Editing in ArcMap - unirc.it · ArcGIS data editor 3 Editing in data view and layout view 4 Tools for editing and managing topologies 5 Tools for editing and managing networks in

ArcGIS®

9Editing in ArcMap™

Copyright © 2000–2005 ESRIAll rights reserved.Printed in the United States of America.

The information contained in this document is the exclusive property of ESRI. This work is protected under United States copyright law and otherinternational copyright treaties and conventions. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic ormechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as expressly permitted in writing by ESRI. Allrequests should be sent to Attention: Contracts Manager, ESRI, 380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373-8100, USA.

The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.

DATA CREDITSGraphical Editing Map: Wilson, North Carolina

Universal Data Editor Map, Editing in data view and layout view map: Greeley, Colorado

Context menus and shortcut keys map: P.F.R.A., Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSRhonda Pfaff, Bob Booth, Jeff Shaner, Scott Crosier, Phil Sanchez, Andy MacDonald

U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED/LIMITED RIGHTSAny software, documentation, and/or data delivered hereunder is subject to the terms of the License Agreement. In no event shall the U.S. Government acquiregreater than RESTRICTED/LIMITED RIGHTS. At a minimum, use, duplication, or disclosure by the U.S. Government is subject to restrictions as set forth inFAR §52.227-14 Alternates I, II, and III (JUN 1987); FAR §52.227-19 (JUN 1987) and/or FAR §12.211/12.212 (Commercial Technical Data/ComputerSoftware); and DFARS §252.227-7015 (NOV 1995) (Technical Data) and/or DFARS §227.7202 (Computer Software), as applicable. Contractor/Manufactureris ESRI, 380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373-8100, USA.

ESRI, ArcView, the ESRI globe logo, ArcMap, ArcInfo, ArcSDE, ArcEditor, ArcGIS, ArcCatalog, GIS by ESRI, the ArcGIS logo, ArcToolbox, ArcReader,

ArcObjects, and www.esri.com are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of ESRI in the United States, the European Community, or certain

other jurisdictions.

Other companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.

Attribution.pmd 2/23/2004, 11:34 AM1

iii

Contents 1 Introduction 1Rich suite of graphical editing tools 2ArcGIS data editor 3Editing in data view and layout view 4Tools for editing and managing topologies 5Tools for editing and managing networks in a geodatabase 6Context menus and shortcut keys for increased productivity 7Tools for rubber sheeting, adjusting, and edgematching feature data 8Multiuser editing with version management and conflict detection 9Remote editing of data checked out from your versioned geodatabase 10Editing in projected space 11Tips on learning how to edit in ArcMap 12

2 Editing basics 13An overview of the editing process 14The Editor toolbar 16Exploring the Editor toolbar 17Editing keyboard shortcuts 23The Advanced Editing toolbar 25Adding editing toolbars 26Upgrading a geodatabase 27Adding the data you want to edit 28Starting and stopping an edit session 29Managing the map cache 31Changing the options of the Task menu 33Selecting features 34Moving features 38Copying and pasting features 42Deleting features 43Setting the number of decimal places used for reporting measurements 44

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iv EDITING IN ARCMAP

3 Creating new features 45How to create a new feature 46Creating point features and vertices 52Creating lines and polygons 63Creating segments using directions and lengths 69Creating segments using angles from existing segments 72Creating segments that are circular arc curves 76Creating segments by tracing features 81Duplicating features with the Copy Features tool 82Creating a fillet curve between two lines 83Extending a line 84Trimming a line 85Proportionally dividing a line 86Getting a COGO description of a feature with the Inverse tool 88Creating edit sketch geometry with the Traverse tool 89Creating two-point line features to populate COGO attributes 94Obtaining a closure report 96Techniques for adjusting a traverse 97Saving a traverse 99Loading a traverse 100Exploding a multipart feature 101Generalizing a feature 102Smoothing a feature 103The Snapping Environment window 104Types of snapping properties 105Using the snapping environment 106The Snap to Feature command 109Setting the direction measuring system and units for editing tools 110Setting the direction type and angular units 112Setting the ground to grid conversion 114Using a ground to grid correction 115Setting the distance units for tools 117

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CONTENTS v

4 Editing topology 119What is topology? 120Topology basics for data editors 121Topology rules 124Topology errors and exceptions 132Geometric elements of a topology 133Editing features in a topology 135Correcting topology errors 138Making new features with topology tools 139Adding the Topology toolbar 141Map topology concepts 142Creating a map topology 143Editing shared geometry 145Rebuilding the topology cache 154Clearing selected topology elements 155Finding out which features share topology elements 156Using the edit sketch to make topology edits 160Stretching features when editing topology elements 166Snapping to topology nodes 168Changing the symbology for selected error features 169Changing the symbology for topology elements 170Changing the symbology for topology layers 171Validating edits to a topology 173Summarizing topology errors 174Correcting errors 176Creating new polygons from lines 180Creating new features from the geometry of existing features 181

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vi EDITING IN ARCMAP

5 Using a digitizer 185Setting up your digitizing tablet and preparing your paper map 186Registering your paper map 188Creating features using a digitizer 192Digitizing features in point mode 193Digitizing features in stream mode 195

6 Creating features from other features 199Copying a line at a specific interval 200Creating a buffer around a feature 202Creating a mirror image of a feature 204Merging features from the same layer into one feature 206Combining features from different layers into one feature 208Creating a feature from features with common areas 210

7 Editing existing features 213Splitting a line or polygon 214Trimming a line 218Extending a line 221Flipping a line 223Placing points along a line 224Reshaping a line or polygon 226Adding and deleting sketch vertices 228Moving a vertex in a sketch 230Changing the properties of a sketch 235Scaling features 239Clipping features 241Stretching geometry proportionately 242Stretching a feature’s geometry proportionately 243

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CONTENTS vii

8 Spatial adjustment 245About spatial adjustments 246The Spatial Adjustment toolbar 250An overview of the spatial adjustment process 251Adding the Spatial Adjustment toolbar 253Choosing the input data for adjustment 254Choosing a transformation method 255Choosing a rubber sheet method 256

Choosing an edge snap method 257Setting the edge snap properties 258Creating displacement links 259Creating multiple displacement links 260Creating identity links 262Using the Limited Adjustment Area tools 263Using the Edge Match tool 264Modifying the link and limited adjustment area symbols 265Selecting links 266Modifying displacement links 268Deleting displacement links 270Viewing the Link Table 272Opening a link file 273Saving a link file 274Opening a Control Point file 275Creating displacement links from control points 276Previewing the adjustment 278Performing the adjustment 279Attribute Transfer Mapping 280Using the Attribute Transfer tool 282

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viii EDITING IN ARCMAP

9 Editing attributes 283Viewing attributes 284Adding and modifying attributes 286Copying and pasting attributes 288

10 Editing geodatabase attributes 291Editing a geodatabase with ArcMap 292Editing features with subtypes and default values 293Editing attribute domains 297Validating features 298

11 Editing relationships and related objects 301Understanding relationships and related objects 302Editing relationships and related objects 307

12 Editing geometric networks 327Editing network features 328Creating network edges 333Subsuming network junctions 340Enabled and disabled network features 344The Network Editing toolbar 345Validating network features 350

13 Editing annotation 353Working with annotation in the geodatabase 354Updating annotation created in ArcGIS 8 356Converting labels to annotation 357Creating new annotation features 361The Annotation toolbar 362Editing the size and position of annotation features 371Editing the appearance of annotation features 376Working with feature-linked annotation 387

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CONTENTS ix

14 Editing dimension features 391Editing dimension features 392Adding the Dimensioning toolbar 398Creating dimension features 399Modifying dimension features 423

15 Working with a versioned geodatabase 427Integrating versioning with your organization’s work flow 428Registering data as versioned 430Creating and administering versions in ArcCatalog 431Working with versions in ArcMap 438Editing and conflict resolution 441Editing a version 446Versioning scenarios 450

Glossary 453

Index 479

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IN THIS CHAPTER

1

Introduction

• Rich suite of graphical editingtools

• ArcGIS data editor

• Editing in data view and layoutview

• Tools for editing and managingtopologies

• Tools for editing and managingnetworks in a geodatabase

• Context menus and shortcut keysfor increased productivity

• Tools for rubber sheeting, adjust-ing, and edgematching feature data

• Multiuser editing with versionmanagement and conflict detection

• Remote editing of data checkedout from your versionedgeodatabase

• Editing in projected space

• Tips on learning how to edit inArcMap

1In addition to mapmaking and map-based analysis, ESRI® ArcGIS®

ArcMap™ is the application for creating and editing geographic data andtabular data. With ArcMap, you can edit features in shapefiles andgeodatabases with one common user interface. ArcMap containssophisticated, computer-aided design (CAD)-like editing tools that help youconstruct features quickly and easily while maintaining the spatial integrity ofyour geographic information system (GIS) database. ArcView® seats ofArcMap can be used to edit simple features in shapefiles and geodatabases.ArcView seats also let you create a temporary map topology that can beused to edit simple features that share geometry. ArcEditor™ and ArcInfo™

seats of ArcMap can be used to edit geometric networks and geodatabasetopologies as well as simple features.

Whether you use ArcView or ArcInfo, you use the same editing tools inArcMap to work on your geographic data. In cases where your organizationhas multiple users simultaneously editing on a shared geodatabase, ArcMap,in concert with ArcSDE®, provides the tools necessary to manage longediting transactions as well as to manage versions and resolve potentialconflicts. ArcEditor and ArcInfo seats of ArcMap can check out featuresfrom a master geodatabase to a checkout geodatabase for disconnectedediting.

Whether you use ArcView, ArcEditor, or ArcInfo, the goal of this book is tohelp you learn and use the editing capabilities in ArcMap for any level ofgeographic database maintenance. The next few pages highlight some of thefeatures you will find invaluable while editing in ArcMap.

2 EDITING IN ARCMAP

Rich suite of graphical editing toolsArcMap helps you create and edit geographic features quickly and easily by including many of the graphic editing functions popularwith the latest CAD editing packages.

Sketch construction tools in ArcMap will allow you to quickly and accurately edit street rights-of-way.

INTRODUCTION 3

ArcGIS data editorArcMap lets you edit shapefiles and geodatabases. Also, you can edit an entire folder of data at once. ArcEditor and ArcInfo seats cantake advantage of a geodatabase’s coded value and range domains and validation to make editing attributes quicker and maintain highdata quality.

Pick the geodatabase or folder of data that you want to edit when you start editing in ArcMap.

4 EDITING IN ARCMAP

Maximize the display of geographic information when editingusing data view.

Editing in data view and layout viewArcMap provides two different ways to view a map: data view and layout view. Each view lets you look at and interact with the map in adifferent way. Data view hides all of the map elements on the layout such as titles, North arrows, and scalebars. In layout view, you’llsee a virtual page upon which you can place and arrange map elements. You can edit your geographic data in either data view or layoutview.

When you are preparing a map, you can edit features directly using layoutview.

INTRODUCTION 5

Tools for editing and managing topologiesArcMap provides tools to edit features that have topological relationships defined in a geodatabase or in a map topology. ArcViewseats are limited to editing map topology, a simpler, temporary form of topology that allows shared parts of features to besimultaneously edited.

6 EDITING IN ARCMAP

Tools for editing and managing networks in a geodatabaseArcMap provides tools to edit geometric networks stored in a geodatabase.

INTRODUCTION 7

Context menus and shortcut keys for increased productivityArcMap contains numerous context menus and shortcut keys to help you create and edit features quickly.

Use the Sketch tool context menu and shortcut keys to access advanced feature creation tools.

8 EDITING IN ARCMAP

Tools for rubber sheeting, adjusting, and edgematching feature dataArcMap provides tools to transform, adjust, rubber sheet, and edgematch feature data from different sources.

INTRODUCTION 9

Multiuser editing with version management and conflict detectionIf you have several users who need to edit the same data at the same time, ArcMap can help you manage versions of your ArcSDEgeodatabase.

Sophisticated version management tools in ArcMap will help you maintain a multiuser editing environment.

10 EDITING IN ARCMAP

Remote editing of data checked out from your versioned geodatabaseIf you have people who need to work with part of your geodatabase away from your network, ArcEditor and ArcInfo seats allow you tocheck out features to a personal geodatabase, edit them in the field, and check them back into the master geodatabase upon their return.

INTRODUCTION 11

Editing in projected spaceIf you’ve collected data from a variety of sources, chances are that not all layers contain the same coordinate system information. UsingArcMap, you can set the coordinate system for a data frame. As you add layers to your map, they are automatically transformed to thatprojection. That means that you can edit the shapes and attributes of a layer regardless of the coordinate system it was stored in.

ArcMap has project on-the-fly capabilities that let you edit layers in the coordinate system that are most important toyou without having to transform your data.


Tips on learning how to edit in ArcMap

If you’re new to GIS, remember that you don’t have to learneverything about editing in ArcMap to get immediate results. Tolearn how to edit your GIS data, see the Geodatabase Workbook.ArcMap comes with the data used in the tutorial, so you canfollow along step by step at your computer. You can also read thetutorial without using your computer.

Finding answers to your questions

Like most people, your goal is to complete your tasks whileinvesting a minimum amount of time and effort in learning how touse the software. You want intuitive, easy-to-use software thatgives you immediate results, without having to read pages ofdocumentation. However, when you do have a question, youwant the answer quickly so you can complete your task. That’swhat this book is all about—getting you the answers you need,when you need them.

This book describes editing tasks—from basic to advanced—thatyou’ll perform with ArcMap. Although you can read this bookfrom start to finish, you’ll likely use it more as a reference. Whenyou want to know how to do a particular task, such as creating anew feature, just look it up in the table of contents or index. Whatyou’ll find is a concise, step-by-step description of how tocomplete the task. Some chapters also include detailedinformation that you can read if you want to learn more about theconcepts behind the tasks. You may also refer to the glossary inthis book if you come across any unfamiliar GIS terms or need torefresh your memory.

About this book

This book is designed to introduce editing in ArcMap and itscapabilities. If you have never used a GIS before or feel you needto refresh your knowledge, please take some time to read GettingStarted with ArcGIS, which you received in your ArcGISpackage. It is not necessary to do so to continue with this book,but you should use it as a reference if you encounter tasks withwhich you are unfamiliar.

Getting help on your computer

In addition to this book, use the ArcGIS Desktop Help system tolearn how to use ArcMap. To learn how to use the ArcGISDesktop Help system, see Using ArcMap.

Contacting ESRI

If you need to contact ESRI for technical support, refer to‘Contacting Technical Support’ in the ‘Getting more help’ sectionof the ArcGIS Desktop Help system. You can also visit ESRI onthe Web at www.esri.com and support.esri.com for moreinformation on ArcMap and ArcGIS.

ESRI education solutions

ESRI provides educational opportunities related to geographicinformation science, GIS applications, and technology. You canchoose among instructor-led courses, Web-based courses, andself-study workbooks to find educational solutions that fit yourlearning style. For more information, go to www.esri.com/education.

IN THIS CHAPTER

13

Editing basics

• An overview of the editing process

• Exploring the editing toolbars andkeyboard shortcuts

• Adding editing toolbars

• Upgrading a geodatabase

• Adding the data you want to edit

• Starting and stopping an editsession

• Managing the map cache

• Changing the options of the taskmenu

• Selecting, moving, copying andpasting, and deleting features

• Setting the number of decimalplaces used for reportingmeasurements

2In addition to mapmaking and map analysis, ArcMap is also the applicationfor creating and editing your spatial databases. ArcMap has tools to editshapefiles and geodatabase feature datasets.

This chapter provides an introduction on how to edit in ArcMap anddescribes the basic tasks you need to know before you can start to createand edit spatial data. For instance, this chapter shows you how to performsuch tasks as adding the Editor toolbar; adding other editing toolbars, such asthe Map Cache, Advanced Editing, Spatial Adjustment, Topology, andNetwork Editing toolbars; starting and stopping an edit session; and selectingfeatures.


An overview of the editing process

The following is a general overview of how to use ArcMap andthe Editor toolbar to edit your data. Each of the following steps isoutlined in detail in this chapter or other chapters in this book.

1. Start ArcMap.

2. Create a new map or open an existing one.

3. Add the data you want to edit to your map.

If there are no existing layers for the feature classes you wantto edit, you can create them using ArcCatalog™. For moreinformation on creating a feature layer, see Using ArcCatalog.

4. Add the Editor toolbar to ArcMap.

New Map File button

Open button

Add Data button

Editor Toolbar button

5. Click Start Editing from the Editor menu.

6. Create or modify features and/or their attributes.

EDITING BASICS 15

7. Click Stop Editing from the Editor menu and click Yes whenprompted to save your edits.

There is no need to save the map—all edits made to thedatabase will automatically be reflected the next time youopen the map.


The Editor toolbar

Edit sessioncommands.

Edit tool:Lets you selectfeatures andmodify them.

Tool palette:Use thesetools to createa sketch.

Current Taskdropdown list:The tasks in this listwork with a sketchdrawn with thesketch constructiontools on the toolpalette.

Target layerdropdown list:Sets the layer towhich newfeatures willbelong.

Attributes button:Opens theattributes dialogbox, which showsattributesfor all selectedfeatures.

SketchProperties: Letsyou specify thex,y locations ofthe vertices in asketch.

Split tool:Lets yousplit asegment ata specificlocation.

Rotate tool:Lets yourotate asegment orsketch to adesiredorientation.

EDITING BASICS 17

This section shows you how editing in ArcMap helps youcomplete the tasks that you need to do. You’ll learn about thetypes of data you can edit as well as the basics of creating andmodifying features and their attributes.

The structure of vector datasets

ArcMap provides a common editing environment for featuresstored in geodatabase feature datasets and shapefiles.

Comparing the structure of vector datasets

Geodatabase Shapefile

Collections A geodatabase is a collection A shapefile folder is a collectionof datasets of feature datasets. of shapefiles.

Datasets A feature dataset is a collection A shapefile has one shapefile featureof feature classes. class.

Collections A feature class is a collection A shapefile feature class is aof features of features of the same type. collection of shapefile features.

Features Point, multipoint, polyline, Point, multipoint, line, andpolygon, annotation, dimension, polygon.and network.

Topology Geodatabase datasets may Map topology may be usedcontain topologies or a to integrate and edit shapefile featuregeometric network. classes.

Exploring the Editor toolbar

When you edit data with ArcMap, you edit feature classes(collections of features) that the layers on your map represent.

Editing the feature classes lets you edit the actual data source,not just the representation on the map.

A feature class is a collection of the same type of features, forexample, a collection of points or a collection of polygons.

A dataset is a collection of feature classes that share the samespatial reference. A dataset might be a collection of land base


Building as sketch Building as feature

feature classes or a collection of utility feature classes. Shapefilesare an exception; they do not hold a collection of feature classesbut only one shapefile feature class.

A collection of feature datasets is stored in a geodatabase.Shapefiles are stored in a shapefile folder. Although you may addmultiple collections of datasets to your map, such asgeodatabases, ArcInfo workspaces, and shapefile folders, youcan only edit feature classes within one collection at a time.Coverage feature classes can’t be edited with ArcMap.

What is a sketch and how does it work with atask?

A sketch is a shape you draw that performs various tasks whenediting, such as adding new features, modifying features, andreshaping features. Tasks are listed in the Current Task dropdownlist. You must create a sketch in order to complete a task.

For instance, the Create New Feature task uses a sketch youcreate to make the new feature.

Current Task dropdown list

EDITING BASICS 19

Sketch showing where the polygon is to be cut.

Polygon divided into two features where the sketch was drawn.

Parcels intersected by the sketch are now selected.

Sketch intersects parcels to be selected.

The Select Features Using a Line task uses a sketch you create toselect features; the features the line intersects are selected.

The Cut Polygon Features task uses a line sketch you draw to cuta polygon.


Point feature

Line feature

Polygon feature

Line sketch

Polygon sketch

Creating new features

You can create three main types of features with the Editortoolbar: points, lines, and polygons.

To create a line or polygon, you must first create a sketch. Asketch’s shape is composed of all the vertices and segments ofthe feature. Vertices are the points at which the sketch changesdirection, such as corners, and segments are the lines thatconnect the vertices.

Sketch toolArc tool

Intersectiontool

Distance–Distance tool

Toolpalette

Trace tool

TangentCurve tool

Midpoint tool

Endpoint Arctool

Direction–Distance tool

Sketch tool context menu

EDITING BASICS 21

You can create a sketch by creating the vertices and segmentsthat make up the features. Vertices are marked in green, with thelast vertex added marked in red.

The Sketch tool is the tool you use most often to create a sketch.It has an accompanying context menu that helps you placevertices and segments more accurately. The Arc tool, theDistance–Distance tool, and the Intersection tool—located withthe Sketch tool on the tool palette—also help you create verticesand segments using other construction methods.

When you’re creating a new feature, the target layer determinesin which layer a new feature will belong. After copying a feature,the target layer is also the layer you will be pasting into. Whenyou're editing existing features, the target layer is the one you willbe modifying or reshaping.

The Target layer dropdown list contains the names of all thelayers in the datasets with which you’re working. Subtypes arealso listed, if applicable. For instance, if you set the target layer toBuildings: Commercial, any features you create will be part of theCommercial subtype of the Buildings layer.

You must set the target layer whenever you’re creating newfeatures—whether you’re creating them with the Sketch tool, bycopying and pasting, or by buffering another feature.

Modifying features

For every feature on the map, there is an alternate form, a sketch.In the same way that you must create a sketch to create a feature,to modify a feature you must modify its sketch. Because thevertices are visible in a sketch, you can edit the feature in detail;you can move the vertices, delete them, or add new ones usingthe Sketch context menu.

Besides editing a feature by working with its sketch, you can alsouse another sketch you create to modify the feature for certaintasks. An example of this type of task is Cut Polygon Features,where a sketch you construct is used to divide one polygon intotwo.

Target layer dropdown listWhen you edit a feature’s sketch, you edit its vertices using the Sketchcontext menu.


Simple modifications to features, such as moving, copying, ordeleting, can be made by selecting the feature and choosing theappropriate tool or command.

Editing attributes

Attributes can be created or edited in the Attributes dialog box.After selecting the features whose attributes you want to edit,click the Attributes button on the Editor toolbar to see the dialogbox.

Attributes dialog box

Attributes button

EDITING BASICS 23

Editing keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are associated with a number of the editingtools and commands. You can use keyboard shortcuts to makeediting quicker and more efficient. Shortcuts common to all Editortools can be used with any editing tool, while the shortcuts listedfor a specific tool are only used with that tool.

Shortcuts common to all editing tools

Z Zoom In

X Zoom Out

C Pan

V Show vertices

Esc Cancel

Ctrl + Z Undo

Ctrl + Y Redo

Spacebar Suspend snapping

Edit tool

Shift Add to/Remove from selection

Ctrl Move the selection anchor

N Next selected feature

Annotation-related shortcuts used with the Edit tool

E Toggle between Sketch tool, Edit tool, and EditAnnotation tool

Edit Annotation tool



N Next selected feature

R Toggle to/from rotate mode

F Toggle to/from follow feature mode


L Flip selected annotation features 180 degrees when infollow feature mode

O Open Follow Feature Options dialog box when in followfeature mode

Tab Toggle annotation placement between left side and rightside when in follow feature mode

P Toggle annotation placement angle between parallel andperpendicular when in follow feature mode

Sketch tool

Ctrl + A Direction

Ctrl + F Deflection

Ctrl + L Length

F6 Absolute X,Y

Ctrl + D Delta X,Y

Ctrl + G Direction/Length

Ctrl + P Parallel

Ctrl + E Perpendicular

F7 Segment deflection

Ctrl + T Tangent curve

F8 Streaming

Ctrl + Delete Delete sketch

F2 Finish sketch

T Show tolerance


Annotation-related shortcuts used with the Sketch tool


A Activate the Text box on the Annotation toolbar so youcan change the text for constructing new annotation

S Activate the Symbol box on the Annotation toolbar soyou can toggle between defined annotation symbols

Ctrl + W Find Text: Populate the Text box on the Annotationtoolbar with a text expression from a feature under thecursor position. If the target is a feature-linkedannotation feature class, text is derived only from afeature in the origin feature class. With a standardannotation feature class as the target, the text is basedon the label expression of the layer containing the firstvisible and selectable feature.

O Open Follow Feature Options dialog box when creatingnew annotation in follow feature mode

L Flip selected annotation features 180 degrees whencreating new annotation in follow feature mode

P Toggle annotation placement angle between parallel andperpendicular when creating new annotation in followfeature mode

Tab Toggle annotation placement between left side and rightside when creating new annotation in follow featuremode

Topology Edit tool



N Select nodes

E Select edges

S Split and move node

Fix Topology Error tool


Scale and Rotate tools

A Set rotate angle

S Toggle secondary anchor

Trace tool

Tab Trace the other side of an edge

O Open Trace Options dialog box

Endpoint Arc tool

R Radius


D or A Direction

D or R Distance

Tab Change location


D or R Distance

Tab Change location

EDITING BASICS 25

ArcInfo and ArcEditor

The Advanced Editing toolbar

Note: Some tools on the Advanced Editing toolbar are not available with ArcView.

Copy Features tool:

Creates a copy inthe Editor TargetLayer of selectedfeatures where youclick on the map.

Fillet tool:

Creates a filletcurve betweentwo line features.

Extend tool:

Extends a lineto touchanother line.

Trim tool:

Trims a linethat crosses aselected line.

Proportion tool:

Divides a line intoa number ofsegments ofspecified length,allocating any errorbetween the newsegments.

Inverse tool:

Adds COGOdescription of afeature to thefeature attributetable.

Traverse tool:

Adds to the editsketch usingCOGOdescriptions.

Explode tool:

Splits a multipartfeature into itscomponent features.

Generalize tool:

Simplifies theshape of aselected feature.

Smooth tool:

Smoothes the shape of aselected feature by convertingits segments into a series ofsmoothed line segments.

Rectangle tool:

Draws a newrectangle feature inthe Editor TargetLayer.

Circle tool:

Draws a new circlefeature in theEditor TargetLayer.


Adding editingtoolbarsBefore editing geographicfeature data within ArcMap,you must first add the Editortoolbar.

Adding the Editor toolbar

1. Start ArcMap.

2. Click the Editor Toolbarbutton to display the Editortoolbar.

3. Click the toolbar’s title barand drag it to the top of theArcMap application window.

Tip

Adding the Editor toolbarusing the Customize dialogboxClick the Tools menu and clickCustomize. Click the Toolbars taband check Editor.

Tip

Adding the Editor toolbarfrom the View menuYou can also add the Editor toolbarby clicking the View menu, pointingto Toolbars, and checking Editor.

Tip

Adding the Editor toolbarfrom the Tools menuYou can also add the Editor toolbarfrom the Tools menu. Click Toolsand click the Editor Toolbar button.

Adding other editingtoolbars

1. Click Editor, point to MoreEditing Tools, and click thetoolbar you want to add.

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EDITING BASICS 27

Upgrading ageodatabaseGeodatabases built usingprevious versions of ArcGIS donot support some of the newerfunctions of ArcGIS.

If your geodatabase wasdeveloped using a previousversion of ArcGIS, you maywish to upgrade yourgeodatabase.

1. Start ArcCatalog.

2. Right-click the geodatabaseyou want to upgrade andclick Properties.

3. Click the General tab.

4. Click Upgrade PersonalGeodatabase.

5. Click OK.

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Tip

Creating a backup copy ofyour geodatabaseBear in mind that once ageodatabase is upgraded, previousversions of ArcGIS cannot view oredit the geodatabase. Forthis reason, you may wish to makea copy of the geodatabase andupgrade the copy, thus leaving youwith both an original and anupgraded geodatabase.


Adding the datayou want to editBefore you can start editing,you must add the data youwant to edit to your map. InArcMap, you can edit featuredata in shapefiles orgeodatabases.

1. Start ArcMap.

2. Click the Add Data button.

3. Navigate to the location ofyour data and click Add.

The data is added to yourmap.

Tip

Stopping the drawing ofdataYou can stop the drawing processwithout clearing the map bypressing the Esc key.

Data is added to the map.

Tip

Loading data from ageodatabaseYou can import features from ageodatabase into a layer on yourmap using the Load Objectscommand. For more information,see Building a Geodatabase.

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EDITING BASICS 29

Starting an edit session

1. Start ArcMap and add theEditor toolbar.

2. Click Editor and click StartEditing.

The Editor toolbar is nowactive.

Starting andstopping an editsessionAll editing takes place within anedit session. To begin, clickStart Editing on the Editormenu. The edits you make areimmediately visible on your mapbut are not saved to thedatabase until you choose todo so.

If you’re working with largeamounts of data, you can speedup the editing and selection offeatures by creating a mapcache. To learn more, see‘Managing the map cache’ inthis chapter.

When you’re finished editing,you can save any changesyou’ve made or quit editingwithout saving. You can alsosave the edits you’ve made atany time by clicking Save Editson the Editor menu.

Tip

Editing a map with morethan one collection ofdatasetsYou can only edit one collection ofdatasets at a time. These can begeodatabases or folders containinga collection of shapefiles. If yourmap contains more than onecollection, when you choose StartEditing you will be prompted tochoose which one you want to edit.

The Editor toolbar is now active.

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Saving your edits in themiddle of an edit session

1. Click Editor.

2. Click Save Edits.

Any edits you have made aresaved to the database.

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1

Stopping an edit session

1. Click Editor and click StopEditing.

2. To save changes, click Yes. Toquit without saving, click No.

Tip

Editing in layout viewYou can also edit data in a map thatyou’re preparing. Click the Viewmenu and click Layout View. Formore information about working inlayout view, see Using ArcMap.

Tip

Editing a map with morethan one data frameIf your map contains more thanone data frame, you will be editingthe data frame that is active whenyou choose Start Editing. To edit adifferent data frame, you mustchoose Stop Editing, then chooseStart Editing with the desired dataframe active.

For a discussion of data frames,see Using ArcMap.

2

1

EDITING BASICS 31

Adding the Map Cachetoolbar

1. Click View and point toToolbars.

2. Click Map Cache.

The Map Cache toolbarappears.

Managing themap cacheIf you’re working with datastored in a personal or ArcSDEgeodatabase, building a mapcache can often speed upediting as well as selecting,labeling, and drawing features.The map cache improves theperformance of your editsession and also reduces theload on the server itself in amultiuser environment.

In general, when editing data ina geodatabase, especiallynetwork data, you should usethe map cache. The map cacheplaces features in the currentdisplay extent into memory onyour local machine. Thefeatures can be accessed muchfaster from memory than fromthe server.

The auto-cache can be useful ifyou are going to be working ina series of different geographicareas and you don’t want torebuild the cache for each area.It is also convenient when youdon’t know the exact bounds ofthe area you want to cache.Since auto-caching may hinderperformance, you should set anauto-cache minimum scale.

1

2

Builds themap cache

Turns on theauto-cache

Sets the minimum scalefor the auto-cache

Clears the auto-cache scale

Shows the extentof the map cache

Zooms to the extentof the map cache

Empties the map cache


Building a map cache

1. Add data stored in ageodatabase to your map.

2. Pan or zoom to the area onthe map that you want towork with.

3. Click the Build Map Cachebutton on the Map Cachetoolbar.

The features in the currentextent are held in memorylocally.

Tip

Working with read-onlyfeaturesIn an ArcSDE geodatabase, thefeatures that you do not have writeprivileges to are not cached, norare features in feature classes thatare not registered as versioned.

Tip

Using the map cacheYou don’t need to be editing to buildor use the map cache. To learnmore, see Using ArcMap.

Tip

Using the Map CachetoolbarClick the Show Map Cache buttonon the Map Cache toolbar todisplay the extent of the currentmap cache. If the button turns red,it means you are partially outsidethe map cache’s extent and are nolonger using the map cache.

Click the Zoom To Map Cachebutton on the Map Cache toolbar tozoom to the extent of the currentmap cache.

The Show Map Cache and theZoom To Map Cache commandsare enabled only when you havebuilt a map cache.

Auto-cache builds a new map cachefor the current extent each time youpan or zoom.

The Empty Map Cache buttonclears the map cache.

Setting the auto-cacheminimum scale

1. Zoom out just beyond thescale at which you’ll beworking.

2. Click the Set Auto-CacheScale button on the MapCache toolbar.

2

3

1

2

You can click the Auto-Cachebutton to turn auto-cachingon or off.

EDITING BASICS 33

Changing theoptions of theTask menuMany times your project maycall for specific editing tasks tobe used more than others. Taskoptions can be added to orremoved from the Taskdropdown menu. This willsimplify your editing interfaceand facilitate your selectionprocess.

Modifying the Taskdropdown menu

1. Click Editor and clickOptions.

2. Click the Edit Tasks tab.

3. To remove tasks, select thetask to be removed and clickRemove.

4. To add tasks, click Add.

5. On the Add Tasks dialog box,select the tasks to add andclick OK.

The Task dropdown menuwill be modified according tothe changes made.

5

12

34


SelectingfeaturesSelecting features identifies thefeatures on which you want toperform certain operations. Forexample, before you move,delete, or copy a feature, youmust select it. You must alsoselect features before you canview their attributes.

You can select features inseveral different ways, either byclicking them with the Edit toolor by creating a line or apolygon that intersects thefeatures you want to select. Thenumber of features selected isshown immediately after youmake the selection, in the lower-left corner of the ArcMapwindow. u

Selecting features usingthe Edit tool

1. Click the Edit tool.

2. Move the pointer over afeature and click.

The selected feature ishighlighted.

2

The selected building is highlighted.

Tip

Removing features fromthe selectionTo remove features from theselection set, hold down the Shiftkey while you click the features.

Tip

Selecting more than onefeatureTo select more than one feature,hold down the Shift key while youclick the features. You can also usethe Edit tool to draw a box arounda group of features.

1

EDITING BASICS 35

Selecting features usinga line

1. Click the Task dropdownarrow and click SelectFeatures Using a Line.

2. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and clickthe Sketch tool or any of theother construction tools in thetool palette.

3. Construct a line that inter-sects the features you wantto select.

The features that the lineintersects are now selected.

The small “x” located in thecenter of the selected featuresis the selection anchor. Theselection anchor is used whenrotating features, movingfeatures using snapping, andscaling features.

You can choose which layersyou can select by choosing SetSelectable Layers from theSelection menu and using theSelectable Layers list.

For example, suppose youwanted to select a large numberof buildings by drawing a boxaround them but selected aparcel by mistake as you drewthe selection box. To avoid this,you might uncheck the Parcelslayer in the Selectable Layerslist so that parcels cannot beselected.

See Also

For more information on creatinga line, see Chapter 3, ‘Creatingnew features’.

Tip

Adding options to the Taskdropdown menuTasks on the Task dropdown menucan be added or removed from theselection on the Edit Options dialogbox under the Edit Tasks tab. Forfurther details, see ‘Modifying theTask dropdown menu’ in thischapter.

2

1

3

Features intersected by the line are now selected.


Selecting features usinga polygon

1. Click the Task dropdownarrow and click SelectFeatures Using an Area.

2. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and clickthe Sketch tool or any of theother construction tools in thetool palette.

3. Construct a polygon thatintersects the features youwant to select.

The features that intersectwith the polygon you createdare now selected.

See Also

For more information on creatinga polygon, see Chapter 3,‘Creating new features’.

See Also

For more information on selectingfeatures in ArcMap, see UsingArcMap.

Tip

Pan and zoom while youselect featuresYou can pan and zoom whileselecting features without having tochange tools. Hold the Ctrl key andpress Z to zoom in, X to zoom out,or C to pan.

Tip

Use the Selection menu formore control over yourselectionThe Selection menu gives you moretools with which to make aselection, such as adding to thecurrent selection, selecting allfeatures onscreen, or creating aSQL statement.

See Also

For more information on theselection anchor, see ‘Movingfeatures’ in this chapter andChapter 7, ‘Editing existingfeatures’.

1

2

3

Features that intersect with the area are now selected.

EDITING BASICS 37

Making a layer selectable

1. Click Selection and click SetSelectable Layers.

2. Click the check boxes next tothe layer names you want tobe able to select. Uncheckthe boxes next to the namesyou don’t want to be able toselect.

Layers whose names areunchecked are still visible inyour map but cannot beselected.

Tip

Adding the Selection tab tothe ArcMap table ofcontentsYou can quickly change theselectable layers from the ArcMaptable of contents if you add theSelection tab. You can add theSelection tab to the table of contentsfrom the Table of Contents tab ofthe Tools > Options dialog box.

1

2


Moving featuresYou can move features in threedifferent ways: by dragging; byspecifying delta x,y coordi-nates; or by rotating.

Dragging is the easiest way tomove a feature. Use this methodwhen you have a general ideaof where you want to move thefeature.

Specify delta x,y coordinateswhen you want to move afeature to a precise location.ArcMap uses the currentlocation of the selected featureor features as the origin (0,0)and moves them from thatlocation according to thecoordinates you specify. u

Dragging a feature


2. Click the feature or featuresyou want to move.

3. Click and drag the feature orfeatures to the desiredlocation.

Tip

Avoiding accidental movesThe sticky move tolerance allowsyou to set a minimum number ofpixels your pointer must move onthe screen before a selected featureis moved. This can be a useful wayto prevent features from beingaccidentally moved small distanceswhen they are clicked with the Edittool. You can set the sticky movetolerance on the General tab of theEditing Options dialog box.

1

2

The selected building is dragged to a new location.

3

EDITING BASICS 39

Moving a feature relativeto its current location


2. Click the feature or featuresyou want to move.

3. Click Editor and click Move. u

The coordinates are measuredin map units. The graphic belowillustrates the change inlocation when delta x,y coordi-nates of 2,3 are specified for abuilding.

In the example above, thebuilding is moved up and to theright, as positive coordinatevalues are specified. To movethe building left or down, youwould specify negative values.

You can rotate features inArcMap using the Rotate tool.After selecting the features,drag the mouse pointer so thatthe features rotate to thedesired position. Featuresrotate around the selectionanchor, the small x located inthe center of selected features.

If you want to move a feature toa precise location in relation toanother feature, you can usethe snapping environment. Forexample, you can move a u

(0,0)

(2,3)

1

3

2


4. Type the desired coordinatesand press Enter.

The feature is movedaccording to the specifiedcoordinates.

parcel and have one of itscorners jump, or snap, preciselyto a corner of another parcel.Simply move the parcel’sselection anchor to its cornervertex after setting the appro-priate snapping properties.Then move the parcel toward itsnew location until the selectionanchor snaps to the cornervertex of the other parcel.Snapping is discussed inChapter 3, ‘Creating newfeatures’.

Tip

Moving the selectionanchorTo move the selection anchor, movethe pointer over it, press the Ctrlkey, and drag the selection anchorto the desired location.

Tip

Undoing a moveYou can undo any edit you make toa feature by clicking the Undobutton on the ArcMap Standardtoolbar.

4

The feature is moved 10.5 map units to the right.

EDITING BASICS 41

Rotating a feature


2. Click the feature or featuresyou want to rotate.

3. Click the Rotate tool.

4. Click anywhere on the mapand drag the pointer to rotatethe feature to the desiredposition.

The feature or features rotatearound the selection anchor.You can drag the selectionanchor to a new location tochange the center of rotation.

Tip

Rotating a point’ssymbologyIf your data already has a field thatcontains the rotation angle for eachpoint symbol, you can use ArcMapto rotate the symbology.

Right-click the point layer name inthe map’s table of contents andclick Properties. Click the Symbol-ogy tab. Click the Advanced button,then click Rotation. From thedropdown list, choose the field thatcontains the rotation angle. Clickthe option that describes how youwant that angle calculated.

Tip

Rotating by degreeTo specify the exact amount ofrotation, click the Rotate tool, pressA, and type the number of degrees.A positive number rotates thefeature in the clockwise direction, anegative number in the counter-clockwise direction.

Tip

Rotating with snappingIf you want to rotate a feature untila point on it snaps to a featurespecified in the current snappingenvironment, add a secondaryselection anchor and drag it to thepart of the feature that you wantsnapped to another feature. Youcan add a secondary selectionanchor by pressing the S key whenusing the Rotate tool. The second-ary selection anchor also workswith the Scale tool.

1

3

2

The selected features are rotated.


Copying andpasting featuresTo copy an existing feature, usethe tools on the ArcMapStandard toolbar. From theTarget layer dropdown list,choose the layer containing thetype of features you want thenew feature to be—for example,a building.

You can copy a feature andpaste it as part of another layer,but it must be the same type oflayer—point, line, or polygon—as the one from which youcopied. There is one exceptionto this rule—you can copypolygons into a line layer.

Attributes from the originalfeature are only copied to thenew feature if you are copyingand pasting within the samelayer.

1. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and click thelayer containing the type offeatures you want the newfeatures to be.


3. Click the feature or featuresyou want to copy.

4. Click the Copy button.

5. Click the Paste button.

The feature is pasted on topof the original feature.

See Also

For more information onattributes, see Chapter 9, ‘Editingattributes’. You can also see UsingArcMap.

The selected feature is pasted on top of the original feature.

2

3

4 5

1

EDITING BASICS 43


2. Click the feature or featuresyou want to delete.

3. Click the Delete button.

The selected features aredeleted.

Deleting featuresTo delete a feature from the mapand from the database, use theDelete button on the ArcMapStandard toolbar.

Tip

Deleting features using theDelete keyYou can also press the Delete keyon the keyboard to remove selectedfeatures.

The selected building is deleted.

1

2

3


Setting thenumber ofdecimal placesused forreportingmeasurementsWhen creating or editing afeature with the Sketch tool,you can use the Sketch toolcontext menu to view suchmeasurements as the distancebetween two vertices, the anglebetween two segments, or thecurrent coordinate location ofthe pointer.

By default, ArcMap displaysthese measurements using threedecimal places. However, youcan easily change the numberof decimal places displayed.After you set the number ofdecimal places, ArcMap willreport all measurements usingthat number of decimal places.



3. Type the number of decimalplaces you want to use.

4. Click OK.

1

2 3

4

IN THIS CHAPTER

45

Creating new features 3• Creating new point, line, and

polygon features

• Creating segments using direc-tions and lengths or angles

• Creating segments that arecircular arc curves

• Copying, filleting, extending, andtrimming lines

• Proportionally dividing a line

• Creating features from a traverse

• Getting COGO attributes offeatures

• Exploding multipart features

• Generalizing and smoothingfeatures

• Using the snapping environment

• Setting direction type and units

It’s easy to create a wide array of new features using the editing sketchconstruction tools. To begin, simply specify the layer in which you want tocreate the new feature. Then, use the appropriate tool to digitize the verticesof the feature.

With the editing tools, you can create new point, line, or polygon features formany practical purposes. Using the Sketch tool and its accompanyingcontext menu, you can add a water main perpendicular to an existing watermain in a subdivision. The Distance–Distance tool lets you create a landparcel that begins 55 meters from one corner of an existing lot and ends40 meters from another lot corner. Creating a cul-de-sac is simplified usingthe Arc tool to create a circular arc curve. With the Intersection tool, youcan add a parcel to a subdivision by establishing a corner vertex usingsegments of an adjoining parcel.

Using the editing tools, you can create a variety of features by constructingsegments at specific angles and of specific lengths. You can create featuresthat are parallel or perpendicular to other features. You can also createmultipoint features, such as a system of oil wells, and multipart features,such as a group of islands that forms a country or state.

These are just a few examples of how you can use ArcMap to easily andaccurately create new features for your database.


This chapter focuses on using sketches to create new features.When the current task setting is Create New Feature, the shapeyou create becomes the new feature.

A sketch is composed of vertices—the points at which the sketchchanges direction, such as corners—and segments—the linesthat connect the vertices. You create a sketch using the Sketchtool located on the tool palette.

To create a new feature using ArcMap, you create an edit sketch.A sketch is a shape that you draw by digitizing vertices. You canuse a sketch to complete various tasks; these tasks are listed inthe Task dropdown list shown below.

Tasks you can complete with a sketch include creating newfeatures, modifying features, extending or trimming features, andreshaping features.

Building as sketch Building as feature

How to create a new feature

ToolpaletteSketch tool

Target layer dropdown list

Task dropdown list

CREATING NEW FEATURES 47

The type of feature you create is determined by the setting of theTarget layer dropdown list. This list contains the names of all thelayers in the datasets with which you’re working.

Choose the layer to which you want to add new features beforeyou start to create them.

To create point features, click once on the map. To create line orpolygon features (see the example below), use the Sketch tool toclick on the map to digitize the vertices that make up that feature.

To create the last vertex and finish the sketch, double-click withthe mouse. After you finish the sketch, ArcMap adds the finalsegment of the sketch, and the sketch turns into a feature.

Of course, you won’t always be able to place vertices orsegments interactively. When you’re using the Sketch tool, youcan see the Sketch tool’s context menu. You can access thismenu when you right-click the mouse away from the sketchyou’re creating. The menu has choices to help you place the

Sketch tool context menu

3. Click hereto place thethird vertex.

2. Click hereto place thesecondvertex.

1. Click hereto place thefirst vertex.

4. Double-clickhere to place

the last vertexand finish the

sketch.


vertices and segments exactly where you want them. For example,you can set a segment to be a certain length or angle, or create avertex at a specific x,y coordinate location.

All the tools on the tool palette help you create a sketch. Threetools use more specific construction methods to create eitherpoints or vertices: the Distance–Distance tool, Direction–Distance tool, and the Intersection tool.

The Distance–Distance tool lets you create a point or vertex atthe intersection of two distances from two other points. You

The Distance–Distance tool allows you to choose one of two intersectionpoints of two circles; the size of the circles is determined by the radius youset.

might use this tool to place a new electrical primary based on fieldmeasurements. Suppose you know that the next point for theprimary is 50 feet from one building corner and 75 feet fromanother.

The Distance–Distance tool creates two circles based on thesedistances and finds two possible intersection points where theprimary can be placed.

The Direction–Distance tool, like the Distance–Distance tool,allows you to create a vertex using a distance from a known point,plus information from another point. Instead of using a distancefrom the second point, the Direction–Distance tool uses adirection from a known point to define a bearing line. You canchoose which of the intersection points will be the new vertex.

You could use the Direction–Distance tool to place a tree locationpoint based on field notes stating that the tree is on a bearing of212 degrees from a fence corner and 112 feet from the northeastcorner of a building.

1. Click once,Press A, andtype adirection toestablish thebearing line.

2. Click here,Press D, andtype adistance.

3. Clickhere tochoose

theintersection

for thenew

vertex.

Intersection tool


Sketch tool

Arc tool

Trace tool


Midpoint tool

Endpoint Arc tool

Tangent Curve tool


The Intersection tool creates a point or vertex at the place wheretwo segments would intersect if extended far enough.

Suppose you want to create a parking lot adjoining an L-shapedbuilding. The outer corner of the lot should be located at thepoint where the two outermost walls of the building wouldintersect if they were extended. You could use the Intersectiontool to find this implied intersection point and create the cornervertex of the lot.

The Midpoint tool lets you define the location of the next vertexby clicking two points—the new vertex is placed at the midpointof the line between these points.

You might use the Midpoint tool to place the next vertex of astreet centerline midway between the parcels on either side of thestreet.

The Intersection tool creates a vertex here—at the place where the two segments would intersect.

1. Clickonce to

establishthe first

point.

2. Clickhere to

establishthe

secondpoint.

The newvertex isadded at themidpoint ofthe line youdefined bythe twopoints.


The Arc tool helps you create a segment that is a circular arc.

The Endpoint Arc tool, like the Arc tool, helps you create asegment that is a circular arc. The Endpoint Arc tool allows youto specify the start and endpoints of the curve, then define aradius for the curve.

1. Clickonce toestablishthestartpoint.

2. Click here to establishthe axis. This is theinvisible point throughwhich the curve passes.

3. Clickhere to

establishthe

endpoint.

1. Click onceto establish

the startpoint.

2. Click hereto establish

the endpoint.

3. Press Rand typea radiusfor thecurve.

The Tangent Curve tool helps you create a segment that is acircular arc. This tool adds a segment that is tangential to thepreviously sketched segment. The Tangent Curve tool can onlybe used if you have already sketched a segment using one of theother sketch tools.

The Trace tool helps you create segments that follow alongexisting segments. Suppose you want to add a new road casingfeature that is offset 15 feet from the front of a parcel subdivision.

You could use the Trace tool to trace along the existing linefeatures instead of typing the angle and length of each segment.

2. Press O toset the traceoptions.

3. Click to starttracing.

4. Followalong thefeature to

trace.

1. Select thefeature(s)

you want totrace.

Once a line segment has been sketched, the Tangent Curve tool willdraw a circular arc off of the previous line segment.


You can use any combination of the following methods forcreating vertices or segments to create a new line or polygonfeature:

• Sketch tool

• Sketch context menu

• Distance–Distance tool

• Direction–Distance tool

• Intersection tool

• Midpoint tool

• Arc tool

• Endpoint Arc tool

• Tangent Curve tool

• Trace tool

ArcMap has another context menu—the Sketch context menu—that works more directly with the sketch as a whole. With thismenu, you can add, move, or delete vertices; switch the directionof the sketch; reduce its length; or display the properties of thesketch shape.

Sketchcontext menu

From the properties dialog box, you can remove parts from amultipart feature, remove many vertices in one operation, addpoints, and/or modify x,y values as well as m- and z-values. TheSketch context menu is available when you right-click while thepointer is positioned over any part of the sketch using any tool. Itdiffers from the Sketch tool context menu, which you can accessonly when working with the Sketch tool and when you right-clickaway from your sketch.


Creating pointfeatures andverticesYou can think of vertices asbeing much the same as pointfeatures, except that vertices areconnected by segments and makeup line or polygon features.

Point features and vertices arecreated using the same methods.The Target layer setting deter-mines whether you’re creating apoint feature or a vertex that ispart of a line or polygon sketch.

You can create point features orvertices of a sketch in severaldifferent ways:

• By digitizing freehand withthe Sketch tool (you can alsouse the snapping environmentto help)

• By using Absolute X, Y orDelta X, Y on the Sketch toolcontext menu u

Creating a point or vertexby digitizing

1. Click the Task dropdownarrow and click Create NewFeature.

2. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and click apoint layer.

3. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and click theSketch tool.

4. Click on the map to create thepoint.

The point is created on yourmap and marked as selected.

Suppose you wantto create a point here.

A new point featureis created.

Tip

The snapping environmentcan help you create pointsand verticesThe snapping environment canhelp you create points or vertices atmore exact locations relative toother features. For moreinformation, see ‘Using the snap-ping environment’ in this chapter.

1 2

3


Creating a point or vertexusing the coordinatesystem of the map(Absolute X, Y)

1. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and clickthe Sketch tool.

2. Right-click anywhere on themap and click Absolute X, Y.

3. Type the coordinates andpress Enter.

A vertex or point is created atthe specified coordinates.

• By using the Distance–Distance, Direction–Distance, Midpoint, orIntersection tools

To create new features, youmust have an existing layer towhich you want to add them. Ifyou do not, you can create oneusing ArcCatalog. For moreinformation on creating afeature layer, see UsingArcCatalog.

To digitize freehand, simplyclick the Sketch tool and clickon the map.

Absolute X, Y on the Sketchtool context menu lets youcreate a point or vertex at aspecific location using themap’s coordinate system. Youmight use Absolute X, Y tocreate a pole in a utility data-base if you have the x,ycoordinates of a pole fromusing a global positioningsystem (GPS) unit. u

Tip

Closing the Sketch toolcontext menuYou can close the Sketch tool con-text menu by pressing the Esc key.

A point is createdat (2222264,394370).

Tip

Shortcut for Absolute X, YAfter clicking the Sketch tool, youcan press F6 to set the x,ycoordinates.

1

3

2


Creating a vertex relativeto the location of the lastvertex (Delta X,Y)

1. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and click theSketch tool after creating atleast one vertex.

2. Right-click away from thevertex or sketch and clickDelta X, Y.

3. Type the coordinates andpress Enter.

A vertex is created at thespecified coordinates.

Tip

Shortcut for Delta X, YAfter clicking the Sketch tool, youcan press Ctrl + D to set the deltax,y coordinates.

Delta X, Y on the Sketch toolcontext menu lets you create avertex using the last vertex in thesketch as the origin. You canthink of it as another way ofmeasuring angle and lengthfrom a point already on the map.

For example, just as the redpoint in the diagram below canbe measured at a distance of20 feet from the last point at anangle of 53 degrees, it can alsobe measured in coordinatesmeasured from the last point. u

(0,0)(270,40)

A vertex iscreated at(270,40).

Same point measured using deltax,y coordinates

53°

Point measured using an angle andlength

20 ft.

16

12

(0, 0)

(12, 16)

1

3

2


Creating a point or vertexusing the Distance–Distance tool

1. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and clickthe Distance–Distance tool.

2. Click once to establish thecenterpoint of the first circleand press the D key on thekeyboard.

3. Type the radius length for thefirst circle and press Enter.

A circle is created with thespecified radius. u

The Distance–Distance tooloffers another way to create apoint or vertex at a specificlocation. Suppose you want tocreate a pole feature. If youdon’t have the exact coordinatelocation but know that it is atthe intersection of 50 map unitsfrom the corner of one buildingand 70 map units from thecorner of another, you can usethe Distance–Distance tool toplace the point. The Distance–Distance tool lets you create apoint or vertex at the intersec-tion of two distances from twoother points. u

Tip

Undoing and redoing avertexYou can undo any vertex you cre-ate by clicking the Undo button onthe ArcMap Standard toolbar.Click the Redo button if you wantto re-add the vertex.

2

3

A circle with a 50-mapunit radius is created.

1


Tip

Choosing an intersectionpointPress Tab to alternate between thetwo points of intersection andpress Enter to create the point.

A point is created at one oftwo places where the radii ofthe circles intersect.

As shown in the example, you’dcreate one circle with thecenterpoint on the corner of thefirst building and a radius of50 map units. You’d createanother circle with thecenterpoint on the corner of theother building and a radius of70 map units. The Distance–Distance tool calculates the twolocations where the radii of thecircles intersect. u

4. Click once to establish thecenterpoint of the secondcircle and press the D key onthe keyboard.

5. Type the radius length for thesecond circle and pressEnter.

A second circle is createdwith the specified radius. Thetwo locations where the radiiof the circles intersect arehighlighted when you movethe pointer over them.

6. Position the pointer over thelocation you want and click.

A vertex or point is added toyour map.

5

4

A circle with a 70-map unitradius is created.

6


Creating a point or vertexusing the Midpoint tool

1. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and clickthe Midpoint tool.

2. Click once to establish thefirst of two points. The newvertex will be createdbetween this point and thenext point you click.

3. Click the second point.

A vertex or point is placed atthe midpoint of the linebetween the two points youclicked.

Tip

Pan and zoom while addingpointsHold down the Control key andpress Z to zoom out, X to zoom in,or C to pan the display when usingany sketch tool.

The Midpoint tool is ideal forplacing a vertex directlybetween two known features.For example, you may want toplace the road center linedirectly between two parcels orplace an additional power poledirectly between two preexist-ing power poles. u

A point is created at themidpoint along the linedefined by the two pointsyou clicked.

1

2

3


Creating a point or vertexusing the Intersectiontool

1. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and click theIntersection tool.

The pointer turns intocrosshairs.

2. Position the crosshairs overthe first segment and click.

3. Position the crosshairs overthe second segment andclick.

A vertex or point is added atthe implied intersection of thetwo segments.

A vertex is added at the place wherethe two segments would intersect if extended.

The Intersection tool creates apoint, or vertex, at the impliedintersection of two segments.Implied means that the seg-ments don’t have to actuallyintersect on the map. In theexample, suppose you want tocreate a new parcel. One cornerof the parcel must be placed atthe implied intersection of twosegments of an adjoiningparcel. You can use the Inter-section tool to find this impliedintersection point and createthe corner vertex of the newparcel. u

2

3

1


Creating a point or vertexusing the Direction–Distance tool

1. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and clickthe Direction–Distance tool.

2. Click a point to specify fromwhere the direction to thenext vertex was measured.

3. Move the pointer to get theapproximate direction towardthe next vertex.

As you move the pointer thedirection from the point youclicked to, the pointer isdisplayed in the lower-leftcorner of the ArcMapwindow.

Press the D key and type thedirection to the vertex fromthe point you clicked, thenpress Enter.

You can also click again onthe map to set the direction.

4. Click a point to specify fromwhere the distance to thenext vertex was measured. u

Often a vertex location is onlyknown according to thedirection and the distance fromtwo known features. Forexample, the location of a treeon a lot could be located at aparticular direction from thecorner of the lot and a givennumber of feet from anothercorner. In this situation, theDirection–Distance tool willplace a vertex at the specifiedlocation.

As illustrated in this example,the direction is specified fromone corner of the parcel. u

3

2

1

4


5. Move the pointer to get theapproximate distance fromthe point you clicked to thenext vertex.

As the cursor is moved, acircle, centered at the secondpoint you clicked, is draggedout to intersect the directionline you just defined. Theradius of the circle is dis-played in the lower-leftcorner.

