Create a new map in ArcGIS Pro with arcpy

[RonnieRichards]

In Pro 2.0 it does not appear it is possible to create a new map within the project. Please consider adding a method to the ArcGISProject object with the ability to create a new map with a name from arcpy.

Alternatively a copy map method on the existing Map object would be a workable alternative 

You can copy/paste maps manually in a project so this functionality seems like a necessary addition for additional project automation. 

[Anonymous User]

This would be a welcome feature. In my case, I'd like to be able to pass a list of map names to a method that would generate new maps with the names from that list. For example using a hypothetical newMap() method.

aprx = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("CURRENT")
map_list = ['map1', 'map2', 'map3'] 
for m in map_list:
    aprx.newMap(m)
for m in aprx.listMaps():
    print("Map: " + m.name)

# Result
# Map: map1
# Map: map2
# Map: map3‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

In this example, 3 new maps (map1, map2, and map3) would be added to the current project.

[Anonymous User]

This is the kind of process that would be nice to be able to automate:

[EglantinaDani]

It would be very useful to have the command. I wonder if there is a way to do it without waiting for the future versions.

[EricTran]

I'm making a check to create a new map if the user is running an aprx without a map in it.  Creating a new map when the script detects this would be very helpful.

[MaxSquires]

it's not much to look it but:

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""
    make aprx file, 'add' some maps to it:

    #comtypes:
    #one of the following installed libraries are required:
    #C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcGIS\Desktop10.7\com
    #or
    #C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Server\com
"""

import arcpy
import tempfile
import os
import shutil
from shutil import make_archive


out_dir = os.environ["USERPROFILE"] + os.sep + "Desktop"

aprx_name_maps_in_pro = "aprx_with_maps"

## new empty map names:
map_list = ["map1", "map2", "map3"]

#from an empty project (may be able to minimize these items even futher 
# but this does what i need.
cimdoc = """<CIMDocumentInfo xsi:type='typens:CIMDocumentInfo' xmlns:xsi='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance' 
xmlns:xs='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema' xmlns:typens='http://www.esri.com/schemas/ArcGIS/2.4.0'>
<Version>2.4.0</Version><Build>19948</Build><DocumentTitle>New</DocumentTitle><SavePreview>false</SavePreview>
<UseRelativePath>true</UseRelativePath><Antialiasing>esriBGLAntialiasingNone</Antialiasing>
<TextAntialiasing>esriBGLTextAAliasForce</TextAntialiasing></CIMDocumentInfo>"""

#from an empty project
gisproj = """<CIMGISProject xsi:type="typens:CIMGISProject" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" 
xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:typens="http://www.esri.com/schemas/ArcGIS/2.4.0"></CIMGISProject>"""

#from an empty project rb in python 3.
EMPTY_PROJECT_BYTES = b'\x01\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00'


def installComTypes():
    """
        install comtypes in virtaul env at runtime, why not.
    """
    install_com_types_string = """import subprocess
import sys

def install(package):
    subprocess.call([sys.executable, "-m", "pip", "install", package])

    install('comtypes')

    """

    insall_scrpit_name = "install_comtypes"


    install_file = insall_scrpit_name + ".py"

    if os.path.exists(install_file):
        os.remove(install_file)

    with open(install_file, "w") as w_install:
        w_install.write(install_com_types_string)


    import install_comtypes

    
#or not
#hack number 1
installComTypes()
import comtypes

def CreateMXD(path):
    GetModule('esriCarto.olb')
    import comtypes.gen.esriCarto as esriCarto
    #print("dir esriCarto:")
    #print(dir(esriCarto))
    pMapDocument = CreateObject(esriCarto.MapDocument, esriCarto.IMapDocument)
    pMapDocument.New(path)
    #print("dir pMapDocument:")
    #print(dir(pMapDocument))
    #print("dir pMapDocument.map:")
    #print(dir(pMapDocument.Map))
    pMapDocument.Save() #probably not required...


def GetLibPath():
    """ Get the ArcObjects library path

        It would be nice to just load the module directly instead of needing the path,
        they are registered after all... But I just don't know enough about COM to do this

