HOW TO

Convert an ArcInfo Generate file into an ArcView shapefile

Last Published: April 25, 2020

Summary

This Avenue script allows you to create a shapefile from an ArcInfo generate file.

Procedure



  1. Open a new script window.

    A. Activate the Project window.
    B. Click the Scripts icon.
    C. Click New.

  2. Paste the following code into the script window:

    Code:
    '-- Script: gen2shp.ave

    '-- This script takes an ASCII ungenerate file from
    '-- ArcInfo and converts it to a shapefile

    '-- Setup intiial objects

    '-- Name and locate the input ungenerate file
    genFN = FileDialog.Show("*.*", "Ungenerate Files",
    "Select the Ungenerated file")

    '-- Make a linefile object out of it
    genLF = LineFile.Make(genFN,#FILE_PERM_READ)

    '-- Ask the user what type of features are there
    feaTypeList = {"Points","Lines","Polygons"}
    selFeaType = MsgBox.ListAsString(feaTypeList,
    "Choose which feature type is contained" +NL+
    "in the selected ungenerate file:",
    "Feature Type Selection")

    '-- Name and locate the output shapefile
    outSF = FileDialog.Put("".AsFileName,"*.shp",
    "Output Shapefile Name")

    '-- Make a new field to store the coverate ID
    idFld = Field.Make("ID", #FIELD_LONG, 12, 0)

    '-- Make a list of the views in the current project
    listofViews = {}
    for each aDoc in av.GetProject.GetDocs
    if (aDoc.Is(View)) then
    listofViews.Add(aDoc)
    end
    end

    '-- Begin the conversion process

    '-- Process points
    if (selFeaType = "Points") then
    'SETUP THE NEW OUTPUT FTAB
    outFTab = FTab.MakeNew(outSF, Point)
    outFTab.AddFields({idFld})
    shpFld = outFTab.FindField("Shape")
    numLines = genLF.GetSize
    ctr = 2
    av.ShowMsg("Converting points to shapefile...")
    thisLine = genLF.ReadElt
    thisLine = thisLine.Translate(","," ")
    while (thisLine <> "END")
    '-- Read data and setup objects for each line
    av.SetStatus((ctr/numLines) * 100)
    ctr = ctr + 1
    recno = outFTab.AddRecord
    theID = thisLine.Extract(0).AsNumber
    ptX = thisLine.Extract(1).AsNumber
    ptY = thisLine.Extract(2).AsNumber
    pt = Point.Make(ptX, ptY)
    '-- Put objects into output FTAB record
    outFTab.SetValue(idFld, recno, theID)
    outFTab.SetValue(shpFld, recno, pt)
    thisLine = genLF.ReadElt
    thisLine = thisLine.Translate(","," ")
    end

    outFTab.SetEditable(false)
    newFTheme = FTheme.Make(outFTab)
    selView = MsgBox.ListAsString(listofViews,
    "Put new point shapefile into which View?",
    "View Selection")
    selView.AddTheme(newFTheme)
    newFTheme.SetVisible(true)
    selView.Invalidate
    av.ClearMsg
    av.ClearStatus
    end
  3. '-- Process line
    if (selFeaType = "Lines") then
    'SETUP THE NEW OUTPUT FTAB
    outFTab = FTab.MakeNew(outSF, Polyline)
    outFTab.AddFields({idFld})
    shpFld = outFTab.FindField("Shape")
    numLines = genLF.GetSize
    ctr = 2
    av.ShowMsg("Converting lines to shapefile...")

    thisLine = genLF.ReadElt
    thisLine = thisLine.Translate(","," ")

    while (thisLine <> "END") '-- End of File
    idVal = thisLine.Extract(0).AsNumber
    recno = outFTab.AddRecord
    outFTab.SetValue(idFld, recno, idVal)
    thisLine = genLF.ReadElt
    thisLine = thisLine.Translate(","," ")
    lop = {}
    while (thisLine <> "END") '-- End of Line
    ptX = thisLine.Extract(0).AsNumber
    ptY = thisLine.Extract(1).AsNumber
    pt = Point.Make(ptX, ptY)
    lop.Add(pt)
    thisLine = genLF.ReadElt
    thisLine = thisLine.Translate(","," ")
    end
    pLine = Polyline.Make({lop})
    outFTab.SetValue(shpFld, recno, pLine)
    thisLine = genLF.ReadElt
    thisLine = thisLine.Translate(","," ")
    end

    outFTab.SetEditable(false)
    newFTheme = FTheme.Make(outFTab)
    selView = MsgBox.ListAsString(listofViews,
    "Put new line shapefile into which View?",
    "View Selection")
    selView.AddTheme(newFTheme)
    newFTheme.SetVisible(true)
    selView.Invalidate
    av.ClearMsg
    av.ClearStatus

    end

    '-- End processing for lines

    '-- Process polygons
    if (selFeaType = "Polygons") then
    '-- Setup the new output FTAB
    outFTab = FTab.MakeNew(outSF, Polygon)
    outFTab.AddFields({idFld})
    shpFld = outFTab.FindField("Shape")
    numLines = genLF.GetSize
    ctr = 2
    av.ShowMsg("Converting polygons to shapefile...")

    thisLine = genLF.ReadElt
    thisLine = thisLine.Translate(","," ")

    while (thisLine <> "END") '-- End of File
    idVal = thisLine.Extract(0).AsNumber
    recno = outFTab.AddRecord
    outFTab.SetValue(idFld, recno, idVal)
    thisLine = genLF.ReadElt
    thisLine = thisLine.Translate(","," ")
    lop = {}
    lolop = {}
    while (thisLine <> "END") '-- End of Line
    ptX = thisLine.Extract(0).AsNumber
    ptY = thisLine.Extract(1).AsNumber
    pt = Point.Make(ptX, ptY)
    lop.Add(pt)
    thisLine = genLF.ReadElt
    thisLine = thisLine.Translate(","," ")
    end
    lolop.Add(lop)
    thisLine = genLF.ReadElt
    thisLine = thisLine.Translate(","," ")

    '-- Process possible donut holes
    endofPolygonReached = false
    while (endofPolygonReached.Not)
    if (thisLine.Extract(0) = "-99999") then
    endofPolygonReached = false
    lop = {}
    thisLine = genLF.ReadElt
    thisLine = thisLine.Translate(","," ")
    while (thisLine <> "END") '-- End of Line
    ptX = thisLine.Extract(0).AsNumber
    ptY = thisLine.Extract(1).AsNumber
    pt = Point.Make(ptX, ptY)
    lop.Add(pt)
    thisLine = genLF.ReadElt
    thisLine = thisLine.Translate(","," ")
    end
    lolop.Add(lop)
    thisLine = genLF.ReadElt
    thisLine = thisLine.Translate(","," ")
    else
    endofPolygonReached = true
    end
    end
    '-- End of processeing possible donut holes

    pLine = Polygon.Make(lolop)
    outFTab.SetValue(shpFld, recno, pLine)
    end

    outFTab.SetEditable(false)
    newFTheme = FTheme.Make(outFTab)
    selView = MsgBox.ListAsString(listofViews,
    "Put new polygon shapefile into which View?",
    "View Selection")
    selView.AddTheme(newFTheme)
    newFTheme.SetVisible(true)
    selView.Invalidate
    av.ClearMsg
    av.ClearStatus

    end

    '-- End Of Script: gen2shp.ave

  4. Select Compile from the Script menu or click the
    [O-Image] Script compile button
    button.
  5. Click the
    [O-Image] Run compiled script button
    button to run the script.

Article ID:000003779

Software:
  • Legacy Products

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