EditingNoxiousWeedGeodatabase.pdf

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Editing the Noxious Weed Geodatabase

THESE DIRECTIONS ARE WRITTEN USING ARCGIS 10

Citrix connection:

http://apps.fs.usda.gov/Citrix/auth/login.aspx TIP: Save this link as a favorite or put it on your desktop as a shortcut

screen

On the Main screen click on the GIS folder

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These two windows may appear, wait patiently.

Adding Data to ArcMap is done by selecting the Add Data button. Click this button.

Add the differentially corrected cleaned up data (no errant lines, unintended wobbles, and spaghetti) that you exported to an ArcGIS File Geodatabase in Pathfinder office. This is the data that you copied to your district area under T:\FS\NFS\ Nebraska\Program \2XXXInvasiveSpecies\<DISTRICT>\InvSpp2012

TIP: From this point forward, this geodatabase will be referred to as “your field geodatabase”.

Hint: Your field geodatabase will be named the same as the first file in your list of cor files you exported.

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All the point and line feature classes from your field geodatabase will need to be buffered before they can be loaded into your unit’s noxious weed geodatabase.

You will be using the radius data you collected in the field but it needs to be converted to meters to match the geodatabase.

The first step is to add a field to your feature classes. You will need to open the attribute table associated with the feature class by right clicking on it and select open attribute table.

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When the table opens you will see a Table Options button in the upper left‐hand corner. Click on it and the Add Field will be in the drop down list. Select Add Field.

Fill in the boxes like the graphic to the right.

Accept the defaults for Alias and etc. Click OK.

Use the scroll bar at the bottom of the attribute table to view the M_Radius field at the end of your table. Right click on M_Radius and select field calculator. TIP: If you have Biological Control sites, we need to buffer those points to 5 acres. You will have to select those sites to buffer separately. Talk to Geri for assistance.

Double click RADWIDTH from the Fields: list and type *.3048 in the formula box.

Multiplying RADWIDTH by .3048 converts the collected data from feet to meters. See image to the right. Click OK.

The M_Radius field should be populated with new values. Close the attribute table when done.

Perform these steps for both point and line feature classes.

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In order to buffer the points (or lines) you will need to open ArcToolbox by either clicking on the red toolbox located on the main top bar in ArcMap or on the right side where tabs are located.

The ArcToolbox will open in your ArcMap project. Open Analysis Tools Proximity— double click Buffer to start the wizard.

Fill out the Buffer fields. Your Input Features will be the point or line feature class you created the M_Radius field and calculated.

The Output Feature class is the buffered result we want, which will be an added feature class to your field geodatabase and is what will be loaded into your district noxious weed geodatabase. Navigate to your field geodatabase and to the feature classes within. In the Name field, put in something meaningful for you, such as PtsInvTrtBuff.

Click Save. Change the radio button to Field and select M_Radius from the dropdown list.

IF buffering points, accept the remaining options defaults. IF buffering lines, you may need to determine the side type ‐ was the treatment just on the right side of the line, the left side of the line or on both sides of the line (full). End type is if you want the end of the line to be buffered out (round) or not buffered (flat).

Your screen should be similar to the one on the right.

Click OK.

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You will have to add a new toolbar (steps 1‐7 below) in order to load the polygon data you just created into your district noxious weed geodatabase. Within ArcMap:

1. Click the Customize dropdown menu on the main menu, select Customize Mode.

2. Select the Commands tab.

3. On the left half of the menu box, highlight Data Converters.

4. On the right half of the menu box, highlight the item called Load Objects.

5. Left click on Load Objects and drag it to the far right end of the Editor toolbar while holding the left mouse down.

6. As you drag it across the screen, its symbol is a button with a X by the mouse tip.

7. When it arrives at a place where it can be docked, this symbol changes to a button with a plus sign.

8. Drop this tool at the far right end of the Editor toolbar. Its icon is Load Objects

9. Close the customize dialog box.

Loading the Polygon data into the District Noxious Weed Geodatabase

1. Add your district noxious weed geodatabase feature class “nox_weeds” to your ArcMap.

2. Starting Editing. Make sure you select your district Geodatabase.

3. Select the Load Objects button you just installed.

4. In the Menu which pops up, browse to the buffered point and line feature classes in your field geodatabase; using folder icon.