    """
    thisCompath=os.path.join(arcpy.GetInstallInfo()['InstallDir'],'com')
    desktopCompath = r"C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcGIS\Desktop10.7\com"
    serverCompath = r"C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Server\com"
    
    if os.path.exists(thisCompath):
        return thisCompath
    elif os.path.exists(desktopCompath):
        return desktopCompath
    elif os.path.exists(serverCompath):
        return serverCompath
    else:
        raise Exception("#must use desktop or server com libriary (or copy the com folder to a known location")

def GetModule(sModuleName):
    """ Generate (if not already done) wrappers for COM modules
    """
    from comtypes.client import GetModule
    sLibPath = GetLibPath()
    GetModule(os.path.join(sLibPath,sModuleName))
    
def CreateObject(COMClass, COMInterface):
    """ Creates a new comtypes POINTER object where
        COMClass is the class to be instantiated,
        COMInterface is the interface to be assigned
    """
    ptr = comtypes.client.CreateObject(COMClass, interface=COMInterface)
    return ptr


def create_binary_file(_bytes, file_path):
    """
    Create an 'empty' project file
    """
    with open(file_path, 'wb') as fh:
        fh.write(_bytes)

def create_xml_file(xml_string, file_path):
    """
        create an xml file with string of input
    """
    with open(file_path, "w") as xml:
          xml.write(xml_string)

#temporary workspace (emptied at end)
tempDir = tempfile.mkdtemp()


#write xml to documentinfo.xml
create_xml_file(cimdoc, os.path.join(tempDir, "DocumentInfo.xml"))



#write xml to gisproject.xml
create_xml_file(gisproj, os.path.join(tempDir, "GISProject.xml"))



#hack number 2 write binary data to 007Index.ind
create_binary_file(EMPTY_PROJECT_BYTES, os.path.join(tempDir, "007Index.ind"))

#template pro map name
empty_pro_map = "aprx_empty"

#list of required files for creating aprx file
files = ["007Index.ind","GISProject.xml", "DocumentInfo.xml"]

#zip the files one at a time
for f in files:
    shutil.make_archive(os.path.join(out_dir, empty_pro_map), "zip", tempDir)

#empty ArcGISProject
new_aprx_path = os.path.join(out_dir, empty_pro_map) + ".aprx"

#rename the .zip file to .aprx
os.rename(os.path.join(out_dir, empty_pro_map + ".zip"), new_aprx_path)

#  everything below here requires python 3 arcpy
#  you could split this code here.

#  load aprx
aprx = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject(new_aprx_path)




for m in map_list:
    map_path = os.path.join(tempDir, m + ".mxd")
    if os.path.exists(map_path):os.unlink(map_path)
    #hack number 3
    CreateMXD(map_path)

    existing_maps = aprx.listMaps()
    
    aprx.importDocument(map_path)
    existing_maps_now = aprx.listMaps()
    for ma in existing_maps_now:
        if ma not in existing_maps:
            ma.name = m

#output
aprx.saveACopy(os.path.join(out_dir, aprx_name_maps_in_pro + ".aprx"))

#clear temp files (comment the next line out if you want to review the temp files)
shutil.rmtree(tempDir)
print(tempDir)
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save as:

<%path%>\add_maps_to_new_aprx.py

run it like:

C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Pro\bin\Python\Scripts>propy.bat <%path%>add_maps_to_new_aprx.py

the associated toolboxes and geodatabases are created on initial launch, but you could set those if you want.

[PaulDziemiela2]

I think as Ryan demonstrates we would like access to the functionality of the catalog window, much of which is willy-nilly missing.  Max gets points for causing my eyes to bleed staring at the CIM guts, but if that's the answer then Pro is not the right question.

Paul

[MaxSquires]

haha. yeah, that is kind of overkill.  alternatively you can have an empty template mxd file that you use and an empty aprx file and just:

templateMxd = "C:/admin/temp_mxd.mxd"
aprx = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("C:/admin/temp_aprx.aprx")
map_list = ["map1", "map2", "map3"]

for m in map_list:
    
    existing_maps = aprx.listMaps()
    
    aprx.importDocument(templateMxd)
    existing_maps_now = aprx.listMaps()
    # not going to assume these maps are being added at any one index position
    for ma in existing_maps_now:
        if ma not in existing_maps:
            # set the name of the imported map
            ma.name = m

# done adding new maps to aprx, save it
aprx.saveACopy("C:\admin\aprx_with_new_maps.aprx")

[LeandraGordon]

Is this seriously not available still???

[PhilipShutler]

Is there any functionality on how to create a whole new ArcGIS project within the arcpy.mp library of functions. It would be really nice if you didn't have to set up a project manually. Is there a function out there where you can create a project from scratch? Similar to arcpy.management.CreateFileGDB but for ArcGIS projects. 

[Anonymous User]

This would be a really helpful feature.