Tutorial: Get started with parcel fabric editing

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Level: Beginner

What you’ll need: No extra files needed, it’s already on your computer!

Where to find it: Look in your ArcGIS folder under “ArcGIS\ArcTutor\Parcel Editing”.

What you’ll learn: This guide will show you the basics of editing parcels using a special tool called a “parcel fabric.”

What we’ll do: You’ll practice opening and changing parcels in a sample dataset that has some example lots from Encinitas, California.

In this lesson, you’ll learn about working with parcels in a parcel fabric. We’ll be using a dataset with some lot parcels from Encinitas, California.

Let’s get started with the tutorial data.

2. Next, open the Catalog window in ArcMap. Navigate to \arcgis\ArcTutor\Parcel Editing.

There, you’ll find a map document called ParcelEditing.mxd and a parcel fabric named FABRIC in the Encinitas_City.gdb\Cadastral feature dataset. That’s what you’ll be using for this tutorial.

Let’s learn how to open and edit parcels.

Let’s learn how to open and edit parcels. First, make sure you have the Parcel Editor toolbar in ArcMap. To do this, click on Customize from the main menu, then point to Toolbars, and finally click on Parcel Editor

Now, let’s start with the exercise.

1. Open ArcMap and load the ParcelEditing map document (ParcelEditing.mxd) from the \ArcGIS\ArcTutor\Parcel Editing\ folder.

This map document includes a layer for parcel fabric, which refers to the parcel fabric dataset named FABRIC in the Cadastral feature dataset in the Encinitas_City geodatabase.

2. Ensure the map is zoomed to the Parcel Editing Area bookmark. Go to Bookmarks > Parcel Editing Area.

Now, it’s time to open a parcel on the map.

3. Click on Parcel Editor and then click on Start Editing.

4. Next, select the Select Parcel Features tool on the Parcel Editor toolbar and click on parcel 142 to choose it.

5. To open the parcel, right-click on it and select Open. You can also open it by double-clicking on it. Once opened, you’ll see curved lines on the map, showing the parcel’s shape. You’ll also notice the Parcel Details dialog box appear.

6. If you don’t see the Parcel Details dialog box, click on the Parcel Details tool on the Parcel Editor toolbar to make it show up.

The Parcel Details dialog box gives you info about the open parcel under the Properties tab. You can edit attributes like Name, Type, Unclosed, Stated Area, Legal Start Date, Legal End Date, Accuracy, Compiled, and Historical. Other attributes are managed internally. The Plan drop-down shows the parcel’s plan or survey record. But you can’t use the Template button here. It’s only for setting templates for new parcels, not existing ones.

7. Click the Plan button to open the Plan Directory box. Make sure it shows All plans. This box lists all the plans or survey records available for the parcel fabric you’re working with. You can pick a different plan or make a new one here. But for this practice, we won’t change the parcel’s plan. Just close the Plan Directory box.

8. Click on the Lines tab in the Parcel Details box.

You’ll see the parcel’s traverse lines with misclose info. When you open a parcel that’s already made, you can adjust the length of the lines and add connection lines and dependent lines. But you can’t change how the lines are actually shaped.

9. While the parcel is still open, click on the Parcel Measurement View tool, also known as Parcel Display Toggle. This will show the parcel using its COGO dimensions, scale, and rotation in the parcel fabric.

Notice that the parcel is rotated by 0°01’41”. You can find this rotation value in the Rotation attribute field under the Properties tab. If you zoom in close to the parcel, you’ll see a small change in the parcel lines when you turn the Parcel Measurement View on and off.

When Parcel Measurement View is off, the parcel is shown using its parcel fabric coordinates. But when it’s on, the parcel is displayed using coordinates based on its COGO dimensions, scale, and rotation. This shows the true shape of the parcel according to its current COGO dimensions, scale, and rotation. This tool is helpful for spotting any mistakes in parcels. If the COGO dimensions are wrong, it will affect how the parcel looks when displayed using Parcel Measurement View.

For parcel 142, there aren’t any differences in its shape when displayed with its COGO dimensions, but there is a slight rotation.

10. Toggle off parcel measurement view.
11. Click on the Discard button, which says “Exit Without Saving”, to close the parcel and go back to the parcel fabric layer.
12. Then, click on the Parcel Explorer Window tool in the Parcel Editor toolbar to open the Parcel Explorer window.

In this window, you’ll see a list of selected parcels organized by their plan. It also includes parcels that aren’t yet part of the parcel fabric and unjoined parcels. By default, the parcel explorer shows the last parcel you opened.

13. Now, using the Select Parcel Features tool, draw a box to select a group of parcels on the map. The Parcel Explorer window will update to show a list of the selected parcels, grouped by their plan.

14. Close or attach the Parcel Explorer window.
15. Next, go to Parcel Editor > Job Book to open the parcel fabric job book.

• This book shows a record each time a parcel is opened and edited:

The job book keeps a record of changes made to the parcel fabric. Every time something is edited, like merging parcels or changing parcel attributes, it’s recorded as a mini job in the Job Book dialog box. You can pick any mini job, right-click on it, and then select Zoom to Job Parcels to see the parcel that was edited up close.

16. When you’re done practicing opening and editing parcels in the parcel fabric, simply close the Job Book dialog box.