topic Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro? in ArcGIS Pro Questions

Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

BrianParr3 — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 14:55:40 GMT

With ArcMap I can export selected features by right clicking the layer in the table of contents and then choose data>export features. From there, and by default, only the selected records are exported. In Pro, I also have the option to export features, but I cannot find an option to only export the selected features. Anyone know if there's a simple way to export the selected features?

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

RickeyFight — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 14:57:08 GMT

Look here:

https://community.esri.com/thread/118799

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

BrianParr3 — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 15:01:11 GMT

Thanks, I have looked there, while similar, and while I'd like that function too, they are different functions. One creates a virtual layer in the project or mxd (create layer from selection) while the other create a new feature class stored in a gdb or shapefile (data>export features).

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

KyleBalke__GISP — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 15:21:16 GMT

Brian

The Copy Features tool (accessed by right clicking on a layer in the Table of Contents > Data > Export Features) honors selected features...this should do the trick.

Kyle

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

BrianParr3 — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 15:23:11 GMT

Thanks, not sure how I missed that.

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

JayantaPoddar — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 15:24:52 GMT

Copy feature datasets, feature classes, and tables to a geodatabase—Geodatabases | ArcGIS Desktop

Copy features using Export

You can export the features in a layer to a new feature class by using the Copy Features geoprocessing tool that opens when you select Export Features from the layer context menu in the Contents pane.

Add a layer to the map.
Right-click the layer in the Contents pane and click Export > Export features.
Note:
If there are features selected in the map, the Copy Features tool copies only the selected features. If you want to include all features in the feature class, make sure to clear the selection before you export the features. This opens the Copy Features geoprocessing tool. The Input Features parameter is populated with the layer you selected.
Choose a destination geodatabase and feature class name for the Output Feature Class parameter.
Click Run to execute the tool and make a copy of the features in the layer.

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

JayantaPoddar — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 15:28:17 GMT

Got Late

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

RickeyFight — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 15:44:54 GMT

You can also add it to https://community.esri.com/community/arcgis-ideas?sr=search&searchId=fa73bc4b-8744-490e-b806-51ae69773526&searchIndex=0‌

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

AndrewQuee — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 06:44:14 GMT

Has this functionality changed? I found this after getting frustrated as Brian did because when I use layer > Data > Export Features I get the Feature Class to Feature Class GP tool. I can't find any option/environment setting on it to use 'only selected features' which was a really annoyance when suddenly exporting 2M features instead of one.

Yes, I can change to the Copy Features tool which does honour selections by default. However this is not the same as what ArcMap does, and what everyone expects. I thought we had equivalent functionality?

Shown: Pro 2.5.0, Desktop 10.6.1

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

KoryKramer — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 13:32:48 GMT

The tool that is launched through right-click > Export Features did change from Copy Features to Feature Class to Feature Class in the past (I don't recall if it was at 2.3 or 2.4, but it was before 2.5).

Regardless, geoprocessing tools should honor a selection. Run a geoprocessing tool—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

"Select a layer from a list of map layers. If the layer has a selection, only the selected features will be processed."

Are you not seeing the selection honored? I just did a quick test in 2.5.1 and it works as expected.

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

AndrewQuee — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 03:54:06 GMT

Thanks for the clarification Kory. My experience was that it was all features not just the selected one (Copy features Gp was successful and did honour selection) I'm on another task but will return to this by next week and check again. I can also do a 2.5.0 vs 2.5.1 test if required.

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

MatthewShepherd — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 15:46:34 GMT

I'm experiencing a similar issue with a different geoprocessing tool in 2.5.1. I'm wondering whether the layer's data source type matters. When I run the tool on a feature layer with a shapefile data source, only the selected features are processed. When I run the tool on a feature layer that is a file geodatabase feature class, all of the features are processed, regardless of selection.

Andrew, in your ArcGIS Pro screenshot, it looks like your selected feature is a file GDB feature class. Is that correct? If you run the tool on a shapefile, is the selection honored?

Edited to Add: I think the preceding post can be disregarded. The tool I was using included the Project tool, which ignores feature selections:

Selection and definition query on layers are ignored by this tool—all features in the dataset referenced by the layer will be projected. If you want to project selected features only, consider using the Copy Features tool to create a temporary dataset, which will only contain the selected features, and use this intermediate dataset as input to the Project tool.

I inserted Copy Features in the chain and only the selected feature was returned.

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

GeraldBartz — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 22:37:25 GMT

I am in PRO 2.6.1 and Data>Export Feature does not provide a Selected Feature options. But if features are selected it will create a feature class with only the Selected Features.

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

Ozplanman — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 04:55:41 GMT

I had a similar issue exporting more than the selection, not sure why given the above comments. My solution was to use the "Expression" option, using the objectID of the selected polygon and this works fine.

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

AndrewQuee — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 06:12:58 GMT

Sorry for very long delay. I confirm the two above post results in 2.8.1, and that although there is no control in the GPT for it, it does honour (and copy) only the active selection from the source featureclass in the map.

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

Ozplanman — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 23:15:01 GMT

Thanks, I have been using the object ID to specify which polygon I want to export using the Boolean options...
Cheers

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

JamiDennis — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 01:45:35 GMT

ha! just like way back when ArcView (anyone remember that?!) would export only the selected features so you had to make sure you didn't have anything selected before you did that task. Seriously, there needs to be something on the dialog interface that indicates if you have something selected it is being exported plus give you the option to export all features.

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

GB_-_MariahBlackhorse__READ_ — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 17:15:31 GMT

I am in 2.9.2 and there is no Copy Features option showing when I go to Data > Export Features. There is, as previously noted, no option to export only selected features and it exports all features regardless.

I tried the Geoprocessing tool Feature class to Geodatabase (conversion) and that honors a selection but will not take an output feature class name so you have to export to another gdb.

Has anyone found another way to export selected features to another output feature name? Since I already have the features I want selected I don't want to have to enter a selection expression during data export if I don't have to.

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

AndrewQuee — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 04:44:39 GMT

At 2.9.1 Confirm both Copy Features GPT and Export data - out will create a FC in the same GDB from selection only as JayantaPoddar demonstrated.

If you only want selected features, make sure you select them first before starting either tool. Both of the below resulted in 1 feature in the output.

Using Export Features or Copy Features

Docs say this is the same up to 3.0

"If the input is a layer and has a selection, only the selected features are copied to the output feature class."

Re: Is there an export selected features option within ArcGIS Pro?

SSMIC3038 — Thu, 04 May 2023 17:37:47 GMT

Many years later I used the Copy Features tool in the Tasks Designer to put together a data extraction routine, couldn't get a sub-selection out and this worked great. Thanks for sharing.