Configure a feature layer
To collect hurricane damage assessments using various apps, you'll create a project, a survey, and a web map so mobile workers can collect information about damaged buildings. First, you need to create an empty feature layer to store the data that the mobile workers collect. To create the layer, you'll start with a template and add a custom field. You'll also create a view of this layer that will ensure that data cannot be deleted by mobile workers.
Create a layer
First, you'll create the layer in your ArcGIS organization.
- Sign in to your ArcGIS organizational account.
Note:
If you don't have an organizational account, see options for software access.
- On the ribbon, click Content.
- On the Content page, click New item.
- In the New item window, click Feature layer.
- On the Select an option to create a feature layer page, choose Use a template and click Next.
The Create a feature layer window appears. It contains many feature layer templates. You'll use the Damage Assessment template and add the custom field later.
- In the search bar, type Damage. Click the Damage Assessment feature layer template.
- Click Next twice.
As you collect data in the field, you'll want to store information about the GPS receiver you're using. You'll enable this next.
- Under Options, turn on Add GPS metadata fields.
- Click Next.
- Enter the following parameters:
- For Title, type Damage Assessment (and add your name or initials).
- For Tags, add the tags QuickCapture, Survey123, Field Maps, pressing Enter after each tag.
- For Summary, clear any text and type A layer used to collect damage assessments using QuickCapture, Survey123, Field Maps.
- Optionally, for Save in folder, choose a folder.
- Click Save.
After a few moments, the layer is created and its item details page appears.
Add a new field
The damage assessment feature layer is the foundation for the work you'll do in this tutorial. It is an empty layer already configured with the fields you'll need while collecting damage assessment data. Your situation requires an additional field that isn't in the default configuration. Because you'll be providing the mobile working teams with various methods for collecting data, you want a field to keep track of how each point was collected. Next, you'll add a field to track this information.
- If necessary, open the item details page of the Damage Assessment feature layer that you just created.
- On the item details page, under Layers, click Residential Buildings.
Throughout this tutorial, you'll use the Residential Buildings sublayer. The first sublayer is the Commercial Buildings layer and is usually shown first whenever you access the layer. Always switch to the Residential Buildings sublayer.
- On the ribbon, click Data.
- Under the ribbon, click Fields.
All of the fields provided by the solution are listed. You won't use most of them for this project, but you won't delete them either.
- At the top of the page, click Add.
The Add Field window appears.
- For Field Name, type assessmenttype.
- For Display Name, type Assessment Type.
- For Type, choose Integer.
- Ensure Allow Null Values is checked.
- Click Add New Field.
- Scroll to the bottom of the list of fields. Near the bottom of the list, click Assessment Type to view the properties for the new field.
Later in the tutorial, you'll set up three methods for people to collect data. Next, you'll list these three assessment types in the new field.
- On the Assessment Type field page, click Create List.
This list will limit the allowed values for the field. When you use the DamageAssessment layer later to collect data, you'll only have three options for the Assessment Type field.
- Under Label, type Windshield damage assessment QuickCapture. Under Code, type 0.
- Click Add. In the new row, for Label, type Preliminary damage assessment Survey123, and for Code, type 1.
- Click Add. For Label, type Preliminary damage assessment Field Maps, and for Code, type 2.
Now, each time data is collected, the method in which it was collected will be stored in the Assessment Type field. It will be stored as an integer—0, 1, or 2—but it will display with the labels defined in this list.
- Click Save.
So far in this tutorial, you've created a feature layer and added a new field to track in which app damage assessments are being collected. You also created a list on the new field to limit the allowed values. Next, you'll create a project in ArcGIS QuickCapture, a survey in ArcGIS Survey123, and a web map in ArcGIS Field Maps. These will be used to collect damage assessments at different levels of detail or focus.
Create a view layer
Because you'll have multiple teams using the same data layer, you'll protect your data by only allowing users to add and update records. They cannot delete records.
- On the ribbon, click Damage Assessment.
- On the item details page for the Damage Assessment feature layer, click Create View Layer and choose View layer.
The Create View Layer window appears. The first page is Choose layers with all four available layers selected.
- Under Layers, uncheck US National Grid, Public Facilities, and Commercial Buildings.
The Residential Buildings layer is the only one selected.
- Click Next two times.
- On the map, navigate to Houston, Texas.
The map is now focused on your area of interest.
- On the Create view page, for Title, type Damage Assessment View and add your initials.
- Click Create.
It may take a few minutes for the layer to create. A success message appears and the item details page of the new view layer appears.
- On the item details page of the Damage Assessment View feature layer, on the ribbon, click Settings.
