topic Re: Difference: Project Notebook vs Script Tool in Python Questions

Difference: Project Notebook vs Script Tool

DanCrawford — Thu, 01 May 2025 23:51:26 GMT

Hello. I find that when I run a python command from my project notebook, the script runs and does what I expect it to. When I run the same code from a toolbox script that I just created, it runs without error but doesn't do anything.

This is the notebook command:
arcpy.cartography.ConvertLabelsToGraphics(
'Map', 20000, 'SINGLE_LAYER', 'XBA/New LTC-SUP/PofC', 'Graphics', 'DISPLAY',
'GRAPHICS_LAYER_PER_FEATURE_LAYER', 'ONLY_PLACED', 'GroupGraphics')

This is the tool script:
import arcpy
def pofctographic():
tenure_type=arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)
if tenure_type == "LTC-SUP":
   arcpy.AddMessage("LTC-SUP selected")
   arcpy.cartography.ConvertLabelsToGraphics(
     'Map', 20000, 'SINGLE_LAYER', 'XBA/New LTC-SUP/PofC', 'Graphics', 'DISPLAY',
   'GRAPHICS_LAYER_PER_FEATURE_LAYER', 'ONLY_PLACED', 'GroupGraphics')

if tenure_type == "CP":
arcpy.AddMessage("CP selected")
arcpy.cartography.ConvertLabelsToGraphics(
    'Map', 20000, 'SINGLE_LAYER', 'XBA/New CP/PofC', 'Graphics', 'DISPLAY',
    'GRAPHICS_LAYER_PER_FEATURE_LAYER', 'ONLY_PLACED', 'GroupGraphics')
pofctographic()

Re: Difference: Project Notebook vs Script Tool

CodyPatterson — Fri, 02 May 2025 11:02:26 GMT

Hey @DanCrawford

I think in the Notebook, it's setting all the project parameters automatically, but in the Toolbox, you may need to explicitly specify where everything's going, something like this:

import arcpy def pofctographic(): aprx = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("CURRENT") # If in Pro, "CURRENT" if a .aprx file, use the path to that file map_obj = aprx.listMaps("Map")[0] # Make sure 'Map' matches the name of your map tenure_type = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0) if tenure_type == "LTC-SUP": arcpy.AddMessage("LTC-SUP selected") arcpy.cartography.ConvertLabelsToGraphics( map_obj, 20000, 'SINGLE_LAYER', 'XBA/New LTC-SUP/PofC', 'Graphics', 'DISPLAY', 'GRAPHICS_LAYER_PER_FEATURE_LAYER', 'ONLY_PLACED', 'GroupGraphics') elif tenure_type == "CP": arcpy.AddMessage("CP selected") arcpy.cartography.ConvertLabelsToGraphics( map_obj, 20000, 'SINGLE_LAYER', 'XBA/New CP/PofC', 'Graphics', 'DISPLAY', 'GRAPHICS_LAYER_PER_FEATURE_LAYER', 'ONLY_PLACED', 'GroupGraphics') pofctographic()

Let me know if that works!

Cody

Re: Difference: Project Notebook vs Script Tool

DanCrawford — Fri, 02 May 2025 15:49:47 GMT

Thanks! I'm off work until Tuesday but will let you know.

Re: Difference: Project Notebook vs Script Tool

DanCrawford — Tue, 06 May 2025 18:33:13 GMT

Sadly, adding those parameters has no effect.

Re: Difference: Project Notebook vs Script Tool

DanCrawford — Tue, 06 May 2025 23:18:08 GMT

Same thing happens if I run it as a model. Manual model works fine, run from the toolbox does nothing.

Re: Difference: Project Notebook vs Script Tool

AlfredBaldenweck — Wed, 07 May 2025 13:29:05 GMT

I don't have much constructive to add except for I'm currently wrapping up a support case where notebooks/python window work for the code but an ATBX or a PYT also run and do nothing with the exact same code while calling a Geoprocessing Service.

All this to say, it isn't unheard of.

Re: Difference: Project Notebook vs Script Tool

DavidSolari — Thu, 08 May 2025 16:09:56 GMT

I swapped out the toolbox parameter for a feature layer input and got it down to this 2-line reproduction:

import arcpy arcpy.cartography.ConvertLabelsToGraphics( arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("CURRENT").activeMap, 20000, 'SINGLE_LAYER', arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0), 'Graphics', 'MAXOF', 'GRAPHICS_LAYER_PER_FEATURE_LAYER', 'ONLY_PLACED', 'GroupGraphics' )

I get the same issue as you in Pro 3.4.0, no changes are made to the map. I think the next move is to contact your support team to see if they can replicate it, hopefully this leads to a bug fix or a workaround.

Re: Difference: Project Notebook vs Script Tool

DanCrawford — Thu, 08 May 2025 16:22:30 GMT

Thanks. I have opened a ticket with ESRI. I'll update this post if/when a solution is provided.

Re: Difference: Project Notebook vs Script Tool

DanCrawford — Sun, 11 May 2025 04:59:07 GMT

Dylan from ESRI Canada has provided this solution:
As a workaround, you can assign the result of the arcpy.cartography.ConvertLabelsToGraphics function to a variable, then add the first element of this variable (which will be the group layer) to the map object as follows:

import arcpy arpx = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("CURRENT") map_obj = arpx.listMaps("Map")[0] glayer = arcpy.cartography.ConvertLabelsToGraphics(map_obj, 2000, 'SINGLE_LAYER', 'XBA/PofC') map_obj.addLayer(glayer[0])

Thank-you Dylan!