Depths To ASCII (Bathymetry)
Summary
Exports a depth point feature class to an ASCII text file. You can use the ASCII text file for working with depth information in non-GIS systems. Depth point features exported to an ASCII text file will contain the X, Y, and Z locations for each point feature. If a Bathymetric Attribute Grid (BAG) is used in the creation of the Depth feature, the Total Propagated Uncertainty (TPU) value will also be written to the depth feature and exported to the ASCII text file.
Depths represent a measurement of the vertical distance from a given water level to the seafloor.
A BAG is a multidimensional hydrographic data file that models elevation and Total Propagated Uncertainty (TPU) values in a gridded format. It conforms to standards created by the Open Navigation Surface Working Group.
Usage
Use the Extract Depths tool to create the depth features that are going to be exported to ASCII.
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The Input Feature parameter is a feature layer that references the depth features that will be converted to a text file.
The Input Feature parameter requires all of the following attributes: Uncertainty, PrimitiveId, ModelId, BisWorkspacePath, and BisId. These fields will be present if the depth features were created with the Extract Depths tool.
The ASCII File parameter references a text file that contains X, Y, Z, and uncertainty attributes from a BIS points feature class. Uncertainty can vary depending on the type of BAG. Depth derived from a BAG created for navigation would specify elevation uncertainty.
Syntax
| Parameter | Explanation | Data Type |
in_layer |
Input points to export to ASCII. | Feature Layer |
ascii_file |
The text file to which features will be written. | File |
Code Sample
The following stand-alone script demonstrates how to use the DepthsToASCII tool.
# Name: DepthsToASCII_Example.py
# Description: Exports a Bathymetry points feature class to an ascii file
# Requirements: ArcGIS for Maritime Bathymetry
import arcpy
# setup parameters
inLayer = "C:/data/MyData.gdb/PointFC"
asciiFile = "C:/output/MyOutput.txt"
# For a stand-alone scripts, checkout the extension first
arcpy.CheckOutExtension("Bathymetry")
# execute the tool.
arcpy.DepthsToASCII_bathymetry(inLayer, asciiFile)