Generate Points Along 3D Lines (3D Analyst Tools)

Summary

Creates 3D point features along 3D lines using three-dimensional distances.

Usage

This tool generates 3D point features along 3D lines by measuring the distance at which to create the points using three-dimensional distances. If the points that are being sampled from the 3D line need to be computed using two-dimensional distances along the x,y plane, use the Generate Points Along Lines tool instead.
Points can be placed at a fixed interval for all features, or along features by percentage of the feature's length. Points can also be placed using a field from the input; the field can represent a fixed interval for each feature or specific distances for each feature.

Use the Point Placement parameter to specify the method that will be used to place the output points.
The attributes of the input features will be maintained in the output feature class. A new field, ORIG_FID, will be added to the output feature class and set to the input feature IDs.
If the Add accumulated distance and sequence fields parameter is checked, the following fields will be added:
- ORIG_LEN—The accumulated distance along the line from the start point of the line to the point. Distance values are added in the units of the Input Features value's spatial reference.
- ORIG_SEQ—The sequence number for each point in the order of the points created from each input line.

Label	Explanation	Data type
Input Features	The 3D line features that will be used to create points.	Feature Layer
Output Feature Class	The 3D point features that will be created from the input lines.	Feature Class
Point Placement (Optional)	Specifies the method that will be used to sample the points along the 3D line features. By Percentage—The Distance parameter value will be used to place points at fixed distances along the features. This is the default. By Distance—The Percentage parameter value will be used to place points along the features by percentage. By Distance Field—Field values from the Distance Field parameter value will be used to place points along the features.	String
Distance (Optional)	The interval from the beginning of the feature at which points will be placed. This parameter is active when the Point Placement parameter is set to By Distance.	Linear Unit
Percentage (Optional)	The percentage from the beginning of the feature at which points will be placed. For example, if a percentage of 40 is used, points will be placed at 40 percent and 80 percent of the feature's distance. This parameter is active when the Point Placement parameter is set to By Percentage.	Double
Include end points (Optional)	Specifies whether additional points will be included at the start point and end point of the feature. Checked—Additional points will be included at the start point and end point of the feature. Unchecked—No additional points will be included at the start point and end point of the feature. This is the default.	Boolean
Add accumulated distance and sequence fields (Optional)	Specifies whether the accumulated distance and sequence fields will be added to the output. Checked—The accumulated distance (`ORIG_LEN`) and sequence (`ORIG_SEQ`) fields will be added to the output. Distance values are added in the units of the Input Features parameter value's spatial reference. Unchecked—The accumulated distance and sequence fields will not be added to the output. This is the default.	Boolean
Distance Field (Optional)	A field from the input features that will be used to place output points. If the field is a numeric type, the field value will be used to place points at that interval. If the field is a string type, the field values must be organized as a semicolon-delimited string of distances. Points will be placed at those distances. Field values that are zero or negative vales will be ignored. Field values that exceed the length of a feature will be ignored for that feature. The distances will be in the linear units of the input's spatial reference. This parameter is active when the Point Placement parameter is set to By Distance Field.	Field

arcpy.3d.GeneratePointsAlong3DLines(in_features, out_features, {point_placement}, {distance}, {percentage}, {include_end_points}, {add_chainage_fields}, {distance_field})

Name	Explanation	Data type
in_features	The 3D line features that will be used to create points.	Feature Layer
out_features	The 3D point features that will be created from the input lines.	Feature Class
point_placement (Optional)	Specifies the method that will be used to sample the points along the 3D line features. `PERCENTAGE`—The `percentage` parameter value will be used to place points along the features by percentage. `DISTANCE`—The `distance` parameter value will be used to place points at fixed distances along the features. This is the default. `DISTANCE_FIELD`—Field values from the `distance_field` parameter value will be used to place points along the features.	String
distance (Optional)	The interval from the beginning of the feature at which points will be placed. This parameter is active when the `point_placement` parameter is set to `DISTANCE_FIELD`.	Linear Unit
percentage (Optional)	The percentage from the beginning of the feature at which points will be placed. For example, if a percentage of 40 is used, points will be placed at 40 percent and 80 percent of the feature's distance. This parameter is active when the `point_placement` parameter is set to `PERCENTAGE`.	Double
include_end_points (Optional)	Specifies whether additional points will be included at the start point and end point of the feature. `END_POINTS`—Additional points will be included at the start point and end point of the feature. `NO_END_POINTS`—No additional points will be included at the start point and end point of the feature. This is the default.	Boolean
add_chainage_fields (Optional)	Specifies whether the accumulated distance and sequence fields will be added to the output. `ADD_CHAINAGE`—The accumulated distance (`ORIG_LEN`) and sequence (`ORIG_SEQ`) fields will be added to the output. Distance values are added in the units of the `in_features` parameter value's spatial reference. `NO_CHAINAGE`—The accumulated distance and sequence fields will not be added to the output. This is the default.	Boolean
distance_field (Optional)	A field from the input features that will be used to place output points. If the field is a numeric type, the field value will be used to place points at that interval. If the field is a string type, the field values must be organized as a semicolon-delimited string of distances. Points will be placed at those distances. Field values that are zero or negative vales will be ignored. Field values that exceed the length of a feature will be ignored for that feature. The distances will be in the linear units of the input's spatial reference. This parameter is active when the `point_placement` parameter is set to `DISTANCE_FIELD`.	Field

Code sample

GeneratePointsAlong3DLines example (Python window)

The following sample demonstrates the use of this tool in the Python window:

import arcpy
arcpy.env.workspace = 'C:/data'
arcpy.ddd.GeneratePointsAlong3DLines("hiking_trail.shp", "evaluation_points.shp", "PERCENTAGE",
                                      percentage=5, add_chainage_fields="ADD_CHAINAGE")

Environments

Current Workspace, Output Coordinate System, Geographic Transformations, Output CONFIG Keyword, Output M Domain, Output XY Domain, Output Z Domain, XY Resolution, XY Tolerance, Z Resolution, Z Tolerance, Extent

Licensing information