topic Re: cut & paste annotations in Python Questions

cut & paste annotations

MikeYoung5 — Fri, 06 Sep 2013 12:39:29 GMT

Can Python be used to cut & paste Annotations? I have read through arcpy.CopyFeatures_management and arcpy.Copy_management ESRI help docs. I have been unable to find anything that mentions cut & paste Annotations.

Re: cut & paste annotations

markdenil — Fri, 06 Sep 2013 17:53:08 GMT

What do you mean by "cut & paste annotations"?
Copy Features respects feature selections on layers....

Re: cut & paste annotations

MikeYoung5 — Fri, 06 Sep 2013 17:58:18 GMT

What do you mean by "cut & paste annotations"?
Copy Features respects feature selections on layers....

I want to cut and paste from one annotation layer to another. Basically, I want the same functionality as the cut & paste buttons from the standard toolbar.

import arcpy

mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument ("CURRENT")
df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames (mxd)[0]
pa = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "PropertyAnno", df)[0]
oa = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "OwnerAnno", df)[0]
arcpy.AddMessage(pa.name)
arcpy.AddMessage(oa.name)

arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(pa, oa)

An ExecuteError is thrown. ExecuteError: Failed to execute. Parameters are not valid. ERROR 840: The value is not a Feature Class.

Re: cut & paste annotations

MikeYoung5 — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 11:59:36 GMT

Does anyone have a suggestion on how to fix the CopyFeatures_management statement? The input and outputs are specified. What else is missing? Also, I am using Feature Classes instead of layers.

Re: cut & paste annotations

markdenil — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:44:23 GMT

The output of CopyFeatures is a feature class, not a layer.

oa is a layer, not a Feature Class.

Re: cut & paste annotations

MikeYoung5 — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:49:45 GMT

The output of CopyFeatures is a feature class, not a layer.

oa is a layer, not a Feature Class.

Mark,

How is oa not a Feature Class? ArcCatalog and ArcMap list the Data Type as a File Geodatabase Feature Class.

Re: cut & paste annotations

RichardFairhurst — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 16:14:10 GMT

Mark,

How is oa not a Feature Class? ArcCatalog and ArcMap list the Data Type as a File Geodatabase Feature Class.

The feature layer at its core is a feature class, but the layer itself is on top of that and is a Desktop display wrapper that defines its output location as a layer designed for placement in a map dataframe, not as a feature class file in a directory. This geoprocessing tool cannot use the layer wrapper that hides the feature class information from the tool.

That is why when you interactively complete the tool you cannot drag a layer into the output text box of the CopyFeatures tool or type a layer name into the output of the tool. You have to navigate directories to fill in that part of the tool dialog with a full feature class path or you must only connect raw feature class variables or tool outputs that store direct pointers to a feature class path. Layers are only an indirect pointer to a feature class, not a direct pointer.

Although many people use the term layer indiscriminately to refer to both what you see in the TOC of a Desktop map and the underlying data in ArcCatalog, technically the term is actually only correctly used to refer to what you see in a Desktop map TOC. The data stored on disk seen in ArcCatalog is only a feature class that has its own independent existence even if it was never used to create a layer in a Desktop map TOC. Likewise, layers can exist without a feature class (when a layer has a red exclamation mark due to a lost data connection it is still a layer even though it has no feature class and virtually no real functionality).

Re: cut & paste annotations

MikeYoung5 — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 16:47:25 GMT

The feature layer at its core is a feature class, but the layer itself is on top of that and is a Desktop display wrapper that defines its output location as a layer designed for placement in a map dataframe, not as a feature class file in a directory. This geoprocessing tool cannot use the layer wrapper that hides the feature class information from the tool.

That is why when you interactively complete the tool you cannot drag a layer into the output text box of the CopyFeatures tool or type a layer name into the output of the tool. You have to navigate directories to fill in that part of the tool dialog with a full feature class path or you must only connect raw feature class variables or tool outputs that store direct pointers to a feature class path. Layers are only an indirect pointer to a feature class, not a direct pointer.

Although many people use the term layer indiscriminately to refer to both what you see in the TOC of a Desktop map and the underlying data in ArcCatalog, technically the term is actually only correctly used to refer to what you see in a Desktop map TOC. The data stored on disk seen in ArcCatalog is only a feature class that has its own independent existence even if it was never used to create a layer in a Desktop map TOC. Likewise, layers can exist without a feature class (when a layer has a red exclamation mark due to a lost data connection it is still a layer even though it has no feature class and virtually no real functionality).

Layers can refer to anything with the ArcMap TOC (as you mention) and files with the .lyr extension.

Your logic makes sense. For a tool to run, the input and output folder locations are required.

Therefore, once the environment is set, an error is still returned saying pa does not exist or is not supported. Only one environment is set, since the input and output locations are the same, and the file names remain the same(both are stored within the same File Geodatabase). Is the issue with overwriting the output file?

