How do I Write Point,Polyline,Polygon Features with Z,M values to Pers. GeoDatabase?

[RobinPearce]

I'm running ArcView 9.2 and trying to populate an existing Personal Geodatabase with new feature classes for Points, Polylines and Polygons. I took an existing VBA code sample which came with my Arc installation and added Domain and Aware code for M and Z so I can create and store features with X,Y,Z,M data.

The following code is stripped down to just polyline features, in hope of at least getting Polylines to work. The command button PopulateEmptyGeoDatabase creates the TestPolylines class in the PGDB, then calls CreatePolylineFeatures to start creation of test data with random values. But when this reaches Set pFeature.Shape = pPointCollection, I get the error "The geometry has no Z values".

I did notice that for my TestPolylines class, the GDB_GeomColumns table contains values for ExtentLeft,Bottom,Right,Top and ZLow,ZHigh,MLow,MHigh and SRID which are different in another PGDB which has been successfully populated with polyline data with Z,M values.

Where have I gone wrong?

My code:

[start of code]
Private Sub cmdPopulateEmptyGeoDatabase_Click()

  ' Create the GeoDatabase using the name specified by the user
  UserForm2.MousePointer = fmMousePointerHourGlass
  DoEvents
  Dim pWorkspace As IFeatureWorkspace
  If (lblSelectedInputFile = "") Then
    MsgBox "You must enter an input text file name.", vbExclamation + vbOKOnly, "No Name Entered"
    GoTo CleanExit
  End If
  If (strSelectedGeoDatabase = "") Then
    MsgBox "You must enter a database name.", vbExclamation + vbOKOnly, "No Name Entered"
    GoTo CleanExit
  End If
  Dim pWorkspaceFactory As IWorkspaceFactory
  Set pWorkspaceFactory = New AccessWorkspaceFactory
  Dim pProperty As IPropertySet
  Set pProperty = New PropertySet
  Dim pWorkspaceName As IName
  On Error GoTo ErrorPrint
  Set pWorkspace = pWorkspaceFactory.OpenFromFile(strSelectedGeoDatabase, 0)
  If (pWorkspace Is Nothing) Then GoTo CleanExit
 
  ' Start Editing the Database
  Dim pWorkspaceEdit As IWorkspaceEdit
  Set pWorkspaceEdit = pWorkspace
  pWorkspaceEdit.StartEditing False
 
  ' Now create appropriate Feature Classes
  Dim pPolylineClass As IFeatureClass
  CreateFeatureClass pWorkspace, "TestPolylines", esriGeometryPolyline, pPolylineClass
 
  ' Now Create the point, line and polygon features
  CreatePolylineFeatures pPolylineClass, 50
 
  ' Stop Editing
CleanExit:
  UserForm2.MousePointer = fmMousePointerArrow
  If (Not pWorkspace Is Nothing) Then
    If (pWorkspaceEdit.IsBeingEdited) Then pWorkspaceEdit.StopEditing True
    Set pWorkspaceEdit = Nothing
  End If
  If (Not pWorkspace Is Nothing) Then Set pWorkspace = Nothing
  Exit Sub               ' after exiting from this procedure, database lockfile disappears

ErrorPrint:
  MsgBox Err.Description, vbExclamation + vbOKOnly, "Error Found"
  Err.Clear
  GoTo CleanExit

End Sub

Private Sub CreateFeatureClass(pFeatureWorkspace As IFeatureWorkspace, className As String, GeomType As esriGeometryType, pFeatureClass As IFeatureClass)

  ' Add the Fields to the class the OID and Shape are compulsory
  Dim pFieldsEdit As IFieldsEdit
  Set pFieldsEdit = New Fields
  pFieldsEdit.FieldCount = 2

  Dim pFieldEdit As IFieldEdit
 
  Set pFieldEdit = New Field
  With pFieldEdit
    .name = "OID"
    .Type = esriFieldTypeOID
    .AliasName = "Object ID"
    .IsNullable = False
  End With
  Set pFieldsEdit.Field(0) = pFieldEdit

  Dim numPoints As Long
  numPoints = 1
  Select Case GeomType
    Case esriGeometryPoint
      numPoints = 1
    Case esriGeometryPolyline
      numPoints = 2
    Case esriGeometryPolygon
      numPoints = 4
  End Select
 
'    Assign the Spatial Reference
  Dim pSR As ISpatialReference
  Set pSR = New UnknownCoordinateSystem
  pSR.SetDomain -450359962737.05, 450359962737.05, -450359962737.05, 450359962737.05
  pSR.SetMDomain 0#, 10000000#
  pSR.SetZDomain -100000, 100000
 
  Dim pGeomDef As IGeometryDefEdit
  Set pGeomDef = New GeometryDef
  With pGeomDef
    .AvgNumPoints = numPoints
    .GeometryType = GeomType
    .GridCount = 1
    .GridSize(0) = 1000
    .HasM = True
    .HasZ = True
    Set .SpatialReference = pSR
  End With
 
  Set pFieldEdit = New Field
  With pFieldEdit
    .name = "Shape"
    .Type = esriFieldTypeGeometry
    .IsNullable = True
    .Editable = True
    .AliasName = "Shape"
    Set .GeometryDef = pGeomDef
  End With
  Set pFieldsEdit.Field(1) = pFieldEdit

  Dim pUID As IUID
  Set pUID = New UID
  pUID.Value = "esriGeoDatabase.Feature"

  Set pFeatureClass = pFeatureWorkspace.CreateFeatureClass(className, pFieldsEdit, pUID, Nothing, esriFTSimple, "Shape", "")
End Sub

Private Sub CreatePolylineFeatures(pFeatureClass As IFeatureClass, numberToCreate As Long)
  If (numberToCreate = 0) Then Exit Sub
 
