Generate Elevation Bands From Features (Topographic Production)—ArcGIS Pro

Summary

Generates band features that represent elevation levels on a map product. The tool can be run with set values from standardized product specifications or with custom-defined values.

Illustration

This shows map imagery before and after elevation bands are generated using the Generate Elevation Bands From Features tool.

Usage

The Area of Interest layer must have only one feature selected.
Use a Contour Features parameter value that has been collected using meters or feet.
The Output Feature Class parameter value will contain the following fields:
- Low_Value
- High_Value
- TintBand
If the feature class already exists, ensure that these fields do too.
ArcGIS Pro JOG, TPC, and ONC database product files have been updated with these appropriate fields. The BM datasets are JOG_BANDS_A, TPC_BANDS_A, and ONC_BANDS_A, respectively.
You can specify a Band Interval value to create bands at regular intervals such as every 500 meters, or you can specify irregular intervals, but not both. If a Band Interval parameter value is specified, the Band Values parameter will be inactive.
If a standard product such as JOG-A, TPC, or ONC is specified for the Product parameter, the standard ranges defined by the product specification will be automatically populated for the Band Values parameter. Bands can be added or removed as required.
If Custom is specified for the Product parameter, the Band Values parameter values must also be specified.
If a band interval is specified, the resulting band polygons will be created based on the interval, starting with 0. For example, if the input contours are in meters and the value for the Band Interval parameter is set to 500, the output bands will be created from 0 to 500 meters, then 500 to 1,000 meters, and so on.
If the band values specified do not fully cover the range of elevations in the selected area of interest, no bands will be created over those areas. For example, if Band 1 is defined as 500 to 750 meters and Band 2 is defined as 750 to 1250 meters, but the elevation range in the specified area of interest is 300 to 1500 meters, no elevation bands will be created for contour-bounded areas less than 500 meters or higher than 1250 meters.
The Band Interval parameter value specified, or the resulting interval from specifying Low and High values for Band Values, must be divisible by the contour interval to ensure that the Output Feature Class parameter value isn't missing bands.
The generated bands will cover the extent of both the Contour Features and Exclusion Features parameter value to avoid gaps. If the Exclusion Features parameter is not specified, the extent of the contour lines will set the bounds of the generated bands.
Remove any intersecting contour lines from the Contour Features parameter value before running the tool. Otherwise, the output feature class specified for the Output Feature Class parameter value will not be created and the tool will report an error.

Parameters

Label	Explanation	Data Type
Contour Features	The polyline feature layer that contains the contours. The information for the output bands will be derived from these features.	Feature Layer
Elevation Field	The field in the Contour Features feature layer from which the elevation values will be derived.	Field
Area of Interest	The area of interest (AOI) for the area where the elevation bands will be created. This feature is typically stored in an index feature class that contains the extents for standard map sheets.	Layer
Output Feature Class	The feature class that will contain the banding features.	Feature Class
Exclusion Features (Optional)	The feature layers that define areas where bands will not be created.	Feature Layer
Product (Optional)	Specifies the supported map products. JOG-A—The Joint Operations Graphic-Air product ONC—The Operational Navigation Chart product TPC—The Tactical Pilotage Chart product Custom—A custom product	String
Band Interval (Optional)	The interval specified when the band interval type is regular.	Long
Band Values (Optional)	The low and high values in the bands to be created. These values will be populated automatically from an .xml file if a particular product is specified for the Product parameter; however, these values must be provided manually if the custom option is specified for the Product parameter.	Value Table

arcpy.topographic.GenerateElevationBandsFromFeatures(contour_features, elevation_field, area_of_interest, out_feature_class, {exclusion_features}, {product}, {band_interval}, {band_values})

Name	Explanation	Data Type
contour_features	The polyline feature layer that contains the contours. The information for the output bands will be derived from these features.	Feature Layer
elevation_field	The field in the contour_features feature layer from which the elevation values will be derived.	Field
area_of_interest	The area of interest (AOI) for the area where the elevation bands will be created. This feature is typically stored in an index feature class that contains the extents for standard map sheets.	Layer
out_feature_class	The feature class that will contain the banding features.	Feature Class
exclusion_features [exclusion_features,...] (Optional)	The feature layers that define areas where bands will not be created.	Feature Layer
product (Optional)	Specifies the supported map products. JOG-A—The Joint Operations Graphic-Air product ONC—The Operational Navigation Chart product TPC—The Tactical Pilotage Chart product Custom—A custom product	String
band_interval (Optional)	The interval specified when the band interval type is regular.	Long
band_values [band_values,...] (Optional)	The low and high values in the bands to be created. These values will be populated automatically from an .xml file if a particular product is specified for the Product parameter; however, these values must be provided manually if the custom option is specified for the Product parameter.	Value Table

Code sample

GenerateElevationBandsFromFeatures example (stand-alone script)

The following code sample demonstrates how to use the GenerateElevationBandsFromFeatures function.

# Name: GenerateElevationBandsFromFeatures_sample.py
# Description: Generates band features used to represent different elevation levels on a JOG-A product.

# Import System Modules
import arcpy

# Check Out Extensions
arcpy.CheckOutExtension('Foundation')

# Setting the environment
arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = True

# Make Feature Layer for Area of Interest
arcpy.management.MakeFeatureLayer(r'C:\Users\Public\Documents\ArcGIS Defense Mapping\Product Files\2.9\ReferenceData\MapIndex.gdb\Reference\GRID_1_DEGREE', 'JOG_Layer')

# Select Area of Interest Feature
arcpy.management.SelectLayerByAttribute('JOG_Layer', 'NEW_SELECTION', "CID = '34N120W'")

# Setting Local Variables
contour_features = r'C:\Data\JOG.gdb\BM\HypsographyCrv'
elevation_field = 'ZVH'
area_of_interest = 'JOG_Layer'
out_feature_class = r'C:\Data\JOG.gdb\BM\JOG_BANDS_A'
exclusion_features = r'C:\Data\JOG.gdb\BM\HydrographySrf'
product = 'JOG-A'
band_interval = ''
band_values = '0 1315;1315 1970;1970 5250;5250 9190;9190 12470;12470 29200'

# Use the Generate Elevation Bands From Features tool to generate band features for JOG-A product
arcpy.topographic.GenerateElevationBandsFromFeatures(contour_features, elevation_field, area_of_interest, out_feature_class, exclusion_features, product, band_interval, band_values)

# Check In Extensions
arcpy.CheckInExtension('Foundation')

Environments

This tool does not use any geoprocessing environments.

Licensing information

Basic: No
Standard: No
Advanced: Requires Production Mapping