Stack Profile (3D Analyst Tools)

Summary

Creates a table and optional graph denoting the profile of line features over one or more multipatch, raster, TIN, or terrain surfaces.

Usage

Each input line is densified to interpolate the height along its overlapping profile targets. The elevation and distance along the input lines created by this densification gets stored in the output table along with information about the line features and profile targets.
In ArcGIS Pro 3.7, the output table was changed to support the creation of a specialized line chart that depicts the profile. Currently, this line chart can only be created by running this tool. The table contains the following fields which are used to create a line chart:
- DISTANCE—Distance from the start of the position being profiled.
- Z—Height of the vertex.
- LINE_ID—Unique ID of the line feature used to define the profile.
- SRC_NAME—Name of the height source.
- LINE_TARG—Identifier for grouping the data in the graph.
The output legacy table can also be generated to create the older format table. While this table cannot be used to create a line chart in ArcGIS Pro, it can support workflows which were designed around its schema. The legacy table contains the following fields:
- FIRST_DIST—Distance to the first vertex in the profile segment.
- FIRST_Z—Height of the first vertex in the profile segment.
- SEC_DIST—Distance of the second vertex in the profile segment.
- SEC_Z—Height of the second vertex in the profile segment.
- LINE_ID—Unique ID of the line feature used to define the profile.
- SRC_TYPE—Data type of the profile's source, which is either a surface or multipatch.
- SRC_ID—Unique ID of the multipatch feature being profiled. Not applicable for surface inputs.
- SRC_NAME—Name and path to the profile's source.
The profile chart can be created by specifying an output graph name. This chart will appear below the table in the Contents pane when the table is loaded into a map or scene, but it will not be created if more than 100 line series are generated.
When a multipatch feature is profiled, each profiled segment has a row for the vertex position at each end of the segment and another row with NULL as the Z value to indicate the presence of a gap between segments.

Label	Explanation	Data type
Input Line Features	The line features that will be profiled over the surface inputs.	Feature Layer
Profile Targets	The data being profiled, which can be comprised from any combination of multipatch features, raster, and triangulated surface models.	Feature Layer; LAS Dataset Layer; Mosaic Layer; Raster Layer; Terrain Layer; TIN Layer
Output Table	The output table that will store the height interpolated for each profile target that intersects the input line.	Table
Output Graph Name (Optional)	The title of the output line chart that will be created. A name must be given in order to generate the chart.	Graph
Multipatch Granularity (Optional)	Specifies how the line series that represent multipatch features will be defined in the output chart. This parameter is only available when at least one multipatch feature class is provided as a profile target. Feature Class—All the features in a multipatch feature class will be represented by one line series. This reduces the number of line series created in the chart and is a suitable option when one symbol is acceptable for all features. This is the default. Feature—Each feature in a given feature class will be represented by a unique line series. This provides the flexibility of symbolizing each feature with a different color in the output chart.	String
Output Legacy Table (Optional)	The optional table that provides the profiled height information with the fields that were used before ArcGIS Pro 3.7.	Table

arcpy.3d.StackProfile(in_line_features, profile_targets, out_table, {out_graph}, {multipatch_granularity}, {out_legacy_table})

Name	Explanation	Data type
in_line_features	The line features that will be profiled over the surface inputs.	Feature Layer
profile_targets [profile_targets,...]	The data being profiled, which can be comprised from any combination of multipatch features, raster, and triangulated surface models.	Feature Layer; LAS Dataset Layer; Mosaic Layer; Raster Layer; Terrain Layer; TIN Layer
out_table	The output table that will store the height interpolated for each profile target that intersects the input line.	Table
out_graph (Optional)	The title of the output line chart that will be created. A name must be given in order to generate the chart.	Graph
multipatch_granularity (Optional)	Specifies how the line series that represent multipatch features will be defined in the output chart. This parameter is only available when at least one multipatch feature class is provided as a profile target. `FEATURE_CLASS`—All the features in a multipatch feature class will be represented by one line series. This reduces the number of line series created in the chart and is a suitable option when one symbol is acceptable for all features. This is the default. `FEATURE`—Each feature in a given feature class will be represented by a unique line series. This provides the flexibility of symbolizing each feature with a different color in the output chart.	String
out_legacy_table (Optional)	The optional table that provides the profiled height information with the fields that were used before ArcGIS Pro 3.7.	Table

Code sample

StackProfile example 1 (Python window)

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

arcpy.env.workspace = 'C:/data'
arcpy.ddd.StackProfile('profile_line.shp', profile_targets=['dem.tif', 'buildings.shp'],
                      out_table='profile_values.dbf')

StackProfile example 2 (stand-alone script)

The following sample demonstrates the use of this tool in a stand-alone Python script:

'''**********************************************************************
Name: Save Profiles to Graph Files
Description: Creates profile graphs of multipatch and surface features,
             which are then saved as graph files.
**********************************************************************'''
# Import system modules
import arcpy

# Set Local Variables
profileLine = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(0)
profileTargets = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(1) # input las files
profileTable = arcpy.CreateUniqueName('profile_table', 'in_memory')
graphName = "Sample Graph"
outGraph = arcpy.GetParameterAsText(2) # output graph file

# Run StackProfile
arcpy.ddd.StackProfile(profileLine, profileTargets, profileTable, graphName)

# Run SaveGraph
arcpy.management.SaveGraph(graphName, outGraph)

Environments

Current Workspace, Extent

Licensing information