Exporting map frame to JPEG with world file (or GeoTIFF) using ArcPy for ArcGIS Pro?

Question

Is it possible to export a Map Frame to JPEG with a world file (JPW) that respects its extent?

Using ArcGIS Pro 2.0.1 (and I think the behaviour at 1.4.1 was the same) I have noticed something that seems odd. Using the GUI it is possible to have a Map active and Share | Export Map to produce a JPEG (*.jpg) file with an accompanying world file (*.jpw) that appears to be what is seen in that Map at the time it is exported.

To see this:

1. Create a new project called TestProject in C:\Temp using Map.aptx as a template.
2. Run the ArcPy code below to write a test feature class (fishnet) into its file geodatabase.

---

import arcpy
testFC = r"C:\Temp\TestProject\TestProject.gdb\TestFC"
if arcpy.Exists(testFC):
    arcpy.Delete_management(testFC)
arcpy.management.CreateFishnet(testFC,
                               "152 -25", "152 -24", 0.1, 0.1, 10, 10, None,
                               "NO_LABELS", "DEFAULT", "POLYGON")
sr = arcpy.SpatialReference("Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994")
arcpy.management.DefineProjection(testFC,sr)

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3. In ArcGIS Pro add the feature class to the project's only Map
4. Insert a Layout into that project (I used A4 Portrait)
5. On that Layout insert a Map Frame using the Map (not at the Default scale)
6. Make the Map active, and use Share | Export Map to C:\Temp\Map.jpg and tick the Create world file box. This makes C:\Temp\Map.jpw as well

The Map looks like this in ArcGIS Pro:

The Layout looks like this in ArcGIS Pro:

When I use ArcMap 10.5 to check whether the world file is working I need to edit the coordinate system (Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994) onto Map.jpg using the Catalog window first, but then I can display it against the OpenStreetMap basemap to see:

which does not look great but it was quick to make and looks like it is the area I am after.

In contrast, when I try to do the same thing using ArcPy for ArcGIS Pro there is not a method to export from a map object but there is one to do it from a map frame:

import arcpy
aprx = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject(r"C:\Temp\TestProject\TestProject.aprx")
lyt = aprx.listLayouts("Layout")[0]
mf = lyt.listElements("MapFrame_Element", "Map Frame")[0]
mf.exportToJPEG(r"C:\Temp\Map2.jpg",96,True)

This took 10-20 mins to complete and produced this when I viewed it in ArcMap and gave it the same coordinate system (Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994):

I have no idea why it produces an image over such a large extent, and I am assuming that it is doing that which causes it to take so long to export.

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The behaviour is the same with ArcGIS Pro 2.1.2 when trying to exportToTiff and create a GeoTIFF.

Answer 1

This isn't an answer but a confirmation of PolyGeo's issue. I've tested the methodology using ArcGIS Pro 2.1.1 and replicated the results.

I tried setting the data frame to fixed extents with no difference to the output.

I then tried a new project based on the Blank template, removing the basemap and adding in my own feature classes. The export still defaults to some pre-defined extent.

Layout View

Exported JPG

I think this issue needs to be raised with ESRI Technical Support as a possible bug.