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Alteryx Designer Desktop Ideas

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ESRI Geodatabase Read/Write

As of Version 10.6, Alteryx supports connecting to ESRI File GeoDatabases from the input tool but it doesnt support writing to a geodatabase.  This is something we would really like to see implemented in a future version of Alteryx.  Those of us working with ESRI products and/or any of the ESRI online mapping systems can do our processing in Alteryx and store large files as YXDBs, but ultimately need our outputs for display in ArcOnline to be in shapefile or geodatabase feature class format. Shapefile have a size limit of 2 GBs and limitation on field name sizes. Many of the files we are working with are much larger than this and require geodatabases for storage which are not limited by size (GDB size is unlimited, 1 TB max per feature class) and have larger field name widths (160 chars).  Right now, we have to write to one (or many) shapefile(s) from Alteryx, then import them into a GDB using ArcMap or ArcPy.  This can be an arduous process when working with large amounts of data or multiple files.

 

The latest ESRI API allows both read and write access to GDBs -- is there a way we can add this to the list of valid output formats in Alteryx?

 

This idea is an extension of an older idea:

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Product-Ideas/ESRI-File-Geodatabase/idi-p/1424

45 Comments
stevenm
7 - Meteor

I'd also like the capability to export to a file geodatabase.  We are constantly receiving Microsoft errors when attempting to export out personal geodatabases due to the limitations.  The ability to export to a FGDB would help our business workflows TREMENDOUSLY.

nextelspe
7 - Meteor

+1 for Geodatabase (.gdb) support in Alteryx.  We are a large user and this functionality would allow further automation between our Alteryx and Arc servers.

KHoward
7 - Meteor

@ARich -- any updates on this particular issue? Can you tell us when in 2018 this will be implemented?

ARich
Alteryx Alumni (Retired)
Status changed to: Coming Soon

Hi All,

 

This will be part of our release in the next quarter.

 

Best,

Alex

stevenm
7 - Meteor

Great to hear this is coming this quarter...any timeline on when that will be released so we will have this functionality?

ARich
Alteryx Alumni (Retired)
Status changed to: Implemented

This was released yesterday as part of 18.3!

abrasch
8 - Asteroid

Great to see this finally implemented!

 

I tested for the first time today, and I'm wondering where the Projection setting is located? For other spatial formats (e.g. Shapefile or ESRI Personal Geodatabase) there is a Projections item in the configuration that allows the user to specify the correct projection for the output. Unless I'm missing something, it seems like the ESRI File Geodatabase format automatically and only exports to WGS84.

 

Thanks,

Alex

stevenm
7 - Meteor

Yes, agreed, fantastic this is available now!  But as abrasch mentioned, it only has the option to output as WGS84.  I already discussed this with technical support and that truly is the case.  I was told to add it to the Ideas area.  We only use NAD83 so having to re-project everything that is output will be a big pain.

 

In fact, I just created the idea, which you can promote here:

 

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Ideas/Add-the-capability-to-output-to-an-ESRI-File...

 

StephenR
Alteryx
Alteryx

Hello @nwelbourne, this feature has been added since 2018.3 with the current caveat that it will only write to the WGS 84 datum.

 

ASmith1111
5 - Atom

Great Idea K Howard 😄 😄 😄