Unusual character in my data exported from dwg to shapefile.

[ljohnstone]

HELP PLEASE!

When exporting a polygon dwg from AutoCad to a shapefile...in the shapefile, in certain polygons,  I am getting questions marks in my attribute data where there should not be any? it just seems like it "randomly" replaces some characters and words with a "?" or someother character. 

when I import that shapefile back into a dwg...the character remain as questions marks.

any ideas? Thanks

Larisa

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

look to >>>this thread<<<, is that comparable to your situation? Can you show data so we can try to reproduce that?

- alfred -

[ljohnstone]

Thanks Alfred.

Yes this is almost the same issue I am having. I think I have figured what the problem is BUT not the solution. It has to do with the max  (132) character limit that Autocad has for it fields. Strange how I can see all the data when i select an object and look at the object data in a dwg, but export it to shapefile or sdf and it truncates it to 132 characters and replaces the rest of the characters with symbols? So I essentially lose my information...at least part of it.

I don't supposed you know away around this?

Not only do I have to export to Shapefiles and need all of the data...even if it is more than 132, I sometimes have to export to sdf3 format.

thanks

Larisa

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

then an option is to create first a schema for a SDF, there you can assign the field a length of  >128 and save that SDF.

Next is to start command _MAPEXPORT and select this (empty) SDF to be used for the data.

HTH, - alfred -

[braudpat]

Hello Alfred

If I remember well for some obscure reasons, the limitations for a string Object Data filed is 132 characters !

It's crazy , I could admit a 255 characters limtation !!

<Humour ON>

Maybe the original OD programmer has been traumatized by an old large fast printer ...

<Humour OFF>

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> the limitations for a string Object Data filed is 132 characters

I would then not understand the screenshot showing the content of the object-data showing more characters.

Well, I have not tried it yet, but if my suggestion fails also then it seems to be more an issue of MAPEXPORT than OD (imho).

But let's see what TO finds out with his data.

- alfred -

[ljohnstone]

It seems that if you are just looking at the object data in the dwg...it is fine, you can see all the data. You can continue to type as many characters as you like. The problem only occurs when trying to export it out to an sdf3 or a shapefile.

thanks

Larisa

[braudpat]

Hello

+1 with Larisa

It's a problem with MAPEXPORT (Maximum = 132 chars) and the SDF & SHP (and maybe some other formats) formats ...

I don't know the limit but I never use more than 132 (If I plan a MAPEXPORT) / 255 characters but if I remember well it could be more INTERNALLY !

The infamous limit of 132 chars could come from the very old ADE module (coming from Landmark) available on ACAD R12 ...

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

well, I tried it now.

Yes, it seems to be not possible to export more than 132 char per field. Also my suggestion with a predefined schema does not help.

>> The infamous limit of 132 chars could come from the very old ADE module

Well, I see a difference if you assign the objectdata by

command _ADEATTACHDATA ==> there you can only type in 132 char's in the dialog

if you modify the data in the property window I got 200 char's assigned to a string-field for an object. (but also not exported).

The alternative method I see now as chance:

use _MAPEXPORT to export the geometry and an ID-field from the OD-table (must be a unique ID)

use the ADEQUERY mechanism to export the rest of the object data to a text file (again containing the ID field), import that into a database and join this data with the previous geometry-export.

Good luck, - alfred -

[ljohnstone]

Thank you so much for your help.

Yes, the schema solution did not work. I am going to give your other suggestion a try. Anything is better than what I am dealing with now. I appreciate you looking into this for me.

thanks

Larisa

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi again,

and just to make sure. that's the link to the help >>>click<<< which tells us the limit for string-fields in OD is 132.

So it's "as designed" (and we might discuss now, why have we found ways to save more than 132 chars into a string-field 😉 ).

- alfred -

[braudpat]

Hello from France

I have done some tests and I am disapointed !

Internally I can define and use a Object Data String field with 400 characters inside ... No problem !

Of course if I MAPEXPORT, the field will be truncated to 132 chars ! ... GRRR ...

UNFORTUNATELY when a build a MAP Report Query to extract in CSV the string fields, the field will be truncated to 132 chars !! ... GRRR ... GRRR ...

So the possible solution of Alfred is not usable ...

The "TEST_100" field contains 400 chars and the "TEST_130" field contains 132 chars ...