The Web Map and Widgets are the foundation of creating apps in Web AppBuilder (WAB), but there are customizations you can make to add a finishing touch to your app and make it unique.
5 Ways to Add a Finishing Touch to Your WAB App
Because you can't fake accuracy...
You can fake your way through a lot of things in life. For example, you may be able to fool some folks into thinking you are a baseball expert by coaching a little league team. Make sure they know the steal sign, teach 'em to catch the ball, and not to swing at anything above their chin... and somehow everyone thinks you're some kind of pro.
So you don't necessarily have to be incredibly knowledgeable about the game or have pitched in the minor leagues to navigate your team through the season. But there are some things you can't fake, and one of them is GPS accuracy...
Like most GIS folks, you need a good quality GNSS receiver that connects to your mobile device via bluetooth? Most GIS folks don't need extreme sub-inch accuracy for their mapping project but they do want something that's better than the 8-10 feet they might see from their smartphone or tablet. Something in the middle like 3-4 feet would be nice (this area is shown to be a missing option as seen in this former post on GPS accuracy).
So let's take a look at some of the latest devices out there available in this realm...
The Trimble R1 GNSS receiver packs a lot of punch into such a small box. With Bluetooth capabilities for even more versatility.
1. Trimble R1 GNSS Receiver- a rugged, compact, lightweight GNSS receiver that provides professional-grade positioning information to any connected mobile device using Bluetooth® connectivity. Cost =. $2500
2. SXBlue II GNSS- The SXBlue II GNSS is a palm-sized receiver that delivers real-time, high accuracy performance using GPS/GLONASS satellites and free SBAS corrections. Cost = $2895.
3. EOS Positioning Systems Arrow Series 100 -The Arrow series 100 provides submeter accuracy for comparing with these other models but their line also includes the 200 model which claims to be the world’s first GNSS receiver able to provide 1cm real-time accuracy directly to your Android, iOS and Windows mobile device when connected to an RTK service or base station. Cost = $2995.
There are many different combinations and ways that you can collect high-accuracy GIS data with mobile devices. If you're looking for something that is lightweight and filled with performance, one of these units might be just what you are looking for. We hope to provide some more specific examples and possibly some accuracy reviews (nothing fake) in a future post.
ArcGIS Collector App- Reviewed
It's no secret that Cloudpoint is an Esri Shop. Being in the Business Partner Network, receiving the AGOL Specialist status ... we drink the kool-aid.
So What? Get over it.
Still, as skeptical consumers and technologists, there is still a part of us that wants to test. Make sure we're progressing rather than regressing. We want to make sure we know and understand the different options for our customers and what has been released. One of the worst things is to spend 100s of hours with your head down working away on a solution only to find out something very close was released for free or very cost-effectively months ago. (True Story)
Mobile Asset Management Solutions
A large challenge of a small business owner is to keep track of what is going on while being very involved in providing the service. A solution for this problem is asset management. Many asset management solutions can cost thousands of dollars in subscriptions and that doesn’t even include the cost of the equipment...