Optionally, you can press theD key and type a distance, inmap units, to the next vertexfrom the point you specified.Pressing the Enter key willset the size of the circle.

The new vertex will be at oneof the intersection points ofthis circle and the directionline.

6. Click the intersection of thecircle and the direction linewhich corresponds to theposition of the new vertex.

The intersection pointnearest the cursor will behighlighted and, onceclicked, the new vertex isplaced.

Optionally, you can use theTab key to switch betweenthe two intersection pointsand press Enter to select oneof them.

The distance is specified fromanother corner of the parcel,and the locations where boththe direction and distancecriteria are met, a potentialvertex is placed. By clicking oneof the two vertices, the newvertex is placed. u

Tip

Determining map unitsWith many of these sketch tools youmust specify a distance in mapunits. The map units are specifiedunder the General tab of the DataFrame Properties dialog box. Thisis found by clicking View on theMain menu, then clicking DataFrame Properties.

A vertex is addedat the intersectionyou chose. It is atthe angle youspecified from thefirst point and thedistance youspecified from thesecond point.

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Creating a multipointfeature


2. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and click amultipoint layer.


4. Click the map to create partsof the multipoint feature.

5. Right-click anywhere on themap when you have createdthe last point of the multipointfeature and click FinishSketch. u

You can also create amultipoint feature, a featurethat consists of more than onepoint but only references oneset of attributes in the data-base. For example, a system ofoil wells could be created as amultipoint feature; the databasereferences a single set ofattributes for the main well andthe multiple well holes in thesystem.

Tip

Creating multipoint layersWhen creating multipoint features,your target layer must also be amultipoint feature class.

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Now when you click one partof the multipoint feature toselect it, all points areautomatically selectedbecause they all belong toone multipoint feature.

All points of the feature are selected.

Tip

Modifying existing featuresDouble-click a feature or selectsingle features and change the taskin the Editor toolbar to ModifyFeature. Use the Sketch Propertiesdialog box to edit vertices. You canopen the sketch properties by click-ing the Sketch Properties button onthe Editor toolbar.


Creating a line orpolygon feature bydigitizing


2. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and click aline or polygon layer.


4. Click the map to digitize thefeature’s vertices.

5. Right-click anywhere on themap when finished and clickFinish Sketch. u

Creating linesand polygonsYou can create lines or poly-gons by digitizing the verticesthat make up the feature. Forexample, to create a squarebuilding, you would digitize thefour corners, using anycombination of methods forcreating vertices or segments.

By selecting in the target list afeature class that is representedby lines or polygons, the editortools will create thecorresponding feature type.

Tip

Shortcuts for finishing thesketchYou can double-click the last vertexof the feature to finish the sketch.Or, press F2 when you’ve finishedcreating the sketch.

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Creating circles andrectangles with theAdvanced Editing toolbarYou can use the Circle andRectangle tools on the AdvancedEditing toolbar to create lines andpolygons of these shapes in theTarget layer.


The line or polygon iscreated on your map.

A new feature is createdon your map.

Tip

Deleting a vertexTo delete a single vertex from asketch, center the pointer over thevertex, right-click, then click DeleteVertex.

Tip

Deleting the sketchTo delete the entire sketch of thefeature you are creating, positionthe pointer over any part of themap, right-click, and click DeleteSketch. You can also delete a sketchby pressing Ctrl + Delete.

If the sketch has alreadybeen finished, select the feature withthe Edit tool, right-click, and clickDelete Sketch.


Creating a multipart lineor polygon

1. Create a line or polygonfeature.

2. Right-click anywhere on themap when you have finishedcreating the first part of thefeature and click Finish Part.

3. Create the next part of thefeature.

4. Right-click anywhere on themap when you have finishedthe last part of the featureand click Finish Sketch. u

Tip

Replace sketchYou can add the shape of a line orpolygon feature to the sketch byright-clicking over the feature withthe Sketch tool and clickingReplace Sketch. The sketch willcontain the shape of the feature youclicked over. Using the Edit tool,the sketch can be dragged anddropped anywhere on the map.

ArcMap also provides a way tocreate a multipart feature, afeature that is composed ofmore than one physical part butonly references one set ofattributes in the database. Forexample, the State of Hawaiicould be considered a multipartfeature. Although composed ofmany islands, it would berecorded as one feature. Amultipart feature can only sharevertices, not edges.

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Undoing and redoing avertexYou can undo the last vertex youcreated by clicking the Undo buttonon the ArcMap Standard toolbar.Click the button again to undo thesecond-to-last vertex you created,and so on. Click the Redo button ifyou want to re-add the vertex.


Both parts of the feature are selected.

Now when you click one partof the feature to select it, allparts are automaticallyselected because they allbelong to one multipartfeature.

Tip

Shortcut for finishing apartWhen creating a multipart sketch,you can hold down the Shift keyand double-click the last vertex of apart to finish it.

Tip

Shortcut for finishing thesketchYou can double-click the last vertexof the new feature to finish thesketch.


Squaring a polygon orpolyline

1. Click the Current Taskdropdown arrow and clickCreate New Feature.

2. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and click apolygon or polyline layer.


4. Digitize at least twosegments.

5. Right-click anywhere awayfrom the sketch and clickSquare and Finish. u

The Square and Finish com-mand on the Sketch tool contextmenu is a way of completing apolygon. It finishes a polygonby adding two new segments at90-degree angles. Square andFinish saves you time andensures precision whencreating square-corneredbuildings.

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The angles from the firstvertex and the last vertex aresquared. A new vertex isadded, and the sketch isfinished where the resultingsegments intersect.

Tip

StreamingYou can also create lines and poly-gons with the mouse using streammode digitizing (streaming). Formore information, seeChapter 5,‘Using a digitizer’.

Tip

Adding attributes tocreated featuresTo add attributes to the newlycreated features, with the Edit tool,right-click the feature and clickAttributes. The Attributes dialogbox will open, which allows you tomodify the attributes.

Firstvertex

Lastvertex

Newvertex


Creatingsegments usingdirections andlengthsThe edit tools help you createsegments in specific directions,measured either using the mapcoordinate system (Direction)or from the last segment(Deflection).

The Direction command useseast as 0 degrees and measurespositive angles counterclock-wise by default. For example, a90-degree angle representsnorth and a 180-degree anglerepresents west. You canchange the direction measuringsystem and angular units on theUnits tab of the Editing Optionsdialog box.

The Deflection command usesthe last segment as 0 degrees andcalculates the angle you specifyfrom there. Positive values arecalculated in a counterclockwisedirection from the existingsegment, while negative valuesare calculated clockwise. u

Creating a segment usingan angle and a length

1. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and clickthe Sketch tool after creatingat least one vertex.

2. Right-click away from thesketch and click Direction.

3. Type the direction and pressEnter.

The segment is constrainedto the specified direction. u

Tip

Shortcut for direction angleAfter clicking the Sketch tool andcreating at least one vertex, youcan press Ctrl + A to set thedirection angle.

Angle constrained to 33 degrees

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Tip

Shortcut for lengthAfter clicking the Sketch tool andcreating at least one vertex, youcan press Ctrl + L to set the length.

4. Right-click anywhere on themap and click Length.

5. Type the length and pressEnter.

The vertex that makes thesegment the desired angleand length is created.

You might use Deflection tocreate the bent end of a water orgas line at a 33-degree angle toa house.

Both the Direction and Deflec-tion commands constrain theangle of the segment. Forexample, if you type 45 as theDirection, the segment will beconstrained to a 45-degreeangle one way and a 225-degreeangle the other.

Use the Length command tospecify the length of a segmentyou’re creating.

Tip

Changing the length of asegmentIf you want to change the length ofa segment you have already cre-ated, you can use Change Lengthon the Sketch tool context menu.This undoes the last vertex whilekeeping the direction constraint.

The vertex that makes the segment the desiredangle and length is created.

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Creating a segment at anangle from the lastsegment (deflection)

1. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and clickthe Sketch tool after creatingat least one vertex for thenew segment.

2. Right-click away from thesketch.

3. Click Deflection.

4. Type the desired angle fromthe last segment and pressEnter.

The segment is constrainedto the specified angle.

5. Click once to digitize theendpoint of the segment orchoose Length from theSketch tool context menu.

Tip

Shortcut for deflectionAfter clicking the Sketch tool andcreating at least one vertex, youcan press Ctrl + F to set thedeflection angle.

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Creating a segment at anangle from any othersegment


2. Position the pointer over thesegment of a feature classfrom which you want tocreate a segment and right-click with the mouse.

3. Click Segment Deflection.

4. Type the desired angle fromthe segment you chose andpress Enter. u

Creatingsegments usingangles fromexistingsegmentsThree commands on the Sketchtool context menu—SegmentDeflection, Parallel, and Perpen-dicular—help create segmentswith angles relative to segmentsthat already exist.

The Segment Deflectioncommand lets you create asegment at an angle relative toany existing segment. WhileDeflection creates a segment ata specific angle from the lastsegment in the sketch you’recreating, Segment Deflectionlets you choose a segment in anexisting feature.

As with the Deflection com-mand, the segment you workfrom with Segment Deflection is0 degrees, and the deflection u

Tip

Shortcut for segmentdeflectionAfter clicking the Sketch tool,creating at least one vertex, andpositioning the pointer over thesegment from which you want thespecific angle to be drawn, you canpress F7 to set the angle.

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angle you specify for the newsegment is calculated fromthere. Positive values arecalculated in a counterclock-wise direction from the existingsegment, while negative valuesare calculated clockwise. Theexample given shows a crossstreet created at a -45-degree angleto the existing streets. u

The segment is constrainedto the specified angle.


Tip

Using only positive valueswith segment deflectionIf you wish to work only withpositive angle values, convertnegative angles to positive anglesby adding 180 to the negativevalue. For example, a -45-degreeangle, measured clockwise,becomes a 135-degree angle,measured counterclockwise.


Creating a segmentparallel to anothersegment


2. Position the pointer over thesegment to which the newsegment will be parallel andright-click.

3. Click Parallel.

The segment is constrainedto be parallel to the specifiedsegment.


Tip

Shortcut for parallelAfter clicking the Sketch tool,creating at least one vertex, andpositioning the pointer over thesegment to which the new segmentwill be parallel, you can pressCtrl + P to make the segmentparallel.

The Parallel command on theSketch tool context menuconstrains a segment to beparallel to any segment youchoose. For instance, you mightuse this command to create a gasmain line parallel to the street.

The Perpendicular command onthe Sketch tool context menuconstrains a segment to beperpendicular to an existingsegment. You might use thiscommand to place a service lineperpendicular to the main line.

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Creating a segmentperpendicular to anothersegment

1. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and click theSketch tool after creating atleast one vertex.

2. Position the pointer over thesegment to which the newsegment will be perpendicu-lar and right-click with themouse.

3. Click Perpendicular.

The segment is constrainedto be perpendicular to thespecified segment.


Tip

Shortcut for perpendicularAfter clicking the Sketch tool,creating at least one vertex, andpositioning the pointer over thesegment to which the new segmentwill be perpendicular, you canpress Ctrl + E to make the segmentperpendicular.

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Creatingsegments thatare circular arccurvesWhen creating features, it isoften necessary to create acircular arc. Instead of beingmade of numerous vertices, acircular arc has only twovertices as endpoints. ArcMapoffers four ways to create asegment that is a circular arc.These include the Arc tool, theEndpoint Arc tool, the TangentCurve tool, and the TangentCurve command.

First, you can create a circulararc using the Arc tool. Youmight use the Arc tool todigitize a cul-de-sac using anaerial photo image as a back-drop.

A circular arc can also becreated using the Endpoint Arctool. This tool allows you toplace the vertices for both endsof the arc and adjust the radius.

The Tangent Arc tool creates acircular arc based on thepreviously sketched segment.

You can also create a circulararc using the Tangent Curvecommand on the Sketch toolcontext menu. You can use theTangent Curve command to u

Creating a segment thatis a circular arc using theArc tool

1. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and clickthe Arc tool.

2. Click to establish the startingpoint of the arc.

A vertex is created.

3. Click to establish the axis ofthe arc.

This is the invisible pointthrough which the curvepasses.

4. Click again to establish theendpoint of the arc.

A segment that is a truecurve is created.

A segment that is a true curve is created.

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add a circular arc to an existingsegment. For example, youmight use this command to adda curved segment to extend acenterline along a curved road.

When you create a tangentcurve, you must specify twoparameters for the curve fromthe following options: arclength, chord, radius, or deltaangle. You must also specifywhether you want to create thecurve to the right of the line orto the left of the line, accordingto the direction in which theline was drawn. The curve iscreated from the last vertex ofthe existing segment based onthe parameters you defined.

If you choose chord length andradius to construct the curve,there are two possiblesolutions: the major and minorportions of the circle. u

Major

Minor

Creating a segment thatis a circular arc using theEndpoint Arc sketch tool

1. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and click theEndpoint Arc tool.

2. Click the starting point of thearc.

3. Click the endpoint of the arc.

4. Move the pointer to get theapproximate radius for thecurve.

Press the R key and type theradius for the curve.

You can also click again onthe map to set the radius.

A circular arc withthe radius youspecified is createdbetween the twopoints you clicked.

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The Minor check box willappear at the bottom of theTangent Curve dialog box.Check it to construct the minorportion of the circle.

Creating a segment thatis a circular arc using theTangent Curve tool

1. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and clickthe Tangent Curve tool oncea segment has been createdusing one of the other sketchtools.

As the cursor is moved, thearc will bend and changelength to remain tangent tothe previous segment.

2. Click again to place theendpoint of the arc.

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Differentiating between theArc tools

The Arc tool: Creates a circulararc from three points that lie on thecircular arc

The Endpoint Arc tool: Creates acircular arc from two points on thecircle and from the radius

The Tangent Curve tool: Createsan arc tangent to the previoussegment in the sketch


Creating a segment thatis a circular arc using theTangent Curve command

1. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and click theSketch tool after creating atleast one segment.

2. Right-click anywhere on themap and click Tangent Curve.

3. Click the dropdown arrowsand click two parameters bywhich you want to define thecurve.

4. Type the appropriate valuesfor the parameters—distancein map units for arc length,chord, and radius; degreesfor delta angle.

5. Click Left to create thetangent curve to the left of thesegment. Click Right tocreate the curve to the right.

6. Press Enter. u

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A segment that is a truecurve is created from the lastvertex of the segmentaccording to the parametersyou specified.

A circular arc curve with a chordlength of 80 map units and a deltaangle of 20 degrees is created to theleft of the last vertex.


Creating segments bytracing features


2. Select the feature or featuresyou want to trace.

3. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and click theTrace tool.

4. Press O to open the TraceProperties dialog box.

The Trace Properties dialogbox lets you specify many ofthe properties of the tracesegment.

5. Type an offset value. If youwant to trace directly on topof existing features, enter avalue of 0.

6. Optionally, you can limit thelength of the trace segment.

7. Click the corresponding radiobutton to specify the type ofcorners.

Close the Trace Optionsdialog box by clicking OK.

8. Click to start tracing.

9. Click to stop tracing.

Creatingsegments bytracing featuresYou can create segments bytracing over the segments ofselected features using the Tracetool.

Suppose you want to create anew water main that is offsetseven meters from the parcelboundaries. Using the Tracetool, you can create newsegments in the sketch that areat the same angle as theselected parcel boundaries yetconstructed at an offset valueof seven meters.

Tip

Canceling a tracePress Esc to quickly cancel a trace.

Tip

Finishing the sketchWhen you’re finished tracing,double-click to finish the sketch.

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Tip

Backing up a traceIf you traced too far or have tracedthe wrong direction, move themouse backwards over what youhave traced. If you have clicked tostop the trace, click Undo to re-move all vertices added during thetrace.


ArcInfo and ArcEditor1. Click the Edit tool.

2. Select the features that youwant to copy.

3. Click the Copy Features Tool.

4. Click the place where youwant a copy of the feature tobe placed.

A copy of the geometry of theselected feature is created atthe location you clicked. Thefeature is created in theEditor’s current Target layer.

Duplicatingfeatures with theCopy FeaturestoolYou can quickly create aduplicate of a selected featureor features by using the CopyFeatures tool. The CopyFeatures tool is located on theAdvanced Editing toolbar. Onlythe geometry, not the attributes,of the selected feature arecopied to the Target layer.

If the Target feature class orsubtype has default values,feature-linked annotation, orconnectivity rules defined in ageodatabase, the copy will havethe default values and behaviorappropriate for the Target layer.Attributes without defaultvalues will have a null value.

Tip

Opening the AdvancedEditing toolbarThe Advanced Editing toolbar isfound on the Editor context menuunder More Editing Tools.

The duplicatefeature has thedefault valuesand behavior thatare defined forthe Target featureclass in thegeodatabase.

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Using the Advanced EditingtoolbarThe Advanced Editing toolbar hasa more complex set of editing tools.Some tools on this toolbar are notavailable with ArcView licenses.

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ArcInfo and ArcEditor1. Click the Fillet tool.

2. Click first one line then theother to specify which linesyou want to construct the filletbetween.

The radius of the fillet curvewill change as you drag thepointer away from the firstline you clicked.

When the curve looks like ithas the right radius, you canclick to finish the curve. If youwant the curve to have aspecific radius, you can setthe radius from the FilletOptions window.

3. Press the R key to set theFillet Options.

4. Optionally, check Trimexisting segments if you wantto remove the segmentsoutside the curve’s radius.

5. Optionally, check Fixedradius if you want to specify aradius for the curve.

6. Type a radius for the curveand press Enter, or click OK.

7. Click the map to indicate thequadrant of the intersectionof the lines where the filletwill be created.

A new fillet curve joins thetwo selected lines. The extraline segments outside thecurve are trimmed off, if youchecked Trim existingsegments.

Creating a filletcurve betweentwo linesFillets are segments of acircular arc that are often usedto connect two intersectinglines. Fillets are used to createsmoothly curving connectionsbetween lines, such as edge ofpavement lines at streetintersections or roundedcorners on parcel features.

Tip

Shortcut for fillet radiusAfter clicking the Fillet tool, youcan set a default fillet radius on theFillet Options dialog box by press-ing the R key. If a default radius isset, the fillet curve will be con-structed immediately with that ra-dius when you click the second lineof those you want to fillet.

Tip

Radius unitsThe Fillet Options will use currentdata frame coordinate system unitsfor the fillet radius, unless youspecify another unit of measurewhen you type the fillet radius.

Tip

Placement of the filletIf you specify a fixed radius, thefillet curve is created on the side ofthe second line where the pointerwas when you clicked.

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2. Select the line segment towhich you want to extend aline.

3. Click the Extend tool.

4. Click the end of the featurethat you want to extend.

Extending a lineYou can extend a line segmentthat’s a little too short so that ittouches another line segment.The Extend tool on theAdvanced Editing toolbar letsyou click a line feature andextend it to another selectedline feature.

The line youclicked is

extended to theselected line.

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Trimming a lineYou can trim off the part of aline that crosses another linesegment. The Trim tool on theAdvanced Editing toolbar letsyou click one side of a linefeature that crosses a selectedline in order to trim it off.


2. Select the line segment atwhich you want to trim a line.

3. Click the Trim tool.

4. Click the end of the featurethat you want to trim.

The line youclicked is

trimmed at theselected line.

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Proportionallydividing a lineOne common coordinategeometry editing task is todivide an existing line featureinto a number of segments of aspecified length.

Sometimes the task can becomplicated by measuringerrors. For example, the lengthof the line in the GIS might notbe exactly equal to the totallength of the segments, asmeasured in the field. TheProportion tool allows you todivide a selected line into anumber of segments andallocate the difference betweenthe length of the line featureand the total length of thesegments between all of thenew segments.

Suppose you have a line thatyou want to divide intosegments that you can snap towhen creating new parcelcorners. The length of the linefeature in the GIS is 320.38 ft.The lot plan you’ve been givenshows that the lot corners are at111.78 ft, 70.43 ft, and 138.65 ftalong this line. Unfortunately,there is a difference of 0.48 ftbetween the measurements andthe feature length.

The Proportion dialog box letsyou enter the lengths of the u


2. Select the line that you wantto proportionally divide.

3. Click the Proportion tool. u

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ArcInfo and ArcEditorsegments. As you do, it reportsthe length of the selectedfeature, the sum of the lengthsof the segments, the amountthat is left over, and the relativeerror, expressed as the ratiobetween the leftover and theoriginal feature length.

The Proportion tool creates newproportioned features of111.61 ft, 70.32 ft, and 138.44 ft,dividing the difference betweenthe features.

If the line feature that you aresplitting has an attribute namedDistance, the new line featureswill have the values that youtyped as the attributed length,and the Shape_length field willshow the true length.

4. Type the lengths of thesegments into which to dividethe line.

5. Optionally, click Reverse toswitch the orientation of theline if the arrows indicatingthe orientation of the featureon the map are the reverse ofthe order in which youentered the segments.

6. Click OK.

The line is split proportionallyto the length of the measuredsegments. Any differencebetween the line length andthe sum of the length of thesegments is allocatedproportionately to the newlines’ lengths.

New lines

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Getting a COGOdescription of afeature with theInverse toolYou can get the COGO descrip-tion of a feature using theInverse tool. The Inverse toolwill calculate the direction andlength of the feature as well ascurve parameters, if required,and populate appropriateattributes on the feature.

In order to use the Inverse tool,the feature must have thefollowing attributes as textfields: Direction, Distance,Radius, Delta, Tangent,Arclength, and Side.

The feature must be either astraight line or circular arc. Ittypically only has two verticesbut more are allowed as long asthe feature is consistentlystraight or consistently curved.The current direction type andangular units are used whenpopulating the attributes.


2. Select the feature that youwant to generate a COGOdescription for.

3. Click the Inverse tool.

Tip

Changing the COGOattribute namesThe names of the COGO attributescan be changed by using the Ad-vanced ArcMap settings utility.

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Creating editsketch geometrywith the TraversetoolAnother common coordinategeometry editing task is tocreate a line or polygon edgeusing a set of survey measure-ments collected in the field. Thedata may be in the form ofdirections and distances, anglesand distances, curves, ortangent curves, measured froma known point. These arecollectively known as atraverse.

The Traverse tool lets youcreate edit sketch geometryfrom a wide variety of traversemeasurements. u

Starting a traverse from aknown coordinate

1. Click the Traverse tool.

2. Click Edit, to the right of theStart box.

3. Type X and Y values for thestarting coordinate.

4. Click OK.

The start point of the traverseis set in the Start Point textbox. The next vertex of theedit sketch will be placed onthe measurements youspecify from this location.

Tip

Interactive start pointYou can click the Interactive StartPoint Selection tool to set a startpoint by clicking on the map.

Tip

Starting from a sketchIf you have already started an editsketch when you click the Traversetool, the start point will be the lastvertex of the edit sketch.

Start point Interactive Start PointSelection tool

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ArcInfo and ArcEditorOnce you’ve started a traverseyou can add segments orcurves to the edit sketch usingDirection–Distance, Angle–Distance, Curve, and TangentCurve methods.

The Traverse tool adds eachsegment as a line in theTraverse course table and tothe edit sketch. You can selecteach course segment byclicking it in the table—thecorresponding segment willflash on the map.

Adding a segment to atraverse using aDirection–Distancecourse

1. Click the course typedropdown arrow and clickDirection–Distance.

2. Type a direction.

The Traverse tool usesdegrees measured counter-clockwise from east bydefault. You can change theangular measuring systemand units on the EditingOptions dialog box, Units tab.

3. Type a distance.

The Traverse tool uses thedata frame’s coordinatesystem units of measurementby default. You can changethese units by modifying thecoordinate system descrip-tion, but not during an editsession.

4. Click Add.

The course is added to thecourse table, and thesegment is added to the editsketch.

You can continue to addsegments using any of thetraverse methods.

Tip

Reordering segmentsYou can reorder a segment byselecting it in the table and clickingthe up and down arrows.

Tip

Removing segmentsYou can remove a segment byselecting it in the table and clickingRemove.

Tip

Duplicating segmentsYou can insert a duplicate of asegment by right-clicking it in thetable and clicking Insert.

Multiple segmentsin the Traversecourse table andthe edit sketch.

Start point

Last point

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Adding a segment to atraverse using an Angle–Distance course

1. Click the course typedropdown arrow and clickAngle–Distance.

2. Type an angle.

The Traverse tool usesdegrees measured counter-clockwise from the previouscourse of the traverse. Youcan change the angularmeasuring system and unitson the Editing Options dialogbox, Units tab.

3. Type a distance.

The Traverse tool uses thedata frame’s coordinatesystem units of measurementby default. You can changethese units by modifying thecoordinate systemdescription, but not during anedit session.

4. Click Add.

The course is added to thecourse table, and thesegment is added to the editsketch.

You can continue to addsegments using any of thetraverse methods.

Tip

Limitations to first courseThe first course in your traversetable cannot be based on an Angle–Distance or Tangent Curvebecause these techniques arecalculated from the direction of theprevious course.

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Adding a segment to atraverse using a Curvecourse

1. Click the course typedropdown arrow and clickCurve.

2. Click the dropdown arrowsand choose two parametersto use in determining thecurve.

3. Type the appropriate valuesfor the parameters. Distancevalues will use map units.

4. Type a chord direction for thecurve.

5. Click the dropdown arrow tochoose whether the curvewill be to the right or left.

6. Click Add.

Tip

Productivity with theTraverse toolYou can use the keyboard to enterand manage courses in thetraverse. Enter can be pressedwhenever there is enough informa-tion to add a course. The Tab keyand Shift + Tab can be used tonavigate between the fields. Fordropdown lists, the first letter of thechoice can be used as a shortcut oryou can use the Up/Down Arrowkeys to make your selection.

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Adding a segment to atraverse using a TangentCurve course

1. Click the course typedropdown arrow and clickTangent Curve.

2. Click the dropdown arrowsand choose two parametersto use in determining thecurve.

3. Type the appropriate valuesfor the parameters. Distancevalues will use map units.

4. Click the dropdown arrow tochoose whether the curvewill be to the right or left.

5. Click Add.

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Creating two-point linefeatures topopulate COGOattributesYou can easily create featuresusing the Traverse tool topopulate COGO attributes in afeature class. Using the Create2-Point Line Features taskallows you to not only createthe feature geometry with theTraverse tool, it also allows youto save each course in thetraverse as a COGO two-pointline feature.

To create two-point linefeatures using this process, thetarget layer must have thefollowing attributes as textfields: Direction, Distance,Radius, Delta, Tangent,Arclength, and Side.

Tip

Adding options to the Taskdropdown menuTasks on the Task dropdown menucan be added or removed from theselection on the Edit Options dialogbox under the Edit Tasks tab. Forfurther details, see Chapter 2,‘Editing basics’.

1. On the Task dropdown menu,click Create 2-Point LineFeatures.

2. On the Editor toolbar, setyour target layer to a layerthat contains COGOattributes.

3. Using the Traverse tool,specify the courses of thetraverse.

4. When you finish the traverse,click Finish.

The new line features will besaved as COGO two-pointline features.

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Modifying a segment in atraverse

1. Select the segment in thecourse list.

2. Click the Properties button.

3. In the Course properties,adjust the values as required.

4. Click OK.

The traverse and the sketchare updated.

Tip

Opening the Courseproperties dialog boxYou can open the properties for theCourse dialog box using threedifferent methods. You can double-click the segment in the course list,click the segment and click Proper-ties on the Traverse dialog box, orright-click the course and clickProperties.

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ArcInfo and ArcEditor1. Click Edit to the right of the

End box.

2. Type the x,y coordinates forthe ending point.

3. Click OK.

4. Click Closure.

The closure report lists thefollowing:

• Number of courses

• Total length of the traverse

• The specified and calculatedendpoints

• The difference of misclosurein both x,y and direction/distance values

• Relative error that is a ratioof the distance misclosureover the total length

Obtaining aclosure reportA traverse must always startfrom a known coordinate. It canalso end at a known coordinate.When this occurs, a differencecan be calculated between thespecified endpoint and thetraversed endpoint.

A closure report is a summaryof the difference between theendpoint coordinate of atraverse and the calculatedendpoint.

Tip

Interactive endpointClick on the Endpoint Selection toolto set the endpoint by clicking onthe map.

Tip

Starting and ending at thesame pointChecking the Closed Loop checkbox sets the beginning and endingpoints the same.

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Techniques for adjusting a traverse

Often when generating a traverse, the coordinates of an endingdestination are known. You have already discovered that ArcMapprovides a method to specify this endpoint and determine thedifference between the traverse endpoint and the desired endingpoint. This difference is known as the misclosure.

ArcMap also provides three different techniques for adjustingthe traverse to eliminate misclosure. Each of these adjustingtechniques vary in the amount of adjustment of the direction anddistance of the individual courses of the traverse. Thesetechniques include compass correction, transit correction, andCrandall correction.

The compass correction technique specifies that the misclosure,or difference in x and y between the resulting endpoint and thedesired endpoint, are equally distributed among the individualtwo-point arcs and curves that make up the traverse. This is doneby adjusting the location and distance of each arc proportional tothe difference in closure. The compass correction technique is themost often used to resolve errors in misclosure. It assumes thatthe errors are related to both errors in the direction measurementsas well as the distance measurements. Thus, the corrections arereflected in each distance and direction value. This technique isalso known as the Bowditch rule.

Much like the compass correction technique, the transitcorrection method specifies that the misclosure is equallydistributed among the individual two-point arcs and curves thatmake up the traverse. However, this technique favors thedirection measurements over the distance measurements. Indetermining the location change required of each arc, theproportion assigned to each arc is proportional to the total x or yvalues of all the arcs. This results in changes that will affect boththe direction and the distance of each arc, but will alter thedistance to a greater extent.

The Crandall correction technique is used when the directionvalues are assumed to be precise and accurate and that anymisclosure is due solely to errors in distance measurements. Thisadjustment will preserve all of the direction measurements andwill alter only the distance measurements to eliminate the closureerror.

With this array of correction techniques, you will be able to notonly correct the errors in the traverse, but you will also be able toplace greater or lesser value on specific characteristics of thetraverse data.



Adjusting a traverse

1. Ensure that an endpoint isset.

2. Click Adjust.

3. Choose an adjustmentmethod from the dropdownmenu.

4. Optionally, you can save theadjusted values in a text fileby clicking Save Report.

5. Click Accept.

The traverse will be adjustedbased on the adjustmentmethod chosen and featurecreated.

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ArcInfo and ArcEditor1. Right-click the Traverse

dialog box and click SaveTraverse.

2. Navigate to the place whereyou want to save thetraverse.

3. Type a name for the traverse.

4. Click Save.

The traverse information issaved to the text file.

Saving a traverseYou can save a traverse to a textfile to share with others or foryour own use later.

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ArcInfo and ArcEditor1. Right-click the Traverse

dialog box and click LoadTraverse.

2. Navigate to the traverse textfile.

3. Click the traverse you want toopen.

4. Click Open.

The traverse information isloaded from the text file.

Loading atraverseYou can load a traverse that hasbeen saved to a text file.

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2. Select the multipart featurethat you want to Explode.

3. Click the Explode tool.

The parts of the multipartfeature become independentfeatures.

Exploding amultipart featureYou can use the Explode tool toseparate a multipart feature intoits component features.

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2. Select the feature that youwant to Generalize.

3. Click the Generalize tool.

4. Type the Maximum allowableoffset.

The Maximum allowableoffset is the maximumdistance any part of theoutput geometry can be fromthe input geometry, in mapunits.

5. Click OK.

Generalizing afeatureYou can use the Generalize toolto simplify the shape offeatures. The Generalize tooluses the Douglas–Poikeralgorithm to simplify the inputgeometry of the selectedfeature.

The degree to which thegeometry is simplified dependson the Maximum allowableoffset, which limits how far theoutput geometry can be fromthe input geometry.

For features composed of linearsegments, the output verticeswill be a subset of the originalfeature vertices.

If you use the Generalize toolon a true curve, the output willbe a series of straight linesegments. The vertices may fallon all parts of the originalcurve, not just the vertices. Theoutput of the Generalize tool onlines with nonlinear curves mayhave more vertices than theoriginal curve, but all of thesegments will be straight.

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2. Select the feature that youwant to Smooth.

3. Click the Smooth tool.

4. Type the Maximum allowableoffset.

The Maximum allowableoffset is the maximumdistance any part of theoutput geometry can be fromthe input geometry, in mapunits.

5. Click OK.

Smoothing afeatureYou can use the Smooth tool tosmooth the straight edges andangular corners of a feature.The feature geometry isreplaced by a series ofsmoothed line segments.

The degree to which thegeometry is smoothed dependson the Maximum allowableoffset, which limits how far theoutput geometry can be fromthe input geometry.

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The Snapping Environment window

The layers in your mapdocument are listed here.

Set the snapping priority—the order in which snapping

will occur by layer—bydragging the layer

names to new locations. Check the type of snappingproperties you want foreach layer.

The bottom portion of thewindow shows snapping

properties that work with asketch or with elements of a

topology.

You can keep the windowopen as you work—any changes in settingsare effective immediately.Click the Close button whenyou are finished.


Types of snapping properties

When you use the snapping environment to create or place a new feature in an exact location relative to other features, you mustchoose to which part of existing features—vertex, edge, or endpoint—you want your feature to snap. These choices are called layersnapping properties. You can also specify snapping properties for the edit sketch and for topology elements; these are called sketchand topology snapping properties. You can set all three types of snapping properties using the Snapping Environment window. Thefollowing table briefly explains each of the layer snapping and sketch snapping properties.

Layer snapping properties Sketch snapping properties Topology snapping properties

Snaps to eachvertex of thefeatures in thatlayer.

Snaps to the entireoutline—bothsegments andvertices—of thesketch.

Edit sketch edges

Snaps to the firstvertex and thelast vertex in aline feature.

Endpoint

Snaps to thevertices of thesketch.

Edit sketch vertices

Snaps to theentire outline—both segmentsand vertices—ofeach feature inthat layer.

Edge

Lets you createa segmentthat will beperpendicular tothe previous.

Perpendicular to sketchVertex Topology nodes

Snaps to the nodesin the topology.

Snaps to themidpointbetween the twoend vertices ofthe segment.

Midpoint


Using thesnappingenvironmentThe snapping environment canhelp you establish exact locationsin relation to other features.Suppose you’re creating a newsegment of primary that beginsfrom an existing transformer; youwant to ensure that the vertex ofthe primary connects precisely tothe transformer.

The snapping environment makesthis type of task accurate andeasy. Setting the snappingenvironment involves setting asnapping tolerance, snappingproperties, and a snappingpriority. u

Tip

Viewing the snappingtoleranceTo see the current snapping toler-ance area, hold down the T keywhile using the Sketch tool.

Setting the snappingtolerance



3. Click the Snapping tolerancedropdown arrow and clickthe type of measurement unityou want to use for thesnapping tolerance—pixelsor map units.

4. Type the desired number ofmeasurement units in theSnapping tolerance text box.

5. Click OK.

Tip

Showing snap tipsYou can choose to display the layername or target being snapped to.Check Show snap tips on the Gen-eral tab of the Editing Optionsdialog box. A small text box willappear when snapping, which iden-tifies the layer you have snapped to.

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The snapping tolerance is thedistance within which thepointer or a feature is snappedto another location. If thelocation being snapped to—vertex, edge, or endpoint—iswithin the distance you set, thepointer automatically snaps(jumps) to the location.

The circle around the pointer inthe graphics below representsthe snapping tolerance. Whenthe location being snapped to(orange point) is outside the

snapping tolerance, thesnapping location (blue dot)stays with the pointer (topgraphic). When the locationbeing snapped to is inside thesnapping tolerance, thesnapping location moves awayfrom the pointer and snaps tothe target location (bottomgraphic).

You can choose the part of thefeature—vertex, edge, orendpoint—to which you wantyour new feature to snap by u

Setting snappingproperties

1. Click Editor and clickSnapping.

The Snapping Environmentwindow appears.

2. Check the snapping proper-ties you want.

The snapping properties areeffective as soon as they arechecked or unchecked.

2

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setting the layer snappingproperties. For example, if youwant your new feature—asegment of primary—to snap tothe vertex of an existingtransformer in the transformerslayer, you would check the boxunder Vertex and next to thetransformers layer in theSnapping Environment window.When the pointer comes withinthe snapping tolerance of thetransformer, the first vertex of theprimary snaps to the vertex of thetransformer.

You can also set the snappingpriority for layers on your map.The order of layers listed in theSnapping Environment windowdetermines the order in whichsnapping will occur. Snappingoccurs first in the layer at thetop of the list, then in eachconsecutive layer down the list.You can easily change thesnapping priority by draggingthe layer names to newlocations.

Setting the snappingpriority


The Snapping Environmentwindow appears.

2. Click and drag the layernames to arrange them in theorder in which you wantsnapping to occur. The firstlayer in the list will besnapped to first.

The snapping priorities youset are effective immediately.

Tip

Sketch and topologysnapping propertiesYou can set snapping propertiesthat apply specifically to the editsketch and to topology elements inthe Snapping Environment dialogbox; these are located at the bottomof the Snapping Environment win-dow. For more information, see‘Types of snapping properties’ inthis chapter.

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The Snap toFeaturecommandApart from the rules set in theSnapping Environment, you canalso snap on the fly to specificfeatures. This is done throughthe Snap to Feature commandof the sketch context menu.

By specifying a feature and thepart of the feature to which youwish to snap, your next vertexwill automatically be placedregardless of the SnappingEnvironment settings.

Snapping to a specificfeature


2. Right-click the feature towhich you want to snap yournext vertex.

3. On the dropdown menu,choose Snap to Feature.

4. Click the part of the feature towhich you want to snap thenext vertex.

The vertex will be placed atthe nearest location thatmatches your selection.

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Setting the direction measuring system and units for editing tools

Some of the ArcMap editing tools allow you to enter an angle,direction, or deflection when constructing an edit sketch. Theseinclude the Direction–Distance tool and Traverse tool as well asseveral of the commands on the sketch context menu. You canchange the direction measuring system and units these tools useon the Units tab of the Editing Options dialog box. When youchange the direction measuring system and units, the editingtools will all recognize inputs in the new system and units.

Direction measuring systems

You can choose from the following direction measuring systems:North Azimuth, South Azimuth, Quadrant Bearing, and Polar. Bydefault, the tools accept angular measurements in the Polardirection measuring system.

Polar angles are measured counterclockwise from the positivex-axis.

In the North Azimuth system the azimuth of a line is the horizontalangle measured from a meridian to the line, measured in theclockwise direction from north.

In the South Azimuth system the angles are measured clockwisefrom south.

90º270º

North0º

180º

40º

109º

338º

206º

270º90º

180º

South0º

220º

289º

158º

36º

0º180º

90º

270º

50º

341º

112º

234º


In the Quadrant Bearing system the bearing of a line is measuredas an angle from the reference meridian, either the north or thesouth, and measured toward the east or the west. Bearings in theQuadrant Bearing system are written as a meridian, an angle, anda direction. For example, a bearing of N 25 W defines an angle25 degrees west measured from north. A bearing S 18 E defines anangle 18 degrees east measured from the south.

Valid input formats for Quadrant Bearing measurements include:

• [NS] dd.dddd [EW] where the first letter is an N or S,indicating the meridian of origin, and the last letter is an E orW, indicating which direction the angle is toward.

• dd.dddd-[1234] where the second to last character is a - (dash)and the last digit indicates the quadrant that the bearing is in.The quadrants are numbered 1—NE, 2—SE, 3—SW, 4—NW

Direction measuring units

The editing tools use decimal degrees as their default units ofangular measure. You can choose from the following directionmeasurement units: decimal degrees, degrees/minutes/seconds,radians, gradians, and gons.

Degrees are the standard unit of angular measurement, where onedegree represents 1/360 of a circle, and fractions of a degree arerepresented as decimal values.

EastWest

North

South

NENW

SW SE

N 40º E

S 71º E

N 22º W

S 36º W

Degrees Minutes Seconds also uses the degree, but fractions of adegree are represented in minutes and seconds, where one minuteequals 1/60 of a degree, and one second equals 1/60 of a minute.

Valid input formats for degrees/minutes/seconds values include:

• dd-mm-ss.ss

• dd.mmssss

• dd^mm'ss.ss''

Radians are the Standard International (SI) unit of plane angularmeasure. There are 2 pi, approximately 6.28318, radians in a circle.One radian is equivalent to about 57.296 degrees. The length of acircular arc with an angle of one radian is equal to the radius ofthe arc.

Gradians are a unit of angular measure where the right angle isdivided into 100 parts. One gradian equals 1/400 of a circle.

Gons are the same as gradians. One gon equals 1/400 of a circle.The term gon is primarily used in German, Swedish, and othernorthern European languages where the word grad means degree.


Setting thedirection typeand angular unitsYou can set the directionmeasurement system and theunits with which you measureangles from the Units tab of theEditing Options dialog box. Allof the editing tools that acceptangular measurements willinterpret angular measurementsusing the direction type andunits that you specify here.

Setting the direction type


2. Click the Units tab.

3. Click the Direction Typedropdown list and choose adirection measuring system.

4. Click OK.

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Setting the directionunits



3. Click the Direction Unitsdropdown list and click thetype of direction measure-ment unit you want to use.

4. Set Precision to specify thenumber of decimal placesused when displaying anglesand directions.

5. Click OK.

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Setting the ground to grid conversion

Sometimes when creating features using the coordinate geometrytools in ArcMap, you need to convert angles and distancesmeasured in the field so they match the coordinate system ofyour data. For example, if you are given distances measured inground units at a high elevation, the distances will need to beadjusted slightly to fit your GIS dataset’s coordinate system, inwhich distances are assumed to have been measured at a givenellipsoid—or sea level—surface. The distance conversion isapplied as a scale factor to distances you type into the coordinategeometry editing tools.

Sometimes you need to correct angular measurements taken inthe field as you enter them in your GIS. For example, suppose youare creating features using coordinate geometry from a set ofmeasurements on a surveyor’s field notes. The surveyor’sangular measurements were based on True North—defined usingthe astronomical meridian. Your GIS dataset has a coordinatesystem where north differs by 0 degrees, 2 minutes, and3 seconds from true north. Instead of going through the fieldnotes and manually converting the measurements, you can set adirection offset to automatically correct the angles as you typethem.

Direction and distance corrections can be calculated bymeasuring directions and distances between control points in theGIS and comparing them to directions and distances measured onthe ground, as shown on a survey plan.


Setting a ground to griddistance conversionfactor



3. Check Ground to GridCorrection.

4. Type a conversion factor toconvert distances measuredin the field (ground distance)to distances in the GIS (griddistance).

5. Click OK.

Using a groundto grid correctionYou can set distance anddirection conversion factors toallow you to correct fordifferences between your GIScoordinate system and theangles and distances asurveyor may have measured inthe field.

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Setting a ground to griddirection offset



3. Check Ground to GridCorrection.

4. Type the desired number ofmeasurement units in theDirection Offset text box.

5. Click OK.

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Setting the distance units for tools

Sometimes when creating features using the editing tools inArcMap, you need to enter data that was recorded in differentdistance units than the coordinate system of your data.

For example, suppose your data is in a State Plane coordinatesystem and the linear units are U.S. Survey Foot (1 Foot_US =0.3048006096 m). You are given measurements in InternationalFeet (1 Foot = 0.3048 m). Rather than convert all of themeasurements, you can type the abbreviation for InternationalFoot, ft, after the measurements and the tools will convert thedistance correctly. You could also change the dataset coordinatesystem definition to use International Feet, and type thedistances without a unit suffix.

Whenever you are typing a distance into one of the editing tools,you have the option to specify the linear units to use or to simplytype a number, which the tool will interpret as being in thedataset’s coordinate system units.

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IN THIS CHAPTER

119

Editing topology 4• An introduction to topology

• Topology rules, errors, andexceptions

• Editing features in a topology

• Adding the topology toolbar

• Creating a map topology

• Editing shared geometry

• Rebuilding the topology cache

• Using the edit sketch to maketopology elements

• Changing symbology for errorsand topology features

• Validating edits to a topology

• Creating new features fromexisting features

In addition to simple features, ArcMap lets you edit collections of featuresrelated by a topology. In a geodatabase, a topology contains rules that definehow features share space.

Topologies are useful for maintaining high-quality spatial data by ensuring thatyour features conform to simple rules. When you set up a geodatabase with atopology, you specify which feature classes participate in the topology anddefine rules that control when and how features can share geometry. Forexample, in a geodatabase of states and coastlines, you might have a rule thatstates polygons cannot overlap each other and another rule that the coastlinemust coincide with the boundaries of the states. These rules would help youensure, when updating the state boundaries to match the coastline, that youdon’t inadvertently create places where the states overlap or where a state’scoastal edge doesn’t match the shape of the coastline.

ArcMap allows you to simultaneously edit multiple features from layers thatshare geometry. Only those features that participate in the topology will beaffected by these edits. For instance, you can update lot lines that define aparcel, and update the corresponding parcel polygon feature in yourgeodatabase. Similarly, you could move a road centerline and, at the sametime, update all of the bus routes that follow that road. In this respect, editingtopologies is a bit like editing features in a geometric network. However,topologies offer many more possible ways that polygon, arc, and point fea-tures can be related than networks do. ArcMap provides some new tools forediting and managing topologies. With ArcView licensed seats of ArcMap,you can edit shared geometry by creating a map topology.


Topology has historically been viewed as a spatial data structureused primarily to ensure that the associated data forms a consis-tent and clean topological fabric. With advances in object-oriented GIS development, an alternative view of topology hasevolved. The geodatabase supports an approach to modelinggeography that integrates the behavior of different feature typesand supports different types of key relationships. In this context,topology is a collection of rules and relationships that, coupledwith a set of editing tools and techniques, enables thegeodatabase to more accurately model geometric relationshipsfound in the world.

Topology, considered from the feature behavior perspective,allows a more flexible set of geometric relationships to be modeledthan the data structure perspective. It also allows topologicalrelationships to exist between more discrete types of featureswithin a feature dataset. In this alternative view, topology maystill be employed to ensure that the data forms a clean andconsistent topological fabric; but also, more broadly, it is used toensure that the features obey the key geometric rules defined fortheir role in the database.

Why use topology?

Topology is used most fundamentally to ensure data quality andto allow your geodatabase to more realistically represent geo-graphic features. A geodatabase provides a framework withinwhich features can have behavior, such as subtypes, defaultvalues, attribute domains, validation rules, and structuredrelationships to tables or other features. This behavior enablesyou to more accurately model the world and maintain referentialintegrity between objects in the geodatabase. Topology may beconsidered an extension of this framework for behavior thatallows you to control the geometric relationships betweenfeatures and to maintain their geometric integrity. Unlike other

What is topology?

feature behavior, topology rules are managed at the level of thetopology and dataset, not for individual feature classes.

How do I work with topology?

Different people work with topology in different ways, dependingupon their role in an organization and its GIS design and manage-ment work flow.

Initially, creating a topology requires a geodatabase designer. Atopology organizes the spatial relationships between features in aset of feature classes. The designer analyzes an organization’sdata modeling needs, identifies the key topological relationshipsrequired in the geodatabase, and defines the rules that willconstrain different features’ topological relationships.

Once the participating feature classes have been added to thetopology and the rules defined, the topology is validated. Dataquality managers use the topology tools to analyze, visualize,report, and, where necessary, repair the spatial integrity of thedatabase after it is initially created as well as after editing.Topology provides these users with a set of validation rules forthe topologically related features. It also provides a set of editingtools that let users find and fix integrity violations.

As the geodatabase is used and maintained, new features areadded and existing features are modified. Data editors updatefeatures in the geodatabase and use the topology tools toconstruct and maintain relationships between features, within theconstraints imposed by the database designer. Depending on thework flow of the organization, the topology may be validated aftereach edit session or on a schedule.

EDITING TOPOLOGY 121

Topology basics for data editors

Topologies store three sets of parameter rules, ranks, and acluster tolerance. When editing a geodatabase, you will nottypically need to modify these parameters, but you will need to beaware of them, especially the rules.

Topologies also maintain a feature layer that stores dirty areas,errors, and exceptions. You use these to maintain the quality ofdata in your topology.

The sections that follow describe each of these parameters andconcepts in more detail.

Rules

Rules define the permissible spatial relationships betweenfeatures. The rules you define for a topology control the relation-ships of features allowed within a feature class, between featuresin different feature classes, or between subtypes of features.

The initial validation of the topology checks all of the featuresagainst all of the rules. This initial check can take some time, butsubsequent checks are performed only on the areas that havebeen edited—the dirty areas.

Cluster tolerance

The cluster tolerance defines how close vertices must be to eachother in order to be considered coincident and limits the distancefeatures can move during validation. The cluster tolerance is theminimum distance between vertices of features that are notcoincident. Vertices that fall within the cluster tolerance aredefined as coincident and are snapped together. The clustertolerance is typically a small actual distance to minimize themovement of correctly placed features.

Ranks

Ranks control which features may be moved to other featureswhen snapping the topology together during validation. Theranks you specify for feature classes in the topology controlwhich feature classes will be moved when snapping coincident

Sample "Must Not Overlap" Rules

Example of a “Must Not Overlap” rule applied to polygons and lines. Thered polygon and line mark the places where the rule is violated. Theseare stored in the topology as error features. Such rules can apply tofeatures within the same feature class, to pairs of feature classes, or tosubtypes of features.

Cluster Tolerance

After Validating the Topology

Cluster ToleranceBefore Validating the Topology

When you validate a topology, features within the cluster tolerance aresnapped together.


vertices during the initial validation of the topology as well assubsequent validations.

When different feature classes have different levels of intrinsicreliability, such as when one was collected by survey or differen-tial global positioning system and another was digitized from lessaccurate source material or collected with uncorrected GPS, rankscan allow you to ensure that reliably placed vertices are notsnapped to the location of less reliable vertices. Lower-rankedfeatures’ vertices will be snapped to the location of higher-rankedvertices, if they fall within the cluster tolerance. The location ofequally ranked vertices are geometrically averaged when they fallwithin the cluster tolerance.

Feature layers maintained by a topology

Instead of storing topological information for all features, thetopology discovers those relationships when the information isrequested, such as when you are editing using the Topology Edittool. The topology stores some feature layers that let it efficientlytrack the places where the topology may have been violatedduring editing—dirty areas—and features that were found toviolate topology rules after validation—error features. Certainerrors may be acceptable, in which case the error features aremarked and stored as exceptions.

Dirty areas

Dirty areas are areas that have been edited, updated, or affectedby the addition or deletion of features. Dirty areas allow thetopology to limit the area that must be checked for topologyerrors during topology validation. Dirty areas track the placeswhere topology rules may have been violated during editing. Thisallows selected parts, rather than the whole extent of the topol-ogy, to be validated after editing.

Cluster Tolerance

Higher Ranked

Equal Ranked

Before Validate

After Validate

Equal Ranks Unequal Ranks

Lower Ranked

When you validate a topology, the ranks of the feature classes in thetopology control how features are snapped together. Lower-rankingfeatures snap to higher-ranking features. Equally ranked features snap tothe geometric average of their position.

Edit Feature Dirty Area Created

When you edit features in a topology, the topology creates a dirty area tomark the area that should be checked for violations of the topology rules.


Error Features For "Must Not Have Dangles" Rule

Exceptions For "Must Not Have Dangles" Rule

When you validate a topology, features that violate the rules are markedas error features. You can edit the features to fix the errors, or you canmark the errors as exceptions. In this example, the street line featurescannot have dangles, which are endpoints that do not connect to otherstreet features. Because cul-de-sac streets are a legitimate exception tothis rule, they may be marked as exceptions in the topology. Theremaining errors should be fixed by editing the street features.

Dirty areas are created when:

• A feature is created or deleted

• A feature’s geometry is modified

• A feature’s subtype is changed

• Versions are reconciled

• The topology properties are modified

Dirty areas are stored in the topology as a single feature, witheach new dirty area joined with the existing dirty area, and eacharea that has been validated removed from the dirty area.

Errors and exceptions

Errors and exceptions are stored as features in the topology layerand allow you to render and manage the cases in which featuresdo not obey the rules of the topology. Error features record wheretopological errors were discovered during validation. Certain

errors may be acceptable, in which case the error features can bemarked as exceptions.

ArcMap and ArcCatalog allow you to create a report of the totalnumber of errors and exceptions for the feature classes in yourtopology. You can use the report of the number of error featuresas a measure of the data quality of a topological dataset. Theerror inspector in ArcMap lets you select different types of errorsand zoom to individual errors. You can correct topology errors byediting the features that violate the topology’s rules. After youvalidate the edits, the error is deleted from the topology.


Topology rules

Many topology rules can be imposed on features in ageodatabase. A well-designed geodatabase will have only thosetopology rules that define key spatial relationships needed by anorganization.

Some topology rules govern the relationships of features within agiven feature class, while others govern the relationshipsbetween features in two different feature classes. Topology rulescan also be defined between subtypes of features in one oranother feature class. For example, a topology rule can requirestreet features to be connected to other street features at bothends, except in the case of streets belonging to the cul-de-sac ordead-end subtypes.

The topological rules that you may encounter and examples ofthem are discussed on the following pages. There are also imagesof sample errors generated by the particular topology rule. Bydefault, ArcMap uses shades of coral to symbolize topologyerrors. When errors are selected using the Error Inspector or theFix Topology Error tool, they are drawn with black outlines, lines,or squares.

An explanation of the fixes that you can use to correct errors inyour topology are listed after the descriptions of the rules. Sometopology rules, however, have no predefined fixes. Once you’vediscovered the topology errors, you can select the error on themap with the Fix Topology Error tool, or select the error fromwithin the Error Inspector and apply one of the fixes listed in thecontext menu for that error type.

Polygon rules

Must Not Overlap

This rule requires that the interior of polygons in thefeature class not overlap. The polygons can share edgesor vertices. This rule is used when an area cannot be-

long to two or more polygons. It is useful for modeling administra-tive boundaries, such as ZIP Codes or voting districts, and mutu-ally exclusive area classifications, such as land cover or landformtype.

Subtract: The Subtract fix removes the overlapping portion ofgeometry from each feature that is causing the error andleaves a gap or void in its place. This fix can be applied to oneor more selected Must Not Overlap errors.

Merge: The Merge fix adds the portion of overlap from onefeature and subtracts it from the others that are violating therule. You need to pick the feature that receives the portion ofoverlap using the Merge dialog box. This fix can be applied toone Must Not Overlap error only.

Create Feature: The Create Feature fix creates a new polygonfeature out of the error shape and removes the portion ofoverlap from each of the features causing the error to create aplanar representation of the feature geometry. This fix can beapplied to one or more selected Must Not Overlap errors.

Must Not Have Gaps

This rule requires that there are no voids within a single polygon orbetween adjacent polygons. All polygons must form a continuoussurface. An error will always exist on the perimeter of the surface.You can either ignore this error or mark it as an exception. Use thisrule on data that must completely cover an area. For example, soilpolygons cannot include gaps nor form voids—they must cover anentire area.

You can use Create Feature to createa new polygon in the void.

You can use Create Feature or mark the erroron the outside boundary as an exception.


Create Feature: The Create Feature fix creates a new polygonfeature in a void that is completely surrounded by polygonsin error (a closed ring of line errors). This fix can be applied toone or more selected Must Not Have Gaps errors. If youselect two errors and use the Create Feature fix, the result willbe one polygon feature per ring. If you want one multipartfeature as a result, you’ll need to select each new feature andclick Merge from the Editor menu.

Note that the outer boundary of your feature class is in error.Using the Create Feature fix on this specific error can createoverlapping polygons. Alternatively, you can mark the outerbounds Must Not Have Gaps error as an exception.

Must Not Overlap With

This rule requires that the interior of polygons in onefeature class must not overlap with the interior ofpolygons in another feature class. Polygons of thetwo feature classes can share edges or vertices or becompletely disjointed. This rule is used when an area cannot be-long to two separate feature classes. It is useful for combining twomutually exclusive systems of area classification, such as zoningand water-body type, where areas defined within the zoning classcannot also be defined in the water-body class and vice versa.

Subtract: The Subtract fix removes the overlapping portion ofeach feature that is causing the error and leaves a gap or voidin its place. This fix can be applied to one or more selectedMust Not Overlap With errors.

Merge: The Merge fix adds the portion of overlap to one featureand subtracts it from the others that are violating the rule. Youneed to pick the feature that receives the portion of overlapusing the Merge dialog box. This fix can be applied to oneMust Not Overlap With error only.

Must Be Covered By Feature Class Of

This rule requires that a polygon in one feature classmust share all of its area with polygons in anotherfeature class. An area in the first feature class that isnot covered by polygons from the other feature classis an error. This rule is used when an area of one type, such as astate, should be completely covered by areas of another type, suchas counties.

Subtract: The Subtract fix removes the overlapping portion ofeach feature that is causing the error so the boundary of eachfeature from both feature classes is the same. This fix can beapplied to one or more selected Must Be Covered By FeatureClass Of errors.

Create Feature: The Create Feature fix creates a new polygonfeature out of the portion of overlap from the existing polygonso the boundary of each feature from both feature classes isthe same. This fix can be applied to one or more selected MustBe Covered By Feature Class Of errors.

