Populating geometric attributes with the Geometry Reporter

This topic applies to ArcEditor and ArcInfo only.

When you create a new polyline or polygon feature, you can populate the length, width, or perimeter using the Geometry Reporter tool. To populate any of the geometric attributes, the target feature class must have the following fields as appropriate:

• Area—This varies based on what is listed on the Attributes tab on the Defense Mapping Properties dialog box.
• Length—This varies based on what is listed on the Attributes tab on the Defense Mapping Properties dialog box.
• Perimeter—Only the PRM field is supported.

However, if you have a polygon feature class with a length field, this value is not populated using the Geometry Reporter tool. Only the perimeter and area are calculated for polygon features.

The length of a line feature can be affected by any elevation (z-value) differences between vertices in a feature. For example, if the z-values for a line range from 0 to 50 to 600 to 25, these differences affect the length of the feature.

Example of a feature with different z-values

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap.
2. If necessary, load data in the map.
3. On the main menu, click Customize > Toolbars > Production Editing.
4. On the main menu, click Customize > Toolbars > Defense Mapping.
5. Click the Production Start Editing button on the Production Editing toolbar.
   Note:

   The Manage Features and Create Attributes, Update Attributes, or Metadata Attributes windows automatically appear when you start an edit session using the Production Start Editing tool.

   Tip:

   If the Create Attributes, Update Attributes, or Metadata Attributes window does not appear when you start an edit session, click the Show/Hide Attributes button on the Manage Features window.

6. Select or draw a polygon or polyline.

   If you select or draw a polygon, values for area, perimeter, parts, and vertices are calculated.

   If you select or draw a polyline feature, values are calculated for the length, parts, and vertices.

7. Click the Geometry Reporter button on the Defense Mapping toolbar.

   The Geometry Reporter dialog box appears.
8. To take z-values into consideration when calculating the length of a selected feature, check the Use Z values check box.
9. Click Populate.

   The area, length, and perimeter fields are populated as needed.

10. Click the Update tab on the Manage Features window.

The values for the area, length, and perimeter fields are updated as appropriate.