Why can’t I can’t see the first trees I collected when I collect more than 20 trees?
When I collect more than 20 trees and then try to scroll to the top of the tree list to view the first few trees, they are gone. I know the trees are being saved because when I upload them I can see them in InventoryManager and in ArcGIS Online, but when I reopen the tree list for that plot I can’t display the first trees.
Most likely this is because you had collected more than 20 trees. There is a setting in MobileMap to optionally limit the amount of trees that are displayed. The default is 20, which works well for typical scenarios because a typical BAF plot will have 5-10 trees for most foresters, while a 100% Tally will not get bogged down trying to handle scrolling of potentially hundreds of trees. To fix this, change the max tree rows to display setting near the bottom of the Trees settings (Settings > MobileMap Cruise > Trees > Maximum Number of Tree Rows.
Why does MobileMap freeze with message "backing up database" After closing tree list?
When closing the tree list MobileMap freezes with message "backing up database" and a spinning circle. I have to force close the app and restart. No data is lost, but once the problem starts happening it seems to happen all the time. Uploading my data seems to help for a while.
This is typically caused by insufficient disk space. MobileMap tries to make a backup of all features that have been created or edited since your last upload. After a big data collection, the backup file can be large. After many days of collection, there can be a large number of files. Since your device had limited space when we set it up on Monday, this is likely the cause. Deleting files to free up space should resolve this issue. As a workaround you can disable the automated backup in settings (Settings > MobileMap Cruise > General > Database Backup Interval) by setting it to ‘Never’ but this is not recommended as it could put your data at risk if your device is damaged prior to backup.
What ArcGIS Online User Type do I need in order to use MobileMap?
Follow this link to see the available user types https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-online/buy. MobileMap requires Editor user type to enable create/edit/delete of features. Many users prefer to purchase the the Field Worker user type at the higher price so they can access other Esri applications such as Collector (soon to be replaced by Field Maps), Survey123, Dashboards, etc. The Field Worker user type is not needed, however, if you only plan to use MobileMap (and MB&G web apps like InventoryManager).
Why does my Base Map disappear when I zoom in?
I used the Download Basemaps tool and download a TPK file, then copied it into the TPK folder in my project directory. The base map displays fine when I am zoomed out, but when I zoom in the map completely disappears. I was hoping it would just get blurry if I zoomed in further than the resolution of the base map.
The Download Basemaps tool uses Esri’s base map services and specifically the export image endpoint. For some reason, Esri decided to set the maxScale parameter within the TPKs it produces. While we have suggest that this is not the expected or desired behavior, that setting persists. This means that if you selected zoom level L15 when downloading the base map, the image completely disappears (won’t display) when you zoom to level 16 or greater. There is a workaround (see below), but it is complex and can’t be completed within MobileMap. Where possible, try to zoom in to as small of an extent as possible, and select a zoom level that meets your needs in the field (e.g., L16). In our experience, downloads greater than 100MB are seldom successful, so you may need to accept a lower zoom level, or break your base map into multiple smaller extent base maps.
TPK maxScale workaround:
Copy TPK to a PC
Rename file from *.tpk to *.zip then unzip the file
Open the file \servicedescriptions\mapserver\mapserver.json in a text editor
Search for all instances of “mapScale”, and change any non-zero mapScale values to 0
Save mapserver.json
Select all of the folders that were in the TPK
Rezip all of the folders that were produced when unzipping the original file. The re-zip must be done without compression. This is the trickiest step, as the default windows zip tool cannot do this. You will need a zip utility like 7-zip that has the option to simply archive with no compression.
Rename file back to *.tpk
Copy TPK back to the appropriate folder in your MobileMap directory on your mobile device
Why can’t I See any base maps?
I used the Download Basemap tool and it seemed to work as expected - displayed a message that base map had been downloaded, but I don’t see my base map - just a blank screen. How can I get my base map working?
There are a number potential causes for this issue. Use the check list below to help resolve the issue:
Verify that MobileMap licensed - MobileMap must be licensed to display base maps. If it is not licensed, or if the license has expired or is not valid, you should see a brief popup message when MobileMap starts up that indicates that the license was not found or is not valid. The best way to check, however, is to use the license tool (Actions > License Device). At the top of this tool you should see a message indicating the license status. If the license has expired simply re-submit to refresh your licenses. If you have never licensed your device, follow instructions here MobileMap: Installation and Licensing and hereMobileMap Licensing
Verify that the data directory is correct - Base maps are stored in a data directory, typically on a MicroSD card, and MobileMap must have access to that directory. Use the Select Data Directory tool (Actions > Select Data Directory) to select the data directory. See instructions here MobileMap: Installation and Licensing. Note that the directory selected during this process should be the MobileMap root directory, and should not contain TPK or Shapefiles directly within it. The MobileMap root directory is typically named ‘MobileMap’ and should have a subfolder named ‘default’ and will likely have other folders like ‘Export’ and ‘Photos’.
Verify that your MobileMap folder structure is correct. MobileMap uses project or map cache folders which can be named however you want, but we recommend avoiding spaces or special characters in folder names. Project folders are found in the MobileMap root directory. Each project folder will have subfolders including ‘TPK’ and optionally ‘SHP’.
