Reconstruct boundaries

The Reconstruct Boundaries tool Create Backlot creates individual parcel lines for parcel edges and generates missing COGO dimensions. Representing each parcel edge with its own line and COGO dimension label is often necessary for tax mapping purposes.

To reconstruct parcel boundaries, select the parcels you want to reconstruct boundaries for and click Reconstruct Boundaries Create Backlot in the Parcel group in the Tools gallery on the Quality tab.

The Reconstruct Boundaries tool makes the following updates for a selection of parcels:

  • Creates missing parcel lines for parcel edges. These are polygon edges that don't have matching parcel lines.
  • Splits polylines with fewer than seven segments at turning points and tangent points. Parcel lines must be single, two-point lines unless they represent natural boundaries.
  • Removes duplicate and coincident overlapping lines. A shared parcel boundary is represented with a single parcel line.
  • Populates COGO attributes on parcel lines if they are missing.
  • Sets the Label Position field on parcel lines to Right Left or Centered. The Label Position field indicates how to place the COGO dimension label for a parcel line.

    The label position is set to the right of a parcel line when the parcel edge it represents is to the right, to the left of the parcel line when the parcel edge it represents is to the left, and centered over the parcel line when the boundary it represents is shared between adjacent parcels.

  • Associates newly created lines to the same record of the parcels for which they were created.

Reconstruct boundaries example

In the image below, the parcels have inconsistent labeling, are missing individual lines for their polygon edges, and have duplicate, identical lines for a shared boundary.

Parcels with inconsistent boundaries

Using the Reconstruct Boundaries tool, the following updates were made to the parcels in the image above:

  • A single line was created for the northmost edge of parcel C.
  • The duplicate, overlapping line on the shared boundary between parcel A and parcel B was removed.
  • The polyline on parcel B was split into individual lines and a curve and missing points were created.
  • Missing COGO dimensions were generated and label positions were set.
  • Newly created lines were associated with the records of the parcels.

Reconstructed boundaries
Parcels with reconstructed boundaries are shown.