topic Send a feature to a map using Python in Python Questions

Send a feature to a map using Python

StephenEldridge — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 17:30:42 GMT

I have python script that creates a point feature class. How do I send that feature to an existing map using Python?

Re: Send a feature to a map using Python

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 17:57:58 GMT

Re: Send a feature to a map using Python

StephenEldridge — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 18:01:10 GMT

My script already makes the feature and puts it into a file geodatabase. I would like it to also take that same feature class and drop it into an ArcMap.

Re: Send a feature to a map using Python

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 18:07:13 GMT

so I assume you have ArcMap set to add results to display and set visibility on? And I have to ask the obvious...you are running this from within ArcMap? some people have tried to add layers to arcmap without it being open

Re: Send a feature to a map using Python

StephenEldridge — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 18:15:46 GMT

I am using Python script that runs in the background.

# Import arcpy module
import arcpy

#Import Time and Date
import time
import datetime

#Sets a variable to hold today's date in year month day (yyyymmdd)format to tag feature output name with the current date
currentdate = datetime.date.today().strftime("%Y""%m""%d")

# Overwrite pre-existing files
arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = True

# Local variables:
Changes = "\\\\MyData\\Working_Data.mdb\\Changes"
Changes_Layer = "Changes_Layer"
Updates = "\\\\MyData\\My_Data.gdb\\Updates\\Updates"+str(currentdate)

# Process: Make XY Event Layer
arcpy.MakeXYEventLayer_management(Changes, "longitude", "latitude", Changes_Layer, "", "")

# Process: Feature To Point
arcpy.FeatureToPoint_management(Changes_Layer, Updates, "CENTROID")

Now I would like to add Python script that will take "Updates"+str(currentdate)" and add it to MyDataUpdates.mxd

Re: Send a feature to a map using Python

DarrenWiens2 — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 18:21:54 GMT

I believe you're looking for arcpy.mapping.AddLayer().

Re: Send a feature to a map using Python

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 18:23:39 GMT

grief...

Re: Send a feature to a map using Python

StephenEldridge — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 13:27:12 GMT

addLayer is what am trying to use now but I keep getting this error:

Traceback (most recent call last):

File "\\c:\MyLocation\Tools\Scripts\Changes.py", line 39, in <module>

df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(mxd, "Update")[0]

IndexError: list index out of range

This one has me stumped.

Here is the code:

# Import arcpy module
import arcpy

#Import Time and Date
import time
import datetime

#Sets a variable to hold today's date in year month day (yyyymmdd)format to tag feature output name with the current date
currentdate = datetime.date.today().strftime("%Y""%m""%d")

# Overwrite pre-existing files
arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = True

# Local variables:
Changes = "\\\\c:\\MyLocation\\\\Working_Data.mdb\\Changes"
Changes_Layer = "Changes_Layer"
Update = "\\\\c:\\MyLocation\\MyGeo.gdb\\Updates\\Updates"+str(currentdate)

# Process: Make XY Event Layer
arcpy.MakeXYEventLayer_management(Changes, "longitude", "latitude", Changes_Layer, "", "")

# Process: Feature To Point
arcpy.FeatureToPoint_management(Changes_Layer, Updates, "CENTROID")

#Add layer into primary map document

addLayer = Changes_Layer +str(currentdate)

mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument("\\\\c:\myLocation\\MyMap.mxd

df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(mxd, "Update")[0]

arcpy.mapping.AddLayer(df, addLayer, "TOP")

Re: Send a feature to a map using Python

StephenEldridge — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 14:35:12 GMT

The script also corrupts my mxd to the point I cannot save it.

Re: Send a feature to a map using Python

DanPatterson_Retired — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 18:31:44 GMT

have you tried this on a local drive to rule out network issues?

Re: Send a feature to a map using Python

StephenEldridge — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 18:36:29 GMT

Yes it's on a network and I will have to try it locally and work from there.

Re: Send a feature to a map using Python

StephenEldridge — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 18:43:52 GMT

Got the same error message.

Re: Send a feature to a map using Python

DanPatterson_Retired — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 19:01:39 GMT

haven't played around with adding to arcmap and arcpy mapping when it is not open, however, I see a potential issue. The help file suggests that when using wildcards

for df in arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(mxd, "t*"😞

you cycle through the list (even if it is one entry) without slicing. Your script uses

df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(mxd, "Update")[0]

and the error message suggests that there are no dataframes called "Update", so you might check this and/or use a wildcard "Update*" to see if that works. That is what the index out of range means there is no first entry in the list and the list is empty

Re: Send a feature to a map using Python

StephenEldridge — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 19:28:19 GMT

Found the error to be the dataframe was not named properly in the properties of the mxd.