ArcMap

Create Runtime Content

Summary

Consolidates feature layers, basemaps, network datasets, and locators from your map document into a single folder and prepares the folder for use within applications built with ArcGIS Runtime SDKs. This folder can then be provisioned to devices to use with applications that run offline (applications that can run disconnected from ArcGIS Server or ArcGIS Online).

Usage

  • If an extent is not specified, the layers within your map document will be clipped to the extent stored within your map document. To ensure that all features are copied to your Runtime content, specify UNION_OF_INPUTS for the Extent parameter.

  • Only simple features, tables, relationship classes, locators, and network datasets are supported for Runtime content. If a feature layer references or participates in a relationship class that references unsupported data, the layer will not be included in the Runtime content.

  • Runtime content does not support data layers from multiple workspaces; therefore, all of the layers in the map document must belong to the same workspace.

  • All layers in the Runtime content will be projected into the spatial reference of the map document's data frame. If a basemap layer is included, the layers will be projected to the spatial reference of the basemap layer's tiling scheme.

  • If a basemap layer is included, it will be used to create tile caches that can be used as a basemap layer within your Runtime application. Tile caches typically display more quickly than other basemaps. Including a basemap will increase the time it takes your Runtime content to be consolidated.

  • Data from feature services and map services cannot be used. For more information on using services in your ArcGIS Runtime SDKs, see Services Pattern.

Syntax

CreateRuntimeContent_management (in_map, output_folder, {in_basemap}, {in_locator}, {extent}, {options}, optimize, service_type, format_type, level_of_detail, {service_file})
ParameterExplanationData Type
in_map

The input map document (.mxd) that will be consolidated into a single folder.

ArcMap Document
output_folder

The output folder that will contain the consolidated data. This folder can then be deployed to mobile devices to be used within ArcGIS Runtime-based applications.

Folder
in_basemap
[in_basemap,...]
(Optional)

Input basemap layer that will be included in the Runtime content.

String
in_locator
(Optional)

Input locator (.loc) that will be included in the Runtime content.

Address Locator
extent
(Optional)

Specify the extent by manually entering the coordinates in the extent parameter using the format X-Min Y-Min X-Max Y-Max. To use the extent of a specific layer, specify the layer name.

  • MAXOF —Union of inputs
  • MINOF —Intersection of inputs
  • DISPLAY —Same extent as current display
  • <Layer> —Same extent as specified layer
Extent
options
[options,...]
(Optional)

Options for determining which layers will be included in the Runtime content.

  • NETWORK_DATA — Use this option to include all network data that resides within your map document.
  • FEATURE_AND_TABULAR_DATA —Use this option to include all simple features, tables, and relationship classes that reside within your map document.

If your map contains a network dataset or a network analysis layer, you have the option of including the network dataset in your Runtime content as a transportation network. When including a network, all feature layers the network references become part of the Runtime content. This may include layers that are not part of the map. For example, if you only have a network dataset layer in the map, your runtime content includes the streets, junctions, and turns feature classes associated with the network.

For a network dataset to become a transportation network, there are a few restrictions to keep in mind:

  • The network dataset must be part of a geodatabase. This excludes networks that are in SDC or shapefile format.
  • The network dataset must be from ArcGIS 10.0 or later. If your network is from an earlier version, you can upgrade your geodatabase and your network.
  • The network dataset cannot have an unknown coordinate system.
  • The network dataset cannot use any VB or Python script evaluators.
  • The network dataset cannot use any custom COM evaluators.
  • A network dataset that uses live traffic will be ported to a transportation network, but the live traffic components are excluded since they are not supported.

When using Python, multiple values can be entered by using a Python list, for example, ["NETWORK_DATA", "FEATURE_AND_TABULAR_DATA"].

String
optimize

Optimizes the Runtime content by reducing its size for portability to mobile devices.

  • OPTIMIZE_SIZE —Runtime content will be optimized for size. This is the default.
  • NON_OPTIMIZE_SIZE —Runtime content will not be optimized for size.

Optimization includes deleting all fields that are not used in renderers, relates, or joins. OBJECTID, SHAPE, and GlobalIDs are always maintained. Additionally, OPTIMIZE_SIZE will set the precision of the of the spatial reference to 0.1 meters.

Boolean
service_type

Determines whether the tiling scheme will be generated from an existing map service or if map tiles will be generated for ArcGIS Online, Bing Maps, and Google Maps.

