Run the Edit TIN tool in the batch mode by setting Edit TIN parameters for input layers

Summary

In ArcToolbox, a user can 'batch' the Edit TIN process located under ArcToolBox > 3D Analyst Tools > TIN Creation, but the user will not have any control on setting the Edit TIN parameters such as height_field, tag_field, SF_type, and user_z for input layers. Instructions provided describe how to run the Edit TIN tool in the batch mode, by setting the Edit TIN parameters for input layers.

Procedure

• This code currently considers only three feature layers: one point, one polyline and a multipatch.
  
• Edit TIN parameters' values such as, height_field, tag_field, SF_type, and user_z should be consistent for all the feature layers based on their geometry types. For example, a polyline feature layer in the dataset uses ‘softline’ SF_type, or any MultiPatch feature layer has the use_z value set to ‘TRUE’.
  These parameters values are hardcoded in the script based on this assumption.
• Create a folder Workspace on the root of the C: drive with two nested folders 'TINs' and 'FCs'. First, the empty TINs should be created in the ‘TINs’ folder, and they should be named in numerical order starting with '1'. Similarly, the feature layers that will be used in the edit TIN process should be saved in separate subfolders that are named in numerical order starting with ‘1’. All the subfolders are stored under the folder ‘FCs’.
  By doing this, the feature layers that will be used for the Edit TIN process are based on the numbers that match between a TIN and a folder that contains the feature layers.
  
  For example:
  Feature layers in folder ‘1’ under ‘FCs’ are used for TIN ‘1’ under the ‘TINs’ folder in the Edit TIN process.
  
  
  
• 
  

  Code:
  # Import system modules
  import sys, string, os, arcgisscripting
  
  # Create the Geoprocessor object
  gp = arcgisscripting.create()
  
  # Check out any necessary licenses
  gp.CheckOutExtension("3D")
  
  # Load required toolboxes...
  gp.AddToolbox("C:/Program Files/ArcGIS/ArcToolbox/Toolboxes/3D Analyst Tools.tbx")
  
  # Find only TIN datasets
  gp.workspace = "C:\\WorkSpace\\TINs"
  
  # Get a list of TINs in the workspace.
  datasets = gp.listdatasets("", "TINs")
  
  datasets.reset()
  dataset = datasets.next()
  try:
      while dataset:
          ds = gp.workspace + "\\" + dataset
  
          #For accessing different FCs under different subfolders
          # List all folder workspaces in the current workspace
          ws = "C:\\WorkSpace\\FCs\\" + dataset
          
          print "3: " + ws
  
          gp.workspace = ws 
          print "4: " + gp.workspace
          # Get a list of feature classes in the workspace.
          fcs = gp.ListFeatureClasses()
          # Loop through the list of feature classes.
          fc = fcs.next()
          while fc:
              print "5: " + fc
  
              print "6: " + gp.describe(fc).ShapeType  
              type = gp.describe(fc).ShapeType
              #Only three types of feature types are considered for this Edit TIN process, a point, a polyline and a multipatch    
              if type == "Point":
                  pointFC = ws + "\\" + fc
                  print "7: " + pointFC
              elif type == "Polyline":
                  lineFC = ws + "\\" + fc
                  print "7: " + lineFC  
              elif type == "MultiPatch":
                  multiPatchFC = ws + "\\" + fc
                  print "7: " + multiPatchFC
  
              fc = fcs.next()
          print "1: " + ds
          # Edit TIN parameters are hard-coded below that could be changed according to application needs    
          gp.EditTin_3d(ds, pointFC, " shape shape masspoints true;", lineFC, " shape shape softline true;", multiPatchFC, " shape shape # true")
          pointFC = ""
          lineFC = ""
          multiPatchFC = ""
          print "TIN " + ds + " finished!"
          
              
          gp.workspace = "C:\\WorkSpace\\TINs"
          dataset = datasets.next()
  except:
      print gp.getmessages(2)