Generate (Coverage)

Summary

Generates a coverage from coordinates stored in a file.

Learn more about how Generate works

Usage

• This tool creates new coordinate features but does not create topology or attributes for these features. Other tools, such as Build or Clean, can be used to create feature topology.

• The coordinate precision of the output coverage is determined by the precision setting. To convert a double-precision file to a double-precision coverage, the precision must be set to Double.

• While processing duplicate tics with the same ID number, the last tic read with the same ID number is the one whose coordinates are stored in the coverage tic file.

• When polygons are generated, each polygon will be closed automatically from the last vertex entered to the first vertex if the two vertices are not the same.

• Coordinates in the input file can be in x,y,z format, but Generate ignores the z-values if they exist.

• The geoprocessing tool takes in a text file that has a User-ID number for each line, followed by the series of xy coordinate pairs that define the line.

• This tool is not interactive, as the GENERATE command in ArcInfo Workstation was.

• Use the Ungenerate tool to create the file to be used as the input file.

Syntax

Generate_arc (in_file, out_cover, feature_type)

Parameter	Explanation	Data Type
in_file	The file containing feature coordinates that will be used to generate a coverage.	File
out_cover	The coverage to be generated.	Coverage
feature_type	The type of features to create: ANNOTATIONS —Adds annotations to the coverage. CIRCLES —Generates circles, each with a specified center and radius. CURVES —Generates curves using the specified grain value as the distance between vertices on each curve. FISHNET —Creates a fishnet of rectangular cells. LINES —Adds arcs to the coverage. LINKS —Adds links to the coverage. POINTS —Adds label points to the coverage. POLYGONS —Adds polygons and label points to the coverage. TICS —Adds tics to the coverage.	String

Code Sample

Generate example (stand-alone script)

The following stand-alone script demonstrates how to generate a coverage from a file of coordinates.

# Name: Generate_Example.py
# Description: Generates a coverage from a file of coordinates.
# Requirements: ArcInfo Workstation

# Import system modules
import arcpy
from arcpy import env

# Set environment settings
env.workspace = "C:/data"

# Set local variables
inFile = "wells.gen"
outCover = "C:/output/wells"
featureType = "POINTS"

# Execute Generate
arcpy.Generate_arc(inFile, outCover, featureType)

Environments

Current Workspace, Level Of Comparison Between Projection Files, Precision For Derived Coverages, Precision For New Coverages, Scratch Workspace

Licensing Information

ArcGIS for Desktop Basic: No

ArcGIS for Desktop Standard: No

ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced: Requires ArcInfo Workstation installed