Enabling Silent Audio/Photo/Video Capturing for Quality Control

Overview

SurveyToGo provides silent media capture features that can be used to support interview quality control and verification processes.

Available options include:

• Silent Audio Capture – Record all or part of an interview in the background.

• Silent Photo Capture – Capture photos from the device's front camera, rear camera, or both.

• Silent Video Capture – Record video during the interview using the device cameras.

Captured media is automatically attached to the interview and can be accessed later through the Operations Console, where quality control staff can review the files alongside the interview data.

These features can provide additional context about the interview environment and assist with validation and quality assurance activities.

This article covers:

1. Configuring silent audio, photo, or video capture through scripting or survey settings.

2. Accessing and reviewing the captured media from the Operations Console.

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Step 1: Configure the photo/Video capturing in the Survey by script or by a configuration check box.

There are 2 options for configuring the photo capturing on a question in the interview.

1. Configuration Based Capturing

You just press the “Silent-Photo-Capture” button on the question(s) in the interview you wish to capture photo. You can capture photo in multiple places throughout the survey to take more than one photo. To configure the “Silent-Photo-Capture” in the Survey follow these steps:

1. 1. Open the survey you wish to capture photo on:

      

   2. Select the question you want to activate the capture feature.
   3. Go to “Quality Control” tab.
   4. Then mark whether you want to capture Audio/Photo/Video for the Photo/Video check which camera Front/Back or both:
       

Conditional Configuration-Based Recording

If you want configuration-based silent recording to run only under specific conditions, first enable the recording option in the survey configuration. Then add the following callback function to the survey's Advanced Scripts section:

OnSilentRecordingShouldRun(inIsRecordingQuestion, inIndex, inIteration)

This callback is evaluated each time a configuration-based silent recording is about to start.

Parameters

inIsRecordingQuestion

Indicates whether the recording is configured on a question or a chapter.

• • true means the callback will evaluate the question index.

  • false means the callback will evaluate the chapter index.

inIndex

The question index or chapter index configured for recording.

inIteration

The iteration number configured for recording.

How It Works

The recording will start only if the callback returns true.

If the callback returns false, the recording will not start.

Use this function to define the exact logic required for your recording scenario.

Recording the Entire Interview

To record the full interview, configure the Root Chapter to record.

2. Scripting Based Capturing

Using a script, add the “Silent-Photo-Capture” script call to the places in the interview where you wish to capture a photo.

You can add the script in multiple places throughout the survey to take more than one photo.

To configure the “Silent-Photo-Capture” in the Survey script follow these steps:

1. Open the survey you wish to capture photo on. 
2. Select the question you want to activate the photo capture in.
3. Go to the “Scripts” tab
4. Add the following to the script:

Silent Audio

For silent audio, start/stop recording script calls to the places in the interview you wish to record.

You can add recordings in multiple places throughout the survey to record more than one part.

To configure the start/stop of the recording(s) in the Survey script follow these steps: 

1. Open the survey you wish to enable silent recordings on:
    
   Add the SoundRec.StartRecording();function call script at the start script of the first question:
    
   This will turn on the recording at the start of Q1
2. Add the SoundRec.StopRecording();function call script at the end of the last question:
    
3. To record only part(s) of the interview, put the Start/Stop recording function calls to indicate areas not to record.
   1. Example - to record only Q3:
      1. put the SoundRec.StartRecording(); at the start script of Q3 and the SoundRec.StopRecording(); at the end script of Q3

Please Note: When using this option if the surveyor stops and continues the interview the recording will not start once the surveyor returns to the interview.

Silent Photo 

For silent photos, use the SnapPicture(); function call (Question Start/End Script) in the question(s) you want to take picture(s) in.

• For front camera capture add SnapPicture(true)
• For back camera capture, add SnapPicture(false)
• You can call both twice if desired. 

Silent Video

For silent video, add the function VideoRec.StartRecording()/VideoRec.StopRecording() to the start/end script of a question.

• You can also verify video using the function 'VideoRec.Capturing' to check if the feature is turned on. 

Step 2: Viewing the Picture/Video in the Operation Console

Once you have uploaded interviews from the field that include silent Audio/Photo/Video capturing,  you can view them by following these steps:

1. Open the operations console of the project. 
2. Press “Get” button. 
3. Open the relevant interview from the operations grid
4. Switch to the attachments tab. You can then either listen/preview the Audio/Photo/Video or click the save button to save a local copy of the photo.
5. If you use multiple Audio/Photo/Video capturing in the interview you can view them all by clicking the arrows.