Displaying Break Point Data from Excel Spreadsheet

[Ben]

Every time I try to show the x/y coordinates from the spreadsheet that has the pipeline break location, ArcMap either tells me that there's a problem with the spreadsheet, or it simpoly displays it hundreds of miles further south than it should be. Here's what I've done, so far:

- Checked to make sure I entered the coordinates correctly from the instructions, and in the correct columns,

- Verified that the x-coordinates are matched up with the easting column, and the y coordinates with the northing column,

- Triple-checked that the x/y spreadsheet data and the data frame are both using the same projected CS,

- Made sure Excel is closed beforehand,

- Re-created the spreadsheet from scratch,

- Restarted ArcMap several times, in case it was a bug, and added layers in different orders, in case that made a difference.

- Other than re-downloading the data, is there anything else? I'm starting this lab late because I was packing and moving to a new house all week. I can't really do much else until I get this part right, so I suppose this is going to be late....

Ben

[Quinn Hall]

Ben, 

Are you importing the sheet as a an .xlsx file (Excel 2010)? Or as an .xls (Excel 2003-07)? Always do the latter - .xls (2003-2007). Remember to delete extra sheets too - Excel files generally have three sheets and in my experience it imports better if you delete the two sheets containing no data. This always screws me up. 

Also, you can open and run Arc Catalog independently and then browse to the file, expand it, - clear down to the "$sheet1" level and right-click on it"import" and go through the motions in Catalog rather than ArcMap. Sometimes this seems to work better for me. 

Hope that helps. 

quinn

Ben

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[Shannon Wing Belmont]

Ben and Quinn,

Ben, great description of your process.

Quinn, really helpful suggestions. You should be able to specify Sheet 1 when adding the data, but it's good troubleshooting.  Excel 2010 has reared it's ugly head as a problem maker I haven't encountered before. So that's good advice.

Ben, your process is right on. Make sure your column headers don't contain any spaces or start with numbers (doesn't sound like they do) and if you are using MS office 2010, save the spreadsheet as an earlier version.
You can do this the other way, too.
Create a new shapefile (point file) with the correct coordinate system. In an editing session, right click anywhere in the data view window and choose "absolute XY".

This opens a window where you can enter the easting and northing values (no units or commas).

Hit enter and a point is created at that location. Save your edits.

Hope that helps.

[Ben]

Thanks both of you for the suggestions. I will try them out this evening, and they sound as though they should do the trick. 

Ben