topic Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features in Data Management Questions

Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

AndrewPihlaja — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:02:04 GMT

Hi All
I am using ArcGIS10 Windows 7 on a 64-bit machine (more than passes the minimum requirements), with an ArcView license.
When I am editing in ArcMap, some of the features that I can clearly see on the screen are not selectable, even though they are set as selectable in the selectable layers. Just wondering why this is. All of our features are stored in feature datasets inside of a file geodatabase. It's funny because I have a building layer, symbolized based on a field in the attribute table, and I can only select one or two of the buildings, both when editing and not. One minute this happens, and the next, everything is alright.
Another problem that I have is features that are disappearing at certain scales. I do not have any reference scales set, they just are not there. Sometimes when I zoom out, they pop back up, right where they are supposed to be.
Another problem... When I export a map, everything looks good in the ArcMap window, but once the export is complete (to a jpeg), some features are missing.
I think everything is related somehow, but I'm not sure. Everything seems to be problematic with the layers being visible/selectable or not.
Any help would be appreciated.

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

GuyDuke — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 02:12:20 GMT

I'm having the same issue. Features that I just digitized are disappearing. When I zoom out they re-appear. I don't have any scale dependencies set. ArcMap version 10 SP1. Anyone know what is going on?

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

Venkata_RaoTammineni — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 03:53:05 GMT

I'm having the same issue. Features that I just digitized are disappearing. When I zoom out they re-appear. I don't have any scale dependencies set. ArcMap version 10 SP1. Anyone know what is going on?

Featurelayer might be scaled or something ?

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

GuyDuke — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:05:26 GMT

Featurelayer might be scaled or something ?

Hi Venkat,

I'm not sure what you mean. The layer is set to display at all scales. Only some features within my feature class disappear when zoomed in, others show just fine. But when I zoom way out all of the features a drawn. Very strange.

Guy

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

danbecker — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:12:48 GMT

Using ArcGIS 10 SP1

I have this exact same problem with file geodatabases, (disappearing features). This happens on both pre-existing features and also features that were just digitized. I've also added several features and/or attributes, all the while continually saving my edits, only to open the feat. class a day later and everything be gone. I somewhat narrowed this problem to having ONLY arcmap open while editing, and completely closing ArcCatalog.

We only use 9.x file gdb's for backwards compatibility with clients who are still using ArcGIS 9. I have a notion this is something to do with it; v9.x gdb's being edited/viewed in ArcGIS v10. Interested to see if other's having these problems are using shapefiles or gdb's; if the latter, what version of gdb?

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

GuyDuke — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:31:30 GMT

Using ArcGIS 10 SP1

Interested to see if other's having these problems are using shapefiles or gdb's; if the latter, what version of gdb?

I think that must be it! I created by File Geodatabase in ArcGIS 9.3.1 and am editing it in ArcGIS 10. I will try updating the geodatabase to 10 and see if this still happens. Thanks Dan.

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

GuyDuke — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 01:11:49 GMT

Upgrading the geodatabase from a 9.3.1 file geodatabase to a version 10 geodatabase solved the problem - Thanks for everyones help.

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

MichaelStead — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 02:55:08 GMT

Have experienced the disappearing features as well. Pretty sure the gdb was created in 10, though probably before SP1. Was weird because they didn't appear, so I redigitized, but then the original features reappeared during the process of attributing the newly redigitzed features. Frustrating and needless.

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

NicolePyykonen — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:20:00 GMT

I also had the same problem with disappearing features in a 9.3.1 file geodatabase. I recreated the spatial index for the problem files and that seems to have fixed things.

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

GayleNeufeld1 — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 01:12:01 GMT

I'm having a similar problem, where features that I digitize disappear when I save edits, or when I finish sketch. They don't come back either, they are just gone. I've spent hours redigitizing, only to have the features disappear again. The gdb was created in version 10, so that's not the problem. I also have the service pack installed. Any help would be appreciated.

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

Tiffany-AnnBryant — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:01:21 GMT

I'm having this same problem. I'll spend hours digitizing features in a personal geodatabase feature class, save the edits, stop editing and they're gone when I look at it again. It's wasting so much time having to go back and now I'm wondering what else is missing. I'm using 9.3.1. It's so frustrating. I don't know what to do or how to stop it.

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

ToraJohnson — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:17:49 GMT

Has anyone found a solution to this problem? Are there any Esri staff monitoring this thread?

