topic Re: Group layers in Mapping Questions

Group layers

AlexGole1 — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 20:30:29 GMT

Is there a script that allows you to cycle through multiple group layers and turn on and off group layers one by one?
Thanks,
Alex

Re: Group layers

JeffBarrette — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 13:13:26 GMT

You can iterate through all layers and test for Layer.isGroupLayer. If it returns false, set visible = False.

Jeff

Re: Group layers

AlexGole1 — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 15:35:44 GMT

I tried using the following code to iterate through group layers but it seems like "isGroupLayer" is not an attribute (error message). I am a bit confused about this one. I am just trying to turn on a layer, export it as PDF.l

Thanks,
Alex

import arcpy, os
myPath    = r"K:\Working\Alex_Gole\Try\\"
arcpy.env.workspace = myPath
myMap = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(myPath + "MyMap.mxd")
layer = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(myMap)
vislayer = layer.isGroupLayer
df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(myMap)[0]
# Clear visibility of all layers except for the community areas layer
for lyr in vislayer:
    print "Turning on Layer " + lyr.name
    lyr.visible = True
else:
    print "Turning off layer " + lyr.name
    lyr.visible = False
#Export to PDF
    print "exporting map"
    arcpy.mapping.ExportToPDF(myMap, myPath + str(vislayer.name) + ".pdf")

Re: Group layers

AlexGole1 — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 15:35:47 GMT

import arcpy, os, sys
path = os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0])
mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(path + r"/MyMap.mxd")
outputPath = r"K:\Working\Alex_Gole\Try"
mapLyr = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd)[0]

for lyr in mapLyr:
    if lyr.isGroupLayer:
        print "Turning on group Layer " + lyr.name
        lyr.visible = True
    else:
        lyr.visible = False

if os.path.exists(path + "layers.pdf"):
    os.remove(path + "layers.pdf")
arcpy.mapping.ExportToPDF(mxd, os.path.join(outputPath, lyr.name + "layers.pdf"))

I am trying with this script but it does not seem like it returns anything.
Thanks,
Alex

Re: Group layers

MichaelVolz — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 18:47:05 GMT

Can you try removing the

if lyr.isGroupLayer:

and

else:

Then just try printing the lyr.name property to ensure that you are indeed looping through the layers.

Re: Group layers

AlexGole1 — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 15:35:50 GMT

import arcpy, os
myPath = r"K:\Working\Alex_Gole\Try\\"
arcpy.env.workspace = myPath
myMap = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(myPath + "MyMap.mxd")
layer = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(myMap)
df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(myMap)[0]
# Clear visibility of all layers except for the community areas layer
for lyr in layer:
    if lyr.isGroupLayer:
        print "Turning on Layer " + lyr.name
        lyr.visible = True
    else:
        print "Turning off layer " + lyr.name
        lyr.visible = False
#Export to PDF
    print "exporting map"
    arcpy.mapping.ExportToPDF(myMap, myPath + str(lyr.name) + ".pdf")

Seems like this work. My only two worries here is that I dont see my legend being updated automatically and I dont see the name of the group layer as the PDF name when exported.

Can you try removing the

if lyr.isGroupLayer:

and

else:

Then just try printing the lyr.name property to ensure that you are indeed looping through the layers.

Re: Group layers

JimCousins — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 19:23:12 GMT

Alex,
In your first code entry, you alternate the slash and backslash for the map document concatenation.
For the legend update, you may need to do a refresh on the dataframe to show the changes.
For the myPath variable in your last entry, you have an additional "\" at the end.
Regards,
Jim

Re: Group layers

MichaelVolz — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 19:26:36 GMT

Are you looking to export to pdf while looping thru each layer or are you just trying to do an export to pdf for the group layer?

Re: Group layers

AlexGole1 — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 20:30:20 GMT

Are you looking to export to pdf while looping thru each layer or are you just trying to do an export to pdf for the group layer?

I am looking to export each group layer as a separate PDF.

Re: Group layers

MichaelVolz — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 11:36:16 GMT

Seems to me that you should put the export to pdf statement in the GroupLayer true portion of the if else clause. I would think it is currently exporting every layer out to a pdf since the export to pdf statement is outside the if else clause but within the for loop.

Re: Group layers

AlexGole1 — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 15:35:52 GMT

Seems to me that you should put the export to pdf statement in the GroupLayer true portion of the if else clause. I would think it is currently exporting every layer out to a pdf since the export to pdf statement is outside the if else clause but within the for loop.

You are right. It worked perfectly. Now I dont know if it is easy to do but I am trying to update figure title name and source ffor each PDF using a table. Any idea how to do so?
Thanks,
Alex

import arcpy, os, sys
myPath = os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0])
myMap = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(myPath + r"/MyMap2.mxd")
layer = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(myMap, "Map_Elem_Table_v2")[0]
rows = arcpy.SearchCursor(layer)

# Legend Items
fignumElem = arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(myMap, "TEXT_ELEMENT","FigNumber")[0]  
titleElem = arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(myMap, "TEXT_ELEMENT","FigTitle")[0]
sourceElem = arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(myMap, "TEXT_ELEMENT","FigSource")[0]

#create a cursor to access values from attribute table

for row in rows:
    fignumElem.text = str(row.FigNumber)
    titleElem.text = unicode(row.FigTitle)
    sourceElem.text = str(row.FigSource)
    
# Loop through each Group layer and export to PDF

for lyr in layer:
    if lyr.isGroupLayer:
        print "Turning on Layer " + lyr.name
        lyr.visible = True
        print "exporting map"
        arcpy.mapping.ExportToPDF(myMap, myPath + str(lyr.name) + ".pdf")
    else:
        print "Turning off layer " + lyr.name
        lyr.visible = False

Re: Group layers

MichaelVolz — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 19:14:20 GMT

Is Map_Elem_Table_v2 a standalone table or the table associated with the feature class?

If it is a standalone table, I think you need to use the ListTables function to get to the tabular data that you are looking for.

Re: Group layers

AlexGole1 — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 15:35:55 GMT

Is Map_Elem_Table_v2 a standalone table or the table associated with the feature class?

If it is a standalone table, I think you need to use the ListTables function to get to the tabular data that you are looking for.

It is a GDB standalone table. How would I point (link) to this table in my script?

tables = arcpy.ListTables()

# Legend Items
fignumElem = arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(myMap, "TEXT_ELEMENT","FigNumber")[0]  
titleElem = arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(myMap, "TEXT_ELEMENT","FigTitle")[0]
sourceElem = arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(myMap, "TEXT_ELEMENT","FigSource")[0]

#create a cursor to access values from attribute table

for table in tables:
    fignumElem.text = str(row.FigNumber)
    titleElem.text = unicode(row.FigTitle)
    sourceElem.text = str(row.FigSource)

Re: Group layers

MichaelVolz — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 19:41:57 GMT

if it is the only standalone table, I think you could access it with index 0.

if there is more than 1 table, then use an if then statement to trap it by table.name and then get to the specific field you are looking for.

Re: Group layers

AlexGole1 — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 20:50:57 GMT

Sorry, I am using a fc. for the legend fig name and source.