One of GIS software main aims is to save time and avoid repeating your work . ArcGis has a module quite suitable for this task: the Model Builder.
Without any special programming knowledge, it allows you , by using a graphical interface , to create processing programs.
We will suppose, for the time being , that you know how to open Model Builder and store your models . We will return to the Model Builder basics in future articles. To see an introduction to Model Builder, you can visit the ESRI website : Tutorial – Creation<\/a> tools with the Model Builder.<\/a>
You also can take a look at YouTube presentation by Don Boyes ( in English ): Model Builder Introduction<\/a> . Here is the model we are going to create, in order to automatize the compression addressed in the previous<\/a> article, and the backup of an ArcGis geodatabase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/251.png?resize=630%2C359&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWe will set up two tools : one to compact the geodatabase , the other to make a backup in another folder. – Open a new blank document in ArcMap Tip<\/em> : Do<\/em> not<\/em> load<\/em> the<\/em>\ngeodatabase<\/em> in<\/em> ArcMap.<\/em>\nCheck the \u00ab\u00a0browse<\/em> files\u00a0\u00bb<\/em> button<\/em>\nin the<\/em> geodatabase<\/em> on<\/em> the<\/em>\ndisk.<\/em> By doing the previous, you will\nbe assured that the<\/em> model<\/em> will<\/em>\nwork properly,<\/em> even<\/em> if<\/em> when<\/em> you<\/em> start, the<\/em> geodatabase<\/em> is<\/em> not<\/em> loaded<\/em> in<\/em> ArcMap.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Second<\/strong>\nStep One:<\/strong> Getting<\/strong> the date as<\/strong> text<\/strong> \n\nTo consolidate\nthe date to the output file name ( backup ) you must add\nthe tool \u00a0\u00bb Calculation of a value . \u00a0\u00bb This tool is not in the toolbox, it\n is\navailable in the Model\nBuilder \u201cInsert\u201d menu \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe\nfunction get time<\/em><\/strong> retrieves\nthe date and time system . \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n The type of data in\nstring converts the date and time system in text string. On the other hand, this chain\ncontains spaces and special characters, and these are\nnot allowed in the names\nof geodatabases . Therefore you have to remove\nthem. This is what is the code block for Third<\/strong>\nstep<\/strong> :<\/strong> Backing up<\/strong> the<\/strong> geodatabase<\/strong>\n\n\nClick\nand drag the \u00ab\u00a0Copy\u00a0\u00bb tool of the \u00ab\u00a0Data Management\u00a0\u00bb\n-> \u00ab\u00a0General\u00a0\u00bb toolbox. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNow you must connect the calculated value with the Copy box . \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis assures you that the\ncalculation will be done BEFORE performing \u00ab\u00a0Copy\u00a0\u00bb. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn\nthe output file name, once created as usually by browsing the files and giving a classic name , add to the name of the window \u00ab\u00a0Copy\u00a0\u00bb the output of\n\u00a0\u00bb Calculate \u00a0\u00bb between \u00ab\u00a0%\u00a0\u00bb. When\nrunning the model , Arcgis replaces this chain by the chain Calculate output.\nSave the model in\nyour Toolbox. Now you only have to double\nclick on this model for the whole process to\ntake place automatically . \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Note: Even though this article dates back to 2015, most of its content is, still, valid. The different optimization methods addressed in previous articles can be achieved manually. But these are routine tasks, ie they have…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1260],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-non-classe-en"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6XU0A-27G","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8164"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8164\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
On the other hand, regarding the backup name, we need to retrieve the current date and add it to the name. This is the only difficulty . First step: Compacting the geodatabase.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/252.png?resize=630%2C315&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n– Open a new model with Model Builder
\n\u00a0\u00bb Click-Move tool\n\u00ab\u00a0Compact\u00a0\u00bb in the toolbox \u00ab\u00a0Data Management\u00a0\u00bb ->\n\u00ab\u00a0Geodatabase file.\u00a0\u00bb <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/253.png?resize=300%2C199&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/254.png?resize=300%2C203&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\ndef<\/em> gettime<\/em>\n():<\/em>
\nimport time<\/em>
\nreturn<\/em> time.ctime<\/em> () .replace\n(\u00ab\u00a0:\u00a0\u00bb, \u00ab\u00a0\u00a0\u00bb). replace (\u00ab\u00a0\u00a0\u00bb, \u00ab\u00a0\u00a0\u00bb)<\/em>
\nIt removes \u00ab\u00a0:\u00a0\u00bb and the spaces in the output chain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nConnect , with the \u00ab\u00a0connect\u00a0\u00bb tool of Model\nBuilder, the Compacting output data with the box\n\u00ab\u00a0Copy\u00a0\u00bb by selecting \u00a0\u00bb Data\nin input \u00ab\u00a0. \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/255.png?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\nOn the other hand, there is no particular\nfield for this value in the Copy tool . Incidentally , we are going to use it as variable, adding its value between \u00ab\u00a0%\u00a0\u00bb in the output file name. We could do it without connecting at all the calculation, but\nyou must avoid independent processes unconnected in the same model because the order execution\nis not insured. The Copy tool can be executed BEFORE calculating\nthe date.
\nTo avoid this , click \u00ab\u00a0Copy\u00a0\u00bb\n-> Properties .
\nThen in the \u00a0\u00bb Preconditions \u00a0\u00bb tab check the name of your\ncalculation . \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/256.png?resize=267%2C300&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\nFinally , you will\ndefine the backup output . \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sigterritoires.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/257.png?resize=595%2C404&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n