- On the Settings page of this new layer, scroll down to the Feature Layer (hosted,view) section. Under Editing, check the box for Enable editing.
- Under What kind of editing is allowed, uncheck Delete.
- Next to Feature Layer (hosted,view), click Save.
This feature layer view will be used by each of the field apps to ensure that mobile workers have access to add and update records but not delete them.
Create and test surveys for data collection
Next, you'll create and test a project, a survey, and a web map. The first is a windshield damage assessment, which will be used by workers using QuickCapture who first encounter damage so they can flag the building for further assessment. The second is a preliminary damage assessment, which is used by workers using Survey123 trained to estimate the extent of damage and collect more detailed information. These workers will target damage assessments identified as destroyed by the windshield damage assessment.
Additionally, you'll configure a web map for use in Field Maps. Some teams will focus on damage assessments in a specific area so seeing all records in that location is a priority. Providing the option to collect records with QuickCapture, Survey123, or QuickCapture will give responders the opportunity to use a tool that suits their needs while ensuring everyone is working with the same data.
Create a project for windshield damage assessments
You'll create a QuickCapture project using the feature layer view. In the project, the different damage types will appear as individual buttons.
- Launch QuickCapture from the app launcher in your ArcGIS organization. If this app is not in the app launcher, contact your organization administrator.
Note:
Alternatively, you can go directly to the QuickCapture web designer. Once you sign in, you are directed to the My projects page. This page lists your QuickCapture projects.
- Click the New Project button and choose Start from existing layers.
You're prompted to choose the feature layers you want to use in the project.
- Locate and click your Damage Assessment View feature layer to select it. At the bottom of the screen, click Next.
Next, you'll confirm the project's basic information, such as its title.
- For Title, type Damage Assessment and add your name or initials. Confirm that Data recovery email is set to a valid email address.
- Click Create.
The QuickCapture project is created. It displays a preview of the app that your mobile workers will access using their mobile devices.
- In the project preview, select one button. Press and hold the Shift key and click all of the other buttons so that all buttons are selected.
- In the side panel, click the Data tab. Scroll down the list to find the Assessment Type field.
- Click the Assessment Type field and choose Windshield damage assessment QuickCapture from the list.
Now, every record created in QuickCapture will have the expected assessment type value of 0.
- On the ribbon, click Save.
A message appears, confirming that your project is saved and can be downloaded in the QuickCapture mobile app.
- Close the QuickCapture project.
Test the project
Next, you'll test collecting records with the windshield damage assessment project. This project would be used by a worker to document the location of damage so it can be easily returned to later to record a more detailed assessment.
- Open the QuickCapture mobile app on either your Android or iOS mobile device or on your Windows 10 operating system.
Note:
If you don't have the QuickCapture mobile app, you can download it for free as a mobile app from the App Store, Google Play, or Microsoft Store. Alternatively, you can download it for free as a desktop app from the ArcGIS QuickCapture resources page.
- Click Sign In. Sign in using your ArcGIS account.
A list of your downloaded surveys appears.
- Click the Add button and choose Browse Projects.
All QuickCapture projects available to you are listed. These include projects you've created and projects shared within your organization.
- Locate your Damage Assessment project and click the download button.
Once downloaded, the download button becomes an information button. You can click the information button to see the project metadata, whether a project update is available, and if there are records that have failed to send.
- Click the information button.
Currently, your project doesn't have much metadata.
- Click Capture.
The project opens. It contains the group of buttons that you saw in the preview when you configured the app.
- Click the Destroyed button.
The feature is captured at your current location. The feature has attribute information that indicates that it represents a destroyed building and that it was captured using QuickCapture.
- Click other buttons to collect more features.
If your device is connected to the internet, your captured points are automatically sent to the feature layer after a short interval. If points have not been sent, a number appears in the upper right corner of the project.
Note:
You can also tap the number in the upper right corner and click send.
- Once you have captured several records, close the QuickCapture mobile app.
Create a survey for preliminary damage assessments
You'll create the preliminary damage assessment survey by automatically generating it from your existing feature layer view. The survey you create provides opportunity for users to describe the damage in more detail than the windshield damage assessment. For this reason, you'll also enable the inbox so that users can see records created during the windshield damage assessment and add more information to the existing record.
- Open Survey123 Connect.
Survey123 Connect is a desktop application for creating and publishing surveys. It is different from Survey123, the mobile app that you will use later to collect survey data.
Note:
If you don't have Survey123 Connect, you can download it from the Survey123 download page.
