There is no limit on the number or size of any pictures or any other media files you can have. You are only limited by the amount of data storage you have available in your plan.
No, there is no limit on the amount of data (features) you have in any single project. However, there is a caveat that the more data you have in a single project it can begin to slow down response and performance on mobile devices for your Users. It may be advisable, depending on the nature of your Projects, to limit projects to smaller datasets or areas to maintain acceptable performance thresholds.
Yes, in order to support offline use all data for every Project (or Projects, since you may have several) that you access in the SpatialWorx app is stored on the device.
SpatialWorx stores all of your data securely in the cloud, with the exception of data from any external data sources you have connected to using our Data Adapters (Oracle, PostGreSQL, or various web services).
If you cancel your free trial (or it runs out after 30 days) or subscription we will retain all of your data and configurations for a specified period of time before it will all be removed. Specifically, 30 days for a free trial and 90 days for a cancelled paid subscription.
This gives you the opportunity to retain all of your data and project configurations should you decide to resubscribe (or subscribe initially if you had simply ended your free trial).
If you remove a user from the system, unassign them from any project, or change their status from active to inactive any data they had previously synced to the server will be retained and all records will still be referenced by their name for any updates or inserts. If a user is simply unassigned from a project (or they elect to remove it from their device) any modifications will be synced and then all data for that project will be removed from their device the next time they open the app.
If a user is removed from the system they will be unassigned from all projects immediately and any data updates on their devices won't be synced. Any attempts to sync from their device will fail.
SpatialWorx supports several standard data types such as text (character), numeric (both interger and decimal), date, and boolean (checkbox) as well as file-based media (video, audio, photo, sketch). It also supports several other data input types on a form such as address, phone #, email, GPS, length, area, volume, and weight/mass.
SpatialWorx also supports all of these data and input types as fields on a subform (a subform is essentially a method of associating child records to a parent; typically those can have a many to one relationship to the parent).
SpatialWorx currently supports limited updates back to external databases (Oracle or PostgreSQL) that includes attribute updates, feature adds and deletes. Changes are also in progress to support the addition of new child records to parent features.
At this time SpatialWorx does not support modifications to external web feature services, including ArcGIS, although such support is planned to be added in a future release.
A Customer is any organization or a single individual who has a subscription to SpatialWorx. A single Customer account can support one to many Users. A User is anyone who has privileges to access SpatialWorx, its data, or its services, within the Customer domain (with specific privileges limited by their Role). This includes external affiliates or guests that have authorization, granted by the Customer, to also access SpatialWorx data or services under that account.
When a new Customer creates an account, SpatialWorx automatically adds them to the system as a User with administrative privileges.
More than one User can be granted the authorization to manage the Customer account or subscription settings.
SpatialWorx currently provides (4) distinct roles: Administrator, Project Manager, Field User, and External.
An Administrator can access the web console to manage the customer account or modify subscription settings, as well as having the ability to do anything a Project Manager or Field User can do.
A Project Manager can access the web console to create data sources, build forms, create projects, add data layers, and export project data, as well as having the ability to do anything the Field User can do. This user cannot modify account or subscription settings.
A Field User is only able to access the SpatialWorx app to work on projects for which they are authorized (assigned to). This user cannot access the web console.
An External user is anyone outside the organization who needs access to the data collected/maintained in SpatialWorx. This user can open a link to a data export or web service to download SpatialWorx data, but cannot access the web console or mobile app.
At this time SpatialWorx does not support the creation of customized of user roles. However, that is something that is being considered for future implementation.
No, at this time SpatialWorx does not support the capability to bulk load new Users from an external file. However, this is being considered for a future release.
Yes. We realize that personnel needs may frequently change on your data collection projects due to their nature. If you have Users who aren't currently active, but may become active again at some later date, you do not need to keep paying for them as part of your subscription during months when they aren't active. And you don't want to be forced to remove them and then have to add them back in later.
To avoid the extra hassle and cost, SpatialWorx allows you to simply mark these users as "inactive" during down periods. When marked as inactive they are removed from all project assignments and all project data is removed from their device.
You assign specific Users to specific Projects you create in SpatialWorx. Only Users who have been assigned to specific Projects will see those Projects and data on their mobile devices.
You can assign, or unassign, Users to a Project at any time. When a User opens the app on their mobile device, they will see a list of Projects they are assigned to and can choose the desired Project to open and work on.
The system also stores a record of all User activity (feature adds, inserts, edits) and you can review this activity from the web console as well.
Future plans include support for enhanced Project Management capabilities, including:
SpatialWorx supports both the WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) and WGS 84 (EPSG:3857) coordinate projection systems, in a decimal degrees format. When you export data out of SpatialWorx or expose it as part of a web service it uses this format also.
SpatialWorx currently includes Bing (Aerial, Road, and Aerial with Labels). Future plans are to include additional basemap types.
We can certainly work with you to customize an interface to your own map data.
At this time SpatialWorx does not support the ability to create basemap tile packages for offline use, but that capability is planned for a future release.
