Best approach for multi-user tracking with daily upload, without syncing everyone’s track files?

Ask the Community
1

Hi all,

I’m looking for advice on the best architecture for a QField deployment with 50+ mobile devices.

My main requirement is to record user location tracks in the field and upload those track files daily, but I want to avoid a workflow where every device has to sync everybody else’s tracks. In other words, I’m mainly interested in one-way upload of each user’s own tracking data, rather than full bidirectional sync of a shared tracking layer.

I could use qfieldcloud and apply display filters but that still downloads all the data to each device.

I’ll be running a custom project plugin anyway, so was wondering if the plugin framework has file copying/renaming/moving functionality. My thought there was the project can contain a blank tracking layer template. The plugin then makes a copy of this file and renames it something like tracking_deviceID_date.gpkg , logs data to the local layer and at the end of the day I can upload these files or even just the features to a central location and maybe even move the local copy to a ‘complete’ folder. That way I have tracking history and a backup of the tracks on the individual devices.

2

Good question. I am interested in a similar approach for pictures. So pictures taken by person A are not synchronized with person B, to avoid large downloads. Or is that already implemented is some way?

3

Hello,

I haven’t tested this option yet, but it’s a matter of trying it out.

4

Thanks for the sugestion. It sounds like the ‘on demand’ feature will be a good fit for attached pictures like @Jeroen-GroeneBij is after, but I dont think it is relevant for my scenario.

I’m thinking of setting up a QFieldCloud server for this which I guess is the intended way of handling the multi user syncronisation. Then handle only showing your own tracks by setting up a display filter with user or deviceID.