Parcel alignment workflows

You can use the following tools to align parcel features:

• Align Parcels —Transform and align parcels using links. The Align Parcels tool uses the Rubbersheet (Linear) transformation method.
• Align Features —Align and reposition individual parcel lines. This tool allows you more control over the placement of boundaries when aligning parcels.

  Note:

  This tool does not merge coincident points when aligning parcel boundaries.

Parcels can be aligned using the following workflows:

• Align selected parcels to surrounding parcel boundaries. This workflow is commonly used when aligning new parcels to existing parcels. New parcels are transformed and aligned to existing, surrounding parcels in the parcel fabric.
• Align individual parcel lines. Individual parcel lines can be repositioned to match an alignment path. You can use this workflow in addition to the aligning parcels workflow.
• Align existing parcels to selected parcels. This workflow is commonly used when aligning existing parcels to the positions of new parcels. The positions of the new parcels is held fixed, and surrounding boundaries are transformed to the location of the fixed parcels.

Learn more about parcel alignment methods

Align selected parcels to surrounding boundaries

To align parcels to surrounding boundaries, parcel boundaries must lie within the specified alignment buffer. If necessary, select and move or rotate the parcel features you want to align so that they lie within a close proximity to their surrounding boundaries. Click the Select tool in the Selection group on the Parcels ribbon to select parcel features.

Tip:

If you created parcels in a new active record, click Menu on the record's heads-up-display (HUD) and click Select Features In Active Record to select all the parcel features created in the active record.

1. Select the parcels you want to align and click Align Parcels in the Alignment group on the Parcels ribbon to open the Align Parcels pane.

   The alignment buffer is displayed as an orange transparent buffer drawn around the new parcel boundaries. If the surrounding parcel boundaries and points do not lie within the alignment buffer, provide a larger tolerance value in the Alignment Buffer Value text box in the Alignment group on the Parcels ribbon.

   Tip:

   Click Show in the Alignment group on the Parcels ribbon to turn the display of the alignment buffer on or off.

2. Click Add new links to manually add links between parcel points and their matching points on the surrounding parcels.

   You only need to add a few links and generate the remaining links. The more links that are manually added, the better the link generation process.

3. Optionally, click Add anchor points to add an anchor point to a parcel point.

   When an anchor point is added to a parcel point, it will be held as fixed in the alignment and does not move. Additionally, fixed parcel fabric points behave in the same way as anchor points and do not need the addition of an anchor point. Fixed parcel fabric points, such as control points, do not move in a parcel alignment.

4. When you finish manually adding links and anchor points, click Generate links within tolerance to detect remaining links and to generate a preview of the parcel alignment.

   To see an alignment preview, ensure that Show Preview is chosen at the bottom of the Align Parcels pane.

   Links are symbolized differently to distinguish manually created links from generated links. The image below shows the different types of link symbology that is used when creating and generating links:

   

   Tip:

   Blue dotted alignment links are added to strengthen the alignment transformation. Blue dotted links are added between points and line edges and between curved line edges when aligning curves.

5. In some cases, generating links may not detect matching points. Create links for these points manually for the best parcel alignment outcome.

   Note:

   At least two links are needed to align parcels. The best alignment results are achieved when as many points as possible are matched with existing points.

6. Review the blue dotted outline in the map that shows a preview of the aligned location of the parcel. If necessary, use the Interactively Delete and Add new links tools to remove and add links, respectively.

   To delete a single link, click the Interactively Delete tool and click the link in the map.

7. Under Point To Edge Snapping in the Align Parcels pane, type a snap tolerance.

   The snap tolerance is used to resolve gaps and overlaps that result from unmatched points. The snap tolerance is applied after the alignment process. Examples of unmatched points are those points that should snap to adjacent parcel lines.

   Learn more about the snap tolerance

   Tip:

   You can set the snap tolerance to 0 and refine individual boundary alignment using the workflow in the Align lines to an alignment path section below.

8. Click Align to align the parcels.

Align curves

True curves can be aligned to matching true curves. This includes aligning a sequence of true curves to a single, larger curve. When aligning curves, add links where possible and click Generate links within tolerance to generate missing links and see a preview of how the curves will be aligned.

