I'm trying to import an xlsx file into ArcGIS (10.2.1, everything is fully licensed and activated), and convert it to a shapefile for further analysis.
The xlsx file is ~180mb, and contains just under 600,000 records.
- I can add the xlsx file into ArcGIS. This generates the appropriate table correctly.
- I can create events from the x and y coordinates. This displays the data on the map correctly.
But…
- When I go to convert the events to a shapefile by exporting the data, everything fails on me. For some reason when it exports the events, it totally ruins the table (skips columns, misreads fields, ends up with data all over the place, etc.).
I can't see how it is a memory issue, as the computer has dealt with much larger pre-existing shapefiles before that have over 2 million points in. It just seems to be an issue with the export process. ArcGIS does not display any error message, it says it's completed the export process without any issues and asks if I would like to add the new file to the map. There is nothing to indicate that there's a problem until I go to open the table for the new shapefile it supposedly generated.
I've tried converting the xlsx file to csv, and run into the same issue. I can open the csv, generate the events to display the x,y data, but when I go to export the events to an actual shapefile, it destroys the table.
Any ideas? Is there an alternative way to generate the shapefile?
Best Answer
Can you try the converting the data in QGIS? or any other GIS software? this way you can make sure the problem really lies with ArcGIS rather than your data, and you have the shapefile to boot.