Latest Contributions by Suzanne-Boden

Updated June 25, 2020. This post was originally published in 2017. As of August 2016, all customers with a qualifying Esri product that is current on maintenance receive unlimited access to e-Learning on the Training site. With hundreds of e-Learning options in the Training catalog and more added each week, this benefit is pretty amazing. Perhaps more amazing, anyone at a maintenance customer organization is eligible to take advantage of e-Learning to grow their geospatial knowledge and build ArcGIS skills. There's no requirement to have a product license or named user status.  When we launched this benefit, access to e-Learning was enabled when an individual's ArcGIS account (public or ArcGIS Online organizational account) was connected to their customer organization on the My Esri site. My Esri administrators will still need to connect the accounts of individuals who are not members of an ArcGIS Online organization. ArcGIS Online organization members, however, no longer need to be connected in My Esri. Instead, their e-Learning access is enabled automatically when an administrator enables Esri access for them in ArcGIS Online. If you're a member of an ArcGIS Online organization with Esri access enabled, you can visit the Training site at any time, sign in with your ArcGIS Online organizational account, and access any e-Learning option that catches your fancy. If you're signed into your ArcGIS Online organization when you arrive at the Training site, e-Learning access is seamless (no need to sign in again). If you're a My Esri administrator at a university or college, you no longer have to invite hundreds of student users to connect to your My Esri organization each semester. My Esri does offer the ability to set a time range for student access, however. If that feature is important to you, continue to connect learners in My Esri. Note: E-Learning access cannot be automatically enabled for ArcGIS Enterprise portal users. Those individuals need to be connected through My Esri. ... View more

Today marks the start of our February Esri Technical Certification giveaway, and the first one for this year. This giveaway runs through the 24th, which means you have 14 days to enter for a chance to win a free exam voucher (valued at $225 USD). The voucher can be used to register for any of the available Esri certification exams. As with previous giveaways, the rule is one entry per individual. If you entered one of last year's giveaways, you’ll need to enter again to be included this time. Two winners will be randomly selected and announced on March 1st. Our 10.5 exams are in development and will be released throughout the year. This giveaway is a great opportunity to advance your professional development goals if they include achieving an Esri technical certification. Good luck! Enter the giveaway now. ... View more

A previous post shared five Python code snippets to automate mapping tasks in ArcMap. This post walks you through how to accomplish those same tasks using the ArcGIS Pro Python window. In ArcGIS Pro, the mapping module is called arcpy.mp. To try the snippets below for yourself, make a copy of an ArcGIS Pro project file (APRX) and move it somewhere for testing purposes. You don’t have to be an experienced Python scripter—simply enter the code below into the Python window and check out the results.  You’ll soon see how a few Python tricks can speed up map management. Each snippet below works with ArcGIS Pro 1.x, an existing project file, arcpy.mp module, and Python 3.x. Snippet 1: Check Layer Definition Queries Suppose you need to check if any of the layers in your ArcGIS Pro project have a definition query applied, and if so, view the definition queries. Opening the Layer Properties dialog box for each layer in each map is a pain. Solution: Open the Python window instead and run the code below. The name and definition query of all the layers will be “printed” (i.e., displayed in the Python window). Code Breakdown The first line of code creates a variable called aprx that references the open project using the ArcGISProject function with the CURRENT keyword. The next line of code creates a variable called maps using the listMaps method that returns a Python list of Map objects in the project. A for loop is used to iterate through each map. For each map, the listLayers method is used to create a list of the layers. Another for loop is used to iterate through the list of layers. The Layer class has many properties that can be accessed, including the name and definition query of a layer. Because not all layer types support all properties, the supports method is used to test which properties a layer supports. The last line of code prints (displays) the name of each map, the name of each layer, and each layer's definition query. Snippet 2: Fix Broken Links At some point, you have probably moved map data from one workspace to another. Have you ever seen the dreaded red exclamation marks? If the path to map layers has changed, with just a few lines of code you can quickly find the old workspace path and replace it with the new workspace path for all layers and tables in your project at once. Run the following lines of code in the Python window (be sure to update the paths to reflect your old and new workspaces). Code Breakdown The first line of code is the same as the previous example, creating the variable aprx that references the open ArcGIS Pro project. The updateConnectionProperties method is used to replace the current connection information (first parameter) with new connection information (second parameter) for all layers and tables in the project. Learn more: Updating and fixing data sources Snippet 3: Identify Layers with a Broken Data Source Speaking of those red exclamation marks, you can also use arcpy.mp to print out the layers that have broken links using the code below. Code Breakdown The first line of code creates a variable called aprx that references the open project, just like the examples above. Like the first example, the listMaps and listLayers methods are used to create a list of layers in each map in the project. The for loops are used to iterate through each layer in each of the maps, printing out the name and isBroken layer properties for each. The “\n” adds a line before the map name and creates a separation between the layers for each map. Snippet 4: Inventory Layer Data Sources If you need to know the data source for all the layers in your project, but don’t want to open the Layer Properties dialog box for each, simply run the lines of code below in the Python window to print out the names and data sources of the layers. Code Breakdown This example starts the same way as the previous snippet, creating a variable for the project (aprx), and creating lists of the maps and layers in each of the maps. In this example, you print out the name and dataSource properties for each layer in your map. The supports method is used because not all layers support the dataSource property. Snippet 5: Combine PDF Documents Maybe you’re creating a map book or maybe you have a few PDF documents you need to combine (like your expense report and receipts). You can use arcpy.mp and the PDFDocument class to manipulate PDF documents. Run the code below to combine two PDF documents. Code Breakdown The first line of code creates a variable called pdf that references an existing PDF document. The appendPages method is used to add pages from a PDF to the end of the referenced PDF. To save the changes, the saveAndClose method is used. Want to learn more? If you’d like to learn more about working with the ArcGIS Pro Python window or migrating Python scripts from ArcMap to ArcGIS Pro, check out these resources: Tutorial: Getting started with the arcpy.mp ArcGIS Help: Migrating from arcpy.mapping to ArcGIS Pro  If you'd like an introduction to ArcGIS Pro, these courses are recommended: Getting Started with ArcGIS Pro ArcGIS Pro: Essential Workflows Migrating from ArcMap to ArcGIS Pro  This post was contributed by Esri instructor Brittney White. Based in Washington, D.C., Brittney’s passion is helping customers learn about and apply Esri technology to their own work. ... View more

