Label Features with Arcpy

Level Up Your Maps: Labeling Features Like a Pro with ArcPy

Maps tell stories, right? And labels? Well, they’re the captions that make those stories crystal clear. You could click around in ArcGIS Pro, manually adding and tweaking labels. But let’s be honest, who has time for that? That’s where ArcPy, Esri’s Python powerhouse, comes in. It lets you automate the whole labeling shebang, customizing everything to your heart’s content. Think of it as going from finger painting to creating a masterpiece with a digital brush.

So, how does it all work? Basically, you’re diving into the guts of your map – accessing its hidden settings using Python code. The arcpy.mp module (if you’re in ArcGIS Pro) or the older arcpy.mapping (for ArcMap die-hards) is your key to this world.

Here’s the basic recipe:

Now, let’s talk about the real secret sauce: label expressions.

Speaking the Language of Labels

Label expressions are all about making your labels dynamic. They’re like little formulas that tell ArcGIS what text to slap on each feature, based on its attributes. You can use Python, VBScript, or JScript, but honestly, Python’s the way to go. It’s cleaner, more powerful, and just… nicer.

Imagine you want to label cities with their names. Here’s the simplest Python expression you could use:

python