Question

Dataset fanout - updating existing output geodatabases

  • 5 November 2013
  • 2 replies
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When using Dataset Fanout, writing to File Geodatabase formats, is it possible to update existing geodatabases in the output rather than create new ones?

 

 

I have some national datasets and some polygons that define regions of the country. I want to split the national datasets into separate file geodatabases, one for each region, each containing the relevant parts of the input datasets for that region.

 

 

I've set this up with a single Reader, bringing in the region polygons. For each of the national datasets there is a FeatureReader to spatially select the features and the output of each of those goes to a separate output feature type. All the outputs are on a single geodatabase writer, which has Fanout Dataset selected to write the results from each input region into a separate geodatabase.

 

 

This works fine. However now I have some additional input datasets that I would like to split by region and save into those same geodatabases. How can I add the new feature classes into the same fanned-out geodatabases? The Writer setting "Overwrite Existing Geodatabase" does not seem to make any difference: in either case I get an error:

 

Could not create the File Geodatabase '(pathname here)'. A possible reason is that you may not have permission to create the Geodatabase. The error number from ArcObjects is: '-2147467259'. The error message from ArcObjects is: {}

 

In any case if I did set it to overwrite this would presumably lose the previous results, if it worked. Am I missing something here? I simply want it to add (or overwrite if necessary and if the Feature Type is configured appropriately) the new Feature Type within each fanned-out dataset, but not overwrite the dataset itself.

 

 


2 replies

Userlevel 3
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Hi,

 

 

In the workbench>writer menu select add feature type for new features.

 

This is also where you can import existing feature types.

 

In the writer feature type properties set the drop and truncate table to no.

 

In the navigator (your gdb) writer > parameters>advanced you will find the writer mode. This is set to INSERT.

 

So if you only want to add new feature types (insert) make sure you have added the new feature type, set the writer feature type properties and make sure that the overwrite existing is set to no.

 

Another issue to be aware of is that if you have the gdb open in another application it will be locked and the translation will result in an error.

 

 

Hope this helps,

 

 

Itay
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Hi,

 

 

Thanks for your reply. Sorry, maybe I didn't make myself clear - I know how to add writer feature types in Workbench. I've set it all up as you describe.

 

 

However when I ran the workbench, pointing to the dataset fanout directory which already contains the geodatabases from the previous run, I get the error message shown in my previous post. It was clearly trying to create the geodatabases again, whereas what I want is for it to add the new feature types into the existing fanned-out geodatabases. 

 

 

However i've fixed it now. I added the Fanout Suffix ".gdb" to the Writer. The original run without this worked fine creating the .gdb suffix automatically as you'd naturally expect. The re-run needed it adding. Seems to be a minor bug.

 

 

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