Land Records Blog

Talking Points From a Recent Workshop

jenn775 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:27:00 GMT

For the past few months I have had the opportunity to showcase the contributions from the members of the ArcGIS Land Records team. Since the debut of the Land Records Resource Center in the middle of the year we have been enthused with the reception it has received. After multiple presentations at conferences and other events, it is safe to say that many times, we at ESRI come away learning as much as the attendees.

Recently I had the pleasure of presenting a Land Records Resource Center workshop with Nancy von Meyer and her colleagues Jimmy Bradley and David Stage in Waveland, Mississippi. The workshop was a great success for all involved. We covered all of the aspects of the Land Records User Community site including the Blog and Media Gallery sections, but focused heavily on the Template Gallery, especially the Tax Parcel Editing Template.

This blog entry is a summary of the discussion we had in Mississippi.

Shortcut keys were a hot topic during the training. They save a lot of time, and are immensely valuable. Naturally, someone asked where they could find a list of the shortcuts for future reference. As mentioned in the Tax Parcel Editing Functionality blog there is a PDF version of the popular cheat sheet handout.
Something that naturally happens in development is the fact that developers or those close to an application’s design become accustomed to an interface, even though it may have some flaws. Thus is the case with the front page for the Land Records Resource Center. For those just learning about the site it might not be very apparent that in order to get to the Template Gallery you first need to click on the Community tab. It was suggested that we add a link under the Getting Started section. We thought this was a good idea, but we would like your feedback on this and anything else regarding the Land Records Resource Center.
Another useful technique I showed was the use of SnapTips. SnapTips are small pieces of text that pop up to show what you are snapping to. They are extremely useful when you have multiple items set to snap (vertex, edge, and end) on the same layer in the Snapping Environment dialog. Unfortunately, SnapTips don’t get a lot of press as someone noticed in the class, but you can find more information about them online at this link.
Ok, this one has been mentioned multiple times so I need to get working on it. People want the option to select a feature automatically when they use the Search tool on the editing toolbar. This will be a priority enhancement to the next release of the toolbar. Look for that functionality and more in the near future.
Another minor adjustment is to lengthen the search field. This was done as a sample for the Mississippi workshop and will be in the next release of the toolbar. The next release will also include the ability to search more than one feature class.
The maintenance of Simultaneous Conveyances and Historical Simultaneous Conveyances can be a tricky topic, even for me. Look for a blog about this soon from Nancy von Meyer, the clear expert on the subject matter.
One part of the training required me to explain the differences in the functionality of the Edit tool vs. the Select tool. Check out this article if you want more information.
To some, using COGO can seem like learning a foreign language. If this is the case in your organization I suggest that everyone become acquainted with the information in this link.
One of the components of the editing toolbar is the ability to retire selected parcels to a history layer. We added this functionality after discovering that many people just needed a quick and easy way to record how specific parcels looked before they were edited. Look for a blog regarding this soon.
A number of users have stated that they expected to see a blog archive included with the template downloads. We intentionally excluded the blogs from the download file. We felt that the best place to manage the blogs would be the live link and thus it would provide the most current and up to date information. However, we realize that not everybody discovers the blogs right away. So, maybe we can include a link to the blog site in the current PDF help document. Let us know what you think.

As a final note, on behalf of the ArcGIS Land Records team I would like to say thank you for the great feedback we have received. Your feedback helps us improve the template deliverables directly. At this time I would like to specifically thank Anna Williams from Polk County, Florida. Thanks to her testing, she helped me fix an issue with the sketch graphics in the Snake Pin tool that had been "bugging" me for a while. That fix will be included with the next release. So, we all should send Anna a great big thank you, and thanks to the many others who have provided us with feedback.

Please continue to contribute to the posts (ArcGISTeamLandRecords@esri.com).

Thank you,

Arthur Robinson

Configuring The Tax Parcel Editing Toolbar

jenn775 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:40:00 GMT

We have had several questions about configuring the Tax Parcel Editing Toolbar from those of you in the Land Records community who have downloaded it. Thank you for all of your good feedback and questions. The toolbar can be configured to set default values and behaviors for its tools. You can configure settings such as the feature class and field names used for searches and for retiring parcels, as well as default values for the Snake PIN tool and Zipper Task. If you would like to configure the toolbar settings to meet the specific needs of your tax parcel editors, read on for instructions.

An XML configuration file called TaxParcelDesktopTools.config is included with the Toolbar during installation. By editing the configuration file, you can change the settings for the toolbar. Here is where you can find the configuration file if you used the default installation path.

Before editing the file it is a good idea to make a copy as a backup. The file can be opened in Notepad, but it's better to use an IDE application like Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition to provide color coded text like you will see in the XML code shown throughout this blog entry.

When you open the XML configuration file, you will notice that it contains a series of key and value pairs such as the one shown below. The key and value pairs control various behaviors of the toolbar.

Warning: Do not modify the key text. Only the values should be altered.

Let's examine the various components of the configuration file.

