PolylineZ Characteristics

Open Table of Contents ToolBox Implementation
Calculates several characteristics of the features from a PolylineZ feature class. The results are stored in fields in the polyline attribute table of the input or in a new polyline feature class

Inputs:

  • A PolylineZ feature layer
  • Linear precision - the number of digits after the decimal point for linear measures
  • Angular precision - the number of digits after the decimal point for angular measures
  • NODATA value - a number that represents undefined Z values. If the Z values of a geometry are interpolated from a surface and some of the vertices of the geometry are outside of the extent of the surface, they will not have Z values. Since ArcGIS does not accept NaN (Not a Number) values in Z enabled shapes, a numeric value is assigned to these vertices. If the Features To 3D function of ET Surface is used to derive the Z values, the NODATA value is -1000000000.  When calculating Z characteristics this values need to be ignored. Segments that have a vertex with NODATA Z value will be ignored in the calculations.

Outputs:

The results are stored in the attribute table of the input dataset or in a new feature class. The linear measures are in the units of the spatial reference of the input dataset. The slope is measured in degrees (from -90 to +90). A negative value of the slope indicates downhill. The following fields are added to the attribute table

  • [3D_Length] - the true 3D length of the polyline
  • [2D_Length] - the 2D length of the polyline
  • [Max_Z] - Maximum Z value
  • [Min_Z] - Minimum Z value
  • [Len_Up]  - distance uphill
  • [Len_Down] - distance downhill
  • [H_Up] - total increase in height
  • [H_Down] - total decrease in height
  • [Av_S_Up] - average slope uphill
  • [Max_S_Up] - maximum slope uphill
  • [Av_S_Down] - average slope downhill
  • [Max_S_Down] -maximum slope downhill

ToolBox implementation

Command line syntax

ETS_GPPolylineZChars <Input Dataset>  <Out Feature Class> {Linear Precision}, {Angular Precision}, {NODATA Value}

Parameters

Expression Explanation
<Input Dataset> A Polyline feature layer or feature class
<Out Feature Class> A String - the full name of the output feature class
{Linear Precision} An Integer representing the number of digits after the decimal point for linear measures
{Angular Precision} An Integer representing the number of digits after the decimal point for angular measures.
{NODATA Value} A Double - see explanations above

Scripting syntax

ETS_GPPolylineZChars (Input Dataset,  Out Feature Class, Linear Precision, Angular Precision, NODATA Value)

See the explanations above:
<> - required parameter
{} - optional parameter

All ESRI products mentioned are trademarks of Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.
Copyright: Ianko Tchoukanski