topic Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect in ArcGIS Pro Questions

Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

DougBrowning — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 21:36:31 GMT

The help for the Vector Tile tools is wrong. This code from the help does not work. It keeps saying the value type for in_map is wrong.

Create Vector Tile Package—Data Management toolbox | ArcGIS for Desktop

p = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("c:\\temp\\myproject.aprx")

for m in p.listMaps():

print("Packaging" + m.name)

arcpy.CreateVectorTilePackage_management(m, m.name + '.vtpk', "INDEXED", 295828763.795777, 1128.497176)

It just has "Map" for the in_map when copied from the python snippet but that of course does not work in script. I have yet to find anything it likes. Any hints?

arcpy.management.CreateVectorTilePackage("Map", r"C:\Vector\Settings.vtpk", "ONLINE", None, "INDEXED", 295828763.795778, 564.248588, r"C:\Vector\SettingsIndex.shp", None, None)

The tool to create the vector index will also not accept in_map. Its help has a sample from some other tool??

Create Vector Tile Index—Data Management toolbox | ArcGIS for Desktop

The following Python window script demonstrates how to use the CreateVectorTileIndex tool in immediate mode.

import arcpy from arcpy 
import env 
env.workspace = "C:/data/cartography.gdb/transportation" 
arcpy.CreateIndexTiles_cartography("CURRENT", "tiles", 10000)

Also when copying the snippet from Pro it has another parameter with the value ONLINE that does not exist in the help.

#arcpy.management.CreateVectorTileIndex("Map", r"C:\Vector\SettingsIndex.shp", "ONLINE", None, 10000)

Please let me know the correct params or point me to help files that are correct.

Thanks

Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

ColinLawrence — Sat, 06 Aug 2016 00:08:14 GMT

Hi Doug,

I know it has been some time since you posted this but it looks like you are experiencing a bug that was recently logged.

BUG-000098329 - Create Vector Tile Package fails with "ERROR 000623: Invalid value type for parameter in_map" when run as a standalone script

The Create Vector Tile Package tool will run just fine in Pro and you should also be able to run it from the built in python window:

arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/TilePackageExample"

arcpy.CreateVectorTilePackage_management('Map', 'Example.vtpk', 'ONLINE')

The issue seems to occur when trying to run as a standalone script and it doesn't seem to recognize the input type. I hope this helps!

Colin

Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

AndyWright — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 21:27:11 GMT

Colin,

Do you know if this bug is still present in 10.5? I just ran into this in 10.4.1 and being able to create vector tile packages from standalone scripts is critical for us. That's how we currently prepare tile packages for our customers and we need the ability to do the same thing with vector tiles.

Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

ColinLawrence — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 22:55:55 GMT

Andy,

This tool coincides with ArcGIS Pro releases. It was logged at the current version (1.3) and version 1.4 is set to be released later this month. Unfortunately, I don't see any indication that this has been fixed for the 1.4 release.

This issue is caused by an invalid in_map parameter but fortunately there is a workaround. The arcpy.CreateVectorTilePackage_management function only recognize a map name as valid in_map parameter instead of a map object. The explanation of the in_map parameter in the Create Vector Tile Package tool documentation (Create Vector Tile Package—Data Management toolbox | ArcGIS for Desktop ) is incorrect by saying that in_map is "The map from which tiles are generated and packaged". Further, the sample codes in the documentation are incorrect too because it uses the map as Input Map instead of the map name.

For example, the following code will generate ERROR 000623:

p = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("c:\\temp\\myproject.aprx")
m = p.listMaps("Map")[0]
arcpy.CreateVectorTilePackage_management(m, m.name + '.vtpk', "ONLINE")

By modifying m to m.name, the code will work:

p = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("c:\\temp\\myproject.aprx")
m = p.listMaps("Map")[0]
arcpy.CreateVectorTilePackage_management(m.name, m.name + '.vtpk', "ONLINE")

Hopefully these issues (the bug and the documentation) will be resolved soon and this workaround allows you to continue your project successfully.

Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

AndyWright — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 23:35:02 GMT

Hi Colin,

Thanks for the quick response. I tried your suggestion with m.name and am getting a different error now:

ERROR 000735: Input Map: Value is required

arcpy.CreateVectorTilePackage_management(m.name, m.name + ".vtpk", "ONLINE")

Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

ColinLawrence — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 17:36:18 GMT

Hi Andy,

Im sorry that didn't work. Please reach out to Tech Support so we can troubleshoot this issue for you.

https://support.esri.com/contact-tech-support

Thanks!

Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

AndyWright — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 19:17:58 GMT

Thanks Colin. Will do …

Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

AndyWright — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 00:07:16 GMT

We did end up calling in an Esri support ticket, but none of Esri's resources could figure this out so it was logged as a bug. In the meantime one of my co-workers cracked the nut on this one, albeit with a pretty obscure workaround. We are definitely blaming the inadequate documentation for this debacle, although I still feel like supplying either the map object in the APRX or the name of that map should work. So hopefully that gets addressed in a future version of Pro.

