GTFS: ERROR 030168: The network dataset cannot be created from template xml file.

[walwstrow]

Hi,

I've done multiple GTFS-analyses over the last years, using Swedish road and GTFS data. 

Thank to the following guide it's been fine - up until now.

https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/help/analysis/networks/create-and-use-a-network-dataset-wit... 

Using my normal steps, I come to "Create the network dataset from a template" - and I get the following error:

ERROR 030168: The network dataset cannot be created from template xml file.
The network field evaluator is associated with a field that cannot be found. [Attribute: Length, Source: TF_Streets, Evaluator: Field, Field: Shape]
The network field evaluator is associated with a field that cannot be found. [Attribute: Length, Source: FT_Streets, Evaluator: Field, Field: Shape]
Failed to execute (CreateNetworkDatasetFromTemplate).

My road data has the ROAD_CLASS and RestrictedPedestrians, as usual. 
I've used both the old xml-file I've used for previous analyses, as well as downloaded a new one from the link above.

Has anyone encountered the same problem before?

Thank you in advance,

Best regards,

[MelindaMorang]

I think the error message gives a clue: [Attribute: Length, Source: TF_Streets, Evaluator: Field, Field: Shape]

Check the Shape field in the Streets feature class.  Is it called "Shape", or did it get some other name for some reason?   This could happen if you exported or copied data from a shapefile or some other feature class with a non-default Shape field name.  The template is expecting the field name to be "Shape".

Let me know if this seems to be the problem, and if so, we can figure out how to get around it.

[walwstrow]

Hi!

The geometry field is called "geom", which must have been changed since previous versions of the road dataset. Is there a convenient work around?

[MelindaMorang]

Hmm, you might have to experiment with a few things.  I don't think you can change the Shape field name of an existing feature class, but maybe you can create a new feature class and then append the rows to it from the old one.  Or maybe use Export Features and fix the Shape field name in the field mappings.

Another option is to open up the XML template and change "!Shape!" to "!Geom!", but those templates are complicated and not really intended to be edited manually.

[walwstrow]

I didn't manage to change the Shape field name - perhaps an error on my part. However, I did try to change the XML template. The change itself was successful, however the same error occurred when trying to run the XML file again but  the same error happened:

ERROR 030168: The network dataset cannot be created from template xml file.
The network field evaluator is associated with a field that cannot be found. [Attribute: Length, Source: TF_Streets, Evaluator: Field, Field: geom]

I finally went to another data source for road data, even though not official. This solved the main problem, that was running the GTFS analysis.

Thank you for the assistance.