Data Driven Pages and alternating data frames

Question

Is it possible to create a mapbook with alternating data frames (and alternating layers) for each page?  The extent will remain the same.  The index layer would read 1 A-B, 2A-B, 3A-B, etc.  Page 1A would have a topographic base map layer and page 1B would be an aerial layer and would continue on as such.  I could certainly do two different mapbooks and then arrange them but this is a hassle and I want to ensure the pages are labeled correctly.  Is this an arcpy.mapping task?

Scott

RobertBorchert · Answer

I have done it in the past with 2 mxd's.  If you name your pages correctly and export them from data driven pages as PDFs they will sort themselves out in whatever folder you put them in and then you just select all the PDF's in Windows Explorer and right click and select combine the PDF's

It would be a simple definition query for each mxd to distinguish the A and B pages.

In our case it got a little more complicated.  Our other side had customer billing information that was generated in MS Access.  So I printed them as a single PDF, extracted them all and create a simple DOS batch command to rename all the other pages with the correct name to sort them alphabetically.

I looked at other answer using arcpy.mapping and it sounds like you create two mxds one for each side and then you run the script to combine the PDF files. 
Is it possible to create a mapbook with alternating data frames (and alternating layers) for each page?  The extent will remain the same.  The index layer would read 1 A-B, 2A-B, 3A-B, etc.  Page 1A would have a topographic base map layer and page 1B would be an aerial layer and would continue on as such.  I could certainly do two different mapbooks and then arrange them but this is a hassle and I want to ensure the pages are labeled correctly.  Is this an arcpy.mapping task?

Scott

RobertBorchert · Answer

Could you post an image of what you are trying to achieve?

I think what your saying you want is two data frames that each show the same extent but have different featuresIs it possible to create a mapbook with alternating data frames (and alternating layers) for each page?  The extent will remain the same.  The index layer would read 1 A-B, 2A-B, 3A-B, etc.  Page 1A would have a topographic base map layer and page 1B would be an aerial layer and would continue on as such.  I could certainly do two different mapbooks and then arrange them but this is a hassle and I want to ensure the pages are labeled correctly.  Is this an arcpy.mapping task?

Scott

JeffreyBarrette · Answer

This can be done and is best done with arcpy.mapping.  You can have two DDP enabled MXDs, one for each side but ultimately you will need arcpy.mapping to merge the pages into the order you needed them.  There is an arcpy.mapping sample in the help that demonstrates this with "facing pages".

http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/#/Creating_a_map_book_with_facing_pages/00s90000002p000000/

Jeff