topic Re: Need help on Desktop ModelBuilder in ModelBuilder Questions

Need help on Desktop ModelBuilder

johnsmith4 — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:36:36 GMT

I am trying to create a batch processing model by using ModelBuilder. The model I want to create is for generating Point shape files by using *.txt files. In the text file, it has X,Y and several other fields such as: Name,ID etc.

So far I have reached in ModelBuilder as: load txt file -> Make XY Event -> Feature To Point -> Points to Line -> Feature To Polygon, for only one file at a time.

Now I have two question:
1. I have more then 100 txt files need to load and how to make this automatically?
2. How to keep the "NAME" & "ID" attribute information from txt file in final polygon? Right now I can have the final Polygon has all field columns kept but all fields are empty.

Thanks...

Re: Need help on Desktop ModelBuilder

JonathanQuinn — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:58:17 GMT

Take a look at the Iterators for ModelBuilder. The one you're looking for is the Iterate Files iterator, and you can specify to only look for .txt files. It will iterate through each file to use in the rest of the model. Once it's done with that one .txt file, it should jump to the next one in line, and run through the model.

Re: Need help on Desktop ModelBuilder

Ann123 — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:11:34 GMT

I have a similar problem - but I am trying to add 8 new fields to an existing geodatabase. I can use the Add Field tool, but then can I use the Iterate Files interator for the inputs for the Add Field tool? <I'm extremely new to ModelBuilder so as specific as possible is helpful!>.

Re: Need help on Desktop ModelBuilder

MichaelVolz — Thu, 24 May 2012 18:54:43 GMT

I would look to use python for the iteration. You can create the basic one time model and then export the model to a python script.

You can then call the python script from a scheduled task or you can call a bat file that calls a python script from a scheduled task. The bat file is especially useful if you want to run more than one python script in a sequence.