create symbology categories automatically

Question

I am using ArcGIS 10.2.2 for Desktop.

I'm creating a model that takes an Excel file with coordinates.

input = Table

input excel

1. make XY event
2. copy feature

output = Shapefile

Now I want to automatically add the shp and symbolize by category with a specific field.

Does a way to do this exist with ArcPy as script added to the model ? If so, how to do it? Or does a tool to exist to do this?

Answer 1

There is a tool called "apply symbology from layer" that you can use for reusing an existing symbology. You therefore need to save the symbology once as a .lyr file (right click > save as layer file). Note that you first need the tool "make feature layer" to create a layer on which you can apply a symbology.

For more control on you symbology in a script, there is all you need in the arcpy.mapping module