Latest Contributions by BrettDavies

Interesting Saed. I will try that when I next run into the problem. My work around has been since my last post - to use existing polygons to clip the new (overlapping) polygon. I haven't had a problem with that other than the effort/time required.  Thanks for your post. ... View more

Hi Anna, Thanks for your reply. To clarify, I use the Bezier tool to draw polylines and polygons and often, as I have mentioned, the area covered by the map is large - country scale or larger, so there are many 'arc'. Continuing to zoom in before the trace tool would work again is of no practical use. ESRI did reproduce the error, which seems to have geographically bound component i.e. affects particular parts of the map *only* once it decides that it doesn't like that area. I can't define anything special that I do to cause the trace tool to fail - it seems to be random and can happen sooner or later in the compilation process.  I use the Bezier tool as it is quicker and more intuitive for drawing geologic unit shapes (for me at least) that will rarely, if ever, have a straight segment. I also use the equivalent tool when I draw in a vector graphics package, so it's always my go-to tool. Maybe if I only used straight line tool with the attendant issue of increasing the number of mouse clicks by orders of magnitude, the problem would go away...  I have tried a couple of suggestions in earlier responses to my original post, without success. I had effectively given up and used my work around - draw a polygon through existing ones and then clip it using those existing polygons. It's a pain, but work and is good for ensuring the topology is ok.  I'm on a much needed vacation at the moment, but over the next 3-4 months will be compiling several more maps and will try all suggestions again and report back. Thanks for taking the time to post. Cheers! ... View more

Agreed. Shame about the lack of courtesy in not informing me - as the original poster in this thread - that this may be the case. Why aren't I surprised? ... View more

Unfortunately, ESRI's base appears to be dominated by major government departments and large corporations. For small companies they have no incentive to fix issue i.e. accountability to us is absent without leave. Their customer communications (for the same reasons) is also pathetic. We shouldn't have to chase significant problems where a base functionality - tools they included in the software they licensed us to use for many $ - fail to work properly. Beyond an acknowledgement that they reproduced my problem, I heard nothing about actions they were investigating to fix it. I understand it may be complex, but it's a tool, sold with the licence, that randomly doesn't work. According to Naomi (next post) ESRI marked the NIM as DECLINED; does that mean they're not interested? I guess so. ... View more

Hmmm... As I mentioned in a post very early on, I sent a map to ESRI that was giving me a problem and they reproduced the issue in the areas where I was experiencing trace tool failure. Then... 'crickets'. I admit to not knowing (i.e. not used) the Pro version. I'm reluctant to spend any more money on ESRI products, if that is what it would take to have that version. I haven't renewed my maintenance, because I don't see the value in spending thousands $ for ?? ... View more

'WAY in' is correct, so much so that it would take a map maker a long, long time to complete even a small polygon to the post of it being pointless and the project never ending. My only work around that actually works is as I described years ago (!!) and that is to draw a polygon over adjacent ones and then clip the new polygon using existing ones. If there's a free side(s), then of course you would have to draw that boundary accurately. For those of us who actually create maps from absolute scratch, and don't have the luxury of pre-prepared maps of roads and real estate boundaries, this tool should be 'gold', but instead it's 'lead'. I have recently created a new map over a substantial area not previously known, or understood, and had the same issue pop up in a couple of places. Oh dear... ... View more

All, It's been 6 years since I first posted on this problem and guess what, it's still there... I understand that there may be programming difficulties, but this is a fundamental problem. It is a critical tool for map making involving the natural environment. I am again experiencing refusal to trace, either at all at any zoom level, or causing ArcMap to crash. Like all the other instances it develops in one specific part of a map where it resides forever, regardless of restarts, updates, or making a cup of tea. ESRI: please explain why I should continue to pay or maintenance when what to me is a fundamental tool for ensuring correct topology and efficient mapping does not work and cost me time and money. Thanks. ... View more

