Creating the neatline (Maritime Charting)

The neatline component is made up of polyline features in the segments feature class. These lines follow the boundary of the source polygon, and any number of neatlines may be created. See Creating the grid component for additional information.

The neatline is offset from the source feature (area of interest), and all segments that make up the neatline can have the same setting or be unique. You can set the offset from the source polygon using any numeric value along with any supported ArcGIS unit. You can define the neatline so the line segments have the following settings:

Creation of grids and graticules for areas of interest (AOI) that have more than four sides, or are non-rectangular, can be automated using the Grids and Graticules Designer. Such AOIs have sides that begin and end at specific angles within 360 degrees. Configuring a grid template XML with each segment having a minimum and maximum angle (angle range) set helps to determine the AOI side it matches. Angle ranges in grid segments are set at equal intervals and are mutually exclusive (that is, a range of one segment cannot overlap with a range of another segment). The interval is calculated by the number of segments in the grid, divided by 360 degrees. The angle range starts from a user-defined origin set in the neatline, and each segment is associated with the AOI based on the angle range.

In the following image, the thick red line shows the segment with an origin at 315 degrees. Therefore, if this is applied to a four-sided non-rectangular AOI, the angle range for the segment will be 315 to 45 degrees.

Segment Origin

The area of interest shown below has six sides drawn at different angles that will match with the segment angles as shown above.

Example of six-sided AOI

For a grid template with four segments and the origin at 315, the interval will be 90 degrees and the AOI sides and associated angle ranges will be:

For a grid template with three segments and the origin at 315, the interval will be 120 degrees and AOI sides and associated angle ranges will be:

Learn more about grid units

Options are also available for the neatline densification:

Options are also available for clipping:

Steps:
  1. Start ArcMap.
  2. On the main menu, click Customize > Toolbars > Production Cartography.
  3. Click the Grids and Graticules Designer window button Grids and Graticules Designer window on the Production Cartography toolbar.
  4. Create or load a grid.
  5. If necessary, right-click the Grid component in the tree view and click Add > Neatline.
  6. In the tree view, right-click the Neatline component and click Properties.

    The Neatline Properties window appears.

    Neatline properties
  7. Type a value in the Offset (+/-) text box.
  8. If you want the offset segments to connect to each other, check the Connect offset segments check box.
  9. Choose the corresponding units for the neatline offset from the source polygon.
  10. Click the appropriate settings for line segments in the Settings area.
  11. If you want to assign grid segments to specific sides of an area of interest based on an angle value, type the origin for the angle range in the Origin (degrees) text box.
  12. Click the appropriate option in the Neatline Densification area.
  13. If necessary, check the Clip the neatline and all subcomponents to a zone check box.
  14. Click the Coordinate System Zone drop-down arrow and choose a feature class.
    NoteNote:

    You must have preloaded a feature class in the Coordinate System Zone area on the Grid General tab.

Related Topics

2/17/2015