Is it possible to use the arcpy.mapping classes within visual studio?

[maxsteinbrenner]

So is there a way you can use arcpy code from within a vb.net project? Currently have a pretty big custom set of addin's written in vb.net and can't figure out how to do one part of what i want with .net code. In acpy it is easy so i was wondering if i could somehow stick a little arcpy code in the visual studio project?

[DanPatterson_Retired]

I don't use it, or net stuff in general, but there is a whole section on arcpy access which you will have to troll through

http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcobjects/latest/net/webframe.htm#aecfa7f0-ac98-4a1c-ae36-f012211efb3c...

[DuncanHornby]

Just an idea but if what you can do easily in arcpy is actually calling  one or more geo-processing tools then you could call the same tools within ArcObjects. The key interface I use is IGeoProcessor​. There are loads of examples on this forum showing you how to call existing geo-processing tools.

[maxsteinbrenner]

Dan and Duncan,

thanks for the replys!

I was able to access the  IGeoProcessor

Dim GP As IGeoProcessor = Nothing (works!)

My problem is hooking into the active map document and using the layers within the mxd i am working with in the vb.net project.

stuff like

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

in_features = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd)[0]

(stolen from arcpy scripts i found on the internet)

my first goal is to get something like this to run:

GP.FeatureclassToFeatureclass_conversion(in_features, out_path, out_name)

but to have it reference a layer within the mxd i am working for the in_features.

[DanPatterson_Retired]

I am beginning to think that trying to consolidate everything into one, might not be such a good idea.  Arcobjects I am sure can accommodate this, but arcpy and python are the preferred combinations I suspect... perhaps that is the py part of arcpy. 

[DuncanHornby]

Firstly you would not set your pointer to nothing as you have you need to point it to the GeoProcessor

Dim GP As IGeoProcessor = New GeoProcessor
GP.Execute(.....)

If you want to access individual layers you need to use IMXDocument.focusmap.layer(x) where x is the index position. Suggest searching for examples in help and on forum.

[maxsteinbrenner]

Duncan,

Thanks for trying to help me through this...

I am not sure i understand what you mean though. Do you mean pass the variables in in a traditional vb.net sense like?

    Private Sub Export_to_shp()

        Dim GP As IGeoProcessor = New ESRI.ArcGIS.Geoprocessing.GeoProcessor

        'Declare variables for input

        Dim in_features As IFeatureLayer

        Dim out_path As String

        Dim out_name As String

        Dim m_pMxDoc As ESRI.ArcGIS.ArcMapUI.IMxDocument

        m_pMxDoc = My.ArcMap.Document

        in_features = m_pMxDoc.FocusMap.Layer(2)

        out_path = "H:\SwiftReach"

        out_name = "test.shp"

        GP.FeatureclassToFeatureclass_conversion(in_features, out_path, out_name)

    End Sub

Because when i try that in like in the code above; it blows up at:

GP.FeatureclassToFeatureclass_conversion(in_features, out_path, out_name)

with the error

NullReferenceException was unhandled

That is why i started to try to go down the rabbit hole of trying to call the variables through some other more "arcpy" like means.

I am beginning to think as Dan had mentioned above that there is too much mixing of styles here maybe? And that this may not work as i'd imagined it... Would be cool though; the arcpy tools are so much more intuitive to me.

Any continued ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[DuncanHornby]

It looks like you are mixing geoprocessors, there is a COM object and a .Net object (well thats how I understand it), look at this page:

How to run a geoprocessing tool

[maxsteinbrenner]

Duncan,

Again thanks for your continued help!

I feel like with that last tip i am getting closer for sure!

Here is the current state of the code:

    Private Sub Export_to_shp()

        Dim GP As IGeoProcessor = New ESRI.ArcGIS.Geoprocessing.GeoProcessor
        Dim fctofcconversion As ESRI.ArcGIS.ConversionTools.FeatureClassToShapefile = New ESRI.ArcGIS.ConversionTools.FeatureClassToShapefile()
        Dim m_pMxDoc As ESRI.ArcGIS.ArcMapUI.IMxDocument
        m_pMxDoc = My.ArcMap.Document
        Dim in_features As IFeatureLayer = m_pMxDoc.FocusMap.Layer(2)

        fctofcconversion.Input_Features = in_features
        fctofcconversion.Output_Folder = "H:\SwiftReach"

        GP.Execute(fctofcconversion, Nothing)

    End Sub

the problem in this one is in the GP.Execute; error is:

Argument not specified for parameter 'pTrackCancel' of "Public Function Execute (Name as String, iValues as ESRI.arcGIS.esriSystem.IVariantArray, pTrackCancel as ESRI.arcGIS.esriSystem.ITrackCancel) As ESRI.ArcGIS.Geoprocessing.IGeoProcessorResult

So i tried to mess with it a little based on the error:

  Private Sub Export_to_shp()

        Dim GP As IGeoProcessor = New ESRI.ArcGIS.Geoprocessing.GeoProcessor

        Dim fctofcconversion As ESRI.ArcGIS.ConversionTools.FeatureClassToShapefile = New ESRI.ArcGIS.Geoprocessing.GeoProcessorResult
        Dim m_pMxDoc As ESRI.ArcGIS.ArcMapUI.IMxDocument
        m_pMxDoc = My.ArcMap.Document
        Dim in_features As String = m_pMxDoc.FocusMap.Layer(2).Name

        Dim pVA As ESRI.ArcGIS.esriSystem.IVariantArray = New ESRI.ArcGIS.esriSystem.VarArray
        With pVA
            .Add(in_features)
            .Add("H:\SwiftReach")
        End With

        'fctofcconversion.Input_Features = in_features
        'fctofcconversion.Output_Folder = "H:\SwiftReach"

        GP.Execute(fctofcconversion, pVA, Nothing)

    End Sub

In this version the error is still in the gp.execute but specifically on the fctofcconversion variable:

Value of type 'ESRI.arcGIS.ConversionTools.FeatureClassToShapefile' cannot be converted to String

[DuncanHornby · Accepted solution]

Again it looks like you are mixing the two types of geo-processors. See the VBA code below, note the type of geoprocessor I am using and how I call the tool by it's name

Dim pGeoProcessor As IGeoProcessor
Set pGeoProcessor = New GeoProcessor
With pGeoProcessor
    .OverwriteOutput = True
    .LogHistory = False
    .AddOutputsToMap = False
    .TemporaryMapLayers = True
End With
Dim pGeoProcessorResult As IGeoProcessorResult
Dim pVariantArray As IVariantArray
Set pVariantArray = New VarArray
Set pVariantArray = New VarArray
With pVariantArray
    .Add pFeatureLayer_Urban
    .Add "INTERSECT"
    .Add pFeatureLayer_Catchments
    .Add ""
    .Add "NEW_SELECTION"
End With
Set pGeoProcessorResult = pGeoProcessor.Execute("SelectLayerByLocation", pVariantArray, Nothing)