topic Re: Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy in Python Questions

Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy

AdelaideZumwalt1 — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 02:30:08 GMT

Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy - what am I missing?

import arcpy, os
arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = True
grab = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)
prep_list = grab.split(";")

mxd_c = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(r"T:\GIS\Projects\GIS\Online\MapDocuments\FeederMapCover.mxd")
lyrs_c = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd_c)

feederList = ["HB2", "HB3"]
print "got feeder list"
arcpy.AddMessage("...starting map book...")

for feeder in feederList:
        arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = True
        for lyr in arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd_c):
            if lyr.name == "Overhead":
                lyr.definitionQuery = "esUplineFeeder = '" + feeder + "'"
            if lyr.name == "Primary Underground Conductor":
                lyr.definitionQuery = "esUplineFeeder = '" + feeder + "'"
        print "Definition Queries Set" + feeder
        # Find Overview Data Frame and Zoom to the Map Index
        df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(mxd_c, "Layers")[0]
        zoomLayer = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd_c, "Overhead", df)[0]
        df.extent = zoomLayer.getSelectedExtent(False)
        df.scale = df.scale * 1.5
        print "Zoomed Successfully"

        # Make and Add the FeederMapIndexLAYER feature layer to the map and refresh the view
        arcpy.env.workspace = r"T:\GIS\Projects\GIS\Online\SpatialData\FeederMaps.gdb"
        FeederMap = "T:\GIS\Projects\GIS\Online\SpatialData\FeederMaps.gdb\FeederMapIndex"
        arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management(FeederMap,  "FeederMapIndexLAYER")
        print "Feature Layer Created"
        addLayer = arcpy.mapping.Layer('FeederMapIndexLAYER')
        print "Feature Layer Added to Map"
        arcpy.mapping.AddLayer(df, addLayer)
        arcpy.RefreshTOC()
        arcpy.RefreshActiveView()

        # Field Calculator InMap = 0
        arcpy.CalculateField_management("FeederMapIndexLAYER", "InMap", expression= 0 )
        print "Index Field Calculator Worked"

        # Select FeederMapIndexLayer polygons that intersect Overhead Lines and Calculate FeederMapIndex = 1
        Selection = arcpy.SelectLayerByLocation_management('FeederMapIndexLAYER', 'INTERSECT', 'Overhead')
        print "Index Selection Completed"
        arcpy.CalculateField_management("FeederMapIndexLAYER", "InMap", expression= 1 )
        print "Index Field Calculator Worked"

        #Set FeederMapIndex Layer Definition Query and Refresh Map
        for lyr in arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd_c):
            if lyr.name == "FeederMapIndexLAYER":
                lyr.definitionQuery = "InMap = 1"
                arcpy.RefreshTOC()
                arcpy.RefreshActiveView()
                print "Index Definition Query Worked"

        #Export the Map to a PDF
        arcpy.ApplySymbologyFromLayer_management('FeederMapIndexLAYER', 'C:/Users/azumwalt.UECOOP/Desktop/FeederMapIndex.lyr')
        arcpy.RefreshTOC()
        arcpy.RefreshActiveView()
        outputPath = r"Z:\FeederMaps\PDFs\Map" + feeder + "Cover.pdf"
        arcpy.mapping.ExportToPDF(mxd_c, outputPath)
        print"Map Book Printed" + feeder

print "complete"

Re: Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy

DanPatterson_Retired — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 19:42:27 GMT

Is ArcMap open and the "current" document specified?

If Python is used to modify the table of contents within the current map document (e.g., change a layer name), the map will not automatically update with the changes. RefreshTOC is only needed if you want to see the table of contents updated.

See the code snippet in that topic... I don't see this line

mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument("CURRENT")

Re: Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy

XanderBakker — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 19:48:12 GMT

Would be best to include the complete code since your variable "mxd_c" is probably defined somewhere before, but we can't see how it has been defined.

Re: Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy

AdelaideZumwalt1 — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 20:14:55 GMT

The current map document is not open. I just added the rest of the code so you can see all of it.

Re: Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy

DanPatterson_Retired — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 20:23:22 GMT

therein lies the problem... from RefreshActiveView

RefreshActiveView is only needed if you want to see the active view of the current map document updated.

arcpy.mapping export, save, and printing functions will generate the expected updated results without use of RefreshActiveView.

So you need to save or export or print the mxd before seeing anything reflected in the document.

You do have an Export to pdf line, is that the issue?

You might try running in "current" mode to see it you get what you are looking for

Re: Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy

XanderBakker — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 20:27:10 GMT

Since you don't save the mxd at the end, you can investigate in the mxd to see if things were set properly or not. Since you also have selections going on, it would be good to or save the mxd (perhaps using save a copy with different names to be able to see the intermediate result in the mxd and validate if things go right) or include a number of print statements printing a property of a layer after setting it to be sure it works.

