Mapsly users can take photos using the Mapsly mobile or web app, and they will be saved to Mapsly, for example into a check-in record, and — optionally — uploaded to your CRM record as attachments. Users can also upload any file or document and let package recipients draw signatures on a screen which will be saved as an image file.

An image can also be drawn on the screen in Mapsly, which can be useful for examlple to collect e-signatures from delivery recipients.

If the object/module in your CRM, to which you'd like to save files, doesn't support attachments, or your CRM doesn't accept files via its API, you may also save links to Mapsly files to your CRM fields, and when your CRM users click on them, files will open in Mapsly.

Files can be uploaded from shared maps as well; in other words, users are not necessarily required to be logged in to Mapsly to take photos and upload files (although, they do need to be logged in to view or modify uploaded files).

Typically, to let your users upload a file to Mapsly, you'll be using a Form action with a Fields form field. When such a form is open, users will be able to upload a file using any of the methods allowed in the Files form field properties — take a picture using device's camera, upload a photo (and soon – also a video) from a gallery, upload a file from the disk, or make a drawing (which is especially useful for collecting signatures from delivery recipients. The Files field property also specify the minimum and maximum allowed number of files, so one File field may be used to upload multiple files at once.

When user selects files to upload (or makes a drawing, or takes a photo using the camera), the file is immediately stored as a record in the Mapsly's Files system object, and its ID is stored in the Files form field value. As user continues to upload more files, their IDs are appended to the same Files field's value, so the resulting value is an array of file IDs.

When user triggers an event on the Form, like clicking a form button, your actions in the event's handler can access the file IDs in the Files form field, their properties including their permanent URLs, and their content. In your actions, you can do the following in any combination:

1- You may simply save the value of the Files form field to the Files field of the target record in Mapsly. Users viewing the target record will also be able to view these files, or even modify them (if their profile grants them the Modify permission to the Files field — more details about it below).

Note. Currently, only the system Check In object contains a Files field. So uploaded files' ID can be saved directly to a Check In record, so files can be viewed in a Check In record. Later, we'll also allow to add Files fields to other system object as well.

2- For each of the uploaded files a permanent link is generated, which you can access for any of the IDs stored in the Files form field value using GetFileProperties(fileId).file_url. You can save this link to a CRM field, so when your users click it, the file will open in Mapsly (user will need to be logged in to Mapsly).

3- You may save uploaded files directly your CRM, for example as attachments to a record into which your users is checking it. To retrieve the file contents use the GetFileContent() function. These articles will help you save files directly to your CRM:

Note. If a user closes the Form by clicking Cancel, newly uploaded files are automatically removed.

Any user, including anonymous users of a shared map, can upload files using a Form, as long as they are permitted to use this Form.

To view a Files field in a record in a map popup or record view, a user needs to have access to the File object in their user profile. If their profile permits them to modify the Files field, they'll be able to modify the field's content directly, that is to upload new files into that field and remove existing ones.

IMPORTANT! If a user has access to the File object, they can view any file as long as they either have a direct link to it (from GetFileProperties(fileId).file_url) or have access to a record with a Files field containing this file ID. At the moment, unlike for other objects, for records in Files Mapsly does not offer per-record access control. So once a user learns a file's direct URL (if you save it to your CRM) or obtains a file's ID (for example, by viewing the file in a Check In record), it is impossible to "revoke" user's access to this particular file.

Each Mapsly org account comes with 5 Gb of file storage. When the limit is exceeded, the current limit is automatically increased in 5 Gb increments with appropriate fee being automatically added to the current subscription price starting from the next billing cycle, similar to how the record fee works.

In early 2023, we'll offer admin an opportunity to view orphaned files — files without references from Files fields in any record — and quickly remove such files to free up storage space, if necessary.

A Form action with a Fields form field can be also used to edit an existing Files field — to do this, simply fill in the initial value of the Files form field with the current value of the Files field from a record using Twig, and Mapsly will show the current files in the Form and will allow the user to add new files, or remove existing ones. Then, simply save the updated value from the Files form field to the record's Files field.

When using a Files field to store images, we strongly recommend using a Form to edit the field's value, since a Form allows you to (1) set the target image size to conserve file storage, (2) control the min and max number of files that a user can/must upload and (3) restrict the type of files that can be uploaded (for example — only images).

If a user's profile permits modification of a Files field, the user can edit the Files field directly in a record's map popup or record view right panel — similar to any other field.

When using a Files field to store images, we do not recommend allowing users to edit FIles fields directly, because this method does not let you (1) set the target image size, (2) control the min and max number of files that can be uploaded into a Files field or (3) restrict the type of files that can be uploaded (for example — only images). We recommend using a Form action to edit Files fields with images.