Configuring the Bad Elf Flex for Use With ArcGIS Field Maps

Bad Elf Bluetooth GPS receivers connect with most phones, tablets, and laptops on iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux. Applications and programs that utilize integrated GPS positions now have access to the high-accuracy GNSS positioning provided by your Bad Elf receiver. Esri's ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Field Maps provide an established option for people seeking to link their field mapping data to their office-enterprise geographic information system (GIS) solution. Follow these steps to configure ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Field Maps, and a Bad Elf GPS for high-accuracy data acquisition.

Achieving high-accuracy data collection requires a more regimented workflow. In general, the more spatially accurate the data needs to be, the more complicated the process becomes. This document provides a success path for using the Bad Elf GNSS with the Esri ecosystem of GIS software and apps. 

First, login to ArcGIS Online with your username and password. Using your web browser, navigate to ArcGIS Online:  https://www.arcgis.com/home/index.html .

Note: ArcGIS Field Maps uses the same username and password for AGOL. If you are part of a larger ArcGIS organization, be sure to use the organization login option. 

Once logged into ArcGIS Online, along the top of the page you will find several tabs to select from to complete different tasks. For this specific tutorial, we are setting up online content for the mobile app ArcGIS Field Maps for ArcGIS. This will permit you to collect specific features and attribute them accordingly. Select the My Content tab.

From the Content landing page, we recommend creating a folder for organizational purposes. On the left side of your screen you will see a Folders heading with the "Create New Folder" icon to the right of it. Click the icon, Create new folder.

Once you create the folder, select it by left clicking the label on the left side of your page under Folders. Because we have not created any items yet, it will be blank. Next, select the New item button at the top left of your page, next to the Create app button. This button will give you several options that you can pick. First, we need to create a Feature Layer (a blank data repository). Next, we will create a web map to ingest and use this new Feature Layer for field data collection.

After selecting the Feature Layer option from the pop-up window, you can choose to create a feature layer from a template, from an existing layer, or from a URL. For this tutorial, we will use a simple template to demonstrate the process. However, if you are part of a an organization with an established GIS/Mapping department it would be recommend to collaborate with them to leverage existing feature classes, data structures, and data types. To start, select the Define your own layer option on the top of your screen. You will get the option to create points, lines, and polygon features. Select the default option, Points. Optionally, select Add under the point layer and create a line layer or a polygon layer.

Bad Elf also suggests that you turn on the option Capture GPS receiver information. This check box is extremely important for data fidelity and tracking. This option creates attribute fields for the GPS position metadata. These data are critical if you are trying to collect highly accurate positions, especially when talking “survey grade” mapping. These attributes are appended to your feature class and will be automatically logged when you take points in the field with the Field Maps application. Ensure the "Z values" checkbox is selected if elevation data is desired. After these three options are selected, click the blue Next button in the bottom right of the window to proceed. 

The last window asks for a title, folder, categories, tags, and summary. Enter in a feature name you will remember and makes sense. Remember this name will appear in the Field Maps app when you are in the field. Tags will help you find this feature layer when searching for it, and the summary will provide a detailed descriptor for others' benefit as well as helping remind you in the future. Bad Elf recommends spending an appropriate amount of time planning your project and features you need. Prior planning will help prevent issues downstream when collecting data.

Once clicked the process may take a few seconds to finalize. After completion, the new feature overview window will open. From this point, we want to check a few settings to optimize the system and avoid issues later. The first option to review is the Attachments setting. Under the Layers heading on the left, click the layer(s) you just created. Make sure the Enable Attachments option is checked. When enabled, users in the field will be able to take pictures with their phone or tablet and attach them to the feature class.

Click back to the feature overview screen. Next, on the top right of the screen, click the Settings tab to bring up additional options. 

Bad Elf recommends that you have all of the following boxes checked under the Feature Layer (hosted) heading so that all users can successfully collect and edit data.

Once all the settings are established, click the blue Save button at the bottom.

After the feature layer has been set up, you will create a web map to host the feature layer. The web map provides a background map layer and a container for the feature class the field technician uses to log data.

First, go back to the feature Overview page by clicking the tab link on the blue ribbon. Select Open in Map Viewer.

