Using ArcGIS Desktop

Creating and editing dimensions

Dimension features are a specialized type of geodatabase annotation for showing lengths or distances on a map. A

dimension may indicate the length of a side of a building or land parcel, or it may indicate the distance between two
features, such as a re hydrant and the corner of a building. Dimension features are stored in dimension feature classes

in a geodatabase. You need to create a dimension feature class before creating the dimension features themselves.

Enter a name and (optionally) an

alias for the feature class. From the
drop-down list, specify the type as
Dimension Features.
To create an empty dimension
feature class in ArcCatalog,
right-click a feature dataset or
geodatabase, point to New, and
click Feature Class.

Specify the reference scale for the

dimensions. This is the map scale
at which the dimensions will appear
at their assigned font size (the size
will increase when you zoom in
and decrease when you zoom out
on the map). Also specify whether
to accept the default style, create
one, or import one from an existing
dimensions feature class.

If youre creating a le or ArcSDE

geodatabase, at this point youll

be given the option of entering
a conguration keyword (see

Creating feature classes and tables

in Chapter 2).
If you select the option to create a style, click the
New Style button on the wizard panel to open the
Dimension Style Properties dialog box. Specify
the symbols and spacing for the dimension and
extension lines, the dimension text symbol, and
so on.

218

The required elds are automatically

created, so just click Finish to

create the dimensions feature class.
It is added as a new feature class
in the feature dataset you created it
in. (You can also create dimension
feature classes at the geodatabase
level.)

3 Data Compilation and Editing

Dimension features are added to a dimension feature class in ArcMap, within an edit session. First, add the dimensions

feature class to your map, along with the features for which youre adding dimensions (the parcels, streets, buildings,

or other features). Then open the Editor toolbar, and start an edit session. Specify the Task as Create New Feature, and
specify the Target layer as the dimensions feature class; youll also want to set the snapping environment to the vertices
of the features youre dimensioning. Then open the Dimensioning toolbar which contains tools for creating dimension

features.

To open the Dimensioning toolbar,

click the Editor drop-down menu,
point to More Editing Tools, and
click Dimensioning. The options on
the toolbar are active only during
an edit session.
Click Snapping on the Editor drop-down menu
to set the snapping environment. Check the
box under Vertex for the layer youre creating
dimensions for or other layers you want to snap to.
Use the Construction drop-down list on the Dimensioning toolbar to specify the dimension type.

Specify the type of dimension

from the Construction dropdown list.

219