Creating Dqyarea features and cutouts (Maritime Charting)

When collecting a new chart, you start with a set of coordinates that define your collection area. The coordinates form your Dqyarea feature. This is the first feature you collect for your new chart. You use the Dqyarea feature to trace new features that share its boundary. Once you collect this feature, you can add notes to it with the Notes Editor tool or create other features.

In this workflow, you create a dqyarea feature using the Generate Feature dialog box. You can optionally use the cutout functionality of the Generate Feature dialog box to refine your dqyarea feature.

Creating Dqyarea Features from Coordinate Input

You use the Generate Feature dialog box to create a feature from coordinates. You must add the coordinates to a table in the Generate Feature dialog box. The coordinates define the Dqyarea feature. Before generating the feature, you can preview the shape as a graphic using the Show Create Feature command.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap.
2. If necessary, set up the DNC production environment.
3. 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.

4. If necessary, click the Create tab on the Manage Features window.
5. Click the DqyareaAS template.

   The active template at the top of the Manage Features window changes to DqyareaAS. The Create Dqyarea tool on the Nautical DNC toolbar is also enabled.

   Tip:

   By changing the target template, features can be added from coordinate input not only into the Dqyarea feature class but into any other polygon feature class as well.
6. Click the Create Dqyarea button on the Nautical DNC toolbar.

   The Generate Feature dialog box appears.

7. Type the latitude and longitude coordinates in degrees minutes seconds (DMS) or decimal degrees (DD) into the table in the Create Feature area.

   For example, Lat: 33 34 22.8 N Long: 117 50 49.2 W

   You need at least four points to create a Dqyarea feature.

   Tip:

   You can load coordinates from a saved text file into the table by clicking File > Load > Create Feature.

   Tip:

   You can change from the default DMS to DD by clicking Options > DD.

8. Click Apply to create a Dqyarea feature.
9. Optionally, you can perform any of the following actions:

   To clear all Lat and Long values from the table in the Create Feature area	Click Clear.
   To preview the shape defined by the coordinates	Click the Show Create Feature button .
   To remove the preview of the shape	Click the Clear Create Feature Graphic button.
   To save your coordinates to a text file	Click File > Save > Create Feature.

10. You can continue if a cutout is required or click the Close button to close the dialog box.

Creating a cutout from Dqyarea features

You can use the cutout functionality of the Generate Feature dialog box to refine your Dqyarea feature. Cutouts, or holes, delineate an extent where no features are to be collected.

Steps:

1. Click Cutout.

   The Generate Feature dialog box expands to display the Cutout area.

2. Type the latitude and longitude coordinates in degrees minutes seconds (DMS) or decimal degrees (DD) into the table in the Cutout area.

   For example, Lat: 33 33 57.6 N Long: 117 50 31.2 W

   You need at least four points to create a cutout.

   Tip:

   You can load coordinates from a saved text file into the table by clicking File > Load > Cutout.

   Note:

   You can change from the default DMS to DD by clicking Options > DD.

3. Click Apply to create a cutout in the Dqyarea feature.
4. Optionally, you can perform any of the following actions:

   To clear all Lat and Long values from the table in the Cutout area	Click Clear.
   To preview the shape defined by the coordinates	Click the Show Cutout button .
   To remove the preview of the shape	Click the Clear Cutout button .
   To save your coordinates to a text file	Click File > Save > Cutout.

5. Click the Close button to close the dialog box.

Now that you have created a Dqyarea feature, you can update its attributes using the Update Attributes window.