Search Tools

The first part of the configuration file configures the search capability of the toolbar. The keys control each feature class and field name to search on and control the zoom extent around a search result. Here are the keys for the Parcel ID search, for example:

The Parcel ID search looks for a feature in the TaxParcel feature class with a value in the PARCELID field that matches the search value entered. When a parcel is found by the search or when a user clicks on a parcel from the list of results, the display zooms to 1.5 times the extent of the parcel in both the X and Y directions.

Notice in the configuration file that for each of the four types of searches included on the "Search By" list (Parcel ID, Conveyance, Map Page, or PLSS Polygon) there is a set of configurable parameters using XML key and value pairs. The purpose of the keys is as follows:

a. FeatureClass - This value is the name of the feature class for the layer in the map that the application will search.

b. FieldName - This value tells the application which field in the feature class to use for the search query.

c. ExpandX (optional) - If a record is found, the map will zoom to it but zoom out by this amount in the X direction.

d. ExpandY (optional) - If a record is found, the map will zoom to it but zoom out by this amount in the Y direction.

e. ExpandAsRatio (optional) - Controls whether the zoom out expansion is a ratio or an actual distance.

Search Results Window

When a search query returns multiple results, it is up to the user to manually select the correct record to zoom to. This is done by double clicking a record in the Search Results Window. You can control whether the Search Results Window pops up automatically after every search using the following key.

The valid settings for the value key are:

a. true - The Search Window will appear automatically after every search.

b. false - The Search Window will remain hidden until the user clicks the button to show it.

Retire Selected Parcels

The Retire Selected Parcels tool provides a quick way to export selected tax parcels to an archive feature class before they are edited. The keys control which feature classes and fields are used during the process.

The purpose for each of the keys is described here:

a. DynamicValuesFeatureLimit - This is a control valve for the OnCreate trigger for Dynamic Values. Too many records can be very CPU intensive, thus the need for a limit.

b. OriginFeatureClass - Selected features will be copied from this feature class.

c. OriginParcelIDField - The specified field in the origin feature class will provide the parcel ID attribute value for the new record created in the History layer.

d. DestFeatureClass - This feature class is the target for the copied records.

e. DestParcelIDField - The parcel ID attribute value will be pasted in this destination feature class field for each record.

f. DestDocumentReferenceField - Information entered into the document reference input of the Retire Selected Parcels form is added into this destination feature class field.

g. DestHistoryTypeField - The History Type chosen on the Retire Selected Parcels form is added to this destination feature class field. An attribute domain that includes the valid history types should be set on this field.

h. DestHistoryDateField - This destination feature class field will hold the timestamp of when the record was added to the history layer.

i. DestCommentsField - The text entered into the Comments on the form is added into this destination feature class field.

j. HistoryTypeDomainList - Enter the valid domain values from your destination feature class history type field here. The drop-down list in the Retire Selected Parcels form comes from here.

Zipper Task

The zipper task uses a form to control which features will be "zipped up" together within a given tolerance.

The value for the SearchDistance key specifies the tolerance in map units for the coordinate search during the zipping process. The zipper task form uses this value.

Snake PIN Task

The Snake PIN task is used to create parcel identification numbers for parcels using a digitized sketch (snake path) by incrementing from a starting value.

a. TargetLayerName - This is the default layer for the task. The form will search for this layer in the map.

b. TargetLayerField - This is the default field in the target layer to use for the new PIN values.

c. StartValue - This is the default starting value for the first parcel found in the digitized sketch.

d. IncrementValue - Each subsequent parcel found along the sketch will have its PIN value equal to the last value plus this value.

e. PrefixValue - This will put a value in the Prefix box in the form. It is blank by default.

f. SuffixValue - This will put a value in the Suffix box in the form. It is blank by default.

g. IncludeEnds- This Boolean value specifies whether to update the PIN for the first and last parcels found along the digitized sketch.

h. ParsePrefixes - When the results of incremented values exceed the string length of the original value it may be necessary to drop a digit from the Prefix value. Since Prefixes are not always used this value is set to false by default.

Combine Parcels

The Combine Parcels tool uses the built-in Merge command with a little twist. It has the capability to capture shared boundaries before a merge and copy them to a historical line layer. This functionality can be turned on or off.

The purpose of each key is as follows:

a. UpdateHistory - This is the toggle for the historical boundary functionality. True = on and false = off.

b. MergeLayer - The merge layer is the feature class that contains the selected records that are being merged (tax parcels).

c. HistoryLayer - A line feature class that will take the shared boundaries of selected records before they are merged.

d. HistoryField - The name of the field in the history layer feature class that is used to symbolize old boundaries.

e. HistoryVal - The text value that will be written in the history field for the new record (typically a domain value).

Dynamic Values

The Dynamic Values extension is used to automatically update attributes when a feature is created or modified. It uses a table in the database to keep track of which functions will be performed on various datasets. Please consult the Tax Parcel Editing Toolbar Functionality blog entry for more information about this tool and its options for updating fields.

