topic Re: How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script? in Python Questions

How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script?

KarolinaKorzeniowska — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 15:33:44 GMT

I would like to add a path to default database in Arcpy script. The path will be a place where the results from evaluation will be saved. However, I do not want to add a full path, but a relative path, which enable to apply my script also in another computer. How to add relative path to default database?

Re: How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script?

LukeSturtevant — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 16:17:57 GMT

Are you talking about referencing your current workspace that is set in your environment settings in ArcMap? If so then arcpy.env.workspace would correctly reference your default geodatabase.

Re: How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script?

KarolinaKorzeniowska — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 16:28:15 GMT

Thank you for your answer. Yes, I am trying to reference to my default geodatabase. From your link I have found that I should use:

arcpy.env.workspace = path

but here I also have to specify the path to the "path". How to do this? When I change the computer the script will not work, because the "path" will be different.

Re: How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script?

BlakeTerhune — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 16:55:44 GMT

You could do it based on the directory the script is being run from using os.getcwd(), then just build the rest of your directory from there. The requirement would be that you have to run the script from the same starting folder location on each computer.

Re: How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script?

DarrenWiens2 — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 04:08:22 GMT

That is how you would set the workspace environment. If you just want to get the workspace environment, switch the equation:

>>> path = arcpy.env.workspace
>>> print path # workspace location

Some other peripheral ideas would be to reference the script location:

>>> import sys
>>> print sys.argv[0] # script location

... or the current mxd location:

>>> print arcpy.mapping.MapDocument("CURRENT").filePath # current mxd location

Re: How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script?

KarolinaKorzeniowska — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 17:01:57 GMT

Thank you for suggestion, but I think it is not what I am looking for. I would like to build a python toolbox which run like standard ArcGIS toolboxes - when you open the toolbox and do not specify the path then the results are automatically saved in default geodatabase.

Re: How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script?

LukeSturtevant — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 17:09:41 GMT

As Darren said, if you are running your tool from ArcMap or ArcCatalog you do not need to explicitly set arcpy.env.workspace to a path. It will automatically be set to your default geodatabase as I mentioned earlier.

Re: How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script?

KarolinaKorzeniowska — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 17:16:21 GMT

Okay, thanks for answer. But then how to use the output file as an input in the next step of my script? I have to tell the script where the file is located right?

Re: How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script?

LukeSturtevant — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 17:23:47 GMT

Its hard telling not knowing what you are trying to do exactly, but you can set the output as a variable for example:

feature = arcpy.CreateFeatureclass_management (env.workspace, "test1","POINT","","","",26919)

arcpy.Append_management (inputs, feature, "NO_TEST")

Here the new feature class is set to the variable 'feature' and then it can be referenced as feature throughout your script.

Re: How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script?

KarolinaKorzeniowska — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 04:08:25 GMT

I am trying to build a toolbox where at first I am evaluating Focal Statistics from DEM (raster) and then I am subtracting (Raster Calculator) both rasters. That I why I need a path to the results from my first evaluation.

# Import arcpy module
import os
import arcpy
from arcpy import env
from arcpy.sa import *

# Set the input data
inRaster = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)
# Set the output data
outRaster = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(1)
# Set the path to workspace location
path = arcpy.env.workspace
print path


# Evaluate mean DEM
inRaster = "DEM.tif"
neighborhood = NbrRectangle(3, 3, "CELL")
# Check out the ArcGIS Spatial Analyst extension license
arcpy.CheckOutExtension("Spatial")
# Execute FocalStatistics
outFocalStatistics = FocalStatistics(inRaster, neighborhood, "MEAN","")
# Save the output 
outFocalStatistics.save("DEM_mean")
#
# Subtraction
inRaster1 = Raster("DEM")
inRaster2 = Raster("DEM_mean")
# Execute Minus
outMinus = inRaster1 - inRaster2
# Save the output
outMinus.save("result")

Re: How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script?

LukeSturtevant — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 04:08:27 GMT

Here is an edited script. Let us know if you have any questions or if it is still not working for you. If you are planning to run this script from ArcMap and you just want to use the default geodatabase there is no reason to set path = arcpy.env.workspace unless you just want to reference it using the shorter variable name 'path' throughout your script. Otherwise all outputs that do not have a specific path will be saved to the default geodatabase.

# Import arcpy module  
import os  
import arcpy  
from arcpy import env  
from arcpy.sa import *

arcpy.CheckOutExtension("Spatial")
env.overwriteOutput= True
  
# Set the input data  
inRaster = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)  
# Set the output data  
outRaster = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(1)  
    
neighborhood = NbrRectangle(3, 3, "CELL")  
# Check out the ArcGIS Spatial Analyst extension license  

# Execute FocalStatistics  
outFocalStatistics = FocalStatistics(inRaster, neighborhood, "MEAN","")  
# Save the output   
outFocalStatistics.save("DEM_mean")  

# Execute Minus  
outMinus = inRaster - outFocalStatistics  
# Save the output  
outMinus.save(outRaster)

Re: How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script?

KarolinaKorzeniowska — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 04:08:30 GMT

Thank you. Now the script works fine. In the code I changed the line 24 from:

ourMinus = inRaster - outFocalStatistics

inRaster2 = Raster("DEM_mean")
outMinus = inRaster - inRaster2

and it also works. I did this, because if in default database will be some other raster with the name outFocalStatictics then this raster can be take into evaluation, am I right?

I have also one more question. How to delete intermediate results (DEM_mean) from default database? I have found the it can be done using the code below, but in my case it is not deleting anything.

# Clean up
del outFocalStatistics

Re: How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script?

LukeSturtevant — Fri, 13 Nov 2015 11:51:47 GMT

You do not need to change the line 24. Essentially all you did was change the variable name of the outFocalStatistics to inRaster2. The name in the geodatabase will always be "DEM_mean". However, it looks like you want to treat the "DEM_mean" as intermediate data. In that case just do not save the output of outFocalStatistics like this:

Execute FocalStatistics

outFocalStatistics = FocalStatistics(inRaster, neighborhood, "MEAN","")

Execute Minus

outMinus = inRaster - outFocalStatistics

Save the output

outMinus.save(outRaster)

This will always generate outFocalStatistics in memory and automatically delete it. On another note if you were to save the output of outFocalStatistics and want to delete it at the end of your script you would use arcpy.Delete_management(outFocalStatistics). The del function is useful when clearing variables, lists, dictionaries, and the like, but it will not delete output results.

Re: How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script?

KarolinaKorzeniowska — Fri, 13 Nov 2015 16:20:41 GMT

Yes, you are right. Thank you for explanation. Now I understand it better, and my toolbox works like I expected.

Re: How to add a path to default database in ArcPy script?

stevegourley — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 16:32:40 GMT

you could also use arcpy.env.scratchGDB