Can someone please explain the basics of using the Make Feature Layer tool (or the similar Make Table View tool) in Model Builder?
I know enough to know that "sometimes" you need them in order to perform actions on your feature class (or geodatabase table), but I haven't been able to find more guidance than that. The help documentation for these doesn't say much.
Specifically, I am using Calculate Field tool, which does not seem to require a feature layer. Then later in the model I am using the Add Join Tool and then using the Calculate Field tool to bring over values from the the joined table into the main layer table. That does seem to require a feature layer, especially if I want to repeat the process (add join, calculate field, release join, then add join to a different table, calculate field, release join).
It also seems to be the case that I need to return to the original data element to create a new feature layer to do another join. If I try to continue the model in a linear fashion from the original feature layer, that doesn't work either.
