Photo Logs: General Information
In the construction industry, field superintendents and other employees may use mobile devices to take progress photos, and then they may need to store and share those photos by using a secure online service. In Acumatica ERP Construction Edition, you can create photo logs. You can associate each photo log with a particular project and, optionally, a project task.
Learning Objectives
In this chapter, you will learn how to do the following:
- Create a photo log
- Upload photos to the photo log
- Download a ZIP archive with all the photos and files of the photo log
- Send an email with all the photos and files of the photo log
- Search for a photo log or a particular photo in the system
Applicable Scenarios
You create a photo log when you have any number of photos taken at a construction site, and you want to associate with one another and keep them for a project or project task.
Preparation to Use Photo Logs
Before you can starting using photo logs, numbering sequences should be specified for both photo logs and photos on the Photo Log Preferences (PJ103000) form.
On the Status tab of this form, you can also define custom statuses for photo logs. The N/A status, which is the only predefined status in the system, is specified by default for a new photo log. This status cannot be deleted, but you can change its name and description, if needed.
On the Attributes tab of the form, you can specify the list of attributes that will be available for individual photos in a photo log. When a user adds a photo in the photo log, the user specifies the appropriate attribute values for the photo.
Creation of a Photo Log
You can create a photo log by using the Photo Log (PJ305000) form. This form opens when you click Add New Record on the form toolbar of the Photo Logs (PJ405000) form.
On the Photo Log form, you need to specify the project for which the photo log is being created, the date, and the status. Also, you can specify a project task and a brief description of the photo log.
On the Photos tab, you need to click Add Row on the table toolbar to open the Photo (PJ305010) form, through which you can upload a photo and add it to a photo log. To add the photo to the photo log, you click the Upload Photo button next to the Photo Log ID box (which the system initially fills in with the ID of the photo log from which you added the photo), select a photo in the Upload New Photo dialog box, click Upload, and then save your changes. You can add any number of photos to a photo log.
In the Summary area of the Photo form, if you select the Main Photo check box, the photo is displayed in the preview area on the Photo Logs form as the main photo of the entire photo log. Only one photo can be marked as the main photo for a photo log. If no photo is marked as the main photo of a photo log, the preview area remains empty.
Use of Photo Logs
When working with photo logs on the Photo Logs (PJ405000) inquiry form, you can also do the following:
- Narrow the list of photo logs by using the Project and Project Task boxes in the Selection area.
- Download photos from selected photo logs to a single ZIP archive by selecting the unlabeled check boxes for the needed photo logs in the table in the right pane and clicking Export Photo Logs on the form toolbar.
- Email photos from selected photo logs as an email attachment by selecting the unlabeled check boxes for the needed photo logs in the table in the right pane and clicking Email Photo Logs on the form toolbar.
If you delete a photo log, all photos included in the photo log are also deleted.
To move a photo from one photo log to another, you can select the destination photo log in the Photo Log ID box for the photo on the Photo (PJ305010) form and save your changes.