Learning ArcGIS Pro

Making a model interactive
So you have created your first model. It is a very efficient tool that will help you quickly
update information. However, what happens if the buffer distance changes or the Director
wants to look at different layers such as land use or just the commercial properties?
Right now your model is hardcoded to a specific set of variables. If something changes,
you will be forced to edit the model before it can be used. Wouldn’t it be more effective to
allow others to specify different values for the variables in the model when they run it?
You can allow that. It simply requires you to designate a variable as a parameter within the
model. This allows the user to provide a value before they run the model.
To designate a variable as a parameter so a user can specify a value when it is run, you
simply right-click on the variable in ModelBuilder and select Parameter. When you do, a
small capital P will appear next to the variable indicating it is now a model parameter as
illustrated in the following screenshot:
In this example, you can see that the Parcels and Parcels_SteamBuff_Union variables
are both marked as parameters. This will allow the user to select the values they wish to
use for those variables. This means they will be able to union the stream buffers with
another layer besides just the parcels layer and control where the results are saved to and
the name it is given.
Making a model interactive can greatly increase its functionality. It will allow the model to
be used in different scenarios and datasets. The downside is the more interactive you make
a model, the greater the chance to introduce operator errors. Users may select the wrong
input layer for a tool or forget where they set the final results to be saved. This can result
in more problems than the model was designed to solve. So it is always a balancing act
between flexibility and hardcoding to eliminate error sources.
Now, let’s give you an opportunity to make your model interactive.