align parcels grayed out

[anna_garrett]

*** update 11/4/2022: my problem was not actually solved by the solution below. i can't revoke that solution checkmark. i tested the align tool on one parcel that i'd generated with the Copy Lines To tool, but the align tool continued to do nothing when i attempted to align the rest of the subdivision parcels at the same time. aligning one polygon at a time is untenable. ***

is there any reason align parcels would be grayed out if I imported lines to generate polygons from a CAD document? has anyone else run into this problem?

my workflow went like this:

-use CAD to Geodatabase to import lines

-planarize lines

-update cogo

-add seeds 

-build

the Align Parcels tool won't work at all. it is just gray, no error message. if I manually enter lines, everything works normally. I have 3 sections of this masterplanned subdivision to enter today, the DXFs take a huge chunk of the work out. I've run check/repair geometry a few times now and everything appears to be clean. the video for the align parcels tool seems to be gone and the documentation page is scant on details. I've tried everything I've learned from previous problems, like changing the point to edge snapping tolerance and nothing. 

I'm posting here instead of opening a ticket because I value the opinions of my peers and opening tickets as of late has been extremely frustrating and time consuming. If there was more documentation I could solve most of my problems on my own, at least that's how it used to be. 

[AliciaTompkins]

It looks like you have two parcel types selected. Have you tried using the align parcel tool while only one parcel type is selected? I only align one parcel type and then duplicate parcels to the other parcel types I need.

[anna_garrett]

oh yeah, tried that as well. my normal workflow has me aligning all the parcels, regardless of type, in a new subdivision at the same time so as to avoid doing the same thing twice. 

edit: it works when i enter the lines manually. i think the difference is that i imported a DXF, but i have no idea why it would even matter - that's the only difference.

[AliciaTompkins · Accepted solution]

I use CAD files (dwg) all the time, especially for the larger plats. I just did one last week and the align parcels tool worked.

My general workflow is:

• Add CAD to map and georeference CAD
• Select lines from the CAD and Copy Lines To a parcel type
• Clean lines
• Update COGO
• Build active parcels
• Align Parcels
• Duplicate parcels into the other parcels types

[anna_garrett]

that's wild. our process is nearly the same, save for the initial 2 steps. i might try your starting steps out to see if it makes a difference at all. 

[anna_garrett]

---

@AliciaTompkins wrote:

I use CAD files (dwg) all the time, especially for the larger plats. I just did one last week and the align parcels tool worked.

My general workflow is:

• Add CAD to map and georeference CAD
• Select lines from the CAD and Copy Lines To a parcel type
• Clean lines
• Update COGO
• Build active parcels
• Align Parcels
• Duplicate parcels into the other parcels types

---

just tried your workflow and that bolded item, using the Copy Lines To, created parcels that the align tool works on. i honestly don't know what the difference is, the lines that i took from the CAD file that i imported and copy/pasted into the appropriate parcel type generated parcels that the align tool did not work on.

thank you!!!

[AnnaMachado]

Hi Anna, 

I was looking at the screen capture you attached of the issue with the Align Parcels tool, and I noticed that your "Generate links within tolerance" is set to 5 ft when in your map your links are displaying to be greater than 7ft. If you are generating the links with this tool, I would try increasing the generate links within tolerance by a few feet and also the tolerance to snapping (currently 1 ft).

And I'm curious to know which ArcGIS Pro version are you currently using? I mention this because we have been observing weird behavior with this tool when using Pro v. 2.9.1. 

And finally, if your links seem to not being added, I would remove the links layer from the Table of contents so a new one can load. 

Hope this helps! 

Anna M, 

[anna_garrett]

if i recall correctly i tried that as well. please see my response to jeff as to what actually worked.

[JeffWard]

Watching, very interested in the workflow and solution.

[anna_garrett]

so what I ended up finding out was that using the move tool on the lines imported from that DXF broke something somewhere that caused the align tool to fail. once i had restarted the subdivision, reimported the DXF, and attempted to align the parcels from where they landed upon import it worked. 

so if you ever end up stuck like me, just try skipping using the move tool and see how that works out.