Verify that the base map you downloaded was successfully copied into the correct subfolder. The Download Basemap tool saves all downloaded TPK files into the devices Download folder. This is due to some limitations on file saving on some devices. This requires users to manually copy downloaded files to the correct TPK folder in their desired project folder. Use your devices file manage (e.g., ‘My Files’ on Samsung, ‘Files’ on Google Pixel, etc.) to copy files between folders. For example, if you are working on a project called ‘MyProject’, you will copy the TPK that you download from internal storage/Download → SD Card/MobileMap/MyProject/TPK.
Verify that the correct project has been selected. Use the Select Map Cache tool select the project or map cache where you saved your TPK. See instructions here MobileMap: Basic Operation
Verify that the TPK is enabled for display in display properties. Use the Select Layer Display Properties and verify that the TPK is visible in the list (should be near the bottom or the layers list) and that the checkbox is checked. See instructions here MobileMap: Basic Operation
Verify the extent of the base map you downloaded. MobileMap uses the first loaded map cache to set the maximum map extent. If the first loaded base map (e.g., TPK) is small and not in your area of interest, you will be unable to pan the map to your current extent, thus your new base map will not be visible. MB&G recommends creating a single large area, low resolution base map and storing it in the default folder (e.g., SD Card/MobileMap/default/TPK) which can be used by MobileMap to set a large map extent when it is loading base maps.
Verify the zoom level of the base map you loaded. Base maps downloaded within MobileMap have a maximum scale or zoom level applied to them. See the question Why does my Base Map disappear when I zoom in? for more details on this problem. If you have made it to this step, then it is possible that you are simply too far zoomed in for your base map to display. Try zooming out - way out - and see if your base map shows up. If so, use the approaches described above or in this document MobileMap: Base Map Creation and Reference Data to address this issue.
If you have gone through each of these verification steps and still do not see your map, please reach out to our support team. It will help us resolve the the issue if you can provide screenshots of your folder structure, the Select Map Cache tool, the Select Layer Display Properties tool, etc. It may even be helpful to upload a copy of your TPK file when submitting your support request.
Why does MobileMap display a “Licensed for Developer Use Only” message?
I opened MobileMap today and I now see the message “Licensed for Developer Use Only” as a watermark in the corner of the map. I have never seen this before and don’t know how to make it go away.
When MobileMap displays “Licensed for Developer Use Only”, it means that when it was starting up, it could not determine its “Client_ID”. This only happens when a user has selected “Use Portal for ArcGIS” and has not entered a valid Client ID in the setting “Portal for ArcGIS Client ID”. There are two approaches to resolve this issue:
Manually configure the Portal settings
Either uncheck the “Use Portal for ArcGIS” checkbox, or supply a valid Client ID in the “Portal for ArcGIS Client ID”
Close MobileMap
Remove the app from the recent apps list (this step may not be necessary, but if steps a & b above do not solve the problem, this may needed).
Restore all settings (note: this will remove any custom settings that you have applied which are not in your Feature Service settings or settings file).
Go to Actions > Import Settings
Select “Defaults” and confirm
Select “Import” to re-import settings from your Feature Service or settings file
Close MobileMap
Remove the app from the recent apps list (this step may not be necessary, but if steps a & b above do not solve the problem, this may needed).
Why is my MobileMap map extent limited?
I am trying to pan my map to a location that is covered by my map cache extent, but my map extent appears limited/stuck.
Refresh the Data Directory:
a. Go to Actions > Select Data Directory
b. Select any folder not on the SD Card as the Data Directory and select “Select”
c. Select “Done”
d. Go to Actions > Select Data Directory
e. Select the folder that holds map caches, typically this is called “MobileMap” and is on the SD Card
f. Select “Done”
e. Go to Actions > Select Map Cache to re-load map cache
Why can I not select a Data Directory ?
I am trying to select a data directory, but the directory I select does not appear in the final Select Data Directory window.
This may occasionally happen after upgrading, or reinstalling, the application on a tablet and is related to the Android security permissions on the tablet. One solution is to point the data directory to folder on the tablet (not the SD card) prior to upgrading to a new version and then select the proper data directory on the SD Card after the upgrade. If an upgrade has just occurred and the data directory cannot be selected, the user will need to fully uninstall and then reinstall the application.
Why is my GPS bouncing all over the place?
My GPS is bouncing all over the place and not not settling on my location.
Close MobileMap
Turn off tablet GPS
Open MobileMap > Close MM
Turn on GPS
Open MM and everything worked
Noisy GPS can be a hardware problem, a bad GPS chip, a conflict between Android and the GPS chip, etc. An Android update might resolve this if there is one available, but be ware that an Android update may require you to relicense your MobileMap software. If the symptoms keep occurring you may have a tablet with damaged GPS hardware or software. For this you should contact the tablet reseller for additional support.
Why are my basemaps not drawing when I select my map cache?
I have my map cache selected, but my basemaps are not drawing. What’s wrong?
It could be that your map cache folders are out of order. The folder should look something like this on your SD card, the map cache folders are named ‘OR’ and ‘WA’ in this screenshot:
Make sure the files under each folder, TPK and SHP are not buried in another TPK folder.
