A task step can be configured to manage feature selections on the Actions tab in the Task Designer pane. The step must be selected in the Tasks pane for the Actions tab to be available.
A task step can manage feature selections in the following ways:
- Save currently selected features to a selection that can be used by subsequent steps
- Save newly created features to a selection that can be used by subsequent steps
- Save modified features to a selection that can be used by subsequent steps
- Select newly created features
- Select modified features
- Clear selections
- Filter selections using an SQL expression
- Save features created or modified by a geoprocessing tool to a selection that can be used by subsequent steps
- Select features created or modified by a geoprocessing tool
Feature selections can be managed when starting the step, just before the step command is executed, and when exiting the step.
To configure a step to manage feature selections, click Options in the Tasks pane and click Edit In Designer.
- Select the step and click the Actions tab.
- Click the Add Action drop-down box under When starting the step, Prior to command execution, or When exiting the step and choose Selection.
- Choose Save to save a selection and choose which features to save from the drop-down list. Type a name for the saved selection in the into text box.
- Choose Select to create a selection.
- Choose Clear Selection to clear a selection.
- Choose Custom to filter and manipulate a selection.
- Click Done to add the selection action to the Task Designer pane.
- Save the project to save the task changes.
Manage selections when starting a step
A task can create and manipulate feature selections when a step starts. For example, when the step starts, the task changes the current selection from a previous step to suit the requirements of the current step. Multiple feature selection actions can be added at the start of a step. The following are examples of feature selection actions:
- Before the step starts, save the currently selected features to a named selection that will be available for use by subsequent steps in the task.
For example, save the currently selected building footprints created by the previous step to a selection named buildings_selection.
- Before the step starts, save all features created by previous steps in the task to a named selection that can be used by subsequent steps in the task.
For example, save the building footprints created in previous steps to a selection named buildings_selection.
- Before the step starts, save all features modified by previous steps in the task to a named selection that can be used by subsequent steps in the task.
For example, select and save the building footprints modified in previous steps to a selection named buildings_selection.
- Before the step starts, select all the features created by previous steps in the task.
For example, select the building footprints created by a previous steps in the task so they can be attributed in the current step.
- Before the step starts, select all the features modified by previous steps in the task.
For example, select the building footprints modified by previous steps in the task so their attributes can be updated in the current step.
- Before the step starts, select a saved selection created by a previous step.
For example, select the saved selection named buildings_selection for the current step.
- Before the step starts, clear the selection.
- Before the step starts, create a custom selection.
For example, remove the currently selected building footprints from a saved selection of building footprints created in a previous step (Input = Features currently selected, Selection type = Remove Input from Existing Selection, Existing selection = saved selection).
Manage selections before the step command executes
A task can create and manipulate feature selections after the step has started and before the step command executes. For example, when the step starts, the task clears the current selection and creates a selection that will be used by a geoprocessing tool executed by the step. Multiple feature selection actions can be added before a step command executes. The following are examples of feature selection actions:
- Before the command executes, save the currently selected features to a named selection that can be used by subsequent steps in the task.
For example, save the currently selected building footprints created by the previous step to a selection named buildings_selection.
- Before the command executes, save all features created by previous steps in the task to a named selection that can be used by subsequent steps in the task.
For example, save the building footprints created by previous steps to a selection named buildings_selection.
- Before the command executes, save all features modified by previous steps in the task to a named selection that can be used by subsequent steps in the task.
For example, save the building footprints modified in previous steps to a selection named buildings_selection.
- Before the command executes, select all the features created by previous steps in the task. The selection will be used by the command.
For example, select the building footprints created by previous steps in the task so they can be attributed in the current step.
- Before the command executes, select all the features modified by previous steps in the task. The selections will be used by the command.
For example, select the building footprints modified by previous steps in the task so their attributes can be updated in the current step.
- Before the command executes, select a saved selection created by a previous step.
For example, select the saved selection named buildings_selection and run the Attributes command.
- Before the command executes, clear the current selection.
- Before the command executes, create a custom selection.
For example, select all the newly created building footprint features that have an area larger than a specified value (Input = Features created in this task, Selection type = New Selection, Filter = Build Footprints layer, Expression = "Shape_Area is Greater Than 2500").
Manage selections when exiting the step
A task can create and manipulate feature selections when the step completes. For example, when the step completes, select the features that were modified or created by executing a geoprocessing tool. Multiple feature selection actions can be added when a step completes. The following are examples of feature selection actions:
- When the step completes, save the currently selected features to a named selection that can be used by subsequent steps in the task.
For example, save the currently selected building footprints to a selection named buildings_selection for later use.
- When the step completes, save all features created in the step to a named selection that can be used by subsequent steps in the task.
For example, save the building footprint and road centerline features created in the step to a selection named BuildingsRoads_selection for later use.
- When the step completes, save all features created by previous steps in the task to a named selection that can be used by subsequent steps in the task.
For example, save the building footprint and road centerline features created in previous steps to a selection named BuildingsRoads_selection for later use.
- When the step completes, save all features modified in the step to a named selection that can be used by subsequent steps in the task.
For example, save the building footprint and road centerline features modified in the step to a selection named BuildingsRoads_selection for later use.
- When the step completes, save all features modified by previous steps in the task to a named selection that can be used by subsequent steps in the task.
For example, save the building footprint and road centerline features modified in previous steps to a selection named BuildingsRoads_selection for later use.
- When the step completes, select all the features created in the step. The selection will be used in the next step.
For example, select all the building footprints created in the step so they can be attributed in the next step.
- When the step completes, select all the features created by previous steps in the task. The selection will be used in the next step.
For example, select the building footprint and road centerline features created by previous steps in the task so they can be attributed in the next step.
- When the step completes, select all the features modified in the step. The selection will be used in the next step.
For example, select the building footprint features modified in the step so their attributes can be updated in the next step.
- When the step completes, select all the features modified by previous steps in the task. The selection will be used in the next step.
For example, select the building footprint and road centerline features modified by a previous steps in the task so their attributes can be updated in the next step.
- When the step completes, select a saved selection created by a previous step.
For example, select the saved selection named buildings_selection for the next step.
- When the step completes, clear the current selection.
- When the step completes, create a custom selection.
Manage selections after executing geoprocessing tools
A task can save or select the features created or modified by geoprocessing tools if the features were created or modified in an edit session. If Enable Undo is turned on for a geoprocessing tool, an edit session is started when the tool is run, and the features created or modified by the tool can be saved or selected.
When adding the geoprocessing tool to the step action in the Task Designer pane, turn on Enable Undo in the Geoprocessing pane. Add a selection action when exiting the step to save or select the features created by the geoprocessing tool.
Custom selections
Custom selections can be created to manipulate and filter existing selections resulting from task steps. Custom selections can be added when starting a step, before executing a step command, and when exiting a step. You can create the following custom selections:
| Selection type | Description |
|---|---|
New Selection | Create a new selection from a specified input selection. |
Add Input to Existing Selection | Add a specified input selection to a specified existing selection. |
Remove Input from Existing Selection | Remove a specified input selection from a specified existing selection. |
Create a subset of Input and Existing Selection | Only select the features that intersect the specified input and specified existing selections. |
Select all features that are not in Input | Clear the specified input selection and select all the features that were not part of the input selection. |
Custom selections can be filtered by a specified layer or table in the task's active map view and can also be queried with an SQL query.
Learn more about building an SQL query
Note:
There must be an active map view configured on the Views tab in the Task Designer pane for layers and tables to be available in the Filter by layer or table drop-down list.