Q on Network Analysis: Page 8, Part 4, beginning at item 5: I think I downloaded the correct table from https://data.census.gov/ but the data .csv file (excel sheet) for the housing data did not have “two header rows and four data columns” as the lab pdf said it would. The excel spreadsheet I downloaded had 1 header row and 3 columns. I removed the second column and second row as directed, etc. and tried to import the table into the project geodatabase. I was unsuccessful and had a message on the screen that said: “Error Required Microsoft driver is not installed.” Now I can’t move forward with the Lab exercise. My questions include:
1. What phrase did everyone else use to search data.census.gov in order to find the correct data table to download? I worry I downloaded the wrong table.
2. Does the .csv file / data table really have 2 header rows and 4 data columns as the lab says it should?
3. Did anyone else meet with the same obstruction I did (Error, no driver . . . )? If so, how did you resolve the problem?
A1 Student Response: I got that exact same Microsoft driver error when trying to import the data as an excel spreadsheet. I can confirm though that saving it as a csv instead and changing nothing else (edit: following the directions as written from there) seemed to do the trick!
A2 Instructor Response: Instead of saving the modified file as an Excel workbook, save it as a comma-delimited file (csv). Not sure why it worked for me when I tested it and not you, but it’s also not important to figure that out since we have a straightforward workaround. You might get a warning about a loss of functionality, but you can ignore that. You’ll still need to import the data into the geodatabase and pay close attention to Data Types in the resulting table. Hope that helps.
Q Last part Lab 3: I am working through the last part of Lab 3 and am stumped by the census data search. I found the H1 data but it doesn’t seem to the correct number of columns in it. Does anyone have any search tips?
A: data.census.gov can be a little tricky to navigate and the general search isn’t optimal. I prefer to use the “Advanced Search” or “Filter” interface. The Year / Survey and Topic are easy, but the Geography needs to start with “Block Groups” since that’s the ultimate goal, but then you still have to drill down to the state and county and select all the block groups in the county. A colleague recommends this webinar for general tips on using the census data portal: https://www.census.gov/data/academy/webinars/2019/census-website-updates.html
Problem with ArcGIS Pro: I am literally on the final question in Lab 3 and am having repeated difficulties with the ArcGIS Pro App in the virtual desktop. It will let me do the first selection (page 9, item 18). But when I get to the second selection (select by location), ArcGIS Pro shuts down every time I try to run the operation. A dialogue box opens up saying “ArcGIS has stopped working – Send Report.” I’ve tried exiting and restarting the virtual desktop and exporting the selected service area / parcels layer to a new feature class before using it in Select by Location. Nothing helps. I just keep getting bounced out of ArcGIS. Not sure what to do
A1: Try adding a new Map Pane. Insert only the data you need to do that last selection (the 2-minute service area polygon and the block group data / housing table). If this doesn’t work, please include a screenshot of the Select By Location tool setup for me to review