Add and manage custom attribute and custom location files

Available with LocateXT license.

Custom attribute files allow you to extract content from documents and text and store it in custom attributes in the output feature class's attribute table. If you have a custom attribute file you want to use, add it to the Custom Attribute Files list.

Learn about custom attributes

Custom location files allow you to identify custom place names and record them as points in the output feature class. If you have a custom location file you want to use, add it to the Custom Location Files list.

Learn about custom locations

The manner in which files are added to and managed in the respective lists are essentially the same. Activate the appropriate custom attribute and custom location files when you are processing the documents or text to which they apply.

Add custom attribute and custom location files

You can add custom attribute files and custom location files to their respective lists even if custom attributes and custom locations are turned off. A file is not activated by default when you add it to the list.

1. Access the Custom Attributes tab.
2. Add your custom attribute files (.lxtca) to the Custom Attribute Files list using one of the following methods:
   • Click Add Files . On the Add Custom Attribute File dialog box, browse to and select the custom attribute files you want to add, and click OK.
   • Drag the custom attribute files from Windows Explorer onto the Custom Attribute Files list.

   The files appear in the Custom Attribute Files list.

3. Access the Custom Locations tab.
4. Add your custom location files (.lxtgaz) to the Custom Location Files list using one of the following methods:
   • Click Add Files . On the Add Custom Location File dialog box, browse to and select the custom location files you want to add, and click OK.
   • Drag the custom attribute files from Windows Explorer onto the Custom Location Files list.

   The files appear in the Custom Location Files list.

Activate a custom attribute and a custom location file

Only one custom attribute file and one custom location file can be active at a time. By default, the Custom Attribute Files and Custom Location Files lists are sorted using the Active column. When you make a custom attribute file or a custom location file active, the active file is moved to the top of the list; the previously active file is no longer active.

1. Access the Custom Attributes tab.
2. Add the custom attribute file you want to use to the Custom Attribute Files list, if necessary.
3. Click in the Active column next to the custom attribute file.

   A green check mark appears, indicating that the custom attribute file is active, and the file is moved to the top of the Custom Attribute Files list. If another custom attribute file was previously active, it is no longer the active file.

4. Access the Custom Locations tab.
5. Add the custom location file you want to use to the Custom Locations tab, if necessary.
6. Click in the Active column next to the custom location file.

   A green check mark appears, indicating that the custom location file is active, and the file is moved to the top of the Custom Location Files list. If another custom location file was previously active, it is no longer the active file.

The next time you extract locations, the active custom attribute file and the active custom location file will be used when scanning the input documents and text. Points are created in the output feature class to represent custom locations that are found. Text that is recognized as a custom attribute is extracted and stored in the custom attribute fields.

Stop using a custom attribute or a custom location file

If you have to process a new set of documents with differently formatted content, and a custom attribute file has not been created for those documents, the active custom attribute file can slow down the process of scanning and evaluating the documents and may not generate useful results. Similarly, if the new set of documents and text that you are processing is focused on events in another part of the world, your current custom locations file may not contribute useful place names.

In both of these scenarios, consider scanning the new set of documents and text first without the currently active custom attribute and custom location files until you have a chance to learn more about this new set of content. However, you cannot deactivate an active custom attribute file or an active custom location file. Therefore, you must turn off custom attributes to extract locations without using the active custom attribute file, and turn off custom locations to extract locations without using the active custom location file.

When custom attributes and custom locations are turned off, the active custom attribute file remains active, and the active custom location file remains active, but the active files will not be used when scanning and evaluating the documents and text.

Sort the list of files

If you have many custom attribute files or custom location files in a list, it can be difficult to find a specific file when the list is sorted by values in the Active column. Click the heading at the top of the Name column to sort the files by name instead.

Remove a file from the list

You can remove files from a list if you no longer use them. When you hover over a file in the list, buttons appear that allow you to manage that file. Hover over a custom attribute file in the Custom Attribute Files list, or a custom location file in the Custom Location Files list, and click the Remove button .

You can select multiple files and remove them all from a list at once. Press Ctrl and click each file you want to remove. Or, click the first file, press Shift and click the last file in the group to select all files in that group. Click the Remove button at the top of the Custom Attribute Files list or the Custom Location Files list.

Caution:

A message appears, asking if you want to delete the file from the local or network computer as well as remove it from the list. Choose the appropriate response. If you click Yes, the file will be permanently deleted from the local or network computer.

Repair a file

If a file in a list is no longer available, a red exclamation point will appear next to the affected file. If the file still exists but the connection is broken—for example, if you renamed the file—click the red exclamation point to repair the connection between ArcGIS Pro and the file.

To repair a custom attribute file, follow these steps:

1. Click the red exclamation point in the Custom Attribute Files list.
2. On the Find Missing Custom Attribute File dialog box, browse to and click the file with its current name in its current location.
3. Click OK.

To repair a custom location file, follow these steps:

1. Click the red exclamation point in the Custom Location Files list.
2. On the Find Missing Custom Location File dialog box, browse to and click the file with its current name in its current location.
3. Click OK.

If the original file is no longer available because it was deleted, and a replacement is not available, remove the file from the appropriate list.