Re: Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy

AdelaideZumwalt1 — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 21:11:52 GMT

Thanks for all your help guys! I am getting the notice "Cannot find reference "saveACopy" in mapping.py." I'm using pycharm and am not sure how to correct this. My Project Interpreter is referencing 10.6:

If this needs to be in a new thread let me know. I just want to be able to save my mxd's to troubleshoot

Re: Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy

DanPatterson_Retired — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 21:29:05 GMT

MapDocument—Help | ArcGIS Desktop

saveACopy (file_name, {version})

Provides an option to save a map document (.mxd) to a new file, and optionally, to a previous version.

It is there... Does pycharm import arcpy properly? Hope you don't have multiple versions of python installed

Re: Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy

AdelaideZumwalt1 — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 02:30:10 GMT

Hello again,

So I am saving mxd's at regular intervals now but when it comes to intersecting the FeederMapIndexLayer with "Overhead" it's not recognizing the definition query - it just intersects it with ALL of the overhead lines. When I open the mxd the definition query is present.... any thoughts?

import arcpy
arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = True
grab = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)
prep_list = grab.split(";")

mxd_c = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(r"T:\GIS\Projects\GIS\Online\MapDocuments\FeederMapCover.mxd")
lyrs_c = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd_c)

feederList = ["HB2", "HB3"]
print "got feeder list"
arcpy.AddMessage("...starting map book...")

for feeder in feederList:
        arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = True
        for lyr in arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd_c):
            if lyr.name == "Overhead":
                lyr.definitionQuery = "esUplineFeeder = '" + feeder + "'"
            if lyr.name == "Underground":
                lyr.definitionQuery = "esUplineFeeder = '" + feeder + "'"
        print "Definition Queries Set" + feeder

        # Make and Add the FeederMapIndexLAYER feature layer to the map
        arcpy.env.workspace = r"T:\GIS\Projects\GIS\Online\SpatialData\FeederMaps.gdb"
        FeederMap = "T:\GIS\Projects\GIS\Online\SpatialData\FeederMaps.gdb\FeederMapIndex"
        arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management(FeederMap,  "FeederMapIndexLAYER")
        print "Feature Layer Created"
        addLayer = arcpy.mapping.Layer('FeederMapIndexLAYER')
        print "Feature Layer Added to Map"

        # Field Calculator InMap = 0
        arcpy.CalculateField_management("FeederMapIndexLAYER", "InMap", expression= 0 )
        print "Index Field Calculator Worked"

        # Select FeederMapIndexLayer polygons that intersect Overhead Lines and Calculate FeederMapIndex = 1
        Selection = arcpy.SelectLayerByLocation_management('FeederMapIndexLAYER', 'INTERSECT', 'Overhead')
        print "Index Selection Completed"
        arcpy.CalculateField_management("FeederMapIndexLAYER", "InMap", expression= 1 )
        print "Index Field Calculator Worked"
        mxd_c.saveACopy("Z:\FeederMaps\MXDs\TEST1_" + feeder + ".mxd")

Re: Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy

XanderBakker — Tue, 07 Aug 2018 18:31:11 GMT

I see that you add a layer ( the same layer) for every feeder and you use the same name for them. This might make it harder for the code to reference the one you want. Why would you want to add the same layer twice? Isn't it possible to use the same layer for both feeders?

What do you see in the saved MXD? The query definition is properly set and the correct records have the value 1?

Re: Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy

AdelaideZumwalt1 — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 02:30:13 GMT

Hi Xander,

I updated the code so the feature layer is created before I iterated through the feeders - thank you!

Now when I open up the first mxd (TEST1) - having only run the code up until this point. The definition queries are present. When I manually type in the code into ArcMap (see screenshot) it works! Yay!

BUT.... When I run the code until the second mxd (TEST2) with seemingly the same code that was manually entered in ArcMap and open the map... It is obvious a selection was made before the CalculateField_managemenet tool was run (although nothing is selected when I open the map), and instead of just the overhead with the def. query being used during SelectLayerByLocation, ALL of the overhead was used. So every index that intersected an overhead line (1032/2032) is now InMap = 1. There should only be 17.

I'm not sure why what I'm running in ArcMap is not doing the same thing in my code. Am I missing something obvious?

Updated Code:

import arcpy
arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = True
grab = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)
prep_list = grab.split(";")

mxd_c = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(r"T:\GIS\Projects\GIS\Online\MapDocuments\FeederMapCover.mxd")
lyrs_c = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd_c)
df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(mxd_c)[0]

feederList = ["HB2", "HB3"]
print "got feeder list"
arcpy.AddMessage("...starting map book...")

