ArcMap

Generate

Summary

Generates a coverage from coordinates stored in a file.

Learn more about how Generate works

Usage

  • This tool creates new coordinate features but does not create topology or attributes for these features. Other tools, such as Build or Clean, can be used to create feature topology.

  • The coordinate precision of the output coverage is determined by the precision setting. To convert a double-precision file to a double-precision coverage, the precision must be set to Double.

  • While processing duplicate tics with the same ID number, the last tic read with the same ID number is the one whose coordinates are stored in the coverage tic file.

  • When polygons are generated, each polygon will be closed automatically from the last vertex entered to the first vertex if the two vertices are not the same.

  • Coordinates in the input file can be in x,y,z format, but Generate ignores the z-values if they exist.

  • The geoprocessing tool takes in a text file that has a User-ID number for each line, followed by the series of xy coordinate pairs that define the line.

  • This tool is not interactive, as the GENERATE command in ArcInfo Workstation was.

  • Use the Ungenerate tool to create the file to be used as the input file.

Syntax

Generate_arc (in_file, out_cover, feature_type)
ParameterExplanationData Type
in_file

The file containing feature coordinates that will be used to generate a coverage.

File
out_cover

The coverage to be generated.

Coverage
feature_type

The type of features to create:

  • ANNOTATIONS —Adds annotations to the coverage.
  • CIRCLES —Generates circles, each with a specified center and radius.
  • CURVES —Generates curves using the specified grain value as the distance between vertices on each curve.
  • FISHNET —Creates a fishnet of rectangular cells.
  • LINES —Adds arcs to the coverage.
  • LINKS —Adds links to the coverage.
  • POINTS —Adds label points to the coverage.
  • POLYGONS —Adds polygons and label points to the coverage.
  • TICS —Adds tics to the coverage.
String

Code sample

Generate example (stand-alone script)

The following stand-alone script demonstrates how to generate a coverage from a file of coordinates. 

# Name: Generate_Example.py
# Description: Generates a coverage from a file of coordinates.
# Requirements: ArcInfo Workstation

# Import system modules
import arcpy
from arcpy import env

# Set environment settings
env.workspace = "C:/data"

# Set local variables
inFile = "wells.gen"
outCover = "C:/output/wells"
featureType = "POINTS"

# Execute Generate
arcpy.Generate_arc(inFile, outCover, featureType)

Environments

Licensing information

  • ArcGIS Desktop Basic: No
  • ArcGIS Desktop Standard: No
  • ArcGIS Desktop Advanced: Requires ArcInfo Workstation installed

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