Dynamically set the DPP "Page Definition" query based on a changing variable

MarcoBoeringa

Hi all,

I have the need to dynamically set a layer's "Page Definition" query of multiple layers based on a ModelBuilder variable retrieved from a field using an iterator. Each value in the field thus must lead to it's own query and has to be set as the Page Definition of an exported layer.

However, looking around in the ArcToolbox, and the arcPy layer properties, it seems the "Page Definition" isn't actually being exposed anywhere except through the user operated dialogs of ArcGIS itself??

I may well be overlooking something, but are there really no options to programmatically set the DPP "Page Definition" through python scripting that can be integrated with a ModelBuilder model?

Marco

JeffreyBarrette

Page Definition Queries are only available in the UI if you are using DDP but that is not to say you can't accomplish the same thing outside of the UI.

With arcpy.mapping you would simply set a .definitionQuery on each appropriate layer.

For example, let us say I add two State layers to a dataframe/map.  The bottom layer is the index layer and the top layer is a masking layer.  I'm using the masking layer to mask away anything outside the current index feature.  I set the top layer to be solid white.  In the UI, I would set the Page Definition Query to Not Match the index field state name.

In arcpy, I would use code similar to:

import arcpy mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument("CURRENT") maskLyr = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "Masking Layer")[0]  #Layer to apply def query. for pageNum in range(1, mxd.dataDrivenPages.pageCount + 1):     mxd.dataDrivenPages.currentPageID = pageNum     stateName = mxd.dataDrivenPages.pageRow.STATE_NAME  #Get field used in dynamic query     maskLyr.definitionQuery = "\"STATE_NAME\" <> '" + stateName + "'"  #apply dynamic query     arcpy.mapping.ExportToPDF(mxd, r"C:\Temp\\" + stateName + ".pdf") del mxd

Hope this helps,
Jeff