Must Cover Each Other

This rule requires that the polygons of one featureclass must share all of their area with the polygons ofanother feature class. Polygons may share edges orvertices. Any area defined in either feature class thatis not shared with the other is an error. This rule is used when twosystems of classification are used for the same geographic area andany given point defined in one system must also be defined in theother. One such case occurs with nested hierarchical datasets, suchas census blocks and block groups or small watersheds and largedrainage basins. The rule can also be applied to nonhierarchicallyrelated polygon feature classes, such as soil type and slope class.

Subtract: The Subtract fix removes the overlapping portion ofeach feature that is causing the error so the boundary of each


feature from both feature classes is the same. This fix can beapplied to one or more selected Must Cover Each Othererrors.

Create Feature: The Create Feature fix creates a new polygonfeature out of the portion of overlap from the existing polygonso the boundary of each feature from both feature classes isthe same. This fix can be applied to one or more selected MustCover Each Other errors.

Must Be Covered By

This rule requires that polygons of one feature classmust be contained within polygons of another featureclass. Polygons may share edges or vertices. Any areadefined in the contained feature class must be coveredby an area in the covering feature class. This rule is used when areafeatures of a given type must be located within features of anothertype. This rule is useful when modeling areas that are subsets of alarger surrounding area, such as management units within forestsor blocks within block groups.

Create Feature: The Create Feature fix creates a new polygonfeature out of the portion of overlap from the existing polygonso the boundary of each feature from both feature classes isthe same. This fix can be applied to one or more selected MustBe Covered By errors.

Boundary Must Be Covered By

This rule requires that boundaries of polygon fea-tures must be covered by lines in another feature class.This rule is used when area features need to have linefeatures that mark the boundaries of the areas. This isusually when the areas have one set of attributes and their bound-aries have other attributes. For example, parcels might be stored inthe geodatabase along with their boundaries. Each parcel might bedefined by one or more line features that store information about

their length or the date surveyed, and every parcel should exactlymatch its boundaries.

Create Feature: The Create Feature fix creates a new line featurefrom the boundary segments of the polygon feature generat-ing the error. This fix can be applied to one or more selectedBoundary Must Be Covered By errors.

Area Boundary Must Be Covered By Boundary Of

This rule requires that boundaries of polygon fea-tures in one feature class be covered by boundariesof polygon features in another feature class. This isuseful when polygon features in one feature class,such as subdivisions, are composed of multiple polygons in an-other class, such as parcels, and the shared boundaries must bealigned.

There are no topology fix commands for this rule.

Contains Point

This rule requires that a polygon in one feature class contain atleast one point from another feature class. Points must be withinthe polygon, not on the boundary. This is useful when everypolygon should have at least one associated point, such as whenparcels must have an address point.

Create Feature: The Create Feature fix creates a new pointfeature at the centroid of the polygon feature that is causingthe error. The point feature that is created is guaranteed to bewithin the polygon feature. This fix can be applied to one ormore selected Contains Point errors.

This polygon is an error because itdoes not contain a point.


Line rules

Must Not Overlap

This rule requires that lines not overlap with lines inthe same feature class. This rule is used where linesegments should not be duplicated—for example, in astream feature class. Lines can cross or intersect but cannot sharesegments.

Subtract: The Subtract fix removes the overlapping line segmentsfrom the feature causing the error. You must select the featurefrom which the error will be removed. If you have duplicateline features, select the line feature you want to delete fromthe Subtract dialog box. Note that the Subtract fix will createmultipart features, so if the overlapping segments are not atthe end or start of a line feature, you may want to then use theExplode command on the Advanced Editing toolbar to createsingle part features. This fix can be applied to one selectedMust Not Overlap error only.

Must Not Intersect

This rule requires that line features from the samefeature class not cross or overlap each other. Linescan share endpoints. This rule is used for contourlines that should never cross each other or in caseswhere the intersection of lines should only occur at endpoints,such as street segments and intersections.

Subtract: The Subtract fix—which is only available for lines withoverlapping features—removes the overlapping line segmentsfrom the feature causing the error. You must select the featurefrom which the error will be removed. If you have duplicateline features, select the line feature you want to delete fromthe Subtract dialog box. Note that the Subtract fix will createmultipart features, so if the overlapping segments are not at

the end or start of a line feature, you may want to then use theExplode command on the Advanced Editing toolbar to createsingle part features. This fix can be applied to one Must NotIntersect error only.

Split: The Split fix splits the line features that cross one anotherat their point of intersection, but cannot be used when theerror has overlapping line segments. If two lines cross at asingle point, applying the Split fix at that location will result infour features. Attributes from the original features will bemaintained in the split features. This fix can be applied to oneor more Must Not Intersect errors.

Must Not Have Dangles

This rule requires that a line feature must touchlines from the same feature class at both end-points. An endpoint that is not connected to an-other line is called a dangle. This rule is used when line featuresmust form closed loops, such as when they are defining the bound-aries of polygon features. It may also be used in cases where linestypically connect to other lines, as with streets. In this case, excep-tions can be used where the rule is occasionally violated, as withcul-de-sac or dead-end street segments.

Because the fixes use tolerance values to determine whether thefix occurs, make sure you have specified your map’s distanceunits. Click View, Data Frame Properties, then the General tab.

Snap: The Snap fix will snap dangling line features to the nearestline feature within a given distance. If no line feature is foundwithin the distance specified, the line will not be snapped. TheSnap fix will snap to the nearest feature found within thedistance. It searches for endpoints to snap to first, thenvertices, and finally for edges of line features within thefeature class. The Snap fix can be applied to one or more MustNot Have Dangles errors.


Extend: The Extend fix will extend the dangling end of linefeatures if they snap to other line features within a givendistance. If no feature is found within the distance specified,the feature will not extend to the distance specified. Also, ifseveral errors were selected, the fix will simply skip thefeatures that it cannot extend and attempt to extend the nextfeature in the list. The errors of features that could not beextended remain in the Error Inspector dialog box. If thedistance value is 0, lines will extend until they find a feature tosnap to. This fix can be applied to one or more Must Not HaveDangles errors.

Trim: The Trim fix will trim dangling line features if a point ofintersection is found within a given distance. If no feature isfound within the distance specified, the feature will not betrimmed, nor will it be deleted if the distance is greater thanthe length of the feature in error. If the distance value is 0,lines will be trimmed back until they find a point of intersec-tion. If no intersection is located, the feature will not betrimmed and the fix will attempt to trim the next feature in error.This fix can be applied to one or more Must Not Have dangleserrors.

Must Not Have Pseudonodes

This rule requires that a line connect to at leasttwo other lines at each endpoint. Lines that con-nect to one other line, or to themselves, are saidto have pseudonodes. This rule is used whereline features must form closed loops, such as when they define theboundaries of polygons or when line features logically must con-nect to two other line features at each end, as with segments in astream network, with exceptions being marked for the originatingends of first-order streams.

Merge To Largest: The Merge To Largest fix will merge thegeometry of the shorter line into the geometry of the longest

line. The attributes of the longest line feature will be retained.This fix can be applied to one or more Must Not HavePseudonodes errors.

Merge: The Merge fix adds the geometry of one line feature intothe other line feature causing the error. You must pick the linefeature to merge into. This fix can be applied to one selectedMust Not Have Pseudonodes error.

Must Not Intersect Or Touch Interior

This rule requires that a line in one feature class mustonly touch other lines of the same feature class atendpoints. Any line segment in which features over-lap, or any intersection not at an endpoint, is an error. This rule isuseful where lines must only be connected at endpoints, such as inthe case of lot lines, which must split (only connect to the end-points of) back lot lines and which cannot overlap each other.

Subtract: The Subtract fix—which is only available for lines withoverlapping features—removes the overlapping line segmentsfrom the feature causing the error. You must select the featurefrom which the error will be removed. If you have duplicateline features, choose the line feature you want to delete fromthe Subtract dialog box. The Subtract fix creates multipartfeatures, so if the overlapping segments are not at the end orstart of a line feature, you may next want to use the Explodecommand on the Advanced Editing toolbar to create singlepart features. This fix can be applied to one selected Must NotIntersect or Touch Interior error only.

Split: The Split fix splits the line features that cross one anotherat their point of intersection, but cannot be used when theerror has overlapping line segments. If two lines cross at asingle point, applying the Split fix at that location will result infour features. Attributes from the original features will bemaintained in the split features. This fix can be applied to oneor more Must Not Intersect or Touch Interior errors.


Must Not Overlap With

This rule requires that a line from one feature class not overlap withline features in another feature class. This rule is used when linefeatures cannot share the same space—for example, roads must notoverlap with railroads or depression subtypes of contour lines can-not overlap with other contour lines.

Subtract: The Subtract fix removes the overlapping line segmentsfrom the feature causing the error. You must select the featurefrom which the error will be removed. If you have duplicateline features, choose the line feature you want to delete fromthe Subtract dialog box. The Subtract fix creates multipartfeatures, so if the overlapping segments are not at the end orstart of a line feature, you may next want to use the Explodecommand on the Advanced Editing toolbar to create singlepart features. This fix can be applied to one selected Must NotOverlap With error only.

Must Be Covered By Feature Class Of

This rule requires that lines from one feature class must becovered by the lines in another feature class. This is useful formodeling logically different but spatially coincident lines, such asroutes and streets. A bus route feature class must not depart fromthe streets defined in the street feature class.

There are no fixes for this rule.

Must Be Covered By Boundary Of

This rule requires that lines be covered by the bound-aries of area features. This is useful for modeling lines,such as lot lines, that must coincide with the edge ofpolygon features, such as lots.

Subtract: The Subtract fix removes line segments that are notcoincident with the boundary of polygon features. If the linefeature does not share any segments in common with theboundary of a polygon feature, the feature will be deleted.This fix can be applied to one or more Must Be Covered ByBoundary Of errors.

Endpoint Must Be Covered By

This rule requires that the endpoints of line features must be cov-ered by point features in another feature class. This is useful formodeling cases where a fitting must connect two pipes or a streetintersection must be found at the junction of two streets.

Create Feature: The Create Feature fix adds a new point featureat the endpoint of the line feature that is in error. The CreateFeature fix can be applied to one or more Endpoint Must BeCovered By errors.

Must Not Self Overlap

This rule requires that line features not overlap themselves. Theycan cross or touch themselves, but must not have coincident seg-ments. This rule is useful for features such as streets, where seg-ments might touch, in a loop, but where the same street should notfollow the same course twice.

Where the purple linesoverlap is an error.

Where the purple lines don’toverlap is an error.

The square indicates an error, because there is nopoint covering the endpoint of the line.


Simplify: The Simplify fix removes self overlapping line segmentsfrom the feature in error. Applying the Simplify fix can result inmultipart features, which you can detect using the Must BeSingle Part rule. The Simplify fix can be applied to one or moreMust Not Self Overlap errors.

Must Not Self Intersect

This rule requires that line features not cross or over-lap themselves. This rule is useful for lines, such ascontour lines, that cannot cross themselves.

Simplify: The Simplify fix removes self overlapping line segmentsfrom the feature in error. Note that applying the Simplify fixcan result in multipart features. You can detect multipartfeatures using the Must Be Single Part rule. This fix can beapplied to one or more Must Not Self Intersect errors.

Must Be Single Part

This rule requires that lines must have only one part. This rule isuseful where line features, such as highways, may not have mul-tiple parts.

Explode: The Explode fix creates single part line features fromeach part of the multipart line feature that is in error. This fixcan be applied to one or more Must Be Single Part errors.

Point rules

Must Be Covered By Boundary Of

This rule requires that points fall on the boundaries of areafeatures. This is useful when the point features help support theboundary system, such as boundary markers, which must befound on the edges of certain areas.


Must Be Properly Inside Polygons

This rule requires that points fall within area features. This isuseful when the point features are related to polygons, such aswells and well pads or address points and parcels.

Delete: The Delete fix removes point features that are notproperly within polygon features. Note that you can use theEdit tool and move the point inside of the polygon feature ifyou do not wish to delete it. This fix can be applied to one ormore Must Be Properly Inside errors.

Must Be Covered By Endpoint Of

This rule requires that points in one feature class must becovered by the endpoints of lines in another feature class. Thisrule is similar to the line rule Endpoint Must Be Covered By,except that where the rule is violated, the point feature—rather

Multipart lines are createdfrom a single sketch.

This individual line feature overlaps itself, with theerror indicated by the coral line.

The square is an error because it is a point thatis not on the boundary of the polygon.

The squares are errors where there arepoints that are not inside the polygon.


than the line—is marked as an error. Boundary corner markersmight be constrained to be covered by the endpoints of bound-ary lines.

Delete: The Delete fix removes point features that are notcoincident with the endpoints of line features. Note that youcan snap the point to the line by setting edge snapping to theline layer, then moving the point with the Edit tool. This fixcan be applied to one or more Must Be Covered By EndpointOf errors.

Must Be Covered By Line

This rule requires that points in one feature class must becovered by lines in another feature class. It does not constrainthe covering portion of the line to be an endpoint. This rule isuseful for points that fall along a set of lines, such as highwaysigns along highways.


The square indicates an error where thepoint is not on an endpoint of a line.

The squares are points that arenot covered by the line.


Topology errors and exceptions

Topology rules may represent an ideal situation, butgeodatabases are flexible enough to handle exceptions to therules found in real-world data. Violations of topology rules areinitially stored as errors in the topology, but where appropriate,you can mark them as exceptions. Exceptions are thereafterignored, though you can return them to error status if you decidethat they are actually errors and that the features should bemodified to comply with the topology rules.

Exceptions are a normal part of the data creation and updateprocess. An assessor’s geodatabase might have a topology rulerequiring that building features not cross parcel lines as a qualitycontrol for the building digitizing effort. This rule might be truefor 90 percent of the features in the city, but it could be violatedby some high-density housing and commercial buildings. Error features for "Must Not Have Dangles" rule

Exceptions for "Must Not Have Dangles" rule

If you create a condominium building feature that crosses parcelboundaries, it will be discovered as an error when you validateyour edits, but you can mark it as a legitimate exception to therule. Similarly, a street database for a city might have a rule thatcenterlines must connect at both ends to other centerlines. Thisrule would normally ensure that street segments are correctlysnapped to other street segments when they are edited. However,at the boundaries of the city you might not have street data. Here,the external ends of streets might not snap to other centerlines.These cases could be marked as exceptions, and you would stillbe able to use the rule to find cases where streets were incorrectlydigitized or edited.

Topology errors can be fixed quickly using the Fix Topology Errortool. This tool allows you to select a topology error and choosefrom a number of fixes that have been predefined for that errortype. You can also use the tool to get more information about therule that has been violated or mark the error as an exception.


When you create a topology, you specify the feature classes thatparticipate in the topology. These feature classes may containpoint, line, or polygon features. In the topology, the geometricrelationships are between the parts of the features rather than thefeatures themselves. Polygons in a topology have edges thatdefine the boundary of the polygons, nodes where edgesintersect, and vertices, which define the shape of the edges.

Similarly, line features are made up of an edge, at least two nodesthat define the endpoints of the edge, and vertices that define theshape of the edge. Point features behave as nodes when they arecoincident with other features in a topology.

Geometric elements of a topology

When features in the topology have parts that intersect oroverlap, the edges and nodes that define these parts are shared.

You can use the Topology Edit tool to move nodes and wholeedges that are shared between features or to move the verticesthat define the shape of shared edges.

Polygon features share edges and nodes, in red. Vertices define theshape of the edges, in green.

Line features share edges and nodes, in red. Vertices define the shape ofthe edges, in green.

Moving a node stretches the connected edges so they stay connected.Moving an edge with its endpoint nodes also stretches the edgesattached to the nodes.

Polygons A and B have sharednodes c and d and shared edge e.

AB

c

d

e


Uncheck a feature with the Shared Features tool in order to make ashared topology element independent of that feature.

Moving an edge that defines a single feature without selecting its nodesmoves the whole edge without maintaining connections to the nodes.Moving a split edge that is a part of a single feature does maintainconnectivity within the feature.

When you move nodes or vertices, you can choose whether youwant the segment between the vertex and the closest vertex to bestretched or whether you want the whole edge to be proportion-ately stretched.

You can also temporarily add new topology nodes to split edges.This simply splits the edge for the topology; it does not break thefeature into two features. This can be useful when you want tomove one part of an edge without affecting other parts of theedge or when you want to create a new node to snap to.

You can choose whether to stretch the feature geometry proportionallywhen moving a vertex, or whether to just stretch the segments betweenthe vertex and the next vertices.

You can find out which features share a given topology elementand control whether or not the geometry should be consideredshared with the Show Shared Features tool.

If two or more features share an edge or node, you can use theShow Shared Features tool to turn off geometry sharing for oneor more of the features. Changes that you make to that topologyedge or node with the Topology Edit tool will only affect thefeatures for which the geometry is still shared.


Editing features that participate in a topology is similar to editingsimple features—in fact, you can use the same sketch tools tocreate new features that participate in a topology that you woulduse for features that do not. When you want to modify a featurethat shares edges or nodes with other features in the topology,you can use the Topology Edit tool.

When editing topological features, you often have a choice ofseveral ways of doing something. For example, suppose youmanage a forest and there are two polygon feature classes, Forestand Stand, in your forest dataset.

The Forest and Stand polygons are related by three topologyrules: Stand must not overlap, Forest must cover Stand, andStand must cover Forest. These rules prevent Stand polygonsfrom overlapping, since no area can be in two stands at once.They also prevent stands from extending outside the officialboundary of the whole forest and the forest boundary fromcovering an area not in a stand.

Suppose you are editing the Stand feature class and need tochange the boundary between two of the stands. You could startediting; use the Topology Edit tool to select the shared edge;

Editing features in a topology

Forest polygonboundary.

Stand polygon.

Stand sharededge.

Move vertices onStand shared edgewith Topology Edittool.

Both Stand polygonshave an updatedboundary at sharededge.

Use the Topology Edit tool to edit an edge shared by two polygons fromthe same feature class.

Forest polygon Stand polygons

double-click the edge to edit its vertices; then add, remove, andmove vertices along that edge to shape it to fit the new boundary.

You could also use the Topology Edit tool to modify edgesshared by the Stand and Forest polygons. For example, supposethe actual boundary of the forest has been determined to be150 meters east and 20 meters north of the corner where twostand features meet at the edge of the forest. You could use theTopology Edit tool to select the topology node at this intersec-tion of features and move it to the correct location.


You can also use the regular editing tools to edit individualfeatures that participate in a topology. When you edit topologi-cally related features using the nontopological editing tools, youare only modifying one feature at a time. If this feature sharesgeometry with other features, the shared geometry is not up-dated. If the edits create a violation of the topology rules, youcan use the Error Inspector to find the error and the Fix TopologyError tool to fix the error. There are several predefined ways thatyou can fix a given type of topology error. The Fix Topology Errortool allows you to right-click an error and choose which fix to usefor the error.

Forest polygonboundary.

Move shared nodewith Topology Edittool.

Stand polygon.

Both Stand polygonsand the Forestpolygon haveupdated boundariesat the shared edgesconnected to thenode.

Use the Topology Edit tool to edit a topology node shared by twopolygons from the same feature class and a third polygon from anotherfeature class. You can move the node freehand, move it relative to itscurrent position, or move it to an absolute location. When the nodemoves, the edges connected to it in both the Forest and Stand polygonfeature classes are stretched to stay connected to it.

2. Validate edits.

1. Edit a feature with an editing tool.

After you validate edits, youfind that the new boundary

causes an error because thestand overlaps another stand.

3. Use the Fix Topology Errortool to merge the error withone of the features.

You can also edit features with the nontopological Edit tool. If the featuresparticipate in a topology rule, you can validate the topology to identifyerrors that your edits may have caused. If the edit created an error, youcan use the Fix Topology Error tool to fix it using one of the predefinedtopology error fixes. The shared geometry is updated by the fix. You canalso apply edits to shared edges using an edit sketch with the ModifyEdge and Reshape Edge topology edit tasks.


The Modify Edge and Reshape Edge topology edit tasks allowyou to update a selected shared edge using an edit sketch.

1. Reshape an edge using the Reshape Edgeediting task and the editing tools.

2. Finish the sketch. Allfeatures that share theedge are updated.

You can use the editor tools and the Reshape Edge and Modify Edge edittasks to simultaneously edit several features that share an edge.


There are a couple of ways to correct topology errors onceyou’ve discovered them. You can select the error on the map withthe Fix Topology Error tool, or select the error from within theError Inspector and apply one of the fixes listed in the contextmenu for that error type.

Different error types have different predefined fixes available forthem. For example, a dangling line can be snapped, trimmed, orextended to another line. Errors caused by overlapping polygonscan be merged into one of the polygons, subtracted from both, orturned into a separate new polygon feature. Errors caused byviolations of the “must be covered by” rules can be fixed bycreating a new feature or deleting a feature.

Correcting topology errors


There are several ways that you can use topology tools to makenew features from existing ones. In ArcCatalog you can create awhole new polygon feature class from an input set of linefeatures. In ArcMap you can construct new polygon featuresfrom the intersection of selected existing line and polygonfeatures or create new line features by splitting selected linefeatures where they cross each other.

Creating polygons from lines in ArcCatalog

In ArcCatalog, the Polygon Feature Class From Lines tool takesone or more existing line or polygon feature classes in a featuredataset and creates new polygon features from the closed shapesthat are defined by the intersection of all of the lines or polygonedges.

You have the option to use a point feature class to supplyattributes for the new polygons. If a point falls within one of thenew polygons, the polygon is assigned the point’s attributes.

Making new features with topology tools

Creating features in ArcMap

In ArcMap, the Construct Features tool takes selected featuresfrom one or more feature classes and creates new features in thetarget feature class.

The tool uses the input geometries of the selected features toconstruct polygons or lines following polygon boundaries,depending upon the geometry of the target feature class.

You can use this tool to build parcel polygons from selected lotline features or lake shorelines from selected lake polygonfeatures.

Selected lines can be turned into a polygon in the target feature class.

Construct Features tool

Target feature class


Selected polygon features can be turned into line features in the targetfeature class.

You can also use the Planarize Lines tool to create separate linefeatures from selected touching or crossing line features. Thiscan be useful when you have nontopological line work that hasbeen spaghetti digitized or imported from a CAD drawing.

Planarize Lines tool

Selected line features can be split into separate features where theytouch or cross other selected line features.


1. Click Editor, point to MoreEditing Tools, and clickTopology.

The Topology toolbarappears.

Adding theTopology toolbarThe Topology toolbar containstools that you can use to createa map topology as well as toolsthat you can use to work withmap and geodatabasetopologies.

The topology tools operatewithin an edit session, so youwill need to start editing beforeany of the topology tools areavailable. 1


A map topology is a simple topology that you can impose onsimple features on a map during an edit session. A map topologyallows you to simultaneously edit simple features that overlap ortouch each other using the tools on the topology toolbar. Thefeatures can be in one or more feature classes and may havedifferent geometries. Line features and the outlines of polygonfeatures become topological edges when you create a maptopology. Point features, the endpoints of lines, and the placeswhere edges intersect become nodes.

There are two steps to creating a map topology. First, you specifywhich feature classes on the map will participate in the topology,then you specify a cluster tolerance. The cluster tolerance is adistance within which features will be coincident.

After you create a map topology, you can use the Topology Edittool to edit the edges and nodes shared by the features. Editingan edge or node shared by two or more different features resultsin each feature being modified. This lets you move a border toupdate two forest polygons or move a corner vertex and updateseveral parcel polygons and a few lot boundaries at the sametime.

A map topology can be applied to simple features in a shapefile orto simple feature classes in a geodatabase. The feature classesthat participate in the map topology must be in the same folder orgeodatabase. A map topology cannot be applied to featureclasses that participate in a geometric network.

Although they cannot edit geodatabase topologies, ArcViewseats of ArcMap can be used to edit a map topology.

A map topology creates topological relationships between theparts of features that are coincident. You can choose the dis-tance, or cluster tolerance, that defines how close together edgesand vertices must be in order to be considered coincident. Youcan also specify the feature classes that you want to participatein the map topology.

Map topology concepts

You do not specify any topology rules for a map topology. Alledges or vertices of features in the map topology that fall withinthe cluster tolerance are considered to be topologically shared.You edit shared edges and vertices in a map topology in the sameway, and with the same tools, as you would edit a geodatabasetopology. Since there are no topology rules, there is no need tovalidate a map topology, and there is no creation of error features.

At the geometry level, topologies are about simple relationships,such as coincidence, covering, and crossing, between thegeometric primitives that make up features. While all simplefeature class geometries—point, line, polygon—may participatein topologies, internally, the types of geometry that are acted onwhen editing a topology are:

• Edges—line segments that define lines or polygons.

• Nodes—points at the end of an edge.

• Pseudonodes—a node connecting only two edges or a logicalsplit defined in the topology cache while editing.Pseudonodes of the latter sort become a vertex after editing.

When you create a map topology, the cluster tolerance that youspecify is used to determine which parts of the features arecoincident and which edges and nodes in the topology areshared. The cluster tolerance is typically a small actual grounddistance. Setting large cluster tolerances can result in featuresbeing collapsed or distorted when vertices within a given featuresnap together.


1. On the Editor toolbar, clickEditor and click Start Editing.

2. Click the source folder orgeodatabase that containsthe data that you want to edit.

3. Click OK.

4. On the Topology toolbar, clickthe Map topology button. u

Creating a maptopologyOnce the data that you want tocreate a map topology for is onthe map and you’ve started anedit session, you can create amap topology.

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5. Check the feature classesthat will participate in themap topology.

Annotation, dimension, andrelationship classes, as wellas feature classes in ageometric network orgeodatabase topology,cannot be added to a maptopology.

6. Optionally, set a clustertolerance for the maptopology.

The default cluster toleranceis the minimum possiblecluster tolerance. Increasingthe cluster tolerance maycause more features to besnapped together andconsidered coincident, butthis may reduce the spatialaccuracy of your data.

7. Click OK.

8. Click the Topology Edit tooland click the features youwant to edit using the maptopology.

The map topology is createdfor the features that arevisible in the current displayextent.

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Editing sharedgeometryThe Topology Edit tool allowsyou to select and modify edgesand nodes that may be sharedby more than one feature. Italso allows you to select andmove the individual verticesthat define the shape of edges.When you move vertices,edges, or nodes with theTopology Edit tool, all of thefeatures that share the node oredge are updated. u

Selecting a node

1. Click the Topology Edit toolon the Topology toolbar.

2. Click the node that you wantto select.

You can ensure that edgesare not selected by holdingthe N key while selecting thenode. Another easy way toselect a node is to drag arectangle around it whileholding the N key.

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Adding to a topologyselectionPressing the Shift key whileselecting a node or edge adds thatnode or edge to the currentlyselected topology elements.

Tip

Selecting only nodesYou can select nodes by holding theN key while clicking the node orwhile dragging a box around thenode with the Topology Edit tool.

Tip

Selecting only edgesYou can select edges by holding theE key while clicking the edge orwhile dragging a box around theedge with the Topology Edit tool.

Selecting an edge


2. Click the edge that you wantto select.

You can ensure that nodesare not selected by holdingthe E key while selecting thenode.

Moving a vertex on ashared edge


2. Double-click the edge thatyou want to move thevertices of.

3. Click and drag the vertex thatyou want to move.

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Moving a node


2. Click the node that you wantto move.

You can ensure that edgesare not selected by holdingthe N key while selecting thenode. Another easy way toselect a node is to drag arectangle around it whileholding the N key.

3. Click and drag the node thatyou want to move.

When you move a node in atopology, all of the edges thatconnect to it are stretched tostay connected to the node.When you move an edge, edgesegments stretch to maintainthe connection of sharedendpoint nodes to theirprevious location. Sometimesyou may want to move a nodeand a connected edge withoutstretching the other connectededge. Moving a shared end-point node of an edge requiresyou to temporarily split thetopological relationshipbetween the node and the othershared edges, then reestablishit. This is known as a split-moveof the node. You’ll need to snapthe node to an edge or toanother topology node.

Moving an edge


2. Click the edge that you wantto move.

3. Click and drag the edge to anew location. Edge segmentsstretch to connect the edge’sendpoint nodes to theirprevious positions, wherethey are shared.

Tip

Stretching geometryproportionatelyYou can choose to have the entiregeometry of features stretchproportionately when you move avertex or a topology node. On theEditor Options dialog box, click theGeneral tab, then click the checkbox to Stretch geometry propor-tionately when moving a vertex.This overrides the default behaviorof stretching the segments betweenthe moved vertex and adjacentvertices.

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Edges stretch tomaintainconnectivity toshared nodes.

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Moving a topologyelement by a given X andY distance


2. Click the node or edge thatyou want to move.

3. Right-click and click Move.

4. Type an X and a Y distanceto move the topologyelement relative to its currentlocation and press Enter.

If you are moving an edge ormore than one topologyelement, the Move commandmoves the selection anchorto the specified location andmoves the topology elementto maintain its positionrelative to the selectionanchor.

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Moving a topologyelement to a givenlocation


2. Click the node or edge thatyou want to move.

3. Right-click and click Move To.

4. Type the absolute X and Ycoordinate to which you wantto move the topologyelement and press Enter.

If you are moving an edge ormore than one topologyelement, the Move Tocommand moves theselection anchor to thespecified location and movesthe topology element tomaintain its position relativeto the selection anchor.

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Splitting an edge with theselection anchor


2. Click the edge that you wantto split.

3. Hold the Ctrl key and clickand drag the selectionanchor to the place whereyou want to split the edge.

4. Right-click and click SplitEdge At Anchor.

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Splitting an edge at adistance from anendpoint


2. Click the edge that you wantto split.

3. Right-click and click SplitEdge At Distance.

Arrows appear along theedge to indicate the edgedirection. The edge can besplit at a distance or apercentage of its length,measured from the start pointor the endpoint of the edge. u

Arrows indicateedge directionfor purposes ofsplitting from anendpoint.

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4. Optionally, click the button tospecify a percentage of theedge length.

5. Type a distance or a percent-age if you chose to make thesplit at a percentage of theedge length.

6. Optionally, click the button toindicate that you want thedistance to be measuredfrom the endpoint of theedge.

7. Click OK.

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Moving a sharedendpoint node of an edge

1. Set the snapping environ-ment to snap to Topologynodes. See Chapter 3,‘Creating new features’.

You can also set snapping toedges of the feature to whichyou want to move theendpoint node.


3. Click the edge to which youwant to move the endpointnode.

4. Hold the Ctrl key and clickand drag the selectionanchor to the place whereyou want to snap the edge’sendpoint node.

Holding the Ctrl key allowsyou to move the selectionanchor.

5. Right-click and click SplitEdge At Anchor.

Splitting the edge creates anew node to which you cansnap the endpoint node ofthe edge. u

Tip

Making a split-moveHolding the S key when you move atopology node and a selected edgemakes the move a split-move. In asplit-move, the topologicalrelationship of the node and anyunselected edges is temporarilybroken, then reestablished at thenew location where you place thenode. You must snap the node to anedge or another topology node toreestablish the topologicalrelationship; otherwise, the movewill be cancelled.

New node

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6. Click the edge that you wantto move the end of.

7. Hold the N key and drag arectangle around theendpoint node you want tomove.

The N key limits the TopologyEdit tool selection to nodes.

8. Hold the S key and click anddrag the node that you wantto move to the node youcreated.

Holding the S key changesthe pointer to the Split-Movetool pointer.

The endpoint node of theedge is moved to the newlocation, and the topology ismaintained. If you do notsnap the node to the newnode or edge, the split-movewill be cancelled.

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Split-Move pointer

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2. Right-click the map and clickBuild Topology Cache.

The topological relationshipsbetween edges and nodesare rediscovered for all of thefeatures in the currentdisplay extent.

Rebuilding thetopology cacheWhen you select a topologyelement using the TopologyEdit tool, ArcMap creates atopology cache. The topologycache stores the topologicalrelationships between edgesand nodes of the features thatfall within the current displayextent. If you are editing withthe map zoomed in to a smallarea and you go back to aprevious extent, some of thefeatures in the new extent maynot be in the topology cache.You can rebuild the topologycache to include these features.You can also rebuild thetopology cache to removetemporary topology nodes thatyou created for snapping andediting.

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Clearing selectedtopologyelementsWhen you are editing topologi-cal edges and nodes, you maysometimes want to deselectsome elements. You candeselect a given element byholding the Shift key andclicking it, or deselect allselected edges and nodes byclearing all selected topologyelements.

You can also click the map withthe Topology Edit tool awayfrom edges and nodes to clearthe selection.

Deselecting a singletopology element


2. Hold the Shift key and click aselected edge or node todeselect it.

The topology element isdeselected.

Deselecting all topologyelements


2. Right-click and click ClearSelected Topology Elements.

All of the topology elementsare deselected.

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Finding out whichfeatures sharetopologyelementsTopology elements may beshared by multiple features. Itcan be useful to know whichfeatures share a given node oredge. You can find out whichfeatures share a given topologyelement by selecting them, thenusing the Show SharedFeatures command.

You can also control whether ornot the shared features will beaffected by edits that you maketo a given edge or node. Bydefault, all features that share atopology element are updatedwhen you edit that element withthe Topology Edit tool. How-ever, when you turn off afeature in the Shared Featuresdialog box, the feature will notbe modified if you edit thetopology element.

Showing shared features


2. Click an edge or node toselect it.

3. Right-click and click ShowShared Features.

You can also click the ShowShared Features button onthe Topology toolbar.

4. Click the plus sign to showall of the features in a givenfeature class that are shared.A given topology elementmay be shared by features inmultiple feature classes, somore than one feature classmay be listed.

5. Click a feature in the list tomake it flash on the map.

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Temporarily turning offtopology element sharingfor a feature



3. Right-click and click ShowShared Features.

You can also click the ShowShared Features button onthe Topology toolbar.

4. Click the plus sign to showall of the features in a givenfeature class that are shared.A given topology elementmay be shared by features inmultiple feature classes, somore than one feature classmay be listed.

5. Uncheck a feature in the listto turn off topology elementsharing. Edits that you makewith the Topology Edit tool tothe topology element will notupdate this feature.

The unshared status of thefeature is temporary. It onlylasts while the topologyelement is selected.

6. Click the Close button toclose the Shared Featuresdialog box.

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Selecting features thatshare a topology element



3. Right-click and click SelectShared Features.

The features that share thetopology element areselected.

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Merging connectededges within a feature


2. Click an edge of a featurethat has been topologicallysplit by adding nodes.

3. Right-click and click MergeConnected Edges.

The selected edge is mergedwith the adjacent edge, andthe topology node isremoved.

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Using the editsketch to maketopology editsIn addition to editing topologyelements with the TopologyEdit tool, you can also modifyand reshape a selected topol-ogy edge using an edit sketch.

The Modify Edge topology edittask takes the selected edgeand makes an edit sketch fromit. You can then use thestandard editing tools to insert,delete, or move the vertices thatmake up the edge.

With the Reshape Edgetopology edit task, you can usethe basic editing tools to createa new line to replace an existingedge line.

Modifying an edge


2. Click an edge to select it.

3. Click the Task dropdownarrow on the Editor toolbarand click Modify Edge. u

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4. Optionally, right-click asegment of the edge that hasno vertices and click InsertVertex.

A new vertex is inserted intothe edge and into all featuresthat share it.

5. Optionally, right-click a vertexand click Delete Vertex.

The vertex is removed fromthe edge and from allfeatures that share it.

6. Optionally, click a vertex anddrag it to a new location. u

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7. Optionally, right-click avertex, then click Move.

8. Type an X and a Y distanceand press Enter to move thevertex relative to its currentposition.

9. Optionally, right-click a vertexand click Move To.

10. Type the new coordinates forthe vertex and press Enter. u

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11. Right-click anywhere on themap and click Finish Sketch.

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Reshaping an edge

1. Click the Topology Edit tool.

2. Click an edge to select it.

3. Click the Task dropdownarrow on the Editor toolbarand click Reshape Edge. u

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4. Click the Sketch Tool on theEditor toolbar.

5. Start an edit sketch.

You can either snap the editsketch to the selected edgeor cross the edge to indicatewhere to start reshaping theedge.

6. Use the Sketch tools todigitize a new shape for partof the selected edge.

Once you’ve started the editsketch, you can use any ofthe tools on the Sketch ToolPalette to create your editsketch.

You can either snap the editsketch to the selected edgeor cross the edge to indicatewhere to stop reshaping theedge.


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Stretchingfeatures whenediting topologyelementsJust as you can stretch a singlefeature geometry proportion-ately when moving a vertex,you can also stretch thegeometry of features that sharea topology element whenmoving a node or vertex on atopology edge.



3. Check Stretch geometryproportionately when movinga vertex.

4. Click OK. u

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6. Click a topology node ordouble-click a topology edgeand click a vertex.

7. Click and drag the node orvertex to a new location.

The features that share thenode or vertex stretchproportionately.

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Snapping totopology nodesWhen you are editing topologyelements, it can be useful tosnap to topology nodes. Youcan turn on snapping totopology nodes on the Snap-ping Environment dialog box.


2. Check Topology nodes.

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Changing thesymbology forselected errorfeaturesYou can change the wayselected error features aredrawn on the map. Errorfeatures are drawn with point,line, and area symbols of agiven color by default. Whenyou select errors, for example,when you are using the FixTopology Error tool, theselected errors change color soyou can more easily identify theerrors that you are fixing. Youcan change the symbology ofselected topology errors tomake them stand out betteragainst a given map back-ground.


2. Click the Topology tab.

3. Click the Active ErrorsSymbology buttons tochange the way errorfeatures look when they areselected.

4. Pick a new symbol for theselected error feature andclick OK.

5. Click OK to close the EditingOptions dialog box.

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Changing thesymbology fortopologyelementsYou can change the waytopology elements are drawn onthe map. Topology nodes andedges are drawn with point andline symbols of a given color bydefault, and unselectedtopology nodes are not drawnby default. You can change thesymbol for selected topologynodes and edges and forunselected nodes. Turning onthe symbol for unselectednodes can make it easier toidentify nodes to snap to whenyou are editing topologyelements.

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2. Click the Topology tab.

3. Click the Topology ElementsSymbology buttons tochange the way topologyelements look on the map.

4. Pick a new symbol for thetopology element and clickOK.

5. Optionally, check UnselectedNodes to show the nodes inthe topology cache that havenot been selected.

6. Click OK.

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Changing thesymbology fortopology layersYou can change the way errorfeatures, exceptions, and dirtyareas are drawn on the map.Point, line, and polygon errorsare drawn with symbols of asingle color by default.Exceptions and dirty areas arenot drawn by default. Changingthe symbology of error featuresand exceptions that relate todifferent topology rules canmake it easier to understandwhat the problems are with yourdata. Drawing dirty areas canmake it easier to see the areasthat have been affected by editsand that have yet to bevalidated.

Changing topology errorand exception symbology

1. Right-click the Topology layerin the ArcMap table ofcontents and click Properties.

2. Click the Symbology tab.

3. Check the error types thatyou want to see on the map.

4. Click the error type for whichyou want to change thesymbol.

5. Optionally, click the button todraw all of the errors of thistype with a single symbol.

6. Choose a new symbol forthis type of error feature andclick OK.

7. Optionally, click the button todraw the errors of this typewith unique symbols.

8. Double-click the error symbolfor the rule that you want todraw with a new symbol.

9. Choose a new symbol forthis type of error feature andclick OK.

10. Click OK to close the LayerProperties dialog box.

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See Also

For more information on symboliz-ing data, see Using ArcMap.

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Showing dirty areas andchanging theirsymbology

1. Right-click the Topology layerin the ArcMap table ofcontents and click Properties.

2. Click the Symbology tab.

3. Check Dirty Areas to drawdirty areas in the Topologylayer.

4. Click Dirty Areas to set thesymbology for dirty areas.

5. Click the button to changethe dirty area symbol.

6. Pick a new symbol for dirtyareas and click OK.

7. Click OK to close the LayerProperties dialog box.

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Validating editsto a topologyOnce you’ve made edits to afeature that participates in atopology, the next step is tovalidate the topology. Validat-ing the topology checks thefeatures to identify anyviolations of the rules that havebeen defined for the topology.

You can validate the wholetopology, validate the visibleextent of your map, or drag abox around the area to validate.

Validating the wholetopology

1. Click the Validate EntireTopology button on theTopology toolbar.

Validating the entire extentmay take a while for complexor large datasets or wherethere are many topologyrules.

You will be prompted tospecify whether or not youwish to validate the wholetopology.

2. Click Yes.

Validating topology in thevisible extent of the map

1. Click the Validate Topology inCurrent Extent button on theTopology toolbar.

The visible extent is vali-dated. Areas that are notcurrently visible on the mapare not validated.

Validating topology in aselected area

1. Click the Validate Topology inSpecified Area button on theTopology toolbar.

2. Drag a box around the areayou want to validate.

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Summarizingtopology errorsOnce you’ve made edits to afeature that participates in atopology and validated youredits, you may see one or moretopology errors. You canmanage topology errors withthe Error Inspector.

The Error Inspector lets youview topology errors in a tablethat tells you the rule violated,the feature class or classesinvolved in the error, thegeometry of the error, thefeature ID of the featuresinvolved in the error, andwhether or not the error hasbeen marked as an exception.You can sort the errors by anyof the fields in the table, so youcan work with all of the errorsof a given type. You can alsolimit the errors shown in thetable to errors of a given type,errors that occur in the cur-rently visible map extent, orerrors that have been marked asexceptions.

In addition to letting you viewand sort errors, the ErrorInspector lets you select errors,pan or zoom to selected errors,and apply topology fixes ofvarious types to errors.

Opening the ErrorInspector

1. Click the Error Inspectorbutton on the Topologytoolbar.

The Error Inspector can bedocked to the ArcMapwindow or it can float free asa separate window.

Finding all topologyerrors

1. On the Error Inspector, checkErrors.

2. Click the Show dropdownarrow and click Errors fromall rules.

3. Click Search Now.

Finding only the errors inthe visible extent

1. On the Error Inspector, checkVisible Extent only.


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Finding exceptions

1. On the Error Inspector, checkExceptions.

Exceptions are errors thathave been marked asacceptable exceptions to thetopology rule.

2. Uncheck Errors.


Finding errors for aparticular topology rule

1. On the Error Inspector, clickthe Show dropdown arrowand click the rule that youwant to search for violationsof.


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Correcting errorsYou can apply a variety ofpredefined topology fixes to theerrors you find. The sort of fixthat will be appropriate for agiven error depends on theerror type and the geometry ofthe features involved. You canchoose from different fixes ormark the error as an exception.

The topology fixes are availablefrom the Fix Topology Error tooland by right-clicking a selectederror in the Error Inspector.Depending on the type of errorand the features involved, youcan select, delete, merge,extend, trim, subtract, or createfeatures.

You can also pan and zoom to aselected error, show a descrip-tion of the error, and mark anerror as an exception.

Merging an error areainto a polygon

1. Click the Fix Topology Errorbutton on the Topologytoolbar.

2. Click the error feature thatyou want to merge into oneof the overlapping polygons.

3. Right-click and click Merge.

4. Click the feature that youwant to merge the errorfeature into.

5. Click OK.

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Merging an error areainto a polygon from theError Inspector

1. On the Error Inspector, clickthe error that you want to fix.

2. Right-click the error and clickMerge.

3. Click the feature that youwant to merge the errorfeature into.

4. Click OK.

Finding the features thatare affected by an error

1. On the Error Inspector, clickthe error.

2. Click the Feature 1 field inthe error to see the firstfeature that is affected by it.

3. Click the Feature 2 field tosee the second feature that isaffected by it.

The features flash on themap.

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Marking an error as anexception

1. On the Error Inspector, clickthe error that you want tomark as an exception.

2. Right-click the error and clickMark as Exception.

The error is marked as anexception. It is no longersymbolized as an error in theTopology layer on the map.

You can use the ErrorInspector to find exceptionsas well as errors.

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Getting a description ofthe rule that is violatedfor an error

1. On the Error Inspector, clickthe error that you want adescription of.

2. Right-click the error and clickShow Rule Description.

A dialog box appears with adescription of the error andsome pictures of geometriesthat would and would notresult in this error.

The errors are marked in red.

3. Optionally, uncheck ShowErrors to compare the featuregeometries without theerrors.

4. Click OK.

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Creating newpolygons fromlinesSometimes you need to createpolygon features from linefeature data. For example, youmight have digitized theboundaries of a set of featuresinto a line feature class, or youmay have only been able toobtain line features from a dataprovider. Perhaps you have adetailed coastline feature classthat you would like to use toupdate some existing, lessdetailed data. In ArcCatalog thePolygon Feature Class FromLines tool lets you create newpolygon features from line andpolygon features in one or morefeature classes. You have theoption of specifying a pointfeature class that will supplyattributes for the new polygonfeatures.

Creating a polygonfeature class from lines

1. In ArcCatalog, navigate tothe dataset in which youwant to create a polygonfeature class from an existingline feature class.

2. Right-click the dataset, pointto New, and click PolygonFeature Class From Lines.

3. Type a name for the newpolygon feature class.

4. Optionally, type a clustertolerance.

The default cluster toleranceis the minimum possiblecluster tolerance.

5. Check the line featureclasses that you want to beconsidered in creating thepolygons.

6. Optionally, choose a pointfeature class in the dataset toprovide attributes for thepolygons.

7. Click OK.

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Constructing polygonsfrom the geometry ofother features

1. In ArcMap, click the SelectFeatures tool.

2. Select the features whosegeometry you want to use toconstruct new polygonfeatures.

3. On the Editor toolbar, clickthe Task dropdown arrow andclick Create New Feature.

4. On the Editor toolbar, clickthe Target dropdown arrowand click the polygon featureclass that you want to createa new feature in.

5. On the Topology toolbar, clickthe Construct Featuresbutton.


7. Optionally, check the box toConsider existing features ofthe target layer in the currentextent.

This will use the boundariesof existing polygons as inputgeometry and will split suchfeatures where selected linesor polygons cross them.

8. Click OK.

The new features are createdin the target feature class.

Creating newfeatures from thegeometry ofexisting featuresSometimes you need to createnew features from the geometryof existing features. Forexample, you might need tocreate a new parcel feature fromsome parcel boundary lines orsome parcel boundary linesfrom parcel features. In ArcMapyou can select features and usetheir geometry to create newpolygons or lines in the EditorTarget Feature Class. You cancreate new features fromexisting features’ geometryusing the Construct Featurestool.

You can create multiple linefeatures by splitting longerfeatures at the places wherethey intersect using thePlanarize Lines tool.

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Constructing lines fromthe geometry of otherfeatures


2. Select the features whosegeometry you want to use toconstruct new line features.

3. On the Editor toolbar, clickthe Task dropdown arrow andclick Create New Feature.

4. On the Editor toolbar, clickthe Target dropdown arrowand click the line featureclass that you want to createa new feature in.

5. On the Topology toolbar, clickthe Construct Featuresbutton.


7. Optionally, check the box toConsider existing features ofthe target layer in the currentextent.

This will use existing lines asinput geometry and will splitsuch features where selectedlines or polygons cross them.

8. Click OK.

The new features are createdin the target feature class.

Two lines are created wherepolygons share boundaries.

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New line feature follows selectedpolygon feature boundary.

Where polygons share boundaries,two lines are created—one for eachpolygon. You can remove duplicatelines using the Planarize Lines tool.



Using Planarize to splitlines at intersections


2. Select the line features thatyou want to split atintersections.

3. Click the Planarize Linesbutton.


5. Click OK.

Planarize also removesoverlapping line segments—such as those created byconstructing lines frompolygons that have sharedboundaries.

The lines are split intonew features wherethey intersect.

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Removing overlapping linesegments with PlanarizeIf you use the Planarize Lines toolon lines constructed from polygonsthat share boundaries, overlappingline segments are removed.

IN THIS CHAPTER

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Using a digitizer 5• Setting up your digitizing tablet

and preparing your paper map

• Registering your paper map

• Creating features using a digitizer

• Digitizing features in point mode

• Digitizing features in stream mode

Digitizing is the process of converting features on a paper map into digitalformat. To digitize a map, you use a digitizing tablet connected to yourcomputer to trace over the features that interest you. The x,y coordinates ofthese features are automatically recorded and stored as spatial data.

Digitizing with a digitizing tablet offers another way, besides digitizingfreehand, to create and edit spatial data. You can convert features fromalmost any paper map into digital features. You can use a digitizer inconjunction with the tools in ArcMap to create new features or edit existingfeatures on a digital map.

You may want to digitize features into a new layer and add the layer to anexisting map document, or you may want to create a completely new set oflayers for an area for which no digital data is available. You can also use adigitizer to update an existing layer on your digital map.

Chapter 3, ‘Creating new features’, introduced you to the Sketch tool andother useful editing tools in ArcMap and discussed how these are used todigitize features freehand. This chapter will teach you the fundamentals ofediting features in ArcMap using a digitizer. You may want to read Chapter 3,‘Creating new features’, first to get an understanding of editing beforereading this chapter.


Setting up your digitizing tablet and preparing your paper map

Before you can start digitizing, you must set up your digitizingtablet and prepare your paper map. This can be done after youhave installed the digitizer driver software.

Installing the driver software and configuringpuck buttons

To use a digitizing tablet with ArcMap, it must have WinTab™-compliant digitizer driver software. To find out if a WinTab-compliant driver is available for your digitizer, see thedocumentation that came with the tablet or contact themanufacturer. If you need to know if ArcMap supports yourdigitizing tablet, consult the ESRI Web site at www.esri.com forthe most recent information.

If you installed ArcMap before installing your digitizer, theDigitizer tab may not appear in the Editing Options dialog box. Toadd the tab, you must register the digitizer.dll file. To do this, startthe DOS Command Prompt, which is usually accessed by clickingStart and pointing to Programs. In the Command Prompt, type"cd" and a space, followed by the path to the directory whereyou installed ArcGIS. For example, to register digitizer.dll whenArcGIS is installed in the default directory, type "cd C:\ProgramFiles\ArcGIS\Bin" and press the Enter key. Then type "regsvr32digitizer.dll" and press Enter. If the registration was successful,the Editing Options dialog box will have the Digitizer tab whenyou restart ArcMap.

After installing the driver software, use the WinTab managersetup program to configure the buttons on your digitizer puck.You may have to turn on your digitizer and reboot your machinebefore you can use the setup program. One puck button shouldbe configured to perform a left mouse click to digitize pointfeatures and vertices; another button should be configured toperform a left double-click to finish digitizing line or polygonfeatures. You may also want to configure a button to perform aright-click so you can access context menus.

With any development programming language, you can configureadditional buttons to run specific ArcMap commands—such asthe Zoom In or Sketch tools—normally accessed through toolbarbuttons and menus. Exploring ArcObjects contains sample VisualBasic® for Applications (VBA) code that you can use to run avariety of ArcMap commands from the digitizer puck.

Preparing the map

After you have set up your digitizing tablet and configured thepuck buttons, you can prepare your paper map for digitizing. Yourmap ideally should be reliable, up-to-date, flat, and not torn orfolded. Paper expands or shrinks according to the weather. Tominimize distortion in digitizing, experienced digitizers often copypaper maps to a more stable material such as Mylar®.

If you know what coordinate system (projection) your paper mapis in, you should set the same projection for the layer you’redigitizing into. If you are digitizing features into an existingfeature layer, you must ensure that your paper map and digitallayer share the same coordinate system. For more information onspecifying a coordinate system in ArcMap, see Using ArcMap.

Establishing control points on your paper map

Before you can begin digitizing from your paper map, you mustfirst establish control points that you will later use to register themap to the geographic space in ArcMap. If your map has a grid ora set of known ground points, you can use these as your controlpoints. If not, you should choose between four and 10 distinctivelocations such as road intersections and mark them on your mapwith a pencil. Give each location a unique number and write downits actual ground coordinates.

Once you’ve identified at least four well-placed control points,you can place your map on the tablet and attach it with specialresidue-free putty, masking tape, or drafting tape—drafting tape

USING A DIGITIZER 187

looks like masking tape but leaves less residue when it’s removed.You don’t have to align the map precisely on your tablet; ArcMapcorrects any alignment problems when you register the map anddisplays such adjustments in the error report.

The error report includes two different error calculations: a point-by-point error and a root mean square (RMS) error. The point-by-point error represents the distance deviation between thetransformation of each input control point and the correspondingpoint in map coordinates. The RMS error is an average of thosedeviations. ArcMap reports the point-by-point error in currentmap units. The RMS error is reported in both current map unitsand digitizer units (generally inches). If the RMS error is too high,you can reregister the appropriate control points. To maintainhighly accurate data, the RMS error should be kept under 0.004digitizer inches. For less accurate data, the value can be as highas 0.008 digitizer inches.


Registering yourpaper mapBefore you can start digitizing,you must register your papermap into real-world coordinates.This allows you to digitizefeatures directly in geographicspace.

Registering your map involvesrecording the ground coordi-nates for the control points youidentified while preparing yourmap. These are recorded usingthe Digitizer tab of the EditingOptions dialog box. You mustfirst use the digitizer puck todigitize the control points onthe paper map; with the puckover each control point on themap, press the button youconfigured to perform a leftmouse click. You must thentype the actual ground coordi-nates for each control point.

When registering your map,you have the option of savingthe ground coordinates youentered for later use—forexample, if you want to reregis-ter your map or register u

Registering your map forthe first time

1. After adding a layer to yourmap, click Editor and clickStart Editing.


3. Click the Digitizer tab.

4. With the digitizer puck,digitize the control points youestablished earlier on yourpaper map.

A record appears in the XDigitizer and Y Digitizercolumns for each controlpoint you digitized.

5. Type the actual groundcoordinates for each controlpoint in the X Map and Y Mapfields.

An error in map units isdisplayed at each controlpoint. An RMS error isdisplayed in map units and indigitizer inches.

6. Click OK to register the mapand close the Editing Optionsdialog box.

See Also

For information on configuringpuck buttons and establishingcontrol points, see ‘Setting up yourdigitizing tablet and preparing yourpaper map’ in this chapter.

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Tip

Missing Digitizer tabIf you installed ArcMap beforeinstalling your digitizer, theDigitizer tab may not appear in theEditing Options dialog box. To addthe tab, you must register thedigitizer.dll file. See ‘Setting upyour digitizer and preparing yourpaper map’ in this chapter formore information.

another map that uses the samecontrol points. These groundcoordinates are stored in tic textfiles.

After you’ve entered theground coordinates, ArcMapdisplays an error at eachcontrol point as well as an RMSerror. If the RMS error is toohigh—greater than 0.004digitizer inches for highlyaccurate data or greater than0.008 digitizer inches for lessaccurate data—you can registerthe appropriate control pointsagain. For more information onerrors, see ‘Setting up yourdigitizing tablet and preparingyour paper map’ in this chapter.

Saving new groundcoordinates

1. Follow steps 1 through 5 for‘Registering your map for thefirst time’ in this chapter.

2. Click Save.

3. Navigate to the directory inwhich you want to save thecoordinates and type afilename.

4. Click Save.

5. Click OK.

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Registering your mapusing existing tic files orsaved coordinates

1. After adding a layer to yourmap, click Editor and clickStart Editing.



4. Click Load.

5. Navigate to the file you wantto use.

6. Click Open. u

Tip

Removing recordsIf you want to remove all theground coordinate records andstart over, click Clear on theDigitizer tab. To remove anindividual record, click the numberin the Point column correspondingto the coordinates you want toremove and press the Delete key.

Tip

Digitizer locationThe Digitizer tab also displays thecurrent x,y location of the digitizerpuck on the tablet. The coordinateschange as you move the puck alongthe tablet surface. This helps orientyou to the location you’re digitiz-ing.

Tip

Adding recordsIf you want to add additionalcontrol points after entering a few,click below the last record with themouse and digitize the new pointswith the digitizer puck.

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The ground coordinatesappear under the X Map andY Map fields.

7. Click the first record anddigitize the first control pointwith the digitizer puck.

8. Digitize each of the othercontrol points.

The digitized coordinatesappear in the X Digitizer andY Digitizer columns. An erroris displayed for each controlpoint, and an RMS error isdisplayed in map units and indigitizer inches.

9. Click OK to register the map.

Tip

Digitizing accuracyAlways register your map at thestart of each digitizing session,even if this means registering thesame map more than once. Yourpaper map might shift betweensessions; reregistering helpsensure that your digitizing isaccurate.

The digitized coordinates are displayed.

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The ground coordinates are displayed.

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Creating features using a digitizer

It’s easy to digitize features in ArcMap. You can digitize featuresinto a new map layer or edit an existing layer.

Digitizing modes

Digitizing tablets generally operate in two modes: digitizing(absolute) mode and mouse (relative) mode.

In digitizing mode, the location of the tablet is mapped to aspecific location on the screen. In other words, moving thedigitizer puck on the tablet surface causes the screen pointer tomove to precisely the same position. When you are in digitizingmode, you can only digitize features; you can’t choose buttons,menu commands, or tools from the ArcMap user interfacebecause the screen pointer is locked to the drawing area.