Locate a file on disk

To locate a file on the local or network computer where it is stored, click the file name in the list to select it and click the Show in folder button . A new Windows Explorer window opens to the location where the file is stored. Rename, copy, or move the file as appropriate, and then repair the connection between ArcGIS Pro and the original file as needed.

Create an empty file

If you received a new set of documents with a different structure and text concerning a different part of the world, you can create a custom attribute file and custom location file designed specifically to extract content from the documents and text.

1. Access the Custom Attributes tab or the Custom Locations tab.
2. Click New File at the top of the list.

   The Custom Attribute File dialog box or the Custom Location File dialog box appears, as appropriate. New File appears at the top of the dialog box, indicating that you are editing a new, empty file.

3. Add custom attributes or custom locations to the file.

   The file name at the top of the dialog box appears in italic text with an asterisk (*) to indicate that your changes have not been saved.

4. Click Save.

   The Save Custom Attribute File dialog box or the Save Custom Location File dialog box appears.

5. Browse to an appropriate location, type a file name in the Name text box, and click Save.

   The custom attributes file or the custom location file is saved in the specified location, then the file is added to the appropriate file list.

6. Click Close to stop editing the file.

Tip:

Turn on custom attributes or turn on custom locations and then activate the new file to use it the next time you extract locations from documents or text.

Save a copy of an existing file

If your new set of documents is similar to another set analyzed previously, you can create a custom attribute file and a custom location file from existing files instead of starting with an empty file.

1. Access the Custom Attributes tab or the Custom Locations tab.
2. Add the file you want to copy to the appropriate list, if it is not already present.
3. Hover over the file you want to edit in the list, and click the Edit button .

   Custom attribute files open on the Custom Attribute File dialog box. Custom location files open on the Custom Location File dialog box. The file name appears at the top.

4. Click the Save drop-down list and click Save As.

   The Save Custom Attribute File As dialog box or the Save Custom Location File As dialog box appears, as appropriate.

5. Browse to a suitable location, type a file name in the Name text box, and click Save.

   A copy of the original file is saved in the specified location with the provided name. The new file is added to the list, and is opened on the Custom Attribute File dialog box or the Custom Location File dialog box, as appropriate. The new file name appears at the top.

6. Edit the custom attributes or custom locations in the file, as appropriate.

   The file name at the top of the dialog box appears in italic text with an asterisk (*), indicating that your changes have not been saved.

7. Click Close to stop editing the file.

Tip:

Turn on custom attributes or turn on custom locations and then activate the new file to use it the next time you extract locations from documents or text.

Create a custom location file from a feature layer

If a layer in the active map contains places that are of interest, you can create a custom location file representing those places. The custom location file can then be used to extract information associated with those locations from documents and text.

1. Access the Custom Locations tab.
2. Click the Features to custom location file button above the Custom Location Files list.

   The Features to Custom Location File dialog box appears.

3. Click the Features from drop-down list and click the map layer containing the place names.

   If features in a map layer are selected, the phrase [selected features] appears following the layer name. This indicates only the selected features in that map layer will be used to create a custom location file.

4. Click the Using name field drop-down list and click the field containing the place names.
5. Click OK.

   The Save Custom Location File dialog box appears.

6. Browse to a suitable location, type a file name in the Name text box, and click Save.

   A custom location file is saved in the specified location with the provided name. The new file is added to the Custom Location Files list.

Tip:

Turn on custom locations and then activate the new file to use it the next time you extract locations from documents or text.

Edit a file

After reviewing the content that was extracted from a set of documents and text, you can edit the custom attributes and custom locations to extract more content or reduce the number of false positive locations that were found in the documents and text. Attributes and locations can be imported from other files.

1. Access the Custom Attributes tab or the Custom Locations tab.
2. Add the file you want to edit to the appropriate list, if it is not already present.
3. Hover over the file you want to edit in the list, and click the Edit button .

   Custom attribute files open on the Custom Attribute File dialog box. Custom location files open on the Custom Location File dialog box. The file name appears at the top.

4. Edit the custom attributes or custom locations in the file, as appropriate.

   The file name at the top of the dialog box appears in italic text with an asterisk (*), indicating that your changes have not been saved.

5. Click Save.
6. Click Close to stop editing the file.

Tip:

You can double-click a file in the Custom Attribute Files list or the Custom Location Files list to edit it.

Combine multiple custom attribute or custom location files

Only one custom attribute file and one custom location file can be active at a time. If you have two attribute files or two location files and you want to use both of them, you must combine them into a single file.

1. Save a copy of one of the custom attribute files or custom location files you want to combine.
2. Use one of the following methods to add custom attributes or custom locations from another file:
   • At the top of the Custom Attribute File dialog box or the Custom Location File dialog box, click the Import button . Browse to and select the other custom attribute file (.lxtca) or custom location file (.lxtgaz) you want to combine, and click OK.
   • Drag the custom attribute files or custom location files from Windows Explorer onto the Attributes or Locations list.

   Imported custom attributes are added to the Attributes list. Imported custom locations are added to the Locations list. The file name at the top of the dialog box appears in italic text with an asterisk (*), indicating that your changes to the file have not been saved.

3. Click Save.
4. Click Close to stop editing the new custom attribute file.