How to batch export to PMF using ArcGIS 10.2 and VB.Net

Question

I have modified a code I found online to batch export a series of map documents (mxds) to ArcPublisher files (PMFs). I have all the relevant licenses and the code does "work", the only problem is the resultant PMF's are all empty.

I think I know where the problem lies, in that I think the code may not (well most likely is) be reading the data in the MXDs.

I have included the code:

 Protected Overrides Sub OnClick()
 Dim pGxDialog As IGxDialog
 Dim pGxObjectFilter As IGxObjectFilter
 Dim anythingSelected As Boolean
 Dim pGxMaps As IEnumGxObject
 Dim pGxMap As IGxMap
 Dim pGxFolders As IEnumGxObject
 Dim pGxFolder As IGxObject
 Dim strStartingLocation As String
 Dim lngMXDCount As Long
 Dim sFullPathName As String
 Dim pGxObject As IGxObject
 Dim pGxMapPageLayout As IGxMapPageLayout
 Dim pPageLayout As IPageLayout
 ' input mxds
 pGxObjectFilter = New GxFilterMaps
 pGxDialog = New GxDialog
 With pGxDialog
 .Title = "Select input MXDs"
 .AllowMultiSelect = True
 End With
 pGxDialog.ObjectFilter = pGxObjectFilter
 anythingSelected = pGxDialog.DoModalOpen(My.ArcMap.Application.hWnd, pGxMaps)
 If Not anythingSelected Then
 MsgBox("Cancel")
 Exit Sub
 End If
 ' starting location, name
 strStartingLocation = pGxDialog.FinalLocation.Parent.Name
 ' output folder
 pGxObjectFilter = New GxFilterBasicTypes
 pGxDialog = New GxDialog
 With pGxDialog
 .Title = "Select output folder"
 .AllowMultiSelect = False
 .StartingLocation = strStartingLocation
 End With
 pGxDialog.ObjectFilter = pGxObjectFilter
 anythingSelected = pGxDialog.DoModalOpen(My.ArcMap.Application.hWnd, pGxFolders)
 If anythingSelected Then
 pGxFolder = pGxFolders.Next
 Else
 MsgBox("Cancel")
 Exit Sub
 End If
 pGxMaps.Reset()
 pGxMap = pGxMaps.Next
 Do Until pGxMap Is Nothing
 lngMXDCount = lngMXDCount + 1
 pGxMap = pGxMaps.Next
 Loop
 If lngMXDCount = 0 Then Exit Sub
 With My.ArcMap.Application.StatusBar.ProgressBar
 .Message = "Exporting MXD to PMF..."
 .MinRange = 0
 .MaxRange = lngMXDCount
 .StepValue = 1
 .Show()
 End With
 pGxMaps.Reset()
 pGxMap = pGxMaps.Next
 Do Until pGxMap Is Nothing
 ''''new
 Dim publisherengine As IPMFPublish3 = New PublisherEngine
 Dim publishersettings As IPropertySet = publisherengine.GetDefaultPublisherSettings
 pGxObject = pGxMap
 pGxMapPageLayout = pGxMap
 pPageLayout = pGxMapPageLayout.PageLayout
 sFullPathName = pGxFolder.FullName & "\" & pGxObject.BaseName & ".pmf"
 Dim App As IApplication
 Dim mapdoc As IMxDocument
 App = My.ArcMap.ThisApplication
 mapdoc = App.Document
 Dim pagelayout As IPageLayout = mapdoc.PageLayout
 Dim defaultview As IActiveView = mapdoc.ActiveView
 Dim settings As IPropertySet = publishersettings
 Dim relativepaths As Boolean = True
 Dim document As String = sFullPathName
 publisherengine.Publish(pagelayout, defaultview, settings, relativepaths, document)
 ''''end
 My.ArcMap.Application.StatusBar.ProgressBar.Step()
 pGxMap = pGxMaps.Next
 Loop
 My.ArcMap.Application.StatusBar.ProgressBar.Hide()
 MsgBox("ArcPublisher tool has completed exporting: " & lngMXDCount & vbNewLine & "to the following directory: " & pGxFolder.FullName, MsgBoxStyle.OkOnly, "Process completed successfully")
 My.ArcMap.Application.CurrentTool = Nothing
End Sub

Answer 1

I'm guessing you are trying to run this as an AddIn button from within ArcMap?

First of all you obtain the page layout from the map then ignore it by using the page layout from the Active MapDocument. You also obtain the activeview from the Active MapDocument, not the document in your list of MXDs...

When connecting to other MapDocuments to do something with them you need to be using the IMapDocument interface. This allows you to manipulate mxds without ArcMap being open, but as you have ArcMap open and running code you had got yourself into a problem by using the incorrect object. An easy but frustrating mistake to make.

So below is the code corrected which you would insert after you reset the enumerator. As a side note I would suggest you name your pointer after the object and not what the object spits out as it makes your code very difficult to read. So in your case rename pGxMaps after the object it really is which would be pEnumGxObject. Then you and I know what you are actually talking about.

 pGxMaps.Reset()
 pGxMap = pGxMaps.Next
 Dim pMapDocument As IMapDocument
 Dim publisherengine As IPMFPublish3 = New PublisherEngine
 Dim publishersettings As IPropertySet = publisherengine.GetDefaultPublisherSettings
 Do Until pGxMap Is Nothing
 ' Create a full path name for pmf file
 pGxObject = pGxMap
 sFullPathName = pGxFolder.FullName & "\" & pGxObject.BaseName & ".pmf"
 ' Connect to MapDocument
 pMapDocument = New MapDocument
 pMapDocument.Open(pGxObject.FullName)
 ' Set properties based upon the MapDocument
 Dim defaultview As IActiveView = pMapDocument.ActiveView
 pPageLayout = pMapDocument.PageLayout
 Dim settings As IPropertySet = publishersettings
 Dim relativepaths As Boolean = True
 ' Publish
 publisherengine.Publish(pPageLayout, defaultview, settings, relativepaths, sFullPathName)
 'Update
 My.ArcMap.Application.StatusBar.ProgressBar.Step()
 pGxMap = pGxMaps.Next
 pMapDocument.Close()
 Loop

• Keagan Allan: Hi @Hornbydd, thank you for the help! I have taken your code and have seen where I went wrong. It seems to work, I am getting an error (OLE_E_CANTCONVERT),however the PMF is still exported correctly. I will keep searching for answers, but you have really helped me out. Thanks K