Map Automation

Video Transcript

Slide 1 The ArcPy Mapping module, often

referred to as arcpy.mapping, is
Essential Python intended for use by anyone who needs
Scripting for GIS to automate an ArcMap workflow.
Map Automation
While arcpy.mapping is driven by the
powerful Python programming
language, you do not need to be a GIS
software developer to create
arcpy.mapping scripts. The intent of
arcpy.mapping is to automate tedious
tasks, allowing you to focus on your
important creative and analytic work.

Slide 2 The arcpy.mapping module has been

arcpy.mapping
• Create a list of maps that have layers referencing a certain data
source.
created to automate map
• Update or repair the data source links for all layers in a map
document.
• Create a report on information contained in documents such as
management and output (printing and
layers, data sources, and layer types.
• Save a group of map documents to a prior ArcGIS version for
distribution to others.
exporting) workflows. The provided
• Open and analyze the contents of map documents, and
updating the document metadata (for example, keywords,
author, summary) based on their content. functions focus on modifying existing
• Create geographic data in batches using map export commands,
such as a series of GeoTIFF images driven by a list of features in
the map.
• Create a map book with title page, multiple map pages, and any
map layers and layout elements and
number of additional pages of supporting content like tabular
reports and contact lists. are not designed as a complete map
compilation system. ArcMap is the
recommended system for creating
new map documents and authoring
map layers and layouts. However, the
layer and layout element modification
capabilities of arcpy.mapping allow for
creation of map products by modifying
the contents of map documents. Being
successful in these workflows requires
careful map authoring of layers and
page layout elements so they are
easily used with your scripts.
It is easiest to understand the
capabilities of arcpy.mapping by
describing some common scripting
workflows. Here are a few of the many
scenarios that an arcpy.mapping script
can do:

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 Create a list of maps that have layers
referencing a certain data source.
Update or repair the data source links
for all layers in a map document.
Create a report on information
contained in documents such as
layers, data sources, and layer types.
Save a group of map documents to a
prior ArcGIS version for distribution to
others.
Open and analyze the contents of map
documents, and updating the
document metadata (for example,
keywords, author, summary) based on
their content.
Create geographic data in batches
using map export commands, such as
a series of GeoTIFF images driven by a
list of features in the map.
Create a map book with title page,
multiple map pages, and any number
of additional pages of supporting
content like tabular reports and
contact lists.

Slide 3 There are numerous reasons why data

Change data sources
import arcpy
sources need to be repaired or
mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(r"C:\Project\Project.mxd")
mxd.findAndReplaceWorkspacePaths(r"C:\Project\Data", r"C:\Project\Data2")
mxd.saveACopy(r"C:\Project\Project2.mxd")
del mxd
redirected to different locations. The
idea of making these changes
manually in every affected map
document can be overwhelming. One
benefit of usingarcpy.mapping is to
redirect, or repair, a
layer's workspace to another data
source by changing the workspace
path. Making these changes manually
in every affected map document can
be an overwhelming and time-
consuming task. Through
the arcpy.mapping scripting
environment, you can automate these
tasks. An added benefit of using a
script is that these tasks can be

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 completed without even having to
open a map document in ArcMap.

In this example the data was located

directly under
the C:\Project\Data folder but was
moved into a subfolder called Data2.
This script updates a single map
document. However, you may have
many map documents which need to
have their layer source paths changed.
In this case, you could use a Python
loop to process a folder of map
documents and change the layer paths
from one workspace to another.

Slide 4 With arcpy.mapping, you can build a

Map Automation
variety of map books. You can also use
data-driven pages within your scripts
to further automate the production of
your map books. Data-driven pages
allow you to quickly and easily create
a series of layout pages from a single
map document. With arcpy.mapping,
you can also create a new PDF file and
then append the individual
component PDF files together, such as
your title page, contact page, and map
pages.

