Field Maps Designer is a mobile solution integrated with ArcGIS Online, which allows users to capture the data on-site. On top of that, Field Maps Designer enables users to create notes, perform some inspections, and, most importantly, share all the information instantly with the office. In this article, I would like to pay attention to the automated email notifications, which can be done in Field Maps Designer. I was impressed by the video below, which shows nicely how to make it simple. However, sometimes, the situation requires a more advanced approach. One of them discussed in this short text is data filtration based on various inputs from a questionnaire. First, we can follow up on the video below and create the standard connection, to which other sample features will be added later.
1. After setting up your Make account or logging in, hit the Create New Scenario button, as shown in the image below (Pic. 1).
2. When the list of various apps appears, there is a search box at the bottom. Once you start typing the Field Maps Designer (1), it should appear at the top with all the built-in features. We must choose Watch Features (2), as the tool will now monitor all the site workers’ changes.
3. The Watch Features option requires establishing the correct Webhook (Pic. 3). You might have an existing one, but it might not necessarily work for your current situation. In this case, It would be advisable to Add a new connection (1). Here, you need to provide the correct URL of your ArcGIS Online platform. Each ArcGIS Online account has its separate URL address like your_account_name.maps.arcgis.com(2). Your ArcGIS Online web address should be recognized shortly by the Make platform and saved to the list. Since the Make platform recognized and approved your connection, you should be able to see all the feature-hosted layers created at your ArcGIS Online account (3). Select the one that you would like to sync with your email box. When the Create a Webhook box opens, look at the three options beneath. They apply a separate situation on which your notification will be based. I could trigger it only when my features are created or modified. You can use it in all situations if you want. Click Save when you are happy with everything (5).
4. Once your Field Maps Designer webhook is ready, you need the Iterator to trigger the requested action. The Iterator can be added from the Flow Control icon in the bottom bar (Pic. 4). It will come out randomly near the Field Maps Designer icon, and you can drag it everywhere. The number next to the icon indicates that the Iterator cannot end your automation process.
The opened-end wrench icon is worth attention because it allows us to adjust the circumstances of the Iterator process. Before we do it, our Iterator must be configured (Pic. 5). In other words, the item must know which specific data to focus on. By clicking it, the Array box opens (1), where all the fields assigned to the linked layer should appear.
This is the second level of specification, where we must determine the field on which the automatic email notification will be based within the given layer (2). When the configuration is completed (3), you can see that the work targets features and their attributes. When any change is provided, the Iterator reflects it in action. Because our field is already specified, we can use the aforementioned open-ended wrench icon to provide relevant filters.
The video below doesn’t cover the filtering option but only applies to the situation when we want the action triggered by a particular value. The preparation of filtering is shown well in the image below (Pic. 6).
Once the opened-end wrench icon is clicked, you should see the dropdown in which the Filter option can be found (1). The Filter option can be set up from all the questions (fields) in the selected layer (2). Whilst one of them is dragged to the Set up a Filter box (3), we should determine the exact Condition. Initially, your Text operators are Equal to, although you can define other circumstances. Indeed, I left it untouched and provided the field value to which the text operator must fit correctly. When everything is done, the icon between the Field Maps Designer and Iterator signs changes to the filter-looking shape (5).
5. Find the Email (or Outlook) module and add it to the scenario (Pic. 7). You can see the plus appearing just right of the Iterator sign (1). Use it to populate the list of applications the Make collaborates with and find the Outlook application like you did before with Field Maps Designer. Next, choose Create and Send a Message mode (2).
You can see the box with Outlook email configuration details by opening Create and Send a Message. These details cover the Body Content, where you can build up the HTML-based content plotted with the variables. These variables are fields (questions) included in the selected layer. Using the Watch Features section, we can drag and drop the given fields where we want.
The notification will be flagged with a red interjection when the importance is high. The attachments option, which is discussed later in this text, is also enjoyable. We are done with the basic scenario by saving the Outlook settings. It’s enough to run automatic notifications. However, there are some ways in which this scenario can be expanded.
6. We can equip it with relevant attachments. I will discuss the most common one, the .pdf file, including some basic data about an object. The image below (Pic. 10) shows how to do it.
You can always see the opened-end wrench icon halfway between one module and another, which, after expanding, gives you some options (1). This time, we can add a module instead of applying a filter. Next, the finding and selection of existing apps are the same as usual (2). If too many are in the application scope, an analog search can be done for modules (3). Let’s consider the PDF.co app for creating the .pdf files for us. Continuing the HTML-based thread, we can use the Convert HTML to PDF module, which must be configured on the same basis as the Outlook app (Pic. 11).
The interface is analog; the Convert Type comes as the first (1), and we use HTML to PDF, although there are other options where the URL to PDF can be interesting. The same applies to Outlook configuration; the Input HTML Code is required and works similarly (1B). The Output File Name (2) can also be fetched with field variables (2B). Other options refer to the paper properties (3). Finally, our file can be downloaded or converted into JSON format (4).
Finally, our scenario becomes completed (Pic. 12). It must be saved before use (1). Finally, we need to specify the method of obtaining the data. The process can be Run Once (2), although it is advisable to turn on the Immediately as data arrives option (3). Other options exist, like At Regular Intervals, Once, Every Day, and so forth.
7. We can now run our Make scenario and add or edit data in the ArcGIS Field Maps Designer Mobile App (Pic. 13-15).
As you can see, the email with your changes comes almost instantly. Sometimes, you must wait a few minutes until the Waiting for data process is completed. If more than one occurrence is found throughout this time, you might see more separate emails accordingly. The emails are kept simple. You will always be the email’s author because it’s being sent from your Make account. As per earlier discussion, the leading receiver can change (Pic. 8). On the left-hand side (Pic. 15), you have a sort of confirmation that the attachment has been generated correctly.
This is only an example of expanded automated notification features, which every user can create on his own when using the Make automation builder. The Make (former Integromat) offers many more options, and more robust scenarios can be produced. On top of that, the product is still being developed. Currently, fetching ArcGIS Online layers with image attachments is impossible, but I hope it will change soon. The example above describes the simple scenario that can be used to make successful automated bits for your work with the ArcGIS Online Field Maps Designer app. You don’t need to pay anything, as the Make (former Integromat) lets you produce two scenarios for free. I will come back and demonstrate another Make scenario in the future.
Mariusz Krukar
Links:
- https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/field-maps/field-mobility/from-desk-to-field-in-5-easy-steps-with-field-maps-designer/
- Make.com – The Main (former Integromat) page
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