So I've been doing some research into this but have gotten conflicting outputs on whether or not it is possible to turn fields on and off using python in custom tools. I am working on a custom tool that generates KMZs on a state by state level for different departments within the company, but we do not let them see all the attributes within each feature class, thus turning some fields off before we use Map to KML tool. Since I am currently trying to automate this process, I want the custom tool to first turn the fields I do not want shown in the report off before the tool gets to the actual execution in regards to generating the KMZs. One such discussion I looked at was this on titled Turn fields off by script. While Wayne's solution seemed to work for the OP, there were parts of that solution I did not understand. Is there an easier way to approach this or if someone can help break down Wayne's solution, that would be appreciated. I look forward to seeing the ideas everyone has for this. For reference, here's what the solution to the other discussion: import arcpy from arcpy import env arcpy . env . overwriteOutput = True arcpy . env . addOutputsToMap = False mxd = arcpy . mapping . MapDocument ( 'CURRENT' ) df = arcpy . mapping . ListDataFrames ( mxd , '*' ) [ 0 ] LayerNeedsFieldsTurnedOff = arcpy . mapping . ListLayers ( mxd , 'your target layer name' , df ) [ 0 ] # fill in your desired fields to remain visible desiredFields = [ 'fieldname0' , 'fieldname1' , 'fieldname2' , 'etc' ] field_info = arcpy . Describe ( LayerNeedsFieldsTurnedOff ) . fieldInfo for i in range ( field_info . count ) : if field_info . getfieldname ( i ) not in desiredFields : field_info . setvisible ( i , 'HIDDEN' ) arcpy . MakeFeatureLayer_management ( LayerNeedsFieldsTurnedOff , 'temp_layer' , '' , '' , field_info ) refLyr = arcpy . mapping . Layer ( 'temp_layer' ) # rename the ref layer the same as your target layer refLyr . name = 'your target layer name' arcpy . ApplySymbologyFromLayer_management ( refLyr , LayerNeedsFieldsTurnedOff ) arcpy . mapping . UpdateLayer ( df , LayerNeedsFieldsTurnedOff , refLyr , False ) mxd . save ( ) print 'cleaning up-' if arcpy . Exists ( 'temp_layer' ) : print '\'temp_layer\' still in memory...deleting now...' arcpy . Delete_management ( 'temp_layer' ) print 'deleting obj refs...' del mxd , LayerNeedsFieldsTurnedOff , refLyr print 'done.'

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Toggling Fields within a Feature Class On and Off

VishalShah2

So I've been doing some research into this but have gotten conflicting outputs on whether or not it is possible to turn fields on and off using python in custom tools. I am working on a custom tool that generates KMZs on a state by state level for different departments within the company, but we do not let them see all the attributes within each feature class, thus turning some fields off before we use Map to KML tool. Since I am currently trying to automate this process, I want the custom tool to first turn the fields I do not want shown in the report off before the tool gets to the actual execution in regards to generating the KMZs. One such discussion I looked at was this on titled Turn fields off by script. While Wayne's solution seemed to work for the OP, there were parts of that solution I did not understand. Is there an easier way to approach this or if someone can help break down Wayne's solution, that would be appreciated. I look forward to seeing the ideas everyone has for this.

For reference, here's what the solution to the other discussion:

