Using Eliminate in ArcGIS ModelBuilder?

Question

I set up a model in ArcGIS 10.4.1 ModelBuilder to use the Eliminate tool. Searching around to do it led me to Select by Attributes in Model Builder and Eliminate in Arcpy, but it just wont work.

I'm doing the following:

• Create a polygon shapefile
• Calculate area for each feature
• Make Feature Layer to select only features that are below a given size (this I found I have to do, since there is no tool for Select by Attribute)
• Run Eliminate

This is a snapshot of the model I set up:

Each time, the model stops when trying to start Eliminate, saying:

Failed to execute. Parameters are not valid.
ERROR 000156: Input must be a feature class

The tool needs a feature class with a selection, so I think I'm missing something when trying to select the features.

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I use an iterator to run this without letting the intermediate products load into ArcGIS.

Is it possible that this causes the problem, since ArcGIS is not aware of the layer?

SOLUTION: That was it. Must add Make Feature Layer without any parameter, followed by Select Layer By Attribute.

Answer 1

You can use SelectByAttributed in ModelBuilder as follows:

IF YOUR SHAPEFILE NOT IN TOC:

add Make Feature Layer and just define the input shapefile, don't define the other parameters.

Add select by attributes and define your size

Result of selected attributed:

It works perfectly, the result:

Also, if you want to get a shapefile with your selected attributes only; you can use the Select tool to your Model, then you define your shapefile and size required, and the result is a new shapefile with the selected attributed only. Which you can use it further in your Model.

Answer 2

I replicated your setup in Model Builder. I have a polygon with areas I would like to incorporate into larger Polygons. Using the Selected Layer By Attribute Tool I set the expression to the area criteria I wanted and Used the Eliminate Tool to perform the operation.

Here is the model view:

Here is the "Select by Attributes"

Here is the final step, the "Eliminate"

The model ran and the output was as expected.

I think for your model you won't need the "Make Feature Layer" Tool.