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Slide 5 Python scripts using ArcPy can be run
Decide where to run your script
in different environments. You can
import arcpy
mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument("CURRENT") design your scripts to run inside the
import arcpy
Python window in ArcGIS for Desktop
mxd =
arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(r”C:\Maps\City_streets.mxd) or outside of ArcGIS in an IDE
(Integrated Development
Environment), such as IDLE or
PythonWin.
When running your scripts inside of
the Python window, the ArcPy site
package is already imported for you.
When running your script from an IDE,
you will need to include the following
Python statement in your script.
import arcpy
You can also reference your map
document in two different ways from
within the Python window. You can
use the keyword CURRENT to specify
that you will work with the currently
opened map document.
If you have the
C:\Maps\City_Streets.mxd opened in
ArcMap, you can reference this
opened map document by using
the MapDocument class and setting
the resulting map document object to
a variable, called mxd.
mxd =
arcpy.mapping.MapDocument("CURR
ENT")
Note: This applies only to running
your script from ArcMap. ArcCatalog
will not recognize the CURRENT
keyword.
Inside an IDE, you would need to
replace the keyword CURRENT with
the actual path to the map document.
mxd =
arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(r"C:\M
aps\City_Streets.mxd")
If you create a script tool to run from
ArcToolbox, the CURRENT keyword will

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 only be recognized when running your
tool from ArcMap.

Slide 6 Working with objects in the map The objective of arcpy.mapping is to

document simplify the scripting experience.
import arcpy
mxd = arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(r"C:\Maps\Schools.mxd") Within your map document, you have
mxd.author = "GIS Department"
many components, or objects, which
mxd.save()
you can access and change. The map
document and the objects you work
with inside the map, such as a north
arrow or data frame, need to be
created prior to running your script.
Once you have created these objects,
you can access and work with them
through arcpy.mapping.
In the following example, a map
document named Schools.mxd located
in the C:\Maps folder is accessed
through
the arcpy.mapping.MapDocument clas
s. All of the properties and methods
associated with the MapDocument
object are assigned to the
variable mxd.
mxd =
arcpy.mapping.MapDocument(r"C:\M
aps\Schools.mxd")
While the map document cannot be
created with arcpy.mapping, you can
use your script to access the map
document and the objects it contains.

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 Now you can update the Author
property and save your map
document using the following code:
mxd.author = "GIS Department"
mxd.save()

Slide 7 Updating layer symbology can also be

Layer Symbology
automated with arcpy.mapping.
Imagine that you have many map
documents that use the same layer,
such as Parks or Rivers. You want to
update all of the map documents that
use this layer with updated symbology
found in a layer file. In this section,
you will use a workflow which will
update a layer's symbology based on
another layer which contains the
symbology you wish to use.

Slide 8 Writing efficient arcpy.mapping scripts

Automating Map Production
is dependent on effectively authoring
much of your map content ahead of
time in ArcMap. Your scripts will be
used to manage the properties of
these map document objects.
The arcpy.mapping functions focus on
modifying existing map layers and
layout elements. This scripting
environment is not designed as a
complete map compilation system.
ArcMap is the recommended system
for creating new map documents and
authoring map layers and layouts. The
capabilities of arcpy.mapping allow for
changing a large volume of maps or

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 layers quickly by accessing existing
objects that you have already created.
Being successful in these workflows
requires careful map authoring to best
take advantage of the capabilities
of arcpy.mapping.

Slide 9 To make your scripts work well with

Tips for map documents
your authored maps and layers,
• Make sure each layer and data frame in your map
has a unique name. consider the following best practices:
• Provide unique names for all of your page layout
elements.
• Consider all of the page layout elements that will be
Action: Make sure each layer and data
needed for the maps that you will create.
frame in your map has a unique name.
Why? Naming your layers uniquely
allows you to locate a layer easily with
your script.
Action: Provide unique names for all
of your page layout elements.
Why? Each page layout element has a
name property which is used by
arcpy.mapping to find the page layout
element you wish to access.
Action: Consider all of the page layout
elements that will be needed for the
maps that you will create.
Why? Because arcpy.mapping cannot
create page layout elements, you need
to pre-author these for the maps you
wish to create. Once you have them
created, you can position them as
desired on your layout page, or even
move them off of the page so they will
not be included in your layout. For
example, if you have two data frames
in your map document, each with a
Schools layer, you will have to write
additional code to first identify the

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 data frame and then the schools layer
within the data frame.

Slide 10 ArcGIS provides all the tools you need

Tips for map documents
to create the mapping content of your
map books in either printed or Adobe
PDF format. With arcpy.mapping, you
can write scripts that send your
ArcMap documents directly to a
printer, or you can export to a variety
of formats, including PDF.
Data-driven pages provide the tools
for creating the map pages of your
map book. Many of the pages of your
book will contain maps, but other
pages may be dedicated to text, such
as tabular information, a table of
contents, or title page. These pages
can be created outside of ArcGIS and
then appended to your map pages.
Through arcpy.mapping you can
automate the process of creating your
map pages. You can also append all of
your PDF files together, including your
title page and other pages, into your
final map book.

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