Merge or Dissolve?? New to ArcMap10

[ShandaBoon]

Hey everyone, I am new to ArcMap and what I am trying to do is to convert a few lots in a small town to a parcel. I was told to use
the "merge" or "dissolve" tool. What I am wondering is though..I don't want the whole town to merge in a parcel like it is doing. I just want a few select lots to convert to a parcel.....can someone please help me out on this?


Thanks!

[FranklinEbner]

Welcome! I would isolate the lots you want to merge and then perform the merge tool.  It sounds like right now it is merging all of the lots.  You could select the lots you want, then create layer from selection, and then use that selection as the input for the merge.  Hope that helps.

[ShandaBoon]

The new layer idea is great!! I have started an editing session, but how do you save the highlighted lots as a layer?

[DarrenWiens2]

There are a few different ArcGIS "merges", and probably more that I'm forgetting (sounds you want the manual edit merge, though):

Dissolve (automated):



Edit Merge (manual):



Merge Tool (doesn't remove coincident lines):

[ShandaBoon]

Yes exactly! I am wanting the manual merge, and when I have tried it, it chunks them in a group so when I click on the lots it outlines them all together (in that teal blue) in one single click (instead of having to shift-click-shift-click to select the lots) which is good,   but then the merge option is greyed out, basically i'm just not wanting the lots and their numbers to show up on the map in this one area. Sorry everyone, this merging thing is new to me!

[RichardFairhurst]

Yes exactly! I am wanting the manual merge, and when I have tried it, it chunks them in a group so when I click on the lots it outlines them all together (in that teal blue) in one single click (instead of having to shift-click-shift-click to select the lots) which is good,   but then the merge option is greyed out, basically i'm just not wanting the lots and their numbers to show up on the map in this one area. Sorry everyone, this merging thing is new to me!

If you are using the Editor tool selection arrow it will select any features that it touches in any selectable layer.  If more than the one editable layer you want to work on has a selection you cannot perform a merge.  Right click the layer you are editing and make it the only selectable layer or go to the Selection tab and make it the only selectable layer.

If your lots are in two separate feature classes you need to copy them to the final layer where the merge will occur before you can merge them.  The editor Merge function only works within a single layer while no other layer has an active selection.

See if that helps.

[ShandaBoon]

I think I got it. Thanks for all of your input, it is appreciated!!