[GIS] Deleting features (rows) from shapefile (attribute table) using ModelBuilder

arcgis-desktopfields-attributesmodelbuilderselect

I've run into a problem and can't figure out how to solve this one.

I used the ModelBuilder and have a shapefile with loads of information. This information needs to be reduced. Therefore I want to select several rows (not all of them) out of several columns by attribute to delete them.

So for example, column X contains data with attributes a, b and c. I only want to delete c. Since I'm using the ModelBuilder, I need a tool from the toolbox which does that (preferably) in one step.

Any ideas?

Best Answer

Edit: The first method I posted wouldn't work. This one should though.

One straightforward way to do this would be to select everything you want to keep via Make Feature Layer with a where clause of X <> c. Then, use Copy Features to save the result.

Related Solutions

[GIS] Delete records from table using ModelBuilder

This sounds like you should try the Delete Rows tool.

[GIS] Copying only certain Fields/Columns from shapefile into new shapefile using Modelbuilder in ArcCatalog

You can take advantage of using a FieldMappings parameter type. There are many tools that support this, you probably want to use the Feature Class To Feature Class tool (which also works on shapefiles). You can alter the field map there for use in Model Builder.

If you are using Python, you can pass in a list of fields that you want to keep like this:

import arcpy
import os

def copy_with_fields(in_fc, out_fc, keep_fields, where=''):
    """
    Required:
        in_fc -- input feature class
        out_fc -- output feature class
        keep_fields -- names of fields to keep in output

    Optional:
        where -- optional where clause to filter records
    """
    fmap = arcpy.FieldMappings()
    fmap.addTable(in_fc)

    # get all fields
    fields = {f.name: f for f in arcpy.ListFields(in_fc)}

    # clean up field map
    for fname, fld in fields.iteritems():
        if fld.type not in ('OID', 'Geometry') and 'shape' not in fname.lower():
            if fname not in keep_fields:
                fmap.removeFieldMap(fmap.findFieldMapIndex(fname))

    # copy features
    path, name = os.path.split(out_fc)
    arcpy.conversion.FeatureClassToFeatureClass(in_fc, path, name, where, fmap)
    return out_fc

if __name__ == '__main__':

    fc = r'C:\TEMP\test2.gdb\Rental_Licenses'
    new = r'C:\TEMP\test2.gdb\Rental_Licenses_filtered'
    fields = ['Match_addr', 'PROPERTY_O', 'OWNER_ADDR'] #only these fields and other required fields will be included
    copy_with_fields(fc, new, fields)

I know you can also use the DeleteField tool, but I have found that to be very slow in tables that have lots of fields.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[GIS] Delete records from table using ModelBuilder

[GIS] Copying only certain Fields/Columns from shapefile into new shapefile using Modelbuilder in ArcCatalog

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