  Dim i As Long
  Dim pFeature As IFeature
  Dim pPoint As IPoint
  Dim pPointCollection As IPointCollection
  Dim j As Long
  Dim pMA As IMAware
  Dim pZA As IZAware
 
  For i = 1 To numberToCreate
    Set pFeature = pFeatureClass.CreateFeature
    Set pPointCollection = New Polyline
   
    For j = 1 To Int(11 * Rnd)
      Set pPoint = New Point
      Set pMA = pPoint
      Set pZA = pPoint
      pMA.MAware = True
      pZA.ZAware = True
      pPoint.X = 1001 * Rnd
      pPoint.Y = 1002 * Rnd
      pPoint.Z = 5 * Rnd
      pPoint.M = 6 * Rnd
      pPointCollection.AddPoint pPoint
    Next j
   
    Set pFeature.Shape = pPointCollection
    pFeature.Store
  Next i

End Sub
[end of code]

Thanks,
Rob P

[NeilClemmons]

You're making the points z and m aware and assigning valid values for Z and M, but you're not making the polyline itself z or m aware.

[RobinPearce]

You're making the points z and m aware and assigning valid values for Z and M, but you're not making the polyline itself z or m aware.

Thanks for the response Neil. Can you please tell me where this is documented because I can find no mention of it anywhere. And no examples.

Presumably something similar for polygons?

Many thanks,
Rob

[NeilClemmons]

You can only add features to a feature class that has been made z/m aware if that feature's geometry is also z/m aware.  In your code you are creating a point collection (as a new polyline), adding points to it and then using it as the new feature's geometry.  You're making each point you add z/m aware and assigning z/m values to it.  This is all correct except that you never made the polyline z/m aware and, therefore, it will ignore any z/m values that the points in its point collection may contain.  In other words, adding z/m aware points to a geometry doesn't make that geometry z/m aware.  You need to change your code to create a new polyline, make it z/m aware and then QI to IPointCollection to add the points.

Dim polyline As IPolyline
Set polyline = New Polyline
Dim zAware As IZAware
Set zAware = polyline
zAware.ZAware = True
Dim mAware As IMAware
Set mAware = polyline
mAware.MAware = True
Dim pointCollection As IPointCollection
Set pointCollection = polyline
'now add the points

[RobinPearce]

You can only add features to a feature class that has been made z/m aware if that feature's geometry is also z/m aware.  In your code you are creating a point collection (as a new polyline), adding points to it and then using it as the new feature's geometry.  You're making each point you add z/m aware and assigning z/m values to it.  This is all correct except that you never made the polyline z/m aware and, therefore, it will ignore any z/m values that the points in its point collection may contain.  In other words, adding z/m aware points to a geometry doesn't make that geometry z/m aware.  You need to change your code to create a new polyline, make it z/m aware and then QI to IPointCollection to add the points.

Dim polyline As IPolyline
Set polyline = New Polyline
Dim zAware As IZAware
Set zAware = polyline
zAware.ZAware = True
Dim mAware As IMAware
Set mAware = polyline
mAware.MAware = True
Dim pointCollection As IPointCollection
Set pointCollection = polyline
'now add the points

That's great - I am now suitably educated.

Appreciate your time explaining this all to me,
Rob P

[nazerehnejatbakhsh]

Dear Neil,

I have a similar issue ! I have a Workspace and need to ceate a feature class inside of it ! these are my codes :
IFeatureWorkspacePtr ipFtrWksp =(IFeatureWorkspacePtr)ipWksp; //---> ipWksp has value and ipFtrWksp created successfully
IFeatureClassPtr ipFtrCls(CLSID_FeatureClass);
IFieldsPtr ipFlds(CLSID_Fields);
ipFlds = createFields(L"Type");
ipFtrWksp->CreateFeatureClass(L"testLin", ipFlds, NULL, NULL, esriFTSimple, L"Shape", NULL, &ipFtrCls); //---> NULL for ipFtrCls!!!

IFieldsPtr createFields(BSTR fieldName)
{
if (fieldName == NULL)
  return E_POINTER;
IFieldsPtr ipFields(CLSID_Fields);
IFieldsEditPtr ipFieldsEdit = ipFields;
IFieldPtr ipField(CLSID_Field);
IFieldEditPtr ipFieldEdit = ipField;

//Object ID
ipFieldEdit->put_Name(L"FID");
ipFieldEdit->put_Type(esriFieldTypeOID);
ipFieldsEdit->putref_Field(0, ipField);

//2nd Field
ipField.CreateInstance(CLSID_Field);
ipFieldEdit = ipField;

//Shape
ipFieldEdit->put_Name(L"Shape");
ipFieldEdit->put_Type(esriFieldTypeGeometry);

IGeometryDefPtr ipGeomDef(CLSID_GeometryDef);
ISpatialReferencePtr ipSR(CLSID_UnknownCoordinateSystem);

IGeometryDefEditPtr ipGeomDefEdit = ipGeomDef;
ipGeomDefEdit->put_GeometryType(esriGeometryPolyline);
ipGeomDefEdit->putref_SpatialReference(ipSR);

ipFieldEdit->putref_GeometryDef(ipGeomDef);
ipFieldsEdit->putref_Field(1, ipField);

//3rd Field
ipField.CreateInstance(CLSID_Field);
ipFieldEdit = ipField;

//Shape
ipFieldEdit->put_Name(fieldName);
ipFieldEdit->put_Type(esriFieldTypeString);
ipFieldEdit->put_Length(20);
ipFieldsEdit->putref_Field(2, ipField);
ipFields = ipFieldsEdit;
return ipFields;
}