Thanks Jayanta, We should learn a new thing everyday, and you’ve provided that one for today! Thanks you for your assistance. Brett Dr Brett Davies BSc PhD FGS Renaissance Geology Post: PO Box 111 Mundaring WA Australia 6073 Mob./Cell: +61 (0)419-817-566 Web: rengeol.com Email: brett@rengeol.com Skype: brett.M.Davies ... View more

Thanks Bill (and with a nod to Joe). I'll try that next time.  My GPS stations are downloaded and saved as .csv files that I then edit to enter field data. It's simple and pragmatic and my clients in the resources industry like having field data in a spreadsheet, so for me it's just a handy way to store data. Can GPS data be downloaded directly into ArcMAP? Never needed to look for that functionality. I will reiterate that, prior to the issue arising last month while doing fieldwork in the (hot) Nubian Desert of northern Sudan, I haven't had any problems displaying the XY data via Excel. Mind you, I only upgraded to 10.4.1 not long before I flew out As a geoscientist I understand the Excel is not a database and I have never thought of it, nor treated it as one. However, and regardless of attitudes to the use of Excel, I find it interesting that this issue has only arisen now when it was never before a problem - for me at least. I'm guessing something has changed somewhere. Anyway, I appreciate the responses. I'm back home, jet lagged in Western Australia and it's approaching midnight, so bedtime. Thanks again. Brett ... View more

Hi Jake, I have clipped the raster, and frighteningly, the clipped data displays as it should! Hmmm...  I want to attach the clipped raster, but I'm sorry - it's approaching midnight again - I don't see any 'Use Advanced Editor' option associated with these messages (top right or anywhere - I think I'm just tired). Need my hand held again... ... View more

Hi Jayanta,  The spreadsheet datatype was 'General' and this has always worked previously when importing this data for XY display. I don't see why this shouldn't still work, unless ArcMAP has changed the way it handles spreadsheet (Excel) datatypes. There have been absolutely no conscious changes to my workflow in this aspect of my work.    Anyway, I went back to the spreadsheet, changed all the relevant cells to 'Number', saved it to a new name, then tried to display the XY data, but nothing changed. So that didn't work. When I looked at the table in ArcMAP the Field data type said 'Text' - it had apparently changed it (read/converted it?) from 'General' datatype in Excel as 'Text': that I don't understand. I find it interesting that my first imports of Excel files on this project worked just fine, but seemingly gradually began to fail. The first loss was jus the two fields Dip S0 and Dip Dir S0, but I could see the others ok (Excel cell datatype for those was also 'General'). I actually recompiled the data in a new spreadsheet from scratch (~350 GPS stations with multiple data entry per station), displayed it, but still saw none of the fields.  The good news is, I resorted to your second option and restructured the imported table (where the fields were actually still present) and changed the cell type to 'Integer'. This did work, thank goodness. This seems to me to add support to my view that ArcMAP 10.4.1 is handling this type of data differently somehow. I then checked the Datatype against fields for the layer and now, instead of Integer, it reads 'Long'...! Sorry, but I don't understand what's happening, or why. So, your reply was helpful, but only part. Changing the data type in cell to Number had no effect and the problem persisted. Thanks for your reply. Appreciated. ... View more

Hi Kylie, Thanks. Will give this a try when the problem arises again. And yes, programmers need to remember that they're working for 'users', not other programmers... I'll report back when when I have had the chance to try your work around. Cheers! ... View more

Hi Jake, Thanks. Will do this later today. Would you please remind me where to go to upload? Cheers ... View more

Hi Kylie,  What you say is basically what I had to do, but also as I said, it's impractical when complex geometry is, and the layer is geographically broad. My impression was that the larger the geographic area, the sooner the issue manifests itself. When I posted originally I was compiling a geologic map of part of Mauritania. I posted again with the same problem during the compilation of a new map for he whole of Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and it was this dataset I sent to ESRI (on their request) and with which they reproduced the problem.  This tool is critically important in my workflow when compiling geologic maps - it greatly decreases the time it takes to complete the compilation. I hope ESRI pulls their finger out and actually does address it.  ... View more