Fetch location data

  • Updated

Ecobot can fill in a sampling point's location fields for you from its coordinates: state, county, subregion, soil map unit, NWI classification, and section, township and range. This article shows how to fetch that data in Ecobot Manager, for many points at once or for one point, and in Ecobot Collector.

Fetching needs an internet connection, because the data comes from online GIS sources. In Manager, the survey must be checked out to you first; see How syncing works: check-in, checkout, and sync.

Fetch location data for many points in Manager

  1. Open the survey in Manager and go to the Points tab.
  2. Tick the points you want to update. A bar appears above the list.
  3. Select Fetch location data.

    The Points tab in Ecobot Manager with four points ticked and the Fetch location data button highlighted

  4. Choose how to apply the data:
    • Fill blanks only fills in empty fields and keeps any values you've already entered. This is the safer choice.
    • Overwrite all fields replaces every location field with the fetched values.
  5. Select Start.

    The Autofill site data dialog in Manager, with the Fill blanks only and Overwrite all fields options and the Start button highlighted

Manager fills in the location fields for each point you ticked and saves them. You don't need to save anything yourself.

Fetch location data for one point in Manager

  1. On the survey's Points tab, select a point's name to open it.
  2. On the Site tab, select Fetch location data at the top right.

    A point's Site tab in Manager, with the Fetch location data button highlighted

  3. Choose Fill blanks only or Overwrite all fields.
  4. Select Fetch data. The location fields fill in after a moment.

    The Fetch location data dialog for one point in Manager, with the fill options and the Fetch data button highlighted

  5. Check the values, then select Save data at the bottom of the page. Fetched values aren't saved until you do.

To fetch a single field, select the arrow icon beside its name, such as Soil Map Unit Name or Subregion (LRR). Then select Save data.

The arrow icon beside Soil Map Unit Name on a point's Site tab in Manager, highlighted

Fetch location data in Collector

  1. In a wetland survey, open a point and go to its Point Information section.
  2. At the top, tap the blue two-arrow icon beside Fetch location data from coordinates.
    A point's Point Info screen in Ecobot Collector, with Fetch location data from coordinates and the blue two-arrow icon highlighted
  3. Tap Replace.
    Collector's Fetch data from coordinates message, with the Cancel and Replace buttons

Collector fills in six fields from the point's coordinates: State, City/County, Section, Township, Range, Subregion, NWI classification and Soil Map Unit Name.

State, City/County and Subregion filled in on a point in Collector NWI classification and Soil Map Unit Name filled in on a point in Collector

When a field stays blank

Some fields don't have a value everywhere:

  • Section, township and range come from the Public Land Survey System. Points outside its coverage get no value.
  • NWI classification only has a value where the National Wetlands Inventory maps a wetland.

Where to go next

To copy the same top-of-form details to many points, see Bulk edit points. To give new points those details from the start, see Create a survey and set defaults. If fetched values look wrong, check the point's coordinates; see Location or GPS is wrong.