Latest Contributions by RussellKallstrom

That would be good.  Personally, what I'd like to see is the addition of one or more check boxs that's part of the QuickProject that will automatically add fairly standard GPS measurements (PDOP, HDOP, X, Y, Satellites, CEP, etc) as attributes to the layer that's being created. ... View more

I'm sorry, I have no problem with the GPS to system clock sync extension.  I'm using a Juniper Archer running Windows Mobile 5 and ArcPad 10.0 R4. ... View more

I wanted to clarify my thought process. #Need to use a for structure so that each input feature class is taken in turn for each shp in featureclasses:   #Get the name of the feature class   outFeatureClass = os.path.join("C:\GIS\Scripts\temp\temptrks", shp.strip(".shp"))   #Copy and past the feature class to the temporary workspace, to preserve original   arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(shp, outFeatureClass)   #Add filename field to the copy   arcpy.AddField_management(outFeatureClass, "filename", "TEXT", "","", "254")   #Calculate the filename attribute from the file name   arcpy.CalculateField_management(outFeatureClass, "filename",                                 str(shp), "PYTHON") #Then append each feature class, probably with another for each It seems a little lengthy, and I'm thinking there's got to be an easier way to capture the filename. ... View more

--- You have to know how the date field comes to you.  Sorry, what I wrote is confusing, it is not actually a date type field; I'd like to clarify the timestamp field is actually a text/string type field. I've found that date fields generally tend to be difficult to deal with in ArcGIS, often resulting in more trouble than they're worth.  As a result, it's often more convenient to save them as text string fields.  Our data is coming off a tracklog saved from DNR Garmin, where the LTIME field was created and stored as a text field, length 20 characters.  You might want to use the text field approach unless you have other reasons for sticking to the date data type. ... View more

I strongly disagree with ESRI's position on this, and think an OMD should still be constructed, at least for 10.0.  First off, the quantum leap that countless Joe/Jane GIS users are making now is from VBA to Python to solve basic workflows, not arcgisscripting to arcpy.  Good for you if you already know Python, but it is fairly obvious that a lot of people are learning Python because of ESRI's ArcGIS 10. Second, even if were just about a move from arcgisscripting to arcpy, Fox himself notes that those changes are much more than cosmetic.  There are small changes like cases of functions used to big changes like multiple modules.  Using an OMD for this fundamental design (10.0) change helps give a starting point, particularly when Python is now pretty much the only show in town.  It is nice that current Python experts can jump on in with a site package method of documentation, but that leaves a lot of people behind.  This makes it doubly difficult:  not constructing one ignores that the object haven't disappeared, but still exist, e.g., row, field, etc.  I've found help info on functions and so on, but it is not organized in a way that addresses the objects they manipulate.  To me, it's a little like giving someone a key and saying it can lock and unlock doors, but not telling them 1) if it's for a door and 2) what door it opens.  If you didn't know, you really wouldn't know where to start.  The OMD is quite simply, a map for arcpy, and I'm hoping that ESRI can see it that way. ... View more