The next screen that appears is the online dashboard for the web map that you created. From here you will set up the web map so it properly functions for field data collection and editing. First, select Layers from the column on the left. Your new feature layer will appear. To add another feature layer, click the Add data button on the top left of your screen. Once clicked, you will have a few options to select. Choose the My Content or My Organization option. At the top of the list should be the feature you just created. Simply click the magnifying glass search bar and type the name of the feature layer you want to add. Next, click the “+” button at the bottom right of the layer. Close the Add Layer window by clicking the left-facing arrow on the left side of your page.

Depending on what you intend to collect in the field; you may want to change the basemap displayed. To change the basemap, click the Basemap icon at the top left of your page. A new window appears. Click the basemap, that makes the most sense for your field data collection needs.

Usually, Bad Elf recommends an aerial imagery background layer.

Another option to consider configuring is the map’s pop-ups. Map pop-ups are the screens that are displayed when you click a feature in the map or in the Field Maps app. Configuring the pop-up streamlines the view for the users, making it easier to visually digest. To configure the map pop-ups, find the layer you created earlier on the left side off your map screen, under the content tab, and click it.

Click the Pop-ups tab located midway down on the right side of your screen. A Fields List box appears. Click that box, and click the link called Select Fields.

A list will appear that you can individually select from. Accept any changes, then click the blue Done button at the bottom of the Configure pop-up configuration window.

Once you have the feature layer and basemap set, click the Save button at the middle left of your page. This will save any updates you made. Now that the data collection feature layer and the web map are created, it is time to get the ArcGIS Field Maps app set up on your mobile phone or tablet. If you will be using this app and the Bad Elf GPS without an internet connection, you have the ability to save your layers for offline use. Please refer to Esri help pages.

Using a mapping grade Bad Elf GPS receiver such as a GPS Pro, GPS Pro+, or the GNSS Surveyor? If so, the previous section will be sufficient in terms of setting up your data collection feature class and its associated projection system. When using AGOL to create the feature, it will automatically set the coordinate system to WGS1984 Web Auxiliary Sphere (#3857). The mapping grade GPS units mentioned earlier all natively collect data in that same coordinate system; no additional configuration required. 

If you want to connect to either L-BAND or terrestrial RTK networks for higher accuracy with the Bad Elf Flex, additional steps must be taken to configure ArcGIS Field Maps. L-BAND and terrestrial RTK CORS networks broadcast their data in a different coordinate system than WGS1984. For L-BAND you will need to set up the feature in Field Maps for ITRF2008 (104257). For RTK networks, in the US, you will need to set up your feature in Field Maps as NAD1983 2011 (#6318). Other countries and territories may have different coordinate reference systems. If you are not in the continental US, you will need to determine the coordinate reference system applicable to your corrections network. 

To collect high-accuracy GPS data within the Esri ecosystem, coordinate systems must be understood. Many users discover issues and notice that their data do not line up as anticipated. Most enterprise GIS data in the United States are projected using a version of the horizontal map datum NAD1983. High accuracy GPS data using RTK corrections also uses a variant of NAD1983, except its NAD1983 (2011). Conversely, mapping-grade data provided by satellites in the United States usually use the common datum ITRF (close to WGS84). These datums are horizontally different by approximately 2.5 feet to 4.5 feet depending on where you are on the surface of the earth. 

Due to this spatial system configuration difference, Collected GPS data may appear misaligned in your GIS data and or on your Esri basemaps. Before starting a data collection project, ensure that all of your archival data and basemaps are in known coordinate systems to maintain high data fidelity.

To connect your Bad Elf receiver to a cell phone or tablet, start by turning on the Bad Elf GPS receiver. Next, open your phone or tablet settings and make sure Bluetooth connections are enabled. Next, select your Bad Elf receiver serial number and complete the pairing process.

Once paired with the GPS, close the settings screen and open ArcGIS Field Maps. If you are using a Bad Elf Flex in extreme mode, you will need to configure the unit and the Bad Elf Flex app. Please see the Bad Elf Flex manual for additional setup instructions. 

Next, open the settings screen in the Field Maps app. You will see groupings of settings. We are interested in accuracy, location provider, and location profile. Each of these sections is important.

For the accuracy section, it is important to set the minimum accuracy appropriately for the type of work you are completing. By setting it very low, for example 15 feet, it will permit fast field data collection and ensure your results are coming from the external receiver. However, it will also cause your data to be potentially worse and less accurate. Oppositely, if you set the minimum accuracy very high it could slow your data collection down while the system waits for the desired accuracy. Operating in this fashion helps with data fidelity, but can cause delays in the field. 

