PROBLEM

The Identify tool does not indicate whether shapes are M or Z aware

Last Published: April 25, 2020

Description

When the ArcMap Identify tool is used on layers that are M or Z aware, the Shape field in the Identify Results dialog box does not specify that the identified shapes store M (measure) or Z values.

Cause

In ArcGIS, M and Z values are stored in feature geometry. The Shape field value, in several places in ArcMap and ArcCatalog, indicates whether or not a feature class is M or Z aware; for example, Shape = Polygon M. The Shape field in the Identify Results dialog box does not provide this information.

Solution or Workaround

There are two ways to determine if a feature class is M or Z aware:

  • In ArcMap, open the feature layer's attribute table. A feature class' awareness of Ms or Zs is indicated by the geometry type shown in the Shape field. For example, a polygon feature class that is aware of Ms has Polygon M as its value.
  • In ArcCatalog, double-click a feature class to access its properties. The Shape field indicates whether or not the feature class is M or Z aware.

Article ID:000002766

Software:
  • ArcMap 8 x
  • ArcMap 9 x

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