In mouse mode, the digitizer puck behaves just like a mouse; thereis no correlation between the position of the screen pointer andthe surface of the digitizing tablet, but you can choose interfaceelements with the pointer.

ArcMap lets you switch between digitizing and mouse modesusing the Editing Options dialog box. This means you can use thedigitizer puck both to digitize features and access user interfacechoices (as a substitute to the mouse) as you digitize.

Whether your digitizer is in mouse mode or digitizing mode, youcan still use your mouse at any time to choose interface elements.

Two ways to digitize features on a paper map

You can digitize features on a paper map in two ways: using pointmode digitizing or stream mode digitizing (streaming). You cantoggle between point and stream mode by pressing the F8 key orby right-clicking with the Sketch tool active and clickingStreaming from the menu.

Digitizing by point

When you start a digitizing session, the default is point mode.With point mode digitizing, you convert a feature on a paper mapby digitizing a series of precise points, or vertices. ArcMap thenconnects the vertices to create a digital feature. You would usepoint mode when precise digitizing is required—for example,when digitizing a perfectly straight line.

Digitizing using stream mode

Stream mode digitizing (streaming) provides a quick and easyway to capture features on a paper map when you don’t requireas much precision—for example, to digitize rivers, streams, andcontour lines. With stream mode, you create the first vertex of thefeature and trace over the rest of the feature with the digitizerpuck. When you’re finished tracing, you use the puck tocomplete the feature.

As you stream, ArcMap automatically adds vertices at an intervalyou specify; this interval, expressed in current map units, is calledthe stream tolerance. You can change the stream tolerance at anytime, even while you’re in the process of digitizing a feature.

You can also digitize using stream mode when you create featuresfreehand with the sketch construction tools. You can digitize instream mode with the Sketch tool, for example, in the same wayyou do from a paper map. The only difference is that you use themouse pointer to digitize freehand.

Adding topology to digitized features

Digitizing creates lines or points that have no topologicalrelationships. ArcMap provides tools to improve such spaghettidigitized data, for example, by splitting lines at intersections orcreating polygons from lines. To learn more about topology, seeChapter 4, ‘Editing topology’.


Digitizingfeatures in pointmodePoint mode digitizing works thesame way with a digitizer asfreehand digitizing with theSketch tool; the only differenceis that with the digitizer you’reconverting a feature from apaper map using a digitizer puckinstead of a mouse.

Point mode digitizing involvesconverting point, line, andpolygon features from a papermap by digitizing a series ofprecise points, or vertices. Youdigitize each vertex by pressingthe puck button you configuredto perform a left mouse click. Tofinish the feature, press thepuck button you configured toperform a left double-click.ArcMap connects the verticesto create a digital feature.

Before you begin digitizing, youmust set the digitizer to work indigitizing mode rather than inmouse mode; this constrainsthe screen pointer to thedigitizing area. When the puck u

1. Click Editor and click Op-tions.


3. Check Enabled to use thepuck in digitizing mode.

4. Click OK. u

See Also

For information on configuringpuck buttons and establishingcontrol points, see ‘Setting up yourdigitizing tablet and preparing yourpaper map’ in this chapter.

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See Also

For information on creatingfeatures by digitizing freehand withthe sketch creation tools, seeChapter 3, ‘Creating new features’.


6. With the digitizer puck,digitize the first vertex of thefeature.

7. Trace the puck over thefeature on the paper map,creating as many vertices asyou need.

8. Finish the feature by pressingthe appropriate puck button.

The feature is created.

Tip

SnappingTo help you digitize features in aprecise location on an existinglayer, you can use the snappingenvironment. For information onsnapping, see Chapter 3, ‘Creatingnew features’.

is in digitizing mode, you mustuse your mouse to chooseitems in the ArcMap interface—unless you have used VBA oranother development program-ming language to configureadditional puck buttons to runspecific ArcMap commands.

See Also

For information on configuringpuck buttons with programmingcode, see ‘Setting up your digitizingtablet and preparing your papermap’ in this chapter.

Tip

Deleting verticesClick the Undo button on theArcMap Standard toolbar to deletea vertex as you digitize.

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Digitizingfeatures instream modeWhen you digitize line orpolygon features from a papermap in stream mode (streaming),you create the first vertex of thefeature by pressing the digitizerpuck button you configured toperform a left mouse click. Youthen trace over the rest of thefeature with the digitizer puck.When you’re finished tracing,press the puck button youconfigured to perform a leftdouble-click to complete thefeature.

Before starting to digitize instream mode, you must set thestream tolerance—the intervalat which ArcMap adds verticesalong the feature you’redigitizing. Because the defaultstream tolerance is 0, you mustenter a tolerance value beforeyou start digitizing, or thevertices will join together oroverlap each other. You canchange the stream toleranceany time in the digitizingprocess.

You must also specify thenumber of streaming verticesyou want to group together.The number you set tellsArcMap how many vertices todelete when you click the u

Setting the streamtolerance




4. Type the stream tolerance—in map units—in the Streamtolerance text box.

5. Click OK.

Setting the number ofvertices to be grouped



3. Type the number of verticesyou want to group together.

4. Click OK.

Now when you click the Undobutton while digitizing instream mode, the number ofvertices you specified aredeleted.

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Digitizing a feature instream mode



3. Type the stream tolerance—in map units—in the StreamTolerance text box.

4. Type the number of verticesyou want to group together.


6. Check Enabled to use thepuck in digitizing mode.

7. Click OK.

8. Click the tool palettedropdown arrow and clickthe Sketch tool. u

Tip

SnappingTo help you digitize features in aprecise location on an existinglayer, you can use the snappingenvironment. For information onsnapping, see Chapter 3, ‘Creatingnew features’.

Undo button. For example, ifyou set this number to 20 andclick the Undo button whileyou’re digitizing a feature,ArcMap deletes the last20 digitized vertices from yourfeature.

To begin digitizing in streammode, you must chooseStreaming from the sketchcontext menu. You can switchback to point mode at any timeby pressing F8; press F8 againto switch to stream mode again.

Before streaming, remember toset the digitizer to work indigitizing mode rather than inmouse mode; this constrainsthe screen pointer to thedigitizing area. 76

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9. With the mouse pointer, right-click anywhere on the mapand click Streaming.

10. With the digitizer puck,digitize the first vertex of theline or polygon feature.

11. Trace the puck over thefeature on the paper map.

ArcMap creates vertices atthe stream tolerance youspecified.

12. Finish the feature by press-ing the appropriate puckbutton.


Tip

Choosing interfaceelements while streamingWhen you’re in the process ofdigitizing a feature in stream modeand want to interact with theArcMap interface using yourmouse—for example, to change thestream tolerance or undo anaction—you must first switch backto point mode by pressing F8. Afteryou have finished interacting withthe interface, you can resumestreaming by pressing F8 again.

Tip

Configuring a puck buttonfor streamingInstead of choosing Streamingfrom the context menu, you canconfigure one of your puck buttonsusing any development program-ming language, such as C++ orVBA, to activate stream modedigitizing. To learn more aboutconfiguring your puck buttons andcustomization in general, seeExploring ArcObjects.

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The feature iscreated.

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Creating features from other features 6• Copying a line at a specific

interval

• Creating a buffer around a feature

• Creating a mirror image of afeature

• Merging features from the samelayer into one feature

• Combining features from differentlayers into one feature

• Creating a feature from featureswith common areas

In spatial data editing, many new features can be created using the shapesof other features. ArcMap has many tools you can use to create newfeatures based on features already in your database.

For example, you can construct a line that is a parallel copy of an existingline to create a centerline on a street. You can create a buffer around apoint, line, or polygon feature to show a specific area, such as a floodplainaround a river. You can create a new feature by combining or intersectingexisting features; you can also create a mirror image of a feature or set offeatures.

In this chapter, you’ll learn how easy it is to perform these tasks usingvarious tools in ArcMap.



2. Click the line you want tocopy.

3. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and clickthe layer to which you wantthe new line to belong. u

Copying a line ata specific intervalThe Copy Parallel commandcopies a line parallel to anexisting feature at a distance youspecify. If you give a distancethat is positive, the line is copiedto the right side of the originalfeature. A negative distance valuecopies the line to the left.

You might use the Copy Parallelcommand to create a streetcenterline or to create a gas linethat runs parallel to a road.

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CREATING FEATURES FROM OTHER FEATURES 201

The line is copiedparallel and tothe left of theoriginal feature ata distance of15 map units.

4. Click Editor and click CopyParallel.

5. Specify the copy parametersincluding the distance—inmap units—from the originalfeature where you want tocopy the line, the cornerstyle, and the behavior ofintersecting loops.

6. Click OK or press Enter.

A parallel copy of the line iscreated at the specifieddistance.

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2. Click the feature or featuresaround which you want tocreate a buffer.

3. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and click thelayer with the type of featuresyou want the buffer to be.(This can only be a line orpolygon layer.) u

Creating a bufferaround a featureYou can create a buffer around afeature using the Buffer com-mand. For instance, you mightuse Buffer to show the areaaround a well that’s contaminatedor to represent a floodplainaround a river.

You can buffer more than onefeature at a time, but a separatebuffer will be created aroundeach feature.

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A buffer of1,000 map units iscreated around thepoint.

4. Click Editor and click Buffer.

5. Type the distance—in mapunits—from the featurearound which you want tocreate the buffer and pressEnter.

A buffer is created at thespecified distance.

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Creating a mirrorimage of afeatureThe Mirror task creates a mirrorimage of selected features on theother side of a straight line youcreate. You might use the Mirrortask to create houses in ahousing development wherehouses are mirror images of theones on the opposite side ofthe street.

Also, as shown in the example,the Mirror task provides an easyway to add gas services to parcelsthat mirror the services on theother side of the street.


2. Click the feature or featuresthat you want to mirror.

3. Click the Task dropdownarrow and click MirrorFeatures.


5. Construct a line by clickingonce on the start point andonce on the endpoint. u

Tip

Other ways to construct alineYou can also use the Distance–Distance and Intersection tools tocreate the endpoints of the line.For more information, seeChapter 3, ‘Creating new features’.

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New featuresAfter you digitize the end-point, a mirror image of thefeature or features is created.


Merging featuresfrom the samelayer into onefeatureThe Merge command combinesfeatures from the same layer intoone feature. The features must bepart of a line or polygon layer.You could use the Mergecommand to combine two parcelsinto one.

You might also want to mergenonadjacent features to create amultipart feature. For example,you could merge the individualislands that make up Hawaii tocreate a multipart polygonfeature.

When you merge features in ageodatabase, the originalfeatures are removed and thenew feature’s attributes arecopied from the feature that wasselected first. If you mergeshapefile features, the at-tributes of the feature with thelowest ID number (the oldestfeature) are used.


2. Click the features that youwant to merge.

The features must be fromthe same layer, either a lineor polygon layer.

3. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and click thelayer to which you want thenew feature to belong. u

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Parcels are merged into one.

4. Click Editor and click Merge.

5. Click the feature that youwant to merge the otherfeature or features into.

The selected features aremerged into one.

6. Click OK.

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Combiningfeatures fromdifferent layersinto one featureThe Union command lets youcombine features from differentlayers into one feature whilemaintaining the original featuresand attributes. You might use thiscommand to create a salesterritory from several ZIP Codes.

You can also create a multipartfeature using the Union com-mand by combining nonadjacentfeatures from different layers.For example, suppose you wantto create a sedimentary rockpolygon in a new rock classifica-tion layer given selected clay andquartz polygons in an existingrock composite layer. You woulduse the Union command tocombine the clay and quartzfeatures to create a new, multi-part sedimentary rock feature inthe rock classification layer.

When you use the Unioncommand, the features youcombine must be from layers ofthe same type—line or polygon.The new feature is created in thecurrent layer with no attributevalues.


2. Click the features that youwant to combine into one.

The features may be fromdifferent layers, although theymust be the same layertype—line or polygon.

3. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and click thelayer to which you want thenew feature to belong. u

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4. Click Editor and click Union.

The selected features arecombined into one.

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ZIP Codes are combined into one sales territory.


Creating afeature fromfeatures withcommon areasThe Intersect command createsa new feature from the areawhere features overlap. Forinstance, you might create anew sales territory out ofoverlapping trade areas.

You can find the intersectionbetween features of differentlayers, but the layers must be ofthe same type—line or polygon.The original features are main-tained, and the new feature iscreated in the current layer withno attribute values. You mustenter attribute values for the newfeature yourself.


2. Click the features fromwhose intersection you wantto create a new feature.

The features may be fromdifferent layers, although theymust be of the same layertype—line or polygon.

3. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and click thelayer to which you want thenew feature to belong.

The layer must be of thesame type as the selectedfeatures—line or polygon. u

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A single sales territory is createdfrom the areas in commonbetween two other sales territories.

4. Click Editor and clickIntersect.

A new feature is created fromthe areas in common be-tween all selected features.

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IN THIS CHAPTER

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Editing existing features 7• Splitting a line or polygon

• Trimming a line

• Extending a line

• Flipping a line

• Placing points along a line

• Reshaping a line or polygon

• Adding and deleting sketch vertices

• Moving a vertex in a sketch

• Changing the properties of a sketch

• Scaling features

• Clipping features

• Stretching geometry proportionately

• Stretching a feature’s geometryproportionately

This chapter shows you how to modify features that already exist in yourdatabase. Suppose you need to change the shape of a parcel toaccommodate a newly added cul-de-sac—you can use the Reshape Featuretask to modify the parcel to the proper shape. Suppose the street you’vedigitized doesn’t intersect with the correct cross street—you can use theExtend task to extend the line to the correct location. If you need to divide aparcel, you can use the Cut Polygon Feature task to cut the feature into two.

These are just a few examples of how easy it is to modify features whileediting in ArcMap. The editing tools, commands, and tasks provide a varietyof ways to make changes to existing features.

Many of the functions described in this chapter will react differently withdata involved in a topology. If your project involves working with topologicaldata, you should also read Chapter 4, ‘Editing topology’, to furtherunderstand the tools and functions related to topological rules andrelationships.


Splitting a line orpolygonUsing the editing tools, you caneasily split line and polygonfeatures.

To manually split one line intotwo, use the Split tool. The lineis split at the location whereyou clicked with the mouse.The attributes of the originalline are copied to each of thenew lines. In the exampleshown, the Split tool is used todivide a street centerline intotwo features in anticipation of anew centerline being addedbetween the parcels.

You can also split a line intotwo using the Split command onthe Editor menu. Use the Splitcommand when you know thedistance at which you want tosplit the line, measured fromeither the first or last vertex.You can also use this commandwhen you want to split a line ata certain percentage of the u

Splitting a line manually


2. Click the line you want tosplit.

3. Click the Split tool.

4. Click the spot on the linewhere you want it to split.

The line is split into twofeatures.

Tip

Using snapping to split alineIf you want to use the Split tool tosplit a line at a specific vertex, usethe snapping environment to snapthe pointer precisely to the vertex.For more information on snapping,see Chapter 3, ‘Creating newfeatures’.

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EDITING EXISTING FEATURES 215

Splitting a line at aspecified distance orpercentage


2. Click the line you want tosplit.

3. Click Editor and click Split. u

original length. You might usethe Split command to split apower line at a known distancealong the line when you want toadd an electrical pole thatrequires its own service.

The Split dialog box displaysthe length of the originalfeature in current map units tohelp you split it accurately.When you split the line usingthe Split command, the at-tributes of the original line arecopied to each of the new lines.

To split one polygon into two,use the Cut Polygon Featurestask. The polygon is splitaccording to a line sketch youcreate. The attributes of theoriginal feature are copied toeach of the new features.

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4. Click the first Split option tosplit the feature at a certaindistance.

Click the second Split optionto split the feature at a certainpercentage of the whole.

5. Type a distance or percent-age, as desired.

6. Click From Start Point of Lineif you want to split the featurestarting from the first vertex.

Click From End Point of Lineif you want to split the featurestarting from the last vertex.

7. Click OK.

The line is split into twofeatures according to theparameters you specified.

The line is split into twoaccording to the distance andorientation you specified.

Tip

Controlling how attributesare handledIf you’re working with geodatabasefeatures, you can set up splitpolicies that control the behavior ofan object’s attributes when it issplit. For more information on splitpolicies, see Building aGeodatabase.

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Splitting a polygon


2. Click the polygon you want tosplit.

3. Click the Task dropdownarrow and click Cut PolygonFeatures.


5. Construct a line or polygonsketch that cuts the originalpolygon as desired.


The polygon is split into twofeatures.

Tip

Cutting a polygon shapeout of a polygonYou can use the Cut PolygonFeatures task to create a sketchthat acts like a cookie cutter,splitting the polygon in two. Simplycreate a line sketch that closes inon itself by double-clickingprecisely on the first vertex of thesketch to finish it.

The sketch divides thepolygon into two features.

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Other ways to construct asketchYou can also use the Distance–Distance tool, the Arc tool, or theIntersection tool to create a sketch.For more information, seeChapter 3, ‘Creating newfeatures’.

Tip

Using snapping whilecutting polygonsMake sure your sketch cutscompletely through the selectedpolygon. Turning on edge snappingoften helps ensure that the cutoperation is completed.


Trimming a lineThe Trim to Length commandon the Sketch context menureduces the length of a line,trimming a distance you specifyfrom the last vertex.

The Trim task in the CurrentTask dropdown list also trimslines, but instead of trimmingthem a given distance, the Trimtask uses a sketch you draw. u

Trimming a specificlength from the last point

1. Click the Task dropdownarrow and click ModifyFeature.


3. Click the line that you want totrim.

The line appears as a sketchwith vertices.

4. Right-click over any part ofthe line and click Trim toLength.

5. Type the length to trim theline to and press Enter.

If you type a positive value ittrims the line to the specifiedlength. If you type a negativevalue it removes that muchfrom the length of the line,starting from the last vertex.

The line is trimmed.

6. When finished modifying theline, right-click over any partof the sketch and click FinishSketch.

Tip

Trimming from the firstvertex of a lineYou can trim a line from the firstvertex instead of the last. See‘Flipping a line’ in this chapter.

Tip

Shortcut for modifyingfeaturesInstead of using the Modify Featuretask to change a feature to itssketch, you can click the Edit tooland double-click the feature youwant to modify.

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The original line is trimmed to 20 map units. You can also typethe length in other units by specifying a distance unitabbreviation—km, m, ft, and so on—with the value you enter.

Tip

Shortcuts for finishing asketchWhen you’re finished modifying asketch, you can press F2 to finishit. Simply selecting another featurewith the Edit tool will also finish thesketch.

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Trimming based on a lineyou draw

1. Click the Task dropdownarrow and click Extend/TrimFeatures.


3. Click the line or lines youwant to trim.


5. Construct a line that trims theselected line or lines asdesired. The direction of thesketch line determines thepart of the features to beremoved. The portion of theselected features to the rightof the sketch is trimmed.

6. Right-click anywhere on themap and click FinishSketch. u

This is useful if you don’t knowthe exact distance you want totrim but have a physicalboundary where the featuresshould end or begin.

Suppose your database hassome roads that should end atthe coastline, but overshoot itinstead. Using the Trim task,you can draw a line sketch ontop of the coastline and thelines will be trimmed where youhave drawn the sketch.

Portions of the lines that are onthe right side of the sketch aretrimmed. The right side of thesketch is based on the directionin which the sketch was drawn.Imagine riding a bicycle alongthe sketch in the direction inwhich the vertices were added. u

Tip

Shortcuts for finishing asketchYou can double-click on the lastvertex of a sketch to finish it. Youcan also press F2.

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Other ways to construct asketchYou can also use the Distance–Distance tool, the Arc tool, theTrace tool, or the Intersection toolto create a sketch. For moreinformation, see Chapter 3,‘Creating new features’.

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The lines are trimmed where the sketch was drawn.

If you looked to your right, youwould be looking at the rightside of the sketch.

The lines are trimmed on theright side of the line youconstructed.


Extending a lineThe Extend task is the oppositeof the Trim task, extendingselected lines to a line youconstruct. Consider the roadsand coastline example shown inthe Trim task. If your databasehas some roads that should endat the coastline, but insteadstop short, you could use theExtend task. By drawing asketch on top of the coastline,you can extend the roads to thesketch you drew.

1. Click the Task dropdownarrow and click Extend/TrimFeatures.


3. Click the line or lines youwant to extend.


5. Construct a line to which youwant to extend the selectedline or lines.


Tip


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The lines are extended to where the sketch was drawn.

The lines are extended to theline you constructed.

Tip

Other methods ofextending or trimming alineBeyond the basic Extend/TrimFeatures task, lines can beextended using the advanced editorTrim and Extend tools as well asspecific topology correctionmethods when working withtopologies. These additionalfunctions are only available withArcEditor and ArcInfo softwarepackages.


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3. Click the line whose directionyou want to change.

4. Right-click over any part ofthe sketch and click Flip.

The sketch becomes in-verted. The first vertexbecomes the last, marked inred.


Flipping a lineWhen you modify a line bytrimming or extending it, the lineis automatically trimmed orextended from its last vertex.

However, if you prefer to trim orextend a line from the firstvertex instead of the last, youcan use the Flip command. TheFlip command reverses thedirection of a line so that thelast vertex of the sketchbecomes the first.

The first and last vertices of the line are reversed.

Tip

Working with topologiesFor line feature classes orshapefiles that are part of atopology, the line direction isinvolved with the topological rules,and the flip function will not bepermitted. For more informationon working with topologies, seeChapter 4, ‘Editing topology’.

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2. Click the line you want todivide.

3. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and click thepoint layer containing thetype of points you want toplace along the line.

4. Click Editor and clickDivide. u

Placing pointsalong a lineThe Divide command createspoints at a given interval alonga line. For instance, you coulduse Divide to place utility polesalong a primary line.

You can create a specificnumber of points that areevenly spaced, or you cancreate points at a distanceinterval you choose.

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5. Click the first option andtype a number to place aspecific number of pointsevenly along the line.

Or click the second optionand type a number to placethe points at a specificinterval in map units.

If the data has M values,you can click the thirdoption and type a number toplace the points at a specificinterval of measure units.

6. Click OK.

The line is divided by pointsplaced along the line asspecified.

The line is divided by points.

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Reshaping a lineor polygonThe Reshape Feature task letsyou reshape a line or polygonby constructing a sketch overthe feature. The feature takesthe shape of the sketch from thefirst place the sketch intersectsthe feature to the last.

When you reshape a polygon,if both endpoints of the sketchare within the polygon, theshape is added to the feature. u

1. Click the Task dropdownarrow and click ReshapeFeature.


3. Click the feature you want toreshape.


5. Create a line according to theway you want the featurereshaped.


Tip


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The feature is reshaped according to the sketch you constructed.

If the endpoints are outside thepolygon, the feature is cutaway.

When you reshape a line, bothendpoints of the sketch must beon the same side of the line.The line takes the shape of thesketch you draw.

The feature is reshaped.


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Adding a vertex to asketch


2. Click the Edit tool and clickthe line or polygon to whichyou want to add a vertex.

3. Move the pointer to whereyou want the vertex insertedand right-click.

4. Click Insert Vertex.

A vertex is added to thesketch.


Adding anddeleting sketchverticesYou can easily add vertices toor delete vertices from a sketchusing the Insert Vertex andDelete Vertex commands on theSketch context menu. By addingor deleting vertices, you canreshape a feature when youobtain new or better geographicdata.

Suppose you have an existinglayer with curb lines and receivean aerial photo that shows thatthe lines in the layer areincorrectly shaped. Using the u

A new vertexis added tothe sketch.

Tip

Adding vertices from thelast vertexYou can add vertices to a featurebeginning from the last vertex ofthe sketch. Click the Edit tool anddouble-click the feature to see itssketch. Then, click the Sketch toolto begin digitizing vertices.

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Deleting a vertex from asketch



3. Click the line or polygon fromwhich you want to delete avertex.

4. Position the pointer over thevertex you want to delete.

The pointer will changeappearance to have foursmall arrows surrounding acircle.

5. Right-click and click DeleteVertex.

The vertex is deleted fromthe sketch.

6. Right-click over any part ofthe sketch and click FinishSketch.


aerial photo as a backdrop, youcan add vertices to the curblines as needed, then reshapethe feature to match the photoby moving the vertices to newlocations. You can also reshapethe curb line features bydeleting existing vertices fromtheir sketches.

See Also

To learn how to move a vertex, see‘Moving a vertex in a sketch’ inthis chapter.

The vertex is deleted, and the feature is reshaped.

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Dragging a vertex


2. Click the Edit tool and clickthe line or polygon whosevertex you want to move.

3. Position the pointer over thevertex you want to move.

The pointer will changeappearance to have foursmall arrows surrounding acircle.

4. Click and drag the vertex tothe desired location.



The vertex is moved, and the feature is reshaped.

Moving a vertexin a sketchMoving a vertex in a sketchoffers another way to modify orreshape a feature.

ArcMap lets you move a vertexin several ways: by dragging it,by specifying new x,y coordi-nates, or by moving it relativeto its current location.

You might choose to drag avertex to a new location whenyou want to reshape a featureaccording to additional datayou receive. For instance, youcan drag a vertex to reshape aroad feature in an existing layerin order to match it to thefeature in a more accurate aerialphoto. u

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Moving a vertex byspecifying x,ycoordinates

1. Click the Current Taskdropdown arrow and clickModify Feature.


3. Position the pointer over thevertex you want to move untilthe pointer changes.

4. Right-click and click Move To.

5. Type the x,y coordinateswhere you want to move thevertex.

The vertex is moved. u

You might move a vertex byspecifying new x,y locationswhen you obtain additionaldata that provides the exactcoordinate location at which thevertex should be. For example,suppose a parcel is resurveyedand a new GPS point isobtained for the parcel corner.You can move the corner of theparcel to match the locationfound by the GPS by specifyingthe equivalent location in x,ycoordinates.

Tip

Maintaining a feature’sshape when moving avertexYou can also move a vertex withoutchanging the shape of the feature.For more information, see‘Stretching a feature’s geometryproportionately’ in this chapter.

The vertex is moved accordingto the coordinates you specified.

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Tip

Undoing a vertex moveIf you move a vertex and don’twant it to stay in the new location,click the Undo button on theArcMap Standard toolbar. Thevertex returns to its last position.Click the Redo button if you want tomove the vertex back to the newlocation.

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Moving a vertex relativeto its current location




4. Right-click and click Move.

5. Type the delta x,y coordi-nates where you want tomove the vertex. u

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The sketch context menu alsoprovides a way to move avertex relative to its currentlocation. Suppose an electricalpole must be moved 15 feet eastand 5 feet north of its currentlocation due to a road widening.Before moving the pole, youmust reshape its electrical lineso that the pole can connect tothe line in the new location; youcan do this by moving thevertex of the electrical line onwhich the pole sits usingrelative (delta) x,y coordinates.

The original location of thevertex as the origin (0,0) isused, and the vertex is movedto the new location using themap unit coordinates youspecify—(15,5) in this example.After the vertex is moved andthe electrical line is reshaped,you can snap the pole featureto the vertex in its new location.

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The vertex is moved.



The feature isreshaped.

The vertex is movedaccording to thecoordinates youspecified.

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Changing theproperties of asketchWhen creating a new feature ormodifying an existing one, youcan easily change the proper-ties of the sketch shape usingthe Sketch Properties dialogbox.

Using the Sketch Propertiesdialog box, you can removeparts from a multipart feature,insert and delete vertices, andalter the m- and z-values ofvertices.

Suppose you are editing a layerthat contains river featureswhose shapes contain toomany vertices. You could usethe Sketch Properties dialog boxto select unwanted vertices anddelete them.

Deleting multiple verticesfrom a feature

1. Click the Edit tool and selectthe feature whose shape youwant to modify.

2. Click the Task dropdownarrow and click ModifyFeature to place the shape ofthe feature in the edit sketch.

3. Right-click the sketch andclick Properties.

4. Select the vertices that youwant to remove by holdingdown the Shift key andclicking vertices from thetable. Use the Shift or Ctrl keyto select more than onevertex.

5. Press the Delete key or right-click the selected verticesand click Delete.

The selected vertices aredeleted from the sketch.

6. Click Finish Sketch.Tip

How do I know whichvertices I have selected?As you select vertices in the dialogbox, they change color on the map.

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Inserting a vertex at themidpoint of a segment

1. Right-click over a segment ofthe edit sketch and clickProperties.

2. Select the vertex beforewhich you wish to insert anew vertex.

3. Right-click the selectedvertex and click Insert Before.

Tip

Modifying thex,y coordinatesIf you don’t want the added point tobe exactly at the midpoint betweentwo vertices, click the x or y columnand type a new coordinate for thepoint.

Vertex inserted at midpoint

Tip

Insert vertices after aselected vertexYou can insert vertices either beforeor after the vertex that you right-click.

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Removing a part from amultipart feature

1. Click the Edit tool and selectthe feature you want toremove a part from.

2. Click the Task dropdownarrow and click ModifyFeature to place the multipartshape in the edit sketch.


4. Right-click the part that youwant to remove and press theDelete key or right-click andclick Delete.

5. Click Finish Sketch.

Tip

How do I know which parts Ihave selected?When you select a part from theSketch Properties dialog box, thesegments for that part will appearthicker.

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Editing z- and m-valuesof a feature

1. Click the Edit tool and selectthe feature whose z- or m-values you wish to edit.



4. Select the vertex you wish tomodify.

5. Click the z or m field in thetable and type a new value.

6. Click Finish Sketch.

Tip

Using the Current Z controlWhen you add points to the editsketch, you can control the z-valuefor each vertex using the Current Ztool.

To use the Current Z tool, you mustfirst add it to a toolbar from theCommands tab of the Customizedialog box. The Current Z tool islisted in the Editor category.

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Scaling featuresYou can scale a feature—makethe entire feature larger orsmaller—using the Scale tool.The feature is scaled based onthe location of the selectionanchor—the small x located inthe center of selected features.

You might use the Scale toolwhen working with data from anew source in which the scale isslightly different—for example,subdivision parcels from asurveyor. You can use the Scaletool to scale parcels so they fittogether properly.

To use the Scale tool, you mustfirst add it to a toolbar from theCommands tab of the Customizedialog box. The Scale tool isavailable from the Editorcategory. For more informationon adding a tool to a toolbar,see Exploring ArcObjects orUsing ArcMap.


2. Click the feature you want toscale.

3. Click the Scale tool.

4. Move the selection anchor ifnecessary.

5. Click and drag the pointerover the feature to scale it asdesired. u

Tip

Moving the selectionanchorTo move the selection anchor of afeature you want to scale, hold thescaling pointer over the anchoruntil the icon changes. Then, clickand drag the anchor to a newlocation.

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Tip

Scaling more than onefeatureYou can scale more than onefeature at the same time. Simplyselect all the desired features andmove the selection anchor to thedesired location before using theScale tool.

6. Release the mouse buttonwhen you’re finished scalingthe feature.

The feature is scaled.

Tip

Undoing scalingTo return a feature to its originalsize after scaling it, click the Undobutton on the ArcMap Standardtoolbar.

The feature is scaled.

Tip

Scale factorYou can scale features using a scalefactor instead of dragging themouse. Press the F key to set thescale factor.

Tip

Scaling with snappingPress the S key to add an auxiliaryselection anchor to the feature thatyou are scaling. The auxiliaryselection anchor can be draggedanywhere on the feature and willsnap to the features specified in thecurrent snapping environment.


Clipping featuresYou can easily clip features thattouch or are within a buffereddistance of selected features.

Suppose that you want tomodel the effect of a proposedroad-widening project on thelots of a subdivision block. Youcan do this using the Clipcommand. Select the roadcenterline where the proposedwidening is to occur, then clickClip from the Editor menu. Typethe length measurement of thewidening and click the option toDiscard the area that intersectsto clip the subdivision lots.

When using the Discard thearea that intersects option, theClip command will buffer theselected road feature and clipall portions of editable featuresthat are within the bufferedregion. Using the Preserve thearea that intersects option, allfeatures that touch the bufferedfeature will be deleted.

1. Select the feature you wantto use to clip features.

2. Click Editor and click Clip.

3. Type a buffer value. You canleave the value as 0 if youare using a polygon featureto clip with.

4. Click the type of clip opera-tion you wish to use.

5. Click OK to clip the feature.

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Stretching geometry proportionately

Sometimes you want to stretch a feature without changing itsgeometry (shape). Suppose you want to change the position of afeature in relation to other features by moving a vertex. Forexample, perhaps the data you have for an electric transmissionsystem is not as accurate as you would like. However, you haveother layers containing accurate surveyed points that coincidewith some of the transmission towers, power generating plants,and substations. By moving the vertices of the transmissionlines, you can adjust the positions of the lines to the knownsurveyed positions of the features in the more accurate layer. Youcan change the positions of these vertices without changing thegeneral shape of the transmission lines by stretching the featuresproportionately.

When you stretch a feature proportionately, the proportions ofthe feature’s segments are maintained, thereby maintaining thegeneral shape of the feature. This is different from moving avertex to reshape a feature.

The graphics below show the difference between moving a vertexto reshape a feature and moving a vertex while maintaining theshape of the feature. The three graphics on the top show how afeature is modified when its upper-right vertex is moved withproportionate stretching turned on. The three graphics on thebottom show how the same feature is reshaped when its upper-right vertex is moved with proportionate stretching turned off.

Proportionate stretching on

Proportionate stretching off


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Stretching afeature’sgeometryproportionatelyWithin the Editing Optionsmenu, you can choose tostretch the geometry of featuresproportionately when movingvertices. When you drag avertex to a new location withthis option turned on, theproportions of the feature’ssegments are maintained,thereby maintaining the generalshape of the feature.

You might want to stretchfeatures proportionately whenmerging data from different datasources—for example, utilitylines from one source andsubdivision parcels fromanother.

Suppose the data for thesubdivision parcels is accurate,but the data for the utility linesis not as accurate. While theshapes of the utility lines aregenerally correct, you want tochange the position of one linerelative to the parcels bymoving a vertex. By stretchingthe utility line feature propor-tionately, you can make it fitaccurately with the parcelswithout losing the generalshape of the line. u


2. Click the Edit tool and clickthe feature you want tostretch.



5. Check the check box tostretch the featureproportionately.

Uncheck the check box if youwant to reshape the featurewithout maintaining propor-tionate geometry.

6. Click OK. u

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You can turn on proportionatestretching by checking a box onthe General tab of the EditingOptions dialog box. Uncheckthe box if you simply want toreshape a feature withoutmaintaining proportionategeometry.


8. Drag the vertex to the desiredlocation.


The feature is stretchedproportionately.

See Also

To see how stretching a featureproportionately looks in compari-son to stretching a feature toreshape it, see ‘Stretching geometryproportionately’ in this chapter.

The feature is stretchedproportionately.

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Spatial adjustment

• About spatial adjustments

• The Spatial Adjustment toolbar

• About the transformation process

• Creating displacement and identitylinks

• Using the Limited Adjustment Areatools

• Modifying the link and limitedadjustment area symbols

• Selecting, modifying, and deletinglinks

• The Link Table and link files

• Previewing and performing theadjustment

• Attribute Transfer Mapping andtools

8The Spatial Adjustment toolbar lets you transform, rubber sheet, andedgematch features in your map. It works within ArcMap Editor to provide ahighly productive adjustment environment. Spatial adjustment supports avariety of adjustment methods and will adjust all editable data sources.

Spatial adjustment commands and tools are located on an additional editingtoolbar called the Spatial Adjustment toolbar. These tools and commandsallow you to define a spatial adjustment. Since spatial adjustment operateswithin an Edit session, you can leverage existing editing functionality, such assnapping, to enhance your adjustments.

Along with the ability to spatially adjust your data, the Spatial Adjustmenttoolbar also provides a way for you to transfer the attributes from onefeature to another. This tool is called the Attribute Transfer tool and relies onmatching common fields between two layers. Together, the adjustment andattribute transfer functions available in the Spatial Adjustment tool allow youto improve the quality of your data.


About spatial adjustments

The following section briefly describes the spatial adjustmentmethods and related concepts.

Transformations

Transformations convert data from one coordinate system toanother. They are often used to convert data from digitizer orscanner units to real-world coordinates. Transformations can alsobe used to shift your data within a coordinate system, such asconverting feet to meters.

The transformation functions are based on comparing thecoordinates of source and destination points, also called controlpoints, in special graphical elements called displacement links.You may create these links interactively, pointing at knownsource and destination locations, or by loading a link text file orcontrol points file.

By default, ArcMap supports three types of transformations:affine, similarity, and projective.

An affine transformation can differentially scale, skew, rotate, andtranslate the data. The graphic below illustrates the four possiblechanges:

The affine transformation function is:

x’ = Ax + By + Cy’ = Dx + Ey + F

where x and y are coordinates of the input layer and x’ and y’ arethe transformed coordinates. A, B, C, D, E, and F are determinedby comparing the location of source and destination controlpoints. They scale, skew, rotate, and translate the layercoordinates.

The affine transformation requires a minimum of threedisplacement links.

SPATIAL ADJUSTMENT 247

The similarity transformation scales, rotates, and translates thedata. It will not independently scale the axes, nor will it introduceany skew. It maintains the aspect ratio of the featurestransformed.

The similarity transform function is:

x’ = Ax + By + Cy’ = -Bx + Ay + F

where:

A = s · cos tB = s · sin tC = translation in x directionF = translation in y direction

and:

s = scale change (same in x and y directions)t = rotation angle, measured counterclockwise from the x-axis

A similarity transformation requires a minimum of twodisplacement links.

The projective transformation is based on a more complex formulathat requires a minimum of four displacement links:

x’ = (Ax + By + C) / (Gx + Hy + 1)y’ = (Dx + Ey + F) / (Gx + Hy + 1)

This method is used to transform data captured directly fromaerial photography. For more information, please refer to one ofthe photogrammetric texts listed in ‘References’ at the end of thissection.

Understanding residual and root mean square

The transformation parameters are a best fit between the sourceand destination control points. If you use the transformationparameters to transform the actual source control points, thetransformed output locations won’t match the true output controlpoint locations. This is known as the residual error; it is ameasure of the fit between the true locations and the transformedlocations of the output control points. This error is generated foreach displacement link.

An RMS error is calculated for each transformation performed. Itindicates how good the derived transformation is. The followingexample illustrates the relative location of four destination controlpoints and the transformed source control points:

Errors

Transformed source control points

Destination control points


Rubber sheeting

Geometric distortions commonly occur in source maps. They maybe introduced by imperfect registration in map compilation, lackof geodetic control in source data, or a variety of other causes.Rubber sheeting corrects flaws through the geometric adjustmentof coordinates.

The source layer—drawn with solid lines—is adjusted to themore accurate target layer.

During rubber sheeting, the surface is literally stretched, movingfeatures using a piecewise transformation that preserves straightlines. Similar to transformations, displacement links are used inrubber sheeting to determine where features are moved.

Conflation applications use rubber sheeting to align layers inpreparation for transferring attributes.

The RMS error measures the errors between the destinationcontrol points and the transformed locations of the sourcecontrol points.

The transformation is derived using least squares, so more linkscan be given than are necessary.


Attribute transfer

Attribute transfer is typically used to copy attributes from a lessaccurate layer to a more accurate one. For example, it can be usedto transfer the names of hydrological features from a previouslydigitized and highly generalized 1:500,000-scale map to a moredetailed 1:24,000-scale map.

In ArcMap, you can specify what attributes to transfer betweenlayers, then interactively choose the source and target features.

References

Maling, D.H. Coordinate Systems and Map Projections. GeorgePhilip, 1973.

Maling, D.H. “Coordinate systems and map projections for GIS.”Geographical Information Systems: Principles andApplications, Maguire, D.J., M.F. Goodchild, and D.W. Rhind(eds.) vol. 1, pp. 135–146. Longman Group UK Ltd., 1991.

Moffitt, F.H., and E.M. Mikhail. Photogrammetry. Third edition.Harper & Row, Inc., 1980.

Pettofrezzo, A.J. Matrices and Transformations. DoverPublications, Inc., 1966.

Slama, C.C., C. Theurer, and S.W. Henriksen (eds.). Manual ofPhotogrammetry. Fourth edition. Chapter XIV, pp. 729–731.ASPRS, 1980.

Edgematching

The edgematching process aligns features along the edge of onelayer to features of an adjoining layer. The layer with the least-accurate features is adjusted, and the other adjoining layer isused as the control.


The Spatial Adjustment toolbar

Spatial Adjustmentcommands

Displacementlink tools

Identity linkand limitedadjustmentarea tools

Attributetransfer tool

Adjustment methodscommands

Selectelementstool

Spatial Adjustmentoptions

View linktable tool

Link managementcommands

Attribute TransferMapping command


An overview of the spatial adjustment process

The following is a general overview of how to use ArcMap, theEditor toolbar, and the Spatial Adjustment toolbar to adjust yourdata. Each of the following steps is outlined in detail in thischapter or other chapters in this book.

1. Start ArcMap.

2. Create a new map or open an existing one.

3. Add the data you want to edit to your map.

If there are no existing layers for the feature classes you wantto edit, you can create them using ArcCatalog. For moreinformation on creating a feature layer, see Using ArcCatalog.

4. Add the Editor toolbar to ArcMap.

5. Add the Spatial Adjustment toolbar to ArcMap.

6. Choose Start Editing from the Editor menu.

New Map File button

Open button

Add Data button

Editor Toolbar button


10. Choose Stop Editing from the Editor menu and click Yes whenprompted to save your edits.

There is no need to save the map—all edits made to thedatabase will automatically be reflected the next time youopen the map.

7. Click Spatial Adjustment, point to Adjustment Methods, andclick one of the Transformation methods to choose a spatialadjustment method.

8. Click the displacement link tools to create displacement links.

9. Perform the adjustment.

Displacementlink tools


Adding theSpatialAdjustmenttoolbarBefore adjusting geographicfeature data within ArcMap,you must first add the SpatialAdjustment toolbar.

1. Start ArcMap.

2. Click the View menu, point toToolbars, and click SpatialAdjustment to display theSpatial Adjustment toolbar.

3. Click the toolbar’s title barand drag it to the top of theArcMap application window.

Tip

Adding the SpatialAdjustment toolbar usingthe Customize dialog boxClick the Tools menu and clickCustomize. In the Customize dialogbox, click the Toolbars tab andcheck Spatial Adjustment.

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Choosing theinput data foradjustmentThe first step in the spatialadjustment process is tochoose the input data for theadjustment. You have theoption to adjust selectedfeatures or all the features inthe layer. These settings areavailable in the Choose InputFor Adjustment dialog box.

1. Click the Spatial Adjustmentmenu and click Set AdjustData.

The Choose Input ForAdjustment dialog boxappears.

2. Choose whether to adjustselected features in a layer orall features in a layer.

Tip

All selection methods aresupportedThe Spatial Adjustment tool willhonor selections performedinteractively or by an attributequery.

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Choosing atransformationmethodThe Spatial Adjustment toolsupports three types oftransformation methods: affine,projective, and similarity.Choose a transformationmethod from the AdjustmentMethods submenu.

1. Click the Spatial Adjustmentmenu, point to AdjustmentMethods, and click aTransformation method.

See Also

For more information on thespatial adjustment methods, see theintroductory material with thischapter.

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1. Click the Spatial Adjustmentmenu, point to AdjustmentMethods, and clickRubbersheet.

2. Click the Spatial Adjustmentmenu and click Options.

The Adjustment Propertiesdialog box appears.

3. Click the Adjustment methoddropdown arrow and chooseRubbersheet.

4. Click the Adjustment methodOptions button.

The Rubbersheet propertiesdialog box will appear.

5. Click the Natural Neighbor orLinear method and click OK.

6. Click OK to close the Adjust-ment Properties dialog box.

Choosing arubber sheetmethodThe Spatial Adjustment toolsupports two types of rubbersheet methods: NaturalNeighbor and Linear. ChooseRubbersheet from theAdjustment Methods submenu.Once you have chosenRubbersheet, you may specify arubber sheet method in theAdjustment Properties dialogbox. The Natural Neighbormethod is the default.

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1. Click the Spatial Adjustmentmenu, point to AdjustmentMethods, and click EdgeSnap.



3. Click the Adjustment methoddropdown arrow and clickEdge Snap.

4. Click the Adjustment methodOptions button.

The Edge Snap dialog boxwill appear.

5. Click the Smooth or Linemethod.

6. Check the box if you want toadjust to the midpoint of thelinks, then click OK.


Choosing anedge snapmethodThe Spatial Adjustment toolsupports two types of EdgeSnap methods: Smooth andLine. Choose Edge Snap fromthe Adjustment methodssubmenu. Once you havechosen Edge Snap, you mayspecify an edge snap method inthe Adjustment Propertiesdialog box.

When using the Smooth edgesnap method, vertices at thelink source point are moved tothe destination point. Theremaining vertices are alsomoved to give an overallsmoothing effect.

When using the Line edge snapmethod, only the vertices at thelink source point are moved tothe destination point. Theremaining vertices on thefeature remain unchanged.

The Smooth method is thedefault.

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2. Click the Edge Match tab.

3. Click the Source Layerdropdown arrow and choosea source layer.

4. Click the Target Layerdropdown arrow and choosea target layer.

5. Check Use Attributes if youwant to use attributes toenhance the edgematch.

6. If you only want one link foreach destination point, checkthe appropriate box.

7. If you want to preventduplicate links, check theappropriate box.

8. Click the Attributes button ifyou chose to use attributes.

The Edgematch Attributesdialog box appears.

9. Match the source and targetlayer fields.

10. Click Add.

11. Click OK when finishedmatching fields.

12. Click OK to close theAdjustment Properties dialogbox.

Setting the edgesnap propertiesThe Edge Snap adjustmentmethod requires more propertysettings than other methods.These property settings arelocated in the Edge Match tabof the Adjustment Propertiesdialog box.

Choose the source and targetlayers. The source layer’sfeatures will be edgematched tothe target layer’s features. Ifyou choose to adjust to themidpoints of the links, featuresfrom both layers will beadjusted.

You have the option to specifyone link per destination pointand to prevent duplicate links.These settings can help youavoid creating unnecessarylinks. The Spatial Adjustmenttool supports the ability to useattributes to enhance theedgematching process. Basedon the Attribute TransferMapping dialog box, you havethe option to match fieldsbetween the source and targetlayers and use commonattributes to define theedgematch. This function canhelp ensure the accuracy of theedgematch.

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CreatingdisplacementlinksBefore you adjust your data,you must create displacementlinks to define the source anddestination coordinates for theadjustment. Links arerepresented as arrows with thearrowhead pointing toward thedestination location. Links canbe created manually or loadedby means of a link file.

Displacement links arerepresented as graphic elementsin the map. You can change thesymbol, size, and color ofdisplacement links.

1. Click the New Displacementlink tool on the SpatialAdjustment toolbar.

2. Position the cursor over thesource location and clickonce to start adding a link.

3. Position the cursor over thedestination location and clickonce to finish adding the link.

A displacement link nowconnects the source locationto the destination location.

Tip

Use snapping to ensureaccurate link placementUse the Snapping Environment toolto set the snapping agents andfeatures. Snapping will ensure thatlinks are created at the vertices,edges, or endpoints of features.

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Creating multipledisplacementlinksYou can create multipledisplacement links using theMulti Displacement Links tool.The Multi Displacement Linkstool is useful for areas thatrequire many links, such ascurve features. This tool canalso help you save time byallowing you to create manylinks at once.

1. Click the Multi DisplacementLinks tool on the SpatialAdjustment toolbar.

2. Position the cursor over thesource feature and clickonce.

3. Position the cursor over thetarget feature and click once.

The No. of links dialog boxwill appear. This dialog boxallows you to specify howmany links to create. u

Tip

Snap to edges when usingthe Multi DisplacementLinks toolIt is best to snap to the edges offeatures when creating multiplelinks.

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4. Enter the number of links youwant and press Enter.The default is 10.

Based on the value youentered, the multiple linksare created and now connectthe source feature to thetarget feature.

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Creating identitylinksIdentity links can be used tohold features in place atspecified locations. Identitylinks can serve as anchorsbecause they prevent themovement of features during anadjustment.

Identity links are only availablewhen using the Rubbersheetadjustment method. Likedisplacement links, identitylinks are represented as graphicelements in the map.

1. Click the New Identity Linktool on the Spatial Adjust-ment toolbar.

2. Position the cursor over thesource location and clickonce.

Add identity links to locationsto prevent the movement offeatures during anadjustment.

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Using the LimitedAdjustment AreatoolsYou can limit the scope of anadjustment area by using theLimited Adjustment Area tool.This tool is only available forthe Rubbersheet adjustmentmethod.

This tool allows you to draw apolygon shape around thefeatures you wish to adjust.Any features that are outsidethis polygon area will not beaffected by the adjustment,regardless of whether or notthey are selected. The LimitedAdjustment Area tool providessimilar feature anchoring asidentity links. However, in caseswhere you must add manyidentity links, using the LimitedAdjustment Area tool may helpyou save time.

Creating a limitedadjustment area

1. Click the New LimitedAdjustment Area tool on theSpatial Adjustment toolbar.

2. Using the cursor on the map,draw a polygon around thearea you wish to rubbersheet. Double-click tocomplete the polygon.

Features outside of thispolygon will not be affectedduring the adjustment.

3. Click the Clear LimitedAdjustment Area tool on theSpatial Adjustment toolbar toremove the limitedadjustment area polygon.

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Using the EdgeMatch toolThe Edge Match tool allowsyou to create multipledisplacement links that connectthe edges of two adjacentlayers. Once you have set theappropriate snapping agentsand tolerance, use the tool todrag a box around the featuresyou wish to edgematch. Thiswill create links between theclosest source and targetfeatures by default.

You can also use additionalproperties to enhance the linkcreation process, such asrestricting one link per destina-tion point and preventingduplicate links.

These properties, combinedwith the proper snappingsettings, can help ensure anaccurate edgematch.

1. Click the Edge Match tool onthe Spatial Adjustmenttoolbar.

2. Drag a box around thefeatures you want toedgematch.

Links will now connect theedges of the source layer tothe edges of the target layer.

Tip

Use attributes to refine theedgematchThe Use Attributes option locatedin the Edge Match propertiesdialog box can assist in thecreation of links by ensuring theyconnect to features that sharecommon attribute values.

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Modifying the linkand limitedadjustment areasymbolsYou can customize the symbol-ogy of the displacement links,identity links, and limitedadjustment area. These settingsare in the Adjustment Propertiesdialog box. When you click theDisplacement Link Symbol,Identity Link Symbol, or LimitedAdjustment Area Symbolbuttons, the Symbol Selectordialog box appears. Use thiswindow to choose a new style,size, and color for the links andlimited adjustment area. TheSymbol Selector will presentoptions to modify the symbolsbased on the graphicalelement’s geometry type.



2. Click the Displacement LinkSymbol, Identity Link Symbol,or Limited Adjustment AreaSymbol button.

The Symbol Selector dialogbox appears.

3. Choose a different symbol,change the symbol size,specify a new symbol color,or any combination of these,then click OK.


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Selecting linksDisplacement and identity linksare selected with the SelectElements tool located on theSpatial Adjustment toolbar.

Links must be selected prior tomodifying or deleting a link.

Selecting a link

1. Click the Select Elementstool on the Spatial Adjust-ment toolbar.

2. Position the cursor over thelink you want to select andclick once.

Selection grips will appear atthe endpoints of the link.

Tip

Use the Select Elementstool on the ArcMapStandard toolbarYou can also select links by usingthe Select Elements tool.

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Selecting multiple links


2. Drag a box around the linksyou want to select.

Selection grips will appear atthe endpoints of the links.

Tip

Use the Shift key to selectmore than one link at atimeYou can select multiple links byholding down the Shift key whileclicking links with the SelectElements tool.

Tip

Use the Select AllElements commandYou can select all the links in themap by using the Select AllElements command. Click the Editmenu and click Select All Elements. 2

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ModifyingdisplacementlinksDisplacement links can bemodified by using the ModifyLink tool. They must beselected prior to modifyingthem. Links can be modifiedboth inside or outside an editsession. You can modify links attheir source or destinationlocation or move the entire linkto a new location.


2. Position the cursor over thelink you want to modify andclick once.

Selection grips will appear atthe endpoints of the link. u

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Use the Select Elementstool to modify identity linksYou can modify identity links withthe Select Elements tool. Simplyclick an identity link and drag it toa new location.

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3. Click the Modify link tool onthe Spatial Adjustmenttoolbar.

4. Position the cursor over thesource or destination point ofthe link.

The link cursor changes toan arrow cursor.

5. Move the endpoint of the linkto the desired location.

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DeletingdisplacementlinksDisplacement links can bedeleted by using the Deletecommand or pressing the Deletekey. Links must first be selectedin order to delete them. Linkscan be deleted both inside oroutside an edit session.

Deleting a link


2. Position the cursor over thelink you want to delete andclick once.

Selection grips will appear atthe endpoints of the link.

3. Press the Delete key.

Tip

Use the Delete command toremove linksClick the Edit menu and clickDelete to remove links.

Tip

Delete links with the LinkTableYou can also delete links with theLink Table. Right-click a linkrecord to open the context menuand click Delete link(s) to open thelink table; see ‘Viewing the LinkTable’ later in this chapter.

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Deleting multiple links


2. Drag a box around the linksyou want to delete.

You can also select multiplelinks by holding down theShift key while selectinglinks.


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Viewing the LinkTableThe Link Table displaysdisplacement links in a tabularformat. This table displays thesource and destinationcoordinates of the links, thelink IDs, and the residual errorof the adjustment. Residualerrors will only be displayed forTransformation adjustments.

You can select links by clickinga row in the table. Coordinatevalues can be edited for theselected links. You can selectmultiple links by holding downShift while selecting rows.When a link is selected, right-click to open the Link Tablecontext menu. This menusupports commands to flashlinks, pan and zoom to links,and delete links.

1. Click the Spatial Adjustmentmenu, point to Links, andclick View Link Table.

The Link Table dialog boxappears.

2. Click a row in the link table tohighlight a link.

3. With a link record highlighted,you can edit the coordinatesof the link or delete the link byclicking Delete Link.

4. Right-click the highlightedlink to access the Link Tablecontext menu. You can pan tothe link, zoom to the link,select the link, and delete thelink with the commandsoffered in this menu.

5. When finished working withthe Link Table, click Close toclose the window.

Tip

Open the Link Table fromthe toolbarYou can also open the Link Tableby clicking the View Link Tablebutton (shown below), located onthe Spatial Adjustment toolbar.

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1. Click the Spatial Adjustmentmenu, point to Links, andclick Open Links File.

The Open dialog boxappears.

2. Click the Look in dropdownarrow and navigate to thefolder where the link fileresides.

3. Double-click the link file toload it.

Displacement links will beautomatically created in themap.

Opening a linkfileLink files are text files thatcontain source and destinationcoordinates that define anadjustment. The SpatialAdjustment tool supports tab-delimited link files that containeither four or five columns. Afour-column link file consists oftwo pairs of source anddestination coordinate values.A five-column link file consistsof an ID column—string ornumeric—that precedes twopairs of source and destinationcoordinate values.

When you open a link file, theSpatial Adjustment toolautomatically creates displace-ment links in the map based onthe source and destinationcoordinate values in the file.Link files can help you savetime by automating the linkcreation process.

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Saving a link fileYou can create a link file fromthe existing displacement linksin the map using the Save LinksFile command. This commandopens a Save dialog box andallows you to navigate to thefolder of your choice and namethe new link file. You also havethe option to save link IDs. Thelink file is saved as a tab-delimited text file.

1. Click the Spatial Adjustmentmenu, point to Links, andclick Save Links File.

The Save Links dialog boxappears.

2. Click the Save in dropdownarrow and navigate to thefolder where you want tosave the link file.

3. Enter a name for the link file.

4. Click Save.

5. Choose whether or not tosave link IDs.

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Opening aControl Point fileControl Point files are text filesthat contain destinationcoordinates that define part ofan adjustment. The SpatialAdjustment tool supports tab-delimited Control Point filesthat contain either two or threecolumns. A two-column ControlPoints file consists of a pair ofdestination coordinate values.A three-column Control Pointsfile consists of an ID column—string or numeric—thatprecedes a pair of destinationcoordinate values. Controlpoints may represent knownlocations of features from GPSor ground survey and aredisplayed in the Control PointsWindow.

1. Click the Spatial Adjustmentmenu, point to Links, andclick Open Control PointsFile.

The Open dialog boxappears.

2. Click the Look in dropdownarrow and navigate to thefolder where the control pointfile resides.

3. Double-click the control pointfile to load it.

The Control Points Windowappears.

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Creatingdisplacementlinks from controlpointsOpening a control point filedoes not automatically createdisplacement links as in thecase of link files. You mustmanually create the links fromthe control points. This requiresthat you open the ControlPoints Window with the ViewControl Points command, thendouble-click each row to createa destination link in the map.Once the link is created at thedestination location, you mustthen finish adding the link tothe source location. This willconnect the source feature tothe target feature. Repeat thisprocess until all the controlpoint rows are removed fromthe Control Points Window.

