Tools with no outputs

Since the majority of geoprocessing tools take datasets as input and produce new datasets as outputs, most tool dialog boxes ask you where you want to write the output dataset. However, some tool dialog boxes will not ask you where to write output. The two primary reasons for this are the following:

Managed output

Another situation where a tool does not have an output parameter is when the tool has managed output. Managed output means the tool creates output but writes the output to a specific location. Only custom model tools that you create with ModelBuilder can have managed output. All ArcGIS for Server tools (known as geoprocessing services) have managed output, because only the server can determine a suitable location to write tool output when the tool is run.

If you are building models to run locally (not as a geoprocessing service), you also have the ability to declare your model output parameters to be managed.

Managed outputs will be added to the display if you have check the Add results of geoprocessing operations to the display check box accessed with Geoprocessing > Geoprocessing Options.

Managed outputs can also be viewed in the result information posted to the Results window. The Results window allows you to copy and paste the tool's results to another location.

Related Topics

4/16/2013