More questions about connecting a ms access database to GIS

SloanCampi

I replied to a post originally asking some questions about how the user was able to update their layer that is connected to an MS Access Database here: https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-questions/connecting-access-database-from-arcmap-to-arcpro/m-p/1087122#M44202

 

I have a layer in ArcGIS Pro that has an inventory of all bus stops in our transit system, which is connected to an Access Database. We regularly have to update the Access Database based on Service Changes, etc. A couple questions 

1. How do you get the layer to update when you update the Access Database? Is this done automatically?

2. We have hyperlinks in the MS Access Database to photos, but when I added these to ArcMap, the attribute table doesn't read the hyperlink correctly, and the fields just populate with "Blob."

ABishop

Hello,

From what I see online currently there isn't a way to maintain GIS data in an access database.  So you have two options...

1. convert the access database to a file geodatabase or put it in an SDE with option of multi editor versioned editing.

2. export the data from the access database and update the feature class or shapefile with the latest information.

As for the attachments, I don't think you will be able to read those in ArcGIS Pro (somebody correct me if I'm wrong).  So if you decide to convert your access database to a file geodatabase or SDE, you can create an attachment table and store them with the feature class.  If you keep it in Access, you may have to take the photos and store them on a server with IIS access then provide a hyperlink in the GIS feature class.