Generate Hachures For Defined Slopes (Cartography)

Summary

Creates multipart lines or polygons representing the slope between the lines representing the upper and lower parts of a slope.

Illustration

Generate Hachures For Defined Slopes tool examples
Two examples of slope hachures are shown. The first shows uniform polygon triangles. The second show alternating tick lines.

Usage

  • The Search Distance parameter specifies the distance between the extremities of the upper and lower lines. If the extremities are within this distance, hachures are created in the area between the upper and lower lines. Both sets of extremities must be within this distance for hachures to be created. This parameter is only used if the Fully connected parameter is unchecked.

  • When multiple connected lines are present, they are considered as one (as though they are dissolved), and the extremities of the dissolved line are used for the search distance.

  • The geometry of the input features must be correctly established for the tool to determine the relationship of the features. Gaps, overlaps, or features that are not properly connected at the ends may affect the creation of the hachures.

  • Consider running the Simplify Line or Smooth Line tool first to remove small details in the upper and lower line features that may affect the orientation of the hachures.

Parameters

LabelExplanationData Type
Upper Line Features

The line features that represent the top of a slope.

Feature Layer
Lower Line Features

The line features that represent the bottom of a slope.

Feature Layer
Output Feature Class

The output feature class containing multipart line or polygon hachures representing the slope area.

Feature Class
Output Feature Type
(Optional)

Specifies whether polygon triangles or tick lines will be created to represent the slope.

  • Polygon trianglesMultipart polygon features will be created in which a triangular polygon is created for each hachure, with the base along the upper line. This is the default.
  • Line ticksMultipart line features will be created in which a linear tick is created for each hachure.
String
Fully connected
(Optional)

Specifies whether the upper and lower lines in the input data form fully connected areas. If the upper and lower lines are not fully connected, leave this parameter unchecked to create hachures inside areas that are derived by connecting the extremities of the upper and lower features. If the upper and lower lines are fully connected, check this parameter to create hachures inside the fully enclosed areas.

  • Unchecked—The upper and lower features are not fully connected in the input data. New connections between the upper and lower features will be derived. This is the default.
  • Checked—The upper and lower features are fully connected in the input data. New connections between features will not be derived.
Boolean
Search Distance
(Optional)

The distance used when deriving connections between the upper and lower features. When the extremities for the upper and lower feature are within this distance, the area between the features is used for creating hachures. The default value is 20 meters. When the Fully connected parameter is checked, this parameter is not available.

Linear Unit
Hachure Interval
(Optional)

The distance between the hachure ticks or triangles within the slope area. The default value is 10 meters.

Linear Unit
Minimum Length
(Optional)

The length a hachure tick or triangle must be to be created. Hachures that are shorter than this length will not be created. The default value is 0 meters.

Linear Unit
Alternate length of every other hachure
(Optional)

Specifies whether the length of every other hachure triangle or tick will differ.

  • Unchecked—All hachures will be of uniform length, which is the distance between the upper and lower slope lines. This is the default.
  • Checked—Every other hachure will be one-half the distance between the upper and lower slope lines.
Boolean
Perpendicular to upper line
(Optional)

Specifies whether the hachure ticks or triangles will be perpendicular to the upper slope line.

  • Unchecked—Hachures will be oriented to obtain even spacing. This is the default.
  • Checked—Hachures will be oriented perpendicularly to the upper line.
Boolean
Polygon Base Width
(Optional)

The width of the base of triangular polygon hachures. This parameter is active only when the Output Feature Type parameter is set to Polygon triangles. The default value is 5 meters.

Linear Unit

arcpy.cartography.GenerateHachuresForDefinedSlopes(upper_lines, lower_lines, output_feature_class, {output_type}, {fully_connected}, {search_distance}, {interval}, {minimum_length}, {alternate_hachures}, {perpendicular}, {polygon_base_width})
NameExplanationData Type
upper_lines

The line features that represent the top of a slope.

Feature Layer
lower_lines

The line features that represent the bottom of a slope.

Feature Layer
output_feature_class

The output feature class containing multipart line or polygon hachures representing the slope area.

Feature Class
output_type
(Optional)

Specifies whether polygon triangles or tick lines will be created to represent the slope.

