Autocomplete: Two Separate Feature Classes

PeterWilson — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 09:36:42 GMT

I have a delema in either my geodatabase design or otherwise can't understand why it's not possible to autocomplete between two separate feature classes. I'm currently building a landuse geodatabase where we are digitising "Crop Field" boundaries and "Farm Dam" boundaries. If I store the Feature Classes separately you can't use autocomplete within an Edit Session between the two feature classes. I need to maintain different attributes for each feature class such as "Crop Type" for the "Crop Fields", which of course makes no sense in relation to "Farm Dams" which would mean I would have numerous "<Null>" values within my attribute table. I currently have to have the two feature types stored within a single feature class in order to use autocomplete as they share boundaries or a "Farm Dam: is surrounded by a "Crop Field". Have I missed something or is this a bug within ArcGIS?

Regards

Re: Autocomplete: Two Separate Feature Classes

HardolphWasteneys — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 18:23:35 GMT

Peter,

The Autocomplete-Polygon editing task works only on the assigned target feature class containing the polygons so no mistake or bug there.

I suppose that answers your question and you may already have other means of dealing with the consequences:
However, there are many simple ways of handling the separation of features created in one feature class into others.

The simplest way for your work flow, as I understand it, would be to continue digitizing the field and dams together using autocomplete to maintain common boundaries but:

1. assign a distinct value to the dam polygons made in your Crop Fields FC
2. at some point open the Crop Fields attribute table and use the select by attributes function to select all the polygons with the dam attribute you assigned (or just pick them with the edit tool)
3. change the EDITING functions to TASK: Create New Feature and TARGET: Farm_Dam FC
4. use the edit tool in the Data View and transfer the polygons to the Farm_Dam FC by the following:
4a. right click "COPY"
4b. hit DELETE (or right click and "delete")
4c. right click "PASTE".

That sequence will cut the dam polygons from the Crop Field FC and create them in the Farm Dam FC where you can then edit their attributes.

... Numerous other ways of handling all this including splitting the polygons with dams, not using Autocomplete and starting with just polyline outlines etc. ... All fairly standard editing procedures.

Hardolph

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Autocomplete: Two Separate Feature Classes

Re: Autocomplete: Two Separate Feature Classes