Hi, i have the following code: import arcgisscripting gp = arcgisscripting . create () input = "c:/Borders/home.txt" inSep = "." output = "c:/Borders/outtext.txt" gp . CreateFeaturesFromTextFile ( input , inSep , output , "#" ) And my point txt is in that form: Point 0 8674596.8 9856351.9 100.967430980 End But the point i am getting doesn't have the third column. Why is that happening?

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How to create a shp with specific attributes from txt file

Kostas

Hi, i have the following code:

<SPAN class="kwd" style="color: #8a4a0b; font-size: 12px;">import</SPAN><SPAN class="pln" style="color: #000000; font-size: 12px;"> arcgisscripting
gp </SPAN><SPAN class="pun" style="color: #145680; font-size: 12px;">=</SPAN><SPAN class="pln" style="color: #000000; font-size: 12px;"> arcgisscripting</SPAN><SPAN class="pun" style="color: #145680; font-size: 12px;">.</SPAN><SPAN class="pln" style="color: #000000; font-size: 12px;">create</SPAN><SPAN class="pun" style="color: #145680; font-size: 12px;">()</SPAN><SPAN class="pln" style="color: #000000; font-size: 12px;">
</SPAN><SPAN class="pln" style="color: #000000; font-size: 12px;">input </SPAN><SPAN class="pun" style="color: #145680; font-size: 12px;">=</SPAN><SPAN class="pln" style="color: #000000; font-size: 12px;"> </SPAN><SPAN style="color: #145680; font-size: 12px;">"c:/Borders/home.txt"</SPAN><SPAN class="pln" style="color: #000000; font-size: 12px;">
inSep </SPAN><SPAN class="pun" style="color: #145680; font-size: 12px;">=</SPAN><SPAN class="pln" style="color: #000000; font-size: 12px;"> </SPAN><SPAN class="str" style="color: #800000; font-size: 12px;">"."</SPAN><SPAN class="pln" style="color: #000000; font-size: 12px;">
output </SPAN><SPAN class="pun" style="color: #145680; font-size: 12px;">=</SPAN><SPAN class="pln" style="color: #000000; font-size: 12px;"> "c:/Borders/outtext.txt"</SPAN><SPAN class="pln" style="color: #000000; font-size: 12px;">
gp</SPAN><SPAN class="pun" style="color: #145680; font-size: 12px;">.</SPAN><SPAN class="typ" style="color: #2b91af; font-size: 12px;">CreateFeaturesFromTextFile</SPAN><SPAN class="pun" style="color: #145680; font-size: 12px;">(</SPAN><SPAN class="pln" style="color: #000000; font-size: 12px;">input</SPAN><SPAN class="pun" style="color: #145680; font-size: 12px;">,</SPAN><SPAN class="pln" style="color: #000000; font-size: 12px;"> inSep</SPAN><SPAN class="pun" style="color: #145680; font-size: 12px;">,</SPAN><SPAN class="pln" style="color: #000000; font-size: 12px;"> output</SPAN><SPAN class="pun" style="color: #145680; font-size: 12px;">,</SPAN><SPAN class="pln" style="color: #000000; font-size: 12px;"> </SPAN><SPAN class="str" style="color: #800000; font-size: 12px;">"#"</SPAN><SPAN class="pun" style="color: #145680; font-size: 12px;">)</SPAN>

And my point txt is in that form:

Point

0 8674596.8 9856351.9 100.967430980

End

But the point i am getting doesn't have the third column. Why is that happening?

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Accepted answers

OwenEarley

This example assumes the text file is comma separated (X, Y, Value). You will also need to change the spatial reference id and output field name to suit your needs:

import arcpy, os

# read data from file (x, y, custom value)
row_values = []
with open(r'G:\Temp\GeoNet\Script\test.txt') as f:
    for line in f:
        tmp = line.split(',')
        row_values.append((float(tmp[0]),float(tmp[1]),float(tmp[2])))

# Define the shapefile
shp = r'G:\Temp\GeoNet\Script\pts.shp'

# Define spatial reference and create shapefile.
sr = arcpy.SpatialReference(28355)
arcpy.CreateFeatureclass_management (out_path = os.path.dirname(shp), out_name = os.path.basename(shp), geometry_type = "POINT", spatial_reference = sr)
arcpy.AddField_management(shp, "DataField", "DOUBLE")

# Use InsertCursor to update rows
cursor = arcpy.da.InsertCursor(shp, ['SHAPE@X','SHAPE@Y','DataField'])
for row in row_values:
    cursor.insertRow(row)

# Clean up
del cursor

All comments

Kostas

Ms Fox just to try it, i brought my data to that form

x,y,value
674596.8 9856351.9 100.967430980

and although the text in ArcMap has correctly put each number in x,y,value column when it comes to make x,y event layer i get an 000212 error. I tried the same with comma(,) and a space also but was the same.

