Editing AML features

The following links give a general overview of the many Esri Production Mapping editing capabilities.

• An overview of the Feature Manager
• Production Editing toolbar
• Production Editing Advanced toolbar
• Cutting, clipping, and splitting features
• Dissolving features

Each of these toolbars or individual tools assists you in creating, modifying, or removing S-57 data stored within the geodatabase. In addition to the Production Mapping editing capabilities, the Esri Nautical Solution also offers its own line of editing tools for the S-57 production environment.

Sounding tools (CLB only)

The sounding tools offered by the Nautical Solution allow you to create new sounding groups, append to an existing sounding group, or select an existing sounding group. Each of these tools is found on the Nautical S-57 toolbar. If you want to create or append soundings, the selected sounding set must share the same S-57 attribute values for them to be grouped. Additionally, when new soundings are created, they will be grouped based on the Nautical Properties Group Soundings Type setting.

Editing polygon depth areas (CLB only)

The Generate Depth Area geoprocessing tool creates S-57 polygon DEPARE features based on a defined set of parameters, modifies existing depth area features, and removes extraneous DEPARE features. This geoprocessing function requires that you have your depth contours collected so the depth intervals can be used during the processing functions. Before you run the Generate Depth Area process, you can use the ClosingLinesL feature class to link any gaps that may exist in your depth band coverage. The Generate Depth Areas geoprocessing tool can only be accessed through ArcMap while in an edit session by following these steps:

Steps:

1. In ArcMap, click the ArcToolbox Window button .
2. Expand the Nautical Tools toolbox.
3. Expand the S-57 toolset.
4. Double-click the Generate Depth Areas tool to open the geoprocessing dialog box.

   Instead of having to collect each depth area feature manually, all the DEPARE features will be auto-generated for you, saving time and effort. Since it is a geoprocessing tool, you have the ability to define which layers in your TOC will be populated as your depth contours, depth areas, and so on. However, by default, the feature class and subtypes that represent the appropriate S-57 features will be auto-populated for you.

Note:

If your AML production database is configured for a product other than CLB, you will still be able to run the Generate Depth Areas tool. However, these features will not be exported to your S-57 file since they do not exist in the CLB product specification.

Generating land area features (MFF only)

The Generate Land Areas tool automatically generates new S-57 land area features, modifies existing land area features, and deletes extraneous land area features. This tool requires that you define the coastline features, depth contour features, and the metadata features before you begin the process. Similar to the polygon depth area tool, you can choose which features/subtypes stored within the TOC will get auto-populated as S-57 land area features. The Generate Land Areas tool is accessed through ArcMap on the Nautical toolbar and enabled while in an edit session.

S-57 Relationship features (RAL, ESB, SBO, and MFF only)

The Relationship Manager is located on the Nautical toolbar. It creates S-57 relationship features, modifies S-57 relationship features, and removes S-57 relationships between features. In addition to batch creating parent/child relationships, the Relationship Manager also handles S-57 Collection features (C_ASSO and C_AGGR) and individual parent/child relationships as well.

Note:

If your AML production database is configured for the CLB or LBO products, you will still be able to create collection relationships. However, you will not be able to export these relationships to an S-57 file since these product specifications do not support S-57 relationships.

Populating SCAMIN

The SCAMIN tool is located on the Nautical S-57 toolbar. It will auto-populate the SCAMIN attribute held on many of the feature classes stored within the AML geodatabase. You may need to Configure the SCAMIN file that is associated with the tool.

Note:

If the SCAMIN .xml file is renamed or moved, then you will need to Define the location of SCAMIN XML file to match the new name and/or path.

Suppressing features

There are three tools located on the Nautical toolbar that control the PLTS_SUPPRESS fields stored on feature classes within the geodatabase. Every feature subtype within the product and NIS geodatabases holds a Boolean field that gets modified by the suppress tools. When this field is set to True, it is hidden from any edit actions, and you also have the ability to toggle the visibility of features that have been marked for suppress. This functionality gives you the option of hiding features from common editing events without having to physically remove the feature from the geodatabase.

Generating complex geometries (RAL only)

For the AML-RAL (Routes, Areas, and Limits) product, the specification allows both area and line features to contain complex geometries. Complex geometries are mathematically derived arcs (as defined in sections 7.7.1.8 and 7.7.1.9 of the IHO S-57 Transfer Standard) or defined straight lines that can fall under two categories:

• Great Circle: The shortest distance between two points calculated across a sphere
• Rhumbline: Also known as a Loxodrome or line of constant bearing

  The Nautical Solution uses Feature Builder to generate the complex geometries supported by the RAL product specification.

Creating mathematically derived arcs with Feature Builder

Since the IHO Transfer standard uses a start, center, and end point to define the arc's coordinate field structure, you need to use the Feature Builder Arc (End Points) function to create their RAL arc features. Once you start an edit session and select the linear feature class/subtype on the Create tab on the Manage Features window, you need to go through the following steps to run the Arc (End Points) function.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap.
2. On the menu bar, click Customize > Toolbars > Production Feature Builder.
3. Click the Launch Feature Builder button on the Production Feature Builder toolbar.

