If then question with raster calcuator

Question

I have several buffers to be added together (Cold, Hot, Raining, etc.), but they only need to be added if they exist.

So I currently have create buffer if Cold else no buffer. (I did convert polys to raster.) I want to set up a calculator that runs all of the buffers that exist. But I won't know which exist (large project with lots of weather specifications).

So far I am able to add them fine if everything is there, but if one specified buffer doesn't exist then it errors out.

Answer 1

The Con statement (conditional) is similiar to an IF ELSE statement and can be used with the raster calculator. I use it to add rasters together that have null values by converting the nulls to zeros. Con(isNull("raster_layer"), 0, "raster_layer")

Esri documentation: http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/latest/tools/spatial-analyst-toolbox/conditional-evaluation-with-con.htm

blog post: https://tomtl.github.io/arcgis-conditional-statements/

Answer 2

ModelBuilder doesn't handle IF-THEN-ELSE statements well at all. For that you're going to need a python script. A simple use of TRY-EXCEPT should handle those pesky errors for you.

Basics of TRY-EXCEPT:
This is the most basic method of error handling in python. What you do is take your code and put it inside a TRY just like an IF statement. you then have an EXCEPT, just like an ELSE statement. The code in the TRY part will run as normal until it encounters an error. When it hits an error, it will trigger the EXCEPT part of the statement. The program will then continue as normal. In the OP's case, this continuation will be with another execution of the loop.

for foo in bar:
  try:
    print "Adding buffer " + foo
    code to add buffer
  except:
    print "No buffer detected, proceeding to next iteration of loop"

See also "Try and Except in Python" over at PythonForBeginners.com

Answer 3

you may need to handle your extents (union of inputs) or NoData values.

When using RasterCalculator to ADD two rasters together the output of cell values

(NODATA + 1) = NODATA

You may have areas that don't overlap so your output will be NODATA and need to fist convert nodata values = 0.

from arcpy.sa import *
outCon = Con(IsNull("buffras"),0, "buffras")

http://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/tool-reference/spatial-analyst/h-changing-nodata-cells-to-a-value.htm

http://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/tool-reference/spatial-analyst/con-.htm