  • EXISTING —Tiling scheme from an existing map service will be used. You must specify a map service in the service_file parameter.Choose this option if your organization has created a tiling scheme for an existing service on your server and you want to match it. Matching tiling schemes ensures that your tiles will overlay correctly in your ArcGIS Runtime application.If you choose this option, your source map document should use the same coordinate system as the map whose tiling scheme you are importing.
  • ONLINE —The ArcGIS Online/Bing Maps/Google Maps tiling scheme is used. This is the default.The ArcGIS Online/Bing Maps/Google Maps tiling scheme allows you to overlay your cache tiles with tiles from these online mapping services. ArcGIS for Desktop includes this tiling scheme as a built-in option when loading a tiling scheme. When you choose this tiling scheme, the data frame of your source map document must use the WGS 1984 Web Mercator (Auxiliary Sphere) projected coordinate system.The ArcGIS Online/Bing Maps/Google Maps tiling scheme is required if you'll be overlaying your package with ArcGIS Online, Bing Maps, or Google Maps. One advantage of the ArcGIS Online/Bing Maps/Google Maps tiling scheme is that it is widely known in the web mapping world, so your tiles will match those of other organizations that have used this tiling scheme. Even if you don't plan to overlay any of these well-known map services, you may choose the tiling scheme for its interoperability potential.The ArcGIS Online/Bing Maps/Google Maps tiling scheme may contain scales that would be zoomed in too far to be of use to your map. Packaging for large scales can take up much time and disk storage space. For example, the largest scale in the tiling scheme is about 1:1,000. Packaging the entire continental United States at this scale can take weeks and require hundreds of gigabytes of storage. If you aren't prepared to package at this scale level, you should remove this scale level when you create the tile package.
Boolean
format_type

Specifies the format of the generated tiles.

  • PNG —Use PNG to automatically select the correct format (PNG8, PNG24, or PNG32) based on the specified Level of Detail. This is the default.
  • PNG8 —Use PNG 8 for overlay services that need to have a transparent background, such as roads and boundaries. PNG 8 creates tiles of very small size on disk with no loss of information. Do not use PNG 8 if your map contains more than 256 colors. Imagery, hillshades, gradient fills, transparency, and antialiasing can easily push your map over 256 colors. Even symbols such as highway shields may have subtle antialiasing around the edges that unexpectedly adds colors to your map.
  • PNG24 —You can use PNG 24 for overlay services, such as roads and boundaries, that have more than 256 colors (if fewer than 256 colors, use PNG 8).
  • PNG32 —Use PNG 32 for overlay services, such as roads and boundaries, that have more than 256 colors. PNG 32 is an especially good choice for overlay services that have antialiasing enabled on lines or text. PNG 32 creates larger tiles on disk than PNG 24, but the tiles are fully supported in all browsers.
  • JPEG —Use this format for basemap services that have large color variation and do not need to have a transparent background; for example, raster imagery and very detailed vector basemaps tend to work well with JPEG. JPEG is a lossy image format. It attempts to selectively remove data without affecting the appearance of the image. This can cause very small tile sizes on disk, but if your map contains vector line work or labels, it may produce too much noise or blurry area around the lines. If this is the case, you can attempt to raise the compression value from the default of 75. A higher value, such as 90, may balance an acceptable quality of line work with the small tile size benefit of the JPEG.It's up to you to decide what image quality you consider acceptable. If you are willing to accept a minor amount of noise in the images, you may save large amounts of disk space by choosing JPEG. The smaller tile size also means the application can download the tiles faster.
  • MIXED —A mixed package uses JPEG in the center of the package with PNG 32 on the edge of the package. Use the mixed mode when you want to cleanly overlay raster packages on other layers.When a mixed package is created, PNG 32 tiles are created anywhere that transparency is detected (in other words, anywhere that the data frame background is visible). The rest of the tiles are built using JPEG. This keeps the average file size down while providing you with a clean overlay on top of other packages. If you do not use the mixed mode package in this scenario, you will see a nontransparent collar around the periphery of your image where it overlaps the other package.
String
level_of_detail

Specify the number of scale levels at which tiles will be generated for the package. Possible values are 1 through 20.

Long
service_file
(Optional)

Specifies the name of the map service or the XML files to use for the tiling scheme. This parameter is required only when the service_type parameter is EXISTING.

MapServer; File

Code sample

CreateRuntimeContent example 1 (Python window)

This is a Python sample for the CreateRuntimeContent tool that includes a basemap layer. 

arcpy.CreateRuntimeContent_management("D:/Geoprocessing/OfflineMapping/sandiego_locators_basemap.mxd","D:/Geoprocessing/Results/RRuntimeContent_sandiego","MyBasemapLayer","#","#","FEATURE_AND_TABULAR_DATA","NON_OPTIMIZE_SIZE","ONLINE","PNG","1","#")
CreateRuntimeContent example 2 (Python window)

This is a Python sample for the CreateRuntimeContent tool that sets the extent to the union of inputs.

arcpy.CreateRuntimeContent_management("//qalab_server/pydata/v1021/packaging/global/mxds/filegeodatabase_redlands.mxd","D:/Geoprocessing/Results/RT_Redlands","#","#","MAXOF","NETWORK_DATA;FEATURE_AND_TABULAR_DATA","OPTIMIZE_SIZE","ONLINE","PNG","1","#")

Environments

Licensing information

  • ArcGIS Desktop Basic: Yes
  • ArcGIS Desktop Standard: Yes
  • ArcGIS Desktop Advanced: Yes

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