HOW TO

Use ArcObjects to get the x and y coordinates of points, polygon centroids, or line midpoints

Last Published: April 25, 2020

Summary

Instructions provided describe the steps using ArcObjects to get the x and y coordinates of points, polygon centroids, or line midpoints.

The code below generates a generic error if the data contains invalid geometry. If an error occurs while running the code, run the shapefile or personal geodatabase data through ArcToolbox's Repair Geometry command, located in the Data Management > Features toolset.

Point: If a point layer is selected, the fields added are called X_COORD and Y_COORD and are populated with the feature's x and y coordinates.

Line: If a line layer is selected, the fields added are called MID_X and MID_Y and contain the coordinates of the midpoint of each line.

Polygon: If a polygon layer is selected, the fields added are called CENTROID_X and CENTROID_Y and contain the coordinates of the centroid of each polygon.

Procedure

The ArcObjects code below adds two new fields to a feature layer and can be applied with a point, line, or polygon layer selection.

  1. Start ArcMap.
  2. Add the feature class for which you want to calculate the coordinates. You must have write-access to the feature class.
  3. Open the Visual Basic Editor.

    In ArcMap, select Tools > Macros > Visual Basic Editor.

  4. In the Project Explorer window, expand Project.mxt and select ArcMap Objects > ThisDocument then right-click and select View Code.
    [O-Image] Visual Basic Project  Explorer
    Note:
    Code in the Project's ThisDocument code module will only run in the current map document. If you want to store the code in all your map documents open the Normal.mxt ThisDocument code module instead.

  5. Copy the following code into the code module.
    Code:
    Dim X_Pos As Integer
    Dim Y_Pos As Integer
    Dim fClass As IFeatureClass
    Public Sub addCoords()
    ' Adds coordinate information to shapefile, coverage,
    ' and geodatabase feature class tables
    Dim mxDoc As IMxDocument
    Dim selectedLayer As ILayer
    Dim fLayer As IFeatureLayer

    Set mxDoc = ThisDocument
    Set selectedLayer = mxDoc.selectedLayer
    If selectedLayer Is Nothing Then
    MsgBox "Select a layer in the Table of Contents.", _
    vbCritical, "No layer selected"
    Exit Sub
    End If
    If Not TypeOf selectedLayer Is IFeatureLayer Then
    MsgBox "Select a feature layer in the Table of Contents.", _
    vbCritical, "Selected layer is not a feature layer"
    Exit Sub
    End If
    Set fLayer = selectedLayer
    Set fClass = fLayer.FeatureClass
    Select Case fClass.ShapeType
    Case esriGeometryPoint
    If AddFields("X_Coord", "Y_Coord") = True Then
    AddXY_Points
    End If
    Case esriGeometryPolyline
    If AddFields("Mid_X", "Mid_Y") = True Then
    AddXY_Lines ' based on fromPoint of line.
    End If
    Case esriGeometryPolygon
    If AddFields("Centroid_X", "Centroid_Y") = True Then
    AddXY_Polygons ' based on centroid of polygon.
    End If
    Case Else
    MsgBox "This tool only works with point, line and polygons.", _
    vbCritical, "Unsupported geometry type"
    Exit Sub
    End Select
    End Sub

    Private Function AddFields(fieldName1 As String, _
    fieldName2 As String) As Boolean

    ' Add required fields that will store the coordinate information.
    On Error GoTo couldntAddFields
    Dim newField As IFieldEdit

    ' Delete required field if it exists.
    If fClass.FindField(fieldName1) <> -1 Then
    fClass.DeleteField fClass.Fields.Field(fClass.FindField(fieldName1))
    End If

    ' Create the required field.
    Set newField = New Field
    With newField
    .Name = fieldName1
    .Type = esriFieldTypeDouble
    End With
    fClass.AddField newField

    ' Delete required field if it exists.
    If fClass.FindField(fieldName2) <> -1 Then
    fClass.DeleteField fClass.Fields.Field(fClass.FindField(fieldName2))
    End If

    ' Create the required field.
    Set newField = New Field
    With newField
    .Name = fieldName2
    .Type = esriFieldTypeDouble
    End With
    fClass.AddField newField
    X_Pos = fClass.FindField(fieldName1)
    Y_Pos = fClass.FindField(fieldName2)
    If X_Pos = -1 Or Y_Pos = -1 Then
    GoTo couldntAddFields
    End If
    AddFields = True
    Exit Function
    couldntAddFields:
    MsgBox Err.Description & Chr(13) & "AddXY was not completed.", _
    vbCritical, "Could not add required fields"
    AddFields = False
    End Function

    Private Sub AddXY_Points()

    ' Populate X_Coord and Y_Coord fields for each point.
    Dim fCursor As IFeatureCursor
    Dim aFeature As IFeature
    Dim thePoint As IPoint

    Set fCursor = fClass.Update(Nothing, False)
    Set aFeature = fCursor.NextFeature
    Do Until aFeature Is Nothing
    Set thePoint = aFeature.Shape
    aFeature.Value(X_Pos) = thePoint.X
    aFeature.Value(Y_Pos) = thePoint.Y
    fCursor.UpdateFeature aFeature
    Set aFeature = fCursor.NextFeature
    Loop
    MsgBox "Finished", vbInformation, "Add Coordinates"
    End Sub

    Private Sub AddXY_Lines()
    ' Populate Mid_X and Mid_Y fields with the mid-point XY for each line.
    Dim fCursor As IFeatureCursor
    Dim aFeature As IFeature
    Dim theCurve As ICurve
    Dim thePoint As IPoint

    Set thePoint = New Point
    Set fCursor = fClass.Update(Nothing, False)
    Set aFeature = fCursor.NextFeature
    Do Until aFeature Is Nothing
    Set theCurve = aFeature.Shape
    theCurve.QueryPoint 0, 0.5, True, thePoint
    aFeature.Value(X_Pos) = thePoint.X
    aFeature.Value(Y_Pos) = thePoint.Y
    fCursor.UpdateFeature aFeature
    Set aFeature = fCursor.NextFeature
    Loop
    MsgBox "Finished", vbInformation, "Add Coordinates"
    End Sub

    Private Sub AddXY_Polygons()
    ' Populate Centroid_X and Centroid_X fields
    ' with the centroid for each polygon.
    Dim fCursor As IFeatureCursor
    Dim aFeature As IFeature
    Dim thePolygon As IArea
    Dim thePoint As IPoint

    Set fCursor = fClass.Update(Nothing, False)
    Set aFeature = fCursor.NextFeature
    Do Until aFeature Is Nothing
    Set thePolygon = aFeature.Shape
    Set thePoint = thePolygon.Centroid
    aFeature.Value(X_Pos) = thePoint.X
    aFeature.Value(Y_Pos) = thePoint.Y
    fCursor.UpdateFeature aFeature
    Set aFeature = fCursor.NextFeature
    Loop
    MsgBox "Finished", vbInformation, "Add Coordinates"
    End Sub

  6. Close the Visual Basic Editor.
  7. Run the code by clicking Tools > Macros > Macros, then change the 'Macros in:' to "Normal (Normal.mxt)", select "ThisDocument.addCoords" in the 'Macro name:' box, and then click Run. A message box will tell you when the code is finished running.

Article ID:000004898

Software:
  • ArcMap 8 x
  • ArcMap 9 x

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