topic Re: Alternative way to save Feature Set to Shapefile? in ArcGIS API for Python Questions

Alternative way to save Feature Set to Shapefile?

PeterPurnyn — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:54:27 GMT

I can't save featuresets to shapefiles, convert between shapely arcgis polygon, calculate area, get enrichment data...

def save_polygon_to_shapefile(
        self, polygon: Polygon, polygon_type: str, filename: str
    ) -> tuple[pathlib.Path, str]:
        """Saves a arcgis.geometry.polygon to a shapefile as a Feature Set.

        Args:
            polygon (Polygon): an arcgis.geometry.polygon object
            polygon_type (str): a string representing the type of polygon as defined in the config file
            filename (str): a string representing the name of the file to save.

        Returns:
            tuple[pathlib.Path, str]: a tuple containing a patlib.path to the file directory and the filename
        """
        file_dir, filename = self.generate_polygon_file_path(
            polygon_type=polygon_type, filename=filename
        )
        f = Feature(geometry=polygon, attributes={})
        fset = FeatureSet([f])
        try:
            """
            Note: 
            Arcgis featureset.save splits by . from the right and takes the first part as the file name, 
            so we must make sure to add a decimal after the filename if the unit in the polygon type has a decimal point
            but the actual extension (shp) added here doesnt actually matter its just for readability.
            """
            fset.save(save_location=file_dir, out_name=f"{filename}.shp")
        except Exception as e:
            self.logger.warning(e, exc_info=True)
            return None, None
        return file_dir, filename

I keep getting this error:

The Product License has not been initialized.

How do I save a feature set to a shapefile without depending on Arcgis Pro?

Re: Alternative way to save Feature Set to Shapefile?

AustinAverill — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:59:27 GMT

If this class is not dependent on Arcpy, you can create a new environment or start a new virtual environment based off of a python installation and use `pip install arcgis` and whatever other modules the class or script depends on.

If they workflow does depend on Arcpy, you will need to find an alternative library to use in the workflows, otherwise you will have to use a ArcPro python environment.

Re: Alternative way to save Feature Set to Shapefile?

PeterPurnyn — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:03:32 GMT

I am using arcgis. I have never used ArcPy.

from arcgis.geometry import Polygon as Polygon

from arcgis.features import Feature, FeatureSet

I used it because I thought it wouldn't be dependent on ArcGIS Pro but I keep running into these landmines.

Re: Alternative way to save Feature Set to Shapefile?

JohannesBierer — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:08:50 GMT

Have you tried GeoPandas?

https://geopandas.org/en/stable/docs/user_guide/io.html#writing-spatial-data

Re: Alternative way to save Feature Set to Shapefile?

PeterPurnyn — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:14:34 GMT

I am trying it right now. I am just not familiar enough with the formats to be sure if their shapefiles are compatible with ArcGIS or not. Since ArcGIS outputs 5 files instead of just 1.

Re: Alternative way to save Feature Set to Shapefile?

AustinAverill — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:18:28 GMT

The arcgis library is not dependent on Arc Pro, the underlying environment you are running the script in is what is dependent on Arc Pro. If you are using the prepackages arcgispro-py3 environment or any clone of that environment to run your script, you always get that error until you sign in to ArcGIS Pro with a active user account.

The way around this is to install python separately, or another instance of a package manager like Anaconda that is not linked to ArcGIS Pro at all.

Re: Alternative way to save Feature Set to Shapefile?

PeterPurnyn — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:59:43 GMT

I installed python myself and I am using a conda environment I built from the the one supplied by Arcgis so that must be the issue. The license error only occurs with certain functions even when I provide my own GIS with a working API Key. The rest of the functions don't trigger it.

I have checked my conda environment and will remove arcpy and arcgispro and test again.

Could you happend to let me know the minimal conda environment yaml file to use the arcgis library without running into this issue? Do I just need to remove arcpy and arcgispro? If I try to remove them conda fails to resolve the package.

Re: Alternative way to save Feature Set to Shapefile?

Clubdebambos — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 16:15:56 GMT

Hi @PeterPurnyn,

How are you accessing ArcGIS Online in the script?

Re: Alternative way to save Feature Set to Shapefile?

PeterPurnyn — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 16:21:18 GMT

When I try to install ArcGIS fresh on a new Conda environment, it says it will install arcgispro. So this indicates arcgispro is in fact a dependency for arcgis.

(DS) PS ...> conda install arcgis
Channels:
- esri
- defaults
- conda-forge
Platform: win-64
Collecting package metadata (repodata.json): done
Solving environment: done

## Package Plan ##

environment location: ...\AppData\Local\anaconda3\envs\DS

added / updated specs:
- arcgis

The following packages will be downloaded:

package | build
---------------------------|-----------------
annotated-types-0.6.0 | py_2 15 KB esri
arcgis-2.4.1.3 | py312_152 7.1 MB esri
arcgispro-3.5 | 0 3 KB esri
....

Re: Alternative way to save Feature Set to Shapefile?

PeterPurnyn — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 16:22:43 GMT

In this script the only import I have are these:
from arcgis.geometry import Polygon as Polygon

from arcgis.features import Feature, FeatureSet

I do not use a GIS.

Re: Alternative way to save Feature Set to Shapefile?

AustinAverill — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 16:38:40 GMT

When I call arcgis through pip or through `conda install -c esri arcgis` I do not get the arcgispro-3.5 package anywhere in the plan or build or upon install. What versions of things are you running?

Re: Alternative way to save Feature Set to Shapefile?

Clubdebambos — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 16:40:09 GMT

A Shapefile will always have a minimum of 3 files the .shp, .dbf, and .shx. Plus a .prj for projecting to real world coordinates in a GIS. You can most definitely use a Shapefile that has been generated by GeoPandas in ArcGIS.

Re: Alternative way to save Feature Set to Shapefile?

PeterPurnyn — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 16:48:45 GMT

I am running python 3.11.8 but it's not a requirement.
I have arcgis pro 3.3 installed, but I am trying to move away from that.
My current environment has arcgis=2.3.0=py311_6408

When I try using `conda install -c esri arcgis' it adds arcgispro.

I will try to install with pip and get back to you.

Re: Alternative way to save Feature Set to Shapefile?

Clubdebambos — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 16:54:40 GMT

Hi @PeterPurnyn,

Do you get the same issue with the code below? Just set a folder below.

from arcgis.features import FeatureSet, Feature ## dictionary definition a feature f_dict = { "geometry": { "x": -8238318.738276444, "y": 4970309.724235498, "spatialReference": { "wkid": 102100, "latestWkid": 3857} }, "attributes": { "Incident_Type": "Structural-Sidewalk Collapse", "Location": "927 Broadway", "Borough": "Manhattan", "Closed_Date": None, "Latitude": 40.7144215406227, "Longitude": -74.0060763804198 } } # create a Feature object f = Feature.from_dict(f_dict) # create a FeatureSet object fs = FeatureSet(features=[f]) ## set the output folder folder = r"C:\path\to\output\folder" ## save as a shapefile fs.save( save_location=folder, out_name="test.shp" )