Points Batch QC

Batch QC allows you to rapidly address large data sets with many records. You can run Batch QC on an entire service layer or an existing queue. It is a tool designed to save you time. For example, if you have a thousand points to address, you may not have time to manually address all of them. Let Batch QC do the work of automatically snapping your points to flowlines within the snap tolerance. Then you can manually inspect only those points that did not automatically snap.

If your data has been previously been addressed and already has a ReachCode or GNIS_NAME, HydroAdd will snap it to the flowline with a matching ReachCode or GNIS_NAME. Batch QC prioritizes ReachCode over GNIS_NAME but can use either. For example, you may have point events that have previously been addressed to the NHDPlus V2. Batch QC will snap the point events to a matching ReachCode in the NHD, if it is within the snap tolerance.

Batch QC results reside on the HydroAdd application server—your data are not updated to AGOL until you publish. Results of Batch QC jobs are always available in the Batch QC queue--even after you publish or remove the corresponding service layer from AGOL. You should always review the results of Batch QC before you publish the results to your service layer on AGOL. This acts as a safeguard to protect your data because it allows to you to try different snap tolerances before you publish. You cannot undo the edits to your service layer once HydroAdd publishes the updates. In any case, you should always keep a copy of your original data and ArcGIS Pro project.

Points Batch QC Pane

The Batch QC panes lists all the batch jobs you have run. You can filter the jobs list by date range, or sort by created/completed date. The Batch QC results listed in the Batch QC Pane reside on the HydroAdd application server—your data are not updated to AGOL until you publish. Results of Batch QC jobs are always available in the Batch QC pane--even after you publish or remove the corresponding service layer from AGOL.

Create Point Batch QC Job

1. Click Points Batch QC job
    
2. The Create Points Batch QC Job window pops up.
3. Enter a queue or an entire service.
4. Enter a nickname the Batch QC job.
5. Enter the Snap Tolerance
6. Enter the QC Tolerance.
7. Click Create.
    
8. The Batch Job runs in the background.
9. Check the Batch QC Jobs Pane to see progress.
10. The Job Status updates in real time as the job as runs.
    ‎ The Batch QC Job Status shows:
    1. Created date
    2. Service name
    3. QC Tolerance and Snap Tolerance
    4. Percent of features approved
    5. Percent of features processed
    6. Percent of features published to AGOL
    7. Job status
       

Snap Tolerance for points

User input. The maximum distance you allow Batch QC to move a point to a flowline. Snap Tolerance is essentially a buffer around the input point. If there is a flowline feature within the snap tolerance of the input point, Batch QC will snap it.

• If SnapDistance <= SnapTolerance, then InSnapTolerance = Yes.
• If no flowlines are within the SnapTolerance, then InSnapTolereance = No, InQCTolerance = No, and QCApproved = No
• If the input point already has a ReachCode, Batch QC will snap it to the NHDFlowline with matching ReachCode, if it is within the SnapTolerance.
• If the input point already has a GNIS_NAME, Batch QC will snap it to the NHDFlowline with matching GNIS_NAME, if it is within the Snap Tolerance.
• If the input point already has both a ReachCode and GNIS_NAME, ReachCode takes priority.
• If the input point does not have a preexisting ReachCode or GNIS_NAME, Batch QC will snap it to the nearest flowline within SnapTolerance regardless of the ReachCode or GNIS_NAME on the flowline.

See also HydroAdd Point Schema.

See also Point Batch QC logic.

QC Tolerance for points

User input. The maximum snap distance where the point is automatically approved. If a flowline is within the snap tolerance of the input point, Batch QC will snap it to the flowline, in all cases. However, automatic approval by Batch QC depends on the QC tolerance. If the snap distance is greater than the QC tolerance, then the point is not approved.

• If SnapDistance <= QCTolerance, then InQCTolerance = Yes, and QCApproved = Yes
• If no flowlines are in the SnapTolerance, then the point does not move. In this case, InSnapTolereance = No, InQCTolerance = No, and QCApproved = No

Tips for setting QC tolerance

• QC Tolerance is important when your input points do not have a preexisting ReachCode or GNIS_NAME.
• QC Tolerance is especially useful in cases where the snap tolerance is large. When the Snap Tolerance is large, there are likely to be multiple flowlines within the snap tolerance. If the point moves very far when it snaps, there is a possibility it will snap to the wrong flowline. For this reason, when using a large snap tolerance, a good practice is to set the QC tolerance at about one half or more of the snap distance.

See also HydroAdd Point Schema.

See also Point Batch QC logic.

Points Batch QC Job Status

The Batch QC Job Status shows:

• Created date
• Edit queue or service
• QC Tolerance and Snap Tolerance
• Percent of features processed
• Percent of features approved
• Percent of features published to AGOL
• Job status. If the QC job is still running, status is grayed out.
  

Points Batch QC Review Queue

The Batch QC Review Queue allows you to review the Batch QC results before you publish to AGOL. Batch QC results reside on the HydroAdd application server—your data are not updated to AGOL until you publish. Results of Batch QC jobs are always available in the Batch QC pane—even after you publish or remove the corresponding service layer from AGOL. You should always review the results of Batch QC before you publish the results to your service layer on AGOL. This acts as a safeguard to protect your data because it allows to you to try different snap tolerances before you publish. You cannot undo the edits to your data once HydroAdd publishes the updates. In any case, you should always keep a copy of your original data and ArcGIS Pro project.