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

AaronWorthley — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:36:42 GMT

I've found that spatial indexes in the geodatabase become corrupt at seemingly random times. The result is that features disappear in the data view, even though you can still see the attributes in the table, and even zoom to the feature from within the table. Zooming the map way out usually makes the missing features re-appear. My solution is to delete the spatial index either in ArcCatalog>Feature Properties>Indexes, or using the Remove Spatial Index tool in ArcToolbox.

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

ArulmuruganPonnusamy — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 06:07:08 GMT

I'm having the same problem

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

ChristopherMitchell — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:33:47 GMT

My solution is to delete the spatial index either in ArcCatalog>Feature Properties>Indexes, or using the Remove Spatial Index tool in ArcToolbox.

This worked for me.

Thanks

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

GISDept — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:29:58 GMT

I am using 10 sp1 on a Windows 7 64-bit also. My digitized features haven't disappeared (yet) but suddenly when I try to edit, I get no target layer selection. It immediately pops open the create attributes window and I haven't chosen which layer I want to edit yet. Worked fine until right now and seems to be defaulting to want to edit a layer I worked on earlier (annotation) because now I want to create points in a newly made personal gdb feature class and it is telling me my geometry is invalid. Anyone else have this problem or know how to clear it to be able to chose my edit target layer again? All layers coord sys match data frame and all extents match.

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

shawnherrick — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:55:51 GMT

I was having a similar issue: When exporting a point feature class from ver10 mdb to ver9.3 mdb, and then viewing in 9.3, the points initially appeared. After zooming in, they disappeared. I tried this several times with the same result. My workaround was to (in ver10) export the point feature class to a SHP and then (in ver10) export that SHP back to the ver9.3 mdb....and it worked.

Hopefully, this will be a quick fix for ESRI.

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

DaniTaillon — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:13:10 GMT

I'm having the same issue - features are digitized at a certain scale - then when I zoom out they dissapear!
I'm working with a personal geodatabase and Arc cannot delete the spatial index of a personal geodatabase (someone suggested this as a fix on the forum).

Can anyone help!

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

JeganS — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:53:50 GMT

I'm having the same issue - features are digitized at a certain scale - then when I zoom out they dissapear!
I'm working with a personal geodatabase and Arc cannot delete the spatial index of a personal geodatabase (someone suggested this as a fix on the forum).

Can anyone help!

If this issue occur in Shapefile, you may try deleting the spatial index from the Properties of the shapefile.

ArcCatalog > Shapefile properties > Indexes Tab > Spatial Index > Delete and then Add > Apply the changes

If this occurs in a File Geodatabase, you may try recalculating the spatial index from the Properties of the Feature class.

ArcCatalog > Feature class Properties > Indexes Tab > Spatial Index > Recalculate > Apply the changes
ArcCatalog > Feature class Properties > Indexes Tab > Spatial Index > Delete and Recalculate > Apply the changes

Unfortunately for a personal geodatabase feature classes, there is no button to recalculate the spatial index as in File GDB or Shapefile. However the Spatial Index can be recalculated by exporting the feature class again to the same geodatabase or to a different geodatabase.

ArcCatalog > Right-click on feature class > Export > To Geodatabase (single)
or
ArcToolbox > Conversion tools > To Geodatabase > Feature class to Feature Class

Hope this helps. If you further face any issues, I would recommend to contact Technical Support for further assistance.

Re: Editing/Selection of features/Disapearing Features

RobertoD_Orsi — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 07:58:36 GMT

If this issue occur in Shapefile, you may try deleting the spatial index from the Properties of the shapefile.

ArcCatalog > Shapefile properties > Indexes Tab > Spatial Index > Delete and then Add > Apply the changes

If this occurs in a File Geodatabase, you may try recalculating the spatial index from the Properties of the Feature class.

ArcCatalog > Feature class Properties > Indexes Tab > Spatial Index > Recalculate > Apply the changes
ArcCatalog > Feature class Properties > Indexes Tab > Spatial Index > Delete and Recalculate > Apply the changes

Unfortunately for a personal geodatabase feature classes, there is no button to recalculate the spatial index as in File GDB or Shapefile. However the Spatial Index can be recalculated by exporting the feature class again to the same geodatabase or to a different geodatabase.

ArcCatalog > Right-click on feature class > Export > To Geodatabase (single)
or
ArcToolbox > Conversion tools > To Geodatabase > Feature class to Feature Class

Hope this helps. If you further face any issues, I would recommend to contact Technical Support for further assistance.

Thanks for your help!