Latest Contributions by RichardFairhurst

Also,, please let me know.  Will you have one shape file at the end where your grids have 50 new fields covering every bird range in those 50 shape files?  Or will you have 50 shape files at the end with each having the grids joined to each one of the bird range file inputs separately?  It makes a big difference in deciding what goes inside the loop and what is outside the loop.  It also makes a big difference in how you iterate your variables and how you deal with variables that generate output names.  If also make a difference on whether the Remove Join tool has to be part of the script or not. Additionally, is the script only going to be run once to create a new feature class or feature classes that you will maintain without rebuilding it from the grids and ranges ever again?  Or does this script have to be run on a schedule to update from the source grid and bird range files on a regular basis?  That also makes a difference. ... View more

Right now you code only does one join, which will only join one grid to one bird range. So what do you really intend to do here? => a quick response. just as you said, I made a try of a grid to one bird range to see if the code is basically right. The loop did not start yet. By the way, for model builder, I copied the whole process of AddJoin for 10 times and ran it for 10 joins simultaneously. Thank you always for the in-time and clear explanation. OK.  Then once you get a single join going you will need a loop to read the bird ranges and do the joins before doing the copy features.  You may have to do it in chunks, since I am not sure how many simultaneous joins are allowed before you run out of memory or hit some other limit. The Spatial Join idea was for the case where all of your bird ranges were appended together in one feature class.  Then it makes sense to do that.  With each bird range in a separate file Add Join makes sense and the Spatial join doesn't help.  Also, that make more sense why you want to try python, since a loop through the bird range directory can do the joins faster than setting up each in a string in Model Builder.  Model Builder could maybe do it with an iterator, but iterators don't export to python.  So once your code works for a single instance then come back and show it to get help building a python file reading loop. ... View more

Here are my responses: => Please kindly give an example of double slashes and explain why not using double slashes => in the path below. The slash is an escape character in python and is not read as a text character unless the entire string is preceded by an r to make it a raw string interpreted without handling escape characters or the slash is repeated to make it a literal text slash.  So only these two versions work: source_fc = r"H:/temp_D/testt/grid.shp" or source_fc = "H://temp_D//testt//grid.shp" => The message says "ERROR 000732: Join Table: Dataset H:/temp_D/test/birdrange.shp does => not exist." Probably the path is wrong and actually matches the path of the grid.  To verify the path use Windows Explorer and find the file and its path and copy that path into the code.  I expect you will find it is actually: Entity = r"H:/temp_D/testt/birdrange.shp" => Please kindly advise how to output a modelbuilder as a Python script. From this help (10.1 but it should be the same with 9.3) Steps: From the menu in ModelBuilder, point to and click Model > Export > To Python Script. Click the Save in drop-down arrow and navigate to the location where you want to save your script. Type a file name for the script. Click Save. =>    Totally agreed with you on the idea of ModelBuilder. =>    I used to do the batch addjoin using ModelBuilder (one grid to 100 bird ranges.) =>    However, this time the working load increased (one grid to 3000 bird ranges) =>    That's why I want to try python. If all you are doing is a normal Join and Copy Feature using gp tools, it is the same thing to use Model Builder as it is to python.  Python would only make a difference if you were using python specific code, such as cursors, loops, or python functions.  So just build it in Model Builder.  Even if it turns out you need a loop, build a single process that works first and then worry about putting it inside a loop. If you are actually doing a join of one grid to 100 bird ranges then it sounds like maybe you are doing something other than what I am reading in your code.  Were you using an iterator in Model Builder before to process one grid against 100 bird range joins involving 100 shape files?  Right now you code only does one join, which will only join one grid to one bird range.  So what do you really intend to do here? ... View more

Hi, I want to check if a specified field has duplicate records. is there to achieve this? I am using VB.NET. Please any help will be helpful. Summary Statistics and then look for values with a count of 2 or higher.  Relate or join to get the selection on the original features.  Then do whatever you need to do to deal with them.  This method is so fast and easy, I have not found a reason to program an alternative. ... View more

A few other thought on your model.  It only works if the grids match just one bird range.  It they match two or more bird ranges, a join won't handle that.  In that case you would have to convert your grid and bird range shapefiles into two feature classes within a single File geodatabase, and then use the Make Query Table tool instead to deal with the one to many or many to many relationship.  Or else consider using the Spatial Join tool instead with the One to Many option and a small negative tolerance or the One to One option and some merge rules to join up multiple bird range values into summary fields or list fields. The ModelBuilder to script approach does not create the prettiest, compact code, but I almost always create gp tools in ModelBuilder and export them as python scripts to make sure I get the syntax and paths correct, rather than write them out directly in a python editor.  Troubleshooting a model is a lot easier than troubleshooting a python script for me.  And frankly it is a good way to learn Python if you are not that experienced in writing python code. ... View more