Following is the purpose of the dynamic value keys:

a. TableName - The name of the table that will be used for keeping track of the functions that need to be performed when data is created or changed in registered layer(s). This table should be in the map document.

b. EnabledOnStartUp - The extension can be toggled on or off from the toolbar. This parameter controls whether the extension is turned on when ArcMap is opened or not.

We hope you find this information to be helpful. Feel free to post comments or send an email to ArcGISTeamLandRecords@esri.com.

Building Your Tax Parcel Geodatabase: Moving Data into the Feature Datasets, Part 2

jenn775 — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:28:00 GMT

Part 1 of Moving Data into the Feature Datasets described the Basemap and CadastralReference datasets. This blog entry describes the TaxParcels and AssessmentInformation feature datasets and provides you with some tips on loading your data into them.

TaxParcels Feature Dataset

The TaxParcels feature dataset contains the feature classes maintained by tax parcel editors and published for tax parcel consumers. Those who are familiar with the ArcGIS Parcel Data Model will notice we used this data model as a starting point for the content in this feature dataset. We did make some significant design changes that are important to note and understand as you organize your data and begin to load data into the template data model.

The data loading process is a bit different than the Basemap and Cadastral Reference because you have a target geodatabase design to load into. You can certainly use a different design or a design you already have, but as we mentioned previously that will mean more work on the MXDs and/or Applications provided with the templates. You might also want to use this latest design if you have existing data in the ArcGIS Parcel Data Model because it improves on previous examples.

Generally speaking you will need to do more than copy and paste your tax parcel features into a target geodatabase. You will likely need to construct new features, calculate values, and combine or split feature classes into new feature classes. And when you make changes like this to your geodatabase you should also have a plan for doing QA/QC on the results of the data loading process. Depending on the size of your organization’s data, this can be a time consuming exercise and even for simple examples many weeks of work can be involved in getting existing data loaded and validated. For those reasons, it might be more practical to contract this work out to an organization that specializes in data conversion or automation.

Constructing Tax Parcel Features in ArcGIS

There are several approaches you can use to construct the features in the TaxParcels feature dataset. The final approach you take will probably depend greatly on the current state of your data. As you think through your approach, there are a couple of key design elements we should emphasize. At the same time, there are several tools in ArcGIS that will make the construction of this data easier.

Let’s start with the ParcelBoundary feature class and the construction of the TaxParcel feature class. The TaxParcel feature class represents a seamless inventory of lands in your community and is the feature class editors use on a day-to-day basis to maintain tax parcel information. Later, we’ll talk about how the TaxParcel feature class can be merged with information from your local assessment and tax system to create a TaxParcelPublishing feature class for consumers of parcel information.

If you currently have CAD data or an ArcInfo Coverage; you’ll probably want to start by loading this information into the ParcelBoundary feature class. Even those who have their data in a geodatabase already may want to start here because many times the only way to complete an inventory of taxable land is to go back to the boundary information that was assembled from source documents and construct subsequent polygons.

Loading your parcel boundary data should be pretty straightforward and unless you have to calculate fields during the import, the Simple Data Loader will probably suffice for this work. After you’ve completed loading your boundary information into the ParcelBoundary feature class, the next step is to construct TaxParcel polygons from the boundaries.

You can use ArcCatalog to construct polygon features from lines. To do so, right-click on the feature dataset that contains your ParcelBoundary feature class and select New>Polygon feature class from Lines. Select your ParcelBoundary feature class and the name of the polygon feature class you’d like to create. If you have a point feature class that contains parcel identification numbers, you could use these features at the same time to populate the ParcelID field in the TaxParcel feature class. One more note, you may not want to load the data directly into the TaxParcel feature class. Instead, you may want to create a temporary feature class you can review. At the same time, you can use this temporary feature class to identify tax parcel polygons and set the attribute flags in the TaxParcel feature class. Once you’re comfortable with the result, you can use the Simple Data Loader Tool again to load the data into your final TaxParcel feature class. Finally, you’ll notice that multi-unit polygons are managed in a related table (TaxParcelCondo) and a Relationship Class is created with the TaxParcel feature class. This is a common approach that makes it easier for parcel editors to track additional units on a single tax parcel polygon.

Once you’ve created the fundamental TaxParcel feature class, you can use this feature class to construct others in the TaxParcel feature dataset. You could construct the additional feature classes manually using several ArcMap tools, but it probably will be more efficient, and easier for you to repeat, if you construct a geoprocessing model to automate some of this work.

ArcGIS geoprocessing (GP) tools and scripts can be assembled into models and used for data manipulation and loading tasks. At a high level, the process involves using GP to massage the source data until it matches the data model of the target geodatabase, and then using commands like Append to get the features into your target geodatabase. This works well for most data loading situations, especially if you using Python or other scripting tools for automation.

Here is a simple example of a geoprocessing model that creates the RoadROW feature class from coded polygons in the TaxParcel feature class to get you started. It selects polygons where the ROWIndicator = ‘Yes’; removes unnecessary fields, and Appends the records to the RoadROW feature class.

