Reconstruct Tracks (GeoAnalytics Desktop)

Summary

Creates line or polygon tracks from time-enabled input data.

Illustration

Reconstruct Tracks tool illustration
Time-enabled points that have been reconstructed into tracks are shown.

Parameters

LabelExplanationData Type
Input Layer

The points or polygons to be reconstructed into tracks. The input must be a time-enabled layer that represents an instant in time.

Feature Layer
Output Feature Class

A new feature class with the resulting tracks.

Feature Class
Track Fields

One or more fields that will be used to identify unique tracks.

Field
Method

Specifies the criteria that will be used to reconstruct tracks. If a buffer is used, the Method parameter determines the type of buffer.

  • Geodesic If the spatial reference can be panned, tracks will cross the date line when appropriate. If the spatial reference cannot be panned, tracks will be limited to the coordinate system extent and may not wrap.
  • PlanarPlanar buffers will be created.
String
Buffer Type

Specifies how the buffer distance will be defined.

  • FieldA single field will be used to define the buffer distance.
  • ExpressionAn equation using fields and mathematical operators will be used to define the buffer distance.
String
Buffer Field
(Optional)

The field that will be used to buffer the input features. Field values are applied in the units of the spatial reference of the input unless you are using a geographic coordinate system, in which case they will be in meters.

Field
Buffer Expression
(Optional)

The expression that will be used to buffer input features. Fields must be numeric, and the expression can include [+ - * / ] operators and multiple fields. Calculated values are applied in the units of the spatial reference of the input unless you are using a geographic coordinate system, in which case they will be in meters.

Use Arcade expressions such as as_kilometers($feature.distance) * 2 + as_meters(15).

If the layer is added to the map, the Fields and Helpers filters can be used to build an expression.

Calculator Expression
Time Split
(Optional)

Features that are farther apart in time than the time-split duration will be split into separate tracks.

Time Unit
Distance Split
(Optional)

Features that are farther apart in distance than the distance split value will be split into separate tracks.

Linear Unit
Time Boundary Split
(Optional)

A time span to split the input data into for analysis. A time boundary allows you to analyze values within a defined time span. For example, if you use a time boundary of 1 day, and set the time boundary reference to January 1, 1980, tracks will be split at the beginning of every day.

Time Unit
Time Boundary Reference
(Optional)

The reference time used to split the input data into for analysis. Time boundaries will be created for the entire span of the data, and the reference time does not need to occur at the start. If no reference time is specified, January 1, 1970, is used.

Date
Summary Fields
(Optional)

The statistics that will be calculated on specified fields.

  • Count—The number of nonnull values. It can be used on numeric fields or strings. The count of [null, 0, 2] is 2.
  • Sum—The sum of numeric values in a field. The sum of [null, null, 3] is 3.
  • Mean—The mean of numeric values. The mean of [0, 2, null] is 1.
  • Min—The minimum value of a numeric field. The minimum of [0, 2, null] is 0.
  • Max—The maximum value of a numeric field. The maximum value of [0, 2, null] is 2.
  • Standard Deviation—The standard deviation of a numeric field. The standard deviation of [1] is null. The standard deviation of [null, 1,1,1] is null.
  • Variance—The variance of a numeric field in a track. The variance of [1] is null. The variance of [null, 1, 1, 1] is null.
  • Range—The range of a numeric field. This is calculated as the minimum value subtracted from the maximum value. The range of [0, null, 1] is 1. The range of [null, 4] is 0.
  • Any—A sample string from a field of type string.
  • First—The first value of a specified field in a track.
  • Last—The last value of a specified field in a track.

Value Table
Split Expression
(Optional)

An expression that splits tracks based on values, geometry, or time values. Expressions that validate to true will be split.

Calculator Expression
Split Type
(Optional)

Specifies how the track segment between two features is created when a track is split. The split type is applied to split expressions, distance splits, and time splits.

  • GapNo segment is created between the two features. This is the default.
  • Finish AfterA segment is created between the two features that ends after the split.
  • Start BeforeA segment is created between the two features that ends before the split.
String

arcpy.gapro.ReconstructTracks(input_layer, out_feature_class, track_fields, method, buffer_type, {buffer_field}, {buffer_expression}, {time_split}, {distance_split}, {time_boundary_split}, {time_boundary_reference}, {summary_fields}, {split_expression}, {split_type})
NameExplanationData Type
input_layer

The points or polygons to be reconstructed into tracks. The input must be a time-enabled layer that represents an instant in time.

Feature Layer
out_feature_class

A new feature class with the resulting tracks.

Feature Class
track_fields
[track_fields,...]

One or more fields that will be used to identify unique tracks.

Field
method

Specifies the criteria that will be used to reconstruct tracks. If a buffer is used, the method parameter determines the type of buffer.

