Zipping a gdb with a few features for an engineering firm but upload problems occur on their end.

[BenC_WallaWalla]

Hello all,

So, I created a gdb and stuck a few features (UGA zone, city limit, road feature, etc.) from our city database and then zipped it. I sent the zipped file over email to an engineering firm that requested it, but the recipient replied that he was unable to upload the files into his program. Nothing is displayed. 

Any insights?

Thank you,

Ben

[dolson_farmington]

Do you know what program he is using? For example, if you are using Pro and he is using ArcMap, there can be incompatibilities that don't allow the gdb to be read. 

If they are not using an ESRI-related product (such as AutoCAD or Google Earth), .gdbs are generally not a supported file type.  

[MErikReedAugusta · Accepted solution]

You might get better help on this issue by posting in either the ArcGIS Pro Questions or State & Local Government Questions forums.  This forum is (I think) intended more for discussions about the ESRI Community platform.

As to the actual problem, these are the broad troubleshooting steps I'd take:

1. Rule out User Error on your end.
   • Unpack that ZIP file and try to load the data back into ArcGIS.  See if you have problems.
     
     
2. Rule out User Error on the firm's end.
   • Ask all the dumb/obvious questions you can think of.  There's a reason that "Have you tried turning it off and back on again?" is always the first question that an IT person asks.  It works frighteningly often.
     • Are they actually unzipping the file?
     • Are they using the same software you think they're using?
     • Does it seem like they understand that software?  (Many engineering firms in our area work exclusively in CAD, for example; ArcGIS is a foreign language to them.)
       
       
3. Try to isolate the problem / Strip the deliverable down as far as you can.
   • Try sending just one feature as a (zipped) shapefile.
     • You can also try sending the half-dozen or so individual files that make up a single shapefile, but this can be dodgy, if someone misses one on either end.
   • Try sending that same feature as a feature class in a (zipped) GDB.

[BenC_WallaWalla]

Thanks so much for such a clear tutorial on troubleshooting @MErikReedAugusta! I'll try all those things. I guess your suggestion is an obvious workflow but I didn't mull over the problem before I tackled it. Just wanted to compliment you on your quick, logical, and very clear answer. I'll jump into it!

[MichaelVolz]

Could it be that their E-mail security software finds zip files to be malicious?  Have you tried to change the extension to something else to see if it gets thru the mail security (If that is the issue)?

[BenC_WallaWalla]

I resent the files. Apparently, there was nothing to download as my boss confirmed when I had him open the file on his computer. I followed step one and judged the problem to be user error. I noticed that the first time I sent the zip file it was 22 KB. I plugged in the features in the geodatabase again zipped it and saw that it was now 2 MB. I sent it to a coworker, and he said that the gdb with features were there and that it was able to be placed into a map. I don't know what I did or what happened, but I resent the zip file to the engineer and am awaiting his response. I supply the results when I get them. Thanks, everyone.

[BenC_WallaWalla]

re-sent*, not resent:)