Output point feature created with ModelBuilder (ArcGIS Pro) doesn't display on map

Question

I have been tasked with creating a model on ArcGIS Pro that allows you to create a point feature and input XY coordinates (British National Grid) from ModelBuilder.

Please note I don't want to use a .csv file or an external table, but just type in the coordinates in the tool.

What I have done on ModelBuilder:

• Copy features (from a template point feature in projected BNG and geographic OSGB 1936). I am using a template with a single row of data.
• Add fields (Northing and Easting, file type: double)
• Calculate fields (here I add the coordinates for Northing and Easting, for example for Easting: 300000, and for Northing: 600000)
• Add XY coordinates
• Calculate fields (I add the value in Easting to Point X and Northing to Point Y).

The model completes the task "succesfully" but unfortunately the final output is not what it should be.

The attribute table of the output shows the fields exactly as I intended them to be (northing, easting, point_x, point_y) as well with the values I inputted, but the feature cannot be located (zoom to layer results in zooming out at very small scale and no point is visible).

If I try to add a new field and calculate point x (from the attribute table) I get - "skipping feature 0 because of NULL or EMPTY geometry".

The output is in the correct spatial reference as are the other working layers and the current map (projected BNG and geographic OSGB 1936).

I don't want to extract the coordinates from an existing table or add the xy coordinates from the attribute table, or create the point with coordinates from the tab "Edit" - I would like to do this in a ModelBuilder tool.

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Following advice from stackexchange users I have added the tool "Calculate Value" to the model to update the point geometry, the code is as below:

Expression: getValue(site_location)

Code block:

import arcpy 
input = "site_location" 
fields = ["Easting", "Northing", "SHAPE@X", "SHAPE@Y"] 
cursor=arcpy.UpdateCursor(input, fields) 
for row in cursor: 
row.setValue(SHAPE@X, row.getValue(Easting)) 
row.setValue(SHAPE@Y, row.getValue(Northing)) 
cursor.updateRow(row)

Data type: XY Domain

Unfortunately this doesn't seem to work, resulting in an error: “NameError: name 'getValue' is not defined”

Answer 1

Your steps are a bit unclear to me (why copying feature if you want to create a new one, the adding/calculating field are confusing, please edit your question to clarify) but it seem you never update or create the geometry field.

As the geometry field is the one that hold the point geometry you need a step where you update the geometry field with your coordinate, as it is the geometry field is left empty or not created explaining the error message :

"skipping feature 0 because of NULL or EMPTY geometry"

Answer 2

Instead of using the Add XY Coordinates tool, instead try replacing it with the XY Table to Point tool in your model. Looking at the documentation for the Add XY tool, it only updates the table with a Point X and Point Y field, for points that already exist. It doesn't output any geometry. It seems like the template doesn't have points either.

Since you want to create the point as the model runs, you could have the X and Y field of the XY Table to Point parameters be your Easting and Northing fields, respectfully. It'll output the points for you. As a result, you can get rid of the final calculate field as well.

Answer 3

Your inclusion of python code in the Calculate Value tool is the right way to go to keep it all in model builder. But your code is badly flawed, as you are mixing old style with new style cursors, which won't make sense and not constructing the correct syntax for a function. It is strongly recommended you use the new style cursors as they are faster and more flexible. I have rewritten your code with the new style, study it and understand where values are coming from.

Expression: SetShape("site_location")

Code block:

import arcpy
def SetShape(myLayer): # myLayer is set to "site_location" which must be a point layer in your map 
    fields = ["Easting", "Northing", "SHAPE@X", "SHAPE@Y"] 
    with arcpy.da.UpdateCursor(myLayer, fields) as cursor: 
        for row in cursor: 
            row[2] = row[0] #Set @x to easting
            row[3] = row[1] #Set @y to northing
            cursor.updateRow(row)
    return True

Data type: Boolean

The calculate value tool needs to run at the end of your model as the cursor in it is stepping over all rows to update the geometry.