Use the FeatureLevelMetadata table

The FeatureLevelMetadata table contains attribute values that can be used to populate the attribute values for feature classes you specify. By populating the table with the values you want to apply to feature classes on a map, you don't need to update the attribute table for each feature class individually.

The FeatureLevelMetadata table must have the following two attribute fields configured:

Field name	Data type	Length
MetadataFavoriteName	Text	50
MetadataTokens	Text	255

The table must also contain the other feature-level metadata attributes that exist in the feature classes to which you want to apply favorites. These attributes can have domains configured and contain default values. You can select the features with the attributes you want to modify and apply the values from the FeatureLevelMetadata table to the features using the Apply Feature Level Metadata tool.

Add the FeatureLevelMetadata table

The ArcGIS Topographic Mapping extension product data files include a FeatureLevelMetadata table for use with the different schemas of the supported map products. Alternatively, you can create the table manually in a geodatabase from the Catalog pane.

Add the product data file

To add the FeatureLevelMetadata table to the project from the product files, complete the following steps:

1. Create a folder connection to the product files.

   The file folders become available in the Catalog pane.

2. Click Folders > ArcGIS Topographic Mapping > Product Files.
3. Browse to the FeatureLevelMetadata table for the specification you need and add it to the map:
   • Civilian Topographic Map (CTM)—Ctm/Schema/Gdb/CTM_<version>.gdb/FeatureLevelMetadata
   • Multinational Geospatial Co-production Program (MGCP)—Mgcp/Schema/Gdb/MGCP_TRD_<version>.gdb/FeatureLevelMetadata

     Note:

     The table is available starting with the MGCP_TRD_4_0 version.

   • Topographic Data Store (TDS)—Tds/Schema/Gdb/TDS_<version>.gdb/FeatureLevelMetadata

     Note:

     The table is available starting with the TDS_7 version.

The table appears in the Contents pane under Standalone Tables.

Configure the table manually

You can create a dataset in a geodatabase to add a table and manually create the fields for the FeatureLevelMetadata table.

To configure the table manually, complete the following steps:

1. In the Catalog pane, right-click the geodatabase, and click New > Table.

   

   The Create Table pane appears.

2. Name the table FeatureLevelMetadata and, optionally, provide an alias in the Alias text box.
3. To add the table to the active map as you create it, check the Add output dataset to current map check box.
4. Click Next.
5. Configure the required MetadataFavoriteName and MetadataTokens fields along with any of the other feature-level metadata attributes that exist in the feature classes to update.
6. Click Next.
7. Specify the database storage configuration, and click Finish.

   The table is added to the geodatabase, and if you checked the Add output dataset to current map check box, the table is also added to the active map. You can now add metadata favorites in the table.

Add or modify metadata favorites

Once you create the table, you can add or modify values for the attribute fields you configured for it. These values are called metadata favorites and are the values that you can apply to feature classes when you run the Apply Feature Level Metadata tool.

To add or modify favorites, complete the following steps:

1. On the Edit tab, in the Features group, click the Create Features button to open the Create Features pane.
2. Click FeatureLevelMetadata, and click Forward to open the Active Template pane.
3. Provide attribute values for the existing rows to modify them, or click Create to create another row.

You can now run the Apply Feature Level Metadata tool to apply the favorites to the feature classes you specify in the tool.

Metadata tokens

You can configure metadata values for usernames, time, and date attribute fields to be automatically populated using metadata tokens. The field names for those attributes must exist in the FeatureLevelMetadata table.

Tip:

The geodatabase editor tracking tool performs similar functionality and must not be used concurrently on attributes with metadata tokens.

The following tokens are supported:

• USER
• UTC_DATE
• LOCAL_DATE

The tokens are applied in JSON format as follows: [{"<fieldname>":"USER"},{"<fieldname>":"UTC_DATE"},{"<fieldname>":"LOCAL_DATE"}]

The following example shows what the MetadataTokens attribute value can look like:

[{"lastmod_date":"LOCAL_DATE"},{"created_by":"USER"},{"mod_date_utc":"UTC_DATE"}]