For more complex data loading situations, you can use the ArcGIS Data Interoperability Extension. This extension provides a visual workbench to connect source and target datasets, and has a useful set of tools called "transformers" that can be used to perform calculations between source and target. This work can then be incorporated into the Spatial ETL Tools which can be run many times during your project. And while this approach does require you to learn an additional toolset, you’ll find that it is preferred by many specialists who are familiar with relational databases and data loading projects.

Here is an example of a Spatial ETL Tool that was developed with the Data Interoperability Extension. Conceptually, this tool uses the geometry from the TaxParcel feature class and a Geodatabase Table that contains related parcel characteristics to create the TaxParcelPublishing feature class.

In cases where multi-unit polygons are present, the tool replicates the tax parcel geometry for each unit and the result is a series of stacked polygons for each multi-unit development.

Combining tax parcel geometry with related parcel characteristics and publishing the combination as a separate feature class makes it easier to use this data in ArcGIS Desktop and simple web applications.

Assessment Information Feature Dataset

The Assessment Information feature dataset contains feature classes that influence property value within a community. This feature dataset contains several point feature classes that will be new to many users. These feature classes allow users to visualize land transactions and illustrate where geographic clusters are occurring. In most cases, this data will be sourced from other IT systems at a frequency that makes sense in your community.

This feature dataset also contains assessment neighborhoods and taxing districts that influence value and tax rates. The reason for putting these features in their own feature dataset is that they are edited on a different cycle than the tax parcel data and they may have different permissions/editors.

The taxing districts also are a set of reporting layers that allow us to summarize the number of land transactions and value/tax revenue change at a summary level. This information supports annual assessment reports prepared by local assessors for elected and administrative officials.

In addition, these reporting layers support web applications that require data be prepared in advance so users don’t have to run queries and wait for result sets. They can just click a few times on the map and get the information they are looking for. As a general principle, we want to "cook" the answers to common questions users ask. This will improve the user experience and reduce the load on web servers.

We created these feature classes by spatially joining the land transactions to sets of polygons like the LocalTaxDistrict shown below. We then performed further calculations to determine summary-level value changes. Ultimately you’ll need to also do some back-end work to get this data from one or more IT systems and into the feature classes contained in this dataset.

Some Final Thoughts

In each of the Templates, we’ve included a set of .html documents in the Documentation Folder that provide reports for the geodatabase and map documents. These documents will help you to understand the details of the geodatabases and maps. They will also help you plan out how to load data into your Geodatabase and make changes to map documents to work with your data.

Most projects will start with a source-target matrix spreadsheet that describes the available data and the target datasets for their new Geodatabase. This is a good place to start and it will help you to assess the suitability of the template design as well as the level of effort required to build your Geodatabase.

Again, this can be a large part of your project, so keep in mind that ESRI and Business Partners are here to help you if you need us. Network with your peers and get their recommendations on whom to work with. You can also email us at ArcGISTeamLandRecords@esri.com and we can get you in touch with someone local to help you to get started.

The ArcGIS Land Records Team

Building Your Tax Parcel Geodatabase: Moving Data into the Feature Datasets, Part 1

jenn775 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:13:00 GMT

There are four feature datasets in the Parcel Data Model Template: Basemap, Cadastral Reference, TaxParcels, and AssessmentInformation. This blog entry describes the Basemap and Cadastral feature datasets and provides you with some tips on using them with your data.

Basemap Feature Dataset

The Basemap feature dataset contains reference information that adds geographic context to tax parcel information. The feature classes in this dataset are used to produce the Map Documents (MXDs) and online basemaps provided in the template downloads. Data for some of these feature classes may not exist in your organization, or at a minimum, may be structured differently. Furthermore, if you’re an assessing agency, this information will most likely be provided by other GIS data producers in your organization. That’s okay, just take a close look at the ground control used for the basemap information; you’ll want to ensure it’s consistent with the ground control you use (or plan on using) for your tax parcel geodatabase.

If you are planning on using the MXDs provided with each template, you may want to review the HTML documents provided in each template’s documentation folder to make the migration of your basemap data easier. The cartography and label expressions in each of the MXDs require certain fields and/or values to be present in the data. If you don’t have this data, or if it’s structured differently, you’ll have to spend some time repairing the MXDs so they work with your data. If you don’t intend on using the MXDs provided with each template, or have other plans for your system, you can remove the Basemap feature classes and use something different you may have.

In general, you should be able to import or copy/paste most of the basemap data into your target geodatabase. If you get an error like this one when you copy/paste your basemap data into the geodatabase, you may want to import the feature classes instead. This error is due to some subtle differences in the properties of the target feature dataset/spatial reference and should not be a concern.

Cadastral Reference Feature Dataset

Throughout most of the State of Michigan, the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) serves as the cadastral framework and is used to survey and identify land parcels. The Cadastral Reference feature dataset contains the nested components of the PLSS framework used for tax parcel mapping. These nested components are described in more detail in the book published by ESRI Press called GIS and Land Records.

