1. Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis
Ryan Lambert
Database Developer / Analyst, Front Range Community College, CO
AIR Forum 2017 – Washington D.C.
Been at FRCC for 6 years, in IR for over 9 total.
3rd time at AIR, 2nd time as a presenter.

2. Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

3. This Presentation… Demonstrates How to Use MapBuilder
Highlights How Automation can Increase Productivity
Is an Invitation to Collaborate on MapBuilder
2 Collaborate: Need two types of users –
People to USE the program to make BEAUTIFUL maps
People to DEVELOP the program
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

4. Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

5. What Is MapBuilder?
Wraps around ArcPy module to Streamline and Simplify
Open Source Python Project
Licensed under MIT License
GitHub:
Current Version:
How many have used ArcGIS? Python? ArcPy??
For those of you that have used ArcPy, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of ArcPy?
Powerful
Cumbersome
Not Intuitive
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

6. Why Automate Data Processing?
“The future of data science is automation.”
– Jen Underwood
“…eliminate the cut-and-paste drudge work…”
– Andy Leonard
Source: 
And that brings us to automating ArcGIS, and automation in general.
The future of data science includes a lot of spatial analysis.
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

7. Why Automate ArcGIS? GUI is slow and cumbersome Reduction in Error
Various Zoom Levels
Headers/Footers
Large number of data sets
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

8. Common ArcGIS Steps Import data file with Student Addresses
Geocode Addresses
Spatial Joins
Export Polished Map(s) to PDF
MapBuilder was created to perform these basic actions…
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

9. Site here
All the “Common ArcGIS tasks” are what I call the “Boring Stuff”.
(geocoding, spatial joins, exporting PDFs…)
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

10. Automation Boosts Productivity
PDF Maps Created for External Use
Not only an exponential increase in # of maps produced, but this allows more time to review the information, and it’s so easy to make minor adjustments to the model and run the whole set again.
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

11. Demo 1 Basic Example Starts w/ Template MXD
Exports PDF Output showing FRCC Service Area
MXD: Think of Templates in Word – Avery 5XXX labels example
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

12. Bootstrap.py (step 1)
Import MapBuilder from local directory, not installed via pip.
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

13. Bootstrap.py (step 2)
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

14. Bootstrap.py (step 3) List of Dictionaries required for OUTPUT_LIST
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

15. Get the Bounding Box You Want
Hover Cursor for Max values
Get the Bounding Box You Want
Hover Cursor for Min values x y
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

16. MapBuilder: config.py
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

17. Multiple Data Files Enrollment Maps for Each:
Campus
Program
Ethnicity
Processed in “Iterations”
This is the main purpose I had in mind when starting this project. Administration wants maps showing all sorts of cross-cuts of our student population.
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

18. Demo 2: Multiple Inputs and Outputs
Use Excel Data “Splitter” (VBA)
Geocodes ~ 1,500 Addresses from 2 .txt files
Spatially Joins Geocoded addresses to Census Tracts
Exports 11 PDFs
Going from simple to complex
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

19. Favorite beer in header, line 2
Output name in Header, line 3 (lines up with name see 2 slides ago)
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

20. Geocoding Addresses From Demo 2 bootstrap.py
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

21. Geocoding Caveat Currently only supports Local Geocoder
Planning to support ESRI Online Geocoder in Q3 2017
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

22. Spatial Joins
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

23. More About Outputs Outputs are a “List” of “Dictionaries”
MapBuilder Saves One PDF per Output in the list
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

24. Custom Output Module
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

25. Using Custom Output Module
In bootstrap.py…
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

26. Flexible and Customizable
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

27. Project Geodatabase Generated Automatically Stores Data used
Demo 2 – Can see table and Feature Class loaded to created GDB
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

28. One More Map…
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

29. Summary Major Boost to Productivity
Created 12 maps in < 45 minutes, while presenting
Easy Annual updates: Update data and run again
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

30. Get MapBuilder & Get Involed
 Note: Case Sensitive!
Project Code
Slide Deck
Recording of Presentation (Coming soon!)
Link to GitHub w/ Issues and Wiki
Combine with Slide 31 (Get Involved!)
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017

31. Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis
Thank You
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis
Automate ArcGIS with Python to Streamline Geographic Data Analysis © Ryan Lambert, Front Range Community College, 2017