Please help! I am new to Python. I created a model in ModelBuilder. The last steps are to grab the attribute table of the feature class, sort MEAS column in ascending order and then subtract next value from current and load those values in the new field. (I have an empty field in the attribute table). I wrote a simple script, but all I could do is to sort the MEAS column and print values out. Could anybody be so kind and get me an example code?.... --- Natalie- I've done something similar in the 9.3 scripting environment using some of Richard Crissup's code (he had an ArcScript posting on June 27, 2008 called date_diff.py).  Basically, you start with a GPS generated track point shapefile with a time stamp field.  To that, the python script adds a numeric double field, and in the new field, calculates the difference in hours between the timestamp field in each record and the next, so one can sum up the amount of time spent in an area.  You have to know how the date field comes to you.  The script takes a while to execute, but gets the job done. I'm new to Python, too, so please people, go easy on me, too: import arcgisscripting, sys, os, re import time, calendar, string, decimal def func_check_format(time_string): if time_string.find("/") == -1:   print "Error: time string doesn't contain any '/' expected format \   is month/day/year hour:minutes:seconds" elif time_string.find(":") == -1:   print "Error: time string doesn't contain any ':' expected format \   is month/day/year hour:minutes:seconds" list = time_string.split() if (len(list)) <> 2:   print "Error time string doesn't contain and date and time separated \   by a space. Expected format is 'month/day/year hour:minutes:seconds'" def func_parse_time(time_string):     '''         take the time value and make it into a tuple with 9 values         example = "2004/03/01 23:50:00". If the date values don't look like this         then the script will fail.     '''     year=0;month=0;day=0;hour=0;minute=0;sec=0;     time_string = str(time_string)     l=time_string.split()     if not len(l) == 2:         gp.AddError("Error: func_parse_time, expected 2 items in list l got" + str(len(l)) + "time field value = " + time_string)         raise Exception     cal=l[0];cal=cal.split("/")     if not len(cal) == 3:         gp.AddError("Error: func_parse_time, expected 3 items in list cal got " + str(len(cal)) + "time field value = " + time_string)         raise Exception     ti=l[1];ti=ti.split(":")     if not len(ti) == 3:         gp.AddError("Error: func_parse_time, expected 3 items in list ti got " + str(len(ti)) + "time field value = " + time_string)         raise Exception     if int(len(cal[0]))== 4:         year=int(cal[0])         month=int(cal[1])         day=int(cal[2])     else:         year=int(cal[2])         month=int(cal[0])         day=int(cal[1])           hour=int(ti[0])     minute=int(ti[1])     sec=int(ti[2])     #formated tuple to match input for time functions     result=(year,month,day,hour,minute,sec,0,0,0)     return result #---------------------------------------------------------------------------- def func_time_diff(start_t,end_t):     '''         Take the two numbers that represent seconds         since Jan 1 1970 and return the difference of         those two numbers in hours. There are 3600 seconds         in an hour. 60 secs * 60 min   '''         start_secs = calendar.timegm(start_t)     end_secs = calendar.timegm(end_t)         x=abs(end_secs - start_secs)     #diff = number hours difference     #as ((x/60)/60)     diff = float(x)/float(3600)       return diff #---------------------------------------------------------------------------- print "Executing getnextLTIME.py script..." try:     gp = arcgisscripting.create(9.3)         # set parameter to what user drags in     fcdrag = gp.GetParameterAsText(0)     psplit = os.path.split(fcdrag)         folder = str(psplit[0]) #containing folder     fc = str(psplit[1]) #feature class     fullpath = str(fcdrag)     gp.Workspace = folder     fldA = gp.GetParameterAsText(1) # Timestamp field     fldDiff = gp.GetParameterAsText(2) # Hours field         # set the toolbox for adding the field to data managment     gp.Toolbox = "management"     # add the user named hours field to the feature class     gp.addfield (fc,fldDiff,"double")     #gp.addindex(fc,fldA,"indA","NON_UNIQUE", "ASCENDING")         desc = gp.describe(fullpath)     updateCursor = gp.UpdateCursor(fullpath, "", desc.SpatialReference, fldA+"; "+fldDiff, fldA)     row = updateCursor.Next()     count = 0     oldtime = str(row.GetValue(fldA))     #check datetime to see if parseable     func_check_format(oldtime)     gp.addmessage("Calculating " + fldDiff + " field...")         while row <> None:         if count == 0:             row.SetValue(fldDiff, 0)         else:             start_t = func_parse_time(oldtime)             b = str(row.GetValue(fldA))             end_t = func_parse_time(b)             diff_hrs = func_time_diff(start_t, end_t)             row.SetValue(fldDiff, diff_hrs)             oldtime = b                     count += 1         updateCursor.UpdateRow(row)         row = updateCursor.Next()     gp.addmessage("Updated " +str(count+1)+ " rows.")     #gp.removeindex(fc,"indA")     del updateCursor     del row     except Exception, ErrDesc:     import traceback;traceback.print_exc()     print "Script complete." ... 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Thanks for posting, all.  Our company is set to go to 10 in the next several months, but we're all still on 9.3.1.  I wholeheartedly agree with everyone's comments on getting a geoprocessing model diagram for 10.  I had hoped to preview a 10 diagram before we made the switch. I used to rely heavily on VBA to get work done, particularly the code block with "Calculate Field" in 9.3.  When I saw the writing on the wall with announcements about ArcGIS 10, I started learning Python and the 9.3 geoprocessing object model so I could smooth the transition into more of a scripting environment, or at least be integrated within Modelbuilder. This diagram for 9.3 was critical to me learning the object basics.  Getting it on to one page is nice, but not as important as having the information in the first place and in a visual, usable form (The OMD for ArcPad 7.1 wasn't 1 page either).  It was concise, but the other great things about the 9.3 diagram were that it was a PDF: downloadable, printable, zoomable, searchable, self-contained and covered the material.  ESRI, please don't make arcpy, arcane. ... View more

Date and time fields are tricky in ArcPad.  Are you storing it in a date data type field, or a text field?  It might have something to do with that, as I've not been successful with date data types in ArcPad.  They seem only to come through as time or date, but not both in the same field, as you would expect by setting the variable to now().  I have always used a text field for that reason, to store the full UTC time in one field set the value = now().  I'm thinking your success will either be in using one text field (type 129, length 20) and setting it as I do or simply using two date fields.  Below is a two field example, called in the onsetactive event of the page. Sub InitPage    'Get a ref to the page    Dim pCtrl, IDField    IDField = "WEED_ID"         Set pCtrl = ThisEvent.Object.Controls      ' Increment ID number           Dim objCurrLyrRS           Set objCurrLyrRS = Layer.Records           IF pCtrl("txtID").Value = "0" then           pCtrl("txtID").Value = ReturnNextID (objCurrLyrRS, IDField)           End if   'Fill in Start Time / Date field with new Time if time hasn't been set.    Dim curdatetime                         If pCtrl("txtStartTime").Value = "" Then     curdatetime = now()     pCtrl("txtStartTime").Value = Cstr(FormatDateTime(curdatetime,3))    End If    If pCtrl("txtDate").Value = "" Then     curdatetime = now()     pCtrl("txtDate").Value = Cstr(FormatDateTime(curdatetime,2))    End If          Set pCtrl = Nothing End Sub ... View more

Don't know much about Python or how joins work, but can you adjust the UpdateCursor to include fewer fields (4th item in argument)? Otherwise, next thing I would try would be a combination of the SearchCursor and UpdateCursor, though I don't know how these run concurrently. ... View more