So now I'm trying to remove buffered roads from the previously selected areas.
>>> # Remove the buffered roads from the suitable vegetation areas
>>> erase = arcpy.Erase_analysis(select, "buffer", "in_memory/erase")
Runtime error Traceback (most recent call last): File "<string>", line 1, in <module> File "c:\program files (x86)\arcgis\desktop10.1\arcpy\arcpy\analysis.py", line 205, in Erase raise e ExecuteError: ERROR 000732: Input Features: Dataset in_memory\select does not exist or is not supported
So then I tried changing the buffer feature, but nothing doing
>>> erase = arcpy.Erase_analysis(select, buffer, "in_memory/erase")
Runtime error Traceback (most recent call last): File "<string>", line 1, in <module> File "c:\program files (x86)\arcgis\desktop10.1\arcpy\arcpy\analysis.py", line 205, in Erase raise e ExecuteError: ERROR 000732: Input Features: Dataset in_memory\select does not exist or is not supported
What's strange is that when I selected the vegetation ArcMap created results for that but when I added the buffer code, ArcMap also added it to my list of layers (in addition to showing the results). Could someone help me understand what's going on here.
Think you need to re-read the help for the select and erase tools as suggested here http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/87442-select-arcpy.Select_analysis-HELP!!.The error is not related to the buffer FC, but what you are trying to use as input from FC that doesn't exist (in_memory\select).SelectLayerByAttribute doesn't work on FC, must be a layer or view (ArcMap silently substitues a view when you pick FC in Model builder/tools, so if you did that, it will break as stand alone without running MakeFeatureLayer first).
MakeFeatureLayer_management (in_features, out_layer, {where_clause}, {workspace}, {field_info}) ## this will make a feature layer that can be fed into the select tool if this where clause isn't sufficient
SelectLayerByAttribute_management (out_layer, {selection_type}, {where_clause}) ## use the feature layer as input to the select tool. this puts the selection on the layer until removed or re-selected
FeatureClassToFeatureClass_conversion (out_layer, "C:/output/temp.gdb", "in_features" {where_clause}) # if nothing fancy in your select, you could skip that and makefeature and include your where clause here
## in fact, all three support where clause, so if not switching selection, no need for selectlayertool
Erase_analysis ("C:/output/temp.gdb/in_features", buffer, "in_memory/erase"), {cluster_tolerance}) ## use the FC created from the selected values to be erased from.
That should get you on the right track.Also, as lmwood suggested, it is really hard to try to "guess" what the previous lines of code are (unless I look at all your posts), so having the code that comes before these statements can help. Often something elsewhere in the script that is causing the problems (I.e., wrong variable type, value, etc.). R_I am looking in the help documentation for the erase tool, and it does not say if it will honor only the selected feature or not. That is why I convert to featureLAYER with the selection on it to a new in_memory feature class (which would be comprised of only features that were selected) and use this temporary in_memory dataset as your erase feature input.also, it appears as if you are trying to erase features from your "selection"? Not sure how or even if that would work. Would you expect it to erase the buffers from only the selected features in the input FC?
