Generate Points Along Lines (Data Management)

Summary

Creates point features along lines or polygons.

Usage

• Points can be placed at a fixed interval for all features, or along features by percentage of the feature's length. Points can also be placed using a field from the input; the field can represent a fixed interval for each feature or specific distances for each feature.

  Use the Point Placement parameter to specify the method that will be used to place the output points.

• The attributes of the input features will be maintained in the output feature class. A new field, ORIG_FID, will be added to the output feature class and set to the input feature IDs.

• If the Add accumulated distance and sequence fields parameter is checked, the following fields will be added:

  • ORIG_LEN—The accumulated distance along the line from the start point of the line to the point. Distance values are added in the units of the Input Features value's spatial reference.
  • ORIG_SEQ—The sequence number for each point in the order of the points created from each input line.

Parameters

Dialog

Label	Explanation	Data Type
Input Features	The line or polygon features that will be used to place points.	Feature Layer
Output Feature Class	The point feature class that will be created from the input features.	Feature Class
Point Placement	Specifies the method that will be used to place points. By Percentage—The Percentage parameter value will be used to place points along the features by percentage. By Distance—The Distance parameter value will be used to place points at fixed distances along the features. This is the default. By Distance Field—Field values from the Distance Field parameter value will be used to place points along the features.	String
Distance (Optional)	The interval from the beginning of the feature at which points will be placed. This parameter is active when the Point Placement parameter is set to By Distance.	Linear Unit
Percentage (Optional)	The percentage from the beginning of the feature at which points will be placed. For example, if a percentage of 40 is used, points will be placed at 40 percent and 80 percent of the feature's distance. This parameter is active when the Point Placement parameter is set to By Percentage.	Double
Include end points (Optional)	Specifies whether additional points will be included at the start point and end point of the feature. Checked—Additional points will be included at the start point and end point of the feature. Unchecked—No additional points will be included at the start point and end point of the feature. This is the default.	Boolean
Add accumulated distance and sequence fields (Optional)	Specifies whether the accumulated distance and sequence fields will be added to the output. Checked—The accumulated distance (ORIG_LEN) and sequence (ORIG_SEQ) fields will be added to the output. Distance values are added in the units of the Input Features value's spatial reference. Unchecked—The accumulated distance and sequence fields will not be added to the output. This is the default.	Boolean
Distance Field (Optional)	A field from the input features that will be used to place output points. If the field is a numeric type, the field value will be used to place points at that interval. If the field is a string type, the field values must be organized as a semicolon-delimited string of distances. Points will be placed at those distances. Field values that are zero or negative vales will be ignored. Field values that exceed the length of a feature will be ignored for that feature. The distances will be in the linear units of the input's spatial reference. This parameter is active when the Point Placement parameter is set to By Distance Field.	Field
Distance Method (Optional)	Specifies the measurement method that will be used to create the points. This parameter is active when the Point Placement parameter is set to By Distance. Planar—Points will be created using a planar method. Planar measurements use 2D Cartesian mathematics. This is the default. Geodesic—Points will be created using a geodesic method. Geodesic measurements calculate the distance between two points on the earth's surface. This is the default when the input has a geographic coordinate system.	String

Python

arcpy.management.GeneratePointsAlongLines(Input_Features, Output_Feature_Class, Point_Placement, {Distance}, {Percentage}, {Include_End_Points}, {Add_Chainage_Fields}, {Distance_Field}, {Distance_Method})

Name	Explanation	Data Type
Input_Features	The line or polygon features that will be used to place points.	Feature Layer
Output_Feature_Class	The point feature class that will be created from the input features.	Feature Class
Point_Placement	Specifies the method that will be used to place points. PERCENTAGE—The Percentage parameter value will be used to place points along the features by percentage. DISTANCE—The Distance parameter value will be used to place points at fixed distances along the features. This is the default. DISTANCE_FIELD—Field values from the Distance_Field parameter value will be used to place points.	String
Distance (Optional)	The interval from the beginning of the feature at which points will be placed. This parameter is active when the Point_Placement parameter is set to DISTANCE.	Linear Unit
Percentage (Optional)	The percentage from the beginning of the feature at which points will be placed. For example, if a percentage of 40 is used, points will be placed at 40 percent and 80 percent of the feature's distance. This parameter is active when the Point_Placement parameter is set to PERCENTAGE.	Double
Include_End_Points (Optional)	Specifies whether additional points will be included at the start point and end point of the feature. END_POINTS—Additional points will be included at the start point and end point of the feature. NO_END_POINTS—No additional points will be included at the start point and end point of the feature. This is the default.	Boolean
Add_Chainage_Fields (Optional)	Specifies whether the accumulated distance and sequence fields will be added to the output. ADD_CHAINAGE—The accumulated distance (ORIG_LEN) and sequence (ORIG_SEQ) fields will be added to the output. Distance values are added in the units of the Input_Features value's spatial reference. NO_CHAINAGE—The accumulated distance and sequence fields will not be added to the output. This is the default.	Boolean
Distance_Field (Optional)	A field from the input features that will be used to place output points. If the field is a numeric type, the field value will be used to place points at that interval. If the field is a string type, the field values must be organized as a semicolon-delimited string of distances. Points will be placed at those distances. Field values that are zero or negative vales will be ignored. Field values that exceed the length of a feature will be ignored for that feature. The distances will be in the linear units of the input's spatial reference. This parameter is active when the Point_Placement parameter is set to DISTANCE_FIELD.	Field
Distance_Method (Optional)	Specifies the measurement method that will be used to create the points. This parameter is active when the Point_Placement parameter is set to DISTANCE. PLANAR—Points will be created using a planar method. Planar measurements use 2D Cartesian mathematics. This is the default. GEODESIC—Points will be created using a geodesic method. Geodesic measurements calculate the distance between two points on the earth's surface. This is the default when the input has a geographic coordinate system.	String

Code sample

GeneratePointsAlongLines example 1 (Python window)

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

import arcpy
arcpy.env.workspace = 'C:/data/base.gdb'
arcpy.management.GeneratePointsAlongLines('rivers', 'distance_intervals', 'DISTANCE', Distance='500 meters')
arcpy.management.GeneratePointsAlongLines('rivers', 'percentage_intervals', 'PERCENTAGE', Percentage=10)
arcpy.management.GeneratePointsAlongLines('rivers', 'distance_by_field', 'DISTANCE_FIELD', Distance_Field='distance')

GeneratePointsAlongLines example 2 (stand-alone script)

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

# Description: Convert point features to line features

import arcpy

# Set environment settings
arcpy.env.workspace = 'C:/data/base.gdb'

# Set local variables
in_features = 'rivers'
out_fc_1 = 'distance_intervals'
out_fc_2 = 'percentage_intervals'

# Run GeneratePointsAlongLines by distance
arcpy.management.GeneratePointsAlongLines(in_features, out_fc_1, 'DISTANCE',
                                          Distance='500 meters')

# Run GeneratePointsAlongLines by percentage
arcpy.management.GeneratePointsAlongLines(in_features, out_fc_2, 'PERCENTAGE',
                                          Percentage=10,
                                          Include_End_Points='END_POINTS')

# Run GeneratePointsAlongLines by distance field
arcpy.management.GeneratePointsAlongLines(in_features, out_fc_2, 'DISTANCE_FIELD',
                                          Distance_Field='distance')

Environments

Current Workspace, Output CONFIG Keyword, Output has M values, Output has Z values

Licensing information

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