Re: cut & paste annotations

MikeYoung5 — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 04:10:53 GMT

I am confused as to why the script does not work. I believe something is wrong my CopyFeatures_management statement.

import arcpy

arcpy.env.workSpace = "C:\Working\MyData\Python.gdb"
arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = 'True'

mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument ("CURRENT") 
df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames (mxd)[0] 
pa = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "PropertyAnno", df)[0]
oa = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "OwnerAnno", df)[0]
arcpy.AddMessage(pa.name)
arcpy.AddMessage(oa.name)

arcpy.CopyFeatures_management("pa", "oa")

Yet, if I write a basic script the CopyFeatures_management works. I only want to copy selected features & paste into an existing Feature Class, not create a new Feature Class.

import arcpy
try:
    arcpy.env.workspace = "C:\Working\MyData\Python.gdb"

    arcpy.CopyFeatures_management("HomeValue", "Test")
except:
    print arcpy.GetMessages()

Re: cut & paste annotations

markdenil — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 04:10:56 GMT

pa = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "PropertyAnno", df)[0]
#      pa is the input: it is a layer in arcMap. 
#      Copy Features accepts a layer as input, 
#      so you can have selected or query defined subsets of the FC features

oa = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "OwnerAnno", df)[0]
#      oa is supposed to be the output: it is a layer in arcMap. 
#      Copy Features cannot accept a layer as output; it must write to a fc on disc
#      since the oa layer is in your open ArcMap session, the underlying FC is locked
#      so you cannot write to the underlyng FC either

fc = r"C:\Working\MyData\Python.gdb\AnAnnotationFC"
#      fc is an annotation FC in the same gdb, but is NOT in the open mxd
#      try writing to that


arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(pa, fc)

Re: cut & paste annotations

RichardFairhurst — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 04:10:59 GMT

I am confused as to why the script does not work. I believe something is wrong my CopyFeatures_management statement.
import arcpy

arcpy.env.workSpace = "C:\Working\MyData\Python.gdb"
arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = 'True'

mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument ("CURRENT") 
df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames (mxd)[0] 
pa = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "PropertyAnno", df)[0]
oa = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "OwnerAnno", df)[0]
arcpy.AddMessage(pa.name)
arcpy.AddMessage(oa.name)

arcpy.CopyFeatures_management("pa", "oa")
Yet, if I write a basic script the CopyFeatures_management works. I only want to copy selected features & paste into an existing Feature Class, not create a new Feature Class.

import arcpy
try:
    arcpy.env.workspace = "C:\Working\MyData\Python.gdb"

    arcpy.CopyFeatures_management("HomeValue", "Test")
except:
    print arcpy.GetMessages()

It doesn't work because you are telling the CopyFeatures_management to use the literal strings "pa" and "oa", which are not the names of any layers. Unquote those variables and possibly use the .name property as you did in the messages. So try either:

arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(pa, oa)

or try

arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(pa.name, oa.name)

Re: cut & paste annotations

MikeYoung5 — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:31:26 GMT

It doesn't work because you are telling the CopyFeatures_management to use the literal strings "pa" and "oa", which are not the names of any layers. Unquote those variables and possibly use the .name property as you did in the messages. So try either:

arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(pa, oa)

or try

arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(pa.name, oa.name)

Richard,

I have tested each of the suggestions multiple times and my results were unsuccessful.
arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(pa, oa) approach returns the Error 840: The value is not a Feature Class.
arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(pa.name, oa.name approach runs but does not work.

But, arcpy.env.workspace = "C:\Working\MyData\Python.gdb"
arcpy.CopyFeatures_management("PropertyAnno", "OwnerAnno") works. An annotation is selected and using the Select Features tool, the script runs, and copies and pastes the annotation from PropertyAnno into OwnerAnno.

The issue is with:

pa = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "PropertyAnno", df)[0]
oa = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "OwnerAnno", df)[0]

They are defined as Layers, but the output requires a Feature Class. Commenting those out, the script works outside of an edit session. But, when the script is run multiple times, the previous copy does not save. How can the copy be saved?

Mark, I am currently testing your suggestion.

Re: cut & paste annotations

AdamCrateau1 — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 20:13:03 GMT

Hello,

I am trying to do a similar task:

1. Make a selection_by_attributes on a .gdb Annotation layer.
2. Copy & Paste this selection into an Existing .gdb Annotation layer. Further, I'd like to copy the selected annotation into a specific annotation class within the specified target layer.

I am able to do this in an editing session. Is this possible using python? Can you use cursors to copy and paste features from one FC to another?

Thanks.

Re: cut & paste annotations

RichardFairhurst — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 23:18:46 GMT

Richard,

I have tested each of the suggestions multiple times and my results were unsuccessful.
arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(pa, oa) approach returns the Error 840: The value is not a Feature Class.
arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(pa.name, oa.name approach runs but does not work.

