Data Collection Tools

The "Data Collection" tools are a group of tools that help in maintaining integrity of the users GIS database. The integrity is maintained by ensuring that the type of data collected, by field personnel, is exactly like the data represented in the database. In other words, a feature cannot be collected or loaded if it is not represented in the database. A new feature can only be collected after it has been defined in the database. When the new feature or features have been defined in the database, the tools will accommodate to these changes.

There are two types of tools, one is for collecting data ("Data Dictionary Builder") and the other is for loading the collected data ("Object Loader"). The combination of the two will help maintain the integrity of the database. The "Object Loader" tool will only load features that are defined in the database. The "Data Dictionary Builder" tool will only allow features to be collected that are defined by the database.

Data Dictionary Builder Tool

The "Data Dictionary Builder" is a useful tool for managing data collection in the field. This tool will automatically determine the feature type and field type, by cloning the schema of the users GIS database, to be exported to the data logger. If a feature type is defined as a "Line" in the database, the "Data Dictionary Builder" will automatically define the specified feature as line in the data dictionary and name it according to the name of the feature from the database. If a field type is defined as an "Integer" in the database it will be defined the same in the data dictionary.

The "Data Dictionary Builder" tool only allows the user to define what features and fields are or are not to be shown in the data logger. The tool will provide and interface to allow the user to view all the possible items that can be exported to the data logger.

Telco Object Loader Tool is an import engine that simplifies the task of loading data into a geodatabase. The tool automatically locates and imports the necessary shape files into the proper feature classes in the geodatabase. To import the features into a geodatabase simply define the target geodatabase and the folder that contains the shape files.

The Object Loader Tool also simplifies the collection of driveways and bridges by reducing the driveway to a point and a bridge to a line. The Object Loader will convert the driveway from a point to a polyline, rotate and move it to the closest road-edge. Bridges will be collected as a line in the field and will be converted to a polygon that is rotated and moved to the closest centerline.

Finally any feature that has a field defined with the name "Angle" will be automatically rotated to the closest centerline.