# Make and Add the FeederMapIndexLAYER feature layer to the map
arcpy.env.workspace = r"T:\GIS\Projects\GIS\Online\SpatialData\FeederMaps.gdb"
FeederMap = "T:\GIS\Projects\GIS\Online\SpatialData\FeederMaps.gdb\FeederMapIndex"
arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management(FeederMap, "FeederMapIndexLAYER")
print "Feature Layer Created"
layer = arcpy.mapping.Layer("FeederMapIndexLAYER")
arcpy.mapping.AddLayer(df,layer,"AUTO_ARRANGE")
print "Feature Layer Added to Map"

for feeder in feederList:
        arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = True
        for lyr in arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd_c):
            if lyr.name == "Overhead":
                lyr.definitionQuery = "esUplineFeeder = '" + feeder + "'"
            if lyr.name == "Underground":
                lyr.definitionQuery = "esUplineFeeder = '" + feeder + "'"
        mxd_c.saveACopy("Z:\FeederMaps\MXDs\TEST1_" + feeder + ".mxd")
        arcpy.CalculateField_management("FeederMapIndexLAYER", "InMap", expression=0)
        arcpy.SelectLayerByLocation_management('FeederMapIndexLAYER', 'INTERSECT', 'Overhead')
        arcpy.CalculateField_management("FeederMapIndexLAYER", "InMap", expression=1)
        mxd_c.saveACopy("Z:\FeederMaps\MXDs\TEST2_" + feeder + ".mxd")

Re: Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy

AdelaideZumwalt1 — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 02:30:16 GMT

I'm at a loss. I can't get these two lines to work properly outside of ArcMap.

The arcpy.SelectLayerByLocation_management tool does not recognize any definition queries set either in the code or in the map beforehand. Does anyone else have this issue? Is this a bug?

arcpy.SelectLayerByLocation_management('FeederMapIndexLAYER', 'INTERSECT', 'OverheadLAYER')
arcpy.CalculateField_management("FeederMapIndexLAYER", "InMap", expression=1)

Re: Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy

DanPatterson_Retired — Wed, 08 Aug 2018 20:45:48 GMT

the only thing you haven't tried is saving the layers to disk (ie as .lyrx files) prior to selectlayerbylocation

Re: Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy

AdelaideZumwalt1 — Wed, 08 Aug 2018 20:49:37 GMT

You mean doing this in Pro instead?

Re: Layer definition query and symbology not updating using arcpy

AdelaideZumwalt1 — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 02:30:18 GMT

I ended up just using this (albeit long) workaround:

Make Overhead a Layer

Add Layer to Map (probably could remove this step)

FeatureClassToFeatureClass (with expression)

Make New Feature Class a Layer

SelectLayerByLocation using new Layer

- I'm also going to have to delete the new feature class at some point.

import arcpy
arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = True
grab = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)
prep_list = grab.split(";")

mxd_c = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(r"T:\GIS\Projects\GIS\Online\MapDocuments\FeederMapCover.mxd")
lyrs_c = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd_c)
df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(mxd_c)[0]

print "got feeder list"
arcpy.AddMessage("...starting map book...")

# Make and Add the FeederMapIndexLAYER feature layer to the map
FeederMap = "T:\GIS\Projects\GIS\Online\SpatialData\FeederMaps.gdb\FeederMapIndex"
Overhead =  "Database Connections\ElectricModel - azumwalt.sde\ElectricModel.DBO.UEC\ElectricModel.DBO.Overhead"
arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management(FeederMap, "FeederMapIndexLAYER")
arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management(Overhead, "OverheadLAYER")
layer = arcpy.mapping.Layer("FeederMapIndexLAYER")
layerOH = arcpy.mapping.Layer("OverheadLAYER")
arcpy.mapping.AddLayer(df,layer,"AUTO_ARRANGE")
arcpy.mapping.AddLayer(df,layerOH,"BOTTOM")
expression = "esUplineFeeder = 'HB2'"
arcpy.FeatureClassToFeatureClass_conversion(Overhead, "T:\GIS\Projects\GIS\Online\SpatialData\FeederMaps.gdb","OverheadDeleteMe",expression)
arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management("T:\GIS\Projects\GIS\Online\SpatialData\FeederMaps.gdb\OverheadDeleteMe","OverheadDeleteMe", )
overheadDeleteMe = arcpy.mapping.Layer("OverheadDeleteMe")
arcpy.mapping.AddLayer(df,overheadDeleteMe,"BOTTOM")

print "Feature Layer Added to Map"
for lyr in arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd_c):
    if lyr.name == "Overhead":
        lyr.definitionQuery = "esUplineFeeder = 'HB2'"
arcpy.CalculateField_management("FeederMapIndexLAYER", "InMap", expression=0)
arcpy.SelectLayerByLocation_management('FeederMapIndexLAYER', 'INTERSECT', "OverheadDeleteMe")
arcpy.CalculateField_management("FeederMapIndexLAYER", "InMap", expression=1)
mxd_c.saveACopy("Z:\FeederMaps\MXDs\SHORTTEST_.mxd")

Not sure this is really a "correct answer" but more of a workaround.

Also - I'm not using Pro yet to do this as I want to create a tool and upload it using WebAppBuilder and I believe with Pro you have to have Portal and we are not quite there yet. (Correct me if I'm wrong).