Convert GPlinearunit to float in arcpy

Question

Is it possible that arcpy converts all inputs of the a value registered as GPlinearunit (kilometers, meters, feet, miles, etc) into units of XY coordinates system? I need to perform calculations with it, since ArcPy GPlinearunit recognizes the parameter as a string.

I have:

import arcpy, math

source = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0) # < feeature point
w = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(1) # <- Double
d = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(2) # <- GPlinearunit

for row in arcpy.da.SearchCursor(source, ["SHAPE@XY"]):
    x, y = row[0]
    arcpy.AddMessage("{}, {}".format(x, y))

rad = float(w) / 57.2957795
arcpy.AddMessage("{}".format(rad))
dX = x + float(d) * math.cos(rad)
dY = y + float(d) * math.sin(rad)
arcpy.AddMessage("{}, {}".format(dX, dY))

Error message:

Traceback (most recent call last): File "C:\AIR-GIS\toolbox\scripts\Perfil.py", line 26, in dX = x + float(d) * math.cos(rad) ValueError: invalid literal for float(): 5 Kilometers Failed to execute (Perfil).

I found a solution: convert all units in meters.

digit = int(filter(str.isdigit, str(d)))
arcpy.AddMessage(str(digit))
letters = str(filter(str.isalpha, str(d)))
arcpy.AddMessage(str(letters))

if letters == "Meters":
    dfloat = float(digit)
elif letters == "Kilometers":
    dfloat = float(digit) * 1000
elif letters == "Unknown":
    dfloat = float(digit)
elif letters == "Feet":
    dfloat = float(digit) * 3.28084

rad = float(w) / 57.2957795
dX = x + dfloat * math.cos(rad)
dY = y + dfloat * math.sin(rad)

Answer 1

Try printing d to see what is being pulled through from your tool dialog.

I think you will find it is a string (because you are using arcpy.GetParameterAsText()) of "5 Kilometers" and not a number as string i.e. "5".

To see what I am getting at perhaps run this test from any Python IDE:

d = "5 Kilometers"

print type(d)

kmFloat = float(d.split(" ")[0])

print kmFloat
print type(kmFloat)

You should see:

>>> 
<type 'str'>
5.0
<type 'float'>
>>>