• Click a row in the Batch QC queue to zoom to the feature. The map zooms to the yellow snap distance arrow.
• Items in the Batch QC queue appear cyan on the map.
• Hover the cursor over a row to highlight features yellow on the map.
• Queues are paginated. You can choose the number of rows per page.

Points Batch QC Feature Details

You can see details of the Batch QC result for each feature.

1. Click the details button from a row in the Batch QC queue
    
2. The Batch QC details pane opens
    
3. The Batch QC details for each feature indicates:
   1. Snap Tolerance
   2. QC Tolerance
   3. On Network (Y/N)
   4. Snap Distance
   5. Equidistant - point is equidistant to locations on one or more flowlines
   6. Original ReachCode Match (Y/N)
   7. In Snap Tolerance (Y/N)
   8. QC Approved (Y/N)

See also HydroAdd Point Schema.

See also Point Batch QC logic.

Publishing QC Results to ArcGIS Online

Publishing from HydroAdd updates the features in your service layer at AGOL. However, the results displayed in the Batch QC queue do not change after publishing. The results are essentially a static snapshot of the state of your service layer before publishing. Even when the features in the map update to new locations after publishing, results of Batch QC queue remain unchanged.

You can always run Batch QC again after publishing, but you will get different results because publishing overwrites your service layer—many of the feature will have been addressed to flowlines. To see the actual approval status of the features after publishing, you must examine the features in an editing queue (not the Batch QC queue) or use the identify tool in the map.

To publish one point 

1. The original location of the point has a cyan halo.
    
2. Click the cloud icon in the row of the Batch QC results queue.
    
3. The icon briefly changes as HydroAdd updates the feature location service on AGOL
    
4. A popup, lower right, indicates when the feature updates.
    
5. The cloud icon changes to indicate publishing of feature is complete.
    
6. After a moment, the map updates to show the updated location.
   

To publish multiple points

Publishing from HydroAdd updates the features in your service layer at AGOL. However, the results displayed in the Batch QC queue do not change after publishing. The results are essentially a static snapshot of the state of your service layer before publishing. Even when the features in the map update to new locations after publishing, results of Batch QC queue remain unchanged.

You can always run Batch QC again after publishing, but you will get different results because publishing overwrites your service layer—many of the feature will have been addressed to flowlines. To see the actual approval status of the features after publishing, you must examine the features in an editing queue (not the Batch QC queue) or use the identify tool in the map.

• Use the Pick All checkbox to pick all rows on a page or use a row checkbox to pick single features. Only the features in the page will be picked. For example, if there are 10 rows in the Batch QC queue only 10 features will be picked. To pick more rows, increase the number of rows per page or go to the next page. Once you have picked multiple rows, you can publish, or add to/remove from a queue.
• You can publish approved features, unapproved, or both.
• It is convenient to publish only approved items to your service layer but make a queue of only the unapproved items. Manually examining only the unapproved items in a normal editing queue can save you time on large jobs.

1. Select multiple points, or select all rows.
2. Click the cloud icon at the top of the Batch QC queue.‎
   
3. The Public Batch QC Job window pop up.
4. Select to publish only approved, only unapproved, or all features.
5. It is convenient to publish only approved items to your service layer but make a queue of only the unapproved items. Manually examining only the unapproved items in a normal editing queue can save you time on large jobs.
   
   
6. NOTE: Publishing takes time. Best practice is to select the maximum number of items (2,000) then let publishing run in the background or run overnight.  

Publishing status

The publishing status of the entire job is displayed with job statistics in the list of all Batch QC jobs.  

The publishing status of individual features is always shown in the Batch QC queue:

Making queues from Points Batch QC Jobs

You can make queues from approved items, unapproved items, or both.

It is convenient to make a queue of only the unapproved items but publish only approved items to your service layer. Manually examining only the unapproved items in a normal editing queue can save you time on large jobs.

1. Select multiple items, or select all rows.

2. The maximum number of items that can be selected for publishing is 2,000. 

3. Queues with more than 2,000 items are possible, but not recommended. 
4. Click the queue button icon at the top of the Batch QC queue.
5. Click Create Edit Queue from the Batch QC results.
    
6. The Create Edit Queue window pops up.
   1. Choose approved, unapproved or both.
   2. Select published features or not.
   3. Enter a name and choose a color
      ‎  
7. Click Create queues.
8. A popup, lower right, indicates the queue is created.
    
   
   
9. The Editing queue appears in the editing queues pane. 
    
   
   

Point Batch QC logic table

Overview of point Batch QC Logic.

• If SnapDistance <= SnapTolerance, then InSnapTolerance = Yes 
• If no flowlines are in within the SnapTolerance, then InQCTolerance = No and QCApproved = No
• If SnapDistance <= QCTolerance, then InQCTolerance = Yes.
• If QCApproved = No, then the user should manually QC the item in an editing queue. 
• QCApproved = Yes only when InQCTolerance = Yes