Creating Polygon Features from Boundary Line Features in ArcMap 9.x

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1 Creating Polygon Features from Boundary Line Features in ArcMap 9.x Article ID : Software : ArcGIS ArcEditor 9.3, ArcGIS ArcInfo 9.3 (or higher versions) Platform : Windows XP, Windows Vista Date : December 20, 2009 Introduction The topology tools can used to make new features from existing ones. For example, you might need to create a new land parcel polygon features from some parcel boundary lines. In ArcMap, the Construct Features command on the Topology Toolbar takes selected features from one or more feature classes and creates new features in the Editor toolbar's target layer. The tool uses the input geometries of the selected features to construct polygons or lines following polygon boundaries, depending on the geometry of the target feature class. However, please be noted that this function is only available in ArcEditor and ArcInfo. You can use these tools regardless of whether or not you have a Geodatabase Topology. The following procedures will demonstrate this function based on Map Topology. 1 Procedures of Creating Map Topology 1.1 Open ArcMap, add your data and prepare the cartography you need, we will form building polygons from building boundaries as an example here to illustrate the functions: All rights reserved. P. 1 of 5

2 1.2 Open the Topology toolbar by clicking View > Toolbars > Topology, you will find that the functions on the toolbar are disabled. You will need to start an editing session to activate the Map Topology function. 1.3 Open the Editor toolbar and Start Editing. 1.4 The Editor and Topology toolbars are activated and the Map Topology function is now ready to use: 1.5 Click the Map Topology button and the following dialog will appear: Check the layer(s) that will participate into the Map Topology and set the Cluster Tolerance. The cluster tolerance that you specify is used to determine which parts of the features are coincident and which edges and nodes in the topology are shared. The cluster tolerance is typically a small actual ground distance. Setting large cluster tolerances can result in features being collapsed or distorted when vertices with a given feature snap together. In our example, we need to check both Building Boundaries and Building Polygons Layers to form the Map Topology. All rights reserved. P. 2 of 5

3 1.6 Click OK after configurations to close the dialog, you will find that Map Topology is created and being shown in the Topology Toolbar, the Topology Edit Tool is activated as well 2 Procedures of Creating Polygon Features from Line Features 2.1 Click the Edit tool on the Editor toolbar: 2.2 Select the line features whose geometry you want to use to construct new polygon features: All rights reserved. P. 3 of 5

4 2.3 On the Editor toolbar, make sure that the Task is set to Create New Feature: 2.4 On the Editor toolbar, make sure the Target is set to the polygon feature class in which you want to create a new feature. The selected features and the target layer cannot be from the same feature class. In this example, Building Polygons layer should be selected: 2.5 On the Topology toolbar, click the Construct Features button., the following dialog will appear: All rights reserved. P. 4 of 5

5 2.6 Optionally, type a cluster tolerance. 2.7 Choose whether to create new polygons from the selected features, to create new polygons considering the boundaries of existing polygons as input geometry, or to split features where selected lines or polygons cross them. In this example, we choose the first option - Create new polygons from the selected features. 2.8 Click OK. 2.9 The new features are created in the target feature class You can also select multiple line features to form multiple polygons using the same procedures above: The End All rights reserved. P. 5 of 5