ERROR

Unable to read polygon from shapefile. Invalid data."

Last Published: April 25, 2020

Error Message

When adding a zipped shapefile to Business Analyst Online or Community Analyst Online using the Import File option in the Select Location tab, the following error may occur: "Unable to read polygons from shapefile. Invalid data."

Error message "Unable to read polygons from shapefile. Invalid Data"

[O-Image]

Cause

The shapefile is saved with a WGS_1984_Web_Mercator_Auxiliary_Sphere projection. This projection is a known limit of the application and therefore cannot be used.

Solution or Workaround

The shapefile must be re-projected to a different coordinate system such as WGS_1984, NAD_1983, or a State Plane coordinate system.

  1. Open ArcMap or ArcCatalog.
  2. Open ArcToolbox and navigate to Data Management Tools > Projections and Transformations > Feature.
  3. Double-click on the Project tool. Additional tool help can be found in the Related Information links at the end of this article.
  4. Fill out the fields in the Project tool's dialog and switch the projection to a different coordinate system such as WGS_1984, NAD_1983, or a State Plane coordinate system.
  5. Click OK to run the tool. A new shapefile is made.
  6. Zip up the new shapefile and reload it into Business Analyst Online or Community Analyst Online.

Article ID: 000011627

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