  • GEODESIC If the spatial reference can be panned, tracks will cross the date line when appropriate. If the spatial reference cannot be panned, tracks will be limited to the coordinate system extent and may not wrap.
  • PLANARThe tracks will not cross the date line.
String
buffer_type

Specifies how the buffer distance will be defined.

  • FIELDA single field will be used to define the buffer distance.
  • EXPRESSIONAn equation using fields and mathematical operators will be used to define the buffer distance.
String
buffer_field
(Optional)

The field that will be used to buffer the input features. Field values are applied in the units of the spatial reference of the input unless you are using a geographic coordinate system, in which case they will be in meters.

Field
buffer_expression
(Optional)

The expression that will be used to buffer input features. Fields must be numeric, and the expression can include [+ - * / ] operators and multiple fields. Calculated values are applied in the units of the spatial reference of the input unless you are using a geographic coordinate system, in which case they will be in meters.

Use Arcade expressions such as as_kilometers($feature.distance) * 2 + as_meters(15).

Calculator Expression
time_split
(Optional)

Features that are farther apart in time than the time-split duration will be split into separate tracks.

Time Unit
distance_split
(Optional)

Features that are farther apart in distance than the distance split value will be split into separate tracks.

Linear Unit
time_boundary_split
(Optional)

A time span to split the input data into for analysis. A time boundary allows you to analyze values within a defined time span. For example, if you use a time boundary of 1 day, and set the time boundary reference to January 1, 1980, tracks will be split at the beginning of every day.

Time Unit
time_boundary_reference
(Optional)

The reference time used to split the input data into for analysis. Time boundaries will be created for the entire span of the data, and the reference time does not need to occur at the start. If no reference time is specified, January 1, 1970, is used.

Date
summary_fields
[summary_fields,...]
(Optional)

The statistics that will be calculated on specified fields.

  • COUNT—The number of nonnull values. It can be used on numeric fields or strings. The count of [null, 0, 2] is 2.
  • SUM—The sum of numeric values in a field. The sum of [null, null, 3] is 3.
  • MEAN—The mean of numeric values. The mean of [0,2, null] is 1.
  • MIN—The minimum value of a numeric field. The minimum of [0, 2, null] is 0.
  • MAX—The maximum value of a numeric field. The maximum value of [0, 2, null] is 2.
  • STDDEV—The standard deviation of a numeric field. The standard deviation of [1] is null. The standard deviation of [null, 1,1,1] is null.
  • VAR—The variance of a numeric field in a track. The variance of [1] is null. The variance of [null, 1,1,1] is null.
  • RANGE—The range of a numeric field. This is calculated as the minimum value subtracted from the maximum value. The range of [0, null, 1] is 1. The range of [null, 4] is 0.
  • ANY—A sample string from a field of type string.
  • FIRST—The first value of a specified field in a track.
  • LAST—The last value of a specified field in a track.

Value Table
split_expression
(Optional)

An expression that splits tracks based on values, geometry, or time values. Expressions that validate to true will be split.

Calculator Expression
split_type
(Optional)

Specifies how the track segment between two features is created when a track is split. The split type is applied to split expressions, distance splits, and time splits.

  • GAPNo segment is created between the two features. This is the default.
  • FINISH_LASTA segment is created between the two features that ends after the split.
  • START_NEXTA segment is created between the two features that ends before the split.
String

Code sample

ReconstructTracks example (stand-alone script)

The following stand-alone script demonstrates how to use the ReconstructTracks function.

# Name: ReconstructTracks.py
# Description: Reconstruct hurricane points into hurricane tracks, where each 
#              location is buffered by the wind speed * 100.

# Import system modules
import arcpy

# Enable time on the input features using a .lyrx file.
# To create the .lyrx file, add your layer to a map, open the layer properties 
# and enable time. Then right-click the layer and select Share As Layer File.
inputLyrx = r'C:\data\Hurricanes.lyrx'

# MakeFeatureLayer converts the .lyrx to features
hurricanesLayer = arcpy.MakeFeatureLayer_management(inputLyrx, "Hurricanes Layer")

# ApplySymbologyFromLayer sets the time using the .lyrx file definition
arcpy.ApplySymbologyFromLayer_management(hurricanesLayer, inputLyrx)

# Set local variables
trackIdentifier = "EVENTID"
out = "c:/mydata/OutputDatasets.gdb/HurricaneTracks"
bufferExpression = "WINDSPEED * 100"
statistics = [["PRESSURE", "MEAN"]]

# Execute Reconstruct Tracks
arcpy.gapro.ReconstructTracks(hurricanesLayer, out, trackIdentifier, 
                              "GEODESIC", "EXPRESSION", None, 
                              bufferExpression, None, statistics)

Licensing information

  • Basic: No
  • Standard: No
  • Advanced: Yes

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