topic Re: Download a Feature Layer and Export to Shapefile in ArcGIS Online Questions

Download a Feature Layer and Export to Shapefile

DryCreekEng — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 19:37:41 GMT

I would like to download a feature layer (survey data point taken using Collector) for viewing in ArcGIS desktop. From the details page, I Export to shapefile, then download the shapefile to my computer. When I open the shapefile, the data is present in the attribute table but no points show up. I've tried projecting to a local projection and still nothing. Please help.

Re: Download a Feature Layer and Export to Shapefile

Egge-Jan_Pollé — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 12:55:16 GMT

Hi Natalie Martinkus‌,

Could it be that your shapefile does contain geometry (points), but these points do not show up where you expect them to be?

Test:

Could you please double-click on one of the records in your attribute table to zoom in to it on the map? What happens now? Do you see a point on the map? Where is it located?

Questions:

Which desktop application are you using, ArcGIS ArcMap or ArcGIS Pro? And why are you downloading your data to a shapefile first, instead of accessing the Feature Layer directly from within your desktop application?

BR,

Egge-Jan

Re: Download a Feature Layer and Export to Shapefile

DryCreekEng — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 16:00:15 GMT

Hi Egge-Jan,

I did double-click on individual records and I still don't see any points on the map. I am using ArcGIS desktop 10.7. My problem really has two parts, and I submitted a second question for part 2. The real reason I want to download the layer is that I created this layer for a client to use with Collector out in the field. We discovered that I am the only one that can create a drop-down list from data entries in an attribute table field in AGOL. I want my client to also have control of the layer and be able to "lock" the field as a drop-down list instead of always having to email me and request that I lock it or unlock it so she can add new data entries to the field. I havent been able to figure out how to copy a layer and share it with someone else so they own it and can manipulate it in AGOL. Therefore, I figured if I download the shapefile and upload it using my client's login credentials, it would be her layer.

Re: Download a Feature Layer and Export to Shapefile

DryCreekEng — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 04:48:36 GMT

Update: I opened some feature layers using ArcPro 2.3.3 and successfully exported them to a shapefile, which I then successfully uploaded as a new feature to AGOL using my client's credentials. So Im guessing that exporting a feature layer to a shapefile in AGOL is a bug.

Re: Download a Feature Layer and Export to Shapefile

Egge-Jan_Pollé — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 08:07:43 GMT

Hi Natalie Martinkus,

Why shapefile? (There has been a time, way back in the days, that Esri was very proud of it's shapefile format, but these days are over now, I would say...)

Alternatives:

As mentioned above: you should be able to access the Feature Layer directly from within your desktop application (using your client's credentials)
Or you can download the Feature Layer as a FGDB and open this one in ArcMap or ArcGIS Pro

HTH,

Egge-Jan

Re: Download a Feature Layer and Export to Shapefile

DryCreekEng — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 19:28:30 GMT

My client wants to download shapefiles to import into Tableau software. I have a few clients that use Tableau, and I don't want them to have to send me emails every time they want to download a shapefile for use in another program.