topic Re: Modelbuilder weakness (or bugs ?) in Geoprocessing Questions

Modelbuilder weakness (or bugs ?)

OlivierOlivier — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:00:07 GMT

Hi

Working with Modelbuilder for a little while now, I do appreciate the idea but I'm a bit fed up with some of its weakness that get you mad when trying to build and adjust a process :

1) Functions like Merge, Delete... that keeps a copy of the incoming data structures, and doesn't refresh them when it's modified. Sometimes connect/reconnect entries, validate model or modify select/unselect work to update, but very often need to delete the toolbox and recreate it.

2) When a model is composed of models (to create a complete process) each composing model is not updated when the original is modified

3) Make feature layer, that modifies the structure of incoming data, when followed by function like 'add field' is 'surprising'...

4) Function like 'add join' doesn't update fields when incoming data name change, like inserting a 'copy features' to avoid previous problem

5) Functions like Define projection, or others undetermined that locks files or tables, even after end of the model, requiring to close and relaunch arc Map

6) 'Select Layer by attributes' SQL form requires to precise tables names, even they do not appear is the attributes list (rename thru New field Name in a previous Make Feature Layer) [see joined files.]

Hope this will help others not to become crazy or will value some improvments

Olivier
Windows 7
Arc Editor 9.3.1 SP2

Re: Modelbuilder weakness (or bugs ?)

MIchalBularz — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 06:25:37 GMT

agreed.
Also, Modelbuilder (which I've really gotten used to using)...
-doesn't have many of the things you would do in the regular GUI, such as the editor toolbar, saving, etc. out of the box unless you go out of the way to script these with arcObjects
-has "parameters" which are limited if not pointless, for instance, I can't specify for a user of the model to set a range of values for a threshold, i.e. area min / max without making a variable out of an SQL in say, a clip tool. Instead of creating a UI with a "type min here, type max here" a user is faced with an SQL like clip.. If "[shapearea] > 23415.2134 OR [shapearea] < 1234123412.1234". This could be solved w/ basic string processing.

in general, all the arcgis desktop / server packages should come with a "ModelBuilder and GUI" type of toolbox. The issues with refreshing and models within models you mention are true too, at this point I feel like its a good idea to save before i hit run, etc.

Re: Modelbuilder weakness (or bugs ?)

Anonymous User — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:24:58 GMT

Original User: annisaindah

Comment on point 6. You need ArcGIS service pakc two. Then the attributes list will appear in SQL Expression dialog box.