Data review and cleanup tools

This topic applies to ArcGIS for Desktop Standard and ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced only.

There are several tools available for data review and cleanup in the parcel fabric. Topological errors and data corruptions can arise from the migration of poor-quality parcel data, incorrect parcel joining, and incorrect parcel entry.

Checking the parcel fabric for errors

You can use the Check Parcel Fabric command to check a parcel fabric dataset for topological errors and data corruptions. Errors are detected in parcels, lines, points, line points, and control points. On the Catalog window, right-click your parcel fabric dataset and click Check Parcel Fabric to run the error checking process. Errors are displayed by parcel ID on the Fabric Errors dialog box.

Parcel errors

Data cleanup

The following tools are available for cleaning and maintaining the topological integrity of the parcel fabric:

Merging points

There should always be one common point for all coincident parcel corners, curve center points, and endpoints of connection lines in the parcel fabric. Common points maintain the internal topological connectivity of the parcel fabric and minimize the occurrence of slivers and gaps.

The Mean Points tool on the Parcel Editor toolbar can be used to merge and find the average coordinate of a group of points that lie within a specified tolerance of each other. Drag a box around the points you want to merge, type a tolerance in the Mean point tolerance text box, and click OK to merge the points.

Merge points

Merge curve center points

Only points that do not have lines connecting them to each other are merged.

Merging lines and creating line points

The Merge Parcel Courses tool is used to merge collinear parcel line courses or segments into a single line. This tool merges those line segments that should form a single parcel line but have been split by adjacent parcel points. Once line segments have been merged into a single line, any adjacent parcel points sitting on the line become line points.

This tool is useful for merging parcel lines and creating line points after the data migration process.

Steps:

To merge lines and create line points, follow these steps:
1. Start an edit session, and using the Select Parcel Features tool , select the parcels that have line segments you want to merge.
2. Right-click and click Merge Parcel Courses to open the Merge Parcel Courses dialog box.
3. Enter the maximum angle by which collinear line segments can differ for them to be merged into a single line in the text box under Merge adjacent courses that have an angle break less than.
4. For curved segments, you can choose from the following:
   • Merge curves if the radius attribute values differ by the percentage you specify in the text box under radius attribute values differ by less than.
   • Merge curves if the radial points (center points) are within the tolerance you specify in the text box under radial points are within.
Note:

While curved segments can be merged, line points cannot be created on curved lines.

5. Choose whether you want to delete the original parcels.
New parcels are generated when line segments are merged.
6. Click OK to merge line segments and create line points.

Adding or removing line points

Line points are parcel corner points that lie on adjacent parcel boundaries without splitting the boundaries. Sometimes line points are not detected during the joining process and need to be added manually. You can use the Add A Line Point tool on the Parcel Editor toolbar to assign line points to parcel points.

Note:

You can only use the tool to assign line points to parcel corner points that do not split the adjacent boundary line. Use the Merge Parcel Courses tool to merge split lines into a single line and create line points.

When using the Add Line Point tool, you can choose to bend lines to offset line points for cartographic purposes. Parcel lines are bent to line points provided that they lie closer to the line point than the distance specified for the Line-point tolerance on the Edit Environment tab on the Parcel Fabric Properties dialog box. If you do not want to bend lines to line points, you can run a parcel fabric adjustment to force the line point back onto its parcel line

Note:

During a parcel fabric adjustment, any bent or flexed lines are straightened and line points are moved onto the straightened lines. However, if a line point is significantly offset from its straight line, you can choose to keep the straight line bent to the line point.

To use the Add Line Point tool, follow these steps:

Steps:

1. In an edit session in ArcMap, click the Add Line Point tool on the Parcel Editor toolbar.
2. On the Add a Line Point dialog box, click the start point (or from-point) of the parcel line on which you want to add a line point.
3. Click the end point (or to-point) of the parcel line on which you want to add a line point.
4. Click the parcel point that should be a line point.
If you want to bend the line to the line point, choose Bend the line to the line point.
5. Click Apply to assign the line point.
Note:

If a line point is offset from the parcel line on which it should lie, the offset amount is displayed in the Offset text box.

6. Click Close to close the dialog box.

Tip:

To remove line points, use the Delete A Line Point tool located on the Parcel Editor toolbar.

Regenerating parcel fabric geometry

The Regenerate the selected parcels and control points tool can be used in an edit session to regenerate and repair the geometries of parcel fabric features. Only geometries are regenerated; no points are moved.

The tool is located under the Parcel category on the Commands tab on the Customize dialog box. To open the Customize dialog box, click Customize > Customize Mode. Drag the tool onto any toolbar loaded in ArcMap. Click the tool to run the regenerate process.

If a parcel selection is present in the map, only the geometries of the selected parcels and their related lines and control points are regenerated. If no parcels are selected, the entire fabric is regenerated. The geometries of all parcel polygons, lines, and control points are regenerated.

When the parcel is regenerated, the geometries of the parcel polygon and parcel lines are re-created. If there are gaps from line points that do not sit directly on top of their adjacent parcel line, the gap is eliminated, and the adjacent parcel line is regenerated to become coincident with any line points. If there are unclosed parcels that are missing buffer geometries, these buffer geometries are regenerated.

Regenerating a control point ensures that its geometry matches its x,y,z attributes and that the Name attribute of the corresponding point feature matches the name of the control point. If the control point does not have a valid name, it is named Auto.OID.0, where OID is the control point's object ID.

Regenerating a parcel is useful when, for example, a connection line has been incorrectly categorized as a boundary line, resulting in an incorrect parcel geometry. Once the boundary line is recategorized as a connection line, the tool can be used to generate the correct geometry for the parcel.