topic Re: arcpy.AddToolbox - how to specify relative path for multiple ArcGIS versions in Python Questions

arcpy.AddToolbox - how to specify relative path for multiple ArcGIS versions

RebeccaStrauch__GISP — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 07:18:27 GMT

I have a script that requires me to use arcpy.AddToolbox, which I currently have set up for 10.3

arcpy.AddToolbox(r"C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcGIS\Desktop10.3\ArcToolbox\Toolboxes\Spatial Analyst Tools.tbx")

How can I query the version and make the path relative so it will work for other versions, e.g. 10.2 or 10.4 (eventually).

BTW, I thought

import arcpy
arcpy.CheckOutExtension("spatial")
from arcpy.sa import *

would be enough for me to not have to add the toolbox, but that didn't work. If anyone knows why, I'd be curious. Without the full toolbox, it was crashing on arcpy.ExtractValuesToPoints_sa(randomTemp, elevRaster, randomPtSet, "NONE", "VALUE_ONLY")

Thanks.

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Re: arcpy.AddToolbox - how to specify relative path for multiple ArcGIS versions

FreddieGibson — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:07:54 GMT

GetInstallInfo

http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/desktop/latest/analyze/arcpy-functions/getinstallinfo.htm

Re: arcpy.AddToolbox - how to specify relative path for multiple ArcGIS versions

FreddieGibson — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 07:18:29 GMT

For the raster question, what happens if you call the function directly?

import arcpy
from arcpy.sa import *
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/sapyexamples/data"
arcpy.CheckOutExtension("Spatial")
ExtractValuesToPoints("rec_sites.shp", "elevation", "C:/sapyexamples/output/outValPnts", "INTERPOLATE", "VALUE_ONLY")

Re: arcpy.AddToolbox - how to specify relative path for multiple ArcGIS versions

RebeccaStrauch__GISP — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:12:07 GMT

Excellent. Thanks Freddie. And I can see I'll be able to pull the path from that too.

Re: arcpy.AddToolbox - how to specify relative path for multiple ArcGIS versions

RebeccaStrauch__GISP — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:14:52 GMT

I received an error when I try that.

Re: arcpy.AddToolbox - how to specify relative path for multiple ArcGIS versions

DanPatterson_Retired — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:18:09 GMT

Rebecca, sorry to add to the confusion rather than give an answer... but here goes.

Do you store your scripts and toolboxes in an esri/arcmap folder? even for conventional toolboxes (not python toolboxes or add-ins)? The reason I ask, is because I gave up on calling "arcpy.LoadThisToolbox" stuff explicitly because of such issues and I also stopped from X import Y at about the same time. I found that if I could just import arcpy and then refer arcpy.SomeTool_sa or arcpy.SomeTool_management without problem. I have noticed a slightly different approach sneaking into the posts by esri staff lately which produces the same result but may be a suggestion for the future path to take ie ... arcpy.management.SomeTool( blah blah) . So to date, I put my toolboxes and their associated scripts in a folder and load the toolbox from there. This has worked for me with tools that I use since 9.3 to 10.3.1 (only tested a few in Pro 1.1.1).

Re: arcpy.AddToolbox - how to specify relative path for multiple ArcGIS versions

DanPatterson_Retired — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:19:56 GMT

but get install version isn't backward compatible is it? obviously to the start of arcpy?

Re: arcpy.AddToolbox - how to specify relative path for multiple ArcGIS versions

FreddieGibson — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:47:11 GMT

Re: arcpy.AddToolbox - how to specify relative path for multiple ArcGIS versions

RebeccaStrauch__GISP — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 07:18:32 GMT

Thanks Dan. I like the thought of accessing the few tools I need in a "lighter" manner, and that might have been what Freddie was aiming for too. I'll have to give your suggestion a little more thought, but for now, I'm just trying to have something so I can move on.

This is part of the addin I'm creating from my AML/Avenue days, with some added features. I've been the only one using it in the past, but trying to make it more flexible so I can train others. Chances are the user will have the latest version, but you never know. I typically store my custom scripts and custom toolbar within the addin build structure. I could copy the Tools I need directly into the custom toolbar I guess, and grab it from that maybe? I'm not sure if that is what you are suggesting or not. But in any case, it needs to be available to the addin.