GPS accuracy is a function of the location information SpatialWorx receives from the mobile device (SpatialWorx itself does not provide any location information). The GPS information from the device is either from the device itself (if it has an internal GPS chipset) or an external receiver that is feeding GPS information to the device (via a wired, bluetooth, or other type of networked connection).
Regarding accuracy, modern devices with internal GPS chipsets can typically achieve an accuracy within 3 meters (older devices could have accuracy only within 10 meters). The accuracy of external GPS receivers can vary quite a bit but some units can achieve accuracy within several centimeters. In general, the more expensive the receiver the more accurate and reliable the location information will be. Some of these units can cost several thousands of dollars so it is important to understand the specific requirements of your data collection projects before making a purchase decision on a GPS receiver and pairing it with your devices.
It is also worth noting that some GPS receivers only work with an app provided by that manufacturer for data collection.
SpatialWorx currently supports the ability to import data from the following files as sources: Shapefile (zipped), CSV, and KML/KMZ.
You can connect to the following external databases: Oracle and PostgreSQL
You can also connect to these web services: ArcGIS (WMS/WFS), other WFS, and SmartSheet
External connections are made via SpatialWorx's built-in Data Adapters. Data Adapters provide a proxy to external tables or services and their attributes. In each case you can design a form that includes fields that point to attributes in the source (as read-only; write interfaces require customization) and you can add your own writeable fields to the same form.
Those external sources are also monitored on a scheduled basis and all data from each source is refreshed to the SpatialWorx app so field users see the most current current data when they open a form.
Yes, SpatialWorx supports non-geo data sources for import or connection. Non-geo sources are typically used as subforms (child records) on a parent form.
You don't need any source data if you are starting from scratch to collect new field data. You simply create a named Source, add a form to it (drag/drop new fields onto the form to design it), create a Project, and add a Layer in the project that points to the Source.
You might think of a Source as a template for a Layer (or Layers). It contains not only the data, but also the specifications for the appearance and behavior of any Layers in the app that are built from it, although the forms and styles for each resulting Layer can be changed based on the needs of each Project.
A single Source can optionally provide a "one to many" relationship with resulting Projects and Layers. A Source can provide data and settings for Layers in more than one Project, or to multiple Layers contained within a single Project. In the simplest case Source can be used by only a single Layer within a single project.
A Source might be used to inform multiple Projects with their own Layers; for example, a Project to record property data for a set of commercial real estate properties, and another Project using the same Source creates an inventory of the condition of the HVAC units in those same buildings.
Or a Source might be used to fuel multiple Layers within a single Project; a Pole inventory Project with two Layers, one Layer for those features that have yet to be inventoried, and another Layer for those features that have been inventoried.
In this way, a single SpatialWorx Source can be used by many different teams and for many different purposes within an enterprise.
There are basically 2 different ways to pull in only the data you want from any Source into the Projects you create:
1) When you add Layers to a Project and select a Source for each one you can add a filter statement with criteria specific to that Source. For example, for a storm damage assessment survey you might want to create a layer that pulls in only properties in areas with vulnerable populations so that relief efforts can be concentrated there. So you add a data filter for that Layer as "where priority_index = 1".
2) At a Project level you can add a custom boundary around a geographic area of interest. The boundary will filter out all features from all Layers (and their respective Sources) whose coordinates are outside your custom bounding area. You can hand draw the bounding area as a polygon (and add, modify, or delete vertices) or you can search for a known area such as a city, county, wildlife refuge, etc. and SpatialWorx will add a boundary around that area or landmark.
Using custom Project boundaries to narrow the area of interest of each Project gives you greater flexibility in managing large, complex projects. It also helps keep the size of the dataset down to a manageable level in the SpatialWorx app so performance isn't impacted for the field user.
Additionally, it is also worth noting that the only attributes that will be referenced in any Layer for a Project are those that are actually on the Layer's form. Attributes that aren't physically added to a form will not be downloaded to the SpatialWorx app.
Yes, SpatialWorx gives you the ability to copy a Project in the web console and all its settings into a new project with a new/distinct name. This simply provides a way to easily and quickly create a new Project with the same characteristics (settings) as another one you previously created and configured. Because a Project is really just a collection of Layers pointing to some Source data, the act of copying a Project doesn't actually copy any data.
This action copies everything about the source Project, other than its name/label, and includes:
There are several reasons why you might want to copy a Project:
Regardless of the state of the copied project, the new project is NOT automatically enabled for distribution and so is not immediately exposed to field devices in the SpatialWorx app.
The Project Settings page in the web console contains a checkbox "Enable for Distribution to Clients". Simply check that box when you have completed setup and are ready to distribute the Project to users. You can assign users at any point but they won't see the Project on their device until it has been enabled for distribution via this method.
This same setting can be used to deactivate a Project so that it is no longer available to field users.
Yes, SpatialWorx allows you to make modifications to the configurations for your active Projects, including adding new Sources and Layers or modifying the existing settings of your Sources and Layers. The new settings or added Sources/Layers are downloaded to the app during the next sync operation and field users will see the changes immediately.
