Latest Contributions by KateNewell

Hi, was hoping to post this in the "Ask a Cartographer", but appears that function is down right now. I have point locations (street intersections) with AM Bike, AM Walking, PM Bike, PM Walking counts.  I have created a map, mostly using graphics in InDesign...but am wondering if there is a savvy way to make this happen in ArcMap or through an ArcGIS Online app? We have an enterprise agreement.  The obvious problem with InDesign method I am using, is updating the data (which currently is hand-placed) and the opportunity for error.  Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  I have attached the map that I made through InDesign.  The data is not currently attributed with a "inflow/outflow direction", but could easily be done. ... View more

Does anyone know the python syntax to count the number of characters in a field and format the text based on the number of characters? I have a script that populates a text element in my map with the values of a field based on a data driven query. Problem is, my text element is at times not wide enough to hold all the text that I need to display (and the width of the text element is not able to be changed). There are just a handful of row values that don't fit the text element width (basically anything that is greater than 32 characters). I am thinking if I knew the syntax to count the characters, that I could format the character and word spacing (reduce them). Below is the entire code block.  I think where I could run this if/else based on character count is in the lower portion of the code where I iterate through the rows. Any help greatly appreciated. #Date: 8/1/2011 #Zoom to Neighborhood #This tool runs from a script tool.  Choose a Neighborhood from a pick list # generated from the script tools validation script.  Click OK and the # Data Driven Page will update the layer with the appropriate dynamic text and # tabular information. #Note - this script tool uses CURRENT and must be run from within ArcMap. import arcpy, os, sys #Reference current MXD mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument("CURRENT") ##mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(R"N:\Users\ke\NeighborhoodMapSeries\TestLegend.mxd") #Get input parameter NHName = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0) ##NHName = "EDGEMOOR" #Reference appropriate data frames df = arcpy.mapping.ListDataFrames(mxd, "Layers")[0] #Reference appropriate layers NHLabels = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "Neighborhood Labels", df)[0] ZoningSA = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "Zoning Sub-Area", df)[0] NHAnno = arcpy.mapping.ListLayers(mxd, "NH_Anno",df)[0] #Reference layout elements by calling ListLayoutElements only once - get better performance for elm in arcpy.mapping.ListLayoutElements(mxd):   if elm.name =="LU_Legend_Num": LegNum = elm   if elm.name =="LU_Legend_Text": LegText = elm #Reference the Data Driven Page object ddp = mxd.dataDrivenPages #Set the current page to be the one selected in the script tool arcpy.AddMessage(NHName) pageID = mxd.dataDrivenPages.getPageIDFromName(str(NHName)) mxd.dataDrivenPages.currentPageID = pageID #Set the appropriate definition queries NHLabels.definitionQuery = "NEIGHBORHOOD_NAME <> '" + NHName +  "'" ZoningSA.definitionQuery = "NEIGHBORHOOD_NAME = '" + NHName +  "'AND GENERAL_USE_TYPE <> 'WATER '" NHAnno.definitionQuery = "NEIGHBORHOOD_NAME = '" + NHName +  "'" print "def query worked" #Reference RevisionText table and select appropriate records revTable = arcpy.mapping.ListTableViews(mxd, "NH_Legends")[0] #Build query and create search cursor to loop through rows NHFieldValue = NHName queryExp = "\"NEIGHBORHOOD_NAME\" = '" + NHFieldValue + "'"  #e.g., "Neighborhood_Name" = 'CORNWALL PARK' NHRows = arcpy.SearchCursor(revTable.dataSource, queryExp, "", "", "SA_NUM") #Clear all table text values LegNum.text = " "; LegText.text = " " #iterate through each row, update appropiate table/text for row in NHRows:   LegNum.text = LegNum.text + row.getValue("SUBAREA_CODE") + "\n"   LegText.text = LegText.text + row.getValue("LAND_USE_DESIGNATION") + "\n"     ##mxd.save()  arcpy.RefreshActiveView() arcpy.AddMessage("PROCESS COMPLETED") ... View more

Wondering if anyone can tell me why my thumbnails are not actually being created.  I have the following script (see below text or attached jpg) and it runs without any error, and the save date on my mxd's is changed...so it appears as if the script is working perfectly....except that it actually doesn't create the thumbnails.  When I open the project and check the Map Document Properties, you can tell a thumbnail has never been created because the option to delete thumbnail is greyed out.  Also the thumbnails do not show in the splash screen upon ArcMap starting up.  So even though the model runs without error and appears to have worked, it never really updates the thumbnails!?! import arcpy, os path = r"N:\Users\ke\New_Templates" for fileName in os.listdir(path):     fullPath = os.path.join(path, fileName)     if os.path.isfile(fullPath):         basename, extension = os.path.splitext(fullPath)         if extension.lower() == ".mxd":             mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(fullPath)             print "creating thumbnail for " + fullPath             mxd.makeThumbnail()             mxd.save() del mxd ... View more