Enabling data driven pages and selecting index layer with ArcPy

[BenjaminBauman]

Hello all,

I'm converting the ArcGIS Resource Center "Creating a map book" guide into an ArcPy script for my own use, but have encountered a roadblock on the "Enabling Data Driven Pages" section.

It does not appear as if ArcPy can be used to enable data driven pages, and to select the index layer for the data driven pages. Do I have this right? I have seen a number of examples of using ArcPy for DDP, and in no instance ArcPy was used to enable DDP or select the index layer - these were instead done beforehand.

There are other users who have asked questions pertaining to this issue, but neither thread received a useful answer.

See "How to Set up Data Driven Pages using arcpy?" and "How to add dynamic index layer for data driven pages".

Does anyone have an answer for either one of these? The attachment below contains an image of the Setup Data Driven Pages dialog box. I need to both Enable Data Driven Pages (lower priority) and Select the Index Layer (higher priority).

Thanks!

[JasonScheirer · Accepted solution]

You must do this from the desktop. Arcpy doesn't enable DDP directly.

[BenjaminBauman]

Thanks for the answer jscheirer. That's pretty disappointing, but I suspected this to be the case.

Ben