- At the top of the page, click the menu button and click Sign in. Sign in to your ArcGIS account.
Note:
If you see a circle with your initials instead of a menu button, you are already signed in.
- Click New survey.
The New Survey window appears.
- For Title, type Preliminary Damage Assessment. For Create a new survey from, choose Feature Services.
A list of available feature services appears. Your list will differ depending on the feature services to which your account has access.
- In the search bar, type Damage Assessment View. Click the Damage Assessment View feature service you created.
- Click Create survey.
The survey is generated. It appears as a preview in Survey123 Connect and also as an editable spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel. If you make changes to and save the spreadsheet, the preview will automatically update to reflect the changes.
An error message appears in Survey123 Connect that the form conversion has failed.
- On the error message, click OK.
You'll fix the broken field name later in the tutorial.
Modify the survey
The survey contains many questions, all derived from fields in the feature layer. These range from questions about the inspector taking the survey to the insurance information about the building. You'll remove some questions, add a hidden question, and add some images to a question to make it more visually identifiable.
First, you'll make sure your survey is based on the right layer. Your feature layer contains multiple sublayers. When you create a survey from a feature layer, it will generate questions based on the first sublayer. In this feature layer, most of the field names are the same in each of the sublayers, so you can change the layer reference and keep most of the questions. You want the survey to point to the Residential Buildings sublayer.
- On the spreadsheet, ensure you are on the survey tab.
- For the type geopoint, in the name column, replace the existing text with Buildings_point.
The name field expects a string of text without spaces. These spaces caused the error message to appear when you first converted your survey from the feature class.
- Scroll down. For the row where type is image, replace the existing text with Buildings_image.
- In the label column for Buildings_point, type What is the location of the damage?. For the label column for Buildings_image, type Take a picture of the damage.
Next, you'll edit the question for assessment type.
- Locate the row where type begins with select_one Residential_Buildings_assessmenttype. Replace the text after select_one with assesstype.
The select_one type creates a question where users can choose one of a list of possible answers. Possible answers are listed on the choices tab.
Users capturing new records in this form are performing a preliminary damage assessment, so you'll provide a default value of 1.
- For row 67 (where type is select_one assesstype), in column J (default), type 1.
- Click the choices tab. In column A (list_name), for the rows that begin with Residential Buildings, replace the existing text with assesstype.
See that the contents of the name and label columns match the list you created for the feature layer earlier in this tutorial. The default value of 1 corresponds to the Preliminary damage assessment Survey123 value, but you'll leave the question to use the list because existing records that may have been captured using one of the other types, can be opened and edited using this form. The user can see the existing value and change it.
- Return to the survey tab and delete the rows with name values that start with esrignss_ or esrisnsr_.
Survey123 does have the ability to capture this information automatically from a GNSS receiver but requires a calculation to be added to each row. For the purpose of this tutorial, this is not necessary; the worker using Survey123 is focusing on the damage assessment insurance questions. To learn how to capture the data in these type of questions, see Extra geopoint values.
- Click the choices tab.
This tab contains the possible answers to the questions located on the survey tab. For the question Extent of damage, you'll add icons to correspond with each answer. First, you'll download the icons.
- Download the damage-extents.zip file. Extract the .zip file to a location of your choice.
The file contains five icons, each named and color-coded for a possible answer. To use them in your survey, you must add the images to a specific folder connected to the survey.
- Copy the five images you downloaded.
- From your computer's Start menu, search for and browse to the My Survey Designs folder. Open the Preliminary Damage Assessment folder and the media folder.
- Paste the five images inside the media folder.
In the spreadsheet, the rows where list_name is daDegreeDamage correspond to the question about damage extent.
- In the row where list_name is daDegreeDamage and name is Affected, type affected.png in the media::image column.
- Enter the corresponding image name for the remaining rows where list_name is daDegreeDamage:
- destroyed.png
- inaccessible.png
- major.png
- minor.png
- Save and close the spreadsheet.
- Return to Survey123 Connect. If the survey is not already open, click the Preliminary Damage Assessment card. If a message appears asking if you want to update the survey, click Yes.
- Review the updated survey. Scroll down to the Extent of Damage section to view the images you added to the survey.
Note:
Depending on if you have made order or style changes, some of the questions may look different or have different options.
Enable the inbox
Because some users of this survey will be editing windshield damage assessments, they need to have access to completed records. You'll enable the survey's inbox to provide access. Then, you'll publish and share the survey.
- At the bottom of Survey123 Connect, click Options.
- Under Inbox, turn on Enable Inbox folder.
