Clearing Selected features in mxd

[JohnHaynes]

I am using ArcGIS 10,3 and I am trying to create a python script that will automate a mapping process.  I have point feature classes and polygon feature classes.  I have used MakeFeatureLayer_management to create layers.  I then use SelectLayerByLocation to select the polygon that INTERSECTS with the point layer and then I add both the point layer and polygon to the mxd.  Once I have them there, I then zoomToSelectedFeatures.  I am having trouble clearing the selected features once they have been added to the mxd prior to my exporting the mxd to a pdf.  Any help would be appreciated.

JD

[IanMurray · Accepted solution]

arcpy.SelectLayerByAttribute_management(Layer, "CLEAR_SELECTION")

arcpy.RefreshActiveView()

[DarrenWiens2]

Untested, but I believe you can run Select Layer By Attribute, specifying CLEAR_SELECTION as the selection type.

[IanMurray]

Tested many many time previously and works.

[IanMurray]

That is a workflow that I have had to set up as well.  Have a few maps templates, have to loop through each record in a polygon feature class, zoom to the feature, use attribute data to control text elements on my map, then export out to chosen output type on each template. 

[JohnHaynes]

Ian,

Thank you very much this was very helpful.  I had trouble at first using the arcpy.SelectLayerByAttribute_management right after I had added the layer and zoomToSelectedFeatures.  What I ended up doing was to use a "for loop" to go through the layers in a TOCLayer list and used an "if" statement to clear it there.  Not sure if this is the most efficient way to do this, but it is working now.  Thanks!