Unable to export GDB to SHP with a different output coordinate system

HollyTorpey_LSA

Has anyone else noticed issues exporting data from a file geodatabase to a shapefile in a different coordinate system in ArcGIS Pro 3.3? In our case the data was originally a CAD file converted to a feature class in State Plane, and we needed to export it to a shapefile with UTM coordinates. We normally accomplish that by setting the output coordinate system parameter in the Environments tab of the Export Features dialog.

Today, though, the Export Features progress bar shoots right to 100%, and then hangs eternally. Cancelling the export appears to be an equally eternal process and we end up having to terminate Pro from the task manager. Files are produced but they are not usable.

Note that we are able to export the same feature class to SHP from the same project if we don't change the output coordinate system. Everything else is the same.

An ArcMap user in our organization had to come to our rescue and export the feature class to shapefile for us. 🙄

- Holly

Robert_LeClair

@HollyTorpey_LSA - I followed your workflow in ArcGIS Pro 3.3 and did not see the error messages you are seeing. Here's something to try. Instead of doing the export features in your current *.aprx, start a new ArcGIS Pro project (i.e. - "start without a template") and try the Export Features again. Does it still error out?

HollyTorpey_LSA

Hi @Robert_LeClair,

Thanks for helping! I opened a new project (no template), added the feature class, and exported it to a folder as a shapefile with a new output coordinate system (see screenshots). This time it has been hanging at 45% instead of 100%, but otherwise the outcome seems to be the same. I eventually cancelled and tried again but with a new filename (the first time I had attempted to overwrite a previous attempt), same outcome. Killed that project and tried one more time, this time attempting to save the shapefile to the C: drive instead of a network drive... same outcome.

- Holly

Robert_LeClair

This is strange issue indeed! So let's try a few more things. Create a new file geodatabase, copy/paste the FC to the new fGDB and see if you can export to a shapefile from the new fGBD. Another thing to try is the Recover File Geodatabase GP tool to see if you have a corrupted fGDB. What is the result of these two workflows?

HollyTorpey_LSA

Good morning! Thanks for the ideas.

I copied the data to a new GDB and tried the Export Feature Class to Shapefile tool from the Export section of the contextual menu I get when I right-click on the feature class in the GDB (which I had honestly never noticed before). Set the output coordinate system parameter in the Environments tab and ran it. It hung on 45% just like the previous attempts. Again, couldn't cancel the process and had to end the process from the Task Manager.

Reopened the project and tried the Recover File GDB tool. Tried to export the layer from the new GDB as described above. Same result, which wasn't really surprising given that ArcMap was able to export the shapefile in the new coordinate system from that location.

HOWEVER, I then tried exporting (as above) to a geographic coordinate system, and that quickly succeeded. So then I ran the Project tool to convert the data from State Plane to UTM, thinking I would then try exporting that output to shapefile, but that process has been going for 29 minutes now and I'm losing hope that it will succeed.

- Holly

Robert_LeClair

If you're able to, would you be able to send me the data or a subset of the data so I can work with it using my ArcGIS Pro 3.3? My email address is rleclair at esri dot com - thx!

HollyTorpey_LSA

Just sent a file. Thanks! 🙂

- Holly

wizgis

@HollyTorpey_LSA This is indeed a weird issue, to narrow it down further perhaps you can try following steps:

Can you try export a different feature class to shapefile and see if the issue persists.
Export the problematic feature class into a new feature class instead of a shapefile after changing the coordinate system and see if the issue still persists.