Authoring and publishing projects from QGIS

For GIS operators. Install the kField Sync plugin, prepare a project for the field, publish it to kFieldCloud, and pull captured data back into QGIS.

1. Install the kField Sync plugin

kField Sync is a free QGIS plugin that talks to the kFieldCloud server. It is distributed from kField's own plugin repository, so you only need to add the URL once.

1. In QGIS, open Plugins → Manage and Install Plugins → Settings.
2. Under "Plugin Repositories", click Add.
3. Name: kField  ·  URL: https://fdc.kfield.app/plugins.xml
4. Click OK. QGIS fetches the catalog.
5. Switch to the All tab, search "kField", and click Install Plugin.
6. Restart QGIS.

2. Sign in

1. Top menu → kField Sync → Cloud Projects Overview.
2. The login dialog appears with fdc.kfield.app pre-filled.
3. Enter your kFieldCloud username and password.
4. Optional: tick Stay signed in to skip the login next time.

3. Prepare a project for the field

Build your QGIS project as you normally would: add layers, design attribute forms, set a default extent. Three things to set up specifically for field use:

1. Hide system fields like fid. In Layer Properties → Attributes Form, select the field and set Widget Type to Hidden. Otherwise field officers will be prompted to type values that should be auto-generated.
2. Configure photo fields. For a column that should hold a photo (Text type, length 500), set Widget Type to Attachment, with "Relative paths" → Relative to project path.
3. Set photo naming. Open Plugins → kField Sync → Configure Current Project → Photo Naming tab. For each Attachment field, enter an expression like:

   'DCIM/<layername>_' || format_date(now(),'yyyyMMddhhmmsszzz') || '.{extension}'

   This makes kField save photos under the project's DCIM folder with a unique timestamped name.

4. Publish to kFieldCloud

1. Top menu → kField Sync → Synchronize with kFieldCloud.
2. Click Create new cloud project.
3. Pick a project name and the kFieldCloud account or organisation that should own it.
4. Click Create → Upload. The plugin packages the project (geopackage + qgs + attachments) and pushes it.
5. Officers assigned to that account will now see the project on their phones the next time they open the kField app.

5. Pull field data back

1. When officers sync, their changes (new features + photos) land in the cloud.
2. In QGIS, open kField Sync → Synchronize with kFieldCloud.
3. Pick the project from the list, then Pull changes.
4. The local copy under ~/kField/cloud/<project>/ is updated.
5. Open the project, click any new feature, switch to Form view, and you'll see the photo thumbnail rendered inline.

Common pitfalls

• Photos exist on the phone but the form shows no thumbnail. Make sure officers use kField's built-in camera (Settings → "Use integrated camera") so geotags and EXIF metadata are embedded.
• Joins create stray fid_1 columns. Hide them via Widget Type → Hidden, or drop them from the GeoPackage with the DB Manager.
• Sync "Aborted" mid-download. If you see a download abort, tick "Stay signed in" on the login dialog and retry. (kField Sync >= 4.19.0-kf1 fixes this even without the checkbox.)