The cadastral reference features are modeled separately because they are not typically maintained by the same agency that is responsible for tax mapping. And while they are modeled separately, it’s important to note that they are spatially related to the features contained in the TaxParcel feature dataset and an integral part of the tax parcel maintenance workflow.

Like the data contained in the Basemap feature dataset, this data may be structured differently (or you may not even be a PLSS state) in your community. If it is, that’s okay; you can just delete the feature classes in this feature dataset and import your own cadastral reference data. Just ensure your cadastral reference data is spatially coincident with your tax parcel data and that you have a plan to ensure it remains that way going forward. If you don’t have the features contained in this feature dataset, or are just starting your automation/conversion project, then this is probably the first place you should start your project. Establishing a strategy for ground control and the cadastral reference up front will save you buckets of time and plenty of headaches in the future.

Check out the next blog entry for information about the TaxParcels and AssessmentInformation feature datasets.

The ArcGIS Land Records Team

Building Your Tax Parcel Geodatabase: Preparation

jenn775 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:46:00 GMT

After you download the Parcel Data Model Template, there are a few steps you will need to take in order to prepare the template for your data. The first step is to decide which database platform to use. The next step is to project the database schema so that it will be in the appropriate coordinate system for your data. This blog entry gives recommendations and instructions for these important steps.

Database Platforms

At this point it is good practice to do your work in a local file geodatabase or in a local ArcSDE Personal or Workgroup geodatabase. Often the overhead of setting up a larger database system presents more work by IT/DBA staff and it is ok to wait until you have the data loaded to take that step, especially if you will not have privileges to manage the database schema (add/remove tables for example). It is also easier to work with local databases in the early stages of a project since you will likely end up loading the data multiple times and it is more convenient to do all of this work on the same computer.

Beyond that, data loading to a geodatabase is the same regardless of the underlying database management system (i.e., Oracle or SQL Server). File Geodatabases are very fast to work with, but they can be slow to copy over networks and to external devices because there are many files – The Sample.gdb for example would have about 300 files so we provided an empty TaxParcelDataModelTemplate.mdb instead. For your data loading we recommend that you do not use a personal geodatabase (.mdb) because the performance degrades quickly with even small amounts of data.

Projecting the Empty Geodatabase Schema

The empty geodatabase you downloaded has the Bloomfield Township spatial reference. In almost all cases, you’ll need to project the geodatabase to match your local spatial reference. ArcToolbox contains a couple of geoprocessing tools to help you do this. The simplest way to find those tools is to search for “project” in ArcToolbox. Project and Batch Project are both useful. You can use the spatial reference of your source data to select the correct spatial reference. If you are not familiar with spatial references and are not sure what to do, spend some time researching this because it is an important decision for your tax parcel geodatabase and for your GIS in general.

Once you have chosen a database platform and projected the schema, you are ready to insert data into the Parcel Data Model Template. The blog entries to follow will describe the four feature datasets within the template and provide instructions and tips for moving your data into them.

The ArcGIS Land Records Team

Building Your Tax Parcel Geodatabase: An Overview

jenn775 — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:11:00 GMT

Building and managing a tax parcel geodatabase is an important part of many local government GIS programs. A tax parcel geodatabase allows you to spatially enable assessment and tax information contained in your local computer aided mass appraisal system; and it serves as a reference layer for land use, utility and other themes of geographic information in your community.

This blog entry provides an introduction to the Tax Parcel Template geodatabase and following blog entries will explain how to get your data loaded for use in ArcGIS. The Tax Parcel Template geodatabase provides you with the schema of the database used for the Tax Parcel Value Analysis Dashboard, the Tax Parcel Editing Template, and the Tax Parcel Viewer that are downloadable from the Template Gallery on the Resource Center.

In the future, we’ll add additional information and advice on data loading, but we’d like to hear more about the issues you’re having with data loading. Send us your comments and feedback (ArcGISTeamLandRecords@esri.com); we’d really like to help.

The Tax Parcel Template geodatabase contains a sample dataset provided by Bloomfield Township, Michigan. We would like to thank them again for allowing us to include a sample of their data in the Tax Parcel Template downloads. You should know that during the course of developing the Templates, we took a copy of their data at a point in time and added additional content. As a result, the data in the template downloads does not reflect real conditions in Bloomfield Township. That may be obvious to many, but we wanted to clarify that for people who are just getting started.

When you take a closer look at this data model, you’ll notice we’ve implemented a few design standards that reflect our experiences implementing industry-specific geodatabase models. These standards include:

· Feature class table names are singular.