Have you been meaning to try out the ArcMap Python window, but just aren’t sure how to start? Well, the five code snippets below are a great tool to familiarize yourself with the Python window and the arcpy.mapping module. Make a copy of an MXD file and move it somewhere to test out these snippets. You’ll soon see how useful a few Python tricks can be for map management tasks. Each snippet below works with ArcMap 10.x, an existing map document (MXD file), arcpy.mapping module, and Python 2.x. You don’t have to know any Python syntax to use these snippets. Simply enter the code into the Python window and check out the results. Snippet 1: Check Layer Definition Queries Suppose you need to check if any of the layers in your map document have a definition query applied, and if so, view the definition queries. Opening the Layer Properties dialog box for each layer is a pain.   Solution: Open the Python window instead and run the code below. The name and definition query of all the map layers will be “printed” (i.e., displayed in the Python window). Code Breakdown The first line of code creates a variable called mxd that references the open map document using the CURRENT keyword. The ListLayers function is used to create a list of all the layers in the map document and the for loop is used to iterate through each layer in the map. The Layer class has many properties that can be accessed, including the definition query for a layer. Because not all layer types support all properties, the supports method is used to test which properties a layer supports.  The last line of code prints (displays) the name of each layer and its definition query.   Snippet 2: Fix Broken Links At some point, you have probably moved map data from one workspace to another. Have you ever seen the dreaded red exclamation marks?  If the path to map layers has changed, with just a few lines of code you can quickly find the old workspace path and replace it with the new workspace path for all layers and tables in your map document at once. Run the following lines of code in the Python window (be sure to update the paths to reflect your old and new workspaces). Code Breakdown The first line of code is the same as the previous example, creating the variable mxd that references the open map document. The findAndReplaceWorkspacePaths method is used to search for layers that have the old workspace (first parameter) and update the workspace to the new workspace (second parameter) for all the layers and tables in the map document. The RefreshActiveView function is used to see the changes in the table of contents and on the map.   Snippet 3: Identify Layers with a Broken Data Source Speaking of those red exclamation marks, you can also use arcpy.mapping to print out the layers that have broken links using the code below. Code Breakdown The first line of code creates a variable called mxd that references the open map document, just like the examples above. Like the first example, the ListLayers function creates a list of all  the layers in the map document. Next, the for loop is used to iterate through each layer in the map, printing out the name and isBroken layer properties for each.   Snippet 4: Inventory Layer Data Sources If you need to know the data source for all  the layers in your map, but don’t want to open the Layer Properties dialog box for each, simply run the  lines of code below in the Python window to print out the names and the workspace path of the layers. Code Breakdown Like all the examples above, the first line of code creates the mxd variable to reference the open map document (are you getting the hang of it?). Again, the ListLayers function creates a list of all the layers in the map document that you can iterate through with the for loop. In this example, you print out the layer properties name and workspacePath for each layer in your map. Because not all layers have a workspace path (for example, web services), the supports method is used.   Snippet 5: Combine PDF Documents Maybe you’re creating a map book or maybe you have a few PDF documents you need to combine (like your expense report and receipts). You can use arcpy.mapping and the PDFDocument class to manipulate PDF documents. Run the code below to combine two PDF documents. Code Breakdown The first line of code creates a variable called pdf that references an existing PDF document. The appendPages method is used to add pages from a PDF to the end of the referenced PDF. To save the changes, the saveAndClose method is used.   Want to learn more? If you’d like to learn more about working with the ArcMap Python window or creating stand-alone Python scripts, these resources are recommended: ArcGIS Help: Updating and fixing data sources with arcpy.mapping Tutorial: Getting Started with arcpy.mapping Web Course: Python Scripting for Map Automation Instructor-Led Course: Creating Python Scripts for ArcGIS    This post was contributed by Esri instructor @Brittney White. ... View more