You can also remove Layers from an active Project.
That depends on the type of Source. For external or foreign Sources (database tables or web feature services) SpatialWorx monitors the source data to detect changes (adds, updates, deletes) and processes those so that all of the updates are reflected back down to the data in the app on each device when it is synced.
When data from a Source is derived from a file, SpatialWorx does not currently support a method of appending new or updating existing data for it. However, this capability is planned for a future release.
Yes, the only caveat is that each form has to be associated with a different/distinct Layer within the Project.
For example, you may have field users who are responsible for collecting different pieces of information on the same objects or assets as part of the same Project. In that case you would create 2 Layers, each pointing to the same Source, but for each you would create a unique form with only the fields that are applicable to each set of users.
Yes, if you have a Layer that didn't have a Form when the Project was activated (maybe it was originally only added as a reference Layer), you can add one at any time. You can also modify a form to add fields, sections, or pages to it, remove fields, add conditional criteria, change labels, etc. all while the project is active.
The new or changed Forms are downloaded to the app during the next sync operation and field users will see the changes immediately.
Yes, you can easily add subforms to an existing form. Subforms are essentially records from a Layer you want to designate as a child of the active Form's Layer. The interface allows you to specify attributes that link the child to the parent, specify what attributes of the child should appear on the form, and whether the user can add or delete records.
A child Layer can be one that does or does not have geometry (location and symbol).
Yes, both fields and sections can be set for conditional display based on criteria you specify as part of the properties of the field.
Yes, there is a Sketch type field you can add to any form - it allows you to add shapes of all colors and sizes, draw freehand, add text, or drop in images and sketch on them.
Yes, you can configure one or more specific fields on any layer's form (in the web console) to be eligible for group update. Field users can then search for and find a set of features for which they want to change those field values for all of the features in the result set with a single edit action.
Selecting Group Update from the search results panel for the desired group of features allows you to edit the value of any group update eligible field and apply that edit to all members of the selected group with a single Save. For example, for a damage assessment project you want to mark all houses in an area as "No Damage", instead of forcing the field user to select and edit that value for every house. That can easily be accomplished using the Group Update capability.
No, you do not need to track anything regarding the particular device (or devices) that field users are using - the system does that for you.
Because there is essentially only a single set of app source code for all platforms (iOS, Android, and Windows) there is no functional difference between them. The only noticeable differences will minor ones related to the user interfaces.
Yes, the SpatialWorx app allows you to have as many projects as you want (or have storage for) on your device and easily switch back and forth between them.
Yes, when data updates are synced from any single user they are distributed to all other users/devices via SpatialWorx's message queue system. When other users open SpatialWorx it syncs and the updates in those messages are applied to their local data. This also happens with a manual sync and automated/background sync.
The data size of an image file captured on a device is a function of the supported image resolution of the camera. Modern phones and tablets have cameras that can take extremely high resolution photos (and videos) that lead to very large files. That resolution may be more than you require when you are concerned with the amount of available disk space on the mobile device.
SpatialWorx does not control the image (or video) resolution - that is something you have to manage through the settings on the device itself.
Yes, you can make changes to a project on the fly without adversely affecting field users who may already be working on the project. This includes adding new layers, adding to or removing fields from a form, changing the display style for a layer, etc. Configuration settings like these are simply downloaded to the app during the next sync and replace the previous settings.
If you have a cellular plan that is tied to the amount of data you use SpatialWorx allows you to specify what type of network it uses to transfer either data or media files. For both data transfer types you can select Wired, Wifi, or Cell to serve as the network transfer type. For example, this would allow you to avoid sending media files over the Cell network and only send them when you are connected to a Wifi network.
No, you can still work and collect data when completely disconnected from the Internet because all your project data is stored locally on the mobile device. When you are back online you can sync your updates back to the server. However, you may not be able to see the basemap for areas you enter for the first time while disconnected because, even though basemaps are cached on the device, when you enter a new map area SpatialWorx may not be able retrieve the map tiles for that area (from Bing or OpenStreetMap).
Planned future releases of SpatialWorx will have the capability to create offline basemap tiles that will be available if you are working without an Internet connection.
Yes, we would be glad to help you setup your Projects, Forms, and data Layers. We can either do it all for you or work with you to teach you how to do it on your own. Just contact us directly via our support line and we'll provide a quote for these additional services.
Phone (direct): 404-497-1551
Toll-free: 888-263-4396
Email: support-spatialworx@byers.com
The SpatialWorx app runs on any device that uses the Android, iOS, or Windows (PC) operating systems - and on a phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. We also allow a single User to install/use it on 2 devices - that provides flexibility for Users access it on a mobile device while in the field and later open and review field collected data later while on a computer.
SpatialWorx - Basic System Requirements
(note: space requirements are for the app only and do not include allowances for downloaded project data)
iOS: Requires iOS 9.0 or later and 30 MB space
Android: Requires Android 4.1 or later and 30 MB space
Windows: Requires Win 10 or later and 135 MB space