· Uppercase, short field names to ensure that field names are not altered/truncated when moved between different database platforms and shapefiles (yes, shapefiles are still being used for data exchange)

· Longer, more meaningful alias names on fields

· Descriptions on fields and feature classes (FGDC stored as FGDC metadata)

Here is an example of those standards in action:

Feature Class	Field Name	Alias	Description
TaxParcel	PARCELID	Parcel Identification Number	The tax parcel identification number used to uniquely identify real property on the tax roll
TaxParcelPublishing	LNDVALUE	Land Value	The value of land without improvements

So let’s dive in now and take a closer look at the tax parcel geodatabase. The Sample.gdb provided with the Tax Parcel Templates has four main parts:

Basemap – Land base data typically acquired from other organizations.

Cadastral Reference – Survey framework data that serves as a reference for parcel information.

Tax Parcels – Boundaries, subdivisions, lots, tax parcels and other data relevant to tax parcel inventories.

Assessment Information - Sales, foreclosures, taxing districts and other information used by local assessors.

Once you’ve had a chance to review the Sample.gdb, download the Parcel Data Model Template from the Land Records Resource Center. This template contains an empty Tax Parcel geodatabase schema; which is a much easier place for you to start if you’re ready to begin loading your data.

See the blog entries soon to follow for details on preparing the template to accept your data and on loading data into the datasets within the template.

The ArcGIS Land Records Team

How to use the SDS Mapper Template

jenn775 — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:22:00 GMT

The newest addition to the Land Records Code Gallery was generously provided by Smart Data Strategies, Inc. It is a configuration of their Mapper Simple Tools Menu that works with ArcGIS Desktop. The following instructions provided by SDS will get you familiar with the functionality provided.

Smart Data Strategies Mapper Simple Tools Toolbar

This four tab toolbar is designed to walk the user through a parcel change by clicking the tabs in order. The first tab is the Shape Tab. This tab gives you all of the necessary tools to manipulate the shape of lines, polygons, and points. Once the lines and polygons have been created, they must be validated with topology. The Validate Tab gives you the necessary tools to not only run the topology, but fix topology errors as well. When the data has been validated, it’s time to make any attribute changes that are required. The Attribute Tab gives you the ability to calculate acreage on a parcel as well as incrementing polygon attributes. The last tab is the Anno Tab. As you would expect, this tab gives you several options for placing annotation. You will also notice that there are buttons at the top and bottom of the toolbar that are static. The top buttons will allow you to start, save, and stop edits respectively. The bottom buttons allow you to finish a sketch, undo the last action, or open the snapping environment.

Shape Tab

When you initially open the Mapper Simple Tools, the default target layer of Parcel Boundaries and the default edit task of Create 2-Point Line Feature are set. The user can change the target layer and edit task at any time.

Under the edit task dropdown, there are twelve sketch tools. These tools are the same as the sketch tools on the ESRI editor toolbar, with the addition of the restart sketch and the cul de sac tool. Using the Restart Sketch tool, a user can simply restart a sketch at any time and begin a new sketch from the last point that was used. The Cul De Sac tool allows the user to create a cul de sac with defined measurements. To make these tools active a sketch line must be in process.

Validate Tab

Once you've made edits to a feature that participates in a topology, the next step is to validate the topology. Validating the topology means checking the features to identify any violations of the rules that have been defined for the topology.

Note: Use the Add Data button to add the TaxParcels_Topology to the map and turn on the ESRI Topology Toolbar

Attr Tab

As integral portions of the data, the need for editing attributes is constant when creating or editing map features. In addition to editing attributes while editing features, attributes may need changed in their own right at separate times.

Anno Tab

Annotation is utilized as permanent text and graphic features found within the maps. The tools provided below make it easy to add or modify annotations on the map.

Thanks go to SDS for providing this template. Keep in mind that if your organization would like to contribute a template to the Code Gallery, you are encouraged to do so. Please see the earlier blog posting, “Submit Your Templates!” for details.

The ArcGIS Land Records Team

Configuring the Tax Parcel Viewer

jenn775 — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:41:00 GMT

The Tax Parcel Viewer is a simple Javascript application that works with the sample dataset from Bloomfield Township, Michigan. We built it to make it easy to configure in several different ways. This blog entry describes some of the ways you can set up the viewer to work with your data and maps by changing the values in the configuration file that is in the viewer download, .../Application/appFiles/Config.js.

The simplest configuration approach is to use the data and maps we created and to follow the instructions in the Getting Started guide that is included when you download the Tax Parcel Viewer. If you use that approach, you just need to change the name of the ArcGIS Server in Config.js to make the viewer work on your server with the sample dataset.

To use the Tax Parcel Viewer with your data, you can either load your data into the data model provided and use the template maps or use your established data model and cartography. Once your data is ready, you will need three map services: two for map display and one for search and query. After a few configuration changes to the application, you can view, query, and search your data in the Tax Parcel Viewer. Read on for details.

