| Label | Explanation | Data Type |
Input Features
| The line features along which perpendicular transect lines will be generated. | Feature Layer |
Output Feature Class
| The output perpendicular transect lines generated along the input features. | Feature Class |
Distance
Between Transects | The interval from the beginning of the feature at which transects will be placed. | Linear Unit |
Transect Length
| The length or width of the transect line. Each transect will be placed in such a way along the input line that half its length falls on one side of the line, and half its length falls on the other side of the line. This is the overall length of each transect line, not the distance that the transect extends from the input line. To specify how far the transect line should extend from the input line—for example, 100 meters—double this value to specify the transect length (200 meters). | Linear Unit |
Generate transects at line start and end (Optional) | Specifies whether transects will be generated at the start and end of the input line.
| Boolean |
Summary
Creates perpendicular transect lines at a regular interval along lines.
Usage
This tool works best when the input features have a projected coordinate system appropriate for distance measurements in a local area. Equidistant, UTM, or other localized coordinates systems are well suited for distance measurement. Coordinate systems that distort distance to provide more cartographic shapes, such as Web Mercator, or geographic coordinate systems may not have accurate results.
The output of this tool has only one attribute, ORIG_FID, which stores the Object ID of the input feature along which each transect line was generated. You can use this field to add additional attributes from the input features to the output transect lines by running the Add Join or Join Field tool.
Parameters
arcpy.management.GenerateTransectsAlongLines(in_features, out_feature_class, interval, transect_length, {include_ends})| Name | Explanation | Data Type |
in_features | The line features along which perpendicular transect lines will be generated. | Feature Layer |
out_feature_class | The output perpendicular transect lines generated along the input features. | Feature Class |
interval | The interval from the beginning of the feature at which transects will be placed. | Linear Unit |
transect_length | The length or width of the transect line. Each transect will be placed in such a way along the input line that half its length falls on one side of the line, and half its length falls on the other side of the line. This is the overall length of each transect line, not the distance that the transect extends from the input line. To specify how far the transect line should extend from the input line—for example, 100 meters—double this value to specify the transect length (200 meters). | Linear Unit |
include_ends (Optional) | Specifies whether transects will be generated at the start and end of the input line.
| Boolean |
Code sample
The following Python window script demonstrates how to use the GenerateTransectsAlongLines function in immediate mode.
import arcpy
arcpy.env.workspace = 'C:/data/base.gdb'
arcpy.GenerateTransectsAlongLines_management('rivers', 'river_sample_transects',
'100 Meters', '100 Meters',
'NO_END_POINTS')The following stand-alone script demonstrates how to use GenerateTransectsAlongLines.
# Description: Add sampling perpendicular transect lines along a river
import arcpy
# Set environment settings
arcpy.env.workspace = 'C:/data/base.gdb'
# Set local variables
in_features = 'rivers'
out_fc_1 = 'river_samples_transects'
# Execute GeneratePointsAlongLines by distance
arcpy.GenerateTransectsAlongLines_management(in_features, out_fc_1, '100 Meters',
'100 meters', 'END_POINTS')