topic Re: Merge Command keeps failing in Data Management Questions

Merge Command keeps failing

JaimeTyson — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 03:51:50 GMT

I have a large, convoluted polygon file in SDE. I have it broken up in order to have faster refresh within mxd's, but I need to be able to merge all of the polygons together for the final product. The merge command keeps failing, as does dissolve or any other tool I try to use. I have more success in a shapefile, and am able to merge small area together at a time, but as I get close to having everything merged together, everything I try fails. Has anyone been able to successfully do this kind of task?

Re: Merge Command keeps failing

TeroRönkkö — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 06:17:08 GMT

What does the merge say as error in result window?

Re: Merge Command keeps failing

JayantaPoddar — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 09:31:45 GMT

Hi Jaime,

An alternative of Merge tool could be Append (Data Management).

Keep in mind, Append tool will not create a new output feature class. So, you need to create a new feature class in ArcCatalog, with same schema as your data (Import Coordinate system, and Field attributes). Then continue with Append tool.

ArcGIS Help (10.2, 10.2.1, and 10.2.2)

Thanks,

Jay

Re: Merge Command keeps failing

JaimeTyson — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 15:12:49 GMT

The Merge Command cannot be completed.

Re: Merge Command keeps failing

JaimeTyson — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 15:16:32 GMT

The append did not merge the features together.

Re: Merge Command keeps failing

MichelleWilliams1 — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 15:45:00 GMT

Any other ideas for this issue? Mine worked last Friday, then IT made some changes to my system and now I'm getting the "Merge command can not be completed" message.

Last Friday - Due to other issues, IT removed 10.2.2 and 10.4.1 ArcMap, then reinstalled 10.4.1.5686

Any ideas on a fix?

Re: Merge Command keeps failing

Scott_Harris — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 15:11:05 GMT

Try running Check Geometry to see if you get any errors returned:

Check Geometry—Help | ArcGIS Desktop

Re: Merge Command keeps failing

MichelleWilliams1 — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 16:58:09 GMT

Bless you, Scott, that fixed everything.

Re: Merge Command keeps failing

CorySmith1 — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 09:17:15 GMT

Late for OP but wanted to share a solution that worked for my situation on this error. I had ~500,000 polygons and merge could only do ~5000 at once [thanks for the bad algorithms + uninformative error messages, ArcMap!]. Dissolving everything together also failed.

Instead I created a new integer field = objectID / 1000 and dissolved based on that field, giving me ~500 polygons. I repeated a similar procedure going to ~100 then ~20 then ~5 polygons until I was finally able to merge everything together. So, basically just a few rounds of dissolve.

This may not fix every situation & Repair Geometry is a good idea too. But hopefully this can help others struggling.