<SPAN class="keyword token">import</SPAN> arcpy
<SPAN class="keyword token">from</SPAN> arcpy <SPAN class="keyword token">import</SPAN> env
arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>env<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>overwriteOutput <SPAN class="operator token">=</SPAN> <SPAN class="token boolean">True</SPAN>
arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>env<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>addOutputsToMap <SPAN class="operator token">=</SPAN> <SPAN class="token boolean">False</SPAN>
mxd <SPAN class="operator token">=</SPAN> arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>mapping<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>MapDocument<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN><SPAN class="string token">'CURRENT'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN>
df <SPAN class="operator token">=</SPAN> arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>mapping<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>ListDataFrames<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>mxd<SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">'*'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">[</SPAN><SPAN class="number token">0</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">]</SPAN>
LayerNeedsFieldsTurnedOff <SPAN class="operator token">=</SPAN> arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>mapping<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>ListLayers<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>mxd<SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">'your target layer name'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> df<SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">[</SPAN><SPAN class="number token">0</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">]</SPAN>
<SPAN class="comment token"># fill in your desired fields to remain visible </SPAN>
desiredFields <SPAN class="operator token">=</SPAN> <SPAN class="punctuation token">[</SPAN><SPAN class="string token">'fieldname0'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">'fieldname1'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">'fieldname2'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">'etc'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">]</SPAN>
field_info <SPAN class="operator token">=</SPAN> arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>Describe<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>LayerNeedsFieldsTurnedOff<SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>fieldInfo 
<SPAN class="keyword token">for</SPAN> i <SPAN class="keyword token">in</SPAN> range<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>field_info<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>count<SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">:</SPAN>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <SPAN class="keyword token">if</SPAN> field_info<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>getfieldname<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>i<SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN> <SPAN class="operator token">not</SPAN> <SPAN class="keyword token">in</SPAN> desiredFields<SPAN class="punctuation token">:</SPAN>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; field_info<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>setvisible<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>i<SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">'HIDDEN'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN>
arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>MakeFeatureLayer_management<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>LayerNeedsFieldsTurnedOff<SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">'temp_layer'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">''</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">''</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> field_info<SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN>
refLyr <SPAN class="operator token">=</SPAN> arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>mapping<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>Layer<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN><SPAN class="string token">'temp_layer'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN>
<SPAN class="comment token"># rename the ref layer the same as your target layer</SPAN>
refLyr<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>name <SPAN class="operator token">=</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">'your target layer name'</SPAN>&nbsp; 
arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>ApplySymbologyFromLayer_management<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>refLyr<SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> LayerNeedsFieldsTurnedOff<SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN>
arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>mapping<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>UpdateLayer<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN>df<SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> LayerNeedsFieldsTurnedOff<SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> refLyr<SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> <SPAN class="token boolean">False</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN>
mxd<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>save<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN>&nbsp; 
<SPAN class="keyword token">print</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">'cleaning up-'</SPAN> 
<SPAN class="keyword token">if</SPAN> arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>Exists<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN><SPAN class="string token">'temp_layer'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">:</SPAN>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <SPAN class="keyword token">print</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">'\'temp_layer\' still in memory...deleting now...'</SPAN>
arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>Delete_management<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN><SPAN class="string token">'temp_layer'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN>
<SPAN class="keyword token">print</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">'deleting obj refs...'</SPAN>
<SPAN class="keyword token">del</SPAN> mxd<SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN>LayerNeedsFieldsTurnedOff<SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN> refLyr <SPAN class="keyword token">print</SPAN> <SPAN class="string token">'done.'</SPAN> 
<SPAN class="line-numbers-rows"><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN></SPAN>

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Accepted answers

JoshuaBixby

The Setting Field Visibility discussion offers a very similar code sample, but the accepted answer provides a bit more explanation. Setting field visibility is a bit convoluted, I don't know why Esri made it so difficult, but there really isn't a simpler approach than the one being suggested in the discussions you and I reference.

I assume this is for ArcGIS Desktop/ArcMap. I haven't tried modifying field visibility in ArcGIS Pro.

All comments

VishalShah2

Joshua, when you use:

arcpy<SPAN class="punctuation token">.</SPAN>MakeFeatureLayer_management<SPAN class="punctuation token">(</SPAN><SPAN class="string token">'input feature'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN><SPAN class="string token">'output feature'</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN><SPAN class="string token">""</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN><SPAN class="string token">""</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">,</SPAN>field_info<SPAN class="punctuation token">)</SPAN><SPAN class="line-numbers-rows"><SPAN>‍</SPAN></SPAN>

do, you know where the new feature is automatically created? Trying to run tests but get an error since it already exists in it's location. Need to be able to change where it is saved and all. Also need to delete the original.

VishalShah2

So far I've tried it in the interactive command prompt and it definitely added the new layer to the TOC. I'll have to test it out in the script tool and post my results here. From my understanding, is this a temporary layer? So tat if I closed my mxd, that would disappear? Or would I have to add a line at the end to delete the new layer that was created after my tool is done running?

JoshuaBixby

I would experiment. From the interactive command prompt it definitely creates the layer and adds it to the TOC, but I can't remember how it is handled in script tools.

VishalShah2

Thanks Joshua. This is for ArcGIS DesktopArcMap. It definitely was much more easier to read then the discussion I had posted! Also was easily able t follow it it. I'll have to try that with my script. Thanks again! Do you know if you have to pass another line to pull in the new feature class or it automatically does it when you run the arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management line?

JoshuaBixby

I assume this is for ArcGIS Desktop/ArcMap. I haven't tried modifying field visibility in ArcGIS Pro.

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