More options appear. Several warnings appear. One is present because enabling both the Inbox and the Sent folders at the same time can cause conflicts.
- Under Sent, turn off Enable Sent folder.
One of the warnings disappears. The remaining warning is telling you that users of this survey will have access to previously submitted results. While this is expected behavior for your damage assessment workflow, if personal or confidential information was being collected, you'd want to ensure that it's not being shared with staff who should not have access to it.
Note:
To learn more about sharing surveys and who can access submitted data, read Share a survey.
The inbox works best with a small number of surveys. You'll add a query to list only surveys with a damage type of destroyed, as these surveys are the most likely to have a follow-up assessment.
- Under Inbox, for Query expression, type typdamage= 'Destroyed'.
Next, you'll publish and share the survey.
- Click the Publish button.
- In the Publish Preliminary Damage Assessment window, click Publish survey. When publishing is complete, click OK.
Next, you'll follow the same steps you completed earlier to share the survey with members of your organization.
- Click the More actions button.
- In the More Actions window, choose Manage in Survey123 website.
The survey opens in the Survey123 website.
- On the ribbon, click Collaborate. In the Collaborate tab, for Who can submit to this survey?, check the Members of my organization box.
- Click Save.
Note:
A warning message appears regarding how data from submitted surveys can be seen by others. Click Save to continue.
- Close the Survey123 website and the Survey123 Connect application.
Test the survey
Next, you'll test the preliminary damage assessment survey on your mobile device. You've already marked the location of a damaged building using the windshield damage assessment project, so for your test, you'll edit this collected feature. When the survey is later used in the field, there will be multiple people contributing to the data, and many collected locations that need further assessment.
- Open the ArcGIS Survey123 field app and sign in. If it was already open, click the back arrow to return to the list of surveys.
- Click the circle with your initials and click Download Surveys. Download the Preliminary Damage Assessment survey.
- Click the back arrow and click the Preliminary Damage Assessment survey.
- Click Inbox.
- The inbox is empty. Click Refresh to populate the inbox with data from the other survey.
Entries for destroyed properties appear.
- Click the entry for a destroyed property to open the survey.
The survey appears and the location was already captured by the initial damage assessment.
- For Incident Name, type Test Incident.
- For Estimated $ Loss Structure, type 70000.
- For Additional Comments, type This is a test.
Since you updated this feature with Survey123, you'll change the existing value for Assessment Type that was automatocally populated by QuickCapture.
- For Assessment Type choose Premilinary damage assessment Survey123.
- At the bottom of the survey, click the check mark.
- In the Survey Completed window, click Send now.
- Close ArcGIS Survey123.
Configure a web map for preliminary damage assessment
Some teams need to focus on damaged buildings within a specific area of the city, regardless of damage extent. For these teams, a map-based collection method is more useful than a survey. Next, you'll create a web map for use in Field Maps. Field Maps, like Survey123, collects information using mobile devices. But instead of filling out surveys, users add new features and attribute information on a map.
First, you'll make a web map. You'll configure the map's pop-up and you'll share the map so members of your organization can access it.
- If necessary, sign in to your ArcGIS account.
- On the ribbon, click Content.
- Next to the Damage Assessment View YN feature layer, click the options button and choose Open in Map Viewer.
Map Viewer appears. In the Layers pane, the Damage Assessment View YN layer is added and any points you collected points are drawn on the map.
- On the Contents (dark) toolbar, click Basemap. On the Basemap pane, choose Imagery.
The basemap updates.
- On the Contents pane, click Save and open tab, click Save as.
The Save map window appears.
- In the Save map window, for Title, type Preliminary Damage Assessment Map, add your initials, and click Save.
- From the app launcher, open Field Maps Designer.
The Field Maps Designer web app opens on the Maps page.
- On the Maps page, locate the card for the Preliminary Damage Assessment Map you just saved and click on it.
- On the Forms pane, select the Damage Assessment View layer.
- In the Form tab, click Convert pop-up.
- Click Save to map to save the form.
- Click the Templates tab, select the first feature template.
The Properties pane for the feature template appears.
- In the Properties pane, for the Assessment Type field, choose Preliminary Damage Assessment in Field Maps.
When any new records are captured with a feature template in Field Maps, the assessment type will be automatically assigned.
- Use what you have learned to set Assessment Type to Preliminary Damage Assessment in Field Maps for the other four templates.
- Click Save to save the Templates.
Collect data
Next, you'll open your web map in Field Maps and collect a sample point to test the collection method.
- Open Field Maps on either your Android or iOS mobile device.
Note:
If you don't have Field Maps, you can download it for free as a mobile app from the App Store or Google Play.