Adjusting the Spatial Reference to Fit Your Data

You will need to change the spatial reference and starting map extent to fit your data. Find the lines in Config.js that set spRef and startExtent and modify them to match your coordinate system and the desired initial map extent. For example, you could change the code to look like the following instead of having the Michigan spatial reference for the sample dataset:

spRef = new esri.SpatialReference({wkid : 102113 });
startExtent = new esri.geometry.Extent(-98.522047,29.3782145,-98.4572255,
29.4248077,spRef);

Well-known id (wkid) 102113 is the Web Mercator spatial reference used for many online map services. This could be a good choice if you want to use services like Virtual Earth or ArcGIS Online map services. While it is tempting to use wkid 102113, we expect most cities and counties will prefer to use their local coordinate system for this application because "it looks better" to people that know the data. You can find a wkid list in the ArcGIS Server Javascript API Concepts under Coordinate System IDs.

Use Existing Map Services for Display in the Tax Parcel Viewer

The hard part of setting up the Tax Parcel Viewer to work with your data is getting your data into the data model and getting the maps set up. The good news is if you already have an established data model, and especially if you already have two map services available, you can make some other changes to the configuration file to display your map services without reworking your data and maps. To use your two maps, change the names of the map services in Config.js, replacing TaxParcelBasemap and PublicAccessBasemap with the names of your services. Be sure to also change the name of "yourserver" to your actual server name and to be sure the folder name, currently "TaxParcel", matches the name of the folder that stores your services:

var server = checkVal(http://yourserver/ArcGIS/rest/services/);
var folder = checkVal("TaxParcel/");
industryMapServiceStr = server + folder + "TaxParcelBasemap/MapServer";
consumerMapServiceStr = server + folder + "PublicAccessBasemap/MapServer";

The Tax Parcel Viewer toggles between these two services for map display when the user clicks the Public Access and Tax Map buttons.

Map Services for Search and Query

For operations other than displaying the maps, the application only relies on the TaxParcelQuery map service and the TaxParcelPublishing feature class.

When you click on a parcel, the application uses a Query Task to search for the parcel attributes. When you search in the searchBox, the application uses a Find Task to search different attributes for your search criteria. The key service properties for those tasks are set in the following section of Config.js:

queryLayerStr = server + folder + "TaxParcelQuery/MapServer/0";
searchLayerStr = server + folder + "TaxParcelQuery/MapServer";
parcelLayerNum = 0;

The application uses a set of field names from the TaxParcelQuery map service. The application primarily uses the field names from this list in Config.js:

fields = {
    SiteAddress : "SITEADDRESS",
    LowParcelID : "LOWPARCELID",
    ParcelID : "PARCELID",
    UseDescription : "USEDSCRP",
    SubOrCondo : "CNVYNAME",
    Building : "BUILDING",
    Unit : "UNIT",
    TaxDistrict : "CVTTXDSCRP",
    SchoolDistrict : "SCHLDSCRP",
    OwnerName : "OWNERNME1",
    // URL : "URL",
    FloorArea : "RESFLRAREA",
    StructureType : "RESSTRTYP",
    AssessedValue : "CNTASSDVAL",
    TaxableValue : "CNTTXBLVAL",
    CurrentTaxes : "TOTCNTTXOD"
};

If you use a different data model for your parcel layer in the TaxParcelQuery service you will need to change the names of the fields like "UNIT" and "SITEADDRESS" to match your data model. You may also choose to add fields or remove fields from the list. The only caveat is that there are a few places in Index.html where we had to hardcode "PARCELID" into the application. If your Tax Parcel ID field is not called "PARCELID" you will also need to edit the Index.html file.

On a related note, the search results are displayed in a dojo grid. You can see in Config.js how the application uses references to fields.ParcelID and fields.SiteAddress instead of the actual names of the fields:

keyField = fields.ParcelID;
addressField = fields.SiteAddress;

You can change these search result fields if you like, but note that the keyField must be unique for the dojo grid. If you change the keyField, you will need to change the two places where "PARCELID" is hardcoded in Index.html in the dojo grid properties.

Configuring the HTML Popup

You can configure the size of the html popup by modifying the height and width in these two lines of code in Config.js:

infoWindowWidth = 330;
infoWindowHeight = 270;

The default size is suited to the fields displayed by the application, but you might want to tweak the size a bit to suit your needs. What we notice is that with different machines and different resolutions it sometimes make sense to adjust the size of the popup. Most of the time, however, you will only want to change the size if you are making changes to the popup or displaying more fields or fewer fields than we display with the sample data.

Configuring the Zoom Extent for Search Results

You can also change the zoom extent used when you click on search results to zoom to a parcel. Config.js is currently set to add 600 units (feet, in the case of the sample data) to the parcel extent, but if you change the spatial reference to something that uses a unit other than feet, like decimal degrees, this setting needs to be changed to a more appropriate number of units.

addExtent = 600;

This blog entry walked you through some of the options for the basic configuration of the Tax Parcel Viewer to work with your data. The next level of configuration is to open up the Index.html document and make changes to the html content – the style/title of the application, the content in the popup, and other aspects of the application. Note that the style of the app is highly dependent on the style sheet …/Application/appFiles/Viewer.css so you should take a look at that file if you want to change the look of the application.

You don’t have to be a serious programmer to tailor the Tax Parcel Viewer for your organization. It’s pretty simple once you get started!

