Align feature does not work for country boundaries

[tonybestpro]

Using ArcGIS Pro and ArcPy (https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/tool-reference/editing/align-features.htm), I was trying to align the Canada border to the USA border, but the tool does not work.

- downloaded the shapefiles of countries from https://hub.arcgis.com/datasets/2b93b06dc0dc4e809d3c8db5cb96ba69_0/explore?location=-2.688200%2C0.00...

- simplify the Canada shapefile by using mapshaper, so the borders between Canada and USA have small gaps: mapshaper ca.shp -simplify 30% keep-shapes -o ca_30.shp

- arcpy.edit.AlignFeatures("ca_30.shp", "us.shp", "0.00005 Decimal Degrees") # I also tried a lot of other search distance

- opened ArcGIS Pro and opened the "Align feature" tool and tried a lot of different search distances

- The results are either wired Canada borders or the gaps are still there

Attached are the shapefiles

[DanPatterson]

If the borders are oversimplified, then finding candidate matches will be less likely.

Perhaps a screen grab of the inputs prior to alignment would be useful

[tonybestpro]

@DanPatterson Please see the attached screenshots. The actual shapefiles are also attached in the OP. Thanks

[DanLee]

Both inputs are multipart features. There is a known issue with Align Features tool in processing multipart features.

Please try the following:

• Use Multipart To Singlepart tool on both inputs so they become singleparts.
• Run Align Features with 0.05 decimal degree. You should get the expected result. The 0.00005 decimal degree you used is too small.

Hope that helps.

[tonybestpro]

@DanLee Wow, it works for the above ESRI data after converting to single-part. However, it does not work for my another similar US/CA data, which is attached. Any idea?

Screenshot before align:

Screenshot after align:

[DanLee]

Thank you for reporting this problem. Sorry for the inconvenience it may have caused. We have logged a bug and will try to fix it soon.  You can also submit a Tech Support issue; that way you will be able to check the bug fixing status.

[tonybestpro]

Eventually, two solutions work for me:

https://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/403846/postgis-align-borders-of-countries/404080#404080