Creating a new coverage

This topic applies to ArcGIS for Desktop Standard and ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced only.

You need to run the Create ArcInfo Workspace tool to create the coverage directory and the INFO subdirectory before you create a new, empty coverage using the Create Coverage tool. The create coverage tool will produce the four empty registration tics that are used for storing known, real-world coordinates. The ArcInfo Workstation ARCEDIT program is used to digitize and register the coverage tics to ground coordinates. You need an Advanced license and ArcInfo Workstation installed to use these geoprocessing tool.

There are some limitations on the names that can be used for a coverage:

• Cannot be longer than 13 characters
• Cannot contain spaces
• Cannot start with a number
• Does not have an extension
• Must be in all lowercase letters

A new coverage can be created by using another coverage as a template. Use the Feature Class To Coverage tool to create a single coverage from one or more input feature classes or layers.

When assembling data, it's important to use a master coverage as a template for all coverages for a project so they can be overlaid correctly; otherwise, common features in different coverages, such as a shoreline, may not line up. When you create a new coverage using a template, the template coverage's tic points, boundary, and coordinate system information are copied to the new coverage. If you don't use a template, you must add tics to the new coverage before you can add features to it. You aren't required to set the new coverage's boundary before adding features to it.