Starting from scratch paper CSM conversion

Question

As a graduate student I've been exploring the conversion of existing legacy paper CSM's into arcmap. I've never worked with parcels or CSM's before so its really a first step situation.

Having just started poking around in 10, I see that there is a parcel tool bar as well as cogo. I have no background in either. lol

It seems to me that the help files and tutorials assume users will be EDITING an existing dataset and working with existing parcels shapefiles and databases VS. creating parcels and database from scratch.

At this point I'm not sure where to start.  Does anybody have some wise advise as to how to get started the correct way?

Thanks
JP

ChristineLeslie · Answer

Hi Jason

As Nick said, its pretty simple - you create an empty fabric, add in some control points, traverse in a parcel or a subdivision and then join it to the control point or points.

Here are the steps in some more detail:

1. First you need to create your empty parcel fabric in a feature dataset. You will define a spatial reference for the feature dataset and that is what your fabric will use.

2. Load the empty fabric into the map and begin adding control points. In the attached screenshot, EmptyFabricAndPLSSLines, I have loaded some PLSS lines (feature class) as a reference and an empty fabric.

3. Next, I will enter in the coordinates of a control point. You will need control point coordinates to enter. If you dont have these, you could estimate them from PLSS corners for now and update them later. To manually enter a control point click Maintain Control Points on the Parcel Editor toolbar. See the attached AddControlPt screenshot. Control points can also be migrated in.

4. Once I added my first control point, I traversed in a single parcel. To create a new parcel, I clicked the New Parcel in New Plan button on the Parcel Editor toolbar. You can use the default <map> plan or go and create a new plan in the plan directory. Just traverse in your parcel, it doesnt matter where you start on the map, you will position/join the parcel once its complete. See the attached TraverseInParcel screenshot.

5. Once the parcel is complete, I clicked Keep Changes to Parcel Data and Join on the parcel details dialog box, and used the Join dialog to join the connection line of the parcel to the control point. See the attached JoinToControl screenshot.

6. Once you have added your first parcel, just keep on traversing in parcels and joining.

Now it would be better to have more that one control point to join to for correct scale and rotation purposes. So the options are to:
-Enter a larger block of parcels and then join the block to two or more control points
-Bring in more control points at a later stage and run Least-squares adjustment which would take care of the scate and rotation, and have the added benefit of identifying any errors. Parcel corners can be linked to control points at any stage.

Lastly, if you dont have any control points, you could simply traverse in parcels, and when you join them, simply click OK to drop/place the parcel in the map. In this case, no join links are established. You could use a background layer that can act as a reference as to where you can drop your first parcel. Later on, you can then bring in control points and run a least squares adjustment to adjust the parcels to the more accurate control network.

I hope this helps

Christine
Parcel Editing team

FirstParcel.png

TraverseInParcel.png

JoinToControl.png

EmptyFabricAndPLSSLines.png

AddControlPt.png

JasonPoser1 · Answer

Jason,

There are a few places where you can start.  I take it you are using a State Plane gird coordinate system?  If so, do you have the current PLSS (GCDB) corner points?

The Parcel Editor assumes that all incoming measurements are in local, ground coordinates.  Understanding that, you can join these parcels to control points in state plane, essentially establishing a general ground-to-grid conversion.  I would take a look at an area that resides near the baseline and meridian intersection of the State Plane coordinate system and start by joining a few parcels that have known connection to section corners and works out from there.

Would you like to set up a call to discuss?  I'd be more than willing to help you get started.

Chris

Parcel Editing Team

Chris...  Thanks for weighing in on this,  my graduate research project has me reaching into several areas of gis that I hadn't originally prepared for.   So yes any help getting up to speed would be very helpful.  Do you have access to skype?  That would be the simplest way for me to talk.