Setting Environment Settings

Question

Hi all, I'm trying to wrap my head around a small script to create a Grid Index. Looking at the examples in the ArcGIS 10 help, setting the environment is messing up my script. >>> ###GridIndexFeatures >>> ###import system modules >>> import arcpy >>> from arcpy import env >>> >>> ###Set environment settings >>> arcpy.env.workspace = "C:\Users\RLong\Documents\WestJackson.mdb" >>> >>> ###Set Local Variables >>> outFeatureClass = "gridIndexFeatures" >>> inFeatures = "myGrid" >>> polygonWidth = "1000 feet" >>> polygonHeight = "1000 feet" >>> >>> ###Execute GridIndexFeatures >>> arcpy.GridIndexFeatures_cartography("grid", "WestJackson.mdb", "", "", "", ... "1000 feet", "1000 feet") My error code is: Traceback (most recent call last): File "", line 2, in File "C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Desktop10.0\arcpy\arcpy\cartography.py", line 787, in GridIndexFeatures raise e ExecuteError: Failed to execute. Parameters are not valid. ERROR 000732: Input Features: Dataset WestJackson.mdb does not exist or is not supported ERROR 000398: Value must be positive ERROR 000398: Value must be positive ERROR 000892: The numeric value is outside of the valid range. ERROR 000892: The numeric value is outside of the valid range. Failed to execute (GridIndexFeatures). The input features Dataset WestJackson.mdb does not exist or is not supported. This is curious b/c I have the database which has 2 personal geodatabase features "in it". Can't I use the database WestJackson.mdb? Or do I have to use one of the file geodatabases that are in WestJackson.mdb? Any help is appreciated. I am using PythonWin 2.6 and trying to save the scripts, but the script will automatically run after I input the last line,

nimitz · Answer

Gasior, thanks for the help. I got the following script to work successfully:

###Script for creating a Grid Index for mapbook
###
import arcpy, os, sys

from arcpy import env

arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/Users/RLong/Documents/WestJackson.mdb"

###Set Local variables
outFeatureClass = "GridIndex24"
polygonWidth = "1000 feet"
polygonHeight = "1000 feet"
originCoord = "6735482.561 1943416.772"
numberRows = "24"
numberColumns = "24"

###Execute the Grid Index Features
arcpy.GridIndexFeatures_cartography("GridIndex24", "", "", "", "",
                                    polygonWidth, polygonHeight, originCoord, numberRows, numberColumns,
                                    "")

I ran this in PythonWin (outside of Arcmap session) and it worked flawlessly.

Thanks again,

MarcinGasior · Answer

There's no need to set local variables when you don't use them to provide tool parameters.

What do you want to specify as in_features (second parameter). Do you have WestJackson1983 feature class in your WestJackson.mdb geodatabase?
If not, provide the name of a feature class on which grid index should be based.

Starting_page_number parameter requires Long datatype. As you provided a string in variable startingPageNum, it may cause error.
As a default for this parameter is already 1, you don't need to specify it.

Try to run the tool with minimum parameters:
arcpy.GridIndexFeatures_cartography("GridIndex", "WestJackson1983", "", "", "", "1000 feet", "1000 feet")

nimitz · Answer

Here is how I tweaked the code so far:

###Script for creating a Grid Index for mapbook
###
import arcpy, os, sys

from arcpy import env

arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/Users/RLong/Documents/WestJackson.mdb"

###Set Local variables
outFeatureClass = "GridIndex"
inFeatures = "WestJackson1983.gdb"
polygonWidth = "1000 feet"
polygonHeight = "1000 feet"
startingPageNum = "1"

###Execute the Grid Index Features
arcpy.GridIndexFeatures_cartography("GridIndex", "WestJackson1983", "", "", "",
                                    "1000 feet", "1000 feet", "", "", "",
                                    startingPageNum)

NOW my error is:

Runtime error <class 'arcgisscripting.ExecuteError'>: Failed to execute. Parameters are not valid. ERROR 000840: The value is not a Long. Failed to execute (GridIndexFeatures).

The optional variable WestJackson1983.gdb is the culprit, I think. Or, could it be the variables for the polygonWidth/polygonHeight?

Thanks for any help,