Hello. I'd like to export map series with Data Driven Pages. Is there a way to enable the option "don't export empty tiles" as it existed with DS Mapbook? The only way I can think of is to "select by attributes" the tile layer and then enable pages selec

[SilvanStöckli]

Background: I have a python script wich makes a definition-qry of layer "A". So I only want the tiles to be exported in which there's data of layer "A".

Thank you for your help!

[DarrenWiens2]

I'm not sure your entire question made it through, but here are my thoughts based on what you've provided.

If you've already got a python script to filter layer A, then you may as well add in a couple lines to select by location those tiles in your index layer overlapping layer A, Copy Features to a new index layer, and renumber the page numbers, if desired.

[SilvanStöckli]

Hello Darren. Thanks for your super fast response!

I think, that's basically what I thought I could do. But is this really the way one should do it? Isn't there a more "intended" way?

[DarrenWiens2 · Accepted solution]

I don't know of any way to do this out-of-the-box, so it may not be "the intended way". On that note, I'd be curious to know what percentage of anything I do in ArcGIS is "the intended way", but it seems to work and that's good enough for me

Personally, I think a lot of people waste a lot of time looking for the right way to do something, when they could do it the wrong way much sooner.

[BrandonKeinath1]

We run a large map production process that uses a combination of data driven pages and python.  We have an attribute for our index grid called "PrintMap" that is 1 if yes or 0 if no.  I use SelectLayerByLocation_management to find grids that aren't empty and then an update cursor to set the "PrintMap" field to 1.  I agree with Darren that I don't think there is an out of the box method similar to DS map book.  What kind of data are you using?  We operate with an SDE that uses the ST_Geometry data type which allows us to create spatial definition queries.  Essentially we can have it show only index grids that intersect another layer and then run the data driven pages that way.  The Select by location method produces the same results.

Best,

Brandon

[SilvanStöckli]

Thanks guys 😄