I need to clip a very large shp file. When I try to attach the file as a reference my machine just times out. This takes about 3 minutes. Two questions below:
1. Is there a size limit that Map can handle?
2. Is there a better way to handle large amounts of shapefile data?
I added a capture of the file size etc.
Cliff,
While there is no specific size limitation, there are limits to the amount of data that Bentley Map can reference attach or have in an active session due to memory constraints. Depending on the complexity of the geometries and/or number of business properties you might be able to reference attach a SHP file that has 200K geometries or one that has 2M geometries.
In cases where the SHP file cannot be referenced attached due to memory constraints, it is recommended that you use the Interoperability Import process with a spatial filter such as "Fence" or "View" to import a subset of the SHP geometries.
Regards,
Jeff Bielefeld [Bentley]
Answer Verified By: cliff
Jeff - Thanks for the response. The file loaded no issue. Actually faster than my GIS coworker in ArcMap. I closed Map and re-opened the file. How do I detach or terminate the connection to the host shapefile? Its like the graphics are orphaned. See capture below.
Not sure what happened. Should I just delete the parcel lines and start over?
Cliff, if you used the suggested Interoperability Import process then you have effectively "copied" the feature instances from the SHP file into your design file. If the result contains more data than desired, then you can simply delete the geometries you no longer require. During the Interoperability Import process, you can always use the "Spatial Criteria > Spatial Area" setting to control which SHP features are imported into your design file. Please remember, each time you perform an Import, you are "copying" data from the SHP file into your design file.
I see that now. Is there a way to utilize interoperability as a temporary query tool?
Cliff, not exactly sure what you mean by "temporary query tool" but there are ways to save an "Import Settings File" as described here and then attach the .impx file as a reference file. This eliminates the need to "copy" the SHP feature instances into your design file.
Thanks for the link to help file. I just didn't realize that the import was a copy command. I think I broke something. It worked a couple of times and now its locking up at 0% import on the shapefile. Not sure what happened. I recreated my shapefile by extracting it from the zip file.
Any ideas what might cause a lockup?
I got this error box. Something isnt right. It worked just fine 5 minutes ago.
Have you exited the DGN file? MicroStation cache's memory, so an Exit and re-initialization will return the system to the previous memory allocation.
And remember that a Shapefile is made-up of more than one file. You must keep all of the files (.shp, .dbf, .prj, .shx, etc.) in the same folder.
Hello Dan.
1. File in question was compressed.
2. Map was restarted several times.
Solution:
I had to create a new dgn file. The import process worked in the new dgn file.
Not sure what happened. Ideas are welcome.