Why does ArcPy mapView.defaultCamera.getExtent not provide the real extents?

Question

Hi,

I am using arcgispro 2.2.4, and have a python script which needs the actual extents of the current map view.  I use this code...

#get the map extents from the current map...
 aprx = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("current")
 aprxMap = aprx.listMaps("Map")[0]
 mapView = aprx.listMaps()[0]
 mapExtents=mapView.defaultCamera.getExtent()
 TL = mapExtents.upperLeft
 BR = mapExtents.lowerRight

which suggests the map upper latitude limit is -13.978...

however, if I roll my mouse to the top left of the map view, it is more like -13.933

The extents do change when I pan the map, but they are always a significant subset of the actual viewable area, which is really strange.

Can some one please let me know how I can get the actual extents of the map view?

many thanks

PeteCrosier · Answer

From what I can see, camera extents only work correctly with map frames within layouts. This is with a project with one map, one layout and one map frame in the layout.. p = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("current") l = p.listLayouts()[0] f = l.listElements()[0] f.camera.getExtent().upperLeft .. navigate in the layout's map frame.. f.camera.getExtent().upperLeft

PaulKennedy1 · Answer

Evening Dan,

any more thoughts how I can use python to get hold of the extents of my map view?  I dont see any way forward right now, as the camera simply does not provide the correct extents to the map view

#get the map extents from the current map...        aprx = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("current")        mapView = aprx.listMaps()[0]        mapExtents=mapView.defaultCamera.getExtent()        TL = mapExtents.upperLeft        BR = mapExtents.lowerRight
        ptGeometry = arcpy.PointGeometry(TL, mapExtents.spatialReference)        TLprojectedGeometry = ptGeometry.projectAs(spatialReference)
        ptGeometry = arcpy.PointGeometry(BR, mapExtents.spatialReference)        BRprojectedGeometry = ptGeometry.projectAs(spatialReference)

PaulKennedy1 · Answer

Hi Dan,

I do have a spatial reference set for the map. It is GCS WGS 1984

Having debugged this further, the camera extents DO-NOT change when the map is panned/zoomed and the python script rerun. The numbers remain the same.

I guess I am doing something wrong, just not sure what!