Copy Features (Data Management)

Summary

Copies features from the input feature class or layer to a new feature class.

Usage

• If the input is a layer and has a selection, only the selected features are copied to the output feature class.

• Both the geometry and attributes of the Input Features will be copied to the output feature class.

• This tool can be used for data conversion as it can read many feature formats (any you can add to a map) and write these to shapefile or geodatabase.

Syntax

arcpy.management.CopyFeatures(in_features, out_feature_class, {config_keyword}, {spatial_grid_1}, {spatial_grid_2}, {spatial_grid_3})

Parameter	Explanation	Data Type
in_features	The features to be copied.	Feature Layer
out_feature_class	The feature class which will be created and to which the features will be copied.	Feature Class
config_keyword (Optional)	Geodatabase configuration keyword to be applied if the output is a geodatabase.	String
spatial_grid_1 (Optional)	This parameter has been deprecated in ArcGIS Pro. Any value you enter is ignored.	Double
spatial_grid_2 (Optional)	This parameter has been deprecated in ArcGIS Pro. Any value you enter is ignored.	Double
spatial_grid_3 (Optional)	This parameter has been deprecated in ArcGIS Pro. Any value you enter is ignored.	Double

Code sample

CopyFeatures example (Python window)

The following Python window script demonstrates how to use the CopyFeatures tool in immediate mode.

import arcpy
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/data"
arcpy.CopyFeatures_management("climate.shp", "C:/output/output.gdb/climate")

CopyFeatures example 2 (stand-alone script)

The following stand-alone script demonstrates how to use CopyFeatures to copy the shapefiles in a folder to a file geodatabase.

# Name: CopyFeatures_Example2.py
# Description: Convert all shapefiles in a folder to geodatabase feature classes
 
# Import system modules
import arcpy
import os
 
# Set environment settings
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/data"
 
# Set local variables
out_workspace = "c:/output/output.gdb"
 
# Use ListFeatureClasses to generate a list of shapefiles in the workspace 
# shown above.
fc_list = arcpy.ListFeatureClasses()
 
# Execute CopyFeatures for each input shapefile
for shapefile in fc_list:
    # Determine the new output feature class path and name
    out_featureclass = os.path.join(out_workspace, 
                                    os.path.splitext(shapefile)[0])
    arcpy.CopyFeatures_management(shapefile, out_featureclass)

Environments

Current Workspace, Scratch Workspace, Output Coordinate System, Geographic Transformations, Extent, XY Resolution, XY Tolerance, Output has M values, M Resolution, M Tolerance, Output has Z values, Default Output Z Value, Z Resolution, Z Tolerance, Qualified Field Names, Output CONFIG Keyword, Maintain Attachments, Auto Commit, Output XY Domain, Output M Domain, Output Z Domain

Licensing information

• Basic: Yes
• Standard: Yes
• Advanced: Yes