  • POLYGON_TRIANGLESMultipart polygon features will be created in which a triangular polygon is created for each hachure, with the base along the upper line. This is the default.
  • LINE_TICKSMultipart line features will be created in which a linear tick is created for each hachure.
String
fully_connected
(Optional)

Specifies whether the upper and lower lines in the input data form fully connected areas. If the upper and lower lines are not fully connected, choose NOT_CONNECTED to create hachures inside areas that are derived by connecting the extremities of the upper and lower features. If the upper and lower lines are fully connected, choose FULLY_CONNECTED to create hachures inside the fully enclosed areas.

  • NOT_CONNECTED The upper and lower features are not fully connected in the input data. New connections between the upper and lower features will be derived. This is the default.
  • FULLY_CONNECTEDThe upper and lower features are fully connected in the input data. New connections between features will not be derived.
Boolean
search_distance
(Optional)

The distance used when deriving connections between the upper and lower features. When the extremities for the upper and lower feature are within this distance, the area between the features is used for creating hachures. The default value is 20 meters. When the fully_connected parameter is set to FULLY_CONNECTED, this parameter is ignored.

Linear Unit
interval
(Optional)

The distance between the hachure ticks or triangles within the slope area. The default value is 10 meters.

Linear Unit
minimum_length
(Optional)

The length a hachure tick or triangle must be to be created. Hachures that are shorter than this length will not be created. The default value is 0 meters.

Linear Unit
alternate_hachures
(Optional)

Specifies whether the length of every other hachure triangle or tick will differ.

  • UNIFORM_HACHURESAll hachures will be of uniform length, which is the distance between the upper and lower slope lines. This is the default.
  • ALTERNATE_HACHURESEvery other hachure will be one-half the distance between the upper and lower slope lines.
Boolean
perpendicular
(Optional)

Specifies whether the hachure ticks or triangles will be perpendicular to the upper slope line.

  • NOT_PERPENDICULAR Hachures will be oriented to obtain even spacing. This is the default.
  • PERPENDICULARHachures will be oriented perpendicularly to the upper line.
Boolean
polygon_base_width
(Optional)

The width of the base of triangular polygon hachures. This parameter is enabled only when the output_type parameter is set to polygon_triangles. The default value is 5 meters.

Linear Unit

Code sample

GenerateHachuresForDefinedSlopes example (Python window)

The following Python window script demonstrates how to use the GenerateHachuresForDefinedSlopes function in immediate mode.

import arcpy
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:\Data\Hachures.gdb"
arcpy.cartography.GenerateHachuresForDefinedSlopes("UpperEdges",
                                                   "LowerEdges",
                                                   "Hachures_output",
                                                   "POLYGON_TRIANGLES",
                                                   "NOT_CONNECTED",
                                                   "20 Meters",
                                                   "10 Meters",
                                                   "0 Meters",
                                                   "UNIFORM_HACHURES",
                                                   "",
                                                   "5 Meters")
GenerateHachuresForDefinedSlopes example (stand-alone script)

This stand-alone script shows an example of using the GenerateHachuresForDefinedSlopes function.

""" Name: GenerateHachuresForDefinedSlopes_standalone_script.py
    Description: Generates multipart polygons representing
                 the slope between the lines of an upper and lower slope 
	
"""

# Import system modules
import arcpy

# Set environment settings
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/Data/Hachures.gdb"

# Set local variables
upper_lines = "UpperEdges"
lower_lines = "LowerEdges"
output_type = "POLYGON_TRIANGLES"
output_feature_class = "Hachures_output"
fully_connected = "NOT_CONNECTED"
search_distance = "20 Meters"
interval = "10 Meters"
minimum_length = "0 Meters"
alternate_hachures = "UNIFORM_HACHURES"
perpendicular = False
polygon_base_width = "5 Meters"

# Execute Generate Hachures For Defined Slopes
arcpy.cartography.GenerateHachuresForDefinedSlopes(upper_lines,
                                                   lower_lines,
                                                   output_feature_class,
                                                   output_type,
                                                   fully_connected,
                                                   search_distance,
                                                   interval,
                                                   minimum_length,
                                                   alternate_hachures,
                                                   perpendicular,
                                                   polygon_base_width)

Licensing information

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

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