Geoprocessing with Python

This week, we worked on geoprocessing in ArcGIS Pro using Model Builder and Python scripting. We had to accomplish some very basic tasks, but use these methods for them, neither of which I've done before. 

I really like the Model Builder function in ArcGIS Pro. It’s nice to be able to draw things out in a way that creates the model but also makes the model (versus using the online tool to map things out and than doing all the geoprocessing). It took me a few minutes to sort out the specific tools as there are many different ways to accomplish the same results within ArcGIS. In the end, I used tools that best fit exactly what the assignment was asking me to do. For instance, it very clearly asked me to select out polygons and delete them. So instead of selecting out what I wanted left in the end and creating a new file, I figured out how to select by attribute and then delete these from the main feature layer.

The model I created with Model Builder

For the Python script, we had to have the script add XY coordinates to a shapefile, create a 1000 buffer around points, and then dissolve the buffer. I was able to just create a buffer that was dissolved so I only had two main processing part to my script. The scripting itself was a little intimidating to begin with, thinking about starting everything from scratch. But that’s never how coding goes! Specific language accomplishes specific tasks, so it’s just a matter of finding the language you need and conforming it to the files and tasks you want to accomplish.

Script success!

I'm really enjoying coding and look forward to what next week's assignment has in store for me.