Generate points along lines, at specified intervals, preserving measurement value

[CFrate]

I'm looking into various ways of creating points from a line feature class. My line class contains a FromValue field and ToValue field.

At the moment I'm attempting to do this with Linear Referencing, creating a route layer from the line data. If there are better options, then I'd like to hear them.

I have created the Routes using the from and to fields instead of length. After testing, it appears to be fairly accurate for my needs.

Now, what I want to do is to generate points at regular intervals along those routes. So, for each route I want to create a point every 50', and for that point to contain the measurement value.

An alternative would be, rather than to have points at 50' intervals, to show a new point for each integer value.

For example:

RouteName = Hood

Hood.length = 1600

FromValue = 566

ToValue = 680

Option 1: I want to create a new point along Hood every 50', so that the point created at the start of Hood is given the value of 566, and the next point is created 50' farther, with a value of 570 or so.

Option 2: Instead of creating the points every 50', a new point would be created along Hood with each integer value increase. So, there would be points for 566, 567, 568... and they would be placed however far apart they should be for the particular route.

I've managed to do this on a small scale with the Construct Points tool, except that a) the tool can be used only on one line at a time, and b) the points are not given the measurement value from the route.

[ChrisDonohue__GISP]

One way to address this is to create Station Points.  ET Geowizards, a third-party software, can do this.  The Station Points function is a free one.

ET GeoWizards for ArcGIS - Free functions

Chris Donohue, GISP

[CFrate · Accepted solution]

Chris - That does seem to be a starting point, but there is no assigning of measurement attributes to the output, so I can't tell it to use the measurement value from the routes, or for it to start its points with FromValue and increase from there. It just begins at 0.

**edit**

I'm thinking that it could work if I create the Station points, and then use the Locate along Route tool, as Gerry advised... Will give it a try next week.

[GerryGabrisch]

Option 1: I want to create a new point along Hood every 50', so that the point created at the start of Hood is given the value of 566, and the next point is created 50' farther, with a value of 570 or so.

So the 570 value would be added to the attribute table and the 570 values is the straight line distance between the newly created interval point and the point of origin of the line?

[GerryGabrisch]

Or do you want to Locate Features Along Routes after you have created the points?

ArcGIS Help 10.1

[CFrate]

I'd initially considered this, but this tool requires an input table of events. I'm trying to create events from scratch based upon the routes.

[CFrate]

No, with option 1, the measurements are not feet. They are based upon the From and To value fields. 570 is an interpolated measurement along the route, ~50' beyond the measurement of 566.

[GerryGabrisch]

Do you have an interpolated surface as a raster dataset?  If so, you can create the points using one of several python tools out there, then use add surface information tool in the 3D-ArcToolbox to populate the points with the interpolated value from the interpolated raster.

[mayLing]

.

[TedKowal]

I simply create an event table or regular table from a SQL query or excel (your favorite tool) that outputs the route, begin measure then increments by whatever want till it reaches or equals the end measure for the particular route then go on to the next route and do the same till you hit the bottom of your route list.

I use that output as an event table and simply event map it against you linear referencing system.