1. Click the Spatial Adjustmentmenu, point to Links, andclick View Control Points.

The Control Points Windowappears.

2. Double-click a row in theControl Points Window.

This will create a link that issnapped to a destinationlocation. u

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3. Snap the link to a sourcelocation.

The row is now removed fromthe Control Points Window.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until allthe rows in the Control PointsWindow are removed andconverted into displacementlinks.

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1. Click the Spatial Adjustmentmenu and click PreviewWindow.

The Adjustment PreviewWindow appears.

2. Examine the adjustmentmore closely by using theZoom and Pan commands onthe standard map displaytoolbar.

3. You can access additionalcommands by right-clickinginside the AdjustmentPreview Window to open thecontext menu.

Previewing theadjustmentYou can preview an adjustmentusing the Adjustment PreviewWindow. This window allowsyou to view the results of anadjustment prior to performingthe adjustment in the map. Youcan use standard ArcMapZoom and Pan commands inthis window to closely examinehow the adjustment will affectyour features. This allows youan opportunity to go back inthe map and make modificationsbefore you adjust your data.Additionally, the AdjustmentPreview Window supports itsown display commands from acontext menu, such as zoomingto the data frame’s extent, andtracking the data frame’s extent.

The Adjustment PreviewWindow can help you save timeand unnecessary edits bygiving you a glimpse of how theadjustment will turn out.

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1. Click the Spatial Adjustmentmenu and click Adjust.

The data is now adjusted.

Performing theadjustmentOnce you have chosen whichdata to adjust, selected anadjustment method, set theadjustment properties, andcreated links and limitedadjustment areas, you canadjust the data. Clicking theAdjust command will executethe spatial adjustment.

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Use the Undo command toundo an adjustmentAll adjustments can be undone byclicking the Undo button:


Attribute TransferMappingThe Attribute Transfer Map-ping functions support theinteractive transfer of attributesbetween features. The AttributeTransfer Mapping dialog boxallows you to set the sourceand target layers and specifywhich fields to use as criteriafor the attribute transfer. Onceyou have identified the commonfields in the source and targetlayers, they are matched. Thesematched fields define whichattributes are transferred whenusing the Attribute Transfertool. You also have the optionto transfer the geometry of thefeature by checking theTransfer Geometry check box.

1. Click the Spatial Adjustmentmenu and click AttributeTransfer Mapping.

The Attribute TransferMapping dialog box appears.

2. Click the Source Layerdropdown arrow and choosea layer.

3. Click the Target Layerdropdown arrow and choosea layer.

4. Click a field in the SourceLayer’s field list box. u

Tip

Using the Auto Matchcommand to match multiplefields at onceYou can use the Auto Matchcommand to match multiple fieldsat once based on common fieldnames.

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5. Click a corresponding field inthe Target Layer’s field listbox.

Both fields will behighlighted.

6. Click Add.

Repeat the process for allother fields that are to beused as criteria for theattribute transfer.

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Using theAttribute TransfertoolThe Attribute Transfer toolallows you to transfer theattributes of a feature toanother feature. This transfer isperformed by matching thefields that are specified in theAttribute Transfer Mappingdialog box.

Use the Attribute Transfer toolto select a source featurefollowed by a target feature.When the transfer is complete,verify the target feature’sattributes using the Identifytool.

1. Click the Attribute Transfertool on the Spatial Adjust-ment toolbar.

2. Position the cursor over thesource feature and clickonce.

This is the feature thatcontains the desired attributedata.

3. Position the cursor over thetarget feature and click onceto transfer the attribute dataof the source feature.

The target feature is nowupdated with the sourcefeature’s attribute data.

Tip

Transfer attributes tomultiple featuresYou can transfer attributes tomultiple features by holding downthe Shift key while selecting thetarget features.

See Also

For information on using theAttribute Transfer Mapping dialogbox, see ‘Attribute TransferMapping’ in this chapter.

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9• Viewing attributes

• Adding and modifying attributes

• Copying and pasting attributes

Editing attributes

Creating and editing features in a GIS usually entails creating or editing someattributes of the features, in addition to creating their shape.

ArcMap makes it easy to view and update the attributes of features in yourdatabase. You can edit feature attributes in two ways: using the Attributesdialog box or using a feature layer’s attribute table. This chapter focuses onediting attributes using the Attributes dialog box. With the Attributes dialogbox, you can view the attributes of selected features on your map; add,delete, or modify an attribute for a single feature or multiple features at thesame time; and copy and paste individual attributes or all the attributes of afeature.

You can perform similar functions using a feature layer’s attribute table.However, with tables you can also do computations—such as adding andsorting records—with attribute values. To learn how to edit attributes in anattribute table—including performing computations with attribute values—see Using ArcMap.

In the next chapter you will learn how to take advantage of the tightintegration of ArcMap with geodatabases to make editing attributes quickerand more accurate.


ViewingattributesThe Attributes dialog box letsyou view the attributes offeatures you’ve selected in yourmap. The left side of the dialogbox lists the features you’veselected. Features are listed bytheir primary display field andgrouped by layer name. Thenumber of features selected isdisplayed at the bottom of thedialog box.

The right side of the Attributesdialog box is called the propertyinspector. The property inspectorcontains two columns: theattribute properties of the layeryou’re viewing, such as Type orOwner, and the values of thoseattribute properties.


2. Select the features whoseattributes you want to view.

3. Click the Attributes button.

4. Click the layer name thatcontains the features whoseattributes you want to view.

The layer’s attribute proper-ties appear on the right sideof the dialog box. u

Tip

Finding the feature on themapYou can find a selected feature onthe map by either highlighting orzooming to it. To highlight thefeature, click the primary field andthe feature will flash on the map.Right-click the field and clickZoom To in the context menu to geta close-up view of the feature.Click the Back button on the Toolstoolbar to return to the previousmap extent.

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The layer’s attributeproperties appear.

EDITING ATTRIBUTES 285

5. Double-click a layer name tosee the primary displayfields, representing theselected features in the layer.

Double-click again to hidethe primary display fields.

6. Click a primary display fieldto see the correspondingfeature’s attribute values.

The corresponding featureflashes on the map.

7. Click the Close button toclose the dialog box.

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Changing the primarydisplay fieldYou can change the primarydisplay field for a layer on theFields tab of the layer’s Propertiesdialog box. To open the dialogbox, right-click the layer name inthe table of contents.

Tip

Viewing attributes in theIdentify Results windowTo view the attributes of a featurequickly, click the Identify button onthe Tools toolbar, then click thefeature whose attributes you wantto view. View the feature’s attributesin the Identify Results window.

Tip

Delete a selected featureIf you want to delete a featurewithout losing your selection,simply right-click on the featureand click Delete from the contextmenu.

Tip

Deselecting a featureYou can remove features from theselection without having to click onthe map. To remove a feature fromthe selection, right-click on thefeature and click Unselect from thecontext menu.


Adding andmodifyingattributesThe easiest way to make changesto the attributes of a selectedfeature is by using the Attributesdialog box.

You can add or modify attributesof selected features as needed.For example, you might want toupdate the attribute values—suchas its name and maintenanceinformation—for a park featureyou created.

To add or modify an attributevalue for a single feature, clickthe primary display field for thefeature on the left side of thedialog box and make yourchanges in the Value column onthe right. u

Adding an attribute valueto a single feature

1. Click the primary display fieldof the feature to which youwant to add an attributevalue.

2. Click in the Value columnwhere you want to add theattribute value.

3. Type the attribute value andpress Enter.

The attribute value is addedto the feature.

Adding an attribute valueto all selected features ina layer

1. Click the layer to which youwant to add an attributevalue.

2. Click in the Value columnwhere you want to add theattribute value.

3. Type the attribute value andpress Enter.

The attribute value is addedto all selected features in thelayer.

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Tip

Saving your editsClick the Editor menu and clickSave Edits.

Tip

Attribute domainsYou can use attribute domains tocreate a list of valid values for afeature in a geodatabase. You canalso use the Validate command toensure attribute quality. For moreinformation, see Building aGeodatabase.


Modifying an attributevalue for a feature

1. Click the primary display fieldof the feature for which youwant to modify an attributevalue.

2. Click the value you want tomodify.

3. Type a new attribute valueand press Enter.

The attribute is modified forthe feature.

Modifying an attributevalue for all selectedfeatures in a layer

1. Click the layer for which youwant to modify an attributevalue.

2. Click in the Value columnnext to the attribute propertyyou want to modify for allselected features in the layer.

3. Type a new attribute valueand press Enter.

The attribute is modified forall selected features in thelayer.

You can also add or modify anattribute value for all selectedfeatures in a layer at the sametime. Simply click the layer nameon the left and make yourchanges in the Value column onthe right.

Tip

Performing calculationsWhen editing attributes, you mightneed to perform calculations usingthe field calculator in the featurelayer’s attribute table dialog box.For more information, see UsingArcMap.

Tip

Adding attribute propertiesYou can add an attribute propertyfor a feature by working with itsattribute table in ArcCatalog. Formore information, see UsingArcCatalog.

Tip

Deleting attributesTo delete an attribute value, right-click over the value and clickDelete. You can also press theDelete key to delete an attributevalue.

Tip

Undoing your editsTo undo any edit to featureattributes, click the Undo buttonon the ArcMap Standard toolbar.

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Copying andpasting attributesCopying and pasting is an easyway to edit the attributes offeatures on your map. You cancopy individual attribute valuesor all the attribute values of afeature. Attribute values can bepasted to a single feature or to allselected features in a layer.

Copying and pastingindividual attribute valuesfrom feature to feature

1. Click the attribute value youwant to copy.

2. Right-click the value youwant to copy and click Copy.

3. Click the primary display fieldof the feature to which youwant to paste the value.

4. Click where you want topaste the value.

5. Right-click where you want topaste the value and clickPaste.

The attribute value is pastedto the feature.

Tip

Copying and pastingindividual attribute valuesto an entire layerTo copy an attribute value to alayer, click the value you want tocopy, right-click, and click Copy.Then, click the layer name andright-click in the Value columnnext to the appropriate property.Click Paste and the attribute valueis copied to every selected featurein the layer.

Tip

Cutting and pastingattributesCutting and pasting attributes issimilar to copying and pastingthem. Right-click and click Cutfrom the context menu to removethe attribute value from its currentlocation in the Attributes dialogbox, then click Paste to paste itelsewhere.

The attribute valueis pasted to the feature.

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Copying and pasting allattribute values fromfeature to feature

1. Right-click the primarydisplay field of the featurewhose attribute values youwant to copy and click Copy.

2. Right-click the primarydisplay field of the feature towhich you want to paste theattribute values and clickPaste.

The attribute values arepasted to the feature.

Tip

Copying and pasting allattribute values from onefeature to an entire layerYou can copy all attribute valuesfrom one feature to all selectedfeatures in a layer. Right-click theprimary display field of the featurewhose attribute values you want tocopy and click Copy. Right-clickthe layer name to which you wantto paste the attribute values. ClickPaste and the attribute values arecopied to every selected feature inthe layer.

Attribute values arepasted to the feature.

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10• Editing a geodatabase with

ArcMap

• Editing features with subtypes anddefault values

• Editing attribute domains

• Validating features

Editing geodatabase attributes

Some features in a geodatabase are designed with subtypes, default values,and attribute domains. These can make it quicker and easier to edit featureattributes and can help prevent data entry errors.

Subtypes are logically distinct categories of a given type of feature that mayhave different attributes, network roles, or topology rules. When you create anew feature in a feature class with subtypes, you can choose which subtypeof feature to create. For example, when creating a new building footprint,you might get the choice of residential, high-density residential, mobile home,commercial, industrial, school, and public administration building subtypes.

Because subtypes represent logical groups within a class of feature, theymay typically have different attributes. In addition to a code identifying thesubtypes, each subtype might have codes identifying how the data wascollected. Residential buildings might get a default source description of‘digitized from plats’, while mobile homes might get a default sourcedescription of ‘digitized from orthophotographs’. These might be two out of alist of five permissible source descriptions.

Attributes in a geodatabase can have rules that specify that their values mustfall within a particular range or be one of a list of permissible values.Building features might all have an occupancy figure for emergencyplanning. Residential buildings might have a valid occupancy range from0–15, while commercial buildings might have a valid range of 0–500.

After you enter attributes for features that have domains specified in thegeodatabase, you can validate your edits to check that the attributes fall inthe permissible domain.

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ArcMap editing capabilities are tightly integrated with thevarious aspects of the geodatabase, such as geometric networksand validation rules. While each component of the geodatabasecan act independently, the true power of the geodatabasebecomes evident when you bring all of these things together.

In this chapter, you will learn how editing in ArcMap takesadvantage of the aspects of a geodatabase that help you maintaina valid database.

Validation rules

The geodatabase supports several broad types of validationrules: attribute validation rules, geometric network connectivityrules, and relationship rules. (You need an ArcEditor or ArcInfolicense to apply and validate relationship rules and geometricnetwork connectivity rules.) It is important to understand thatthese validation rules can be broken; in certain cases, ageodatabase permits invalid objects to be stored in the database.

For example, if you have an attribute rule stating that the validpressure range for a water distribution main in your water networkis between 50 and 75 psi, the geodatabase won’t prevent youfrom storing a value outside that range. However, a distributionmain with a water pressure outside of this range will be an invalidobject in the geodatabase. ArcMap has many editing tools thathelp you identify invalid features so you can correct them.

The exceptions are edge–edge connectivity rules, edge–junctionconnectivity rules, and coded value attribute rules. In thesecases, ArcMap takes a more active role when editing featureswith these rules associated with them. You will learn how editingin ArcMap behaves in these contexts later in this chapter.

The general approach to the issue of validating features is thatthe validation process should not result in valid features beingflagged as invalid (false negatives); it is, however, allowable tohave features that are invalid being reported as valid (false

positives). If the geodatabase did not enforce any validation,every feature would effectively be valid. When performingvalidation on a particular feature, the validation occurs in fivesteps:

1. Validate the subtype.

2. Validate the attribute rules.

3. Validate the geometric network connectivity rules—ifgeometric network feature.

4. Perform custom validation—using optional class extension.

5. Validate the relationship rules.

This strategy means the least expensive validation is performedfirst. The validation process stops once a feature is found to beinvalid. So, for example, if a feature fails the validity test for checknumber 1, then checks 2, 3, 4, and 5 are never executed.

When checking connectivity and relationship rules, all associatedrules must be valid. With geometric network connectivity rules, ifyou specify one rule, you must specify them all. Thus, if a type ofconnectivity exists that doesn’t have an associated connectivityrule, the geometric network feature is deemed invalid.

In addition to these rules, topology rules can also be established.To learn more about topology, see Chapter 4, ‘Editing topology’.

To learn more about attribute validation rules, see Building aGeodatabase. To learn more about connectivity rules, seeChapter 12, ‘Editing geometric networks’ in this book, or seeBuilding a Geodatabase.

Editing a geodatabase with ArcMap

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EDITING GEODATABASE ATTRIBUTES 293

Editing featureswith subtypesand defaultvaluesFeature classes and individualsubtypes of feature classes in ageodatabase can have defaultvalues.

Default values help streamlinethe attribute editing processand help you maintain realisticvalues for the attributes of thefeatures in your database. Ifmost of the building featuresthat you create in a featureclass are residential, you mighthave a default value of residen-tial for the building typeattribute. Then when you createa new building it will automati-cally be given the residentialattribute value. In the few caseswhere the building is anothertype, you can change theattribute.

If your feature class containssubtypes, then when youchange the subtype of afeature, the feature takes on thedefault field values of the newsubtype.

Creating new features ofa subtype


2. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and click thelayer with the type of featuresyou want to create.

3. Click the Tool Palettedropdown arrow and click theSketch tool.

4. Click the map to digitize thefeature’s vertices. u

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5. Double-click the last vertex tofinish the feature.


The Attributes dialog boxappears. Notice that some ofthe fields already havevalues. These are the defaultvalues that were specifiedwhen this feature class wascreated.

7. Click the fields whose valuesyou want to modify and typethe new values.

8. Click the Close button toclose the Attributes dialogbox.

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Changing a feature’ssubtype


2. Click the feature whosesubtype you want to change.


4. Click the value of the subtypefield.

A dropdown list with all theavailable subtypes appears.

5. Click the subtype you want. u

See Also

To learn more about subtypes andattribute domains, see Building aGeodatabase.

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The building is nowmarked with thesymbology of thefeature’s newsubtype.

The feature’s symbologychanges to match the newsubtype. The fields withdefault values assume thedefault values for the newsubtype.

Tip

Default valuesWhen you change a feature’ssubtype, the fields will take on thedefault values for the new subtype.If a field does not have a defaultvalue associated with it for the newsubtype, its value remainsunchanged.

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Modifying coded valuefields


2. Click the feature whoseattributes you want to edit.


4. Click the value of the codedvalue field you want tomodify.

A dropdown list of all thecoded value descriptions inthe domain appears.

5. Click the value you want forthe field.

Editing attributedomainsFeature classes and subtypes ina geodatabase can haveattribute domains. These arerules that control the permis-sible values for a feature’sattributes. These help maintainthe data quality and consis-tency of the attributes of thefeatures in your database.

There are two types of attributedomains: range domains andcoded value domains. In awater network database youmay have a feature class thatstores water transmissionmains. Transmission mainscould have a range domain thatspecifies that the pressurevalue must be within the validpressure range of between 40and 100 psi.

If there are only three diametersof transmission main in yourwater system, you could have acoded value domain thatspecifies that transmissionmains can have a diameter of 10,24, or 30 inches. Coded valuedomains can speed attributeediting because when you editthem, ArcMap gives you adropdown list of the permissiblevalues that you can choosefrom.

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Validating features


2. Click the features that youwant to validate.

3. Click Editor and click ValidateFeatures. u

ValidatingfeaturesWhen you edit features thathave coded value or rangedomains, you should validatethe features with the databaseto check that the attributeshave appropriate values.

Validating features alsovalidates any geometricnetwork connectivity rules orrelationship rules that may bedefined for the feature class.For more information onrelationship and connectivityrules, see Chapter 12, ‘Editinggeometric networks’, andBuilding a Geodatabase.

Tip

Validating topologyValidating features and attributes isnot the same as validatingtopology. For more information,see Chapter 4, ‘Editing topology’.

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If your selection contains anyinvalid features, a messagebox appears with the numberof invalid features. Onlyinvalid features remainselected.

4. Click OK.

5. Click one of the invalidfeatures.

6. Repeat step 3.

7. A message box appearstelling you why the feature isinvalid.

8. Click OK.

9. Click the Attributes button toview the attributes of theinvalid feature.

10. Click the values that areinvalid and change them.

11. Close the Attributes dialogbox.

12. Repeat steps 5 through 11for all of the invalid features.

13. Repeat steps 2 and 3. Youshould see a message boxinforming you that all thefeatures are valid.

14. Click OK.

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11• Understanding relationships and

related objects

• Editing relationships and relatedobjects

Editing relationships and related objects

Some feature classes and tables in a geodatabase are designed to haverelationships to other feature classes or tables. When you create, modify, ordelete such geodatabase objects with ArcMap, messages can beautomatically sent to the geodatabase to create, modify, or delete the relatedobjects. These types of built-in relationships are stored in relationshipclasses in the geodatabase.

If there are relationship classes between feature classes and tables in yourgeodatabase, you can use ArcMap editing tools to take advantage of therelationships. Using ArcMap editing tools, you can find all of the objectsrelated to a particular object and edit them. For example, you can select aparcel and find the owner of that parcel, then edit some of the attributes ofthat owner without ever having to add the table that stores the owners toyour ArcMap session.

You can also use ArcMap editing tools to establish a new relationshipbetween objects or to break existing relationships between objects. Forexample, if a parcel changes ownership, you can delete the relationshipbetween the parcel and its original owner, then establish a new relationshipto its new owner.

After you edit related geodatabase features or tables that have relationshiprules, you can validate your edits to check that the related objects stillconform to the geodatabase relationship rules.

To learn more about relationship classes, see Building a Geodatabase.



Understanding relationships and related objects

Relationship classes allow you to maintain associations betweenobjects in your geodatabase. These relationships can be simpleand passive or they can be composite. Composite relationshipsimply parent/child relationships, or composition, and, therefore,have behavior, which is triggered through changes to objects onone side of the relationship to objects on the other side.

Relationships in a relationship class can be stored using primaryand foreign keys in the object classes on either side of therelationship class. Alternatively, in the case of many-to-manyrelationship classes (M–N) and attributed relationship classes,the relationships are rows stored in a separate table.

You can use the Attributes dialog box or the table dialog box tofind all objects related to any selected object. Once you havenavigated to the related object, you can edit its attributes. Youcan also use the editing tools in ArcMap to break the relationshipbetween any two objects or create new relationships betweenobjects. When you edit objects and relationships in this way, allreferential integrity is maintained.

Creating and deleting relationships

You can use the Attributes dialog box to create and deleterelationships between two objects. If the relationship is managedby primary and foreign keys, the foreign key in the destinationobject is populated with the value of the primary key from theorigin object. If a relationship between two objects is deleted,then the value for the foreign key in the destination object isreplaced with a null.

If the relationship class is M–N or is attributed, then therelationships are stored in a separate table in the database. Whena new relationship is created between two objects in this type ofrelationship class, a new row is added to that table. This new rowis populated with the values from the primary keys in the originand destination objects. If a relationship between two objects is

If the relationships in a relationship class are managed by primary andforeign keys (nonattributed 1–1 or 1–M relationships), creating anddeleting relationships populate and null the foreign key in the destinationclass objects.

Shape Area Stories

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Shape Area ParcelTypeObjectID

<null>Origin class—Parcels

Destination class—Buildings

Primary keyForeign key

Shape Area Stories

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Create new relationships

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Origin class—ParcelsDestination class—Buildings


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Delete a relationship

EDITING RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED OBJECTS 303


deleted, then the row corresponding to that relationship isdeleted from the relationship table.

Deleting objects with relationships

When an object that participates in relationships with otherobjects is deleted from the database, all of its relationships arealso deleted. If the relationships are maintained using primary andforeign keys, and the object deleted is the origin object, then theforeign key in the destination object is made null. If the objectdeleted is the destination object, then the origin object is notaffected.

If relationships are maintained as rows in a relationship table(M–N relationships or attributed relationships) and either anorigin or destination object and its relationships are deleted, thenthe rows corresponding to those relationships are also deletedfrom the relationship’s table.

Creating new related objects

In ArcMap, you can select an object, then use the Attributesdialog box to create a new nonspatial object in a related class.When this new object is created, all of its attributes are populatedwith their appropriate default values (see Building aGeodatabase), and a relationship is created back to the object itwas created from. You can only create nonspatial objects in thisway; you cannot create new features.

If the relationships are maintained using primary and foreignkeys, then the foreign key in the destination object is populatedwith the primary key of the origin object, regardless of whetherthe origin or destination object is created using the Attributesdialog box. If the relationships are maintained as rows in arelationship table (M–N relationships, attributed relationships),then a new row is added to the relationship class table.

If the relationship class is M–N or is attributed, the relationships are storedas rows in the relationship class table. Creating and deleting relationshipsadds and removes rows in the relationship class table.

RES

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Destination class—ParcelsOrigin class—Owners

PRI1

2

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OwnerTypeObjectID OwnerName

Liz Freeman

Maurice Richard

Gary Carter

Algometrics Inc.

PRI

PRI

COM

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ParcelIDRID OwnerID DeedDate

1

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4/12/1971

7/7/1957

5/4/2000

Relationship class—ParcelOwners

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Liz Freeman

Maurice Richard

Gary Carter

Algometrics Inc.

PRI

PRI

COM

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4/12/1971

7/7/1957

5/4/2000

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Create new relationship

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Liz Freeman

Maurice Richard

Gary Carter

Algometrics Inc.

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PRI

COM

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1

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4/12/1971

7/7/1957

5/4/2000

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Destination class—ParcelsOrigin class—OwnersRelationship class—

ParcelOwners

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PRI1

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Liz Freeman

Maurice Richard

Gary Carter

Algometrics Inc.

PRI

PRI

COM

1

3


1

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4/12/1971

5/4/2000

4 4 4 7/11/2000

Delete relationship



Editing composite relationships

Composite relationships have some specialized behavior. Whenediting the objects that participate in a composite relationship,this behavior carries over to the editing process. Edits made tothe origin object in a composite relationship often directly affectits related destination objects. This behavior is partiallydependent on relationship class messaging.

By default, composite relationship classes have forwardmessaging (see Building a Geodatabase)—that is, when theorigin object in a composite relationship is edited, it sendsmessages to its related destination objects. The related objectswill respond to that messaging in a standard way: if the

When an object that participates in relationships with other objects isdeleted from the database, all of its relationships are also deleted.

Shape Area Stories

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Liz Freeman

Maurice Richard

Gary Carter

Algometrics Inc.

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PRI

COM

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4/12/1971

5/4/2000

4 4 4 7/11/2000

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Liz Freeman

Maurice Richard

Gary Carter

PRI

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4/12/1971

5/4/2000

Delete object

Destination class—ParcelsOrigin class—Owners

Relationship class—ParcelOwners

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Create new related objects

When you use the Attributes dialog box to create new related objects, arelationship is created back to the object from which it was created. If therelationships are maintained using primary and foreign keys, then theforeign key in the destination object is populated with the primary key ofthe origin object.



destination objects are nonspatial objects, then they will notchange. However, if the destination objects are features when theorigin object is moved, then the destination objects will alsomove the same distance. If the origin object is rotated, then thedestination objects will also be rotated by the same angle.

Similar to simple relationships, composite relationships alsomaintain referential integrity when objects are deleted, but theydo this in a different way. When the origin object in a compositerelationship is deleted, all of the objects related to it through thatcomposite relationship are also deleted. This cascade deletion willhappen whether messaging is set to forward, back, both, or none.

When a destination object is deleted, the relationship between itand the origin object is deleted; the origin object itself is notdeleted or modified.

Splitting features that participate in relationships

Splitting a single geodatabase feature into two separate featuresis actually a delete and create operation—that is, the originalfeature is deleted and two new features are created. This hasimplications when the feature being split has relationships withother objects in the database.

With simple relationships, when an origin feature is split, therelationships between the original feature and its relateddestination objects are deleted. When the new features are

Selected pole

Transformer

Primary conductor

Service

Pole

When an origin object in a composite relationship is moved andmessaging is set to forward or both, if the related objects are features,they will move the same distance to follow the feature. In this example,the selected pole is the origin object and the transformer is thedestination object.

When an origin object in a composite relationship is deleted, alldestination objects related to it through a composite relationship are alsodeleted.

Origin class—Poles

Shape TranTypeObjectID

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Destination class—Transformers


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Delete origin object



created from the split operation, new relationships are createdbetween the new feature with the larger portion of the originalfeature’s geometry and the destination objects that were relatedto the original feature.

In the case of a composite relationship, the behavior is different.When an origin feature in a composite relationship is split, anyobjects related to it through that composite relationship aredeleted before the two resulting new features are created from thesplit.

When splitting a destination feature in either a simple orcomposite relationship, the relationships between the original

feature and the related origin objects are deleted, and the newrelationships are created between the origin objects and both newfeatures that result from the split.

The behavior of splitting objects with relationships describedhere is the default behavior. You can override this behavior at theclass level by writing a class extension that implements theIFeatureClassEdit interface. The IFeatureClassEdit interface has aproperty called CustomSplitPolicyForRelationship that allowsyou to specify how relationships are handled when features aresplit. To learn more about class extensions and how to implementthem, see Exploring ArcObjects.

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Split origin object

When an origin object in a composite relationship is split, its destinationobjects are deleted.

When splitting a destination feature in either a simple or compositerelationship, the relationships between the original feature and the relatedorigin objects are deleted, and the new relationships are created betweenthe origin objects and both new features that result from the split.

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Editingrelationships andrelated objectsThe tasks presented here are allexamples of editing relation-ships between water lateralsand hydrants in a waternetwork. The rules of thisrelationship class state that ahydrant lateral must have ahydrant related to it and thathydrants cannot be related toother lateral types.

Editing a related object


2. Click the hydrant lateralwhose related hydrant youwant to modify.


4. Double-click the lateral in theleft panel of the Attributesdialog box.

5. Double-click the relationshippath label.

The related hydrant objectsare listed below the pathlabel.

6. Click the ID number of therelated hydrant whoseattributes you want to modify.

7. Modify the attributes of thehydrant object by clicking thevalue and typing a value orclicking the value andchoosing the new value fromthe list.

Tip

Relationship rules andtopologyIt is important to distinguishrelationships and relationship rulesfrom topology and its associatedrules. To learn more abouttopology, see Chapter 4, ‘Editingtopology’.

3

2

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7

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45



Selecting a related object


2. Click the hydrant lateralwhose related hydrant youwant to modify.


4. Double-click the lateral in theleft panel of the Attributesdialog box.

5. Double-click the relationshippath label.

The related hydrant objectsare listed below the pathlabel.

6. Right-click the relatedhydrant you want to add tothe map’s selection and clickSelect. u

2

4

6

5



The hydrant is added to theselection.

The hydrant is added to the selection.



Creating a newrelationship betweenfeatures


2. Click the features betweenwhich you want to createrelationships.


4. Double-click one of thefeatures in the left panel.

5. Right-click the relationshippath label and click AddSelected. u

Tip

Relating objectsBefore adding a relationshipbetween two objects, you must firstcreate a relationship class betweenthe feature classes or tablescontaining the objects you want torelate. To learn more about how tocreate relationship classes, seeBuilding a Geodatabase.

1

2

3

5

4



The selected object orobjects are now added to thelist of selected objects underthe relationship class pathlabel.

Relationshipsto the selected

objects areadded.



Creating a newrelationship between afeature and a nonspatialobject


2. Click the feature to which youwant to create a relationship.

3. In the table of contents, right-click the table that containsthe objects that you arerelating to, then click Open. u

2

3



4. Click the object in the tablewith which you want to createa relationship to the selectedfeature.


6. Double-click the feature inthe left panel.

7. Right-click the relationshippath label and click AddSelected.


The object is listed under the relationship path label.

4

5

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Deleting a relationship


2. Click the feature from whichyou want to delete arelationship.



5. Double-click the relationshippath label to see a list ofrelated objects.

6. Right-click the object fromwhich you want to delete therelationship and clickRemove From Relationship. u

1

2

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54



The object is no longer listedunder the relationship pathlabel.


7

The object is no longer listed under the relationship path label.



Creating new relatednonspatial objects


2. Click the feature for whichyou want to create a newrelated object.


4. Double-click the feature inthe left panel. u

2

3

4

See Also

You cannot use the Add Newcommand in the Attributes dialogbox to create new related features.See ‘Creating new related fea-tures’, later in this chapter, to learnhow to create new related features.



5. Right-click the relationshippath label and click AddNew.

A new object is created andrelated to the selectedfeature.

6. Click the new object in theleft panel to see its attributes.

5

6

A new object is created in the related class and a relationship iscreated between it and the selected feature.



Creating new relatedfeatures

1. Use ArcMap sketch tools tocreate the new feature.


3. Hold down the Shift key andclick the feature for which youwant to create a relationshipto the new feature.

Both the new feature and thefeature you are relating it toshould be selected. u

See Also

To learn more about ArcMapsketch tools and how to create newfeatures, see Chapter 2, ‘Editingbasics’, and Chapter 3, ‘Creatingnew features’.

3

1





6. Right-click the relationshippath label and click AddSelected.


A relationship tothe selected

object is added.

5

6

4



Deleting related objects


2. Click the feature whoserelated object you want todelete.



5. Double-click the relationshippath label to see a list ofrelated objects.

6. Right-click the object youwant to delete and clickDelete.

The object is deleted and nolonger listed under therelationship path label.

Tip

Deleting related featuresYou can also delete related featuresusing the Delete command on theRelationship context menu in theAttributes dialog box.

The object is no longer listed under the relationship path label.

2

6

54



Editing features withcomposite relationships


2. Click the origin feature in thecomposite relationship youwant to edit.

3. Click and drag the feature toa new location.

The related features movethe same x,y distance as theorigin feature you moved. u

Tip

The Attributes dialog boxThe Attributes dialog box behavesthe same way with compositerelationships as it does withcreating or deleting new features orrelationships.

1

2

3

The related features move the same distanceas the feature you moved.


ArcInfo and ArcEditor4. Click the Rotate tool.

5. Click anywhere on the mapand drag the pointer to rotatethe feature to the desiredlocation.

The related features rotatewith the feature.

6. Click the Edit tool and click adestination feature in acomposite relationship.

7. Click and drag the feature toa new location.

The origin feature in therelationship doesn’t move. u

4

7

The origin feature doesn’t move.

5

The related features rotate with the feature.



8. Click the origin feature againand click Delete.

Both the feature and itsrelated features are deleted.

Both the origin feature and its related features are deleted.



Validating relationships

1. Click the Edit tool and clickthe feature or features youwant to validate.

2. Click Editor and click ValidateFeatures.

A message box appearstelling you how manyfeatures are invalid. Onlyinvalid features remainselected. u

Tip

Relationship rulesRelationship rules can be broken intwo ways: when a feature is relatedto a subtype of the related class forwhich no valid rule applies orwhen a cardinality rule is broken.

To learn more about relationshiprules, see Building a Geodatabase.

2



3. Click OK.

4. Click one of the invalidfeatures.

5. Repeat step 2.

A dialog box appearsinforming you why theselected feature is invalid.

6. Click OK.

7. Make the necessary edits tothe relationships or therelated objects to make thefeature valid. This mayinvolve adding and deletingrelationships or altering thesubtype of one or all of thefeatures.

8. Repeat step 2—a messagebox appears informing youthat all the features are valid.

9. Click OK.

3

6

9

IN THIS CHAPTER

327


12• Editing network features

• Creating network edges

• Subsuming network junctions

• Enabled and disabled features

• The Network Editing toolbar

• Validating network features

Editing geometric networks

In addition to simple features, ArcMap lets you edit collections of featuresrelated in a geometric network. In a geodatabase, a geometric networkcontains special types of network features that enable connectivity tracing,network connectivity rules, and specialized junction or switch modelingbehavior.

Geometric networks are useful for modeling networks of wires, pipes, ornatural water flow networks. Networks are built of edge and junctionfeatures. Edges model linear features such as pipes, wires, and streams.Junctions model nodes in the network—places where edges connect toeach other—such as fittings, valves, and hydrants; switches, fuses, andtransformers; or confluences, gauging stations, and water quality monitoringdevices.

There are two broad categories of network features: simple and complex.Simple edge features are connected to junctions at each end. Snappinganother feature along the length of a simple edge feature splits the edge intotwo simple edges. Complex edge features are connected to junctions ateach end but may also have junctions connected to them along their length;they do not split when junctions are added. Simple junction features connectedges. Complex junctions are single custom features that can have internalnetworks of edges and junctions. A pump station might be modeled as asingle complex junction feature in a water network, but it might becomposed of a group of pipes, valves, and pumps that have complexinternal network connectivity.



Editing network features

Geometric network features store various mechanisms andbehaviors that maintain the topological connectivity betweenthem. ArcMap editing capabilities are tightly integrated with thegeodatabase when it comes to editing network features.

Creating connectivity

The connectivity of network features is based on geometriccoincidence. If a junction is added along an edge or one edge isadded along another edge, they will become connected to oneanother.

By using the ArcMap snapping environment, you can create newedge and junction features on the fly while maintaining networkconnectivity. The ArcMap snapping functionality will guaranteegeometric coincidence when adding new network features alongexisting network features.

Simple and complex edges

An edge in a geometric network can be either simple or complex.A simple edge in a geometric network has a 1–1 relationship withedge elements in the logical network. A complex edge has a 1–Mrelationship with edge elements in the logical network. Onecomplex edge in the geometric network can represent multipleedges in the logical network. Simple and complex edges alwayshave junctions at their endpoints.

If you snap a junction or edge along a simple edge, then the edgebeing snapped to is split both in the logical network and in thegeometric network, giving you two edge features. If you snap ajunction or an edge along a complex edge, then that edge is splitin the logical network but remains a single feature in thegeometric network. It will remain a single feature; however, a newvertex is created at the point where the new junction or edgeconnects to it.

Default junctions

When you snap an edge to another edge where there is nojunction, a junction is automatically inserted to establishconnectivity. If a default junction type has been specified as partof the connectivity rules for the network, that default junctiontype is used. If there is no edge–edge rule between these edgetypes, an orphan junction is inserted, which is stored in the<network>_Junctions feature class.

Similarly, if you create a new edge in the network that is notsnapped to an existing junction or edge at both ends, a junctionis automatically created and connected to the free end of the newedge. If there is a connectivity rule in place that defines a defaultjunction type for the type of edge that is being added, thatdefault junction type is the junction that is added to the free endof the new feature. If an edge type does not have a defaultjunction type associated with it through a connectivity rule, thenan orphan junction is inserted, which is stored in the<network>_Junctions feature class.

Junction subsumption

When you snap a junction to an existing orphan junction, theorphan junction is subsumed by the new junction. That is, theorphan junction is deleted from the network, and the new junctionis inserted in its place. All network connectivity is maintained.Orphan junctions cannot subsume other orphan junctions. Whena junction is snapped to another junction other than an orphanjunction, subsumption does not occur and the junction is notconnected.

When you create a new edge feature in the network that has anend that does not connect to anything and there is not aconnectivity rule stating what type of junction to put at its freeend, a network orphan junction is inserted. This orphan junctioncan be subsumed by snapping another junction to it.

EDITING GEOMETRIC NETWORKS 329


Moving existing network features

When a network edge or junction is moved, the network featuresto which it is connected respond by rubber-banding andadjusting themselves to maintain connectivity. When you move anetwork feature and snap it to another network feature, thefeatures may become connected (see below).

Connectivity models

Edit operations that involve adding, deleting, moving, andsubsuming network features can affect the connectivity of ageometric network. Each type of operation may or may not createconnectivity, depending on the type of network featuresinvolved. The following set of diagrams illustrates various editingscenarios and their resulting connectivity or lack thereof. In thesediagrams, use the key below to identify what types of features areillustrated in each scenario:

Stretching and moving: When stretching or moving junctions,any edges connected to them rubber-band to remain connected.When you snap these junctions to other network features, thefollowing illustration summarizes the network connectivity thatresults:

Connectivity behavior when stretching and moving network features



Deleting: Deleting network features can affect those featuresconnected to them. When you delete an edge feature, the edge isphysically deleted from the geometric network and logicallydeleted from the logical network; however, its connected junctionfeatures will not be deleted. When deleting junction features, ifthe junction being deleted is not of an orphan junction type, itwill not be physically deleted from the geometric network. Ratherthan being deleted, the junction will become an orphan junction.When you delete an orphan junction, it is physically deleted fromthe geometric network. When this happens, depending on howmany edges are connected to it, some edges may also be deleted.The following illustration summarizes the results of deletingnetwork junctions:

Disconnecting features: The following illustration summarizeshow connectivity is affected when disconnecting network edgefeatures and junction features using the Disconnect command inArcMap:

Connectivity behavior when deleting network features

Connectivity behavior when disconnecting network features



Creating new network features: When creating new networkfeatures and snapping them to other network junction and edgefeatures, the resulting connectivity and the effects on thefeatures you connect them to are summarized below:

Connecting features: The following illustration summarizes howconnectivity is affected when connecting network features usingthe Connect command in ArcMap:

Connectivity behavior when connecting network features.

Connectivity behavior when creating new network features.



Repairing network connectivity

Connectivity between network features is maintained on the flyas you create, delete, and modify network features. In somecircumstances, the association between some network featuresand their logical elements may become out of sync. This canhappen, for example, when using a custom tool that does notcorrectly handle aborting edit operations.

This kind of network inconsistency is localized to a collection offeatures in the network. You will be able to see what features haveinconsistent connectivity in two ways: (1) when moving anetwork feature, if rubber-banding does not occur with othernetwork features it is connected to and the edit operation fails,the connectivity is inconsistent, and (2) reconciling a versionwith inconsistent network features will result in an error (to learnmore about reconciling versions, see Chapter 15, ‘Working with aversioned geodatabase’). The Rebuild Connectivity tool inArcMap rebuilds connectivity for a set of network features in anextent by re-creating their logical elements. Connectivity isestablished based on geometric coincidence, using the same rulesas described in Building a Geodatabase.

The Repair Connectivity command in ArcMap repairs theconnectivity within an entire geometric network or theconnectivity within the currently edited version of ArcSDE. TheRepair Connectivity command can be used if a large number offeatures have inconsistent connectivity or if the features extendacross a large part of the network.

In addition to the Rebuild Connectivity tool and RepairConnectivity command, ArcMap also contains a set of tools andcommands for identifying network features with eitherinconsistent connectivity or illegal network geometry. These arethe Network Build Errors, Verify Network Connectivity, and VerifyNetwork Geometry commands and the Verify Network

Connectivity and Verify Network Geometry tools. These toolsand commands can be accessed from the Network Editing toolbar.

For more information on the Network Build Errors command, see‘Creating geometric networks: an overview’ in the ArcGISDesktop Help.

Performance considerations

Connectivity is established for new network features based ongeometric coincidence. When you add or move a feature in anetwork, each feature class in the network must be analyzed soconnectivity can be established. Performing a spatial queryagainst each network class will determine if the new feature ormoved feature is coincident with other network features at anypoint.

If the network is in an ArcSDE geodatabase, then analyzing forconnectivity requires a number of spatial queries against theserver. By using the map cache while editing the network, thesespatial queries are much faster and are not as much of a load onthe server. When editing network data in an ArcSDEgeodatabase, always use the map cache. For more information onthe map cache, see Chapter 2, ‘Editing basics’, or Using ArcMap.



Creating a new networkedge at an existingjunction

1. Add your network featureclasses to ArcMap and addthe Editor toolbar.


3. Zoom to the area where youwant to add the new feature.

4. Click the Tool Palettedropdown arrow and clickthe Sketch tool.


6. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and clickthe type of edge feature youwant to create. u

See Also

For more information on theArcMap snapping environment, seeChapter 3, ‘Creating new features’.

Tip

Geometric networks andtopologyIt is important to distinguishgeometric networks and theirrelationships from topology and itsassociated rules. To learn moreabout topology, see Chapter 4,‘Editing topology’.

Creating networkedgesThrough the basic editor toolsin ArcMap, you can createnetwork edges in conjunctionwith your preexisting features.This includes adding networkedges at an existing junction,along a complex edge, or alonga simple edge.

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ArcInfo and ArcEditor7. Check the appropriate boxes

in the Snapping Environmentwindow to set snapping tothe vertex of the junctionfeature class to which youwant to snap the new edge.

8. Move the mouse pointer nearthe junction until the pointersnaps to it.

9. Click the map to create thenew feature’s vertices.

10. Double-click the last vertexto finish the feature. u

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You have now created a newnetwork edge. Since yousnapped it to an existingnetwork junction, it is auto-matically connected to thenetwork.

If there is an edge–junctionrule for the new edge with adefault end junction typespecified, this junction typewill be placed at the free endof the new edge. If there isnot an edge–junction rulethat specifies a defaultjunction, an orphan junctionwill be placed at the end ofthe new edge. For informa-tion on how to replace theorphan junction with anotherjunction type, see ‘Subsum-ing network junctions’ later inthis chapter.

Tip

Default junctionYou can specify what type ofjunction is placed at the free end ofnew edges by creating an edge–junction rule. For more informa-tion on connectivity rules, seeBuilding a Geodatabase.

The network junction ororphan junction is addedto the end of the edge.



Creating a new networkedge along a complexedge

1. Follow steps 1–6 for ‘Creat-ing a new network edge at anexisting junction’ in thischapter.

2. Check the appropriate boxesin the Snapping Environmentwindow to set snapping tothe edge of the complexedge feature class to whichyou want to snap the newedge.

3. Move the mouse pointer overthe complex edge until thepointer snaps to it.


5. Double-click the last vertex tofinish the feature. u

Tip

Adding junctions alongcomplex edgesYou can also snap a junction alonga complex edge. Similar tosnapping an edge, the junction isconnected to the network. Thecomplex edge is split in the logicalnetwork but remains a singlefeature.

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You have now created a newnetwork edge. Since yousnapped it to the edge of anexisting edge, if there is anedge–edge connectivity rulebetween these edges, a newjunction is created—thedefault junction type for thatrule. If there is no edge–edgerule, then the new junction isan orphan network junction.

If there is an edge–junctionrule for the new edge thathas a default end junctiontype specified, this junctiontype will be added. If there isno edge–junction connectiv-ity rule, an orphan junction isadded.

Since the edge that wassnapped to is a complexedge, it remains as a singlefeature but is split in thelogical network.


7. Click the complex edge towhich you snapped your newedge.

The entire edge is selectedeven though another edgeand junction are connectedalong it. It remains a singlefeature.

The default junction forthe edge–edge rule isadded.

Tip


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Creating a new networkedge along a simple edge

1. Follow steps 1–6 for‘Creating a new networkedge at an existing junction’in this chapter.

2. Check the appropriate boxesin the Snapping Environmentwindow to set snapping tothe edge of the simple edgefeature class to which youwant to snap the new edge.

3. Move the mouse pointer nearthe simple edge until thepointer snaps to it.


5. Double-click the last vertex tofinish the feature. u

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You have now created a newnetwork edge. Since yousnapped it to the edge of anexisting edge, if there is anedge–edge connectivity rulebetween these edges, a newjunction is created, which isthe default junction type forthat rule. If there is no edge–edge rule, then the newjunction is an orphan networkjunction.

If there is an edge–junctionrule for the new edge with adefault end junction typespecified, this junction typewill be added. If there is noedge–junction connectivityrule, an orphan junction isadded.

Because the edge that wassnapped to is a simple edge,it is split into two new edgefeatures. The value of theattributes in the new featuresis determined by their splitpolicies.


7. Click the simple edge towhich you snapped your newedge.

There are now two edgessplit at the new junction.

See Also

For more information on splitpolicies and how they affectattribute values, see Building aGeodatabase.

Tip

Adding junctions alongsimple edgesYou can also snap a junction alonga simple edge. Similar to snappingan edge, the junction is connectedto the network. The simple edge issplit into two new features.

The default junction forthe edge–edge rule isadded.

Tip


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ArcInfo and ArcEditor1. Follow steps 1–4 for

‘Creating a new networkedge at an existing junction’in this chapter.

2. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and click thetype of junction feature youwant to create.

3. Check the appropriate boxesin the Snapping Environmentwindow to set snapping tothe vertex of the junctionfeature class that you want tosubsume.

4. Move the mouse pointer nearthe junction you wantto subsume with a newjunction until the pointersnaps to it. u

Subsumingnetwork junctionsYou may wish to replacenetwork junction attributes withattributes associated withanother junction type. Forexample, in a utilities network, avalve type or pole characteristicmight change. Through basicediting functions, the propertiesof a junction can be subsumedby properties of another type.

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5. Click once to subsume thejunction.

The original junction isdeleted and replaced withthe new junction; networkconnectivity is maintained.

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The original junction is deleted and replaced with the new junction.



Moving existing networkfeatures

1. Follow steps 1 and 2 for‘Creating a new networkedge at an existing junction’.


3. Click the network junctionsand edges that you want tomove.

4. Click and drag the features tothe new location.

Other network elements thatare connected to the featuresrubber-band. This shows howother network elements areaffected by moving theselected features.

All of the features that rubber-banded while you draggedyour selected features areautomatically updated tomaintain networkconnectivity.

Tip

Undoing network editsIf you move a network feature,other network features also move.Clicking the Undo button will undothe edits to all the affected features.To learn more about undoing edits,see Chapter 2, ‘Editing basics’.

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Cancelling the moveoperationPressing the Esc key while movingthe network features will cancel themove operation.



Altering a junction’sancillary network role


2. Click the network junctionwhose ancillary role youwant to change.


4. Click the value forAncillaryRole.

5. If you want this junctionfeature to act as a sink in thenetwork, click Sink.

If you want this junctionfeature to act as a source inthe network, click Source.

If you don’t want this junctionfeature to be either a sourceor a sink, click None.

6. Repeat steps 3–5 until all thejunctions whose ancillaryroles you want to change areupdated.

7. Use the tools found on theUtility Network Analyst toolbar to recalculate the flow

direction of the network.

See Also

To learn how to set flow directionfor a network and other networkanalysis tools, see Building aGeodatabase.

Tip

Ancillary rolesNot all network junction featurescan have ancillary roles. Thosethat don’t have them can’t act assources or sinks in the network. Tolearn more about network ancillaryroles, see Building a Geodatabase.

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Enabling and disablingnetwork features


2. Click the network feature youwant to enable or disable.


4. Click the value for Enabled.

5. Click True if you want toenable the feature in thenetwork.

Click False if you want todisable the feature in thenetwork.

Enabled anddisabled networkfeaturesIf a feature in the network isdisabled, it cannot be tracedthrough. To learn more aboutnetwork tracing, see Building aGeodatabase.

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Enabling network featuresBy default, all network featureshave an Enabled value of Truewhen created.



Adding the NetworkEditing toolbar

1. Click Editor, point to MoreEditing Tools, and clickNetwork Editing.

The Network Editing toolbarwill appear in the ArcMapwindow.

The NetworkEditing toolbarThe Network Editing toolbarcontains tools used for manag-ing geometric network connec-tivity. The connectivitybetween coincident networkfeatures can be explicitlychanged. Instances can arisewhen parts of a geometricnetwork need to be repaired; afeature having invalid geometryor connectivity betweenfeatures is incorrect.

Features with invalid geometrymay exist within feature classesused in building a geometricnetwork. These features can beidentified and their geometriesrepaired. Network connectivity u

Tip

About connecting anddisconnecting networkfeaturesIn some cases, you may wish todisconnect a feature from thenetwork. Disconnecting a featuredoes not delete it from the data-base; it removes the topologicalassociations it has to other featuresin the network. Similarly, connect-ing a feature to the network createstopological relationships betweenthe feature and its coincidentfeatures.

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Disconnecting a featurefrom the network

1. Select the feature that youwant to disconnect from thenetwork.

2. Click the Disconnect tool onthe Network Editing toolbar.

Connecting a feature tothe network

1. Select the feature that youwant to connect to thenetwork.

2. Click the Connect tool on theNetwork Editing toolbar.

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Disconnecting features andtracingDon’t use the Disconnect commandto remove a feature from consider-ation during network tracing.Instead, either change its Enabledvalue or place a Barrier on thefeature.

between features may becomeout of sync or inconsistent.These features can be identifiedand their connectivity repairedand reestablished.

Tip

Using the Network BuildErrors commandThe Network Build Errorscommand creates a selection of thefeatures with invalid shapes usingthe error table generated duringthe network build. Invalid shapesinclude lines that contain multipleparts, lines that form a closed loop,lines that have zero length, andfeatures that do not contain shapes.Once created, the selection set maybe used to identify and find thefeatures that cause the particularerror. For more information onbuilding geometric networks, seeBuilding a Geodatabase.

The Network Build Errorscommand



Verifying networkconnectivity

1. Click one of the featureclasses in the geometricnetwork in the ArcMap tableof contents.

2. Click the Verify Connectivitytool on the Network Editingtoolbar.

3. Click and drag a box aroundthe network features whoseconnectivity you wish toverify.

The tool will examine thefeatures and create aselection set of the networkfeatures with inconsistentconnectivity. You can thenuse the Rebuild Connectivitytool or the Repair Connectiv-ity command to repair theconnectivity of the features. Ifall connectivity is correct, amessage box will appearinforming you so.

Tip

Ensuring networkconnectivityThe Verify Connectivity tool verifiesthe connectivity between edges andjunctions in the logical network.

The tool searches for features withno corresponding networkelements, features with one or moremissing network elements, featureswith duplicate network elements,features associated with invalidnetwork elements, and featuresassociated with or connected to anonexistent network feature.

Tip

Canceling the VerifyConnectivity operationPressing the Esc key while definingthe area of interest will cancel theoperation.

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Verifying the entiregeometric networkThe Verify Connectivity commandwill verify the connectivity of theentire network.

The Verify Connectivitycommand



Rebuilding networkconnectivity


2. Click the RebuildConnectivity tool on theNetwork Editing toolbar.

3. Click and drag a box aroundthe network features whosenetwork connectivity youwant to rebuild.

Tip

Rebuilding connectivityDuring the course of editing,network connectivity is maintainedon the fly. You do not need to usethe Rebuild Connectivity tool unlessthe network connectivity hasbecome inconsistent for some ofyour network features.

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Repairing connectivityThe Repair Connectivity commandwill repair connectivity errors inthe logical network.

During the process of repairingnetwork connectivity, actions mayoccur that require review by theuser. A message box will appear atthe end of the process listing thetype of warning, the feature class,and the object ID of the feature.

The warning types can be for thecreation of new orphan junctions,invalid geometries, coincidentjunctions, or coincident vertices.

The Repair Connectivitycommand



Verifying network featuregeometry


2. Click the Verify NetworkFeature Geometry tool on theNetwork Editing toolbar.

3. Click and drag a box aroundthe network features whosegeometry you wish to verify.

The tool will examine thefeatures and create aselection set of the networkfeatures whose featuregeometry is invalid. You canthen use the basic editingtools to correct the geometryof the features. If all featuregeometry is correct, amessage box will appearinforming you so.

Tip

Ensuring network featuregeometryThe Verify Network FeatureGeometry tool verifies that thegeometry of features that partici-pate in the geometric network arevalid shapes. Invalid shapesinclude features that have emptygeometry, edge features thatcontain multiple parts, edgefeatures that form a closed loop,and edge features that have zerolength.

Tip

Canceling the VerifyNetwork Feature GeometryoperationPressing the Esc key while definingthe area of interest will cancel theoperation.

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Verifying the entiregeometric networkThe Verify Network FeatureGeometry command will verify thefeature geometry of the entirenetwork or any subset of selectedfeatures.

The Verify Network FeatureGeometry command



2. Click the network featuresyou want to validate.

3. Click Editor and click ValidateFeatures. u

Validatingnetwork featuresThe validation process ensuresthat the network features followthe connectivity rules. Thisenables you to find thosefeatures that were modified andare in conflict with the predeter-mined network connectivityrules.

For more information on how tocreate and modify connectivityrules, see Building aGeodatabase.

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If there are any invalidfeatures, a message boxappears telling you howmany of the features areinvalid. Only those featuresthat are invalid remainselected.

4. Click OK.

5. Click one of the invalidnetwork features.

6. Repeat step 3.

A dialog box appearsinforming you why theselected feature is invalid.

7. Click OK.

8. Make the necessary edits tothe network to make thefeature valid. This mayinvolve performing some ofthe network editing tasksdescribed earlier in thischapter.

9. Repeat step 3—you shouldsee a message box informingyou that all the features arevalid.

10. Click OK.

Tip

Validation rulesNetwork features may haveconnectivity rules as well asattribute and relationship valida-tion rules associated with them. Tolearn more about validatingattribute and relationship rules, seethe tasks outlined earlier in thischapter.

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Validating connectivityrulesConnectivity rules are validatedfollowing subtype and attributevalidation.

IN THIS CHAPTER

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Editing annotation 13• Working with annotation in the

geodatabase

• Updating annotation created inArcGIS 8

• Converting labels to annotation

• Creating new annotation features

• The Annotation toolbar

• Editing the size and position ofannotation features

• Editing the appearance ofannotation features

• Working with feature-linkedannotation

Adding text to a map can often enhance the display of geographic featuresand improve your map’s overall presentation. Text adds information andprovides a context for the map and can help clarify features or the messageof a map. You can also use text to add emphasis or focus to a particulararea, feature, or trend, for example.

Using annotation is one option in ArcGIS for storing text to place on yourmaps. Annotation can be used to describe particular features or add generalinformation to the map. You can use annotation, much like labels, to adddescriptive text for many map features, or you can manually annotate just afew features. With annotation, the position, text string, and display propertiesare all stored together and are all individually editable. Annotation providesflexibility in the appearance and placement of your text because you canselect individual pieces of text and edit them.

Annotation can be linked directly to the feature that is being described. Forexample, a feature class that contains streets may have the street’s nameassociated with each street feature. Annotation can also be a piece of textthat exists independently of any other feature, such as the name of amountain range on a map.

This chapter describes the tools used to edit annotation stored in ageodatabase. You’ll learn about creating annotation features using differentconstruction methods, modifying where your annotation is placed and how itlooks, and creating and working with feature-linked annotation.


Annotation in the geodatabase

When creating new annotation or when converting from existingannotation or labels, you can choose to store your newannotation in a geodatabase or in a particular map document. Ifyou have many pieces of annotation, annotation that needs to beused outside a single map document, or several people who areconcurrently editing the annotation, you will want to store yourannotation in a geodatabase. The specialized tools for creatingand editing annotation that are presented in this chapter can onlybe used with annotation that is stored in a geodatabase.

Working with geodatabase annotation

Storing annotation in a geodatabase is similar to storinggeographic features—lines, points, and polygons—in ageodatabase. Annotation in the geodatabase is stored in specialfeature classes called annotation classes. Geographic featuresare stored as ESRI Simple Features, while annotation is stored asESRI Annotation Features.

