Allow the Align Features tool to honour Map Topology instead of GDB Topology

[MizukiKayano2]

We are using an ArcGIS Pro parcel fabric and often rely on the Align Features tool to fix up certain gaps/overlaps/old join mistakes in the data. While this typically works ok, the Align Features tool seems to only honour the GDB topology, even if I have Map Topology specified in the Edit ribbon. With how our connection lines intersect our parcel lot lines, this means the Align Features tool will crack the data at these intersections. The video below demonstrates the behaviour I am describing: 

The Move tool has similar behaviour; however, the Move tool honours the topology setting in the Edit Ribbon as well as the visible layers in the map, so we can get around this by setting the topology to Map topology and also disabling visibility of our connection lines. The same process has no impact on the Align Features tool, currently. 

I am requesting that the Align Features tool be enhanced to honour the topology that is set in the Edit ribbon.

[CathyAppleton]

We are experiencing the same thing.    We are currently working with ESRI support regarding this.   Hopefully we'll get a fix soon.

[TimHodson]

Hi @MizukiKayano2 and @CathyAppleton Please try the option to "Snap line ends to path"and let us know if it solves the problem.  This option is the most conservative in terms of introducing new vertices and is much better at preventing the creation of bends in the lines.

-Tim

[CathyAppleton]

Unfortunately @TimHodson  that does not work to fix it.   The ESRI team we are working with submitted it as a bug for review by the development team.     Hopefully there will be a fix in the future.

take care, Cathy

[MizukiKayano2]

@TimHodson I'm seeing inconsistent results. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

This is with Map topology, snap line ends to path:

This is with parcel fabric topology, snap line ends to path:

[TimHodson]

Hi @MizukiKayano2 , Thank you for the new videos. I've simulated your scenario. Below is a video using the Align Features tool, with the "Snap line ends to path" option turned on, and with topology turned off altogether. ("No Topology" set in the Quality tab) Does this get you to your intended end result?

-Tim

[SarahSibbett]

@TimHodson thanks for the video. 

Both @MizukiKayano2 and I tested the Align Features with No Topology, and initially, the tool just kept spinning forever and would not complete. We realized if you have No Topology set and are projecting on the fly, the tool will just spin and not complete. 

We then set our dataframe to BC Albers so we would not be projecting on the fly and we are not getting the same results as you. The tool completes, but the topology is broken and the data looks bad: 

We are in 3.2.1, FYI. 

[TimHodson]

@SarahSibbett  thanks for the additional info. This is very helpful. I'll research further, and report back here. Just to confirm though: the results shown in the video above when not projecting on the fly and with "No topology" set... those results are what is expected, correct?

[SarahSibbett]

@TimHodson - correct. 

@MizukiKayano2 - step in if I am wrong with the confirmation above to Tim. 

[TimHodson]

Thank you @MizukiKayano2 @SarahSibbett for reporting this bug - I can confirm the tool does not complete when using the "Snap lines ends to path" option while projecting on the fly, and while "No Topology" is set. For your reference: BUG-000164978

On the other case, I see how we are getting different results, and how this idea applies. In my case with the videos above the topology had not yet been validated, whereas in your case the topology validation has introduced a vertex via the connection line, and so the polygon's segment is bending at that location. There is also a vertex on the line, but its behavior is as expected and the line does not bend at the vertex.

To workaround this you could shrink the polygons to seeds first, run the align features just on the lines, and then reconstruct from seeds. Another approach is to run the SLACA (Simplify By Straight lines and...) tool with a small tolerance on all the surrounding parcel polygons to remove these vertices, and then run the Align Features.

Both of these approaches seemed to be effective for me.

[SarahSibbett]

@TimHodson thanks for the BUG and also explaining why we are getting different results. 

The steps you've outlined will work, but something to consider is that other tools (Move tool, Edit Vertices tool) do not require these steps, so long as you have the topology set to Map topology and you have your connection lines not visible. This seems easier to me than shrinking to seed or running SLACA. 

Here is the Move tool with GDB topology (the rubber banding is split at the connection line): 

Here is the Move tool with Map topology (the rubber banding continues the full length of the parcel): 

The Edit tool functions the same way as the Move tool. It's just the Align Features tool that doesn't seem to honour the Map Topology setting. If it did, we could avoid running extra tools (like shrink to seed or SLACA). For now, I think we would probably use the Move or Edit Vertices, but it is good to have a workflow for the Align Features, so thank you for sharing that. 

I do think the behaviour with Align Features is expected when you are set to GDB topology, but I can see value in having it honour the Map topology setting the same way as Edit Vertices and Move. 

Let me know if that makes sense.