GPS averaging is another option you may consider, depending on the needs of your project. Averaging points has the possibility of increasing the accuracy of your positions, due to averaging several points over time, versus a single point in time. The more time a point is average, the more likely its accuracy will be better. 

Note: We don't recommend using GPS averaging for collecting line or polygon features as averaging may distort the recordings.

In the location provider section, you need to set up and select your paired Bad Elf receiver. By default, Field Maps has the Integrated receiver selected; the GPS in your phone or tablet. Click the add button and search for the Bad Elf receiver. After selecting the Bad Elf receiver select the appropriate height for the antenna. If height does not matter, leave this setting blank. Otherwise, we suggest using a pole with a fixed height. Simply enter the pole height and the additional antenna offset for the GPS unit. 

Note: The Bad Elf Flex antenna offset is 23cm above the base of the receiver. 

Once complete, be sure to select the newly created option from the main provider screen. Ensure the check-mark is seen next to the Bad Elf receiver you chose. With these settings complete, go back to the main settings screen.

The last section is the location profile. The location profile controls how Field Maps for ArcGIS aligns your GIS and field-collected data. We suggest setting up and saving three profiles; one for mapping-grade data collection (SBAS), one for L-BAND corrected data collection, and another for NTRIP RTK corrected data collection. As mentioned in the projections and coordinate systems section, this step is critical if you wish to obtain higher accuracy data collection.

For mapping-grade data collection via SBAS or L-Band: you can either leave it set to none the default or you can set it up for GCS ITRF 2008(#8999). Set the map coordinate system to WGS 1984 Web Mercator (#3857). Select the first transformation offered in the list. We recommend calling this profile SBAS/LBAND. After completing this profile remember to select the new profile. 

For RTK data collection in the US via NTRIP set the GNSS corrections to NAD1983 2011 (#6318). Set the map coordinate system to WGS 1984 Web Mercator (#3857). Select the first transformation offered in the list. We recommend calling it RTK. After completing this profile setup, remember to select the new profile configuration.

ArcGIS Field Maps calculates orthometric heights using the EGM96 geoid to convert WGS84 and ITRF ellipsoidal heights into orthometric heights. EGM96 orthometric heights can differ from the NAVD88 vertical datum used by NAD83 by a meter or more depending on location.  In addition, the ellipsoids used by the WGS84 and NAD83(2011) datums can vary by more than a meter.  This means the elevation component of a feature class’s point geometry on ArcGIS Online is not correct when using RTK via NTRIP.  

The Bad Elf Flex solves this problem with our Ortho Everywhere solution. Ortho Everywhere not only provides the accurate "z" component of a point's geometry, but also auto-fills custom attribute fields with valuable metadata. Simply open the Bad Elf Flex app, tap Data Collection, tap Flow Points to 3rd Party App, confirm each step in the checklist, and tap Turn on auto-flow.

Once auto-flow is turned on, orthometric height information and Bad Elf custom field attributes will be sent to Field Maps by saving a point on the Flex whenever the form is open in the process of collecting and submitting a point. This is done by logging a point either on the Flex itself or on the Bad Elf Flex app before tapping Submit when collecting a feature on Field Maps. The unit will beep twice and switch screens from the Flex app back to Field Maps and update the point.

 For more information, please reference this article. 

 For existing data, this  GEOID18 calculator can output the correct height by inputting your latitude and longitude, then subtracting the geoid from the ellipsoidal height collected under the “altitude” field in Field Maps. You should then join this data to your original feature layer.

Once you have configured the settings, it is time to open the map you made earlier on AGOL. Go back to the main screen, it should say maps at the top of the page. Click the map you created earlier. From the map screen, you are now able to collect features in the field with your high-accuracy Bad Elf receiver. 

Bad Elf has a demo feature layer and web map you can access to help kick start your field data collection. Please follow this link to get access to these shared demo data sets:  https://arcg.is/Wuuij . Feel free to copy these layers for personal use. This map is shown below:

Additional content on configuring ArcGIS Field Maps can be found here  https://bad-elf.com/pages/configuring-esri-collector . You can also watch the video for more specific information on the operation of the Bad Elf GNSS Surveyor.

You can also visit Esri’s website for additional help using ArcGIS Field Maps: https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-field-maps/resources.

If you have any additional questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to reach us at sales@bad-elf.com. Thanks and happy mapping! ~ Bad Elf