ArcMap

Create Spot Heights

Summary

ArcGIS Defense Mapping cartographic production tool that creates elevation point features based on contour tops and depressions. Elevation points are created in each top and depression. Point height values populate based on a digital elevation model.

Usage

  • This tool creates multiple points in areas within tops or depressions that have elevations of the same value. For example, if the tool finds two identical elevation values in different locations within the same top, it generates a point at each location.

  • Tops refer to an elevation completely surrounded by lower elevation contour lines.

    Depressions refer to an elevation completely surrounded by higher elevation contour lines.

  • Tops and depressions must be polylines that start and end at the same vertex. The tool will not create spot heights over contour lines that do not start and end at the same vertex.

Syntax

arcpy.defense.CreateSpotHeights(in_contour_features, contour_height_field, in_point_features, {subtype}, spot_height_field, in_raster, {in_aoi})
ParameterExplanationData Type
in_contour_features

Contours from which spot heights are computed.

Feature Layer
contour_height_field

Field in input contours that contains elevation values. Field type must be numeric.

Field
in_point_features

Existing points feature layer in which spot heights are created.

Feature Layer
subtype
(Optional)

Subtype from Spot Heights Layer in which spot height features are created.

String
spot_height_field

Field in the Spot Heights layer to which elevation values are written.

Field
in_raster
[in_raster,...]

Rasters used to derive highest or lowest elevations within contour tops or depressions.

Raster Layer
in_aoi
(Optional)

The extent where spot heights will be created. The AOI is the outer extent of all selected polygons in the feature layer. If none are selected, it is the extent of the raster. This parameter does not accept point layers as valid input.

Feature Layer

Code sample

CreateSpotHeights example (Python window)

The following code sample demonstrates how to execute the CreateSpotHeights tool.

# set gp environment
arcpy.env.workspace="c:/data"
arcpy.env.addOutputsToMap = True

# variables for the CreateSpotHeights tool
# Contour.gdb is located in c:/data
contourFeatures="Contour.gdb/MGCP/ContourL50K"
contourHeightField="ZVH"
# defense.gdb is located in c:/data
points="defense.gdb/Features/ElevP"
subtype="SpotElevationPoint"
spotHeightField="zv2"
# raster N35.DT2 is located in c:/data/W121
raster="W121/N35.DT2"

# execute the CreateSpotHeights tool
arcpy.CreateSpotHeights_defense(contourFeatures, contourHeightField, points, subtype, spotHeightField, raster)

Environments

Licensing information

  • Basic: No
  • Standard: Requires Defense Mapping
  • Advanced: Requires Defense Mapping

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