My latest challenge. On one of my projects, we send the records (which include photos and other data recorded in the field) from the phone app via ‘Send data’ to my ftp server location where I can see that the CTX file is very small (133 bytes). The CT program on my laptop says that it is downloading the files but then states “nothing to download” finally, and no records are downloaded. When I try to import the same CTX files directly through File / Import Data, I get an error message “CT11 Error importing database files. Cabinet file does not have the correct format [0x0002]”
This behaviour is the same for different phones running this CT project. BUT… when I test the project using fake data, in the office, everything works fine!
I seem to have lost a few days of field data because of this problem. Any ideas?!!!
Hi Roland,
Could you open one of the 133 byte files in notepad as a text file? This will probably be a message from your FTP provider. My guess is that they have a size restriction on data.
If you are able to use the Publish system, that would avoid this issue.
Cheers,
-Justin
Justin, thanks: you are absolutely right. The does reveal " The uploaded file exceeds the hosting plan limit. Please, consider upgrading to a more powerful hosting package. www.freehostia.com".
I would like to use the ‘Publish’ option instead and so avoid using ftp, but I dont understand how this works. Can you explain? If I connect a phone to my laptop with a USB cable (and select ‘transfer files’ option on the phone), I can access the phones files on my laptop but using the “Download data from mobile device (USB)” function in CT just gives a ‘nothing to download’ message. This happens with both androids and iPhones. What am I doing wrong?!
Hi Roland,
With the Publish method you do not use cables at all.
When publishing, the system will create a queue for you. However, it will not overwrite your FTP settings. So before using Publish, you should clear out the upload and download transfer settings.
Cheers,
-Justin
Justin. It looks to me like Publish is the way to send a database from the laptop to each phone via a QR code or weblink. That works fine for me. Is there a similar function that allows me to transfer the data records collected on a phone to the laptop , without using an ftp server or USB cable?
Hello Roland,
download the data from (Publish)Provider to your PC works with "Download data from the web (F7).
Sharing of data (see Videos | CyberTracker Wiki ) allows you to send the data from device, e.g. via Email.
In both cases no cable, no extra FTP-Account neccessary.
Holger, Germany
Thanks. The ‘share’ function is really helpful. But I have found that the data arrives as a csv file with the photos that were taken in the app saved separately. How can I import the data from the CSV file into my CT database? And can I link each saved photo to the record in which it was taken?
Hi Roland,
The share feature is about sharing data with people who do not have CyberTracker.
When you use File->Download data from web, then it will automatically import it into your database. If you send me a CTX of your database (File->Export to CTX->Export Database) then I can see what is going on. Perhaps you still had your FTP settings configured when you used the Publish feature?
Cheers,
-Justin
Yes, I still have my ftp settings configured because that is my preferred way of transferring data. It works most of the time but I am resolving some problems with Free Hostia: they have been applying a file size limit. This means that ctx files containing photos sent from each phone (“send data”) do not arrive on my ftp server but are replaced with a small text file telling me that there is a file size limit (example attached). And the original ctx files are lost from the phones. So I have been using the ‘Share’ feature you told me about as an alternative, but this provides the data in csv format (see sightings.csv) with the photos separately saved so I dont know which record each photo relates to.
sighting.csv (4.14 KB)
Kenya2023_Foot_s_1c054f0be8880e47847aca76bafb6f55_0.CTX (133 Bytes)
Hi Roland,
My recommendation would be to just use the Publish system and not worry about FTP.
There is a column in the CSV file which contains the name of the photo file.
Cheers,
-Justin
Justin.
I appreciate the help you are giving. But I am left with:
- I cannot install a database from laptop to phone or upload data from phone to laptop, using a USB cable: although my laptop can access all the files on my android phone, the CT software on my laptop does not recognise that a phone is connected.
- uploading data from a phone using the Share button outputs the data as a CSV file. I cannot import this into my CT database on my laptop.
- Today: the publish function to send a project to a phone via weblink or QR code is failing: either the CT program on my laptop crashes while ‘copying to server’ or my phone CT app says “server not found”
Help!