Editing Target not available? (ArcGIS 10, SP2)

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08-30-2011 07:54 AM
TimothyMills
New Contributor
I just recently began with ArcGIS 10 a few days ago and am still familiarizing myself with the new editing functions.  I'm having an issue where a feature class I'm trying to edit does not show under the "Create Features" task pane.

When I begin editing, I choose the File Geodatabase that contains the feature class I wish to edit, and it shows on the list above. I hit "OK" and the "Create Features" pane shows on the right side of my display.  As far as I can tell, it shows every feature class in my File Geodatabase, excluding those that are turned off in the TOC--except for the one that I happen to need to edit.

I've checked and rechecked the sources of my feature classes to ensure that I'm editing the correct data source.  Are there any other options or settings that can cause a feature class to not be available under the "Create Features" dialogue?
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5 Replies
RhondaGlennon
Occasional Contributor III
Here are the main reasons why templates for editable layers are hidden and what you can do to make them appear in the Create Features window:

�?� The layer is not visible. You need to turn on the layer in the table of contents.
�?� The layer is part of a group layer that is not visible. You need to turn on the group layer in the table of contents and ensure the sublayer is visible.
�?� The layer has a visible scale range that is beyond the map's current scale. Right-click the layer in the table of contents and click Zoom To Make Visible to bring the layer into view. You can update or remove the scale range on the Layer Properties > General tab.
�?� The layer is from a parcel fabric dataset. You use the Parcel Editor toolbar to create new parcels, rather than the Create Features window.
�?� The layer has a definition query applied but the feature templates do not match it. You need to open the feature template's properties and set a default attribute value that satisfies the query. You can also update the expression on the Layer Properties > Definition Query tab.

See the section on Feature templates and the table of contents here (contains an example case with definition queries):
http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#/Best_practices_for_using_feature_templ...

This blog entry, in particular, Missing feature templates:
http://blogs.esri.com/Dev/blogs/arcgisdesktop/archive/2010/08/02/Using-feature-templates-effectively...

The main philosophy is that the Create Features window does not list feature templates in cases where the features you create with it would immediately disappear from the map for one reason or another. We do understand that this has been confusing and are working on simplifying this experience for a future release.
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TimothyMills
New Contributor
Thanks Rhonda,

I edited the template to set the default attribute required for it not to be queried out, and it now displays under "create features".

Not a solution I would have ever guessed without digging through help menus or asking here--perhaps a warning dialogue when creating these types of features would be more intuitive for users in future releases.
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RhondaGlennon
Occasional Contributor III
Glad you got it resolved. In the next release, anytime there are hidden templates, we are planning to show a message to alert you and provide information on how to get them to display.

If you (or any other users) want to become an ArcGIS 10.1 beta tester, you can apply to enter the program at https://betacommunity.esri.com.
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TimothyTresohlavy
New Contributor
I'm having an issue where a feature class I'm trying to edit does not show under the "Create Features" task pane.

When I begin editing, I choose the File Geodatabase that contains the feature class I wish to edit, and it shows on the list above. I hit "OK" and the "Create Features" pane shows on the right side of my display.


Rather than Editor Toolbar > Start Editing (the ArcMap 9.3.1 method), go to the Table of Contents, right-click on the shapefile or feature class that you want to edit, and select Edit Features > Start Editing. This is the more-direct method and it should automatically load the Feature Template that you selected.
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ErinKenna
New Contributor II
I have had an instance where I had 4 annotation feature classes and 3 polygon feature classes in a file gdb and when I started editing 2 of the polygon layers were missing from my 'Create Features' pane. I eventually discovered that no feature template had been generated for these layers.
Solution: Right-click on one of the layers in TOC --> Edit Features --> Organize Feature Templates. Go through the list of layers and for any that don't list a template in the righthand pane click New Template.
(running ArcGIS 10 sp3)
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