Trace tool in Create Features randomly(?) not working - Help!

[BrettDavies]

Hi
I'm compiling a geologic map and use the trace tool to generate infill polygons. Very recently - I upgraded with the latest Service Pack for v.10 - the tool stopped working in parts (seemingly) of the map. I hit the 'trace icon', click on the last point of the newly developing polygon (located on an existing polygon), wait for it to 'register' and then hear a tone/beep and note that it refuses to trace along the pre-existing polygon's boundary. It has happened in other parts of the map, but it is consistent in one part. I can only hand 'draw' the polygon and then clip the existing polygons to 'cut-out' the new one.
Sometimes ArcMap just hangs after clicking the last polygon and I have to restart it.
I am completing a major project for a client here in the Sahara Desert (yes, it is hot at the moment) and urgently need to understand / fix the issue. Any suggestions/help would be very gratefully received!
Thanks.

[NAOMIPAUL]

Have you found a work around or solution? I am having the same problem. There is no pattern as to when tools/functions will work and when they will not. I could trace yesterday, part of the time, then it would start and nothing would draw. This morning the same issue. I have created a new project and it still isn't working.

I am also having the same problem with snapping.

😞

[MaryM]

Myself and a co-worker have lost the use of trace tool.  This seems to be an error that ESRI people do not seem to post about, huh?

[NAOMIPAUL]

At the moment it is working with shapefiles, but not SDE or File geodatabases. My data is all in SDE geodatabases.

I'm at a loss.

[KyleShort]

I am having the same problem as well.  Have any of you found a solution? 

Thank you

[KyleShort]

Hi,

I am having the same problems mentioned above in other user�??s posts.  I was not able to trace certain polygons in certain areas of my map for apparently no reason.  I did find that when I zoomed in far enough I was able to use the trace tool, as long as the certain area of trouble on the map was not being shown.  In the area of trouble, I found that if I cut a very large road parcel polygon to smaller segments, using the line segment tool, I was able to trace the features in the area I wasn�??t able to before.  It seems the tracing tool has a hard time working with very large polygons in its vicinity.

[BrettDavies]

Hi all above,

Two things seem to have some (minimal, unsatisfactory) effect:
1) Zooming right in - and I mean right in - sometimes restores the trace ability, but if it's a big trace then it's really not a practical option.
2) I have shut down Arc and rebooted Windows and that - again sometimes - restores functionality, but eventually that is lost again.

The only workaround is by overlapping the new polygon with an existing one (where the boundaries are in the right place etc and then using the existing polygon to clip the new one. A bit tedious at times.

I hope an ESRI moderator is watching this thread, because some information on why this is happening, or a fix, would be very, very welcome for those of us compiling geologic maps.

Cheers

[ChrisFox3]

All,

I am hoping that someone could assist me with getting a reproducible case of the issues described here. This will be very helpful in determining the problem and what would be necessary to resolve the defect in the software. If you have sample data and steps to recreate the issue could you please send me this information?

Thank you,

[NAOMIPAUL]

All, 

I am hoping that someone could assist me with getting a reproducible case of the issues described here. This will be very helpful in determining the problem and what would be necessary to resolve the defect in the software. If you have sample data and steps to recreate the issue could you please   send me this information? 

Thank you,

Chris,

Any data I send you will be in shapefiles and the Trace tool works with shapefiles, but not in a geodatabase. Especially SDE!

I was using our parcel polys and parcel lines when I lost the use of the Trace tool. It was buggy most of the summer, then it stopped working all together. Our GIS data is available for download at http://egov1.co.gaston.nc.us/website/ParcelDataSite/DataSales/GISdata.htm

I have had the data in SDE 9.2 (SQL 2000/Server 2003), 9.3.1 and 10 (SQL 2008 / Server 2008) my client is ArcMap ~ ArcINFO 10 SP1 (could not go to SP2 because of all the issues it had, waiting on 3 to be released this Fall).

Once while searching for answers I did find a reported BUG and NIM, but for resolution it said DECLINED. I have never seen that as an answer before. If I had not shown it to a co-worker, I think I would have imagined it, since I have not been able to find that thread again.

Download the parcel polys and parcel lines and put them in an SDE database that is edited in a Version. Start Editing and Select the Parcel Lines (ROW) from the Feature Template, then Select the Trace tool. Then attempt to trace a polygon. It may flicker and look like it might start, it may snap or it may not snap, then follow a polygon and watch nothing happen.

Feel free to email me at naomi.paul@co.gaston.nc.us

~Naomi

[NAOMIPAUL]

Also check the how the Snapping toolbar has effects on the Trace tool, as well as the various Snapping tools.

The one thing about RANDOM, it doesn't have a pattern.