5. Click Open.

6. Click Add button to put that feature class in the List of Source Data to Load window below.

7. Click Next.

8. This screen allows you to choose a target template/layer to load objects. The choice listed should be nox_weeds.

9. Click Next.

10. This screen verifies that fields in the feature class will be loaded into the right fields in nox_weeds. Scroll down the list to confirm they are correctly linking.

11. Click Next.

12. This screen asks if you want to load all of the data. Default (Load all data) is OK so click Next.

13. The next screen allows you to keep the accuracy of your input data, or use the existing snapping environment. Click

No if not already clicked on the top choice.

14. Click No to Validating features on the load.

15. Click Next.

16. Click Finish in the next screen after examining all of the parameters you have chosen.

17. Repeat steps 3 through 16 for each buffered point, buffered line, and polygon feature classes

18. Turn off the feature classes from your field geodatabase, and see if it is now part of the noxious weed geodatabase.

19. Save your edits

Remember that Save Edits is different from the Save button on the Standard toolbar (often found on the second row at the top of your ArcMap) and the Save option found under the File on the main menu. Both of the latter two “Save” save the project file not the edits you have just made to your noxious weeds layer.

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Editing the Tabular Data in the Noxious Weed Geodatabase

The following steps will insure that the tabular data is clean and ready to be migrated to the NRIS: TESP/Invasives database as well as generate the reports necessary for the end of year data entry into FACTS.

Many of the proceeding steps will make mass changes that can corrupt your database if done incorrectly. So caution is encouraged to follow the steps as outlined and if something is unclear seek clarification from the GIS shop.

Having a backup copy of the database will insure that your data can be recovered in case of a mishap. A suggested naming convention for backup copies is noxweeds_step1, noxweeds_step2 and so on. Editing should always be done on the nox_weeds personal geodatabase. This will insure that you know which steps have been completed, allow all the maps that link to your district’s personal geodatabase to contain the most current information, and to insure that the

GIS shop uses the correct database at the end of the year to load into NRIS.

How to make a backup copy of your database.

Right click on nox_weeds and select Data from the drop down menu, select Export Data when that menu opens. In the Export Data window you will need to use the browse button to put the shapefile in the correct location.

Step 1 – Change blank values to null values (Make a backup! – end the name with step1)

Open the attribute table. At the bottom of the table, click on the Show Selected Records button .

From the Table Options dropdown menu, choose Select By Attributes. Click on PARENTPOLY and click Get Unique Values.

In the example to the right the error or blank appears as a quotation ( “ ).

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To fix the blank value, select all records with that value. The image to the right displays how your screen should look like. Click Apply. All the records that were blank in PARENTPOLY should be selected

Start Editing. (If you stopped editing earlier)

Open the Attributes window by clicking this button on your Editor toolbar. Scroll to the top of the Attributes window and left click on nox_weeds. In the lower part of the Attributes window, left click the cell to the right of PARENTPOLY, and type <Null> and press the Enter button on your keyboard. Close the window and save your edits. Check to see if the edit fixed the error.

Tip: Sometimes there will be a dropdown menu to choose <Null> instead of typing it in.

Check and edit all of the rest of the fields except the Error Check field.

Once you have corrected all the blank spaces and made them null values you are ready to check the tabular data against the legal domain codes.

Spaces cannot be a legal domain value so every uncorrected black field will show up in the next step as an error.

Changing more than 3000 records at a time while in an edit session will result in slow processing time.

Step 2: Validate the tabular data against the domains

Create another backup copy

Open your Attribute Table. From the Table Options dropdown menu Select All. Start Editing (if not still in edit mode).

