topic Re: I Need to join two shapefiles and keep both sets of features visible and active. in Railways Questions

I Need to join two shapefiles and keep both sets of features visible and active.

AlexanderProkopoff — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 21:13:56 GMT

I have two files of geocoded points called "origins" and "destinations" which were extracted from a survey. The two files share an ID# field such that an origin and destination from each of the files with the same ID# identify the beginning and end of a trip. I would like to combine the two files into a single file such that when a given record is selected, both the origin and destination for that record light up. Attempts to do this by joining or merging the two files were unsuccessful. I have a vague feeling that the solution might involve using a multipoint shapefile but no real concept beyond that. Does anyone have any ideas?#origin destination combined

Re: I Need to join two shapefiles and keep both sets of features visible and active.

DanPatterson_Retired — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 21:30:25 GMT

Dissolve http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/latest/tools/data-management-toolbox/dissolve.htm

would be my guess, but I am not sure whether you have to append the files so that the geometries can become multipoint or not. Been a long time since I attempted this and I have not comparable data.

In hindsight, I think you also join the destination table by attribute and make it permanent before you do the append/merge of the geometries. You want the attributes to be kept I am sure

Re: I Need to join two shapefiles and keep both sets of features visible and active.

AlexanderProkopoff — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 22:03:15 GMT

That worked! Thanks a lot. Now if I can just figure out WHY it worked..........I had to perform a merge (as opposed to a join) on the two shapefiles before the dissolve.

Re: I Need to join two shapefiles and keep both sets of features visible and active.

AbdullahAnter — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 22:27:05 GMT

That is will be easy in two steps:

First use merge tool for origins and destinations .

Second use dissolve tool for the output of the previous step and check on the ID field (that hold repeated values), and check on create multi part features

That will create multi point shape file as you want

thanks