Convert an ArcInfo Generate file into an ArcView shapefile

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
   
   button.
5. Click the
   
   button to run the script.