Traverse Tool

Question

This is a multi-part question:

1. We have users editing a COGO-enabled line feature class in SDE with some using ArcMap and others Pro. The COGO fields were initially created in ArcMap and are text and do not populate in Pro. I understand Pro needs these fields to be double. We want to leave these fields alone for the time being. As a work around we created fields named Pro_Direction, Pro_Distance, Pro_Radius, Pro_ArcLength, and Pro_Radius2. When I enter my COGO lines, I then run calculate geometry on the Pro_Direction field and it is changing my bearing from what the legal description states. I suspect this is because Pro is forcing the traverse to close thereby altering the bearing, although I am not sure.

2. Is there a way to turn off this force closure? When I begin entering the traverse, force closure is not checked; however, by the time I reach the last call it becomes checked.

3. Is there away to use the Update COGO tool to run on my new fields rather than the old ArcMap fields which it will not work on?

I am looking for a work around to keep my old ArcMap fields but populate these new fields with the correct bearing that I actually enter that matches the legal description.

I am attaching a screenshot of the actual bearings I entered and how they changed when I ran calculate geometry and a screenshot from the calculate geometry.

Capture.PNG

Picture1.png

Ruth_JiatengXu_1-1725359505722.png

Test point in app.jfif

jcarlson · Answer

Yes, we've still got a few hangers-on, or legacy dependencies that can't move just yet.

Calculate geometry certainly would overwrite values, as the entered COGO isn't always the same as the shape itself. Could you devise field calculations instead to convert from one field to the other, basically ignoring the geometry?

GordonCourtney · Answer

Thanks Josh. Your response made me realize I spoke of the incorrect tool. I used calculate geometry and that's when the bearings changed slightly. I revised my post and included a screenshot of the setting for my calculate geometry. Thank you for your feedback. I am currently asking our users if anyone is still performing legal description tasks in ArcMap. Fingers crossed they are not. We are trying to get everyone on Pro anyways, but I am sure you can understand that struggle. 🙂

jcarlson · Answer

For your first point, it seems like this might have to do with whatever calculation is being used to convert these? The traverse tool does not overwrite or modify the entered values. Even in the case of the traverse forcing closed, the attribute values remain unchanged.

It may also be that something in the layer's definition is still picking up the other attributes as being the "real" COGO attributes? We're entirely in Pro, so I can't exactly test that.

The closure happens automatically when the final point is within a certain distance of the POB. I imagine this threshold can be changed, but it's generally got to be really close to auto-close. Otherwise, you have to explicitly tell it to force a closure.

Personally, I don't think there's a nice and easy way to use a single COGO enbaled layer in Pro and ArcMap simultaneously. Could you perhaps make registered view layers? Have them feed into the same table, but only expose the Pro / ArcMap COGO fields depending on which you need.