   The Feature Builder window appears in ArcMap.

   The Feature Builder window

   Tip:

   The Feature Builder window can be placed anywhere in ArcMap, or in the TOC, with the aid of the arrows showing the possible placement positions.

4. Choose Arc (End Points) in the list on the Functions tab.

5. Define a coordinate for the start point of the polyline by doing one of the following:
   • Clicking the Pinprick button on the Production Feature Builder toolbar, then clicking on the map
   • Typing the coordinates in the cells on the Input tab in the Coordinates area
   Tip:

   To view the input coordinates on the map, double-click the row headers for each coordinate.

6. Repeat step 5 to define a coordinate for the start point of the geodesic arc.
7. Repeat step 5 to define a coordinate for the endpoint of the geodesic arc.
8. If necessary, click the drop-down arrow next to Clockwise and choose False.

   This indicates whether or not the arc is created in a clockwise direction. There are two options:

   • True—The arc is created in a clockwise direction from the second input coordinate to the third input coordinate.
   • False—The arc is created in a counterclockwise direction from the third input coordinate to the second input coordinate.

   The default value is True, which creates the arc in a clockwise direction. Choosing False creates the arc in a counterclockwise direction.

9. If necessary, click the drop-down arrow next to Use First Radius and choose False.

   This is the radius for the arc, or the distance from the centerpoint to the arc's endpoints or start point. There are two options:

   • True—The distance from the start point to the centerpoint is used to calculate the radius of the arc.
   • False—The distance from the endpoint to the centerpoint is used to calculate the radius of the arc.

   The default value is True, which uses the radius from the start point to the centerpoint. Choosing False uses the radius between the endpoint and the centerpoint.

10. Click the Execute button .

Once your arc has been generated through the Feature Builder function, you may notice that the line feature is segmented along its linear path. This is expected due to the screen display limitations. However, when you export your RAL features from the geodatabase to the S-57 file, your arc feature will follow the arc coordinate field structure as defined in the IHO S-57 Transfer Standard. When displayed on an approved WECDIS console, the arc should appear unsegmented.

Creating defined straight lines with Feature Builder

The two types of defined straight-line features (Great Circle and Rhumbline) are generated with the Polyline (Simple) Feature Builder function. This function allows you to enter a set of start and end points and define the line as Great Circle or Rhumbline. Once you start an edit session and select the linear feature class/subtype on the Create tab on the Manage Features window, you need to go through the steps for Creating a simple polyline.

The Bearing Distance (Rhumbline) function allows you to produce a Rhumbline/Loxodrome using one coordinate value along with a Bearing and Distance. Both the Polyline (Simple) and Bearing Distance (Rhumbline) functions produce valid features; however, the Geodatabase to S-57 exporter will only recognize the linear feature generated from the Polyline (Simple) function as the complex feature based on the Feature Builder's Simple Polyline property setting. Once you start an edit session and select the linear feature class/subtype on the Create tab on the Manage Features window, you need to go through the following steps to create a simple polyline.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap.
2. On the menu bar, click Customize > Toolbars > Production Feature Builder.
3. Click the Launch Feature Builder button on the Production Feature Builder toolbar.

   The Feature Builder window appears in ArcMap.

   The Feature Builder window

   Tip:

   The Feature Builder window can be placed anywhere in ArcMap, or in the TOC, with the aid of the arrows showing the possible placement positions.

4. Choose Polyline (Simple) in the list on the Functions tab.

5. Define a coordinate for the start point of the polyline by doing one of the following:
   • Clicking the Pinprick button on the Production Feature Builder toolbar, then clicking on the map
   • Typing the coordinates in the cells on the Input tab in the Coordinates area
   Tip:

   To view the input coordinates on the map, double-click the row headers for each coordinate.

6. Click the row header for the second row in the coordinates list.
   Note:

   Press the right or down arrow key on your keyboard to move the cursor to the next row or add a new row.

7. Repeat steps 5–6 for the remaining coordinates you want to include in the polygon.
   Note:

   To delete a row in the coordinates list, you can press SHIFT + DELETE.

8. Press the W key and click the header row for the last coordinate you want to define.
9. Repeat step 5 to define the coordinate for the endpoint of the polygon.
10. Click the drop-down arrow next to Densify and choose an option for determining the amount of space that can be allowed between vertices in the line.
    • Great Circle—The shortest distance between two points on a sphere
    • Linear—A cartesian plane
    • None—Has no densification
    • Rhumbline—A line of constant bearing
11. If necessary, click the drop-down arrow next to Reverse draw direction and choose True for drawing the polygon across the line of 180° longitude.

    This is the direction in which the line will draw with respect to the line of 180° longitude in the projected coordinate system.

12. Click the Execute button .

A polyline appears on the map.

Tip:

If the polyline geometry does not appear, click the Add Scratch Data Layers button at the top of the Feature Builder window.