ESRI review (ArcGIS)
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
I work at a Land Trust. I use the ESRI mobile app (FieldMaps) all the time to record photos, notes, and locations of infringements, maintenance tasks, manmade items, signage, and boundary pins. I record new / updated trail locations using FieldMaps, and sync it with my trail data layers organized by parcel in the appropriate desktop line layer. Then I sync it with the online layer with all parcels' trails consolidated, which automatically syncs into the web and mobile maps. I use ArcGIS Pro (desktop) to make trail maps and Town permit proposal maps for boardwalks on wetland areas. I created a polygon layer for all of the protected areas, with fields noting the year protected, the deed acreage, the survey acreage (if measured), and the book/page number of its recorded legal protection (e.g., deed restriction, conservation easement, trail easement, etc.).
Pros
- Gives a way for me to see existing data and my current location, to find very specific locations when bushwhacking in the field.
- Allows for web layers that once edited, sync with updated data everywhere they're displayed.
- Can hold a lot of data: many photos attached to many points, all stored in an online point layer that can be accessed from multiple devices.
Cons
- Let me edit an online data layer's fields without having to re-create a brand new layer and copy the previous data into it.
- Save past copies of online data layers somewhere, to backtrack if need be (address the current need to save layers offline on a regular basis via ArcGIS Pro as backup)
- Let symbology incorporate 2 fields. E.g., colors for one field (Town vs. Land Trust as the owner) and pattern for another field (leashes required or not). Right now, I just have to create a 3rd field that spells it out and has different symbology for each different option. Would love if the attribute table could stay more clean and simple, and if the symbology feature could incorporate 2+ fields.
Likelihood to Recommend
I'm very grateful to be able to use it, and I have a master's degree with a focus in Geospatial Analysis. There can be a bit of a learning curve, and I try to build user-friendly ways for volunteers to see & collect data. Meanwhile, if a colleague is less confident with building such a system, it may be more difficult for them to implement.
