Linear Units / Traverse Tool in 10.1

[Anonymous User]

I hope someone might be able to assist me. We've just installed 10.1.

We use the traverse tool to type in metes and bounds descriptions off legal documents into a parcel boundary layer, and construct our polygons and other features from the lines. Since installing 10.1, the traverse tool's default is to take measurements in meters. Since we're in the United States, none of our legal documents are measured in meters.

The feature datasets are projected : NAD 1983 State Plane Texas North Central FIPS 4202 Feet

When we were using previous versions of ArcGIS, the default traverse linear unit was foot.

I'd really like to change the default traverse tool linear units to feet, but I can't find an option to do so. I know I can type in "ft" in the traverse tool window but it's very taxing to do that, since everything else is keyed in using the number pad only.

Any help is much appreciated.

[SamHaycraft]

I think the traverse tool uses whatever units are associated with the data frame's projection, not necessarily the feature you're editing.  I'd check this out first.

[Anonymous User]

I built a new MXD, with everything in feet, after the last one turned "metric". I added an ArcGIS basemap, in this case, Bing Maps aerials, and the MXD changed to meters at that point. There is no way I can find to reset it back to feet, without starting a new MXD (which can get time consuming). This occurs immediately upon adding the basemap.

Is this behavior supposed to happen, or is this a bug of some kind?

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[Anonymous User]

Yes its a bug that is addressed in 10.1 SP1.
The coordinate system of the map will change to that of the basemap, probably web mercator meters, when you add it. To change it back, go through the data frame properties and set the coordinate system to one of the layers in the map.

[JoelMartinez1]

Justin we use the Traverse tool extensively to map out parcel boundaries using Legal Descriptions. When the Coordinate System for the dataframe is out of whack we just type in the unit convention after the length e.g., ft, m, mi, etc. That will automatically convert it on the fly. However, the readout will show the call as that in whatever coordinate system the dataframe happens to be in. The unit convention does not work for varas, perches, or other peculiar units from the back-forty.