Trace tool in Create Features randomly(?) not working - Help!

[BrettDavies]

Hi
I'm compiling a geologic map and use the trace tool to generate infill polygons. Very recently - I upgraded with the latest Service Pack for v.10 - the tool stopped working in parts (seemingly) of the map. I hit the 'trace icon', click on the last point of the newly developing polygon (located on an existing polygon), wait for it to 'register' and then hear a tone/beep and note that it refuses to trace along the pre-existing polygon's boundary. It has happened in other parts of the map, but it is consistent in one part. I can only hand 'draw' the polygon and then clip the existing polygons to 'cut-out' the new one.
Sometimes ArcMap just hangs after clicking the last polygon and I have to restart it.
I am completing a major project for a client here in the Sahara Desert (yes, it is hot at the moment) and urgently need to understand / fix the issue. Any suggestions/help would be very gratefully received!
Thanks.

[BrettDavies]

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.

[SteveSchwendener]

I hope this helps ... last year I was doing a lot of tracing and kept running into this problem. One time I somehow forced the "The spatial index grid size is invalid" error popup. After researching that error, I deleted the spatial index for the layer I was editing and didn't have the problem again.

[MarkBoucher]

Here are links for how to understanding (and removing if necessary to fix the trace tool problem) the spatial index.

Add Spatial Index—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop 

Remove Spatial Index—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop 

Or maybe you can reset/rebuild it:

Rebuild a spatial index—ArcGIS Help | ArcGIS Desktop 

You may need more than a basic license to work with the relate tools. ESRI note:

            "License: You must have ArcGIS Desktop Advanced or Desktop Standard to rebuild,

            drop, or re-create the spatial index of a feature class in an enterprise geodatabase or database."

Make sure you head the warnings before you rebuild your spatial index!

I have had problems with the geographic extents of my project are not correct. These are related:

An overview of spatial references—ArcGIS Help | ArcGIS Desktop 

Mark

[LindaTucker]

Removing the spatial index did not solve issue. Zooming WAY in permits poly creation, but then it fails when you zoom back out to create adjacent polygon, it again fails. Tried everything suggested here, classic snapping, snapping tolerance, re-starting, etc. Still failed.

[BrettDavies]

'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...

[KyleSingh]

Thanks, but This did not Help us with the trace tool... If zoomed out too much it just won't trace.  Only solution is to zoom in as tight as possible and have as few layers as possible.

[NAOMIPAUL]

The Trace Tool problem has been a known Desktop ESRI BUG since 9X, that has never been addressed. The Trace Tool does however perform beautifully in ArcGIS Pro. 

[KyleSingh]

Didn’t work for me…

[BrettDavies]

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 ??

[NAOMIPAUL]

ArcGIS Pro comes with ArcGIS Desktop, along with 100 credits for AGO. It requires an AGO login for the license manager. Once you get it up, disable anything that would consume credits like using ESRI geocoder.