Create a route

Available with Location Referencing license.

Routes are created in an LRS Network using centerline features that define the location and geometry of a route.

The centerline features used to create routes exist in the centerline feature class and can be digitized into the centerline feature class (using aerial photography or other basemaps for guidance), be copied and pasted from other feature classes, or be imported from CAD files or other ArcGIS-supported data sources.

Note:

• The centerline and network feature classes must be on the map to run this tool.
• An additional attribute table appears in the Create Route pane if the network feature class has extra fields. You can provide a route name here if the network is configured to use a user-generated route ID.
• Gap calibration rules are followed when creating routes.

1. Add the centerline and network feature class to a map.

   Alternatively, open a map in which the centerline and network feature class are present.

   Note:

   The information model expects only one centerline at any given location. Ensure that the centerlines you're using for your edit do not overlap other centerlines in the LRS.

   Note:

   Traditionally versioned networks must be edited through a direct connection to the geodatabase. Branch versioned networks, including networks configured with a user-generated route ID, must be edited through a feature service.

2. Zoom in to the location where you want to create the route.

   Note:

   The centerline features for the route must exist in the centerline feature class before creating the route.

   

3. On the Location Referencing tab, in the Routes group, click Create .

   

   The Create Route pane appears with the Select By Rectangle option as the default.

4. Select one or more centerlines by rectangle at the location of the new route.

   You can also click the Select one or more centerlines drop-down arrow and choose one of the other selection tools: Select By Polygon , Select By Lasso , Select By Circle , Select By Line , or Select By Trace .

   Alternatively, use the interactive selection tools on the Map tab:

   The selected centerlines are highlighted on the map and the Allow choosing of one or more centerlines button appears in the Create Route pane. The Selected Centerlines count is shown above the table.

   Tip:

   • The direction of digitization determines the direction of calibration, increasing in the direction of digitization. You can reverse direction for the chosen centerlines using the Flip the direction of the centerlines button . This leads to an in-memory flip of the centerlines' direction and the change in direction is not permanent.
   • You can keep the chosen centerlines after creating the route.
   • If the centerline was created as a curve, Roads and Highways converts the curve into a densified polyline feature.

   

5. Click the Allow choosing of one or more centerlines button .

   A table appears in the Create Route pane with each chosen centerline in a numbered row that corresponds to the selection order. Chosen centerlines are numbered on the map and highlighted. The Chosen Centerlines count is shown above the table.

   

6. Optionally, choose one or more rows from the Order column and use the buttons below the table to change the centerline selection order. You can also drag rows to change the order.

   Changes in the table selection order are also shown on the map.

   Tools available in the centerlines table

   Tool	Tool name	Tool description
   	Allow choosing of one or more centerlines	Allows you to choose the centerlines on the map and displays them in a table by order of selection. Use the move buttons below the table or drag rows to reorder the chosen centerlines.
   	Clear the currently chosen centerlines	Clears the chosen centerlines and keeps the selected centerlines. You can reselect after clicking this button or click the Allow choosing one or more centerlines button a second time.
   	Move chosen centerlines up	Moves one or more selected centerlines up a row in the table order.
   	Move chosen centerlines to the top	Moves one or more centerlines to the top of the table order.
   	Move chosen centerlines down	Moves one or more centerlines down a row in the table order.
   	Move chosen centerlines to the bottom	Moves one or more centerlines to the bottom of the table order.
   	Flip the direction of the centerlines	Reverses the direction of the chosen centerlines. This leads to an in-memory flip of the centerlines' direction and the change in direction is not permanent.
   	Remove the chosen centerlines	Removes the chosen centerline from the table order but leaves it selected.

   Tip:

   To change the display field in the centerlines table, right-click the centerline feature class in the Contents pane and choose Properties from the context menu. On the Layer Properties dialog box, click the Display tab, and click the Display field drop-down arrow to change its value. In the previous image, the display field is OBJECTID.

7. Click the Network drop-down arrow and choose the network to which you want to add a route.

   Note:

   To edit using feature services, the LRS Network must be published with linear referencing and version management capabilities.

   Depending on the network configuration you are using, you may have a multifield route ID to provide. If that's the case, the Create Route pane appears with Route ID Attributes to configure attributes.

8. Click the Calendar button next to Start Date and choose a start date for the route.

   Tip:

   You can also double-click the Start Date text box to insert the current date, or provide a date in the Start Date text box.

9. Provide a value in the Route ID text box.

   The route ID must be unique for the chosen network per the time slice. If you're using a multifield route ID, create the route ID by selecting or providing values for the fields that comprise the route ID. This is configured using the Modify LRS Network tool.

   The image in step 5 shows Route ID Attributes with values that are used to create the route ID.

10. Provide a value in the From Measure text box. The default is 0.000.

    To calculate the starting measure value, do the following:

    1. Provide a value in the To Measure text box.
    2. Click the Recalculate From Measure button next to the From Measure text box.
11. Update the To Measure value if necessary.

    The To Measure value is populated with the geometric length of the chosen centerline.

    Note:

    • Z-values are considered when calculating the geometric length of the centerlines.
    • Centerlines and routes support z-values.

    To calculate the To Measure value, do the following:

    1. Update the From Measure value if necessary.
    2. Click the Recalculate To Measure button next to the To Measure text box.
12. Fill in additional field attributes in the network feature class as necessary.

