You may want to look at beegis; it is for field data collection. Jody On 27/07/2010, at 11:05 PM, karsten vennemann wrote:
> Hi all, > > I am working on a project that deals with storing, retrieving and displaying > field collected data about plant species. Data will often be entered on > laptops in the field and later uploaded onto the web and database server once > an internet connection is available. Thus the project involves both > > * an internet based application for managing , updating and viewing spatial > data and > * a desktop application enabling the "disconnected collection" and editing of > data This is pretty similar to the approach taken by the initial version of > the Open Ocean map (desktop component based on QGIS - compare > http://www.ecotrust.org/ocean/OpenOceanMap.html ) > > While from my perspective the web based part can relatively easily > accomplished using Open Source components, the other component - a desktop > tool to collect the data in the field that should at the same time be > compatible with the desktop system could potentially prove to be more tricky. > One problem is that we might have to use ArcGIS as a desktop tool because > users are familiar with it and are already using it for other tasks. > Unfortunately (from my experience) ArcGIS is not really good in displaying > related table information in one-to-many relationships. > > Basically for each mapping polygon (there are many areas and many species) > over time different users will enter information about species. Those will > have times attached to them. This will create a time series that once can > monitor changes over time (did the species decrease or increase in that > area). Thus the database design I wanted to use will have 3 related tables > > 1. polygon GIS layer of areas (static) > > 2. a 'record" table (update all the time) > that will store each record ever entered with fields such as species name, > species_id, user, date, and map_area_id (this table will be related in a may > to one relationship to the mapping areas using the map_area_id (many records > related to one mapping area. In the end this table will have information for > each of the mapping areas, for each area several hundred species, for each > species multiple entries over time and from different users. Thus that > absolutely doe not follow the standard format of one column one could use to > symbolize this on the map in ArcGIS. However using zigGIS this can be pulled > from PostGIS. Using a “view” in a PostGIS with a definition query in ArcGIS > can handle the display in ArcGIS . > > 3. table of species (pretty static) > with specific species data (common and scientific names, species_id, web > links etc...) related to the records table using the species_id > > Now I am looking for a field enabled solution (no internet access) on the > desktop that can handle the editing of multiple mapping areas (assigning to > many map areas values for one of the species for example. The data should be > stored in a format that we can then (hopefully easily) upload to the PostGIS > database as new records ... ArcGIS can handle the editing very well but not > the relationships we will create (out of the box at least not), also zigGIS > does not allow the related tables to be edited out of the box. > We could do this adapting the OpenOcean Map tools - but would need to enable > advanced editing (to allow updating many map areas records and multiple > attribute data at once in a form) . Or we could use ArcGIS for editing and > define an upload mechanism to PostGIS . But whish data storage format to use > ZigGIS is not ready for editing for related tables … Another thought is using > some set-up of GIS on a stick (flash drive) … > > Any suggestions how to approach this best? > Thanks Karsten > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
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