ArcGIS 10.2 Combine Two Feature Classes in One File Geodatabase with Attachment (Pictures)

Question

I am working in ArcGIS 10.2, and have point data collected from 2 separate tablets with the same database schema. Both of these files have attachments (pictures) with them. I am trying to combine these two files and can't seem to find a way to keep the attachments when I do combine them. I have tried creating a new file geodatabase and exporting the files as XML's. I have tried loading the data into a new file geodatabase and nothing seems to work. Has anyone run into this, or know a way to combine these two feature classes?

Answer 1

Per this bug page attachments are stored in a separate table using a relate. The relate gets broken with GP tools. The fix given at the bug is:

1. Run the desired geoprocessing tool, such as the Project (management) tool.
2. Right-click the output feature class and create/enable Attachments. This creates an empty __ATTACH table and a relationship class relating that table to the output feature class.
3. Use the Append (management) tool to append the original feature class' __ATTACH table into the output feature class' __ATTACH table. The __ATTACH table is where the attachments are actually stored (in a BLOB field), so appending these records is a key step. Input Dataset = input__ATTACH; Target Dataset = output__ATTACH.

Note on the page is a warning about the altering of OIDs - some editing may be required with the tables to make sure the attachments align with the correct records.

Another related page for re-establishing a broken relate links.

Answer 2

I found the workaround to be clunky.

Try this python I recently worked on for a different application. It appends features and attachments from one fc to another. Could also work for any related data.

The class relies on GlobalIDs And the default field and table names that are used with the "enable attachments" feature

https://github.com/bnadler/Append-Features-With-Attachments

#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Name:        AppendFeaturesWithAttachments
# Purpose:     Useful for downladed data from ArcGIS Online Feature Services that have
#              a preexisting feature class in a production environment. With some
#              modification ethod can be used to aggregate different feature classes with attachments
# Author:      ben nadler
#
# Created:     07/05/2015
# Copyright:   (c) ben7682 2015

#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
import os, arcpy

def buildWhereClauseFromList(OriginTable, PrimaryKeyField, valueList):
    """Takes a list of values and constructs a SQL WHERE
    clause to select those values within a given PrimaryKeyField
    and OriginTable."""

    # Add DBMS-specific field delimiters
    fieldDelimited = arcpy.AddFieldDelimiters(arcpy.Describe(OriginTable).path, PrimaryKeyField)

    # Determine field type
    fieldType = arcpy.ListFields(OriginTable, PrimaryKeyField)[0].type

    # Add single-quotes for string field values
    if str(fieldType) == 'String' or str(fieldType) == 'Guid':
        valueList = ["'%s'" % value for value in valueList]

    # Format WHERE clause in the form of an IN statement
    whereClause = "%s IN(%s)" % (fieldDelimited, ', '.join(map(str, valueList)))

    return whereClause

def selectRelatedRecords(OriginTable, DestinationTable, PrimaryKeyField, ForiegnKeyField):
"""Defines the record selection from the record selection of the OriginTable
  and applys it to the DestinationTable using a SQL WHERE clause built
  in the previous defintion"""

    # Set the SearchCursor to look through the selection of the OriginTable
    sourceIDs = set([row[0] for row in arcpy.da.SearchCursor(OriginTable, PrimaryKeyField)])

    # Establishes the where clause used to select records from DestinationTable
    whereClause = buildWhereClauseFromList(DestinationTable, ForiegnKeyField, sourceIDs)

    # Process: Select Layer By Attribute
    return arcpy.MakeTableView_management(DestinationTable, "NEW_SELECTION", whereClause)

def fieldNameList(fc):
"""Convert FieldList object to list of fields"""
    fields = arcpy.ListFields(fc)
    fieldNames = []
    for f in fields:
        fieldNames.append(f.name)
    return fieldNames

