Create feature from another feature

[Anthony_AWalker]

Hello,

I want to create a polyline feature from another polyline feature.  The original feature is called the Top of Bank which is representative of the top bank area of a ditch.  I need to establish an easement 75 feet north and south of the original feature (Top of Bank).  Is there a tool or method to reproduce the feature 75 feet away from the original?  I am using ArcEditor 10

[Anonymous User]

Yes, there are many ways to do this.  If you only need to do this to a few lines the easiest is to Select the line of interest at the top of the bank (you must be in edit mode) and click on the drop down list on the editor toolbar and choose "Copy Parallel".  This will open up a window in which you can specify an offset distance of 75 feet for both sides if the map units are in feet.

If you need to do this to many features I would recommend just using a buffer of 75 feet for the top of bank polyline file.  Then, you can just convert the buffer polygon features to polylines.


Caleb

[Anthony_AWalker]

Thanks Celab,

I will use the suggestion for future reference.  However, I probably did not make quite clear what I am trying to do.  I do not want to create the copy in the original or master feature class.  What I need to do is copy the exact feature to another feature class (separate from the original or master) that is 75 feet away from the original feature "Regulated Drain Top of Bank".  I also want to maintain the original contours of the line so that the distance is consistant the length of the line segment.  In other words, I want to copy the feature and create a new feature class with line features 75 feet north and south of the original feature class! 

I appreciate any assistance that you may have to offer.

Anthony

[Anonymous User]

Oh I see.  Try this:

1. Copy the original feature class into a separate FC
2. Start an edit mode on the copied FC
3. Select all lines then follow the same steps as before to copy parallel on both sides from the editor toolbar
4. Once the new lines are created just hit the delete key. Since the original lines are already selected, they will be deleted.

Bad news though, I just tried this with a streams shapefile and it crashed ArcMap trying to do it all at once.  But, my computer is near the end of it's life so you may have better luck depending on how many lines you have.  You could also try just doing the right side then the left separately with the 75 ft offset just to be safe.  There are probably better ways and hopefully someone will see this thread and post a more efficient way.  In the meantime you could try this, and if your processor can handle it, this should work.

[BruceNielsen]

There is a Shift tool that will move a raster dataset like you want. So you could convert your lines to raster, use the Shift tool to create a new raster shifted along the Y axis, then convert the new raster back to lines.

[Anthony_AWalker]

Hey Caleb and all others,

Thanks for the many responses.  Caleb, the first reply was a good process, there was user error involved.  The file I was trying to copy parallel was a continuous line, with no segments and many that formed a polygon (even though the properties listed as polyline).  Once I disconnected I deleted vertersies and created two separate lines, the tool worked!  I did crash the program quite a few times before I made the discovery (tool thought it was a polygon).  So, it is probably not the computers faught!!!  I have experienced crash of the software with a Dell Precision T3500 workstation, 64 bit, Xeon Quad Core with 8 Gigs of ram, so don't feel bad 🙂 !

The rest of you guys and gals, I appreciate the responses and will be sure to read and keep for future reference.

Thanks to everyone that responded.