System: Vista, ArcGIS 9.3 Hello, I wrote a python code to AddJoin a grid shapefile (File A) to a bird range shapefile (File B). They have a field in common (GID). However, the error message is ERROR 000732: Input Features: Dataset H:/temp_D/testt does not exist or is not supported Failed to execute (MakeFeatureLayer). Please kindly advise how to modify the code. Thank you. (The file location is "H:/temp_D/testt/grid.shp" "H:/temp_D/test/birdrange.shp") #Import standard library modules import arcgisscripting import os #Create the Geoprocessor object gp = arcgisscripting.create(9.3) #Get a list of the featureclasses in the input folder source_fc = "H:/temp_D/testt" Entity = "H:/temp_D/test" outputfolder = "H:/temp_D" gp.Toolbox = "Data Management"     # convert a featureclass to a layer gp.MakeFeatureLayer_management (source_fc, "source_lyr") # have Layers for AddJoin gp.AddJoin_management("source_lyr", "GID", Entity, "GID", "KEEP_ALL") # convert a layer to a featureclass gp.CopyFeatures_management ("source_lyr", source_fc) gp.FeatureClassToShapefile_conversion(source_fc, outputfolder) # clear memory of layers gp.Delete("source_lyr")     gp.AddMessage(gp.GetMessages()) print gp.GetMessages() The error makes it fairly apparent what the problem is.  You did not provide any actual input feature classes in your code, nor did you actually read the directories to get the feature classes (so your comment in the code is wrong).  You also must feed in paths as either raw strings or with double slashes "//".  Change this part this way: #Provide the input shapefiles and output shapefiles source_fc = r"H:/temp_D/testt/grid.shp" Entity = r"H:/temp_D/test/birdrange.shp" output_fc = r"H:/temp_D/test/grid_rng.shp" If you get the same error still it is because these are not the actual paths or file names and you should verify that you have written them out correctly. Your code has other errors within it.  It will also break where you try to copy a feature class over itself in Copy Features line and you don't need to run the conversion to a shape file if you output the CopyFeatures to a new shapefile in the first place.  So use the output_fc line I changed above and change the Copy Features part from: # convert a layer to a featureclass gp.CopyFeatures_management ("source_lyr", source_fc) gp.FeatureClassToShapefile_conversion(source_fc, outputfolder) to # Copy features to a Shape File gp.CopyFeatures_management ("source_lyr", output_fc) You may not like the result using a shapefile, however, since joins will corrupt the field names when they truncate to 10 characters and just keep the table names.  I hate shapefiles for that reason and only use Feature Classes in file geodatabases in my models.  But with layer settings and aliases you might be able to prevent that corruption of your data despite using a shapefile. I question the use of the Delete tool at the end, since I am not sure it actually clears memory of the layer only and won't delete the data.  It may be the correct way to do it, but I have not tried it.  You should also add a Remove Join tool in the script prior to trying to delete the layer. Since everything in this script except the last few lines can be set up in ModelBuilder, I recommend recreating the whole model in ModelBuilder from scratch.  Complete each tool input correctly in ModelBuilder, and run the model to verify it actually works.  Make sure the output deals with field names the way you want.  Then if this tool is supposed to be rerun regularly, set it up to run a second time by adding a Delete tool to delete the output shapefile of the Copy Feature tool, or it will throw an error saying the output files already exists.  After the tool runs successfully in ModelBuilder the second time, output it as a Python script and add the last few lines.  Then it is ready to run as a batch script on a regular schedule. ... View more

I am really very sorry , I do not know how the points are earned. i clicked the last answer by you as the one who helped me. I really appreciate your effort and sorry about this misunderstanding. You can put an answer check on any post, it does not have to be the last post (one of my posts would have my user name next to it on the far left).  For points, in one of my posts on the right hand side in the same place above where you would place a check mark to mark an answer is a number with a blue arrowhead above it pointing up.  Click the up arrowhead to assign a point.  The ghosted arrowhead below the number is to retract a point. ... View more