So what ended up working was exporting the map to a MAPX file. You will find the tool to do that on the Share tab. You can then supply the path and name to that MAPX file as your first parameter and the Python script will do its thing. Now on to another vector tile issue - the inability to specify the extent for which you want to generate the vector tile package ...

Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

DougBrowning — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 00:19:37 GMT

Andy - Since you are the only one I know making vector tiles maybe you know this.

Have to found any way to have attributes at all? Even just one attribute. This blog post talks about changing the spot elevation response. Esri Vector Basemaps: Updated Data and New Creative Style | ArcGIS Blog But I see no way to do this for other layers.

Some map services let you point to a feature service when clicked. This concept would be cool for vector tiles.

I also had an idea that if it can have 1 attribute as the blog post says that attribute could be a global id. That global id would be used to build a query url into a HFS - returning the attributes in a pop up.

I have had luck burning in labels to the vtpk.

My main issue has been when using a scene in AGO. The vector tiles are fast but no attributes. A HFS can not be used if there are more than 2000 features.

thanks for any hints

Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

AndyWright — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 13:42:40 GMT

Hi Doug,

Unfortunately I can’t help you out here. Attributes are of paramount importance to my app so I don’t even mess with vector tiles in that vein. I use SQLite geodatabases under the hood for all my attribution needs.

Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

GreggRoemhildt1 — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 21:57:31 GMT

Hey Andy, got any suggestions on building custom vector tile schemes? Or do you just use the google/web-mercator style?

I keep running into this issue:

https://community.esri.com/thread/188936-vector-tile-custom-scheme

Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

AndyWright — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 22:01:33 GMT

Sorry Gregg. We haven’t had any reason to go outside the usual google/arcgis online tile format, so I don’t have any suggestions for you on this one.

Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

KateLeroux — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 20:06:23 GMT

Hi Doug,

It does seem like only a small handful of us are trying to work with vector tiles so far. I found something recently that might be helpful for your question:

To keep the resulting tiles as small and efficient as possible, only those fields necessary to draw the features are passed into the vector tiles when they're created from a map. In some cases, extra fields are derived to help with quick rendering. For example, layers drawn with graduated colors or graduated symbols symbology will include new fields of integer values corresponding to the class break values.

Since vector tiles can be customized by editing their associated style file, there may be instances when you bring other fields into the vector tiles to support this customization. For example, you can leverage a different field that contains place name label strings in different (local) languages and access them in the style file. To bring specific fields into the vector tiles, highlight them in the Fields view of the layer.

Source: Author a map for vector tile creation—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS Desktop

I have yet to use this successfully, so let us know if you try it.

Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

ColinLawrence — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 20:21:01 GMT

Just a quick update for everyone.

BUG-000098329 has been resolved with the latest release (Pro 1.4.1)

Release Notes for ArcGIS Pro 1.4—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS Desktop

Hopefully no further issues are discovered!

Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

YannDeschenes — Fri, 07 Apr 2017 19:27:42 GMT

Hello Collin,

Indeed, after updating to latest release 1.4.1, I was finally able to generate a Vector Tile using ArcPy with tools

arcpy.CreateVectorTileIndex_management and arcpy.CreateVectorTilePackage_management but only when using a map with FGBD source. Both tool doesn't work when using standalone script and map with Layer type source:
ERROR 001852: Layer type is not supported for vector tile packages.

However when use within ArcGIS Pro, those tools are working with any Layer type (ex. Oracle source).

I was wondering if this is supposed to be the steps to follow, are we to convert first all source to a FGBD before using tools for Creating a Vector Tile with the standalone script?

Currently, we are working on a tiling project for one of our client: we are evaluating possible solutions for improving the user experience on a WebGIS application. One of the potential solution would be to implement vector tiling for some of the more static layers instead of dynamic service layers that the WebGIS is using at the moment. The client would have to re-generate all the vector tiling on a daily basis with a target time of 30 min.

We were amazed at how fast the entire creation process generated the Vector Tile Package compared to a normal generation of a standard raster Tile Cache so we pushed this solution a little more. In order to meet the client criteria, it is imperative to be able to use the tools on the Oracle source directly, have extra steps for converting oracle source to a FGBD format would be lost of time effort and would render the project impossible using Vector tiling.

Do you know if this is a BUG? Does ESRI is aware of it and if so when do they plan to resolve the matter in a near future?

or do you have a alternative solution for this problem that I didn't discover yet?

Thanks in advance for your help in this matter,

Yann Deschênes | Geomatic Consultant | CGI

Re: Help on Vector Tile tools is incorrect

RyanColeman — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 13:49:45 GMT

I'm on 2.2.4 and this script still doesn't work. Still getting Input Map: Value is Required when using an .aprx