Can't get image to save to custom entity in CDS

[JFN]

I am new to PowerApps and I am working in a trial environment. I have created a custom entity with several fields that have text and decimal data types as well as one field with an image data type. I also created a canvas app with text inputs, a camera control, and an image control. I am using the following formula in the image control to capture an image from the camera control: ctrl_CameraFront.Photo ...this is working fine.

The formula behind the submit button to save the app data to the custom cds entity is below. This formula has no error warnings. It saves the text and decimal data to the entity but does not appear to save the image. I have a gallery in the app that uses the custom entity as the data source. The decimal and text data pulls into the gallery just fine, but no images pull in...so I am assuming that they are not getting saved by the Patch formula.

Patch('Mobile Unit Inspections',Defaults('Mobile Unit Inspections'),{Altitude: Value(tb_Altitude.Text),Comments:tb_Comments.Text,'Event Date':Today(),Latitude:Value(tb_Latitude.Text),Longitude:Value(tb_Longitude.Text),'Mobile Unit': ddl_MobileUnits.Selected.Value,Timing:rb_Timing.Selected.Value,Name:"Test",FrontImage:img_Front})

I read several posts in this community about how to save images to cds entities and tried modifying the Patch formula to what you see below. I basically changed FrontImage:img_Front to FrontImage:img_Front.Image but this results in a formula error warning: The type of this argument 'cr278_frontimage' does not match the expected type 'Record'. Found type 'Image'

Patch('Mobile Unit Inspections',Defaults('Mobile Unit Inspections'),{Altitude: Value(tb_Altitude.Text),Comments:tb_Comments.Text,'Event Date':Today(),Latitude:Value(tb_Latitude.Text),Longitude:Value(tb_Longitude.Text),'Mobile Unit': ddl_MobileUnits.Selected.Value,Timing:rb_Timing.Selected.Value,Name:"Test",FrontImage:img_Front.Image})

Two screenshots are attached.

Can you help me understand what I am doing wrong? Thanks much.

JFN

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @JFN ,

Could you please share a bit more about your issue?

Do you want to patch data back to the Image Type field in your CDS Entity using Patch function?

Based on the error message that you mentioned, it seems to tell that there is something wrong with the value provided for the Image type field ('cr278_frontimage') in your Patch formula.

I have made a test on my side, please consider take a try with the following workaround:

Set the OnSelect property of the Image control to following formula:

Patch(TaskLists, BrowseGallery1.Selected, {TaskImage: {Full: Image3.Image,Value: Image3.Image}})

On your side, please consider take a try to modify your formula as below:

Patch(
      'Mobile Unit Inspections',
       Defaults('Mobile Unit Inspections'),
       {
         Altitude: Value(tb_Altitude.Text),
         Comments: tb_Comments.Text,
        'Event Date':Today(),
         Latitude: Value(tb_Latitude.Text),
         Longitude:Value(tb_Longitude.Text),
         'Mobile Unit': ddl_MobileUnits.Selected.Value,
         Timing:rb_Timing.Selected.Value,
         Name:"Test",
         FrontImage: {                        // Modify formula here
                       Value: img_Front.Image,
                       Full: img_Front.Image
                     }
      }
)

Please check and see if the following blog would help in your scenario:

https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/public-preview-of-multiple-image-attributes-in-power-apps...

If above formula could not save the image data to the Image Type field in your CDS Entity, I afraid that Patch function could not save image data back to the Image Type field in CDS Entity directly.

As an fixed solution, please consider add a Edit form in your app, then only enable the Image Type field in this Edit form as below (the Image Type field would be decorated as a "Add Picture" control):

Set the OnSelect property of the "Patch" button to following:

Patch(TaskLists, BrowseGallery1.Selected, EditForm1.Updates)

Best regards,

[JFN]

Thank you for the reply and suggestions but I am still unable to save an image/photo from the canvas app to the image field in the entity. Any other thoughts?

[v-xida-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @JFN ,

Have you taken a try with the blog I provided above?

On your side, please consider generated an app based on your CDS Entity data source, then it would generate an app consists of three screens. Go to the Edit screen, select the Edit from, click "Edit fields" option within right panel, then enable the Image Type field within the Edit form.

After that, you could pick up images for the Image Type field within the Edit form, then click "Submit" button, then image would be saved into the Image Type field. You could go to the BrowseScreen, then select the Gallery, add a Image control in it, set the Image property to following:

ThisItem.ImageField.Full

to display the saved image.

Based on the needs that you mentioned, I think the second solution I provided above could achieve your needs. You could consider add a Edit form, connect it to your CDS Entity data source, then only enable the "Image" Type field within this Edit form, then you could upload image into the Image field through the Edit form.

Then you could use the following formula to update the picked up image data into the Image field of an existing record in your Entity:

Patch('CDS Entity', BrowseGallery1.Selected, EditForm1.Updates)  // Update an existing record

If you want to add a new record into your CDS Entity, you could consider enable other fields within this Edit form, then modify your Patch formula as below:

Patch('CDS Entity', Defaults('CDS Entity'), EditForm1.Updates)  // Add new record

fill in values within your Edit form, then click "Submit" button to execute above Patch formula to patch a new record into your CDS Entity.

Best regards,

[JFN]

Thank you, I did exactly that. I deleted the old app and created a new app based on the CDS entity and everything works perfect. The biggest downside to this approach is that the phone format is the only one available for a canvas app based on a CDS entity. A blank canvas app allows for use of the larger tablet format. Any idea why this limitation is in place? Also still curious why I couldn't get images to save to CDS entity using the other method. Thanks for you assistance.