From the Editor pull down select to Validate Features. Note that the message will tell you how many invalid records will be highlighted in your table. (Your message might also have some wordage regarding empty geodatabase, ignore this and just keep working through the invalid errors).

To figure out why the records are invalid, select just one of the selected records and perform the validate command again. In the example to the right, note that

ASSOC_SPECIES_1 has a value of “none”. The correct value should be <Null> since “No Invasives Found” really only applies to the Plant_Code field. (Your message might also have some wordage regarding empty geodatabase, ignore this and just keep working through the invalid errors). Click

OK.

To fix this error for all records at the same time; select all records with that same value. From the Table Options dropdown menu, choose Select By Attributes. Create your SELECT statement like the image to the right. Click Apply.

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Use the Attribute window to mass change these to NULL. HINT: Review Step 1 for details on how to mass change edits using the Attribute window. If it worked as expected, then save your edits.

Select all records and run validate again.

The Valid Feature window shows how many errors you still need to eliminate. To find what is invalid, select one of these selected records and perform the validate command again.

When all the errors have been eliminated this message will appear to let you know that you are clean on validation. Save your edits.

Step 3: Run Tabular Edit Cross Checks

Create another backup copy.

A simple calc script has been written that will check the tabular data and record errors in the ErrorCheck field. This calc script is stored at T:\\FS\NFS\Nebraska\Program\2XXXInvasiveSpecies\SO\calcs. The idea of this calc is to make sure that the data is clean for reporting.

Your checks can be limited to a selected set of records. If no records are selected, the checks will be run on all of the records Since these checks only affect the ErrorCheck field and completely re‐write that field every time it is run you may run the check either in or out of an edit session.

To run the script:

1. Open the attribute table

2. Right click on the ERRORCHECK column

3. Select the Field Calculator

4. Select the Load button

5. Load the script TestForNoxWeedErrors.cal

a. Navigate to the above address

b. Highlight calc script

c. Select Open

6. Select OK to run the script

After running the script, sort descending on the ERRORCHECK field to the groups of errors. When fixing each line look for other possible errors on that line; it will save you some time when re‐running the error check routine.

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This script only reports the last error found per record so the script will need to be run more than once to catch all of the errors.

Repeat running the TestForNoxWeedErrors.cal script until no errors show up.

Save your edits

Step 4: Calculate missing SITE_ID.

(Use the first set of scripts if you want to be able to query the data by Geographic Areas)

Create another backup copy.

There is calc script called SiteIDcalc located at T:\\FS\NFS\Nebraska\Program\2XXXInvasiveSpecies\SO\calcs. Use/load this script into the Field Calculator, changing the appropriate items for your district. Refer to Step 3 on how to run a script for assistance, except this time for column Site_ID using SiteIDcalc.

Bessey will use the following script(s) in the field calculator:

"01"&Right(YEAR([INVENTORY_DATE]),2)&"B"& [OBJECTID] "01"&Right(YEAR([INVENTORY_DATE]),2)&"S"& [OBJECTID]

Pine Ridge will use the following script(s) in the field calculator:

"02"&Right(YEAR([INVENTORY_DATE]),2)&"P"& [OBJECTID] "02"&Right(YEAR([INVENTORY_DATE]),2)&"O"& [OBJECTID]

Fall River will use the following script(s) in the field calculator:

"05"&Right(YEAR([INVENTORY_DATE]),2)&"NE"& [OBJECTID] "05"&Right(YEAR([INVENTORY_DATE]),2)&"SE& [OBJECTID] "05"&Right(YEAR([INVENTORY_DATE]),2)&"W"& [OBJECTID] or "05"&Right(YEAR([INVENTORY_DATE]),2)&"FR"& [OBJECTID]

Wall will use the following scripts in the field calculator:

