Inconsistent export to pdf results.

[RandyMcGregor1]

I have  a simple python script that updates a scene bookmark for each of 50 map series map bookmarks and exports a layout. I run it for each of 50 map series bookmarks. 

It works fine, but some of the outputs are missing features and I need to redo them. I'm guessing it's going "too fast" and some of the layouts are exporting before the layout has fully drawn all the features. Is there a way to slow it down, or tell it to wait till everything's drawn fully before it exports?

Thank you,

Randy McGregor

#
# Export map series and update scene bookmarks.
#
import arcpy, os, sys, time

out_folder = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)

p = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("CURRENT")
l = p.listLayouts()[0]
#
# Get the scene:
#
for m in p.listMaps():
    
    if m.mapType == 'SCENE':
        s = m
        break
#
# Get the scene frame:
#
for mf in l.listElements('MAPFRAME_ELEMENT'):

    if mf.camera.mode != "MAP":
        sf = mf
        break
#
# Run the map series:
#
if not l.mapSeries is None:
  ms = l.mapSeries
  
  if ms.enabled:
      
    for pageNum in range(1, ms.pageCount + 1):
      ms.currentPageNumber = pageNum
      time.sleep(5)
      pageName = ms.pageRow.STATE_NAME
      arcpy.AddMessage("> "+pageName+"...")
      arcpy.AddMessage("> "+str(pageNum))
      #
      # Find the corresponding scene bookmark:
      #
      for bk in s.listBookmarks():
          
          if bk.name == pageName:
              arcpy.AddMessage("> Zooming to bookmark: "+bk.name+"...")
              sf.zoomToBookmark(bk)
        
      arcpy.AddMessage(out_folder+"\\Election_2020_"+pageName+".pdf")             
      l.exportToPDF(out_folder+"\\Election_2020_"+pageName+".pdf")

[Anonymous User]

Hi Randy,

without running your code, I'm just guessing the missing outputs (or bookmarks) are dropped out because code to call the exportToPDF method isn't called in the if bk.name== pageName block.

you could experiment with:

if s.listBookmarks(): # check presence of bookmarks
    for bk in s.listBookmarks():
        if bk.name == pageName:
            arcpy.AddMessage("> Zooming to bookmark: "+bk.name+"...")
            sf.zoomToBookmark(bk)
                
            arcpy.AddMessage(out_folder+"\\Election_2020_"+pageName+".pdf") 
            # call exportToPDF here for the bookmark     
            l.exportToPDF(out_folder+"\\Election_2020_"+pageName+".pdf")
        
else: # exportToPDF when there are no bookmarks
    arcpy.AddMessage(out_folder+"\\Election_2020_"+pageName+".pdf")
    l.exportToPDF(out_folder+"\\Election_2020_"+pageName+".pdf")

if this isn't working, then perhaps look at the doc about the Result object.

There is an example in there where you can wait for the success signal in a while loop. 

I'm not sure if the zoomToBookmark method returns a result. 

while result.status < 4:
    time.sleep(0.2)

[RandyMcGregor1]

Thanks David,

I'll give that a try. Appreciate it.

Randy