create extent indicator using arcpy

[masa]

Hello everybody, 

I want to create an extent indicator by using arcpy. Here is an example how it should look like: 

I know I have to use CIM for the solution but I have difficulties understanding the documentation. 

Here is the code snippet I have tried out so far. As a result, no extent indicator is displayed at all. I have also swapped both map frames with each other and assigned ei_cim.sourceMapFrame = mf_main instead of ei_cim.sourceMapFrame = mf_main.name, but it doesn't help:

# Extent Indicator wird gesetzt 
lyt_cim = lyt.getDefinition('V2') 
ei_cim = arcpy.cim.CreateCIMObjectFromClassName('CIMExtentIndicator', 'V2')
ei_cim.sourceMapFrame = mf_main.name
ei_cim.extentIndicatorType = "Frame"
ei_cim.isVisible = True
ei_cim.name = "extent_indicator"

lyt_cim.elements[7].extentIndicators.insert(0, ei_cim)

lyt.setDefinition(lyt_cim)

lyt_cim.elements[7] is the second mapframe element. 

What am I doing wrong?

[HaydenWelch]

This is actually something that could be accomplished pretty trivially using a map series if you have access to ArcPro. Just set up a series for the overview then link the second map to the primary map series and have it linked to the center.

[JeffBarrette]

@masa I believe the issue is that you don't have ei_cim.symbol or ei_cim.pointSymbol defined.  It will require much more code to define these because multiple CIM classes are required to construct them from scratch.  This is a classic example of where the Layout or MapFrame objects could use a helper function to insert an extent indicator, especially now that new layouts can be created.  I would suggest adding an Esri Idea requesting this exact functionality.  If you are not creating a layout in your script, it may be a lot easier to modify an already existing extent indicator.

Jeff - Layout and arcpy.mp teams.

I'll see if I can come up with a CIM solution later.

[JeffBarrette]

@masa here is some sample code to at least create the ei_cim.symbol.  PointSymbol still needs to be defined if needed. Lines 6-26 below were added.  I also altered how I'm finding the locator map frame in the CIM elements list instead of hard coding an index number (line 38-40).

p = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject('current')
lyt = p.listLayouts()[0]
mf = lyt.listElements('MapFrame_Element', 'Main MF')[0] 
lyt_cim = lyt.getDefinition('V3')

#Create Polygon Symbol with solid stroke outline and transparenent fill
polyStrokeRGBColor = arcpy.cim.CreateCIMObjectFromClassName('CIMRGBColor', 'V3')
polyStrokeRGBColor.values = [0, 0, 0, 100]

polySymLyr1 = arcpy.cim.CreateCIMObjectFromClassName('CIMSolidStroke', 'V3')
polySymLyr1.capStyle = "Round"
polySymLyr1.joinStyle = "Round"
polySymLyr1.width = 1
polySymLyr1.color = polyStrokeRGBColor

polyFillRGBColor = arcpy.cim.CreateCIMObjectFromClassName('CIMRGBColor', 'V3')
polyFillRGBColor.values = [0, 0, 0, 0] 

polySymLyr2 = arcpy.cim.CreateCIMObjectFromClassName('CIMSolidFill', 'V3')
polySymLyr2.color = polyFillRGBColor

polySym = arcpy.cim.CreateCIMObjectFromClassName('CIMPolygonSymbol', 'V3')
polySym.symbolLayers = [polySymLyr1, polySymLyr2]

polySymRef = arcpy.cim.CreateCIMObjectFromClassName('CIMSymbolReference', 'V3')
polySymRef.symbol = polySym


#Create Extent indicator
ei_cim = arcpy.cim.CreateCIMObjectFromClassName('CIMExtentIndicator', 'V3')
ei_cim.sourceMapFrame = mf.name
ei_cim.extentIndicatorType = "Frame"
ei_cim.isVisible = True
ei_cim.name = "extent_indicator"
ei_cim.symbol = polySymRef
#ei_cim.pointSymbol = ptSymRef

for elm in lyt_cim.elements:
    if elm.name == 'Locator MF':
        elm.extentIndicators.insert(0, ei_cim)

#Set back to layer
lyt.setDefinition(lyt_cim)

Jeff