Latest Contributions by ChrisSnyder

So yes, the operation only works on a single feature class. Maybe you could slam all your seperate layers into a single FC using the Merge tool? Try this: http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.3/index.cfm?TopicName=An_overview_of_sharing_tools_and_toolboxes and look at the subtopics as well. ... View more

Would this help? http://arcscripts.esri.com/details.asp?dbid=16700 ... View more

I don't have any machines still running v9.2, so I can't verify if the "GUID" keyword works there or not... Time to upgrade? ... View more

It would help if you posted your script. Be sure to use the code tag (# button) so the indentation will be preserved. ... View more

In v10 you would probably have to install any modules you wanted to use via v10 in C:\Python26\ArcGIS10.0 folder rather than the default C:\Python26. Note the similar contents of C:\Python26\ArcGIS10.0\Lib and C:\Python26\Lib. ... View more

As memory serves, this was a big issue with v9.2 (Field Calculator hangs)... I recall having this issue especially for large tables > 500k records. The one guaranteed fix is to use an update cursor via a Python script in lieu of the CalculateField tool. ... View more

This line would result in both a very strange and small extent (I assume these are Geographic coordinates): outExtent = Extent(100.123, 100.123, 100.123, 100.123) ... View more

That is pretty hard core geoprocessing! Some suggestions/comments: 1) Instead of arcpy.SelectLayerByAttribute_management("RoadOutline_Points_Layer","NEW_SELECTION",id_sel) use the MakeFeatureLayer tool (and the SQL parameter) - much faster to execute SQL selections because there is no "SelctionType" (CLEAR_SELECTION, SWITCH_SELECTION, etc) overhead I think. 2) Try using the "in_memory" workspace - this should increase the speed of erase, near, etc .by ~30% assuming the input and output FCs are both in the in_memory workspace. See http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//002w0000005s000000.htm 3) You should consider running the Near tool for all the features all at once (instead of just point by point). Then loop through the results. If I'm not mistaken, this would probably be the #1 time saver in your process. Then do the erase all at once too. This would require some geometry writing using an insert cursor to write out the "connect the two dots" line features (use the Near output to define the relationships). 4) Don't run the line arcpy.DeleteField_management(p_centrelinepoints,["NEAR_DIST","NEAR_FID"]). Might save space on disk, but it takes time to delete fields. 5) Instead of the erase, maybe a Select By Location is all that is required (if the line gets selected - selected count = 1 because it intersects with the road area, isn't that the same as an erase returning an empty feature class?). 6. Imbeded cursors are slow. Consider using a Python distionary to emulate imbedded cursor behavior: http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/8428-Setting-a-Single-Record-to-Selected-with-Python?p=25930&viewfull=1#post25930 Hope something here helps! ... View more

In v9.3 use the "GUID" field type keyword (even though the Help says it's not there it really is!). For example: gp.AddField_management(t3FC, "GLOBAL_UID", "GUID") ... View more

Could you re post your code using codetags (just select the code and click the "#" button in the message composition GUI. That way the all-important indentation will come across and the code will be easier to read. ... View more

Yes - Eric I verified this is a new feature in build 212 (PythonWin for v2.6), that wasn't present in build 210. Hooray - I have been wanting this functionality in PythonWin for years!!! ... View more

Ken, I reproduced this behavior in v10 (doesn't happen in v9.3 BTW). Seems like a bug to me... In v9.3, this did not happen (bogus Shape_Area and Shape_Length fields being created and persisted for in_memory featureclasses when the input is a shapefile with no Shape_Area or Shape_Length fields). This would be funny if it's true, but I actually might be partially to blame here since I submitted a bug to ESRI a long time ago (http://resources.arcgis.com/content/nimbus-bug?bugID=TklNMDA2ODA5) complaining how the Shape_Area and Shape_Length fields were dropped (in v93) when a feature class was stored in_memory. This could very well be the bug "fix" - which of course is all fdup when using a shapefile as input. Funny what happens when you have non-GIS people programming GIS software... ... View more

Not sure as to the techincal reasonm why, but they aren't persisted in the in_memory workspace. In v93 at least, if you copy an on-disk FGDB format feature class to the in_memory workspace (using  CopyFeatures), you will note the ABSENCE of the Shape_Area and/or Shape_Length fields. Maybe ESRI thought them a waste of space to store in RAM since you can easily recover them using the !SHAPE.area! and/or !SHAPE.length! properties? Are you specifying the Shape_Area and Shape_Length fields as dissolve items? Not sure why they would be persisting the in_memory output... ... View more

Glad that did the trick! FYI - From the "in_memory workspace" help topic http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//002w0000005s000000.htm: When data is written to the in-memory workspace, the computer's physical memory (RAM) is consumed. If too much data is written to this workspace, all the computer's memory may be used up and additional data cannot be written to memory. ... View more

I did remove the reference variable to the in-memory data after each loop. I think it should do it. Like Logan said (and what I meant in my 1st message), you have to explicitly delete the in_memory feature class ( gp.Delete_Managment("in_memory\\output_4") ). It takes up RAM, just like an on-disk FC would take up disk space. Deleting the variable: del myFC Does not do anything at all to free up the RAM... ... View more