You can add annotation stored in a geodatabase to any map, andit appears as an annotation layer in the ArcMap table of contents.Like other feature classes in the geodatabase, all features in anannotation class have a geographic location, an extent, andattributes and can either be inside a feature dataset or bestandalone feature classes in a geodatabase. However,annotation is unique because, unlike simple features, eachannotation feature has its own symbology, including font, color,and so on. Annotation is often text, but it can also include shapesand graphics, such as boxes and arrows.

Geodatabase annotation can be standard annotation or feature-linked annotation. Standard annotation elements are pieces ofgeographically placed text that are not formally associated withfeatures in the geodatabase. For example, you might have a pieceof standard annotation that represents a mountain range—the

annotation simply marks the general area on the map. Feature-linked annotation is a special type of geodatabase annotationthat is linked by a geodatabase relationship class to the featuresthat are being annotated. If you have an ArcEditor or ArcInfolicense, you can create and edit feature-linked annotation; if youhave an ArcView license, you can view feature-linked annotationbut not create or edit it.

If you want to use the Annotation toolbar construction tools orthe Convert Labels to Annotation command with geodatabasesand annotation created in ArcGIS 8, you’ll need to upgrade yourgeodatabase to ArcGIS 9 and use the Update Annotation FeatureClass tool in ArcToolbox™. To learn how to upgrade ageodatabase, see Chapter 2, ‘Editing basics’. To learn how to usethe Update Annotation Feature Class tool, see ‘Updatingannotation created in ArcGIS 8’ in this chapter.

If you have annotation in other formats, such as coverage orCAD, you can also use ArcToolbox to convert these formats intogeodatabase annotation. To learn more, see Building aGeodatabase or the ArcGIS Desktop Help.

Feature-linked annotation

The text in feature-linked annotation reflects the value of a fieldor fields from the feature to which it is linked. For example, ahydrant in a water network may be annotated with its pressure,which is stored in a field in the feature class. In the same network,the water transmission mains may be annotated with their names.

Annotation links to features through a composite relationshipwith messaging. The feature class being annotated is the originclass in the relationship, while the annotation feature class is thedestination class. As with other composite relationships, theorigin feature controls the destination feature—meaning thelocation and lifetime of the annotation. When the origin feature ismoved or rotated, the linked annotation also moves or rotates

Working with annotation in the geodatabase

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EDITING ANNOTATION 355

with it. And when an origin feature is deleted from thegeodatabase, the linked annotation feature is also deleted. Inaddition, if an attribute value for the origin feature changes,feature-linked annotation has special behavior to automaticallyupdate the linked annotation that is based on this attribute. Anannotation feature class can link to only one feature class, but afeature class can have any number of linked annotation featureclasses.

For example, a hydrant in the water network is moved by 50 feet.When the hydrant is moved, its linked annotation moves with it.In the same network, the name of a transmission main maychange. When the value in its name field is modified, the textstored in its linked annotation feature is automatically changed aswell.

To learn more about working with labels and annotation, seeUsing ArcMap. To learn more about working with feature-linkedannotation and converting annotation formats to geodatabaseannotation, see Building a Geodatabase.


1. Upgrade your ArcGIS 8geodatabase. To learn how,see Chapter 2, ‘Editingbasics’.

2. Click the ArcToolbox button.

3. Double-click the DataManagement Tools toolbox.

4. Double-click the FeatureClass toolset.

5. Double-click the UpdateAnnotation Feature Classtool.

6. Click the Browse button andnavigate to the ArcGIS 8annotation feature class youwant to update.

7. Click the annotation featureclass and click Add.

8. Click OK to execute the tool.

9. Add the updated annotationfeature class to ArcMap.

Updatingannotationcreated inArcGIS 8If you have a geodatabasecreated in ArcGIS 8, you’ll needto do two things before you canuse some of the ArcGIS 9labeling and annotation toolswith your data.

You’ll first need to upgradeyour geodatabase. To learnhow, see Chapter 2, ‘Editingbasics’.

After you’ve upgraded yourgeodatabase, you’ll need to runthe Update Annotation FeatureClass tool on your ArcGIS 8annotation feature classes.Once you’ve done this, you canappend annotation into thesefeature classes with the ConvertLabels to Annotation commandor use the Annotation toolbarconstruction and editing toolswith them.

It is important to note that youwon’t be able to view updatedannotation in ArcGIS 8. You canalways view earlier versions ofannotation in later versions ofArcGIS.

Geodatabases and annotationfeature classes created inArcGIS 9 do not need to beupdated.

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Converting labelsto annotationLabeling is the process ofautomatically generating textderived from feature attributesand placing it near features on amap. Because labels are notselectable and you cannot editthe properties of individuallabels, you may want to convertyour labels to annotation.Annotation can be stored in amap document or ageodatabase.

When converting togeodatabase annotation,ArcMap can create annotationfeature classes or append toexisting ones. When convertingto feature-linked annotation,ArcMap also creates a relation-ship class to maintain the linkbetween the features and theannotation.

The annotation feature classand relationship class arecreated inside the same featuredataset in which the featureclass is stored or at the geoda-tabase level for a standalonefeature class.

To convert labels in an ArcGIS 8geodatabase, you need toupgrade your geodatabase first.See Chapter 2, ‘Editing basics’,for more information. u

Converting labels togeodatabase annotation

1. Click the Add Data button inArcMap to add the featureclass for which you want tocreate annotation in yourmap.

2. Label the features in yourmap as described in UsingArcMap, including setting areference scale and dataframe extent.

3. Right-click the layer in thetable of contents. To convertlabels from more than onelayer, right-click the dataframe.

4. Click Convert Labels toAnnotation.

5. For Store Annotation, click Ina database.

6. Specify the features you wantto create annotation for.

7. To create feature-linkedannotation, check theFeature Linked box. To createstandard annotation, leavethe box unchecked.

8. If you’re creating standardannotation and want to addthe annotation to an existingstandard annotation featureclass, check the Append box.

9. If you’re creating feature-linked annotation, click thename of the new annotationfeature class to change it. u

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Tip

Adding annotationWhen all of the labels have beenconverted to annotation, the newannotation feature class isautomatically added to the map.

Tip

Using versionsIf you’re appending to an existingannotation feature class, convertyour labels to annotation beforeyou version your data whenpossible.

10. If you’re creating standardannotation, click the OpenFolder button and specify thepath and name of the newannotation feature class youwill create or, if you’reappending, the existingstandard annotation featureclass you’re appending to.

11. If you’re appending to anexisting feature class, skip tostep 17.

12. Click the Properties button.

13. Check the box to requireedited annotation features tomaintain reference to theirassociated text symbolsstored in the feature class.

14. Specify additional editingbehavior for the newannotation feature class.

15. If you are creating the newannotation feature class inan ArcSDE geodatabaseand want to use a customstorage keyword, check theUse configuration keywordbox, then choose thekeyword you want to use(ArcInfo and ArcEditor only).

16. Click OK. u

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To learn more about preparinglabels for conversion andconverting labels to annotationthat is stored in a map docu-ment, see Using ArcMap or theArcGIS Desktop Help.

Tip

Converting label classes toannotationAnnotation classes are to ageodatabase annotation featureclass as label classes are to alayer’s labels. Label classes will beconverted into separate annotationclasses within the annotationfeature class.

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17. Some labels may notcurrently display on the mapbecause there is no room forthem.

To convert these labels,check the Convert unplacedlabels box. This saves theunplaced labels in theannotation feature class,allowing you to later positionthem one at a time in anArcMap edit session.

18. Click Convert.

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Adding unplacedannotation to a map

1. Click the Unplaced Annota-tion button on the Annotationtoolbar.

If the button is unavailable,make sure you are in an editsession.

2. Click the Show dropdownarrow on the UnplacedAnnotation dialog box tosearch in a particularannotation layer or in allvisible annotation layers.

3. Check Visible Extent if youonly want to search forunplaced annotation in thecurrent map extent.


Any unplaced annotationfeatures are listed.

5. Select the annotation featureyou want to place on yourmap.

6. Right-click and click PlaceAnnotation or press thespacebar.

Once placed, the feature isselected and the EditAnnotation tool becomesactive so you can move orresize the feature.

Tip

Drawing unplacedannotationYou can check the Draw box on toshow unplaced annotation on themap. Unplaced annotation featuresare drawn in red.

See Also

After you’ve placed an annotationfeature on your map, the feature isselected and the Edit Annotationtool becomes active. To learn howto move or resize the annotationfeature, see ‘Editing the size andposition of annotation features’ inthis chapter.

See Also

To learn more about convertinglabels to feature-linked annotationand importing annotation into ageodatabase, see Building aGeodatabase.

Tip

Why is the UnplacedAnnotation buttonunavailable?You need to be in an edit sessionfirst. Click Editor, then StartEditing.

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Adding the Annotationtoolbar

1. Click Editor, point to MoreEditing Tools, and clickAnnotation.

Starting an edit sessionand setting the targetannotation feature class

1. Add an annotation featureclass to your map.


3. Click the Target dropdownarrow and click the annota-tion feature class you want toedit.

Creating newannotationfeaturesThe Editor and Annotationtoolbars provide the tools youneed to create new geodatabaseannotation features. TheAnnotation toolbar allows youto choose the constructionmethod—horizontal, curved,and so on—and the symbol ofyour new annotation. You’llenter the text of your annota-tion in the Text box on theAnnotation toolbar, but youcan press a shortcut key tochange the text for constructingnew annotation.

To use the tools on the Annota-tion toolbar, you need to be inan edit session and have anannotation feature class as thetarget. Your annotation featureclass also needs to have asymbol collection: see Buildinga Geodatabase. To use theconstruction tools withArcGIS 8 annotation, you needto upgrade your geodatabaseand update your annotationfeature class.

The tools on the Annotationtoolbar work with annotationstored in a geodatabase.Annotation stored in a mapdocument is created and editedwith the Draw toolbar. To learnmore, see Using ArcMap.

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3You need to set the targetannotation feature classwhen constructing orcopying and pastingannotation features.

1You can also add theAnnotation toolbar fromthe list of toolbars on theView menu.


The Annotation toolbar

Edit Annotation tool:Use to select, modify,and position annotation.

Constructhorizontalannotation.

Construct straight annotation.

Construct annotationwith a leader line.

Construction list: Choose themethod used to constructnew annotation.

Text box: Use to enter thetext of new annotation.

Symbol list: Choose thesymbol used for newannotation.

Unplaced Annotation: View theannotation that was not placed when

converting labels to annotation.


Constructing horizontalannotation

1. Click the Horizontal Annota-tion button on the Annotationtoolbar.

The Sketch tool and Horizon-tal method are activated.

2. Optionally, use the Defaultsymbol or choose anothersymbol from the Symboldropdown list.

3. Type the text you want toplace on your map in the Textbox.

4. Click where you want toplace the annotation on themap.

Tip

Snapping to featuresThe Snap To Feature commandenables snapping when you’reconstructing a new annotationfeature. You can use Snap ToFeature by right-clicking whenconstructing annotation.

Tip

Using the Sketch tool andConstruction dropdown listYou use the Sketch tool with theConstruction dropdown list tocreate annotation. The one-clickbuttons are simply shortcuts thatactivate the Sketch tool and aparticular construction method.

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Horizontal annotation is created.

See Also

To learn how to define annotationclasses and symbols, see Building aGeodatabase.

Tip

Using annotation fromArcGIS 8If you want to use the Annotationtoolbar construction tools withannotation created in ArcGIS 8,you’ll first need to upgrade yourgeodatabase to ArcGIS 9 and usethe Update Annotation FeatureClass tool in ArcToolbox.


Constructing straightannotation

1. Click the Straight Annotationbutton on the Annotationtoolbar.

The Sketch tool and Straightmethod are activated.



4. Click where you want toplace the annotation on themap.

As you move your mouse, thetext will rotate about theanchor point.

5. Click again to finish placingthe annotation.

Tip

Placing annotation at aspecific locationYou can enter coordinates at whichto place your annotation using theAbsolute X,Y dialog box. To useAbsolute X,Y, press F6 or right-click when constructing annotation.

Tip

Using a shortcut to changethe annotation symbolWith the Sketch tool active, pressthe S key to activate the Symbol boxon the Annotation toolbar.

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Straight annotation is created.

Tip

Using the Find Textcommand on the Sketchtool context menuFind Text populates the Text box onthe Annotation toolbar with a textexpression from a feature under thecursor position. If the target is afeature-linked annotation featureclass, text is derived only from afeature in the origin feature class.With a standard annotation featureclass as the target, the text is basedon the label expression of the layercontaining the first visible andselectable feature. You can also useCtrl + W as a shortcut to Find Text.


Constructing annotationthat has a leader line

1. Click the Leader LineAnnotation button on theAnnotation toolbar.

The Sketch tool and LeaderLine method are activated.


If you defined an annotationclass that has a leadersymbol in ArcCatalog, youcan use it. The cursorchanges to the leader linesymbol.


4. Click where you want to startthe annotation feature’sleader line.

5. Drag the annotation featurewhere you want to place it.

6. Click again to finish placingthe annotation.See Also

To learn how to define annotationclasses that include leader linesymbols, see Building aGeodatabase.

Tip

Working with leader linesIn many cases, you’ll just want toadd a leader line or callout to aregular annotation class, such asthe Default class in the Symboldropdown list. This method isflexible because you can set adifferent leader for each annotationfeature or use the same one for allfeatures. You can modify theappearance of the leader andcallout by following the steps in‘Setting leader line symbolproperties’.

If you want to use the same leaderline symbol every time you create anew annotation feature, you canalso use ArcCatalog to create anannotation class that has apredefined leader symbol. Then,when you are creating newannotation features in ArcMap,choose it from the Symboldropdown list. To learn how tomodify the symbology of apredefined leader symbol, seeBuilding a Geodatabase.

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To modify the leader added tothese symbols, see ‘Settingleader line symbol properties’ inthis chapter.

Use ArcCatalog to modify this symbol,which is a predefined annotation class(see Building a Geodatabase).

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Annotation with a leader line is created.


Setting leader linesymbol properties

1. Click Editor on the Editortoolbar and click Options.

2. Click the Annotation tab.

3. Click the Leader button.

4. Click the Type dropdownarrow and click the type ofcallout you want to use.Steps 5–10 apply to linecallouts.

5. Click one of the Style buttonsto set the style of the leaderline.

6. Check Leader.

7. Click Symbol underneath theLeader check box to changethe color and width of theleader line. Click OK on theSymbol Selector dialog box.

8. Optionally, check the AccentBar and Border boxes to addthem to your leader linesymbol. Click Symbol tochange the Accent Bar orBorder symbol properties.

9. Optionally, change the Gapand Leader Tolerance.

10. Optionally, change themargins.

11. Click OK on the Editor dialogbox.

12. Click OK on the EditingOptions dialog box.

Tip

Seeing annotation on themap as you type itWith the Sketch tool active, pressthe A key to activate the Text box onthe Annotation toolbar. This way,you can change the text forconstructing new annotation.

Tip

Switching between theSketch, Edit, and EditAnnotation toolsYou can press the E key to switchbetween the Sketch, Edit, and EditAnnotation tools. After you’veconstructed new annotation withthe Sketch tool, you can use theEdit or Edit Annotation tools toposition or edit its properties.

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Constructing curvedannotation

1. Click the Constructiondropdown arrow and clickCurved.


3. Click the Sketch tool.


5. Click where you want to startthe curved annotation.

6. Click to add vertices to definethe baseline of the curvedannotation feature.

7. Double-click to finish thesketch and place the annota-tion.

Tip

Using the Sketch tool toconstruct annotationYou can use the Sketch tool withany of the methods in the Construc-tion dropdown menu to constructnew annotation.

Tip

Adding a one-click buttonfor curved constructionInstead of using the Sketch tool andthe Construction dropdown menu,you can add a button to constructcurved annotation with a singleclick. You can add the commandfrom the Advanced Edit tools list inthe Customize dialog box.

Tip

Snapping to featuresThe Snap To Feature commandenables snapping when you’reconstructing a new annotationfeature. You can use Snap ToFeature by right-clicking whenconstructing annotation.

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The annotation is placed along the baseline. To learn how to edit thebaseline sketch, see ‘Editing the size and position of annotationfeatures’ in this chapter.


Tip

Adding a one-click buttonfor follow featureconstructionInstead of using the Sketch tool andthe Construction dropdown menu,you can add a button to constructfollow feature annotation with asingle click. You can add thecommand from the Advanced Edittools list in the Customize dialogbox.

Constructing annotationin follow feature mode

1. Click the Constructiondropdown arrow and clickFollow Feature.

2. Optionally, click an annota-tion symbol from the Symboldropdown list.



5. Click the feature you wantyour annotation to follow.

6. Drag the annotation featurewhere you want to place it.

If you want to change howthe annotation follows thefeature, see ‘Setting followfeature mode options’ in thischapter.

7. Click again to place theannotation in the positionyou want along the feature.

Tip

Flipping annotationYou can press the L key to flip theannotation 180 degrees.

Tip

Switching between paralleland perpendicularYou can press the P key to togglethe annotation placement anglebetween parallel and perpendicu-lar.

Tip

Switching sidesWhen the constraint option is Leftside or Right side, you can use theTab key to switch between the sides.

Tip

Using a shortcut to FollowFeature OptionsYou can press the O key to open theFollow Feature Options dialog box.

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Setting follow featuremode options


2. Click the Constructiondropdown arrow and clickFollow Feature.

3. Press the O key to open theFollow Feature Optionsdialog box.

If the dialog box does notopen, you may need to clickthe map first to give it focus.

4. Click Straight or Curved toset whether the annotationwill follow the feature as astraight line through the endpoints of the text string or asa curve.

5. Click Parallel or Perpendicu-lar to set the annotation tofollow parallel along thefeature or perpendicular tothe feature.

6. Click one of the ConstrainPlacement buttons toconstrain the annotationwhen you drag it along thefeature.

7. Optionally, type a value tooffset the annotation from thefeature.

8. Click OK.

See Also

You can also use the FollowFeature Options dialog box withannotation features that you havealready created. See ‘Editing thesize and position of annotationfeatures’ in this chapter for moreinformation.

Tip

Using constraint options infollow feature modeThe Constrain Placement optionsdetermine how annotation isdragged along a feature. Sidecursor is on constrains annotationto the same side as the cursor. Leftside or Right side constrainsrelative to the digitized direction ofthe feature. With On the line,annotation is dragged on top of thefeature.

Tip

Using offsets with On theline placementOffsets do not work with the On theline placement constraint option.

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Deleting annotation

1. Using the Edit Annotationtool or the Edit tool, select theannotation feature you wantto delete.


The annotation feature isremoved from the featureclass.

Copying and pastingannotation

1. Using the Edit Annotationtool or the Edit tool, select theannotation feature you wantto copy and paste.

2. Set the Target to the annota-tion feature class into whichyou want to paste.

3. Right-click and click Copy.

4. Right-click and click Paste.

The annotation feature isadded to the feature classand is pasted on top of thefeature copied. You can usethe Edit or Edit Annotationtools to position the pastedtext.

Tip

Shortcuts to copying andpastingYou can also cut, copy, and pasteusing the standard Windowsshortcuts, which are listed on theEdit menu of the ArcMap Mainmenu.

Tip

Using the Edit and EditAnnotation tools’ contextmenusThe commands on the Edit toolcontext menu are also found on theEdit Annotation tool’s context menu.However, the Edit Annotation toolhas additional commands on itscontext menu.

Tip

Switching between theSketch, Edit, and EditAnnotation toolsWith any of these tools active, pressthe E key to cycle among them.

Tip

Copying and pastingannotationThe new annotation feature ispasted exactly on top of the existingfeature and is selected. You candrag the new, selected feature ashort distance and see that you do,in fact, have both features.

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Editing the sizeand position ofannotationfeaturesYou can use the editing tools inArcMap to edit both feature-linked annotation and standardannotation. Some of the editingtasks you can complete includeresizing, moving, rotating, andapplying various follow featureoptions to your annotation.

The Edit Annotation tool, whichis located on the Annotationtoolbar in ArcMap, is especiallyuseful for modifying annota-tion. The Edit Annotation tool’scontext menu, which you canopen by selecting an annota-tion feature and right-clicking it,provides you with a list of manyannotation editing functions.

To learn about using the EditAnnotation tool to change theway your annotation looks, see‘Editing the appearance ofannotation features’ in thischapter.

Resizing annotation

1. Click the Edit Annotation toolon the Annotation toolbar.

2. Click to select the annotationfeature you want to resize.

3. Move the mouse pointer overthe red resize handle.

The pointer becomes a linewith arrows at both endswhile it’s over the resizehandle.

4. Drag the text to make it largeror smaller.

Tip

Using the resize handleThe resize handle’s location isdetermined by the alignment of thetext. For example, an annotationfeature with text that is left-alignedwill have its resize handle locatedon the right.

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The annotation feature isresized.


Moving annotation

1. Click the Edit Annotation toolor the Edit tool.

2. Select the annotation featureyou want to move.

3. Drag the annotation whereyou want it to be placed.

Tip

Editing multiple annotationfeaturesMany of the commands on the EditAnnotation tool context menu canbe used with more than oneselected annotation feature.

Tip

Getting help for the editingannotation commandsWith the Edit Annotation toolcontext menu open and a commandhighlighted, press Shift + F1 to geta description of that command.Pressing F1 opens the ArcGISDesktop Help, which also containsinformation about the annotationtools.

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The annotation feature ismoved.


Rotating annotationusing the rotate handles


2. Select the annotation youwant to rotate.

3. Move the pointer over arotate handle.

The cursor changes to therotate symbol while it’s overthe rotate handle.

4. Click a rotate handle anddrag the annotation to whereyou want it placed.

The other rotate handle is thepivot point.

Tip

Turning off the rotate andresize handlesYou can turn off the rotate andresize handles. Click Editor,Options, then click the Annotationtab and uncheck the Show resizeand rotate handles box.

Tip

Changing the pivot pointIf you want to rotate about a pivotpoint other than a rotate handle,use rotate mode. See ‘Rotatingannotation in rotate mode’ in thischapter.

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Rotating annotation inrotate mode


2. Select the annotation thatyou want to move.

3. Right-click the text to openthe context menu.

4. Click Rotate Mode.

The mouse pointer changesto a rotate symbol.

5. Click and drag the text towhere you want it placed.The text rotates freely aboutthe selection anchor.

You can also press the A keyto enter a specific angle forthe rotation.

6. When you’ve positioned thetext where you want it, right-click and click Finish RotateMode.

Tip

Rotating multipleannotation featuresYou can rotate multiple annotationfeatures. Select the features, thenright-click and click Rotate Mode.You can also click the Rotate toolon the Editing toolbar.

Tip

Moving the selectionanchor to change the pivotpointYou can change the rotate modepivot point by dragging theselection anchor to anotherlocation. You can only move theselection anchor in rotate mode—not when rotating with the rotatehandles.

Tip

Using shortcuts with rotatemodePress the A key to rotate by aspecific angle. The R key turnsrotate mode on and off.

Tip

Snapping to other featureswhile rotatingTo rotate and snap the annotationto another annotation or feature,turn on the secondary selectionanchor. Press the S key to togglethis secondary anchor point on andoff. You can move the secondaryanchor the same way you move theselection anchor.

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The annotation feature isrotated.

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Moving annotation usingfollow feature mode


2. Select the annotation youwant to move.

3. Right-click over the featureyou want the annotation tofollow.

The feature the annotationfollows is determined by theposition of the cursor whenyou right-click. The firstselectable and visible featureunder your cursor is followed.

4. Click Follow This Feature.

The feature the annotation isgoing to follow flashes on thescreen and the annotationmoves to align to the feature.

Tip

Following features withfeature-linked annotationFeature-linked annotationautomatically follows its relatedline feature by default. You can turnoff this setting on the Annotationtab of the Editing Options dialogbox.

Tip

Using Follow This Featurewith feature-linkedannotationIf you want feature-linked annota-tion to follow a feature other thanthe one it’s related to, right-clickover a different feature and clickFollow This Feature.

Tip

Turning off follow featureWith the Edit Annotation toolactive, you can press the F key toturn on or off follow feature modefor the selected annotation.

Tip

Switching sidesWhen the constraint option is Leftside or Right side, you can use theTab key to switch between thesides.

Tip

Using a shortcut to FollowFeature OptionsYou can press the O key to open theFollow Feature Options dialog box.

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The annotation feature is nowfollowing this line feature.


Editing theappearance ofannotationfeaturesYou can use the editing tools,including the Edit Annotationtool, to change how yourannotation looks. The primaryways of modifying annotationappearance are with theAttributes dialog box and theEdit Annotation tool.

You can use the Attributesdialog box to modify theappearance of your annotation.In it, you can change symbol-ization properties, such aschanging the annotationsymbol or adding formatting totext. You can also update yourannotation’s attributes andchange the text string that isdisplayed.

The Edit Annotation tool’scontext menu has commands tomodify the appearance ofannotation. Some of the tasksthat you can use it for includeto stack or flip annotation andto modify the annotationconstruction method—forexample, to make horizontalannotation curved.

Changing annotationsymbology

1. Using the Edit Annotationtool or the Edit tool, select theannotation for which youwant to change symbols.

2. Click the Attributes button onthe Editor toolbar.


4. Click the dropdown arrowand click a new annotationsymbol.

You can only change thesymbol if you have definedmore than one annotationsymbol.

5. Click the symbol you want touse.

6. Click Apply.

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The annotation feature’ssymbol is updated.


Modifying annotationformatting

1. Using the Edit Annotationtool or the Edit tool, select theannotation you want toformat.



4. If you don’t see the zoom boxlocated below the Resetbutton on the right side of theAttributes dialog box, clickthe button to switch toFormatted view.

5. Select the text you want tomodify.

6. Click the formatting buttonsat the bottom of the Attributesdialog box or right-click andchoose the formatting youwant to apply from thecontext menu.

The formatting context menuis only available in Formattedview.

7. Click Apply.

Tip

Switching betweenFormatted andUnformatted viewsIf the zoom box is present in thelower right corner of the Attributesdialog box, you are working inFormatted view. If you want to typein text formatting tags, you canswitch to Unformatted view.

See Also

You can use the tools on the Drawtoolbar to change the symbology ofmap document annotation. Tolearn more, see Using ArcMap.

See Also

To learn how to define annotationclasses and symbols, see Building aGeodatabase.

Tip

Changing the symbol formultiple annotationfeaturesTo update the annotation symbolfor more than one feature at a time,select all the annotation featuresyou want to change, click theannotation feature class name onthe left side of the Attributes dialogbox, and choose the new symbolfrom the dropdown list on theAnnotation tab.

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Zoom box

The text that was selectedon the Annotation tab isformatted.


Using text formattingtags to modify annotationsymbology

1. Using the Edit Annotationtool or the Edit tool, select theannotation to which you wantto apply text formatting tags.



4. If you see the zoom boxbelow the Reset button onthe right side of the Attributesdialog box, click the button toswitch to Unformatted view.

5. Type the formatting tags youwant to apply to your text.

6. Click Apply.

The formatting tags aredisplayed as plain text inUnformatted view. You canswitch to Formatted view tosee your text as it will appearon the map.

See Also

For more information on textformatting tags, their syntax, andwhich tags can be used in ArcMap,see Using ArcMap or the ArcGISDesktop Help.

Tip

Using text formatting tagsWhile it is easier to use theFormatted view context menu,some formatting options are notavailable in the context menu. Youcan apply even more formatting toyour text by manually enteringformatting tags.

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Text formatting tags

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The text between theformatting tags is boldedand italicized.

Tip

Using special characters intext formatting tags& and < are special charactersand are not valid in your text ifformatting tags are used. Use theequivalent character codes &and < instead. For example,instead of <ITA>John & Paul</ITA>, use <ITA>John &Paul</ITA>.


Modifying the attributesof annotation

1. Using the Edit Annotationtool or the Edit tool, select theannotation containing theattributes you want to modify.


3. Click the Attributes tab.

4. Click the Value column for theentry you want to change—TextString in this example.

5. Type the new value for theattribute.

6. Optionally, modify otherattributes, such as the font orfont size.

7. Close the Attributes dialogbox.

Tip

Using the Attributes dialogbox to modify annotationpropertiesThe changes that you make in theAttributes dialog box are saved inthe attribute table for the annota-tion feature class.

Tip

Changing the attributes ofmultiple annotationfeatures at onceTo change an attribute value formore than one feature at a time,select all the annotation featuresyou want to change, click theannotation feature class name onthe left side of the Attributes dialogbox, then change the attribute valueon the right panel.

Tip

Modifying the attributesand text string ofannotation featuresThere are several ways that youcan modify the attributes ofannotation features—including thetext string. You can use either theAnnotation or the Attributes tab onthe Attributes dialog box to updateattributes. You can also makechanges to the records in theattribute table for the annotationfeature class.

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As soon as you click away from the modified attribute value, thetext is updated on the map and in the list of features in theAttributes dialog box.


Making annotationhorizontal


2. Select the straight or curvedannotation that you want tomake horizontal.

3. Right-click, point to Curva-ture, and click Horizontal.

Making annotationcurved


2. Select the annotation thatyou want to curve.

3. Right-click, point to Curva-ture, and click Curved.

Tip

Getting help for the editingannotation commandsWith the Edit Annotation toolcontext menu open and a commandhighlighted, press Shift + F1 to geta description of that command.Pressing F1 opens the ArcGISDesktop Help, which also containsinformation about the annotationtools.

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The annotation feature isplaced horizontally.

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The annotation featurebecomes curved.


Making curvedannotation straight


2. Select the curved annotationthat you want to makestraight.

3. Right-click, point to Curva-ture, and click Straight.

Tip

When are the Straight andCurved commandsavailable?Straight is only enabled if theselected annotation is curved orhorizontal.

Curved is only enabled if theselected annotation is horizontal orstraight and is not stacked.

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The annotation feature isstraightened.


Modifying the shape ofcurved annotation


2. Select the curved annotationthat you want to changeshape.

3. Right-click and click EditBaseline Sketch.

4. To move a vertex, positionthe cursor over the vertexuntil the cursor’s shapechanges, then click and drag.

5. Optionally, add a vertex byright-clicking the baselinesketch and clicking InsertVertex.

To delete a vertex you’veadded, right-click and clickDelete Vertex.

6. When you’re finished, right-click and click FinishBaseline Sketch.

Tip

Using a shortcut to EditBaseline SketchDouble-click a selected annotationfeature to enter and exit baselineedit mode.

Tip

Why isn’t Edit BaselineSketch available?This command is only enabled if asingle curved annotation feature isselected. To make an annotationcurved, use the Curved commandon the Edit Annotation tool contextmenu.

Tip

What are the green andpurple vertices?Move the green inflection pointvertices to change the shape of thebaseline. Move the purple verticesto change part of the baselinecurvature.

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Adding a leader line toannotation


2. Select the annotation towhich you want to add aleader line.

3. Right-click and click AddLeader.

4. Optionally, change theposition of the start of theleader line. Move your cursorover the vertex until thecursor’s shape changes, thenclick and drag.

5. Click the annotation anddrag it to the desired posi-tion.

See Also

To learn how to set the defaultleader symbol properties, see‘Setting leader line symbolproperties’ in this chapter.

Tip

Removing a leader lineTo remove the leader line fromyour annotation, select theannotation using the Edit Annota-tion tool, right-click, and clickDelete Leader.

See Also

For more information on settingsymbol properties and using leaderline symbols, see Using ArcMap.

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Stacking annotation


2. Select the text that you wantto stack.

If you are stacking a singleannotation feature, it musthave more than one word init.

3. Right-click and click Stack.

Unstacking annotation


2. Select the stacked text thatyou want to unstack.

3. Right-click and click Unstack.

Tip

Why isn’t Stack available?If Stack is not enabled, check thatthe selected annotation has spacesand is not curved.

The Unstack command is onlyenabled if the selected annotationhas line breaks and is not curved.

Tip

Positioning annotation onmultiple linesThe Stack command places the textof the selected geodatabaseannotation on multiple lines. Aspace is used as the delimiter forstacking individual words.

Tip

Editing multiple annotationfeaturesMany of the commands on the EditAnnotation context menu can beused with more than one selectedannotation feature.

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The text is placed onmultiple lines.

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The text is placed on asingle line.


Flipping annotation by180 degrees


2. Select the annotation thatyou want to flip.

3. Right-click and click FlipAnnotation.

Tip

Using a shortcut to FlipSelect the annotation you want toflip and press the L key to flip it.

Tip

Flipping annotationYou can use the Flip command toinvert annotation that follows afeature.

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The annotation feature isflipped by 180 degrees.


Converting annotation tomultiple parts


2. Select the annotation youwant to convert to multipleparts.

3. Right-click and click Convertto Multiple Parts.

Tip

Using multiple partannotationMultiple part annotation may beuseful if you need to be able towork with a part of an annotationfeature but don’t want to make itinto completely separate features.

Tip

Converting multiple partfeatures to single partsTo convert multiple part annotationto a single part, select the annota-tion features, right-click, and clickConvert to Single Part.

Tip

Why isn’t Convert toMultiple Parts available?The Convert to Multiple Partscommand is only enabled when youhave selected annotation with morethan one word in it.

Editing a part of multiplepart annotation


2. Select the multiple partannotation feature.

3. Double-click the part youwant to edit. By default, thepart is highlighted in ma-genta stripes.

You can drag the part to anew location or right-click toaccess other commands.

Tip

Changing how parts appearwhen they are selectedThe Annotation tab of the EditingOptions dialog box allows you tochange how parts in multiple partannotation look when they areselected. By default, parts areselected in magenta stripes.

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The annotation feature isconverted into multipleparts.

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Creating new featureswith linked annotation




4. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and click thetype of feature you want tocreate.


6. Double-click the last vertex tofinish the feature.

An annotation feature isautomatically created andlinked to the new feature.

If your feature has defaultvalues for the field from whichthe annotation is derived, theannotation appears andreflects the values from thosefields.

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Working withfeature-linkedannotationFeature-linked annotation isrelated to another feature classin the geodatabase. When youcreate new features, you canhave new annotation be createdautomatically. When the originfeature is moved or rotated, thelinked annotation also moves orrotates with it. And when anorigin feature is deleted fromthe geodatabase, the linkedannotation feature is alsodeleted. The annotation is alsoupdated when you change anattribute of the feature that theannotation text is based on.

There are several ways to createfeature-linked annotation. Ifyou have defined a feature-linked annotation feature class,annotation will be createdautomatically as you create newfeatures using the editing toolsin ArcMap. To learn how tocreate new feature classes, seeBuilding a Geodatabase.

You can also use the Annotateselected features command inArcMap to add linked annota-tion to existing features.

Another way to create newfeature-linked annotation is toconvert labels or other annota-tion formats to feature-linked u

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An annotation feature iscreated along with the newfeature.



Modifying features withlinked annotation


2. Click the feature you want toedit.


4. Optionally, click the valuefrom which the annotation isderived and modify theattribute value.

The annotation is automati-cally updated to reflect thechange.

5. Click the Close button toclose the Attributes dialogbox. u

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annotation. See Building aGeodatabase to learn how toconvert labels to feature-linkedannotation or how to use theArcToolbox annotationconversion tools to createfeature-linked annotation fromcoverage or CAD annotation.

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The linked annotation isautomatically updated withthe new attributeinformation.


ArcInfo and ArcEditor6. Optionally, click and drag the

feature to a new location.

The linked annotation featuremoves with the feature.

7. Optionally, click the Rotatetool.

8. Optionally, click anywhere onthe map and drag the pointerto rotate the feature to thedesired location.

The annotation rotates withthe feature.

9. Optionally, click the Deletebutton on the Standardtoolbar.

The feature you selected,along with its linkedannotation, is deleted fromthe database.

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Editing the shape of afeature that has linkedannotationIf you change the shape of a featurethat has feature-linked annotation,the annotation is automaticallyrepositioned if it needs to be movedin order to accommodate thefeature’s new geometry.

The linked annotation andthe feature move togetherto the new location.6

The feature is rotated alongwith its linked annotation.

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Generating feature-linkedannotation

1. Click the Add Data button toadd a feature class and itslinked annotation class toyour map.

2. Click the Select Featuresbutton to select the featuresfor which you want togenerate annotation. Tocreate annotation for all ofthe features, select all of thefeatures.

3. Right-click the feature classin the table of contents.

4. Point to Selection.

5. Click Annotate SelectedFeatures.

6. Check the related annotationclasses in which you want tostore the annotation.

7. Check the check box to addunplaced labels to theoverflow window.

8. Click OK.

If any annotation featurescould not be placed on themap, they are listed in theUnplaced Annotation dialogbox.

Tip

Using versionsWhen possible, avoid conflicts bygenerating your annotation beforeyou version your data.

Tip

Placing annotation fromthe Unplaced Annotationdialog boxSometimes some of the generatedannotation cannot automatically beplaced on the map. To place theseannotation features, click theUnplaced Annotation button on theAnnotation toolbar. To learn more,see ‘Adding unplaced annotation toa map’ in this chapter.

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Editing dimension features 14• Editing dimension features

• Adding the Dimensioning toolbar

• Creating dimension features

• Modifying dimension features

Dimension features are used to communicate information about thedimensions of geographic features, or distances between them, on a map.In this respect, they are similar to annotation. However, dimension featuresexclusively express distance measurements. Dimension features can beused to show the length of a property line, the distance between bridgespans, or the length of a feature along one axis.

Dimension features are stored in dimension feature classes in ageodatabase. Dimension feature classes can have one or more styles toensure that the dimension features you create are consistent with yourmapping standards.



Editing dimension features

Dimension features, unlike simple features, know how they arecreated. A dimension feature requires a specific number of pointsto be entered into the edit sketch to describe its geometry. Thestandard edit tools can be used to manually input the pointsrequired for these construction methods. In addition to themanual construction methods, there are several tools that allowyou to create new dimension features from existing dimensionfeatures and other features. These tools are collectively called theAutodimension tools.

You can assign a style to a dimension feature when you create itor change an existing dimension feature’s style. Dimensionfeatures draw and symbolize themselves based on the propertiesof their assigned style.

Construction methods

The type of dimension feature you are creating will dictate thenumber of points that are required as input.

The following is a list of dimension types and the number ofpoints required for their construction:

• Simple aligned: two points

• Linear (horizontal and vertical): three points

1.5'

9.2'

9.5'

0.5'

0.75'

• Aligned: three points

• Rotated linear: four points

You can specify what type of construction method to use tocreate your dimension feature. The construction method dictatesthe type of dimension that is created. Each construction methodknows how many points are required to create a specific kind ofdimension feature. When using these methods, Finish Sketch isautomatically called once you have inputted the correct numberof points. The exceptions are the free construction methods.

The free construction methods also know how many points arerequired for input; however, they do not call Finish Sketchautomatically. With the free construction methods, you can addas many points into the edit sketch as you need to construct yourdimension feature. When you call Finish Sketch, the type ofdimension feature that is created will depend on the number ofpoints in your sketch.

EDITING DIMENSION FEATURES 393


The following summarizes the different construction methods:

• Simple aligned: creates simple aligned dimension features. Itrequires two points as input: the beginning dimension pointand the end dimension point. Finish Sketch is automaticallycalled after the second point is inputted.

• Aligned: creates aligned dimension features. It requires threepoints as input: the beginning dimension point, the enddimension point, and a third point describing the height of thedimension line. Finish Sketch is automatically called after thethird point is inputted.

• Linear: creates horizontal and vertical dimension features. Itrequires three points as input: the beginning dimension point,the end dimension point, and a third point describing theheight of the dimension line. The location of the third pointrelative to the beginning and ending dimension points willdictate whether the dimension feature is horizontal or vertical.Finish Sketch is automatically called after the third point isinputted.

• Rotated linear: creates rotated linear dimension features. Itrequires four points as input: the beginning dimension point,the end dimension point, a third point describing the height ofthe dimension line, and a fourth point describing theextension line angle. Finish Sketch is automatically called afterthe fourth point is inputted.

• Free aligned: creates simple aligned and aligned dimensionfeatures. It requires either two or three points as input. If youcall Finish Sketch with two points in the edit sketch, a simplealigned dimension feature is created. If you call Finish Sketchwith three points in the edit sketch, an aligned dimensionfeature is created. If you call Finish Sketch with less than twoor more than three points in the edit sketch, the edit operationwill fail.

• Free linear: creates horizontal linear, vertical linear, androtated linear dimension features. It requires either three orfour points as input. If you call Finish Sketch withthree points in the edit sketch, a horizontal or vertical lineardimension feature is created. If you call Finish Sketch withfour points in the edit sketch, a rotated linear dimensionfeature is created. If you call Finish Sketch with less thanthree or more than four points in the edit sketch, the editoperation will fail.

Autodimension tools

The Autodimension tool palette contains four tools forautomatically creating dimension features: Dimension Edge,Perpendicular Dimensions, Baseline Dimension, and ContinueDimension. Using these tools, you can create new dimensionfeatures based on existing dimension features or other featureson your map.

Dimension Edge works on any type of feature. The DimensionEdge tool will automatically create a dimension whose baseline isdefined by a line segment of an existing feature.

Perpendicular Dimensions simultaneously creates two dimensionfeatures that are perpendicular to one another.

Baseline Dimension and Continue Dimension are both used onlyon existing dimension features. Baseline Dimension creates a newdimension feature whose beginning dimension point is based onthe same beginning point of a previous dimension feature. TheContinue Dimension tool creates a new dimension feature whosebeginning dimension point is the same as the end dimensionpoint of the existing dimension feature being continued. TheBaseline Dimension and Continue Dimension tools create thesame type of dimension as the existing dimension they areapplied to and assign it the style selected in the Style dropdownlist in the Dimensioning toolbar.



Dimension styles

All dimension features are associated with a dimension style.When you create a new dimension feature, you must assign it adimension style. This dimension style must exist in the dimensionfeature class in which you are creating your new dimensionfeature. Once a dimension feature is created, it assumes all of theproperties of its style. You can use the Attributes dialog box tomodify some of those properties; however, some properties, suchas the symbology of the dimension feature elements, cannot bemodified.

To learn more about dimension styles and how to create them, seeBuilding a Geodatabase.

The Dimensioning toolbar

The Autodimension tools and the controls for setting theconstruction method and assigning a dimension style are locatedon the Dimensioning toolbar. The controls on the Dimensioningtoolbar are only active when you are editing, and the feature classselected in the Editor toolbar’s Target dropdown list is adimension feature class.

The Construction dropdown list contains all of the methods forconstructing dimension features. The construction methoddictates the number of points required to construct a dimensionfeature and the type of dimension feature that is created.

The Styles dropdown list contains all of the styles in thedimension feature class that are selected in the Target dropdownlist in the Editor toolbar. New dimension features are created andassigned the style that is selected in the Style dropdown list.

It is important to remember that the Baseline Dimension andContinue Dimension tools will only be active if a dimensionfeature is selected. The Dimension Edge tool will be active whenany feature is selected.

Modifying a dimension feature’s geometry

Dimension features not only draw and symbolize themselvesbased on their assigned style but are also able to regulate themodification of their geometry. By using the editing tools inArcMap that you use to modify the geometry of other types offeatures, you can modify a dimension feature’s geometry whilemaintaining the correct configuration of points for a validdimension feature.

When you are modifying a dimension feature, there are a series ofvertices you can pick up and move with the Edit tool and move toalter the dimension feature’s geometry. You can’t add additionalvertices or delete any of the existing vertices. The following

Constructiondropdown list

Styledropdown list

Autodimensiontool palette



You can move a dimension feature’s text away from its dimensionline. The way the text is shown is dependent on the style chosenfor the dimension feature. Some styles have line decorationincluding a leader line. For these styles, if you move thedimension feature’s text far enough from the dimension line that itsurpasses the leader line tolerance, then that leader line willautomatically be displayed.

The extension line angle and the other properties of a dimensionfeature’s geometry can be modified by altering the values of someof its fields. The following is a list of the fields you can modify fora dimension feature and how they correspond to its geometry:

Field Property

BEGINX x-coordinate of the beginning dimension point

BEGINY y-coordinate of the beginning dimension point

ENDX x-coordinate of the end dimension point

ENDY y-coordinate of the end dimension point

DIMX x-coordinate of the dimension line height

DIMY y-coordinate of the dimension line height

TEXTX x-coordinate of the text point (null if the text

hasn’t been moved relative to the dimension

feature)

TEXTY y-coordinate of the text point (null if the text

hasn’t been moved relative to the dimension

feature)

EXTANGLE Extension line angle

For more information on editing a feature’s geometry, seeChapter 7, ‘Editing existing features’. For more information on textsymbols and text decoration, see Using ArcMap.

A dimension feature’s geometry can be modified by moving a set ofvertices while maintaining a valid dimension feature.

Move enddimension point

Move begindimension point

Changedimension lineheight

Move dimensiontext

diagram illustrates what aspect of a dimension feature is modifiedwhen one of these vertices is moved:

If a dimension feature’s style has a text symbol with a leader line, thatleader line is drawn when the text is moved farther away from thedimension line than the leader tolerance for the text symbol.



Modifying a dimension feature’s properties

A dimension feature gets most of its properties from its style.However, you can override some aspects of a dimension feature’sstyle. The following are the properties that can differ between adimension feature and its style:

• Dimension line display

• Dimension line arrow symbol display

• Extension line display

For more information about dimension styles, see Building aGeodatabase.

In addition to overriding these style properties, you can alsochange a dimension feature’s style, specify a custom value to usefor the dimension text instead of the length of the dimensionfeature and change the extension line angle.

Dimension features can be modified using the Attributes dialogbox. Dimension features have a special Attributes dialog box toallow you to easily modify their various properties. However, youcan also use the standard Attributes dialog box to modify theproperties of a dimension feature or to modify the values of fieldsthat you have added to your dimension feature class. Each property of a dimension feature that you can change in the

dimensioning Attributes dialog box can also be changed byaltering the values of some of its fields. A list of the fields thatyou can modify for a dimension feature and how they correspondto its properties are illustrated on the following page:

A dimension feature’s properties can be modified by a DimensionAttributes dialog box or by using the standard Attributes dialog box.

Switch to standardAttributes dialog box

Change between customvalue and system value

Dimension line endarrow symbol display

Extension line angle

Extensionline display

Dimensionline display

Dimensionstyle



Field Property

STYLEID ID of the dimension style.

USECUSTOMLENGTH 0 indicates that the feature’s length is

used for the dimension text; 1

indicates a custom value is used for

the dimension text.

CUSTOMLENGTH Value used for the dimension text if

USECUSTOMLENGTH is 1.

DIMDISPLAY Null indicates both dimension lines are

displayed; 1 indicates only the

beginning dimension line is displayed;

2 indicates only the end dimension line

is displayed; 3 indicates none of the

dimension lines are displayed.

EXTDISPLAY Null indicates both extension lines are

displayed; 1 indicates only the

beginning extension line is displayed;

2 indicates only the end extension line

is displayed; 3 indicates none of the

extension lines are displayed.

MARKERDISPLAY Null indicates both dimension line end

arrow markers are displayed; 1

indicates only the beginning

dimension line end arrow marker is

displayed; 2 indicates only the end

dimension line end arrow marker is

displayed; 3 indicates none of the

dimension line end arrow markers

are displayed.

For more information on using the Attributes dialog box inArcMap, see Chapter 9, ‘Editing attributes’.


ArcInfo and ArcEditor1. Right-click the Main menu.

2. Click Dimensioning.

3. Dock the toolbar to theArcMap window. Now eachtime you start ArcMap thetoolbar will be displayed.

Tip

Adding the toolbarYou can also add the toolbar byclicking the View menu, pointingto Toolbars, then clickingDimensioning.

Adding theDimensioningtoolbarThe Autodimension tools andthe controls for setting theconstruction method andassigning a dimension style arelocated on the Dimensioningtoolbar. The controls on theDimensioning toolbar are onlyactive when you are editing,and the feature class selected inthe Editor toolbar’s Targetdropdown list is a dimensionfeature class.

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Creating a simple aligneddimension feature

1. Add your dimension featureclass to ArcMap, then addthe Editor toolbar and theDimensioning toolbar.



4. Click the Tool palettedropdown arrow and clickthe Sketch tool.


6. Click the Target layerdropdown arrow and clickthe dimension featureclass. u

Tip

The edit sketchArcMap contains many tools tohelp you enter points into your editsketch. All of the same tools can beused to enter the points requiredfor the various dimension featureconstruction methods.

CreatingdimensionfeaturesBy using the tools provided onthe basic Editor toolbar andthose provided on theDimensioning toolbar, you cancreate many types of dimensionfeatures.

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ArcInfo and ArcEditor7. Click the Style dropdown

arrow and click the style youwant your new dimensionfeature to have.

8. Click the Constructiondropdown arrow and clickSimple Aligned.

9. Click the map at the begin-ning dimension point to startthe edit sketch.

As you move the mouse, youwill see that the new dimen-sion dynamically draws itselfwith your mouse location asthe end dimension point. u

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Tip

Edit sketch displayWhen creating dimension features,the edit sketch will actually showyou how the resulting dimensionfeature will look as you move yourmouse.

The exceptions are the freedimension construction methods.With these construction methods,the edit sketch display is the sameas that for creating simple features.

Tip

Using the Magnifier WindowTo more accurately place yourvertices, use the Magnifier Windowfound under Window on the Mainmenu. To learn more about theMagnifier Window, see UsingArcMap.

Tip

Adjusting the SnappingEnvironmentBy adjusting the settings in theSnapping Environment dialog box,you can more accurately place yourvertices. To learn more about theSnapping Environment, seeChapter 3, ‘Creating new features’.

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10. Click the map at the enddimension point.

The sketch is automaticallyfinished and the new simplealigned dimension feature iscreated with the style youselected.

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Creating an aligneddimension feature

1. Follow steps 1–7 for ‘Creat-ing a simple aligned dimen-sion feature’ in this chapter.

2. Click the Constructiondropdown arrow and clickAligned.



Tip

Aligned dimension featuresAn aligned dimension feature’sdimension line is always parallel toits baseline.

To learn more about the differenttypes of dimension features, seeBuilding a Geodatabase.

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The new dimension contin-ues to dynamically drawitself; now, however, thebeginning and end dimen-sion points are fixed, and theheight of the dimension linechanges as you move yourmouse.

5. Click the map where youwant the dimension line tobe.

The sketch is automaticallyfinished, and the newaligned dimension feature iscreated with the style youselected.

Since you selected Alignedas your construction method,the dimension line is parallelto the baseline.

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Creating a lineardimension feature

1. Follow steps 1–7 for ‘Creat-ing a simple aligned dimen-sion feature’ in this chapter.

2. Click the Constructiondropdown arrow and clickLinear.



Tip

Linear dimension featuresA linear dimension feature’sdimension line is generally notparallel to its baseline. Therefore,the distance represented by a linearfeature is not the length of thebaseline.

To learn more about the differenttypes of dimension features, seeBuilding a Geodatabase.

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The new dimension contin-ues to dynamically drawitself; now, however, thebeginning and end dimen-sion points are fixed, and theheight of the dimension linechanges as you move yourmouse.

If you move your mouse tothe left or right of thebaseline, you will see avertical linear dimensionfeature. If you move yourmouse above or below thebaseline, you will see ahorizontal linear dimensionfeature. u

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ArcInfo and ArcEditor5. Click the map where you

want the dimension line tobe.

The sketch is automaticallyfinished, and the new lineardimension feature is createdwith the style you selected.

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Creating a rotated lineardimension feature

1. Follow steps 1–7 for‘Creating a simple aligneddimension feature’ in thischapter.

2. Click the Constructiondropdown arrow and clickRotated Linear.



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ArcInfo and ArcEditor4. Click the map at the end

dimension point.

The new dimensioncontinues to dynamicallydraw itself; now, however, thebeginning and enddimension points are fixed,and the height of thedimension line changes asyou move your mouse.

If you move your mouseabove or below the baseline,you will see a horizontallinear dimension feature. Ifyou move your mouse to theleft or right of the baseline,you will see a vertical lineardimension feature. u

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The new dimensioncontinues to dynamicallydraw itself; now, however, thebeginning and enddimension points anddimension line height arefixed, and the angle of theextension lines changes asyou move your mouse.

6. Click the map at the angleyou want the extension linesto be.

The sketch is automaticallyfinished, and the new rotatedlinear dimension feature iscreated with the style youselected.

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Creating a dimensionfeature with the freealigned constructionmethod


2. Click the Constructiondropdown arrow and clickFree Aligned.


As you move the cursor, thedimension feature won’tdynamically draw itself.

4. Use ArcMap sketch tools andconstruction methods to enterthe end dimension point.

If you are creating a simplealigned dimension feature,skip to step 6. u

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Tip

Free construction methodsThe free construction methodsallow you to enter as many verticesas you like into the edit sketch tohelp you define your dimensionfeature points. However, it is yourresponsibility to delete any vertexfrom the edit sketch that does notcorrespond to one of the requireddimension feature points before youclick Finish Sketch. If you have toofew or too many vertices, your editoperation will fail.



5. Use ArcMap sketch tools andconstruction methods toenter the point where youwant the dimension line tobe.

6. If your sketch has more thanthree vertices or has anyvertices that do not representthe beginning or enddimension point or dimen-sion line height, right-clickand click Delete Vertex todelete them before continu-ing to step 7. u

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ArcInfo and ArcEditor7. Right-click the sketch and

click Finish Sketch.

The new dimension feature iscreated with the style youselected. If the edit sketchhas two points, then a simplealigned feature is created. Ifthe sketch has three points,then an aligned dimensionfeature is created.

The dimension feature pointsthat the vertices representwill be determined by theorder in which you enteredthem into the edit sketch. Thevertex first entered will beused as the beginningdimension point. The secondvertex entered will be usedas the end dimension point. Ifthe edit sketch has threevertices, the third vertex willbe used as the dimensionline height point.

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Creating a dimensionfeature with the freelinear constructionmethod


2. Click the Constructiondropdown arrow and clickFree Linear.


As you move the cursor, thedimension feature won’tdynamically draw itself.

4. Use ArcMap sketch tools andconstruction methods toenter the end dimensionpoint. u

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ArcInfo and ArcEditor5. Use ArcMap sketch tools and

construction methods to enterthe point where you want thedimension line to be.

If you are creating ahorizontal or vertical lineardimension feature, skip tostep 7.

6. Use ArcMap sketch tools andconstruction methods to enterthe point that describes theextension line angle. u

Tip

Extension line angleWhen creating rotated lineardimensions, the extension line angleis calculated such that the dimen-sion line is parallel to the linebetween the third and fourthconstruction points.

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7. If your sketch has more thanfour vertices or has anyvertices that do not representthe beginning or enddimension point, dimensionline height, or extension lineangle, you must delete thembefore continuing to step 8.

8. Right-click the sketch andclick Finish Sketch.

The new dimension featureis created with the style youselected. If the edit sketchhas three points, then avertical or horizontal lineardimension feature is created.If the sketch has four points,then a rotated linear dimen-sion feature is created.

The dimension feature pointsthat the vertices representedwill be determined by theorder in which you enteredthem into the edit sketch. Thevertex first entered will beused as the beginningdimension point. The secondvertex entered will be usedas the end dimension point.The third vertex will be usedas the dimension line heightpoint. If the edit sketch hasfour vertices, the fourth vertexwill be used to describe theextension line angle.

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Creating a dimensionfeature with theDimension Edge tool


2. Select the feature whoseedge you want to use as thebaseline for your newdimension feature.

3. Click the Tool Palettedropdown arrow and click theDimension Edge tool.

4. Click the edge you want touse as the baseline for yourdimension feature.

As you move your mouse, thenew dimension dynamicallydraws itself with the begin-ning and end dimensionpoints fixed at the ends of theedge you clicked; the heightof the dimension linechanges.

If you move your mouse tothe left or right of thebaseline, a vertical lineardimension feature is shown. Ifyou move your mouse aboveor below the baseline, ahorizontal linear dimensionfeature is shown.


The sketch is automaticallyfinished and a new lineardimension feature is createdwith the style you selected.

Tip

Autodimension toolsThe Dimension Edge tool onlycreates linear dimension featuresby automatically using vertices onexisting features for their beginningand end dimension points.

Tip

The Dimension Edge tooland diagonal featuresTo use the Dimension Edge tool toobtain diagonal measurements,after clicking on the line, positionthe cursor over the beginningvertex of the line segment. Thediagonal measurement will appear.

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Creating two dimensionfeatures with thePerpendicularDimensions tool


2. Click the Tool Palettedropdown arrow and clickthe PerpendicularDimensions tool.


A line will appear on the mapthat runs through the firstvertex placed and thelocation of the mouse pointer.

4. Click the map again toestablish the angle of the firstdimension feature.

As the mouse pointer ismoved away from the firstline, two dimension featureswill appear. The first will bealong the established lineand the second will runperpendicular from the line tothe location of the mousepointer. u

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ArcInfo and ArcEditor5. Click the map once again to

establish the length of theperpendicular measurement.

