Using Spatial References with ArcPy after *.prj files no longer installed by ArcGIS 10.1 for Desktop?

Question

I'm writing a python script that uses the CreateFeatureclass_management tool, without a template. One of the required parameters is a spatial reference. I used to be able to point to the system *.prj file in 9.3, but that's no longer an option, and I don't want to point to an existing shapefile's *.prj because that will cause issues when I share the script.

Now that Esri doesn't install all the *.prj files with ArcGIS, how can I set the projection in a script without referencing an existing shapefile?

Answer 1

As stated in the help simply choose your spatial reference by name or factory code.

# Using spatial reference name
sr = arcpy.SpatialReference("Hawaii Albers Equal Area Conic")

# Using factory code
sr = arcpy.SpatialReference(32145)

You can find the list of spatial reference factory code here:

• geographic_coordinate_systems.pdf
• projected_coordinate_systems.pdf

Answer 2

The spatial reference class is very adaptable. Building a little on what Eric said, here's something perhaps more immediately helpful for you, creating the SR object from one of your fcs, then getting the factory code...or likewise you could get it from your 'favorites' if you have it saved. In short, do something like this:

# this is prelim code, not to include in your script, to get the factory code
dataset = r"pathname to dataset with the appropriate spatial reference"
spatial_ref = arcpy.Describe(dataset).spatialReference
factory_code = spatial_ref.factoryCode
print factory_code
# note the above printed number; this is your desired factory code

# then in your code, set your spatial ref obj using the noted factory code
spatial_ref = arcpy.SpatialReference(factory_code)

All that info is in the help docs here:

SpatialReference (arcpy) Desktop » Geoprocessing » ArcPy » ArcPy classes http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//018z0000000v000000