"06"&Right(YEAR([INVENTORY_DATE]),2)&"SE"& [OBJECTID] "06"&Right(YEAR([INVENTORY_DATE]),2)&"SW"& [OBJECTID] "06"&Right(YEAR([INVENTORY_DATE]),2)&"N"& [OBJECTID] or "06"&Right(YEAR([INVENTORY_DATE]),2)&"W"& [OBJECTID]

Ft Pierre will use the following scripts in the field calculator:

"06"&Right(YEAR([INVENTORY_DATE]),2)&"FP"& [OBJECTID]

Step 5: Spatial Edits

Create another backup copy

Repair Geometry

Open ArcToolbox by either clicking on the red toolbox located on the main top bar in ArcMap or on the right side where tabs are located.

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Scroll down to the toolbox called Data Management Tools and expand it. Find Repair Geometry under Features. Double click Repair Geometry. When the window opens (yours might look slightly different) use the Browse option to navigate to the feature class you have been editing or if it is in your ArcMap, click the drop down menu to select your nox_weeds feature class.

Click OK. It will take a few seconds or minutes depending on the size of your feature class. The feature class will become grayed out in the Table of Contents of your ArcMap. You will also notice it processing in the lower right hand corner. When finished, you should get a green check mark or a yellow warning sign when finished. If you get a red icon, call Geri and we will work through it together.

ARCGIS Python Script to Find Spatial Errors

John Simonitch (Systems Analyst – ITX, Contractor to NRIS 503‐668‐1744) has developed a python script which will find multipart, inner ring, and inversion errors.

Example of Multipart Polygon (Image to the right highlights two or more polygons when one is selected)

Example of inner ring (Image to the left is showing a polygon with one or more donut hole/inner ring)

Example of Inversion (Image to the right is a polygon with donut hole/inner ring that has one point in common with outer ring)

Add the Multipart Test toolbox and Run Tool

1. Right click on ArcToolbox Add Toolbox

2. Navigate to

T:\FS\NFS\Nebraska\Program\2XXXInvasiveSpecies\SO\toolbox

3. Highlight Multipart Tests.tbx and click Open

4. The following toolbox will be added to the list under ArcToolBox.

5. Expand Multipart Tests toolbox and double click “Summarize Parts”

6. A wizard opens Fill in blanks by browsing to the feature class or workspace to save into (See Image on next page)

a. Input Feature Class is the nox_weeds feature class that you have been editing

b. Output Table is the name of the table you will create, good name to use is MultipartCheck1

c. Unique Identifier is INFESTATION_ID (the SITE_ID field you calc’d in the previous step, SITE_ID is an alias)

d. Leave ID Field Type to TEXT

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7. Click OK.

8. The Test for Multiparts/Inversions window will open.

9. After it completes running and is successful, click

Close, (if not successful and red errors show up, call Geri)

a. After running the toolbox, a table should be added to your table of contents in ArcMap – if not, in the next steps you will have to browse to where you saved it.

Join the created table to your feature class

10. Right‐click on nox_weeds Joins and Relates Join

11. The join data wizard appears, fill in the blanks as shown to the right (Item #2 should automatically select your table, if not, browse to the location you saved the table)

12. Click OK

13. Although nothing appears to happen, right click, on nox_weeds and choose Open Attribute Table. Scroll to the end of the table to find the newly added/joined fields.

14. The last four fields contain the errors that need to be fixed. In the following lower right screen shot, you can see the polygons that need to be fixed. Polygon 0612W43 has one multipart error and one inversion (this maybe the same error). Polygon 0612W44 has three multipart errors.

15. Highlight one error, close the table and Zoom to the Selected Feature. TIP: For less clicking and ease of navigating, resize your attribute table to a few rows and dock the table to your ArcMap. Sorting Descending on Poly_ID will bring all the errors to the top.

16. Start Editing (make sure your target is nox_weeds) and use your GIS editing skills to fix the errors. Remember to frequently save your edits.

17. When finished editing all the errors in this join, Stop Editing. Repeat Steps 5 – 16 until no errors are found.