Thank you after playing with make query table a bit i was able to get what i was trying for .thank you. Not even a point and you gave yourself credit for the answer.  That is not the best way to recognize the time others devote to helping you and attracting help for your problems in the future. ... View more

I support the idea, but rules would have to be developed when a feature in a single layer meets more than one category expression.  Would it use the lowest or highest symbol in the list? ... View more

Thanks again. I exported my joined tables to a file geodatabase and they became editable... except for one thing. I can't add fields. It's ironic that as joined tables I could add fields but couldn't change values, while as feature classes in a geodatabase I can change values but can't add fields. The menu option is "greyed out." Am I missing something? I need to either add a field or change the format of a field from numeric to text so that I can change entries for seagrass density from "0" to "bare". Any tips? Thanks, James You never can change types on an existing field using any ArcGIS tools.  It is a complaint that has been there for over a decade.  You have to create another new field or another new feature class to make the change.  (I know, annoying, but if ESRI hasn't responded to the single most popular idea on their ideas page and repeated user complaints over more than a decade, they won't change this for you).  Three ways to do that. First involves adding a field of the correct type and calculating values into it.  You should be able to add fields to the new feature class (but never after starting edit mode, only outside of edit mode).  After populating the new field you can delete the unneeded field and rename the field you have added.  This method does not involve creating a new feature class.  However the field is always added at the end of the table.  You can't fix the order of the fields without using yet another tool and creating yet another feature class (Second biggest idea and complaint for more than a decade). Second  involves creating a new feature class with the New wizard and import the schema of the feature class you now have.  You can change the schema settings of the fields before committing it (name, alias, type, etc).  You have to change the field types first before you can change most of the other settings (even if you don't want the type to change, you have to change it to something else and change it back before you can change the Domain or most other settings). After the schema is fixed the way you want it and the tool is run to create as an empty feature class, use the load tool (right click the empty feature class in Catalog and use the load option) to transfer records into it. The third involves using the Feature Class to Feature Class tool.  In that tool you can right click the fields and access all of their properties to change them for the output feature class.  The tool creates a new feature class. I forget if Feature Class to Feature Class tool can deal with reordering fields, but it might be able to do that. Fourth option, create a Personal Geodatabase and copy the feature class into it if you have Access 2003 or later.  A Personal Geodatabase is an Access 2003 database.  Open the .mdb file in Access and change field names, types, orders etc., on the table that has your feature class name (don't touch the shape field or the area, length, or perimeter fields) and save the changes.  You can use this changed feature class in ArcMap from the personal geodatabase directly.  However, personal geodatabases are not that good, have many problems with storage size limits, joins, and other things, so I always end up copying them to the file geodatabase when I am done.  They also use Access 2003 format, and will stop being supported some day (Microsoft partnered with ESRI for a while, but they parted paths years ago and so migration of personal geodatabases to current Access platforms will not happen). ... View more

I have following model(attached) which calculates the nearest feature from table B to table. the output table contain TableB_A contains FID, neardist along with other fields. I want to use FID field from contain Table_A to select the feature from TableB. I mean i want to extract all feature from TableB that have fid value equal to fid value in closestTableB_A. I tried join field but it does not work as I also wants to include the shape field from TableB and join field interface does not show me shape field of TableB . in other words it does not allow to include the geometry information of the features in TableB, any guess. If you put both the table and the original features into the same file geodatabase, then you can use the Make Query Table tool (see also this help).  When set up properly you can deal with the one to many or many to many relationship and export an output that retains the shapes you want. ... View more

You should look up help on ESRI's website and msdn on the subject of Localization if you are trying to support a variety of local cultural settings, especially if your end users are likely to have their computers configured with different cultural environment settings in Windows.  Often many things change when moving between cultures (date and number formats being a common issue), which make you better off when you access the .Net cultural interfaces to manage the localization of your interfaces. For example, check out this help and the additional links it has. ... View more

I really hope that the 10.2 release will also support Visual Studio 2013 out of the box. This week, Microsoft released the final feature update for Visual Studio 2012 and released the 2013 beta. If supporting the later Visual Studio is too hard to do rapidly then please just provide the ability to install the libraries and not the Visual Studio integration pieces. ESRI will probably never support a beta version of Visual Studio.  They are almost always a version behind even for final releases.  In part this makes sense.  They do not want their software subject to bugs introduced by the latest Visual Studio version.  After all, they already create enough of their own with their own latest ArcMap version. 😉 ... View more