SepheFox

Hi Kon, The first line of your text would just be the field headings (x, y, value). A z or m value is not required. The tool converts your xy values to points, and maintains the other value fields as required. I just did a quick test of made up data of 3 points. It worked great. This was a simple notepad file with tabs between values:

Kostas

I could do that also Ms Fox, but i don't know what the first line of my txt should be, also the last column is not z or m value but a value i just need for each point

Kostas

works excellent thank you Mr. Earley

SepheFox

Maybe I'm missing something here, but can't this just be done by using the Create XY Event Layer (ArcGIS Help 10.1)? You would need to export to a shapefile after, of course.

OwenEarley

This example assumes the text file is comma separated (X, Y, Value). You will also need to change the spatial reference id and output field name to suit your needs:

import arcpy, os

# read data from file (x, y, custom value)
row_values = []
with open(r'G:\Temp\GeoNet\Script\test.txt') as f:
    for line in f:
        tmp = line.split(',')
        row_values.append((float(tmp[0]),float(tmp[1]),float(tmp[2])))

# Define the shapefile
shp = r'G:\Temp\GeoNet\Script\pts.shp'

# Define spatial reference and create shapefile.
sr = arcpy.SpatialReference(28355)
arcpy.CreateFeatureclass_management (out_path = os.path.dirname(shp), out_name = os.path.basename(shp), geometry_type = "POINT", spatial_reference = sr)
arcpy.AddField_management(shp, "DataField", "DOUBLE")

# Use InsertCursor to update rows
cursor = arcpy.da.InsertCursor(shp, ['SHAPE@X','SHAPE@Y','DataField'])
for row in row_values:
    cursor.insertRow(row)

# Clean up
del cursor

OwenEarley

With the old gp.CreateFeaturesFromTextFile tool you are limited to just creating points with id, x, y, z and m values. I wouldn't bother using this old tool - getting the sample you found to work is a much better option.

Kostas

this is an iteresting code i 've found from (http://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/149240/creating-shp-from-txt-files-using-arcpy?noredirect=1#comment218408_149240 ) but for some reason is not working for my data. I am posting it here:

import arcpy, os # Read txt file tmp = [line.split() for line in open(r'C:\temp\txtfile.txt')] """ Clean txt file and prepare for Insert Cursor Needs to be in the following format for this example: [('60.9090909091', ('347172.2', '4269952.7')), ('85.7334909091', ('337172.8', '4278952.4')), ('123.909673091', ('344572.3', '4547952.2')), ('456.467809091', ('347532.8', '8777952.8'))] """ row_values = [] for t in tmp:   row_values.append((float(t[3]), (float(t[1]), float(t[2])))) # Define the shapefile shp = r'C:\temp\points.shp' # Define spatial reference and create shapefile. Factory code for NAD83 UTM 15N is used here sr = arcpy.SpatialReference(26915) arcpy.CreateFeatureclass_management (out_path = os.path.dirname(shp), out_name = os.path.basename(shp), geometry_type = "POINT", spatial_reference = sr) arcpy.AddField_management(shp, "Field1", "DOUBLE") # Use InsertCursor to update rows cursor = arcpy.da.InsertCursor(shp, ['Field1','SHAPE@XY']) for row in row_values:   cursor.insertRow(row) # Clean up del cursor

Kostas

unfortunately nothing changes

Kostas

the last column is just a value for the specific point not a z or an m value. Can't that be?

DanPatterson_Retired

the 3rd column is the z value if the first is an id. You have to creat pointZ file if you want the z values within the point. I would suggest that you create the point with X and Y and assign the z as a field.

Also, separating by space would be smarter than a period

also see other suggestions here arcgis desktop - Creating shp from txt files using ArcPy? - Geographic Information Systems Stack Exchange in case someone is just starting to research a solution

OwenEarley

Have you tried putting in a zero for the m value?

The documentation states that if the z and m values are not provided then they will be assigned a null value but the tool may be expecting none or both to be specified.

Would be a simple test:

Point

0 8674596.8 9856351.9 100.967430980 0.0

End

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