Strip Map Index Features (Cartography)

Summary

Creates a series of rectangular polygons, or index features, that follow a single linear feature or a group of linear features. These index features can be used with Data Driven Pages to define pages within a strip map, or set of maps that follow a linear feature. The resulting index features contain attributes that can be used to rotate and orient the map on the page and determine which index features, or pages, are next to the current page (to the left and right or to the top and bottom).

Usage

Syntax

StripMapIndexFeatures_cartography (in_features, out_feature_class, {use_page_unit}, {scale}, {length_along_line}, {length_perpendicular_to_line}, {page_orientation}, {overlap_percentage}, {starting_page_number}, {direction_type})
ParameterExplanationData Type
in_features

Input polyline or polylines defining the path of the strip map index features.

Feature Layer
out_feature_class

Resulting feature class of polygon index features.

The coordinate system of the ouput feature class is determined in this order.

  • If a coordinate system is specified by the Output Coordinate System variable in the Environment Settings the output feature class will use this coordinate system.
  • If a coordinate system is not specified by the Output Coordinate System the ouput feature class will use the coordinate system of the input feature.
Feature Class
use_page_unit
(Optional)

Indicates whether index feature size input is in page space. The default value is NO_USEPAGEUNIT.

  • USEPAGEUNITIndex polygon height and width are calculated in page space.
  • NO_USEPAGEUNITIndex polygon height and width are calculated in map space.
Boolean
scale
(Optional)

Map scale must be specified if index feature lengths (along the line and perpendicular to the line) are to be calculated in page space. If ArcMap is open the default value will be the scale of the active data frame. If ArcMap is not open the default will be 1.

Long
length_along_line
(Optional)

Length of the polygon index feature along the input line feature specifed in either map or page units. The default value is determined by the spatial reference of the input line feature or features. This value will be 1/100 of the input feature class extent along the X axis.

Linear unit
length_perpendicular_to_line
(Optional)

Length of the polygon index feature perpendicular to the input line feature specifed in either map or page units. The default value is determined by the spatial reference of the input line feature or features. This value will be 1/2 the number used for the length along the line.

Linear unit
page_orientation
(Optional)

Used to determine the orientation of the input line features on the layout page. The default is HORIZONTAL.

  • VERTICALThe direction of the strip map series on the page is top to bottom.
  • HORIZONTALThe direction of the strip map series on the page is left to right.
String
overlap_percentage
(Optional)

The approximate percentage of geographic overlap between an individual map page and its adjoining pages in the series. The default is 10.

Double
starting_page_number
(Optional)

Each grid index feature is assigned a sequential page number starting with a specified starting page number. The default value is 1.

Long
direction_type
(Optional)

Index features are created in a sequential order and require a starting point. Setting the direction type for the strip map provides a starting point. The default is WE_NS. This means that the starting point for the strip map is either at the western end of the line feature if the line feature's directional trend is West to East/East to West or, if the directional trend is North to South/South to North, the starting point would be the northern most point of the line feature. The direction type is also applied to secondary line features.

  • WE_NSWest to East and North to South.
  • WE_SN West to East and South to North.
  • EW_NS East to West and North to South.
  • EW_SN East to West and South to North.
String

Code Sample

StripMapIndexFeatures tool Example #1 (Python Window)

Creates strip map index features based on the input line features with index feature dimensions specified for a layout page.

import arcpy
from arcpy import env
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:\data\ProjectData.gdb"
arcpy.StripMapIndexFeatures_cartography ("lines", "indexFeatures",
                                         USEPAGEUNIT, "500000",
                                         "7 inches", "5 inches")
StripMapIndexFeatures tool Example #1 (stand-alone Python script)

Creates strip map index features based on the input line features with index feature dimensions specified for a layout page.

# stripmapindexfeatures_example1.py
# Description: Creates a series of strip map index features based on inputed
# line features with index feature dimensions specified for a layout page.