As for you other comment about it being whether arcpy.GetInstallInfo()["Version"] is backwards compatible...I'll have to test that. But I think it will work for what I need for now (10.3)...and it looks like it's been available since at least 10.1. I'm sure there would be other missing tools or issues if used with a version prioir to that....and actually I never liked the random points from a few version back....created random, then sorted them from north-to-south.....defeated the purpose for us. But that has been fixed now.

FYI - this is the final code I added to grab the toolbox for this 10.3 installation anyway.

myDir = arcpy.GetInstallInfo()["InstallDir"]
toolboxPath = arcpy.os.path.join(myDir, "ArcToolbox\Toolboxes\Spatial Analyst Tools.tbx")
arcpy.AddMessage("toolbox {}".format(toolboxPath))
arcpy.AddToolbox(toolboxPath)

In case it helps anyone else. Not the only way to do it, but it works for me.

Re: arcpy.AddToolbox - how to specify relative path for multiple ArcGIS versions

RebeccaStrauch__GISP — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:50:22 GMT

Good to know....for backwards compatibility.

Re: arcpy.AddToolbox - how to specify relative path for multiple ArcGIS versions

FreddieGibson — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 00:56:07 GMT

When importing arcpy the default systems toolboxes are already loaded (i.e. the toolboxes located at <ArcGIS Install Path>\ArcToolbox\Toolboxes. This was a new functionality introduce at 10.0 with arcpy. Prior to this, when creating the gp object you would need to load each toolbox that prior to using it via a call to gp.AddToolbox. When using a custom toolbox you'd need to call AddToolbox at 9.3 or earlier and ImportToolbox at 10.0 or higher.

The problem you're having with the spatial analyst tools are now part of their own module in the arcpy site package. You would call them as functions in the same manner as when you using the arcpy.mapping or arcpy.na modules.

Importing arcpy

http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/desktop/latest/analyze/python/importing-arcpy.htm

I would assume that the error you're seeing is because you're calling ExtractValuesToPoints_sa and there is no function available with this name. You would either need to call arcpy.sa.ExtractValuesToPoints or if you import all of the functions from the sa module (i.e. import * from sa) you would use only the function name ExtractValuesToPoints. (Note the missing "_sa" part. This was intentionally left out because it isn't part of the function name)

Re: arcpy.AddToolbox - how to specify relative path for multiple ArcGIS versions

FreddieGibson — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 01:03:46 GMT

When I need to write scripts that are backwards compatible with 9.X I always start by writing the script using the arcgisscripting to create the dispatch object and quickly check the install version. I will limit my use of arcpy in the code so that I can reduce the amount of redundancy. If there is a functionality that I need to use that is only available in 10.X and the users machine shows a valid version I'll quickly import arcpy and execute that task.

The biggest problem you'll see when writing a script that is compatible with 9.X is going to be the change in case for functions\methods. 9.X functions used PascalCase, whereas 10.X functions use camelCase. For example, if you're using a cursor at 9.X you'd need to call row.GetValue, whereas arcpy would require that you call row.getValue.

Re: arcpy.AddToolbox - how to specify relative path for multiple ArcGIS versions

RebeccaStrauch__GISP — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 07:18:35 GMT

OK. that worked too, without loading the toolbox, an shaved about 8 seconds off the process (34secs to 26 seconds for the script), so I'll going to switch the "correct answer" to the above although it is all very help ful and there is of course more than one way to handle it.

So, instead of my code

myDir = arcpy.GetInstallInfo()["InstallDir"]  
toolboxPath = arcpy.os.path.join(myDir, "ArcToolbox\Toolboxes\Spatial Analyst Tools.tbx")  
arcpy.AddMessage("toolbox {}".format(toolboxPath))  
arcpy.AddToolbox(toolboxPath)  
#...
arcpy.ExtractValuesToPoints_sa(randomTemp, elevRaster, randomPtSet, "NONE", "VALUE_ONLY")

I'm switching to

import arcpy
from arcpy.sa import *
#...
arcpy.sa.ExtractValuesToPoints(randomTemp, elevRaster, randomPtSet, "NONE", "VALUE_ONLY")

Both work, and the version/path check may come in handy for other things, but the second solution is what I will go with for now.

EDIT: fixed typo in second code block.

Re: arcpy.AddToolbox - how to specify relative path for multiple ArcGIS versions

DanPatterson_Retired — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 01:12:03 GMT

Thanks Freddie. Yes the pascal vs camel case caused a load of issues but was easy to fix. It is nice to know that getinstallversion simply returns a string so I can back-to-the-future some of my older toolsets in the future and branch them off to newer versions of code