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MakeFeatureLayer doesn't add result to MXD when run as tool

RobertMartin2

I've been having some issues with MakeFeatureLayer not adding its result to the MXD. I made a script with just the following lines to root out the problem:

fc = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0) arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management(fc, arcpy.Describe(fc).name + "_test")

If I run these from the Python window the layer is added. But if I save them to a script and use that in a tool, it executes with no errors but won't add anything to the data frame. If I run ListLayers it isn't there either.

Does anyone know what I have to do to hunt down this layer?

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FabianBlau

test_lyr = arcpy.Describe(fc).name + "_test" mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument("CURRENT") df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(mxd, "Layers")[0] # choose the correct DataFrame lyr = arcpy.mapping.Layer(test_lyr) # insert your layer-name arcpy.mapping.AddLayer(df, lyr, "TOP") # choose position in TOC arcpy.RefreshTOC()

search the help for more examples:
http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//00s300000025000000

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RobertMartin2

I dropped in Fabian's code block and it worked like a charm. Now if I could just figure out why it takes six lines of code to do something that's automatic in the Python window... 🙂

Mathew, I checked my settings and that box was checked all along. Maybe it doesn't apply to scripts run as tools?

Thanks guys!

MathewCoyle

You should be able to just check this option in the attached screenshot under Geoprocessing Options.
Add results of geoprocessing operations to the display.

gp_output.png

FabianBlau

test_lyr = arcpy.Describe(fc).name + "_test" mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument("CURRENT") df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(mxd, "Layers")[0] # choose the correct DataFrame lyr = arcpy.mapping.Layer(test_lyr) # insert your layer-name arcpy.mapping.AddLayer(df, lyr, "TOP") # choose position in TOC arcpy.RefreshTOC()

search the help for more examples:
http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//00s300000025000000

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