This will complete the twodimension features.

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Creating a dimensionfeature with the BaselineDimension tool


2. Select the dimension featurewhose beginning dimensionpoint you want to use as thebeginning dimension pointfor your new dimensionfeature.

3. Click the Autodimension toolpalette dropdown arrow andclick the Baseline Dimensiontool.

As you move your mouse, thenew dimension featuredynamically draws itself withthe beginning dimensionpoint fixed at the beginningdimension point of thedimension feature youselected in step 2. The heightis fixed at the height of thedimension feature youselected, plus the baselineheight for the style youselected in step 2.

The end dimension pointchanges as you move yourmouse, keeping the baselinefor the new dimensionfeature parallel to thebaseline of the dimensionfeature you selected instep 2. u

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want the end dimensionpoint to be.

The sketch is automaticallyfinished, and a new dimen-sion feature is created withthe style you selected. Thedimension type will be thesame as the dimensionfeature you selected instep 2.

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Tip

Baseline heightFor a dimension feature createdwith the Baseline Dimension tool,the height of the dimension line willbe controlled by the baseline heightproperty of its style.

The baseline height is only used forcreating dimension features. If youchange an existing dimensionfeature’s style to a style with adifferent baseline height, the heightof the dimension line will notchange.

For more information about stylesand how to set the baseline heightproperty, see Building aGeodatabase.



Creating a dimensionfeature with the ContinueDimension tool


2. Select the dimension featurewhose end dimension pointyou want to use as thebeginning dimension pointfor your new dimensionfeature.

3. Click the Tool Palettedropdown arrow and clickthe Continue Dimension tool.

As you move your mouse, thenew dimension featuredynamically draws itself withthe beginning dimensionpoint fixed at the enddimension point of thedimension feature youselected in step 2. The heightis also fixed at the height ofthe dimension feature youselected in step 2.

The end dimension pointchanges as you move yourmouse, keeping the baselinefor the new dimensionfeature parallel to thebaseline of the dimensionfeature you selected instep 2. u

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want the end dimension pointto be.

The sketch is automaticallyfinished, and a new dimen-sion feature is created withthe style you selected. Thedimension type will be thesame as the dimensionfeature you selectedin step 2.

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Modifying a dimensionfeature’s geometry


2. Click the Edit tool and clickthe dimension feature whosegeometry you want to modify.

3. Position the pointer over thevertex that corresponds tothe aspect of the dimension’sgeometry you want to modify.

4. Click and drag the vertex tothe desired location.

As you move your mouse,the dimension featuredynamically updates itself soyou can see how the featurewill look after you havemodified its geometry. u

Tip

Modifying perpendiculardimensionsOnce the perpendicular dimensionshave been created, they actindependently of one another andcan be selected and modified asdescribed in this chapter.

ModifyingdimensionfeaturesModifying the dimensionfeature geometry goes beyondmodifying the dimension lineheight. You can also modify thebeginning dimension point, theend dimension point, and thedimension text placement. Youcan use the Edit tool with theModify Feature task or theAttributes dialog box to modifydimension feature geometry.

The Attributes dialog box canbe used to modify geometryand style. From the Attributesdialog box, you can modify:

• Dimension line display

• Dimension line arrowsymbol display

• Extension line display

• Extension line angle

• Dimension text value

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ArcInfo and ArcEditor5. Right-click over any part of

the sketch and click FinishSketch.

The dimension feature’sgeometry is updated.

Tip

Modifying a dimensionfeature’s geometryattributesIn addition to using the Edit toolwith the Modify Feature task, youcan also use the Attributes dialogbox to modify the dimensionfeature’s geometry. 5



Modifying a dimensionfeature’s style

1. Click the Edit tool and clickthe dimension feature whosestyle you want to modify.


The Attributes dialog boxappears. Notice that there isa special Attributes dialogbox for modifying theattributes of a dimensionfeature.

3. Click the Dimension Styledropdown list and click thedimension style you want toassign to this feature. u

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ArcInfo and ArcEditor4. Click Commit.

The dimension featureupdates itself to reflect thenew style.


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IN THIS CHAPTER

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Working with a versioned geodatabase 15• Integrating versioning with your

organization’s work flow

• Registering data as versioned

• Creating and administeringversions in ArcCatalog

• Working with versions in ArcMap

• Editing and conflict resolution

• Editing a version

• Versioning scenarios

With ArcGIS, multiple users can access geographic data in a geodatabasethrough versioning. Versioning lets users simultaneously create multiple,persistent representations of the database without data replication. Userscan edit the same features or rows without explicitly applying locks toprohibit other users from modifying the same data.

An organization can use versioning to manage alternative engineeringdesigns, solve complex what-if scenarios without impacting the corporatedatabase, and create point-in-time representations of the database.

Primarily, versioning simplifies the editing experience. Multiple users candirectly modify the database without having to extract data or lock featuresand rows before editing. If, by chance, the same features are modified, aconflict resolution dialog box guides the user through the process ofdetermining the feature’s correct representation and attributes.

Versioned databases may contain topologies. For more information on howversioning affects topologies, see Building a Geodatabase.

Versioned databases may also be the check-out databases for disconnectededitors. For more on using a versioned database for disconnected editing, seeBuilding a Geodatabase.



This is one example of how versioning can help simplify the workflow process. Because the work flow process may span days,months, and even years, the corporate database requirescontinuous availability for daily operations. If a work orderapplied restrictive locks to the data involved in the process, otherdatabase users might not be able to perform their daily workassignments.

To implement your work flow in the geodatabase, versions can becreated to correspond with each stage of the work flow process.Alternatively, you may want to create one version for each workorder and modify the version’s name to represent the currentstage as the process proceeds through each step.

The current structure of your organization’s work flowsignificantly influences how the geodatabase’s versioningprocess is implemented to manage your spatial transactions. Theflexibility and openness of the system allows you to determinethe best solution to meet the requirements of your businessprocesses.

Integrating versioning with your organization’s work flow

The geodatabase and versioning provide organizations withadvanced data storage techniques that revolutionize the workflow process in many applications where spatial information isused. Engineers can generate design alternatives using the entiredatabase. Spatial analysts can perform complex what-if scenarioswithout affecting the current representation of the database.Database administrators can create historical snapshots of thedatabase for archiving or database recovery.

In the long run, an organization benefits from implementing aversioned database. The data is centrally located in one corporatedatabase. There is never a need to extract units of the database toupdate, or lock, map sheets or individual features. These factorssimplify the administrative process.

The work flow process

The evolution of the work flow process—how projects or workorders transpire over time—varies greatly from organization toorganization and throughout each sector of the businesscommunity. Therefore, the geodatabase’s versioning process hasbeen designed to be flexible enough to accommodate the mostbasic of work flow processes as well as the most complex and tobe sufficiently restrictive with or without additional applicationcustomization.

Common work flow processes usually progress in discrete stages.At each stage, different requirements or business rules may beenforced. Typically, during each stage of the process, the projector work order is associated by a named stage. For example, withinthe utility domain, common stages include working, proposed,accepted, under construction, and as built. The process isessentially cyclical. The work order is initially generated andassigned to an engineer and modified over time as it progressesfrom stage to stage, and finally the changes are posted, orapplied, back to the corporate database.

A common work flow process evolving through each stage of a project

WORKING WITH A VERSIONED GEODATABASE 429


The remaining sections of this chapter will help illustrate how touse ArcCatalog and ArcMap to perform various versioning tasks.In particular, the last section provides examples of how anorganization can implement work flow processes using thegeodatabase’s versioning capabilities. For additional details onmanaging your organization’s work flow with versions, readModeling Our World.



Registering dataas versionedBefore editing feature datasets,feature classes, and tables, youmust first register the data asversioned in ArcCatalog.

Making a feature class or tablemultiversioned requires aunique integer field. Only theowner of the data may registeror unregister the object asversioned.

When unregistering a datasetor feature class as versioned inArcCatalog, a warning dialogbox may appear informing youthat outstanding edits stillremain in existing versions.Therefore, unregistering theclass as versioned will removeall the edits. To preserve theedits, you must compress thedatabase.

1. In the ArcCatalog tree, right-click the feature dataset,feature class, or table youwant to register as versioned.

2. Click Register As Versioned.

Tip

Registering data asversionedRegistering a feature dataset asversioned registers all featureclasses within the feature dataset asversioned.

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Creating andadministeringversions inArcCatalogArcCatalog lets you create newversions, rename existingversions, delete versions, andmodify version properties.These administrative tasks areaccomplished using the VersionManager dialog box.

Initially, the database consistsof one version namedDEFAULT owned by theArcSDE administrative user.The new versions that arecreated are always based on anexisting version. When the newversion is created, it is identicalto the version from which it wasderived. Over time, the versionswill diverge as changes aremade to the parent version andto the new version.

A version consists of severalproperties: an alphanumericname, an owner, an optionaldescription, the creation date,the last modified date, theparent version, and theversion’s permission. u

Creating a new version

1. Create a new connection tothe database in ArcCatalogwith the Add SDEConnection dialog box.

2. Right-click your databaseconnection in the Catalogtree and click Versions. u

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ArcInfo and ArcEditor3. Right-click a version and

click New.

4. Type the new version’s name.

5. Type a description.

6. Click the appropriate permis-sion type; the default isPrivate.

7. Click OK.

A version’s permission can onlybe changed by its owner. Theavailable permission settingsare:

• Private—only the ownermay view the version andmodify available featureclasses.

• Protected—any user mayview the version, but onlythe owner may modifyavailable feature classes.

• Public—any user may viewthe version and modifyavailable feature classes.

Only the version’s owner canrename, delete, or alter theversion. A parent versioncannot be deleted until alldependent child versions arefirst deleted.

To improve database perfor-mance, the database should becompressed periodically.Compressing the databaseremoves all unreferenceddatabase states and redundantrows. Only the ArcSDE adminis-trator can perform this task. Foradditional details, see the‘Versioning scenarios’ sectionat the end of this chapter. u

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Renaming a version

1. Right-click your databaseconnection and clickVersions.

2. Right-click the version youwant to rename and clickRename.

3. Type a new name and pressEnter.

Deleting a version


2. Right-click the version youwant to delete.

3. Click Delete or press Deleteon your keyboard.

Finally, after compressing thedatabase or editing the data, theAnalyze command should beexecuted to update the data-base statistics for each datasetor feature class. This will helpimprove display and queryperformance.

Tip

DescriptionsDescriptions are useful forproviding meaningful informationregarding the version’s purpose.

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Tip

Sorting versionsIn the Version Manager dialog box,you can sort versions by clicking acolumn heading.



Changing a version’sproperties


2. Right-click a version.

3. Click Properties.

4. Type the new description.

5. Click the new permissiontype.

6. Click OK.

Tip

RefreshUse the Refresh command toupdate the properties of eachversion with current values.

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Adding the Compresscommand to ArcCatalog

1. In ArcCatalog, click View,point to Toolbars, and clickCustomize.

2. Check Context Menus in thelist of toolbars. u

See Also

For more information on how tocustomize ArcCatalog, see UsingArcCatalog and ExploringArcObjects.

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ArcInfo and ArcEditor3. Click the Context Menus

menu.

4. Click the arrow next to theRemote Database ContextMenu.

The Remote DatabaseContext Menu submenu willremain open.

5. Click the Commands tab inthe Customize dialog box.

6. Click Geodatabase tools.

7. Click and drag the CompressDatabase command from theCommands list and drop it onthe Remote DatabaseContext Menu submenu.

The command appears in thecontext menu.

8. Click Close on the Customizedialog box.

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Compressing thedatabase

1. In ArcCatalog, create a newdatabase connection as theArcSDE administrative user.

2. Right-click the new databaseconnection and clickCompress Database.

Tip

AnalyzeAfter compressing a database,always analyze your data to updatethe database statistics.

See Also

For more information on how toadminister an ArcSDE database,see Managing ArcSDE Services.

See Also

For more information on how tocreate connections to databases inArcCatalog, see Using ArcCatalog.

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Working withversions inArcMapIn ArcMap, you can view andwork with multiple versionssimultaneously, create newversions, and change thefeature classes or tables fromone version to another version.You can also use the versionmanager, refresh a version’sworkspace connection, andmodify available feature classesin ArcMap.

To create a new version, at leastone version must be present inthe map. If multiple versions arepresent, you will need tospecify the parent version. Thenewly created version will thenbe identical to the parentversion.

Changing versions allows youto quickly navigate betweentwo versions by changing thefeature classes currently in themap. This simplifies the processof viewing the differencesbetween feature classes orperforming an analysis with twoversions. u

Creating a new version inArcMap

1. Add the Versioning toolbar tothe map.

2. Click the Create New Versionbutton. At least one version isrequired to be in ArcMapprior to the commandbecoming enabled.

3. Click the Parent Versiondropdown arrow and click theparent version from whichyou want to create the newversion.

4. Type the new version’s name.

5. Optionally, type a description.

6. Click the appropriatepermission type.

7. Optionally, if you are notcurrently editing, check thecheck box to switch theparent version to the newversion.

8. Click OK.

Tip

Creating new versionsCreate alternative versions asonline backups to the originalversion.

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Changing versions

1. Click the Source tab at thebottom of the ArcMap table ofcontents to list theworkspaces in your map.

2. Right-click a versionworkspace.

3. Click Change Version.

4. Click the version to whichyou want to change.

5. Click OK.

When a version workspace ischanged to a different version,all feature classes present in theworkspace will represent thetarget version.

Two methods are available inArcMap for changing versions.You can change versions fromthe Versioning toolbar or in thetable of contents.

When you work in a multiuserenvironment, the database maybe modified by another user atthe same time you’re viewingthe database. Therefore, thefeature classes present inArcMap may become outdated.

To update feature classes inArcMap, you can refresh one orall of the version workspacespresent by clicking the Refreshbutton on the Versioningtoolbar. While you are editing,the Refresh button is unavail-able.

You can have as many versionsin the map as needed, but youcan only edit one version peredit session.

Tip

The Change VersioncommandUse the Change Version commandinstead of adding multiple versionworkspaces to your map document.

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Refreshing a workspace

1. Click the Refresh button onthe Versioning toolbar.

Tip

Preserving a versionIf you need to preserve a currentrepresentation of the database,create a new version beforerefreshing.

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version is any version in the direct ancestry of the version, suchas the parent version or the DEFAULT version.

In addition, the reconcile process requires that you are the onlyuser currently editing the version and that you are the only userable to edit the version throughout the reconcile process untilyou save or post. If another user is simultaneously editing theversion or attempts to start editing since you have reconciled, anerror message will inform you that the version is currently in use.

The reconcile process requires that you have full permissions toall the feature classes that have been modified in the versionbeing edited. If a feature class is modified in the version for whichyou do not have update privileges, an error message appears.You will not be able to reconcile the versions; a user withadequate permissions to perform the reconcile must do this foryou.

For example, suppose you have completed your changes in aversion and need to post the version to the DEFAULT version.You must first reconcile the version with a target version youselect, resolve any conflicts if necessary, then post.

Autoreconciliation

Suppose that since you started editing a version, another userhas saved edits to the same version. Enabling or disablingautoreconciliation affects whether you are notified of the other

Editing and conflict resolution

The geodatabase is designed to efficiently manage and supportlong transactions using versions. The geodatabase also allowsmultiple users to edit the same version at the same time. Each editsession in ArcMap is its own representation of the version untilyou save. Saving the edit session applies your modifications tothe version, making these changes immediately accessible in thedatabase.

When multiple users simultaneously edit a version or reconciletwo versions, conflicts can occur. Reconciling is the process ofmerging two versions. Conflicts occur when the same feature ortopologically related features are edited by two or more users andthe database is unclear about which representation is valid.Conflicts are rare but can occur when overlapping geographicareas in the database are edited. To ensure database integrity, thegeodatabase detects when a feature has been edited in twoversions and reports it as a conflict. ArcMap provides thenecessary tools for conflict resolution, but your interaction is stillrequired to make the final decision as to the feature’s correctrepresentation.

ArcMap provides tools to resolve conflicts and reconcile andpost versions. The next sections explain these capabilities in moredetail.

Reconcile

The Reconcile button in ArcMap merges all modificationsbetween the current edit session and a target version you select.Any differences between the features in the target version andthe features in the edit session are applied to the edit session.Differences can consist of newly inserted, deleted, or updatedfeatures. The reconcile process detects these differences anddiscovers any conflicts. If conflicts exist, a message is displayedfollowed by the conflict resolution dialog box. Reconcilinghappens before posting a version to a target version. A target

An error message appears when you do nothave permissions to a feature class toreconcile versions.



Conflicts

Conflicts occur when the same feature, or topologically relatedfeatures or relationship classes, is modified in two versions: thecurrent version being edited and a target version. Conflictdetection only occurs during the reconciliation process. Ifconflicts are detected, a message appears followed by the conflictresolution dialog box.

There are three types of conflicts that can occur when an editversion is reconciled with a target version: update–update,update–delete, and delete–update. An update–update conflictoccurs when the same feature has been updated in each version.An update–delete conflict occurs when a feature has beenupdated in the edit version and deleted in the reconcile version. Adelete–update conflict occurs when a feature has been deleted inthe edit version and updated in the reconcile version.

When conflicts are detected, the parent version’s featurerepresentation takes precedence over the edit session’srepresentation. Therefore, all conflicting features in the currentedit session are replaced by their representation in the parentversion. If multiple users are editing the same version andconflicts are detected, the feature that was first saved, the currentversion’s representation, is preserved by replacing the editsession’s feature representation. ArcMap ensures databaseintegrity by forcing you to interactively inspect each conflict andresolve the conflict by replacing the feature in the current versionwith your edit session’s representation.

Conflict resolution

Once conflicts are detected, a conflict resolution dialog boxappears, containing all the conflict classes and their features orrows in conflict. The conflict resolution dialog box allows you tointeractively resolve conflicts at the level of the feature class orindividual feature. Resolving the conflict implies that you will

user’s edits when you save yours. If you want to be notified soyou can review the results of the merge before saving your edits,disable autoreconciliation. If you do not want to be notified andwant to save without reviewing the results of the merge, enableautoreconciliation. Regardless of how you set autoreconciliation,ArcMap will always notify you if there are conflicts when yousave.

Post

You can post a version after you have first performed a reconcile.Once the edit session has reconciled with a target version,clicking the Post button synchronizes the version with thereconciled version and performs a save. Posting cannot beundone, as you are applying changes to a version that you arenot currently editing. If the reconciled version is modifiedbetween reconciling and posting, you will be notified to reconcileagain before posting.

This message displays if you disable autoreconciliation andattempt to save after another user has saved.

This message indicates that the target version has been modified sincethe reconciliation; reconcile again before posting.



make a decision as to the feature’s correct representation; thiscould mean doing nothing at all if you are satisfied with thecurrent feature’s representation.

You can choose from three representations of the conflictingfeature or row to resolve the conflict. The pre-edit version is thefeature’s representation when you initially started editing, beforemaking any changes. The edit session version represents thefeature as it existed before you performed the reconcile. The lastrepresentation is the conflict version, the feature’s representationin the conflicting version.

Selecting a feature class or individual feature displays any of thethree representations of the feature in the map. The pre-edit’sversion is displayed in yellow, the edit session’s version isdisplayed in green, and the conflict’s version is displayed in red.You can also optionally enable or disable the display settings foreach version—pre-edit, edit session, and conflict—by clickingthe Display command on the context menu and checking orunchecking the corresponding version.

When you select a feature in the conflict resolution dialog box,each version’s representation of the feature’s or row’s attributesis listed in the bottom half of the box. A red dot to the left of thefield name identifies why the feature is a conflict. For example, ifthe feature’s geometry was edited in each version, a red dotappears next to the shape field. The same principle holds true for

attribute conflicts. If a feature has been deleted in either version,<deleted> appears for that version’s attribute value. Therefore, ared dot marks each column, signifying that each column is anupdate/delete or a delete/update conflict.

Resolving a conflict implies that you made a conscious decisionabout the feature’s correct representation. You can select thefeature in the conflict resolution dialog box and replace thecurrent feature in the map with any of the three representations ofthe feature. This allows you to quickly update and replaceconflicting features. If further modifications are required, you cansimply use any of the ArcMap editing tools to update the feature.

The lateral in blue as it existed prior to editing (A), the lateral after beingmodified (B), and the three representations during conflict resolution (C).

This conflict resolution dialog box shows three feature classes with conflictsand a feature with each of its version’s attributes.



Conflicts with geometric networks, feature-linkedannotation, relationships, and topology

Resolving conflicts with features that are related to other featuresthrough geometric networks, feature-linked annotation, andrelationship classes is different from resolving conflicts withsimple feature classes. Because each of these feature classes hasspecific geodatabase behaviors that can impact other featureclasses, resolving a feature conflict may impact related features.

When you edit network features, changes to the geometricnetwork and to the logical network may create conflicts.

For example, when you add a service to a main, the main will notbe physically split in the geometric network but will be split in thelogical network. Therefore, while you have not directly edited themain’s geometry, it has been edited logically. If the target versionyou are reconciling has also modified the main, then the newservice you inserted will create a conflict with the main.

Resolving a conflict involving geometric network feature classesrequires understanding how the Replace With command in theconflict resolution dialog box will update the existing networktopology present in the edit session.

In the previous example, two users modified the water main—oneby changing an attribute and the other by connecting a newservice. Resolving the conflict would merely require investigatingthe differences and seeing that the conflict is valid and no furtherresolution is required. Since the main contains the correctattribute for the diameter, the new service is correctly connectedto the main. But there are cases when resolving conflictsinvolving a junction feature class will also update the connectednetwork edge.

Working with feature-linked annotation requires remembering onerule: when replacing a feature that has feature-linked annotation,both the feature and the annotation are replaced with the newfeature and annotation. You may have to further edit the newannotation. For example, you may encounter a conflict in whichyou have moved a feature and repositioned its annotation. Theconflict version has performed the same edit, moving the featureand rotating the annotation. Your decision is to replace thefeature with the conflict version’s feature. This action deletes theexisting feature-linked annotation, inserts the conflict feature, andcreates a new annotation. You will then need to further edit thenew annotation by moving and rotating it as necessary.

Relationships have similar dependencies to feature-linkedannotation. Deleting a feature from an origin relationship classmay trigger a message to delete a feature from the destination

The original water main (A), the water main changed to an8-inch diameter in the first edit session (B), a new service wasinserted in the second edit session (C), and the water main inred is shown as a conflict (D).



relationship class. Therefore, be aware of the ramifications ofsimply replacing conflicts involving feature classes thatparticipate in relationship classes.

An example of when a conflict can arise between relationshipclasses is if you were to update the origin class primary field,breaking the relationship in version A. At the same time, inversion B, the destination class-related feature is also updated.When you reconcile the versions, since the destination class isdependent on the origin class, a conflict is detected. A similarexample is if you were to delete a pole that has a relationship to atransformer, the transformer is also deleted. But in the conflictversion, the transformer’s attributes are edited. An update–deleteconflict would be detected when reconciled.

For more information on topologies, see Chapter 4, ‘Editingtopology’, or Building a Geodatabase.



Enabling and disablingautoreconciliation



3. Click the Versioning tab.

4. Check the box to enable ordisable autoreconciliation.

5. Click OK.

Editing a versionYou use the versioning toolbarin ArcMap to reconcile ver-sions, resolve conflicts, andpost versions.

When you start editing, ifmultiple versions are present inthe map, you will have to selectone version. Starting an editsession on a version creates anew, unnamed, temporaryversion that exists until yousave or end the edit session.You are the only user who cansee your changes until youexplicitly save.

When saving an edit session,you have an option to enable ordisable autoreconciliation. Ifenabled, autoreconciliation willautomatically reconcile youredit session with the version’scurrent database state andsave, making your changesavailable to others using thedatabase. If autoreconciliationis not enabled, then when yousave, your edit session will bereconciled with the version’scurrent database state. Amessage will inform you thatthe edit session has beenreconciled but has not beensaved. This will only occur if asecond user has also edited theversion and saved since youstarted editing. You will need tosave again to make your u

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Reconciling

1. Click the Reconcile button onthe Versioning toolbar.

2. Click the target version.

3. Click OK.

Posting

1. Click the Post button on theVersioning toolbar.

changes available to othersusing the database.

Based on your organization’swork flow, you may eventuallyneed to reconcile two versions.Reconciliation is the process ofmerging features from a targetversion into the current editsession. Reconciliation must bedone before posting changes toanother version.

During reconciliation, conflictsmay be discovered. Conflictsarise when the same feature isupdated in each version orupdated in one and deleted inthe other.

When conflicts arise, aninteractive conflict resolutiondialog box will provide the toolsnecessary to resolve theconflicts. For each conflict, youcan choose whether to replacethe feature in your edit sessionwith the conflict version, theversion from your edit session,or the version as it existed atthe beginning of your editsession.

Once you have successfullycompleted the reconciliation,you can post the version. Thepost operation synchronizesyour edit session with thetarget version. They are thenidentical.

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Displaying conflicts

1. Click the Conflicts button onthe Versioning toolbar.

2. Right-click Conflicts and clickDisplay.

3. Check a box to display aconflict category.

4. Click OK.

5. Click the Close button toclose the Conflicts dialogbox.

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Resolving conflicts

1. Click the Conflicts button onthe Versioning toolbar.

2. Click a feature class.

3. Click a feature and right-clickto display the context menu.

4. Click the appropriateReplace With command toresolve the conflict.

5. Click the Close button toclose the Conflicts dialogbox.

See Also

For information on typology andversioning, see Building aGeodatabase.

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The following scenarios show how an organization can implementits work flow process using a versioned database. Theseexamples demonstrate several techniques available for performinglong transactions in a multiuser environment. It is likely thatorganizations will, in some manner, use each of these techniques,depending on the task.

Scenario 1: Simple database modifications

Task: Multiple users are concurrently editing the database,performing common map sheet changes, such as inserting newfeatures, updating attributes, and removing out-of-date facilities.

Solution: Users can simply connect to the DEFAULT version,simultaneously, start editing, and save their changes when theirwork is complete. Users do not have to create new versions tomodify the database. If another user has edited the DEFAULTversion since the current user has started editing, the user savingis notified that the version has been changed, and therefore, theversion will need to be saved again. Users may bypass thiswarning message by enabling autoreconciliation in the ArcMapOptions dialog box. In addition, if two users modify the samefeature during their edit sessions, the second user to saveencounters a conflict. The user then has to decide what thefeature’s correct representation is and save the edit session.

Scenario 2: Transactions spanning multiple days

Task: Update the database to incorporate new and updatedfacilities in the field, which will likely require multiple editsessions and a couple of days to complete.

Solution: A user creates and switches to a new version derivedfrom the DEFAULT version. The user starts editing the newversion and begins modifying features and saving as required.The user can resume the edit session, as appropriate, thefollowing day or possibly the following week. When the changes

Versioning scenarios

are complete and ready to be posted to the DEFAULT version,the user must first click the Reconcile button on the Versioningtoolbar. If conflicts are detected, the user can resolve thedifferences and complete the transaction by clicking the Postbutton. The posting process applies all the changes in the user’sversion to the DEFAULT version. The user can then delete theversion.

Scenario 3: A work flow process

Task: Create individual versions for each step or stage of thework order and work flow process and post the work order to thedatabase.

Solution: A user or supervisor creates a new version derived fromthe DEFAULT version. The user starts editing the new versionand begins modifying features or creating a new design. Whenthe user has completed the design or proposed modifications, thework order can be submitted to a supervisor for review. At thistime, a new version can be created to ensure the preservation ofthe initial design. The new version can then be further modified oradjusted as required. Once the work order has been approved forconstruction, another version can be created. The purpose of thisversion is to reflect any changes that may occur while the workorder is being constructed in the field. Finally, as the constructionis completed and the new facilities are in service, the work ordermust be posted to the database. A user can then start editing thework order, perform a reconcile with the DEFAULT version,resolve any conflicts, if necessary, and post.

The solution allows the organization to create new versions ofthe work order for each step of the project—the initial design orproposed version, a working or accepted version, and a versionfor the construction phase. Each version is preserved andavailable to review for historical purposes. The final step is topost the constructed version to the database. The project



completes a full circle from start to finish, creating individualversions at each step.

Scenario 4: Restricting permissions to thedatabase

Task: The organization’s supervisor has restricted write access tothe DEFAULT version, requiring managerial review of each user’sedits prior to posting the changes to the database.

Solution: To restrict write permissions to the database (theDEFAULT version), the ArcSDE administrative user can set thepermission of the DEFAULT version to protected using theversion manager. This allows users to continue to view theDEFAULT version but does not allow users to start editing theversion. Therefore, users will need to create new versions forediting the database, similar to Scenario 2. When a user hascompleted and saved the edit session, the ArcSDE administratorcan reconcile the version with the DEFAULT version. Toaccomplish this task, the manager who connects to the databaseas the ArcSDE administrator starts editing the user’s version andclicks the Reconcile button. The process will merge all thechanges in the user’s version and the DEFAULT version. Ifconflicts are detected, the manager can resolve the conflicts andsave the edit session. Once the edits are acceptable to themanager, the version is ready to be posted to the DEFAULTversion. The ArcSDE administrative user can then start editingthe version, perform a reconcile, and post the version. The user’sversion can then be deleted.

Scenario 5: Compressing the database

Task: The geodatabase has been edited for an extended time, andthe number of database states and rows in each feature classes’delta tables has significantly increased. How do you improveperformance by running the Compress command?

Solution: The Compress command will remove all database statesthat are no longer referenced by a version and move all the rowsin the delta tables, which are common to all versions, to the basetable. To achieve the maximum benefit when running theCompress command, you can optionally first reconcile, post, anddelete each version with the DEFAULT version. Sometimes thismay not be a reasonable option based on your organization’swork flow. At minimum, to improve performance, simply reconcileeach version with the DEFAULT version and save, then performthe compress. This will ensure that all the edits in the DEFAULTversion will be compressed from the delta tables to the businesstable. Remember, the Compress command can still be executedwithout first reconciling, posting, and deleting each version, butthe benefits may not be as noticeable.

453

12Glossary absolute modeSee digitizing mode.

active data frameThe data frame currently being worked on—for example, the data frame to which layers are beingadded. The active data frame is highlighted on the map, and its name is shown in bold text in thetable of contents.

aliasAn alternative name specified for fields, tables, and feature classes that is more descriptive anduser-friendly than the actual name of these items. On computer networks, a single e-mail alias mayrefer to a group of e-mail addresses. In database management systems, aliases can containcharacters, such as spaces, that can’t be included in the actual names.

aligned dimensionA drafting symbol that runs parallel to the baseline and indicates the true distance between beginand end dimension points. ArcInfo supports aligned dimension and linear dimension.

annotationDescriptive text used to label features on or around a map. Information stored for annotationincludes a text string, a position at which it can be displayed, and display characteristics.

annotation construction methodsProcedures that dictate what type of annotation feature is created and the number of pointsrequired to create new annotation features. Construction methods include horizontal, straight,curved, leader line, and follow feature

annotation feature classA geodatabase feature class that stores text or graphics that provide additional information aboutfeatures or general areas of a map (annotation). An annotation feature class may be linked toanother feature class, so that edits to the features are reflected in the annotation (feature-linkedannotation). Annotation in a geodatabase is edited during an edit session, using the tools on theAnnotation toolbar.


annotation targetIn ArcMap, the annotation group or feature class in a mapdocument where new annotation will be created when using theNew Text tools on the Draw toolbar or when copy-pastingannotation. Annotation created with the Annotation Edit tools iscreated in the current Editing target, not in the annotation target.

ArcInfo workspaceA file-based collection of coverages, grids, triangulated irregularnetworks (TINs), or shapefiles stored as a directory of folders inthe file system.

aspectThe compass direction in which a topographic slope faces,usually expressed in terms of degrees from the north. Aspect canbe generated from continuous elevation surfaces. The aspectrecorded for a TIN face is the steepest downslope direction of theface. The aspect of a cell in a raster is the steepest downslopedirection of a plane defined by the cell and its eight surroundingneighbors.

asynchronousNot synchronous; that is, not happening, existing, or arising atthe same time. For example, in disconnected editing, modifyingthe properties of a check-out is an asynchronous operation;changes made to the check-out in a master geodatabase do notaffect the associated check-out in a check-out geodatabase.

attributeInformation about a geographic feature in a GIS, generally storedin a table and linked to the feature by a unique identifier. Forexample, attributes of a river might include its name, length, andaverage depth.

attribute domainIn a geodatabase, a mechanism for enforcing data integrity.Attribute domains define what values are allowed in a field in afeature class or nonspatial attribute table. If the features ornonspatial objects have been grouped into subtypes, differentattribute domains can be assigned to each of the subtypes.

attribute tableA database or tabular file containing information about a set ofgeographic features, usually arranged so that each rowrepresents a feature and each column represents one featureattribute. In raster datasets, each row of an attribute tablecorresponds to a certain region of cells having the same value. Ina GIS, attribute tables are often joined or related to spatial datalayers, and the attribute values they contain can be used to find,query, and symbolize features or raster cells.

Attributes dialog boxIn ArcMap, a dialog box that displays attributes of selectedfeatures for editing.

azimuthThe angle, measured in degrees, between a baseline drawn from acenter point and another line drawn from the same point.Normally, the baseline points true north and the angle ismeasured clockwise from the baseline. Azimuth is often used todefine an oblique cylindrical map projection or the angle of ageodesic between two points.

behaviorThe way in which an object in a geodatabase functions oroperates. Behavior rules define how geodatabase objects can beedited and drawn. Defined behaviors include, but are not limitedto, validation rules, subtypes, default values, and relationships.

GLOSSARY 455

Bowditch ruleSee compass rule.

bufferA zone around a map feature measured in units of distance ortime. A buffer is useful for proximity analysis.

CADA computer-based system for the design, drafting, and display ofgraphical information. Also known as computer-aided drafting,such systems are most commonly used to support engineering,planning, and illustrating activities.

CAD feature classA read-only member of a CAD feature dataset, comprised of oneof the following: polylines, points, polygons, multi-patch, orannotation. The feature attribute table of a CAD feature class is avirtual table comprised of select CAD graphic properties and anyexisting field attribute values.

centroidThe geometric center of a feature. Of a line, it is the midpoint; of apolygon, the center of area; of a three-dimensional figure, thecenter of volume.

check-inThe procedure that transfers a copy of data into a mastergeodatabase, overwriting the original copy of that data andreenabling it so it can be accessed and saved from that location.

check-outA procedure that records the duplication of data from onegeodatabase to another and disables the original data so bothversions cannot be accessed or saved at the same time.

check-out geodatabaseA personal or ArcSDE geodatabase that contains data checkedout from a master geodatabase.

check-out versionThe data version created in a check-out geodatabase when datais checked out to that database. This version is created as copyof the synchronization version. Only the edits made to this check-out version can be checked back in to the master geodatabase.See also check-out geodatabase, master check-out version.

circleA two-dimensional geometric shape for which the distance fromthe center to any point on the edge is equal; the closed planecurve defining such a shape or the surface bounded by such acurve.

circular arcA line with two vertices, one situated at each endpoint, ratherthan a line composed of numerous vertices with line segmentsbetween them.

closure reportThe summary of the difference between the endpoint coordinateof a traverse and the calculated endpoint.

cluster toleranceIn geodatabase feature classes, a definition for the minimumtolerated distance between vertices in the topology. Vertices thatfall within the set cluster tolerance will be snapped togetherduring the validate topology process.

clusteringA part of the topology validation process in which vertices thatfall within the cluster tolerance are snapped together.


coded value domainA type of attribute domain that defines a set of permissible valuesfor an attribute in a geodatabase. Coded value domains consist ofa code and its equivalent value. For example, for a road featureclass, the numbers 1, 2 and 3 might correspond to three types ofroad surface: gravel, asphalt and concrete. Codes are stored inthe geodatabase and corresponding values appear in the attributetable.

COGO1. Coordinate geometry. A set of algorithms for converting surveydata (bearings, distances and angles) into coordinate data.

2. Automated mapping software used in land surveying thatcalculates locations using distances and bearings from knownreference points.

coincidentOccupying the same space. Coincident features or parts offeatures occupy the same space in the same plane. Ingeodatabase feature classes, vertices or boundaries that fallwithin the set cluster tolerance of one another are coincident;they are snapped together during the validate topology process.

columnThe vertical dimension of a table. Each column stores the valuesof one type of attribute for all of the records, or rows, in the table.All the values in a given column are of the same data type; forexample, number, string, BLOB, date.

compactionSee compression.

compass rule1. Also known as the Bowditch rule, this widely used rule foradjusting a traverse assumes that the precision in angles ordirections are equivalent to the precision in distances. This rule

distributes the closure error in the whole traverse by changingthe Northings and Eastings of each traverse point in proportionto the distance from the beginning of the traverse. Morespecifically, a correction factor is computed for each point as thesum of the distances along the traverse from the first point to thepoint in question, divided by the total length of the traverse. Thecorrection factor at each point is multiplied by the overall closureerror to get the amount of error correction distributed to thepoint’s coordinates.

2. One of three adjustment methods available for adjustingclosure error for a traverse computation. The other two methodsare the transit rule and the Crandall rule.

composite relationshipA link or association between objects where the lifetime of oneobject controls the lifetime of its related objects. The associationbetween highways and shield markers is a composite relationship,since shield markers can’t exist without a highway.

compressionA reduction of file size for data handling and storage. Examples ofsuch methods include quadtrees, run-length encoding, andwavelet.

computer-aided designSee CAD.

conflictAn opposing action of incompatibles that occurs when multipleusers simultaneously edit a version or reconcile two versions.Conflicts occur when the same feature or topologically relatedfeatures are edited in both the edit and reconciliation versions,and it is unclear in the database which representation is valid.

GLOSSARY 457

conflict resolutionThe process of solving uncertainty within a database that occurswhen two versions of the same data are edited at the same time.Conflicts can occur when multiple users simultaneously edit thesame feature or topologically related features, or reconcile twoversions of a dataset. Resolving a conflict requires that the usermake a decision about the feature’s correct representation andidentify it in the Conflict Resolution dialog box.

connectivity1. In a geodatabase, the state of edges and junctions in a logicalnetwork that controls flow, tracing, and pathfinding.

2. In a coverage, topological identification of connected arcs byrecording the from-node and to-node for each arc. Arcs that sharea common node are connected.

connectivity ruleA rule that constrains the type and number of network featuresthat can be connected to one another in a geodatabase. There aretwo types of connectivity rules: edge–junction and edge–edge.

constraintsLimits imposed on a model to maintain data integrity. For example,in a water network model, an 8-inch pipe cannot connect to a 4-inch pipe.

construct featuresIn ArcMap, an edit command that takes selected features fromone or more feature classes and creates new features in a targetfeature class. The Construct Features tool uses the inputgeometries of the selected features to construct polygons or linesfollowing polygon boundaries, depending on the geometry of thetarget feature class.

context menuList menus that pop up when the right mouse button is clicked inWindows applications. Some keyboards also have an applicationkey that opens context menus.

controlIn mapping, a system of points with established horizontal andvertical positions that are used as fixed references for knownground points or specific locations. The establishment ofcontrols is one of the first steps involved in digitizing.

coordinate geometrySee COGO.

coordinate systemA fixed reference framework superimposed onto the surface of anarea to designate the position of a point within it; a referencesystem consisting of a set of points, lines and/or surfaces, and aset of rules, used to define the positions of points in space ineither two or three dimensions. The Cartesian coordinate systemand the geographic coordinate system used on the earth’ssurface are common examples of coordinate systems.

coordinatesValues represented by x, y, and possibly z, that define a positionin terms of a spatial reference framework. Coordinates are used torepresent locations on the earth’s surface relative to otherlocations.

coverageA data model for storing geographic features using ArcInfosoftware. A coverage stores a set of thematically associated dataconsidered to be a unit. It usually represents a single layer, suchas soils, streams, roads, or land use. In a coverage, features arestored as both primary features (points, arcs, polygons) andsecondary features (tics, links, annotation). Feature attributes are


described and stored independently in feature attribute tables.Coverages cannot be edited in ArcGIS.

crackingA part of the topology validation process in which vertices arecreated at the intersection of feature edges.

Crandall rule1. A special-case, least-squares based method for adjusting theclosure error in a traverse. It is most frequently used in a closedtraverse that represents a parcel from a subdivision plan. This isbecause it ensures that tangency between courses remains intactas, for example, when applied to a tangent curve. It assumes thatcourse directions and angles have no error, and therefore all errorcorrections are applied only to the distances. This method uses aleast squares adjustment to distribute the closure error, andapplies infinite weight to the angles or direction measurements toensure that they are not adjusted. In some circumstances theresults of this adjustment method may be unexpected, or theadjustment may not be possible. In these circumstances analternative method is required.

2. One of three adjustment methods available for adjustingclosure error for a traverse computation. The other two methodsare the transit rule and the compass rule.

current taskDuring editing in ArcMap, a setting in the Current Taskdropdown list that determines the task with which the sketchconstruction tools (Sketch, Arc, Distance–Distance, andIntersection) will work. The current task is set by clicking a task inthe Current Task dropdown list.

custom behaviorA set of methods, functions or operations associated with ageodatabase object that has been specifically created oroverridden by a developer.

custom featureIn geodatabases, a feature with specialized behavior instantiatedin a class by a developer.

custom objectAn object with custom behavior provided by a developer.

dangleAn endpoint of a line that is not connected to another linebecause the line features do not form closed loops. A dangle maybe formed when the line extends too far past the line it issupposed to touch (an overshoot) or not quite far enough (anundershoot). A dangle is not always an error; for example, it canrepresent cul-de-sac or dead end street segments.

dataAny collection of related facts arranged in a particular format;often, the basic elements of information that are produced, stored,or processed by a computer.

data frameA map element that defines a geographic extent, a page extent anda coordinate system, and other display properties for one or morelayers in ArcMap. A dataset can be represented in one or moredata frames. In data view, only one data frame is displayed at atime; in layout view, all a map’s data frames are displayed at thesame time. Many cartography texts use the term map body torefer to what ESRI calls a data frame.

data integrityThe degree to which the data in a database is accurate andconsistent according to data model and data type. Data integrityis maintained through the creation of attribute domains andthrough mandatory conflict resolution between versions of adataset.

GLOSSARY 459

data sourceAny geographic data. Data sources may include coverages,shapefiles, rasters, or feature classes.

data typeThe attribute of a variable, field, or column in a table thatdetermines the kind of data it can store. Common data typesinclude character, integer, decimal, single, double, and string.

data viewAn all-purpose view in ArcMap and ArcReader™ for exploring,displaying, and querying geographic data. This view hides allmap elements, such as titles, North arrows, and scalebars. Seealso layout view.

databaseOne or more structured sets of persistent data, managed andstored as a unit and generally associated with software to updateand query the data. A simple database might be a single file withmany records, each of which references the same set of fields. AGIS database includes data about the spatial locations andshapes of geographic features recorded as points, lines, areas,pixels, grid cells, or TINs, as well as their attributes.

datasetAny organized collection of data with a common theme.

dataset precisionThe mathematical exactness or detail with which a value is storedwithin the dataset, based on the number of significant digits thatcan be stored for each coordinate. In a geodatabase, the precisionof the dataset is the number of internal storage units that areallocated to each of the linear units of a coordinate system.

decimal degreesValues of latitude and longitude expressed in decimal formatrather than in degrees, minutes, and seconds.

default junction typeIn geometric networks, the user-established junction type whichautomatically connects two edge types in the absence of acurrent user choice, in cases where two edge types may beconnectable through more than one junction type. An edge mayalso have a default end junction type, used for the free ends ofnew edges.

deflectionThe creation of a segment at an angle relative to an existingsegment.

degreeA unit of angular measure represented by the symbol °. Thecircumference of a circle contains 360 degrees, and fractions of adegree are represented as decimal values.

degrees/minutes/seconds (DMS)A unit of measure for describing latitude and longitude. A degreeis 1/360th of a circle. A degree is further divided into 60 minutesand a minute is divided into 60 seconds.

destinationThe secondary object in a relationship. For example, a tablecontaining attributes that are associated with features in a featureclass.

digitizerA device connected to a computer, consisting of a tablet and ahandheld puck, that converts positions on the tablet surface asthey are traced by an operator to digital x,y coordinates, yielding


vector data consisting of points, lines, and polygons. See alsopuck.

digitizingThe process of converting the geographic features on an analogmap into digital format using a digitizing tablet, or digitizer, whichis connected to a computer. Features on a paper map are tracedwith a digitizer puck, a device similar to a mouse, and the x,ycoordinates of these features are automatically recorded andstored as spatial data.

digitizing modeOne of the ways in which a digitizing tablet operates. In digitizingmode, locations on the tablet are mapped to specific locations onthe screen. Moving the digitizer puck on the tablet surface causesthe screen pointer to move to precisely the same position.

dimension construction methodsProcedures that dictate what type of dimension feature is createdand the number of points required to complete the feature’sgeometry. Construction methods include simple aligned, aligned,linear, rotated linear, free aligned, and free linear.

dimension featureA special kind of geodatabase annotation that shows specificlengths or distances on a map. A dimension feature may indicatethe length of a side of a building or land parcel, or it may indicatethe distance between two features such as a fire hydrant and thecorner of a building. ArcInfo supports aligned dimensions andlinear dimensions.

dimension feature classA collection of spatial data in the geodatabase that shares thesame dimension features. Like other feature classes in thegeodatabase, all features in a dimension feature class have ageographic location and attributes and can either be inside oroutside a feature dataset.

dimension styleDescription of a dimension feature’s symbology, what parts of itare drawn, and how it is drawn. Every time a new dimensionfeature is created, it is assigned a particular style according to itsshared characteristics. A collection of dimension styles isassociated with a dimension feature class. Styles for a dimensionfeature class are created, copied, and managed using ArcCatalogor the editing capabilities in ArcMap. Styles are then assigned toindividual dimension features.

Dimensioning toolbarA toolbar in ArcMap that facilitates the creation of dimensionfeatures.

direct connectA two-tier configuration for connecting to a spatial database.Direct connect moves processing from the server to the client. Itdoes not require the ArcSDE application server to connect to aspatial database. With direct connect, ArcSDE processing stilloccurs, but it primarily happens on the client side.

dirty areasRegions surrounding features that have been altered after theinitial topology validation process and require an additionaltopology validation to be performed to discover any errors.

disconnected editingThe process of copying data to another geodatabase, editing thatdata, then merging the changes with the data in the source ormaster geodatabase.

diskA storage medium consisting of a round, flat, spinning platecoated with a magnetic material for recording digital information.

GLOSSARY 461

displacement linkA link created to define the source and destination coordinatesfor a spatial adjustment. Links are represented as arrows with thearrowhead pointing toward the destination location. Links can becreated manually or loaded from a link file.

distance unitsThe units of length (for example, feet, miles, meters, or kilometers)that are used to report measurements, dimensions of shapes, anddistance tolerances and offsets.

domainSee attribute domain.

double precisionThe level of coordinate exactness based on the possible numberof significant digits that can be stored for each coordinate.Datasets can be stored in either single or double precision.Double-precision geometries store up to 15 significant digits percoordinate (typically 13 to 14 significant digits), retaining theaccuracy of much less than one meter at a global extent. See alsosingle precision.

edge1. A line between two nodes, points, or junctions that forms theboundary of one or more faces of a spatial entity. In an image,edges separate areas of different tones or colors. In topology, anedge defines lines or polygon boundaries; multiple features inone or more feature classes may share edges.

2. In a geometric network, a linear feature (for example, a pipelinein a sewer system). A network edge can be simple or complex. Asimple edge is always connected to exactly two junction (point)features, one at each end. A complex edge is always connected toat least two junction features at its endpoints, but it can beconnected to additional junction features along its length.

edge elementA line connecting nodes in the network through which acommodity, such as information, water, or electricity, presumablyflows.

edge–edge ruleIn geodatabases, a connectivity rule that establishes that an edgeof type A may connect to an edge of type B through a junction oftype C. Edge–edge rules always involve a junction type.

edge–junction cardinalityIn a relationship between objects in a geodatabase, the number ofedges of one type that may be associated with junctions ofanother type. Edge–junction cardinality defines a range ofpermissible connections that may occur in a one-to-manyrelationship between a single junction and many edges.

edge–junction ruleA connectivity rule in geodatabases establishing that an edge oftype A may connect to a junction of type B.

edgematchingA spatial adjustment process that aligns features along the edgeof one layer to features of an adjoining layer. The layer with theleast accurate features is adjusted, and the adjoining layer is usedas the control.

Edit Annotation toolA tool on the Annotation toolbar that is used to manipulategeodatabase annotation. Text can be interactively moved, scaled,and rotated. Context menu options allow control of the position,orientation, symbology, content, size, and style of text.

edit cacheSee map cache.


edit sessionIn ArcMap, the environment in which spatial and attribute editingtake place. After starting an edit session, a user can modifyfeature locations, geometry, or attributes. Modifications are notsaved unless the user explicitly chooses to save them.

Editor toolbarIn ArcMap, a set of tools that allows the creation andmodification of features and their attributes.

ellipseA geometric shape equivalent to a circle that is viewed obliquely.It is described mathematically as the collection of points whosedistances from two given points add up to the same sum.

errorSee topology error.

exceptionAn error that is an acceptable violation of a topology rule. InArcMap, for example, a cul-de-sac is a legitimate exception to theMust Not Have Dangles rule.

explodeAn editing process that separates a multipart feature into itscomponent features, which become independent features.

extentThe coordinate pairs defining the minimum bounding rectangle(xmin, ymin and xmax, ymax) of a data source. All coordinates forthe data source fall within this boundary.

feature1. A group of spatial elements which together represent a real-world entity. A complex feature is made up of more than one

group of spatial elements: for example, a set of line elements withthe common theme of roads representing a road network.

2. A representation of a real-world object on a map. Features canbe represented in a GIS as vector data (points, lines, or polygons)or as cells in a raster data format. To be displayed in a GIS,features must have geometry and locational information.

feature attribute tableSee attribute table.

feature classA collection of geographic features with the same geometry type(such as point, line, or polygon), the same attributes, and thesame spatial reference. Feature classes can stand alone within ageodatabase, or they can be contained within shapefiles,coverages, or other feature datasets. Feature classes allowhomogeneous features to be grouped into a single unit for datastorage purposes. For example, highways, primary roads, andsecondary roads can be grouped into a line feature class named“roads”. In a geodatabase, feature classes can also storeannotation and dimensions.

feature datasetA collection of feature classes stored together that share thesame spatial reference; that is, they have the same coordinatesystem and their features fall within a common geographic area.Feature classes with different geometry types may be stored in afeature dataset.

feature-linked annotationAnnotation that is stored in the geodatabase with links tofeatures through a geodatabase relationship class. Feature-linkedannotation reflects the current state of features in thegeodatabase: it is automatically updated when features aremoved, edited, or deleted.

GLOSSARY 463

field1. A column in a table that stores the values for a single attribute.

2. The place in a database record, or in a graphical user interface,where data can be entered.

See also attribute, column.

filletA segment of a circle, or an arc, that may be used to connect twointersecting lines. Fillets are used to create smoothly curvingconnections between lines, such as edge of pavement lines atstreet intersections, or rounded corners on parcel features.

foreign keyA column or combination of columns in one table whose valuesmatch the primary key in another table. A value in the foreign keycan only exist if there is a corresponding value in the primary key,unless the value is NULL. Foreign key—primary key relationshipsdefine a relational join.

formatted text tagSee text formatting tag.

geocodingThe process of assigning x,y coordinate values to streetaddresses or ZIP Codes so that they can be displayed as pointfeatures on a map. In a GIS, address geocoding requires areference data set that contains address attributes for the area ofinterest.

geodatabaseAn object-oriented data model introduced by ESRI thatrepresents geographic features and attributes as objects and therelationships between objects, but is hosted inside a relationaldatabase management system. A geodatabase can store objects

such as feature classes, feature datasets, nonspatial tables, andrelationship classes.

geodatabase data modelA geographic data model that represents real-world geographicfeatures as objects in an object-relational database. In thegeodatabase data model, features are stored as rows in a table,and geometry is stored in a shape field. Objects in thegeodatabase data model may have custom behavior.

geographic information system (GIS)An arrangement of computer hardware, software, and geographicdata that people interact with to integrate, analyze, and visualizethe data; identify relationships, patterns, and trends; and findsolutions to problems. The system is designed to capture, store,update, manipulate, analyze, and display the geographicinformation. A GIS is typically used to represent maps as datalayers that can be studied and used to perform analyses.

geometric coincidenceThe distance within which features in a geometric network aredeemed to be coincident, and therefore, connected.

geometric networkTopologically connected edge and junction features thatrepresent a linear network such as a road, utility, or hydrologicsystem.

georelational data modelA geographic data model that represents geographic features asan interrelated set of spatial and attribute data. The georelationalmodel is the fundamental data model used in coverages.

GISSee geographic information system (GIS).


global positioning system (GPS)A constellation of 24 radio-emitting satellites deployed by theU.S. Department of Defense and used to determine location onthe earth’s surface. The orbiting satellites transmit signals thatallow a GPS receiver anywhere on earth to calculate its ownlocation through triangulation. The system is used in navigation,mapping, surveying, and other applications in which precisepositioning is necessary.

gonSee gradian.

GPSSee global positioning system (GPS).

gradeSee gradian.

gradianA unit of angular measurement in which the angle of a full circle is400 gradians and a right angle is 100 gradians.

heads-up digitizingManual digitization of features by tracing a mouse over featuresdisplayed on a computer monitor, often as a method ofvectorizing raster data.

identity linkAn anchor that prevents the movement of features during arubber sheet spatial adjustment. See also rubber sheeting.

indexA data structure used to speed the search for records in adatabase or for spatial features in geographic datasets. In general,unique identifiers stored in a key field point to records or filesholding more detailed information.

instanceSee service.

intersectA geometric integration of spatial datasets that preserves featuresor portions of features that fall within areas common to the inputdatasets. See also union.

IP addressInternet protocol address. The identification of each client orserver computer on the Internet by a unique number. IP addressesallow data to travel between one computer and another via theInternet, and are commonly expressed as a dotted quad, with foursets of numerals separated by periods.

item1. An element in the Catalog tree. Items include data sources suchas shapefiles and geodatabases, and nonspatial elements such asfolders.

2. A column of information in an INFO table.

See also field.

junctionA node joining two or more arcs.

junction elementIn a linear network, a network feature that occurs at theintersection of two or more edges or at the endpoint of an edgethat allows the transfer of flow between edges.

label1. Text placed next to a feature on a map to describe or identify it.

2. To run the labeling process in ArcMap; to begin dynamicallyplacing attribute-driven text for map features.

GLOSSARY 465

label classA category of labels that represents features with the samelabeling properties. For example, in a roads layer, label classescould be created to define information and style for each type ofroad: interstate, state highway, county road, and so on.

label expressionA statement that determines the label text. Label expressionstypically concatenate or modify the contents of one or morefields, and may add additional text strings to create moreinformative labels. They can contain Visual Basic script or JScriptto add logic, text processing, and formatting for the labels.

Label ManagerThe tool used to display and set labeling properties for thecurrently active data frame. The Label Manager is accessiblethrough the Labeling toolbar.

layer1. A set of references to data sources such as a coverage,geodatabase feature class, raster, and so on that defines how thedata should be displayed on a map. Layers can also defineadditional properties, such as which features from the data sourceare included. Layers can also be used as inputs to geoprocessingtools. Layers can be stored in map documents (.mxd) or savedindividually as layer files (.lyr).

2. A standalone feature class in a geodatabase managed withSDE 3.

layout viewIn ArcMap and ArcReader™, the view for laying out a map.Layout view shows the virtual page upon which geographic dataand map elements, such as titles, legends, and scalebars, areplaced and arranged for printing. See also data view.

linear dimensionA measurement of the horizontal or vertical dimension of afeature. Unlike aligned dimensions, linear dimensions do notrepresent the true distance between begin and end dimensionpoints.

logical networkAn abstract representation of a network. A logical networkconsists of edge, junction, and turn elements, and theconnectivity between them. It does not contain information aboutthe geometry or location of its elements.

magnifier windowA secondary window in ArcMap data view that shows amagnified view of a small area without changing the map extent.Moving the magnifier window around will not affect the currentmap display.

map1. A graphic depiction on a flat surface of the physical features ofthe whole or a part of the earth or other body, or of the heavens,using shapes to represent objects, and symbols to describe theirnature; at a scale whose representative fraction is less than 1:1.Maps generally use a specified projection and indicate thedirection of orientation.