- Sign in with your ArcGIS account.
The Maps page appears, listing any of the web maps you have access.
Note:
Depending on the device you use to access Field Maps, your interface may differ from the example images.
- Click the Preliminary Damage Assessment Map to open it.
The map is centered on your current location.
- Click the Add button.
- Pan the map to center it on another location. Optionally, you can zoom and pan until you are centered on Houston, Texas.
A list of possible features appears.
- Select Inaccessible from the Damage Assessment View YN layer.
A form appears for the new feature. You can enter all of the same information here as you did with the Preliminary Damage Assessment survey in Survey123.
- Swipe the menu upward to view the form parameters.
The Assessment Type parameter is already set to Preliminary damage assessment Field Maps.
- For Estimated $ Loss Structure, type 6000. For Incident Name, type Test 2.
- Click the check mark or Submit to collect the new feature.
- Close Field Maps.
You've now built and tested three methods for collecting damage assessment data. One was designed for first responders to capture basic information about damage. The other was designed for more experienced damage assessors to collect detailed information. You also configured a web map to provide more options for how responders submit damage assessments.
Create a dashboard
To complete this tutorial, you'll create a dashboard with ArcGIS Dashboards to display all of the collected data. The dashboard will also display a chart that shows the proportion of records captured with each app. Charts and indicators are useful to quickly view progress of the damage assessment workflow. In this tutorial, you will only add one chart, but to see a dashboard with the chart and additional indicators, view the sample dashboard that also includes hundreds of (simulated) damage assessments.
Add a map to your dashboard
First, you'll create a dashboard from the web map that you created earlier.
- In ArcGIS Online, from the app launcher, open Dashboards.
Note:
If this app is not in the app menu, contact your organization administrator.
- Click Create dashboard.
- For Title, type Damage Assessments Dashboard. Click Create dashboard.
- Click the Add element button and choose Map.
- From the gallery, point to your Preliminary Damage Assessment Map and click Select.
- Click Done.
The map is added to your dashboard, showing the points that you have already collected.
- On the map, zoom to Houston, Texas, (or where you collected your points) so your collected points are visible.
- On the dashboard toolbar, click the Theme button. In the Theme pane, choose Dark.
The dashboard theme updates.
- On the dashboard toolbar, click the Save button and choose Save.
The content of the map is readily available for you to choose to display in lists, charts, and indicators.
Add additional dashboard elements
Next, you'll add one list and one chart element to the left of your dashboard.
- On the dashboard toolbar, click Add element.
- On the left side of dashboard, click the Add button and choose List.
In this list, you'll display data from the Damage Assessment View YN layer.
- Choose the Damage Assessment View YN layer.
More options for configuring the list become available.
- Click the List tab.
- In the Line item template rich text editor, type the following text:
{field/fulladdr}
Damage Estimate: ${field/strloss}
Damage Extent: ${field/typdamage}
- Click Done.
The list will automatically fill half of the dashboard. Click the vertical line that separates the list from the map and drag it so that the list occupies approximately 30 percent of the dashboard width.
Next, you'll add a pie chart element.
- On the dashboard toolbar, click Add element.
Now, you'll choose the location for this next element. You'll add it below the existing list element.
- Point to the list element. Click the Add button at the bottom of the list element. Choose Pie chart.
- Choose the Damage Assessment View YN layer.
More options become available.
- On the Data tab, for Category Field, choose Assessment Type.
A pie chart appears in the preview. As your mobile workers add more assessments, the pie chart will update.
The labels make the chart very wide. You'll replace them with a legend.
Note:
Your chart will vary depending on how many features you collected with each of the three apps.
- Click the Chart tab.
- In the Chart options pane, expand Labels. Disable Visibility.
- Expand Legend. Enable Visibility. For Placement, choose Right.
The preview of the pie chart now shows a legend on the side.
- Click Done.
The pie chart is added to the dashboard.
- On the map, zoom in to Houston (or where you collected your points).
Your dashboard is complete.
- On the dashboard toolbar, click Save and choose Save.
- Optionally, create more sample damage assessments using QuickCapture, Survey123, or Field Maps. Refresh your dashboard to see how the added samples change your dashboard.
Note:
Alternatively, view the sample dashboard with hundreds of damage assessments.
In this tutorial, you created a layer, project, survey, and web map to collect damage assessment information after a hurricane. You created a dashboard that shows all the results in one place. The workflows you followed in these tutorials can be altered to fit a variety of locations, workforces, and disaster response scenarios.
You can find more tutorials in the tutorial gallery.