Validate the parcel fabric topology

The parcel fabric topology is validated using a required set of topology rules. You can define additional topology rules and attribute rules to manage and enforce data quality.

Learn more about the parcel fabric topology

Click Validate Extent Validate Extent in the Tools gallery on the Parcels ribbon to validate the parcel fabric in your map extent.

Note:
The parcel topology must be enabled, and the parcel fabric layer and all its associated layers must be added to the map.

To determine whether topology is enabled on a parcel fabric, right-click the parcel fabric in the Catalog pane and click Properties. On the Parcel Fabric Properties dialog box, select the General tab and expand the Parcel Fabric subheading.

To validate an entire parcel fabric dataset or a large number of parcels, run the Validate Parcel Fabric geoprocessing tool.

After validation, dirty areas in the map extent are removed. Dirty areas remain for data that lies outside the current validated map extent. If the parcel fabric is modified, dirty areas will appear again, indicating that the topology has become out of date and needs to be validated.

The following edits and updates cause the topology to become out of date and require validation:

  • Appending data to the parcel fabric.
  • Editing parcel features (create, modify, and delete).
  • Editing system-added attributes of parcel features. Editing user-added attributes fields does not generate dirty areas.

Validating the parcel fabric is an edit operation. You should not edit the parcel fabric in the default version, as edits are automatically saved and cannot be undone.

View errors in the Error Inspector

After validation, rule errors are displayed in the Error Inspector pane. Rule errors are violations of geodatabase topology rules. To open the Error Inspector, click Error Inspector Error Inspector in the Tools gallery on the Parcels ribbon.

Errors are represented as a rows in the Error Inspector table. Select a row to preview, see details, and fix methods for the error. Right-click a row to zoom to the error and see a description of the error and options to fix it.

Rule errors are symbolized in the map by their participating features, for example, line errors, point errors, and polygon errors. Make sure the parcel fabric layer as well as the topology error sublayers are turned on in the Contents pane to see rule errors symbolized on the map.

Learn more about the Error Inspector

Fix errors

To fix a topology error, select the error in the Error Inspector pane and click the Fix tab on the preview window to display available fixes for the error. Use the Fix Error tool Fix Error to fix errors in the map with a predefined fix.

The following errors can be fixed by building parcels:

  • Lines - Must Be Covered By Boundary Of - Polygons
  • Polygon - Boundary Must Be Covered By - Lines
  • Lines - Endpoint Must Be Covered By - Points

Parcels can be built from polygons or lines and seeds. To build parcels in the map extent, click the Build Active drop-down arrow Build Parcels In The Active Record in the Construct group on the Parcels ribbon and click Build Extent Build Extent. When parcels are built, missing parcel features (points, lines, or polygons) are created.

If topology errors occur because existing parcel features are not topologically aligned with each other, you can use parcel alignment and editing alignment tools to align the parcel features.