2. The document used in ArcMap to display and work withgeographic data. In ArcMap, a map contains one or more layersof geographic data, contained in data frames, and varioussupporting map elements, such as a scalebar.

map cacheA setting used in ArcMap that allows temporary storage offeatures from a given map extent in the desktop computer’s RAM,which may result in performance improvements in ArcMap forediting, feature rendering, and labeling.


map documentIn ArcMap, the file that contains one map, its layout, and itsassociated layers, tables, charts, and reports. Map documentscan be printed or embedded in other documents. Map documentfiles have a .mxd extension.

map projectionSee projection.

map topologyA temporary set of topological relationships between coincidentparts of simple features on a map, used to edit shared parts ofmultiple features.

map unitsThe ground units—for example, feet, miles, meters, orkilometers—in which the coordinates of spatial data are stored.

master check-out versionThe data version in the master geodatabase, created when data ischecked out, that represents the state of the data at the time itwas checked out. See also check-out version, mastergeodatabase.

master geodatabaseA geodatabase from which data has been checked out. See alsocheck-out geodatabase.

merge policyIn geodatabases, rules that dictate what happens to therespective attributes of features that are merged together duringediting in ArcMap. A merge policy can be set to assign a defaultvalue to the new attribute, summarize the values of the mergedattributes, or create a weighted average from the mergedattributes.

minimum bounding rectangleA rectangle, oriented to the x and y axes, that bounds ageographic feature or a geographic dataset. It is specified by twocoordinate pairs: xmin, ymin and xmax, ymax. For example, anextent can define a minimum bounding rectangle for a coverage.

mouse modeOne of the ways in which a digitizing tablet operates. In mousemode, the digitizer puck behaves just like a mouse; there is nocorrelation between the position of the screen pointer and thesurface of the digitizing tablet, but interface elements can bechosen with the pointer.

multipart featureA feature that is composed of more than one physical part butonly references one set of attributes in the database. For example,in a layer of states, the state of Hawaii could be considered amultipart feature. Although composed of many islands, it wouldbe recorded in the database as one feature.

multipoint featureA feature that consists of more than one point but onlyreferences one set of attributes in the database. For example, asystem of oil wells might be considered a multipoint feature, sincethere is a single set of attributes for multiple well holes.

multiuser geodatabaseA geodatabase in an RDBMS served to client applications—forexample, ArcMap—by ArcSDE. Multiuser geodatabases can bevery large and support multiple concurrent editors. They aresupported on a variety of commercial RDBMSs including Oracle®,Microsoft® SQL Server™, IBM® DB2®, and Informix®.

networkA set of edge, junction, and turn elements and the connectivitybetween them; also known as a logical network. In other words,

GLOSSARY 467

an interconnected set of lines representing possible paths fromone location to another. A city streets layer is an example of anetwork.

network featureOne of the topologically connected edge or junction features,representing a linear network, such as a road, utility, orhydrologic system, that compose a geometric network.

network traceA function that follows connectivity in a geometric network.Specific kinds of network tracing include finding features that areconnected, finding common ancestors, finding loops, tracingupstream, and tracing downstream. See also geometric network.

nodeIn a geodatabase, the point representing the beginning or endingpoint of an edge, topologically linked to all the edges that meetthere.

null valueThe absence of a recorded value for a geographic feature. A nullvalue differs from a value of zero in that zero may represent themeasure of an attribute, while a null value indicates that nomeasurement has been taken.

objectIn GIS, a digital representation of a discrete spatial entity. Anobject may belong to an object class and will thus have attributevalues and behavior in common with other defined elements.

object class1. In a geodatabase, a collection of nonspatial data of the sametype or theme. While spatial objects (features) are stored infeature classes in a geodatabase, nonspatial objects are stored inobject classes.

2. A collection of objects in the geodatabase that have the samebehavior and the same set of attributes. All objects in thegeodatabase are stored in object classes.

originThe primary object in a relationship. For example, a feature classcontaining points where measurements are taken; themeasurements are stored in another table. See also relationship,destination.

overshootThe portion of an arc digitized past its intersection with anotherarc.

overview windowA secondary window in ArcMap data view that shows the fullextent of the data, without changing the map extent. A red box inthe window represents the current map extent.

panTo move an onscreen display window up, down, or across a mapimage without changing the viewing scale.

parametric curveA curve that is defined mathematically rather than by a series ofconnected vertices. A parametric curve has only two vertices, oneat each end.

passwordA secret series of characters that enables a user to access acomputer, data file, or program. The user must enter his or herpassword before the computer will respond to commands. Thepassword helps ensure that unauthorized users do not access thecomputer, file, or program.


personal geodatabaseA geodatabase that stores data in a singleuser relational databasemanagement system (RDBMS). A personal geodatabase can beread simultaneously by several users, but only one user at a timecan write data into it.

planarizeThe process of creating multiple line features by splitting longerfeatures at the places where they intersect other line features.This process can be useful when you have nontopologicallinework that has been spaghetti digitized or imported from aCAD drawing.

pointA zero-dimensional abstraction of an object; a single x,ycoordinate pair that represents a geographic feature too small tobe displayed as a line or area at that scale.

point mode digitizingA method of digitizing in which a series of precise points, orvertices, are created. See also stream mode digitizing.

polygonA closed, two-dimensional figure with at least three sides thatrepresents an area. It is used in GIS to describe spatial elementswith a discrete area, such as parcels, political districts, areas ofhomogeneous land use, and soil types.

polylineA two-dimensional feature representing a line containing one ormore line segments—that is, any line defined by two or morepoints. Line features such as boundaries, roads, streams, andpower cables are usually polylines.

port numberThe TCP/IP port number on which an ArcSDE geodatabaseservice is communicating.

postDuring versioned geodatabase editing, the process of applyingthe current edit session to the reconciled target version.

precision (dataset)See dataset precision.

primary keyA column or set of columns in a database that stores a uniquevalue for each record. A primary key allows no duplicate valuesand cannot be NULL.

projectionA method by which the curved surface of the earth is portrayedon a flat surface. This generally requires a systematicmathematical transformation of the earth's graticule of lines oflongitude and latitude onto a plane. It can be visualized as atransparent globe with a light bulb at its center casting lines oflatitude and longitude onto a sheet of paper. Generally, the paperis either flat and placed tangent to the globe (a planar or azimuthalprojection) or formed into a cone or cylinder and placed over theglobe (cylindrical and conical projections). Every map projectiondistorts distance, area, shape, direction, or some combinationthereof.

propertyAn attribute of an object defining one of its characteristics or anaspect of its behavior. For example, the Visible property affectswhether a control can be seen at run time. You can set an item’sproperties using its Properties dialog box.

GLOSSARY 469

pseudonodeIn a geodatabase topology or ArcInfo coverage, a nodeconnecting only two edges or arcs, or the endpoint of an edge orarc that connects to itself (an island).

puckThe handheld device used with a digitizer to record positionsfrom the tablet surface.

pull check-inA check-in operation initiated from a master geodatabase.

push check-inA check-in operation initiated from a check-out geodatabase.

queryA request that selects features or records from a database. Aquery is often written as a statement or logical expression.

radianThe angle subtended by an arc of a circle that is the same lengthas the radius of the circle, approximately 57 degrees, 17 minutes,and 44.6 seconds. A circle is 2(pi) radians.

range domainA type of attribute domain that defines the range of permissiblevalues for a numeric attribute. For example, the permissible rangeof values for a pipe diameter could be between 1 and 32 inches.

rankA method of assigning an accuracy value to feature classes toavoid having vertices from a feature class collected with a highlevel of accuracy being snapped to vertices from a less accuratefeature class. Vertices from higher ranking feature classes will notbe moved when snapping with vertices with lower ranked feature

classes. The highest rank is 1; up to 50 different ranks can beassigned.

rasterA spatial data model that defines space as an array of equallysized cells arranged in rows and columns. Each cell contains anattribute value and location coordinates. Unlike a vectorstructure, which stores coordinates explicitly, raster coordinatesare contained in the ordering of the matrix. Groups of cells thatshare the same value represent geographic features. See alsovector.

RDBMSRelational database management system. A type of database inwhich the data is organized across several tables. Tables areassociated with each other through common fields. Data itemscan be recombined from different files. In contrast to otherdatabase structures, an RDBMS requires few assumptions abouthow data is related or how it will be extracted from the database.

reconcileIn version management, to merge all modified datasets, featureclasses, and tables in the current edit session with a secondtarget version. All features and rows that do not conflict aremerged into the edit session, replacing the current features orrows. Features that are modified in more than one version areconflicts and require further resolution via the Conflict Resolutiondialog box.

record1. A set of related data fields, often a row in a database,containing all the attribute values for a single entity. For example,in an address database, the fields which together provide theaddress for a specific individual comprise one record. In SQLterms, a record is analogous to a tuple.


2. A row in a database or in an attribute table that contains all ofthe attribute values for a single feature.

reference scaleThe scale at which symbols will appear on the page at their truesize, specified in page units. As the extent is changed, the textand symbols will change scale along with the display. Without areference scale, the symbols will look the same at all map scales.ArcGIS Desktop uses reference scales for annotation groups,geodatabase annotation feature classes, geodatabase dimensionfeature classes, and data frames.

relateAn operation that establishes a temporary connection betweenrecords in two tables using an item common to both.

relational database management systemSee RDBMS.

relational joinAn operation by which two data tables are related through acommon field, known as a key.

relationshipAn association or link between two objects in a geodatabase.Relationships can exist between spatial objects (features infeature classes), between nonspatial objects (rows in a table), orbetween spatial and nonspatial objects.

relationship classAn item in the geodatabase that stores information about arelationship. A relationship class is visible as an item in theArcCatalog tree or contents view.

relative modeSee mouse mode.

row1. A record in an attribute table.

2. The horizontal dimension of a table composed of a set ofcolumns containing one data item each.

rubber bandingSee rubber sheeting.

rubber sheetingA procedure to adjust the coordinates of all the data points in adataset to allow a more accurate match between known locationsand a few data points within the dataset. Preserves theinterconnectivity, or topology, between points and objectsthrough stretching, shrinking, or reorienting their interconnectinglines.

scanningThe process of capturing data in raster format with a device calleda scanner. Some scanners also use software to convert raster datato vector data.

schema1. The structure or design of a database or database object suchas a table. In a relational database, the schema defines the tables,the fields in each table, and the relationships between fields andtables. Schemas are generally stored in a data dictionary. InArcCatalog, the schema can either be modeled in UML using aCASE tool or defined directly within ArcCatalog using wizards.

2. The organization and definitions of the feature classes, tables,and other items in a geodatabase. Creating or deleting items, orchanging their definitions, modifies the schema. The schema doesnot include actual data, only its structure.

GLOSSARY 471

schema-only check-outA type of check-out that creates the schema of the data beingchecked out in the check-out geodatabase but does not copy anydata.

segmentA line that connects vertices. For example, in a sketch of abuilding, a segment might represent one wall.

selectTo choose from a number or group of features or records; tocreate a separate set or subset.

selectable layersLayers from which features can be selected in ArcMap with theinteractive selection tools. Selectable layers can be chosen usingthe Set Selectable Layers command in the Selection menu, or onthe optional Selection tab in the table of contents.

selected setA subset of features in a layer or records in a table that is chosenby the user.

selection anchorIn an ArcMap editing session, a small “x” located in the center ofselected features. The selection anchor is used in the snappingenvironment, or when rotating, moving, and scaling features.

serverA computer in a network that is used to provide services—suchas access to files or e-mail routing—to other computers in thenetwork. Servers may also be used to host Web sites orapplications that can be accessed remotely.

serviceA collection of persistent, server-side software processes thatprovides data or computing resources for client applications.Examples include ArcSDE application server and DBMS server.

shapeThe characteristic appearance or visible form of a geographicobject. Geographic objects can be represented on a map usingone of three basic shapes: points, lines, or polygons.

shapefileA vector data storage format for storing the location, shape, andattributes of geographic features. A shapefile is stored in a set ofrelated files and contains one feature class.

shared boundaryA segment or boundary common to two features. For example, ina parcel database, adjacent parcels will share a boundary. Anotherexample might be a parcel that shares a boundary on one sidewith a river. The segment of the river that coincides with theparcel boundary would share the same coordinates as the parcelboundary.

shared vertexA vertex common to multiple features. For example, in a parceldatabase, adjacent parcels will share a vertex at the commoncorner.

shortcut keyA command’s shortcut key executes the command directlywithout first having to open and navigate a menu. For example,Ctrl + C is a well-known shortcut for copying a file in Windows.


simple featureA point, line, or polygon that is not part of a geometric networkand is not an annotation feature, dimension feature, or customobject.

simple relationshipA link or association between data sources that existindependently of each other.

single precisionRefers to a level of coordinate exactness based on the number ofsignificant digits that can be stored for each coordinate. Singleprecision numbers store up to seven significant digits for eachcoordinate, retaining a precision of ±5 meters in an extent of1,000,000 meters. Datasets can be stored in either single or doubleprecision coordinates. See also double precision.

sketchIn ArcMap, a shape that represents a feature’s geometry. Everyexisting feature on a map has this alternate form, a sketch, thatallows visualization of that feature’s composition, with all verticesand segments of the feature visible. When features are edited inArcMap, the sketch is modified, not the original feature. A sketchmust be created in order to create a feature. Only line andpolygon sketches can be created, since points have neithervertices nor segments.

sketch constraintIn ArcMap editing, an angle or length limitation that can beplaced on segments created using the Sketch tool.

sketch operationIn ArcMap, an editing operation that is performed on an existingsketch. Examples are Insert Vertex, Delete Vertex, Flip, Trim, DeleteSketch, Finish Sketch, and Finish Part. All of these operations areavailable from the Sketch context menu.

Sketch toolIn ArcMap, a tool that adds points, vertices, or segments tocreate an edit sketch. Sketch points can be defined by heads-updigitizing, snapping, or manually entering coordinates.

snappingAn automatic editing operation in which points or features withina specified distance or tolerance of other points or features aremoved to match or coincide exactly with each other’s coordinates.

snapping environmentSettings in the ArcMap Snapping Environment window andEditing Options dialog box that define the conditions in whichsnapping will occur. These settings include snapping tolerance,snapping properties, and snapping priority.

snapping priorityThe order in which snapping will occur by layer during anArcMap editing session, set from the Snapping Environmentwindow. See also snapping environment.

snapping propertiesIn ArcMap editing, a combination of a shape to snap to and amethod for what part of the shape will be snapped to. Snappingproperties can be set to have a feature snap to a vertex, edge, orendpoint of features in a specific layer. For example, a layersnapping property might allow snapping to the vertices ofbuildings. A more generic, sketch-specific snapping propertymight allow snapping to the vertices of a sketch being created.

snapping toleranceIn an ArcMap editing session, the distance within which thepointer or a feature will snap to another location. If the locationbeing snapped to (vertex, boundary, midpoint, or connection) iswithin that distance, the pointer will automatically snap. Snappingtolerance can be measured using either map units or pixels.

GLOSSARY 473

SnapTipIn ArcMap, a user-assistance component that displays anonscreen description of the layer name or target being snapped towhen the mouse pointer is paused over it. SnapTips only appearduring an ArcMap edit session if they are enabled.

spatial adjustmentAn ArcMap editing function that allows transformation, rubbersheeting, and edgematching of data, as well as attribute transfer.

spatial databaseAny database that contains spatial data.

spatial domainFor a spatial dataset, the defined precision and allowable rangefor x and y coordinates and for m- and z-values, if present. Thespatial domain must be specified by the user when creating ageodatabase feature dataset or standalone feature class.

spatial joinA type of table join operation in which fields from one layer’sattribute table are appended to another layer’s attribute tablebased on the relative locations of the features in the two layers.

spatial referenceThe coordinate system used to store a spatial dataset. For featureclasses and feature datasets within a geodatabase, the spatialreference also includes the spatial domain.

split policyAll attribute domains in geodatabases have a split policyassociated with them. When a feature is split into two newfeatures in ArcMap, the split policies dictate what happens to thevalue of the attribute with which the domain is associated.Standard split policies are duplicate, default value, and geometryratio.

SQLSee Structured Query Language (SQL).

standard annotationAnnotation that is stored in the geodatabase, consisting ofgeographically placed text strings that are not associated withfeatures in the geodatabase.

sticky move toleranceWhen editing in ArcMap, a setting that defines the minimumnumber of pixels the pointer must move on the screen before aselected feature is moved.

stream mode digitizingA method of digitizing in which points are recorded automaticallyat preset intervals of either distance or time. See also point modedigitizing.

stream toleranceDuring stream digitizing, the minimum interval between vertices.Stream tolerance is measured in map units.

Structured Query Language (SQL)A syntax for defining and manipulating data from a relationaldatabase. Developed by IBM in the 1970s, SQL has become anindustry standard for query languages in most relational databasemanagement systems.

styleAn organized collection of predefined colors, symbols, propertiesof symbols, and map elements. Styles promote standardizationand consistency in mapping products.


subsumptionWithin a geometric network, the replacement of an orphanjunction by a non-orphan junction from a user-defined featureclass. The original junction is deleted from the network, and thenon-orphan junction assumes the connectivity of the subsumedorphan junction.

subtypeIn geodatabases, a subset of features in a feature class or objectsin a table that share the same attributes. For example, the streetsin a streets feature class could be categorized into threesubtypes: local streets, collector streets, and arterial streets.Creating subtypes can be more efficient than creating manyfeature classes or tables in a geodatabase—for example, ageodatabase with a dozen feature classes that have subtypes willperform better than a geodatabase with a hundred feature classes.Subtypes also make editing data faster and more accuratebecause default attribute values and domains can be set up. Forexample, a Local Street subtype could be created and defined sothat whenever this type of street is added to the feature class, itsspeed limit attribute is automatically set to 35 miles per hour.

symbolA graphic representation of a geographic feature or class offeatures that helps identify it and distinguish it from otherfeatures on a map. For example, line symbols represent arcfeatures; marker symbols, points; shade symbols, polygons; andtext symbols, annotation. Many characteristics define symbolsincluding color, size, angle, and pattern.

symbologyThe set of conventions, or rules, that define how geographicfeatures are represented with symbols on a map. A characteristicof a feature may influence the size, color, and shape of the symbolused.

synchronization versionA data version created in a check-out geodatabase when data ischecked out to that geodatabase. This version exists as a copy ofthe original data and represents the state of the data at the time ofthe check out. See also check-out version, master check-outversion.

tableA set of data elements arranged in rows and columns. Each rowrepresents an individual entity, record, or feature and eachcolumn represents a single field or attribute value. A table has aspecified number of columns but can have any number of rows.

table of contentsA list of data frames and layers on a map that show how the datais symbolized.

tabular dataDescriptive information, usually alphanumeric, that is stored inrows and columns in a database and can be linked to mapfeatures. See also table.

tagged valueUsed to set additional properties of UML elements. For example,you can set the maximum number of characters in a string field byusing a tagged value.

target layerIn an ArcMap editing session, the layer to which edits will beapplied. The target layer must be specified when creating newfeatures and modifying existing features.

text formatting tagTags used with text in ArcGIS that allow formatting to be modifiedfor a portion of a text string. This allows the creation of mixed-format text where, for example, one word in a sentence is

GLOSSARY 475

underlined. Text formatting tags adhere to XML syntax rules, andcan be used most places where both a text string and a textsymbol can be specified. The tags are most commonly used withlabels, annotation, and graphic text.

ticA registration or geographic control point for a coveragerepresenting a known location on the earth’s surface. Tics allowall coverage features to be recorded in a common coordinatesystem such as Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM). Tics areused to register map sheets when they are mounted on a digitizer.They are also used to transform the coordinates of a coverage,for example, from digitizer units (inches) to the appropriate valuesfor a coordinate system (meters for UTM).

toleranceThe minimum or maximum variation allowed when processing orediting a geographic feature’s coordinates. For example, duringediting, if a second point is placed within the snapping tolerancedistance of an existing point, the second point will be snapped tothe existing point.

topological associationThe spatial relationship between features that share geometrysuch as boundaries and vertices. When a boundary or vertexshared by two or more features is edited using the topology toolsin ArcMap, the shape of each of those features is updated.

topological featureA feature that supports network connectivity that is establishedand maintained based on geometric coincidence.

topology1. In geodatabases, a set of governing rules applied to featureclasses that explicitly defines the spatial relationships that mustexist between feature data.

2. In an ArcInfo coverage, the spatial relationships betweenconnecting or adjacent features in a geographic data layer (forexample, arcs, nodes, polygons, and points). Topologicalrelationships are used for spatial modeling operations that do notrequire coordinate information.

3. The geometric relationships, determined mathematically,between connecting or adjacent features in a geographic dataset.Topology may include information about connectivity, direction,length, adjacency, and polygon definition. Topology makes mosttypes of geographic analysis possible because it allows analysisof spatial relationships between features.

topology cacheA temporary collection of edges and nodes used in ArcMap toquery and edit the topological coincidence between features. Thecache is built for the current display extent and is stored in thecomputer’s memory.

topology errorViolation of a topology rule detected during the topologyvalidation process.

topology fixIn ArcMap, a predefined method for correcting topology errors.For example, predefined topology fixes for a dangling line includesnapping, trimming, or extending to another line.

topology ruleAn instruction to the geodatabase defining the permissiblerelationships of features within a given feature class or betweenfeatures in two different feature classes.

tracingThe process of building a set of network features based on someprocedure.


transaction1. A group of atomic data operations that comprise a completeoperational task, such as inserting a row into a table.

2. A logical unit of work as defined by a user. Transactions can bedata definition (create an object), data manipulation (update anobject), or data read (select from an object).

transformationConverting the coordinates of a map or an image from one systemto another, typically by shifting, rotating, scaling, skewing, orprojecting them. Also known as rectification, the conversionprocess requires resampling of values.

transit rule1. An infrequently used rule for adjusting the closure error in atraverse. This rule is used infrequently since it is only valid incases where the measured lines are approximately parallel to thegrid of the coordinate system in which the traverse is computed.Hence, modern literature does not recommend its use. It assumesthat course directions are measured with a higher degree ofprecision than the distances. Compared to a compass adjustment,the transit rule will adjust course distances more and coursedirections less. This rule distributes the closure error by changingthe Northings and Eastings of each traverse point in proportionto the Northing and Easting differences in each course. Morespecifically, a correction is computed for each Northingcoordinate as the difference in the course’s Northings divided bythe sum of all the courses’ Northing differences. Similarly, acorrection is computed for each Easting coordinate using theEasting coordinate differences. The corrections are appliedadditively to each successive coordinate pair, until the finalcoordinate pair is adjusted by the whole closure error amount.

2. One of three adjustment methods available for adjustingclosure error for a traverse computation. The other two methodsare the Crandall rule and the compass rule.

traverse1. A predefined path or route across or over a set of geometriccoordinates.

2. A method of surveying in which lengths and directions of linesbetween points on the earth are obtained by or from fieldmeasurements across terrain or a digital elevation model.

traverse courseIn ArcMap, a group of observed values that define a newcoordinate. A traverse course starts from a preexisting coordinate,or a coordinate computed from the previous course.

true curveSee parametric curve.

two-tier connectionSee direct connect.

undershootAn arc that does not extend far enough to intersect another arc.

unionA topological overlay of two polygonal spatial datasets thatpreserve features that fall within the spatial extent of either inputdataset; that is, all features from both coverages are retained. Seealso intersect.

usernameThe identification used for authentication when a user logs in to ageodatabase.

validate (topology)The process of comparing the topology rules against the featuresin a dataset. When you validate a topology, features that violatethe rules are marked as error features. Topology validation is

GLOSSARY 477

typically performed after the initial topology rules have beendefined, after the feature classes have been modified, or ifadditional feature classes or rules have been added to the maptopology.

validation ruleA rule applied to objects in the geodatabase to ensure that theirstate is consistent with the system that the database is modeling.The geodatabase supports attribute, connectivity, relationship,and custom validation rules.

VBAVisual Basic for Applications. The embedded programmingenvironment for automating, customizing, and extending ESRIapplications, such as ArcMap and ArcCatalog. It offers the sametools as Visual Basic (VB) in the context of an existing application.A VBA program operates on objects that represent theapplication, and can be used to create custom symbols,workspace extensions, commands, tools, dockable windows, andother objects that can be plugged into the ArcGIS framework.

vectorA coordinate-based data model that represents geographicfeatures as points, lines, and polygons. Each point feature isrepresented as a single coordinate pair, while line and polygonfeatures are represented as ordered lists of vertices. Attributes areassociated with each feature, as opposed to a raster data model,which associates attributes with grid cells. See also raster.

vector data modelAn abstraction of the real world in which spatial elements arerepresented in the form of points, lines, and polygons. These aregeographically referenced to a coordinate system.

versionIn geodatabases, an alternative representation of the databasethat has an owner, a description, a permission (private, protected,or public), and a parent version. Versions are not affected bychanges occurring in other versions of the database.

vertexOne of a set of ordered x,y coordinate pairs that defines a line orpolygon feature.

virtual pageThe map page as seen in layout view in ArcMap

wizardAn interactive user interface that helps a user complete a task onestep at a time. It is often implemented as a sequence of dialogboxes that the user can move through, filling in required details. Awizard is usually used for long, difficult, or complex tasks.

work flowAn organization’s established processes for design, construction,and maintenance of facilities.

work orderOne specific task that proceeds through each stage of anorganization’s work flow process, including design, acceptance,and construction in the field.

workspaceA container for geographic data. A workspace can be a folder thatcontains shapefiles, an ArcInfo workspace that containscoverages, a geodatabase or a feature dataset.

479

12Index A

Absolute mode. See Digitizing: in digitizing(absolute) mode

Absolute X, Y 53with annotation 364

Active data framedefined 453

Adding datato be edited 28

Adjustment Preview window 278. See also Spatialadjustment

Advanced Editing toolbar25, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 101, 102, 103

Affine transformation. See also Spatial adjustmentspatial adjustment 246

Aliasdefined 453

Aligned dimension. See also Dimension featuresdefined 453

Annotate selected features 387, 390Annotation 353

and ArcView 373annotating selected features 387, 390Attributes dialog box and 376, 378, 379attributes of 376, 379baseline 367, 382changing appearance of 353, 376

fonts 379class

and topology 144attribute table of 379described 354in ArcMap 357standalone 354

construction methods 353, 361, 362defined 453

convertingCAD or coverage 388labels 357–358, 388

copying and pasting 370creating 361

Annotation (continued)curved 361, 380, 381, 382, 384

creating 367modifying shape of 382

defined 453deleting 370, 389described 353, 354editing 353, 361feature-linked 354, 387

and follow feature 375creating 387, 390defined 462described 353, 354, 387editing 371, 387, 388

features 387flipping 368, 376, 385follow feature 369, 371, 375, 385

creating new annotation with 368moving annotation with 375setting options for 369using offsets with 369

formatting 376, 377from previous versions of ArcGIS 363getting help with 372, 380horizontal 361, 362, 363, 380, 381, 384leader line 362, 366, 383

creating 365removing 383using a leader symbol 365

map document annotation 358, 361moving 371, 372, 389multiple part 386

converting to single part 386described 386editing parts of 386

nonfeature-linked. See Annotation: standard(nonfeature-linked)

positioning 353, 360, 371, 372, 373, 374, 375resizing 371

with resize handle 371, 373


Annotation (continued)rotating 371, 373, 389

in rotate mode 374with rotate handles 373

snapping 363, 367stacking 376, 381, 384

described 384standard (nonfeature-linked) 353, 354, 371

defined 473straight 362, 364, 380, 381, 384symbol

361, 362, 363, 364, 365, 367, 368changing 376

symbol collection 361target

defined 454text box 362, 363, 364, 365, 367, 368text formatting tags 377, 378text of 353, 378, 379toolbar 361–386, mentioned

adding 361described 362

unplaced 360, 362unstacking 384versioning and 444

Annotation feature classes. See alsoAnnotation: class

defined 453Arc tool. See Editing toolsArcCatalog

and topology 139and versioning 429, 430, 431customizing 435

ArcInfo workspacedefined 454

ArcMapand topology 139and versioning 429, 438–439, 441converting annotation 357customizing 398

Customize dialog box 367map cache 31task menu 33

ArcMap (continued)document 358, 361network analysis 343overflow window 390selectable layers 471table of contents 357, 390

ArcSDEand annotation

configuration keyword 358and map cache 332and network connectivity 332and versioning 431. See also Versionserver 471

Aspectdefined 454

Association. See RelationshipsAsynchronous

defined 454Attribute domains

browsing in ArcCatalog. See Attributes:dialog box

coded value domainsin ArcMap editing environment 292

defined 454mentioned 120, 292range domain in ArcMap 292split policy in ArcMap 339

Attribute transfer. See also Spatial adjustmentand spatial adjustment 249, 280

Attribute validation rule. See Attribute domainsAttributes

adding 286–287and relationship classes 354copying and pasting 42, 288defined 454deleting 287dialog box 284, 376

and annotation features376, 377, 378, 379

and dimension features 396defined 454Formatted view 377, 378Unformatted view 377, 378

Attributes (continued)editing in ArcMap 22, 293, 297, 339from point features 139mentioned 301, 427, 443, 450modifying 286–287primary display fields 285rules. See Attribute domainstables

defined 454editing 283

undoing edits to 287viewing 284

Auto-cache 32. See also Map cacheAutoreconciliation 441Azimuth

defined 454

B

Baselineof annotation 367, 382. See also Annotation

modifying shape of a 382Behavior 444

and topology 120defined 454

Buffersclipping a feature using a buffer 241creating 202defined 455

Build Topology Cache. See Topology: cache

C

CAD (computer-aided design)and planarize 140annotation 388CAD feature class

defined 455defined 455mentioned 2

Canceling a trace 81. See also Editing tools

INDEX 481

CASE tools. See UML modelCentroid

defined 455Chain

described 117Check-in

defined 455Check-out

defined 455geodatabase

defined 455schema-only

defined 471version

defined 455Choose Input for Adjustment dialog box

254. See also Spatial adjustmentCircle

defined 455Circular arcs 45

creating 76–78defined 455described 50

Clipping features 241Closure report

defined 455Cluster tolerance. See also Topology: cluster

tolerancedefined 455described 121

Clusteringdefined 455

COGOconvert angles and distances 114creating two-point line features 94defined 456description 88required fields 94

Coincidentdefined 456

Columndefined 456

Combining featuresfrom different layers 208with common areas 210

Compass correctiondefined 456traverse adjustment 97

Complex edge and junction. See Networkfeatures

Composite relationships. See alsoRelationships: composite

defined 456Compress

in ArcCatalog 435Compression

defined 456Computer-aided design (CAD). See CADConflict 427, 441, 442–443, 446–447

defined 456Conflict resolution

defined 457Connectivity

creating 328defined 457

Connectivity rulesdefined 457edge–edge rule

default junction 337, 459in ArcMap editing environment

292, 328, 337edge–junction rule

defined 461mentioned 292

Constraints. See also Attribute domainsdefined 457

Construct featuresdefined 457tool

described 139Context menu

defined 457

Control pointsdefined 457digitizing 188establishing 186point file

and spatial adjustment 275Converting data. See Loading: data from a

geodatabaseCoordinate system

defined 457Coordinates

defined 457Copy Features tool 82Copy Parallel command 200Copying

a line parallel to an existing line 200and pasting attributes 42, 288and pasting features 42

Coveragedefined 457

Cracking. See also Topology: validationdefined 458

Crandall correctiondefined 458traverse adjustment 97

Current taskdefined 458

Curved annotation. See Annotation: curvedCustom

behavior. See also Behaviordefined 458

feature. See also Behaviordefined 458

object. See also Behaviordefined 458

rules. See Validation rulesCustomization. See ArcCatalog:

customizing; ArcMap: customizing


D

Data 427, 428adding for editing 28editor

mentioned 3field collected 89integrity

defined 458loading from a geodatabase 28quality

and topology 120source

defined 459stopping the drawing of 28, 259, 260

Data framesdefined 458editing a map with multiple 30

Data typedefined 459

Data viewdefined 459editing in

mentioned 4Database 427, 428

defined 459Dataset

defined 459precision

defined 459Decimal degrees

defined 459Default junctions

described 328junction type

defined 459Default values

editing in ArcMap 387mentioned 120

Deflection 69–70defined 459

Degreesdefined 459described 111

Degrees Minutes Secondsdefined 459described 111valid input formats 111

Deletingfeatures 43

Delta X, Y 54Destination

defined 459Digitizer

aligning the map on 187attaching the map to 186–187configuring puck buttons

for streaming 197using programming code 186, 194, 197using WinTab manager setup program 186

creating features with 185defined 459installing driver software 186puck

defined 469setting up 186

Digitizinga projected map 186creating a line or polygon 63creating a point or vertex 52defined 460described 185digitizer tab missing 189freehand 185heads-up

defined 464in digitizing (absolute) mode 192, 193–194in mouse (relative) mode 192in point mode 192, 193–194in stream mode 192, 195–196, 197installing digitizer driver software 186mode

defined 460

Digitizing (continued)preparing the map 186switching between digitizing and mouse

modes 192switching between point and stream modes

196using snapping 194

Digitizing tablet. See DigitizerDimension feature class

and topology 144defined 460

Dimension featuresAttributes dialog box 396autodimension tools 392, 393

baseline dimension 393, 419continue dimension 393, 417, 421dimension edge 393, 416mentioned 394, 398

changing style 425construction methods

aligned 393, 402defined 460described 392free aligned 393, 410free linear 393, 413linear 393, 404rotated aligned 393, 407simple aligned 391, 393, 399

creating. See Dimension features: auto-dimension tools

defined 460editing 392modifying 394, 396

process described 423properties (table) 395, 397

Dimension stylesbaseline height 420defined 460described 394

Dimensioning toolbar 394, 398defined 460

INDEX 483

Direct connectdefined 460

Direction measuring systemNorth Azimuth 110Polar angle 110Quadrant Bearing 111setting 110, 112South Azimuth 110

Direction measuring unitsDegrees 111Degrees Minutes Seconds 111Gons 111Gradians 111Radians 111setting 113

Direction offset 116Direction type

setting 112Direction units

setting 113Dirty areas. See also Topology

defined 460described 122

Disconnected editingdefined 460

Diskdefined 460

Displacement links. See also Spatial adjustmentand spatial adjustment 259defined 461

Distance conversion factor 115Distance units

automated conversion 117defined 461described 117

Distance–Distance tool. See Editing toolsDistortions

and rubber sheeting 248Dividing a line feature. See Placing points along

a lineDouble precision

defined 461

Douglas–Poiker algorithm 102Dragging features 38. See also Moving featuresDraw toolbar

and annotation 361

E

Edgedefined 461

Edge element. See also Logical networkdefined 461

Edge feature classediting in ArcMap 336, 338

Edge features. See Network featuresEdge Snap adjustment 258. See also Spatial

adjustmentEdge–edge rule

defined 461Edge–junction

cardinalitydefined 461

ruledefined 461

Edgematching 249. See also Spatial adjustmentdefined 461Edge Match tool 264

Edgesdescribed 142

Edit Annotation tool 362–386, mentioned. Seealso Annotation

defined 461Edit cache. See Map cacheEdit session. See also Editing; Editing in

ArcMapand versioning 439, 441, 442, 446, 450defined 462starting 29, 361stopping 30

Edit sketchand topology edits 160

Edit tool. See Editing; Editing in ArcMap: Edittool

Editing 439. See also Editing in ArcMapabsolute X, Y 53adding

and deleting sketch vertices 228–229data 28the Editor toolbar 26

Advanced Editing toolbar25, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 101, 102, 103

annotation. See Annotationattributes. See Attributescombining features from different layers 208copying

a line parallel to an existing line 200and pasting features 42Copy Features tool 82

creatingbuffers around features 202fillet between two lines 83line and polygon features 63–67line feature to populate COGO attributes

94map cache 32mirror image of a feature 204multipoint features 61, 65point features and vertices 52–56segments, circular arc 76–78segments, parallel 74segments, perpendicular 74segments, using an angle and a length 69sketch 20sketch using Traverse tool 89

creating featuresdescribed 20–21, 46duplicating 82from features with common areas 210single from multipart 101using a sketch 46–47

creating multipart featurescombining features 208merging 206


Editing (continued)creating segments

tracing features 81using angles and lengths 69–70using angles from existing segments 72–74

deleting features 43delta X, Y 54edit session 29exploding a multipoint feature 101extending line features 84, 221feature datasets 17–18flipping line features 223generalizing a feature 102in layout view 30keyboard shortcuts 23measurements

automated conversion 114merging features 206modifying features 21–22more than one data frame 30moving

features 38–40sketch vertices 230–233

multipart to single feature 101network features

ancillary roles 343creating a new network edge

328, 333, 336, 338enabling and disabling network features

344subsuming network junctions 328, 340undoing edits 342validation 350

overview of process 14–15, 251–252placing points along a line feature 224proportionally dividing a line 86–87relationships

composite relationships 321creating 310, 312deleting

302, 314, 316, 318, 320, 325, 327

Editing (continued)relationships (continued)

described 307editing related objects 307relationship rules 324

reshaping a line or polygon feature. SeeReshaping features

rotating a point's symbology 41saving edits 29scaling features 239selecting features 34–35setting the direction measuring system and

units 110setting the Target layer 47, 52shapefiles 17–18Sketch context menu 51smoothing a feature 103Snapping Environment window 104spatial adjustment 254. See also Spatial

adjustmentadding toolbar 253toolbar diagram 250

splitting line or polygon features 214–215squaring a polygon 67starting 29stopping 30task menu

changing options 33tasks completed with a sketch 46–47trimming a line feature 85, 218–220upgrading a geodatabase 27using the snapping environment 39–

40, 106–108vertices in a sketch 21–22with more than one collection of datasets 29

Editing in ArcMapand annotation 362. See also Annotation

creating new 361creating new features with linked

annotation 387editing features with linked annotation

388

Editing in ArcMap (continued)and attribute domains

coded value domains 297described 293, 297validating 298

and attributes 307and default values 293, 297and features

creating new 293deleting 323, 389

and subtypes 295, 296, 325and validation rules 292and versioning 441Attributes dialog box

294, 299, 302, 307, 308, 315, 321, 388, 425. Seealso Attributes: dialog box

building a map cache. See Map cacheEdit tool

322, 324, 337, 339, 342, 344, 350. Seealso Editing tools; Editor toolbar

selection 351snapping environment

328, 334, 336, 338, 340. See alsoSnapping

Target layer 293, 333, 340, 387, 399undo 342validate selection 298, 324, 350

Editing toolsArc tool 48, 50, 76Arc tools

described 78Dimension tools. See Dimension featuresDirection–Distance tool

creating a point or vertex 59Distance–Distance tool 48, 55

creating a point or vertex 55Edit Annotation tool. See AnnotationEditing toolbar 16Intersection tool 49, 58

creating a point or vertex 58

INDEX 485

Editing tools (continued)keyboard shortcuts for 23Midpoint tool

creating a point or vertex 57Scale tool 239Sketch tool 46, 293, 333, 387, 399

and annotation. See AnnotationSplit tool 214Tangent curve tool 50tool palette 46, 48Trace tool 50, 81

Editor toolbar. See Editing toolsadding 26advanced

82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 101, 102, 103diagram 25

and annotation 361defined 462diagram 16Rotate tool 322, 389

Ellipsedefined 462

Ellipsoid surfaceand measured distances 114

Embedded foreign key. See Key fieldEndpoint coordinate

and traverse 96Error Inspector. See also Topology

described 174mentioned 123

Errors and exceptions. See also Topologydescribed 123

ESRI Annotation Feature. See Feature typeESRI Simple Edge Feature. See Feature typeESRI Simple Feature. See Feature typeESRI Simple Junction Feature. See Feature

typeESRI Simple Row. See Feature typeException

defined 462Explode. See also Advanced Editing toolbar

defined 462

Extending line features 84, 221Extent

defined 462

F

Feature. See also Feature class; Featuretype; Object

creating from geometry of other features 181defined 462duplicating 82editing 293, 297. See also Editingmentioned 353, 427, 441, 450selecting 301simple 472

Feature classdefined 462labeling 357–358mentioned 297, 387, 430, 438, 442

Feature datasetand annotation classes 354defined 462mentioned 430

Feature typeESRI Annotation Feature 354ESRI Simple Feature 354network. See Network featurestopological 475. See also Topology

Feature-linked annotation353, 354, 387, 388. See alsoAnnotation

and follow feature 375defined 462

Fieldand annotation 354defined 463mentioned 430, 443

Fillets. See also Advanced Editing toolbardefined 463described 83

Finishing a part in a multipart feature 66

Finishing a sketchshortcut 63, 218using the Square and Finish command 67

Fixtopology. See Topology: fixes

Flipping line features 223Follow feature 385. See also

Annotation; Editing toolsconstraints 368, 369creating new annotation with 368moving annotation 375using offsets with 369using with annotation 369, 371

setting options for 369, 375using with feature-linked annotation 375

Follow This Feature. See Follow featureFoot

described 117Foreign key 302, 303

defined 463

G

Generalizinga feature 102

Geocodingdefined 463

Geodatabaseand versions 427compress 437defined 463loading data from 28mentioned 428, 441storing annotation in 354, 361structure of 17upgrading 27

Geodatabase data modeldefined 463

Geographic information system. See GISGeometric adjustment

and rubber sheeting 248


Geometric coincidencedefined 463

Geometric elementsand topology 133

Geometric networkand the map cache 332and topology 144and versioning 444connectivity models 329

connecting features 331creating new network features 331deleting 330disconnecting features 330stretching and moving 329

defined 463editing 292flow direction 343network inconsistency 332performance 332repairing connectivity 332

Geometric rulesand topology 120

Geometrymentioned 443

Georelational data modeldefined 463

GIS (Geographic information system)defined 463

Global positioning system. See GPSGons


GPS (Global positioning system)defined 464mentioned 122

Gradedefined 464

Gradiansdefined 464described 111

Ground to grid conversionsetting 114using 115

H

Helpaccessing 372, 380

I

Identity links. See also Spatial adjustmentand spatial adjustment 262defined 464

Inchdescribed 117

Indexdefined 464

Instancedefined 464

Intersect 210defined 464

Intersection tool. See Editing toolsInvalid features 292, 299, 351

objects 292Inverse tool 88IP address

defined 464Item

defined 464

J

Junctiondefined 464subsumption

described 328Junction element

defined 464

Junction feature classand versioning 444in ArcMap Editor 334, 340

Junction features. See Network features

K

Key field 445Kilometer

described 117

L

Labelsconverting to annotation 353, 357–358defined 464label classes

defined 465label expressions

defined 465Label Manager

defined 465Layers

creating 53defined 465setting selectable 37

Layout viewdefined 465editing in 30

mentioned 4Leader line annotation 365, 383. See also

AnnotationLimited Adjustment Area tools

and spatial adjustment 263Line features

copying 200creating 20, 47, 63–67, 68extending 221flipping 223placing points along 224reshaping. See Reshaping features

INDEX 487

Line features (continued)splitting 214–215trimming 218–220

Linear dimension. See also Dimension featuresdefined 465

Link (distance unit)described 117

Loadingdata from a geodatabase 28

Logical network 337. See also Geometricnetwork

defined 465

M

M-valuesediting 238

Magnifier windowdefined 465

Map 353, 390, 438. See also ArcMapdefined 465elements 4

Map cacheauto-cache 32building 32creating 31, 32defined 465toolbar

adding 31tools 32

Map documentdefined 466storing annotation in 358, 361

Map topology. See also Topologycreating 142, 143defined 466described 142

Map unitsdefined 466

Master check-out versiondefined 466

Master geodatabasedefined 466

Measurementsentering into GIS 114setting number of decimal places for reporting

44viewing 44

Measuring systemsetting 110

Mergeand topology 176features 206

Merge policy. See also Attribute domainsdefined 466

Meterdescribed 117

Midpoint tool 49. See also Editing toolsMile

described 117Millimeter

described 117Minimum bounding rectangle

defined 466Mirror image

of a feature 204Missing Digitizer tab 189. See also DigitizerModifying features

by moving vertices 230–233shortcut 218

Mouse mode. See also Digitizingdefined 466described 192

Moving features. See also Reshaping featuresby dragging 38by rotating 39, 41relative to their current position 39undoing a move 40using delta x,y coordinates 38–39, 39–40using the snapping environment 39

Multipart featurescreating 65–66, 208

annotation as multiple parts 386defined 466described 65exploding 101merging features to create 206removing parts 237shortcut for finishing a part 66

Multipoint featurescreating 61–62

line or polygon 65–66defined 466described 61

Multiuser geodatabasedefined 466

Multiversioned. See Version

N

Nautical miledescribed 117

Networkdefined 466

Network connectivity 329, 339, 342Network elements 342Network features

ancillary role 343and versioning 444complex 328defined 467editing 328editing in ArcMap 350feature class. See Edge feature

class; Junction feature classjunctions 343moving 329sources and sinks 343validation 350

Network topology. See Geometric network


Network tracedefined 467

Nodesdefined 467described 142

North Azimuthdescribed 110

Null valuedefined 467

O

Objectand relationships 302defined 467

Object classdefined 467

Object Loader. See also LoadingOrigin

defined 467Overshoot

defined 467Overview window

defined 467

P

Pandefined 467

Parallel segments. See Segments: creating:parallel to existing

Parametric curvedefined 467

Passworddefined 467

Pastingfeatures. See Copying: and pasting features

Perpendicular segments. See Segments: creating:perpendicular to existing

Personal geodatabasedefined 468

Placing points along a line 224Planarize 183

defined 468tool 181

mentioned 140Point

defined 468Point features

creating 20, 47, 52–56, 65, 68Point mode digitizing. See also Digitizing: in

point modedefined 468

Polar angledescribed 110

Polygondefined 468

Polygon feature classcreating from lines 139, 180

Polygon featurescreating 20–21, 63–67cutting a polygon shape out of 217reshaping. See Reshaping featuressplitting 214–215squaring 67–68

Polylinedefined 468

Port numberdefined 468

Post 428, 441, 442, 446–447, 450defined 468

Precisionsetting 44

Primary display field 285Primary key 302, 303

defined 468Privileges

and versioningdescribed 432, 441, 451private 432protected 432public 432

Projectiondefined 468

Projective transformation. See also Spatialadjustment

spatial adjustment 247Property

changing for a sketch 235defined 468

Proportionally dividing a line 86–87Pseudonodes

defined 469described 142topology rules 128

Puckdefined 469

Pull check-indefined 469

Push check-indefined 469

Q

Quadrant Bearingdescribed 111

Querydefined 469

R

Radiansdefined 469described 111

Range domaindefined 469

Rankdefined 469described 121

Rasterdefined 469

INDEX 489

Reconcile 441, 446–447, 450defined 469described 441

Recorddefined 469

Reference scaledefined 470

Registering a mapadding additional control points 190described 188–189digitizing control points 188ensuring accuracy when 191entering ground coordinates 188error reporting 187, 189establishing control points 186for the first time 188removing ground coordinate records 190saving ground coordinates 188–189using existing tic files or saved coordinates

190–191Relate

defined 470Related objects. See also Relationships

deleting 320Relational database management system

(RDBMS)defined 469

Relational joindefined 470

Relationship classand annotation 357and topology 144and versioning 442, 444composite 354defined 470destination class 354foreign key. See Foreign keyorigin class 354path labels

editing in ArcMap307, 308, 310, 313, 314, 317, 319

in ArcMap editing environment 320primary key. See Primary key

Relationshipsand versioning 444composite 321creating 301, 310creating and deleting 302creating new 303defined 470deleting 303, 314destination object 322, 354editing 307origin object 321, 354related object 314, 320, 321, 444rules

in ArcMap editing environment 324mentioned 292

splitting features 305validating 324

Relative mode. See Digitizing: in mouse(relative) mode

Reporting measurements. See Measurements:setting number of decimal places forreporting

Reshaping featuresby adding vertices 228–229by deleting vertices 228–229by moving vertices 230–233using a sketch you draw 226–227

Residualunderstanding 247

RMS error 187, 189. See also Digitizingequation 248understanding 247

Roddescribed 117

Root mean square error. See RMS errorRotate

a point’s symbology 41annotation 373, 389. See also Annotation

in rotate mode 374features 39, 41

Rotate mode 374. See also Annotation

Row. See also Objectdefined 470

Rubber sheeting 248. See also Spatialadjustment: rubber sheeting

defined 470Rule

topology 121

S

Saving edits 29, 30Scaling features 239Scanning

defined 470Scenarios

and versioning 450Schema

defined 470, 471SDE. See ArcSDESegment Deflection. See also Editing: creating

segments: using angles from existingsegments

command 72Segments

creatingat an angle from the last segment 71by tracing features 81circular arcs 76–78parallel to existing 74perpendicular to existing 74using angles and lengths 69–70using angles from existing segments 72


Selectdefined 471

Selectable layersdefined 471

Selected setdefined 471


Selecting featuresAnnotate Selected Features command 390annotation 353described 34removing features from the selection 34setting selectable layers 37using a line 35using a polygon 36using the Edit tool 34using the Selection menu 36

Selection anchorand snapping 40defined 471described 35moving

when rotating or snapping a feature 40when scaling a feature 239

Serverdefined 471

Servicedefined 471

Shapedefined 471

Shapefiledefined 471

Shared boundarydefined 471

Shared geometryediting 145

Shared vertexdefined 471

Shortcutsdefined 471editing 23

Similarity transformation. See also Spatialadjustment

spatial adjustment 247Simple feature

defined 472Simple relationship

defined 472

Single precisiondefined 472

Sketchbaseline 382constraints

defined 472context menu 51creating 20defined 472deleting 64described 18, 20, 46editing z- and m- values 238finishing

shortcut 63using the Square and Finish command 67

inserting vertices 236modifying 21–22moving vertices 230operation

defined 472properties

changing 235removing parts 237tool. See also Editing tools

defined 472Smoothing

a feature 103Snapping

agent 472and topology nodes 168annotation 374defined 472environment

creating points and vertices using 52defined 472described 106Environment dialog box 168moving features 39–40setting the snapping tolerance. See

Snapping: tolerancewindow 104

Snapping (continued)priority

defined 472described 108setting 108

propertiescomparing (table) 105defined 472described 105layer 105, 108setting 107sketch 105, 108

Snap to Feature command 109using with annotation 363, 367

tolerancedefined 472described 107setting 106viewing 106

using to split a line 214using when digitizing 194

SnapTipdefined 473

Source layer. See Target layerSouth Azimuth

described 110Spatial adjustment

attribute transferAttribute Transfer tool 282mapping 280

changing symbology of links and adjustmentareas 265

choosing input data 254control point file 275creating displacement links 259creating identity links 262creating multiple displacement links 260defined 473described 246displacement links

creating from control points 276deleting links 270

INDEX 491

Spatial adjustment (continued)displacement links (continued)

link table 272modifying links 268opening a link file 273saving a link file 274selecting links 266

edge matchingchoosing method 257line 257setting edge snap properties 258Smooth 257using Edge Match tool 264

Edge Snap adjustment 258limited adjustment area tools 263previewing 278process 279

described 251references 249rubber sheeting

choosing method 256Linear 256Natural Neighbor 256

Spatial Adjustment toolbaradding 253diagram 250

transformationsaffine 246choosing method 255projective 247similarity 247

Spatial databasedefined 473

Spatial domaindefined 473

Spatial extent. See extentSpatial join

defined 473Spatial reference

defined 473spatial domain 473

Splitline features 214–215polygon features 214–215tool. See Editing tools

Split policy. See also Attribute domainsdefined 473setting up 216

SQL (Structured Query Language)defined 473

Squaring polygon features 67–68Stacking

annotation 384described 384

Standard (nonfeature-linked) annotation353, 354. See also Annotation

defined 473Sticky move tolerance


Stream mode digitizingdefined 473

Stream tolerance. See also Digitizing: in streammode

defined 473Streaming. See Digitizing: in stream modeStretching

features 166Stretching features. See Stretching geometry

proportionatelyStretching geometry proportionately 242Structured Query Language. See SQLStyle

defined 473Subsumption

defined 474Subtypes 21

defined 474editing in ArcMap 293mentioned 120

Survey unitssurvey chain

described 118

Survey units (continued)survey foot

described 118survey link

described 118survey mile

described 118survey rod

described 118survey yard

described 118Symbol. See also Annotation: symbol

defined 474Symbology 296, 354

defined 474Synchronization version

defined 474

T

Tabledefined 474editing in ArcMap 301mentioned 430, 438

Table of contentsdefined 474

Tabular datadefined 474

Tagged valuesdefined 474

Tangent curve. See Circular arcsTarget layer 21, 47, 361

and attribute transfer 249defined 474

Task menuchanging options 33

Text formatting tags 377, 378defined 474

Ticdefined 475


Tolerancesdefined 475

Tool palette. See Editing toolsTools. See Editing toolsTopological association

defined 475Topological feature

defined 475Topology

and ArcCatalog 139and ArcMap 139and edit sketch 160and geometric relationships 120and workflow 120basics 121cache

automation 154defined 475rebuilding 154

changing symbology 170cluster tolerance

changing 142described 121, 142setting 144

concepts 142connected edges

merging 159creating 143creating new features

from geometry of existing features 181lines 182multiple line features 181polygons 181

data reliability 122defined 475described 120dirty areas

creating 123described 122storing 123symbology 172

Topology (continued)editing 119

described 135edit tool 144modifying an edge 160multiple features 119reshaping an edge 164snapping to nodes 168splitting an edge 149, 150stretching features 166unselecting elements 155with edit sketch 160

element sharing 157Error Inspector

mentioned 123, 136merging into a polygon 177opening 174

errorsaffected features 177and Error Inspector 174available fixes 138, 176changing symbology 169correcting 176correcting methods 138defined 475finding 174finding in visible extent 174for particular rule 175managing 174merging into polygon 176pan or zoom 174summarizing 174

errors and exceptionsdescribed 123, 132finding exceptions 175marking as an exception 178report 123symbology 171

fixes 124–131defined 475

geometric elements 133integrated features 441, 442

Topology (continued)moving

by a given X, Y distance 147edge 146node 146shared endpoint 152to given location 148vertex on shared edge 145

network topology 328. See also Networkconnectivity

new featurescreating 139polygons 139

nodesadding temporarily 134

parameters 121planarize 139, 180, 181, 183Polygon Feature Class From Lines tool

139, 180purpose 120ranks


rulesdefined 475described 121, 124detecting violations 173getting a description 179line rules 127–130mentioned 119point rules 130–131polygon rules 124–126

selectingnodes 145shared topology features 158

shared elements 156turning off 157

shared geometryediting 145

Show Shared Features tool 134, 156split-move 152

INDEX 493

Topology (continued)symbology 170

layers 171toolbar

adding 141tools

Edit tool mentioned 122, 135Edit tool, moving nodes and edges with

133editing and managing 5toolbar functionality 141

validation 173defined 476selected area 173visible extent 173whole topology 173

Topology rules. See Rule: topology; Topology:rules

Trace tool. See Editing toolsTracing. See also Editing tools

defined 475Transaction 441, 450–451

defined 476Transformation

defined 476Transit correction

defined 476traverse adjustment 97

Traverseadding segment

angle-distance 91curve 92direction-distance 90tangent curve 93

adjustingcompass correction 97Crandall correction 97process 98techniques 97transit correction 97

closure report 96

Traverse (continued)convert angles and distances 114course

defined 476defined 476loading 100modifying segment 95saving 99starting from known coordinate 89Traverse tool 89

Trimming line features 85, 218–220True curve. See also Circular arcs

defined 476

U

UML modelsetting tagged values 474

Undershootdefined 476

Union. See also Combining features: fromdifferent layers

defined 476Unplaced annotation 360, 362. See also

AnnotationUnstacking

annotation 384Username

defined 476

V

Valid feature 325Validation

geometric network 350topology 173

defined 476Validation rules. See also Attribute

domains; Connectivityrules; Relationships: rules; Topology:validation

Validation rules (continued)defined 477mentioned 120validation order 292

VBAconfiguring digitizer puck buttons using

186, 194defined 477

Vector datasetscomparing the structure of 17defined 477vector data model

defined 477Version

administeringin ArcCatalog 431

and annotation 390and ArcMap 438–439and editing 441–445autoreconciliation 441

enabling and disabling 446changing 439

Change Version command 439conflict. See also Conflict

displaying 448resolution 441resolving 449

creatingin ArcCatalog 431in ArcMap 438

defined 427, 477described 428–429descriptions 433editing 446–447in ArcMap 438–439modifying

changing properties 434compressing 437deleting 433renaming 433

permissions 432


Version (continued)post. See also Post

process 447reconcile. See also Reconcile

process 447refresh 434, 439registering data 430scenarios 450transaction. See Transaction

Verticesadding 21, 228, 236

to annotation baseline sketches 382and annotation features 382and dimension features 394creating 52–56, 387defined 477deleting 21, 64, 194, 228

from annotation baseline sketches 382deleting multiple while streaming with a

digitizer 196described 46moving

by dragging 230by specifying x,y coordinates 231–232relative to the current location 233–234

undoing and redoing 55, 65Virtual page

defined 477Visual Basic for Applications. See VBA

W

Wizarddefined 477

Work flow 428defined 477

Work order 428defined 477

Workspace 438defined 477refreshing (versioning) 440

Y

Yarddescribed 117

Z

Z-valuesediting 238using the current control 238

Documents

Editing in ArcMap - unirc.it · ArcGIS data editor 3 Editing in data view and layout view 4 Tools for editing and managing topologies 5 Tools for editing and managing networks in