project

When you close a project by returning to the project gallery, the following happens:

  • Any active line, polygon, or streaming point capture ends and is saved.
  • If you are online, all data is sent.
  • If you are offline, all data is saved on the device.

While your device is online, your captured records are automatically sent. If your device is offline, your captured records are automatically sent the next time you're online.