def appendFeatures(features,targetFc):
"""Writes each update feature to target feature class, then appends attachments to the target
feature class attachment table with the GUID from the newly added update feature"""
    import uuid
    desc = arcpy.Describe(targetFc)
    #List of fields from feature class to append
    afieldNames = fieldNameList(features)
    #List of fields from target feature class
    tfieldNames = fieldNameList(targetFc)
    #Find Guid field index for later use
    guidField = afieldNames.index('GlobalID') if 'GlobalID' in afieldNames else None
    tempField = None
    tempID = None
    newGuid = None
    tfields = arcpy.ListFields(targetFc)
    #find a field we can use temporarily to hold a unique ID
    for f in tfields:
        if f.type == 'String' and f.length> 32 and f.domain == '':
            tempField = f.name
            break
    editor= arcpy.da.Editor(desc.path)
    with arcpy.da.SearchCursor(features,'*') as fscur:

        for arow in fscur:
            editor.startEditing(False, False)

            #Insert new row and write temp ID to the field.
            #The new row will have a new GUID assigned to it
            with arcpy.da.InsertCursor(targetFc,tempField) as icur:
                #Generate random ID
                tempID = str(uuid.uuid4())[:16]
                icur.insertRow([tempID])

            #Format expression to query new row
            fieldDelimited = arcpy.AddFieldDelimiters(desc.path, tempField)
            expression = "{} = '{}'".format(fieldDelimited,tempID)

            #Query new row and get new GUID
            with arcpy.da.SearchCursor(targetFc,'GlobalID',expression) as scur:
                for srow in scur:
                    #Get new GUID
                    newGuid = scur[0]

            #Update new empty row with all the information from update feature
            with arcpy.da.UpdateCursor(targetFc,'*', expression)as ucur:
                urow = ucur.next()
                for f in tfields:
                    fname = f.name
                    if fname != 'OBJECTID' and fname != 'GlobalID' and fname in afieldNames:
                        urow[tfieldNames.index(fname)] = arow[afieldNames.index(fname)]
                ucur.updateRow(urow)

            editor.stopEditing(True)

            appendAttachments(features,arow[guidField],targetFc,newGuid)

def appendAttachments(fc,guid,tfc,newGuid):
    desc = arcpy.Describe(fc)
    #Format query
    fieldDelimited = arcpy.AddFieldDelimiters(desc.path, 'GlobalID')
    expression = "{} = '{}'".format(fieldDelimited,guid)
    #Make feature layer of feature
    flayer = arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management(fc, expression)
    #Select related attachments
    records = selectRelatedRecords(flayer,fc+'__ATTACH','GlobalID','REL_GLOBALID')
    editor = arcpy.da.Editor(desc.path)
    editor.startEditing(False, False)
    #Update attachments with new GUID for target features
    with arcpy.da.UpdateCursor(records,'REL_GLOBALID') as ucur:
        for urow in ucur:
            urow[0] = newGuid
            ucur.updateRow(urow)
    editor.stopEditing(True)

    #Make query for attachment table, looking for newly written GUIDS
    fieldDelimited = arcpy.AddFieldDelimiters(desc.path, 'REL_GLOBALID')
    expression = "{} = '{}'".format(fieldDelimited,newGuid)
    #Make table view of attachments
    tView = arcpy.MakeTableView_management(fc+'__ATTACH',"AppendRows", expression)
    #Append rows
    arcpy.Append_management(tView,tfc+'__ATTACH','NO_TEST')
    return None


def main():
    updateFeatureClass = r'C:\Users\ben7682\AppData\Local\Temp\Update.gdb\SEMPRA_DBO_P_GasLeak'
    targetFeatureClass = r'C:\Users\ben7682\AppData\Local\Temp\Target.gdb\SEMPRA_DBO_P_GasLeak'

    appendFeatures(updateFeatureClass, targetFeatureClass)


if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

Answer 3

The ability to preserve attachments has been added as a new feature for many tools. This is planned to be in the 10.5 release, but is currently in the 1.3 release of Pro!

Pro 1.3 - http://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/get-started/whats-new-in-arcgis-pro-1-3.htm A new environment, Maintain Attachments, allows you to enable and disable the transfer of attachments to the output table or feature class.

Answer 4

I have digized land parcels in different shapefiles and the exported to geodatabase as two diferent geodatabase im trying to merge them through append but its not merging. help