But, arcpy.env.workspace = "C:\Working\MyData\Python.gdb"
arcpy.CopyFeatures_management("PropertyAnno", "OwnerAnno") works. An annotation is selected and using the Select Features tool, the script runs, and copies and pastes the annotation from PropertyAnno into OwnerAnno.

The issue is with:

pa = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "PropertyAnno", df)[0]
oa = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "OwnerAnno", df)[0]

They are defined as Layers, but the output requires a Feature Class. Commenting those out, the script works outside of an edit session. But, when the script is run multiple times, the previous copy does not save. How can the copy be saved?

Mark, I am currently testing your suggestion.

Try:

arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(pa, oa.dataSource)

pa should be the layer, because it has a selection, but dataSource should get the feature class and path for the output.

Re: cut & paste annotations

MikeYoung5 — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 11:08:31 GMT

Try:

arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(pa, oa.dataSource)

pa should be the layer, because it has a selection, but dataSource should get the feature class and path for the output.

Richard,

The result is the same. The script works, the selected annotation is copied from pa to oa. But, when the script is run the second time, the first copy is nullified, and the annotation(s) revert back from oa to pa. It works like editing and not saving edits. The tricky part seems to be copying & pasting into an existing Feature Class and having the Annotations saved into the Feature Class. I have also tried the Copy_management(input, output), but the statement does not like the existing oa Feature Class. Any further suggestions on how to get the copy & paste to "save"?

Mark,

Your suggestion of copying & pasting to a new Feature Class works. But, I want to use the two existing Annotation Feature Classes within ArcMap.

Re: cut & paste annotations

RichardFairhurst — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 18:37:46 GMT

Richard,

The result is the same. The script works, the selected annotation is copied from pa to oa. But, when the script is run the second time, the first copy is nullified, and the annotation(s) revert back from oa to pa. It works like editing and not saving edits. The tricky part seems to be copying & pasting into an existing Feature Class and having the Annotations saved into the Feature Class. I have also tried the Copy_management(input, output), but the statement does not like the existing oa Feature Class. Any further suggestions on how to get the copy & paste to "save"?

Mark,

Your suggestion of copying & pasting to a new Feature Class works. But, I want to use the two existing Annotation Feature Classes within ArcMap.

It sounds to me like you are expecting Copy Features to do something it won't do. It won't append features to an existing feature class, it creates a new feature class. To append to an existing feature class and keep any previously existing features you have to use Append.

If you actually do want to overwrite an existing feature class with a new feature class that uses the same name you cannot use the environment overwrite setting in a Python script to do that. That setting does not work in a Python script, it only works in Model Builder. You have to explicitly use the Delete tool to delete an existing feature class and then you can write to the same name the second time. This is how it always works. I have to run a script once without the Delete tool to just generate the outputs during the first run. Then before I can run it any more times I first have to add the Delete tool to the code and then I can run it again.

Re: cut & paste annotations

MikeYoung5 — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 19:04:43 GMT

It sounds to me like you are expecting Copy Features to do something it won't do. It won't append features to an existing feature class, it creates a new feature class. To append to an existing feature class and keep any previously existing features you have to use Append.

If you actually do want to overwrite an existing feature class with a new feature class that uses the same name you cannot use the environment overwrite setting in a Python script to do that. That setting does not work in a Python script, it only works in Model Builder. You have to explicitly use the Delete tool to delete an existing feature class and then you can write to the same name the second time. This is how it always works. I have to run a script once without the Delete tool to just generate the outputs during the first run. Then before I can run it any more times I first have to add the Delete tool to the code and then I can run it again.

Based on your second paragraph, I was able to modify the script. The script now runs as intended. It copies from pa, pastes into oa, and deletes the original annotation from pa.

Re: cut & paste annotations

JacobDrvar — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 18:37:07 GMT

All,

I am writing a similiar script. I need the output to have parentheses added around an integer. For example, instead of 31, I need the output to be (31). Where can I locate information on how to add parentheses?

Re: cut & paste annotations

RichardFairhurst — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 19:21:30 GMT

All,

I am writing a similiar script. I need the output to have parentheses added around an integer. For example, instead of 31, I need the output to be (31). Where can I locate information on how to add parentheses?

In python to make an integer variable into a string with parentheses added around it you would do something like:

parenInt = "(" + str(myInt) + ")"

where myInt is an integer value variable and parenInt is a string of the interger surrounded by parantheses.

Re: cut & paste annotations

JacobDrvar — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 11:47:45 GMT

In python to make an integer variable into a string with parentheses added around it you would do something like:

parenInt = "(" + str(myInt) + ")"

where myInt is an integer value variable and parenInt is a string of the interger surrounded by parantheses.

The string is not working. I suspect that is because I asked the wrong question. I have an Annotation Feature Class that is displaying the information as integers within ArcMap, but the field type is a string.