Automating map export from list of inputs using ArcMap

Question

Does anybody know of a good premade ArcMap tool to iterate over a list of inputs (rasters, shapefiles, etc) and export to PDF/PNG?

Preferably a Toolbox tool that uses the current mxd as a template and possibly allows for symbology and/or legend options.

I have a routine that produces 50 raster surfaces, I just want to be able to flip through them without exporting 1 by 1.

The following had some good leads but seemed out of date:

PolyGeo · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-03 06:00:49Z

2

Yes - the "tool" is called Data Driven Pages.

Decide what your index layer will be. It should have features that can each be used to set an extent for one PDF/image. This is your "list".
Export your DDP-enabled map. There are options to decide whether a PDF will be multi-page or multiple single pages.

answered Aug 3, 2016 at 6:00

PolyGeo♦

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Can you display a different raster surface every time? I don't want to show 50 different extents, I want to show 50 different raster surfaces 1 at a time (preferably w/ transparency, symbology, legend). The 50 surfaces happen to show the same geographic extent
– bigCow
Commented Aug 3, 2016 at 21:19
Yes - using Page Definition Queries - see gis.stackexchange.com/a/58941/115 - but personally I would do this using ArcPy.
– PolyGeo ♦
Commented Aug 3, 2016 at 21:29
The Page Definition queries don't apply to rasters I think. Looks like I might have to hammer it out in arcpy.mapping- I was hoping somebody else already had some good arcpy.mapping routines: Set mxd, add/symbolize data, export, iterate. Thanks for the leads
– bigCow
Commented Aug 5, 2016 at 4:45
You're probably right unless your raster data types let you get at a Raster Attribute Table. Not sure if they support page definition queries.
– PolyGeo ♦
Commented Aug 5, 2016 at 5:15

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