Map points to xs points -- Plotting earthquake depth about cross-section

[BenjiDa]

I got it to work, without too much effort, my comment now is the selection process seems to buffer everywhere around the cross section line: arcpy.SelectLayerByLocation_management(ptLayer, 'WITHIN_A_DISTANCE', mLine, buff)
this includes data that is located within a certain distance of the start or end of the cross section line. Is there a way to only include data that is located along the line at a given distance away, similar to the "Point Profile" tool?

[ethoms-usgs]

Ok, good.
Right, the buffer tool doesn't allow, as far as I know, for what you might call a 'butt end' selection space, instead of rounded. The tool should work on a selection set made on your point layer, though, so you could set that up before using the tool. You could do it manually with the lasso select tool, for example. Add a field called 'sel' (selection) or something and tag those points with a string or number so you can quickly make the selection again or create a definition query.

If you really wanted a calculated way that results in something in the table so that you can make the selection set, you might be able to run the Near tool to get points with the distance and the angle of that shortest distance to the line stored in the attribute table. To exclude points that would otherwise be selected by a round-end buffer, you would select only those points with an angle of 90 degrees. This method may fall apart, though, if there are bends in the cross section line (or there were any points that were exactly along a ray extending from the start or end of the line - rare)