I'm trying to exectute a Spatial join between two similar feature classes, which contain data about utility poles. I've done this many many times, and never encountered this issue.
I set up the Spatial Join - delete all the fields from the Join Feature, and specify how I want to join with the existing target fields (basically populating any empty columns for pole age, height, etc.)
As soon as I close the Field Mapping interface - it 'thinks' for a second, then deletes half of the target feature fields. I've checked and all of the fields match type and format. It makes absolutely no sense. Please help.
Not quite. I'm free to delete fields, and close the field mapping editor - my remaining choices persist. However when I try to match certain fields from the join feature, and then close the field mapping editor - several fields (some matched, others not) just vanish after a moment of 'processing...'. Its bizarre. I've done this exact operation with many nearly identical datasets in the past without this issue.
The only thing I can think of is that we are generating the target feature in a different way than before - but it is very simple, just an excel table with 19 fields, including latitude and longitude, and various text and numerical data. Nothing crazy. And yet theres apparently something so unusual about it, that its causing ArcGIS to tweak out. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
Also - if I try to do a spatial join with the default field mapping (ie. it just adds all valid join fields to the end of the target table) - then it works perfectly! All fields are present and correct. But the second I try to map Target fields to Join Fields - it deletes a whole whack of fields altogether. Its madness.
Reason for could be Target table - Excel file (missing ObjectID field in table which you are mapping)?!.
The Tables were imported into the project (and default GDB) as a feature classes. Doing so automatically gave them ObjectID fields, which appear to be present and correct.