Research QML as substitute for Layers

[joewheaton]

The Problem

RAVE currently uses *.lyr files as basis for building its symbology that are from ArcGIS 10.4. The problem is that none of the development team (other than @philipbaileynar) use ArcGIS 10.4 and cannot produce old Layer files without uninstalling their current version or finding an old 10.4 version on another machines. The other irony is this open-source piece of software using something horrible and proprietary like *.lyr.

What we found quickly.

1. I did find out that ESRI has this list of what functionality is actually different between versions of ArcGIS and layer files.
2. We also learned about QML, which apparently can be exported from both QGIS and ArcGIS and
3. There is a even a batch QML tool for Q.

Work Around for Now

For Cashe and anyone for now, we can produce 10.4 layer files by just doing it at the Python command line. Thankfully the 'Save to Layer File' command has an optional argument for the version of ArcGIS for the Output layer file!

So just open a Python window in your current ArcGIS session and type following

>>> import arcpy
>>> arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/0_GIS"
>>> arcpy.SaveToLayerFile_management(r"VBET for HUC 14050001\Inputs\Topography\NHD Flowlines","C:/0_GIS/NHD_Flowlines.lyr","ABSOLUTE","10.4")
<Result 'C:\\0_GIS\\NHD_Flowlines.lyr'>

Obviously substitute whatever you want above.

Long-Term Solution

We think the long-term solution is to switch over to adopting QML and this might have benefits for going to web... @philipbaileynar will research.

[joewheaton]

BTW... There is also a toolbox function if you don't like command prompt @wally-mac:

[philipbaileynar]

I just posted this question to GIS Stack Exchange:

https://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/360591/can-arcgis-desktop-read-any-open-source-layer-definitions

[joewheaton]

This is working now in QRAVE. Also, see #152, Riverscapes/RaveAddIn#138.