Any way to add an irregular number of photos?...

[Rogerio_Penna]

Any way to add an irregular number of photos?

I am building several audit and inspection apps for my company. While at some of them I can try to regulate the maximum number of photos that should be taken as evidence for an entry, for others, like an Occupation Safety Inspection app, I would like to allow the inspectors to take many more photos, if necessary, of some items.

When having a maximum number of possible photos, I create a column for each photo. Then in AppSheet editor I edit each column adding a Visible If condition… that it’s only visible if previous photo is not empty (so you don´t get tons of empty photo icons cluttering the view unless you need them to take new photos)

But is there anything that can be done if I want to have a maximum of 15 photos for example? And a dozen questions, each allowing a maximum of 15 questions?

I mean… creating 15 columns x 12questions… then editing EACH one of those 180 COLUMNS!!! to add a Show If formula?

In another topic I saw this suggestion: “It is possible to create a separate sheet that will contain all the photos (each photo individually added) in a single row and link to that row using a REF.”

However I don’t really understand how will you be able to take those multiple photos in the form you are filling, nor how those photos will be shown in the mobile while filling the form or checking the entry…

Nor if the above method would properly work with a template email/pdf.

MAYBE that would be a case for Features Suggestion? Having a Column Type for Images and working the same way we do now, when you want 1 or 2 or maybe 3 images…

And having a column type for “Album”, where you can specify maximum number of images for that column and appsheet will automatically store the photos in another table and create a specific and adequate view of thumbnails to take and view multiple photos?

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Additionally, is it possible to georeference each photo inside a form, instead of a georeference for each form?

[Rogerio_Penna]

@Grant_Stead

Ok Grant, trying now your suggestion. Also following the Nested Forms app, but so far some doubts here.

Let’s say I have a form like this

Audit Number:

Question 1 Photos: Question 2 Photos: Question 3 Photos:

Should I create a single table for all photos, of all questions, of all audits?

I am a bit at a loss here regarding how to reference one to the other, in a manner that the system knows a specific photo on the Photo Table belongs to Question 2 of Audit 7

What I am seeing here is:

1 - As instead of a photo button I do have a reference, I get a dropdown reference list, where I select new for a new photo (it takes me to a mini form where I take a photo). You mentioned “the form would have it inline to add images”. But I am getting the dropdown menu. And if I changed to button if doesn´t even work. Am I am doing something wrong or it’s that way?

2 - So I take two photos for Question 1. Now I go to Question Number 2. And the dropdown menu shows the same photos from Question Number 1. That is, the tables are being referenced one to the other, but I can´t link to a specific question…

[Grant_Stead]

Definitely try the suggestion. Create another sheet, for the images it will do everything you need.

I typically have it setup as reference isapartof and the following columns Datetime as key, useremail, location, image

The first three are filled auto by the system. And you can set it up so that whole you’re in your form, you would click new, and it automatically opens the camera, and steer capture it closes and returns to the form…

[Rogerio_Penna]

The suggestion however mentions having all the photos in a single row… err… I guess he meant having all the photos in a single row of the main table… in the PHOTO table, each photo would be a different row, right?

After taking for example 15 photos, how are those shown in the Form View… and also in the table or other views?

[Grant_Stead]

Yes, it would be… If you want your images by column/questions or sections, you would need many tables… I would recommend breaking up your audit into sections…

[Rogerio_Penna]

@Grant_Stead Thanks for trying to help me out Grant.

But even if I create a table of photos for each question that requires photos, the photos will still be shared by each new form.

That means… if I have Table called “Photos Question 1” being part of the Question 1… so it won´t appear in the Question 2…

STILL, when I create a NEW audit, the Question 1 photos from the previous Audit will be there in the new Audit.

So what I need is find some way to say: these photos I am taking here belong to Question 1, Audit 3 of Construction Site 320.

So if I start Audit 4 of the same Construction Site, I won´t see the photos from the previous audit.

Or even worse, auditing a whole other construction site and having those photos there already!!

[Grant_Stead]

I do construction 3rd party inspections… And if you set this up correctly your can achieve your goals. I’m sorry that I can’t help you further other than building it for you…

[Rogerio_Penna]

I understand Grant. I will check better apps with Child tables to see how single rows of the child are tied to single rows and/or columns of the parent.

[Grant_Stead]

Yes, one separate distinct photo per row… There would be one more column ref back to your main table… Just try it, it’s simple, the form would have it inline to add images… Easy day!

[tony1]

@Rogerio_Penna Here’s an example of what Grant is talking about. You could add an Image column to the Child table. https://www.appsheet.com/samples/How-to-use-nested-forms?appGuidString=d6cfb54e-80c3-461f-971f-8d65a...

[Rogerio_Penna]

Hi @tony. This is not the first time I see an example app showing some very interesting features but that I do not remember seeing them on the Example Apps. Altough from your URL it seems I should have seen it on the “SAMPLES” link on your website.

Edit: ahhhhh… maybe it’s something you should make more visible. I never noticed that in the top, there were links to all kinds of apps that appear on that list of sample apps… but there is also an EXTRA LINK, “HOW TO”

[Grant_Stead]

Nah, ok your audit form with questions should have no physical columns for images… Then your have another table for the images which is referenced to the audit…

So then when filling out the audit your will be and to add as many images as you want

[Rogerio_Penna]

But I think that’s what I did.

I have a 2 physical columns for referencing the Photos Table. (one column for question 1 and one column for question 2)

They are not image type. They are ref type.

When I click them at first I get an empty dropdown list with a NEW option.

Clicking the new option takes me to a mini-form which is actually the Photo table.

The problem however is that the photo table is not linking each photo to a particular row of the audit table, nor to a particular question (column).

So I go to question 2 and it shows in the dropdown list, all the photos I took at Question 1.

And if I start a new Audit, all the photos registered at the Photos table will also show there.

[Grant_Stead]

If you have an audit with questions… And then you want the user to be able to attach images to the audit… You do NOT need any columns in the audit table for images…

In the images table you will have a column referencing back to the audit table…

The rest will happen automatic…

[Rogerio_Penna]

@Grant_Stead It’s not that I have a column in the Audit table for images. I do have a column for REFERENCING the images table.

But again, even referencing back to the audit table, the images

in the Photos Table are still “shared” by all questions in the Audits table and by all new entries in the Audits table.