# Import system modules
import arcpy
from arcpy import env

# Set environment settings
arcpy.env.workspace = r"C:\data\ProjectData.gdb"

# Set local variables
inFeatures = "line"
outFeatureClass = "indexFeatures"
usePageUnit = "USEPAGEUNIT"
scale = "500000"
lenA = "7 Inches"
lenP = "5 Inches"

# Execute StripMapIndexFeatures
arcpy.StripMapIndexFeatures_cartography (inFeatures, outFeatureClass,
                                         usePageUnit, scale, lenA, lenP)
StripMapIndexFeatures tool Example #2 (Python Window)

Creates strip map index features based on the input line features with index feature dimensions specified in map units with an overlap of 0.

import arcpy
from arcpy import env
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:\data\ProjectData.gdb"
arcpy.StripMapIndexFeatures_cartography ("lines", "indexFeatures", "",
                                         "", "10 kilometers", "5 kilometers")
StripMapIndexFeatures tool Example #2 (stand-alone Python script)

Creates strip map index features based on the input line features with index feature dimensions specified in map units with an overlap of 0.

# stripmapindexfeatures_example2.py
# Description: Creates a series of strip map index features based on inputed
# line features with index feature dimensions specified in map units with an
# overlap set at 0.

# Import system modules
import arcpy
from arcpy import env

# Set environment settings
arcpy.env.workspace = r"C:\data\ProjectData.gdb"

# Set local variables
inFeatures = "line"
outFeatureClass = "indexFeatures"
lenA = "10 Kilometers"
lenP = "5 Kilometers"

# Execute StripMapIndexFeatures
arcpy.StripMapIndexFeatures_cartography (inFeatures, outFeatureClass, "",
                                         "", lenA, lenP)
StripMapIndexFeatures tool Example #3 (Python Window)

Creates strip map index features based on the input line features with index feature dimensions specified for a layout page and the page orientation set as vertical.

import arcpy
from arcpy import env
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:\data\ProjectData.gdb"
arcpy.StripMapIndexFeatures_cartography ("lines", "indexFeatures",
                                         USEPAGEUNIT, "500000", "5 inches",
                                         "7 inches", VERTICAL)
StripMapIndexFeatures tool Example #3 (stand-alone Python script)

Creates strip map index features based on the input line features with index feature dimensions specified for a layout page and the page orientation set as vertical.

# stripmapindexfeatures_example3.py
# Description: Creates a series of strip map index features based on inputed
# line features with index feature dimensions specified for a layout and
# the page orientation set as vertical.

# Import system modules
import arcpy
from arcpy import env

# Set environment settings
arcpy.env.workspace = r"C:\data\ProjectData.gdb"

# Set local variables
inFeatures = "line"
outFeatureClass = "indexFeatures"
usePageUnit = "USEPAGEUNIT"
scale = "500000"
lenA = "7 Inches"
lenP = "5 Inches"
pageOrientation = "VERTICAL"

# Execute StripMapIndexFeatures
arcpy.StripMapIndexFeatures_cartography (inFeatures, outFeatureClass,
                                         usePageUnit, scale, lenA, lenP,
                                         pageOrientation)
StripMapIndexFeatures tool Example #4 (Python Window)

Creates strip map index features based on the input line features with specifications for feature dimensions in map units, starting page number, and strip map direction.

import arcpy
from arcpy import env
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:\data\ProjectData.gdb"
arcpy.StripMapIndexFeatures_cartography ("lines", "indexFeatures", "", "",
                                         "10 kilometers", "5 kilometers",
                                         "", "", "5", "EW_SN")
StripMapIndexFeatures tool Example #4 (stand-alone Python script)

Creates strip map index features based on the input line features with specifications for feature dimensions in map units, starting page number, and strip map direction.

# stripmapindexfeatures_example4.py
# Description: Creates a series of strip map index features based on inputed
# line features with index feature dimensions specified in map units, the
# starting page number is 5 and the strip map direction is
# East-West/South-North.

# Import system modules
import arcpy
from arcpy import env

# Set environment settings
arcpy.env.workspace = r"C:\data\ProjectData.gdb"

# Set local variables
inFeatures = "line"
outFeatureClass = "indexFeatures"
lenA = "10 Kilometers"
lenP = "5 Kilometers"
startingPageNum = "5"
directionType = "EW_SN"

# Execute StripMapIndexFeatures
arcpy.StripMapIndexFeatures_cartography (inFeatures, outFeatureClass, "", "",
                                         lenA, lenP, "", "", startingPageNum,
                                         directionType)

Environments

This tool does not use any geoprocessing environments

Related Topics

Licensing Information

ArcView: Yes
ArcEditor: Yes
ArcInfo: Yes

11/11/2011