When aligning slightly misaligned curves, alignment links can be added between two points, between a point and a curve edge and between two curve edges.

Densified curves (curves composed of tiny lines and vertices) cannot be aligned to true curves. Use the Simplify By Straight Lines And Circular Arcs geoprocessing tool to convert the curves to true curves before aligning them.

Align lines to an alignment path

You can align all the boundaries of a selected parcel or only align individual parcel boundaries. For example, after aligning a parcel using the Align Parcels tool, follow the steps below to align an individual curve on the parcel that did not exactly match the curve on the surrounding boundaries.

Note:

The Align Features tool does not merge coincident points when aligning parcel boundaries.

To align parcel lines using an alignment path, follow these steps:

1. Select the parcel that contains the lines you want to align, click the Align Parcels drop-down arrow in the Alignment group on the Parcels ribbon, and click Align Features .
2. In the Align Features pane, choose Draw the alignment path or Create alignment path from selected parcels .

   To align all parcel boundaries, choose Create alignment path from selected parcels. An alignment path is created on the adjacent boundaries that lie closest to the selected parcels.

   To align individual boundaries of the parcel, clear the parcel selection and choose Draw the alignment path.

3. If you chose to draw the alignment path, decide whether you want to trace a path along existing boundaries lines or use editing tools to draw a new location for all the boundaries. Boundaries will align to the traced path or the alignment path you draw.

   Tip:

   Trace an alignment path along existing boundaries when you want to hold those boundaries as fixed in the alignment. When drawing a new alignment path, all boundaries in the alignment tolerance move to the drawn path.

4. To trace the alignment path along existing boundaries, do the following:
   1. Click to snap to the line you want to align and drag the pointer along its boundary.
   2. Click an end point to finish the trace.
   3. If necessary, change the alignment tolerance value in the Alignment Tolerance text box to ensure that the lines being aligned lie within the tolerance.

   

   Align the boundary to the path traced on the adjacent boundary.

5. To draw a new alignment path using editing tools, do the following:
   1. Choose a tool from the Construction toolbar at the bottom of the map view and draw an alignment path.

      For example, use the Line and Arc Segment tools to construct a new path. All boundaries in the adjustment tolerance will move to the drawn path.

   2. If necessary, change the alignment tolerance value in the Alignment Tolerance text box to ensure that the lines being aligned lie within the tolerance.

      

      Align both adjacent boundaries to the drawn path.

6. If necessary, choose an alignment method.

   Tip:

   The Snap line ends to path method minimizes the creation of new vertices and is well suited for the alignment of most parcel boundaries.

7. Click Align to align the lines.

Align existing parcels to new parcels

You can align existing parcels to the boundaries of newer parcels. An example of this type of alignment is when new parcels have been created using monuments or control points as corner points or points of beginning. Existing parcels must be aligned to the location of these parcels.

To align surrounding parcels to the fixed location of selected parcels, click Switch in the Alignment group on the Parcels ribbon to switch the selection to the surrounding parcels. Transform and align the surrounding parcels as described in the Align selected parcels to existing boundaries section above.

Alternatively, create an alignment path to align boundaries. To hold a parcel as fixed and create an alignment path for surrounding parcels, do the following:

1. Select the parcels you want keep in fixed positions.
2. Click Switch in the Alignment group on the Parcels ribbon to switch the selection to the surrounding parcels.
3. Click the Align Parcels drop-down arrow in the Alignment group on the Parcels ribbon and click Align Features .
4. In the Align Features pane, click Create alignment path from selected parcels.

   An alignment path is created on the adjacent boundaries that lie closest to the selected parcels. In this case, an alignment path is created on the parcel that will remain in a fixed position.

5. Ensure that all boundaries being aligned lie within the adjustment tolerance. If necessary, change the adjustment tolerance value.
6. If necessary, choose an alignment method.

   Tip:

   The Snap line ends to path method minimizes the creation of new vertices and is well suited for the alignment of most parcel boundaries.

7. Click Align to align the lines.