    The attribute fields in the Create Route pane support coded value and range domains. This is helpful when you want to limit attribute values to a predefined list or range of values.

    Note:

    To copy attributes from an existing route, click Copy attribute values by choosing route from map and choose an existing route.

13. Click Run.

    Note:

    If the route edit will result in the introduction of one or more physical gaps on the route, a prompt appears to alert you before the tool is run. If you don't plan to create a gapped route, click No.

    If the route being edited already had one or more physical gaps, and no more physical gaps were introduced by the edit, no prompt will appear.

    You can prevent unplanned centerlines by enabling snapping in the active map, or by enabling snapping using the Edit tab, Snapping group, Snapping button .

    You can disable this warning by unchecking Warn before allowing route edits that can create physical gaps on the Options dialog box, on the Location Referencing tab.

    Tip:

    Click Identify Routes in the Tools group on the Location Referencing tab, and click the new route to access information about it.

    Alternatively, move the pointer over the route to display route and measure information on the map. The route and measure update as you move the pointer. If multiple routes and measures exist at a location, all of them are shown.

    You can set map scale options for the display of route and measure information on the Options dialog box, on the Location Referencing tab.

    

    Note:

    You can keep the centerlines chosen after creating the route.

Complex route creation scenarios

Examples of complex route creation, including loop, lollipop, branch, alpha, barbell, and infinity routes are described below.

Loop route

In the following example, four centerlines (CL1, CL2, CL3, and CL4) are used to create a loop route:

Calibration points are added at the start of the loop (0), end of the loop (10), and at a third (3.33) and two-thirds of the loop (6.67).

Lollipop route

In the following example, two centerlines (CL1, CL2) are used to create a lollipop route:

RouteX is created with calibration points at the start of the stick portion (0), the end of the loop portion (12), and at a third (5.33) and two-thirds of the loop portion (8.67).

In the second example, two centerlines (CL1, CL2) with different directions compared to the example above are used to create a lollipop route.

RouteX is created with calibration points at the start of the loop portion (0), at a third (3.33) and two-thirds of the loop portion (6.67), and in the stick portion (12) at the end of the lollipop.

Branch route

In the following example, two centerlines (CL1, CL2) are used to create a branch route:

RouteX is created with calibration points at the start of the branch, the end of the branch, and at the start and end of an imaginary branch edge.

In the second example, two centerlines (CL1, CL2) are used to create a branch route.

RouteX is created with calibration points at the start of the branch, the end of the branch, and at the start and end of an imaginary branch edge.

Alpha route

In the following example, three centerlines (CL1, CL2, CL3) are used to create an alpha route:

RouteX is created with calibration points at the start (0) and end (16) of the alpha portion, and at a third (6.33) and two-thirds (9.67) of the loop portion.

Barbell route

In the following example, three centerlines (CL1, CL2, CL3) are used to create a barbell route:

RouteX is created with calibration points at the start (0) and end (18) of the barbell, and at a third (2.67 and 12.67) and two-thirds (5.33 and 15.33) of each loop portion.

Infinity route that starts and ends at an intersection

In the following example, one centerline (CL1) is used to create an infinity loop route that starts and ends at an intersection:

RouteX is created with calibration points at the start (0) and end (20) of the infinity route, and at a third (3.33 and 13.33) and two-thirds (6.67 and 16.67) of each loop portion.

In the following example, one centerline (CL1) is used to create an infinity loop that starts and ends on a loop:

RouteX is created with calibration points at the start (0) and end (10) of the infinity route, and at the middle (1.25 and 8.75) of every path in the primary loop, and at a third (4.17) and two-thirds (5.83) of the secondary loop.

Route creation in a line network

The following examples show route creation in a line network.

In example 1, there are two existing routes on a line: R1 and R2. A new route, R3, is created by selecting CL1 at the beginning of the existing routes on the line. Consequently, the line order is updated for the existing downstream routes R1 and R2.

Example 1: Input Measures

Route ID	From Measure	To Measure	Line Order
R1	14	20	100
R2	24	30	200

Example 1: Output Measures

Route ID	From Measure	To Measure	Line Order
R3	1	10	100
R1	14	20	200
R2	24	30	300

In example 2, there are two existing routes on a line: R1 and R2. A new route, R3, is created by selecting CL2 in the middle of the existing routes on the line. Consequently, the line order of the existing downstream route, R2, is updated, while the line order of the upstream route, R1, remains the same.

Example 2: Input Measures

Route ID	From Measure	To Measure	Line Order
R1	1	10	100
R2	24	30	200

Example 2: Output Measures

Route ID	From Measure	To Measure	Line Order
R1	1	10	100
R3	14	20	200
R2	24	30	300

In example 3, there are two existing routes on a line: R2, and a gapped route, R1. CL2 is located inside the R1 gap. A new route, R3, is created by selecting CL2 in the middle of the existing routes on the line. Consequently, the line order of the existing downstream route R2 is updated to 300. The line order of the upstream route, R1, remains the same.

Example 3: Input Measures

Route ID	From Measure	To Measure	Line Order
R1	1	15	100
R2	17	20	200

Example 3: Output Measures

Route ID	From Measure	To Measure	Line Order
R1	1	15	100
R3	14	20	200
R2	17	20	300