Tax Parcel Editing Toolbar Functionality

jenn775 — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:42:00 GMT

By now, hopefully, you have had a chance to watch the video for the Tax Parcel Editing toolbar and download the install. The toolbar is a collection of extremely useful tools for performing parcel editing. But, having all the power in the world doesn't help if you don't know how to use it. I may be dating myself, but those born in my generation may recall the TV series about the super hero who had a suit and cape but did not know how to control it because he lost the instruction manual. If only he had the manual, it would have made things a lot easier. We were thinking the same thing about the toolbar. Sometimes it helps to have some written instructions.

The toolbar includes core ArcGIS Desktop tools commonly used in parcel editing plus some custom tools specifically designed to make parcel editing tasks quicker and easier. This blog entry will explain the purpose of each tool, plus give you some tips on using it most effectively. If you would like to try these tools out with a sample dataset, open TaxParcelEditingMap.mxd, which you can find in the Maps and GDB folder provided with the toolbar download.

If you would like to use these tools with your own data, you will likely want to make some changes to the default layers, field names, and other settings used by the tools. An XML configuration file called TaxParcelDesktopTools.config is installed with the toolbar in the C:\Program Files\ArcGIS Templates\Land Records\TaxParcelEditingToolbar\bin folder. Stay tuned for a later blog entry that will detail the use of the configuration file.

Tax Parcel Editing Toolbar
1	Search Tool –searches for an item and automatically zooms to the first result (can use a partial string)
2	Search Type –controls the type of search performed where each type references an individual reference layer
3	Show Search Results –toggles on/off the Search Results window (populated with the Search Tool)
4	Start/Stop Edit Session – core buttons to start and stop editing
5	Snapping Environment – shortcut to the Snapping Environment dialog
6	Core editing tools – collection of the most commonly used core tools for parcel editing functions
7	Retire Selected Parcels – copies selected parcels to a history layer for later review (not the same as geodatabase archiving)
8	Combine Parcels – combines selected parcels using the core Merge tool and updates the symbology for the old boundary
9	Split Parcel – splits a selected parcel using the core Cut Polygon task (uses any sketch tool for the split)
10	Zipper Tool – moves multiple coincident boundaries simultaneously using a sketch as a reference (uses the tolerance you specify)
11	Snake PIN Tool – assigns Parcel Identification Numbers to multiple parcels using a line sketch as a guide for the increment
12	More Toolbars – shortcut to other core toolbars that contain essential functions for parcel editing
13	Dynamic Values – toggles on/off the automatic attribute updating according to the parameters in the Dynamic Values table

Performing Searches
One of the first things people do when preparing to edit is go to a specific location in the map. Sometimes they just use spatial bookmarks to easily zoom to a place of reference. But this only works if you have zoomed to this place before. That's why we added the capability to search for a record and zoom to it immediately.

1. Choose the type of search you want to perform by clicking on the "Search By" drop-down list. There is a choice of Parcel ID, Conveyance (subdivisions), Map Page, and PLSS Polygon.

2. Type a string in the text box. A full string is not required; substrings (without wildcard characters) work with the search tool. If you are using a file geodatabase, note that the search will be case-sensitive.

3. Hit enter or click on the Search button.

4. The Search Results window will appear if it is set to automatic in the config file (look for more info in a later blog). Otherwise click on the Search Results button. This is useful when there is more than one result from the search.

5. Double click on an item in the results window to zoom to that record.

Basic Editing Toolset
A major goal of the Tax Parcel Editing Template project was to identify the most commonly used tools from the core ArcGIS Desktop software that are effective for parcel editing. Once these functions were identified we wanted to place them on a single toolbar for easy access. Obvious first choices were the buttons to start and stop editing. My favorite core item on the toolbar is the Snapping shortcut. I think this will save quite a few mouse clicks by not making you go to the traditional Editor menu. Let us know what you think about that one.

If you have been editing for a while then you already know that the selection process is an essential part of performing edits in ArcMap. The Select Features tool uses the selection environment to select data. The Clear Selected Features button unselects all selected data. The Edit Tool will select features too, but it has the capability to move features as well. Another distinction is that unlike the Select Features tool, the Edit Tool will only select the topmost overlapping feature if a click on the map is made. To get to the other overlapped features within the selection tolerance press the N key on the keyboard. For more helpful shortcuts follow this link sometime http://www.esri.com/library/brochures/pdfs/arcgis-desktop-tips.pdf.

The editing framework within ArcMap uses the dynamic duo of Tasks and Targets as a control system for creating and modifying data. The Sketch Tool , Trace Tool , and End Point Arc Tool use this system to make edits to data. You may have noticed that the task and target dropdown boxes were curiously omitted from the Tax Parcel Editing toolbar. Instead we are using settings in the config file to automatically adjust the tasks and target when using the custom tools.

The Rotate Tool will rotate any selected data when used. It uses a selection anchor as a guide for the pivot. The selection anchor will be the center of rotation. You can move the selection anchor by dragging it to another location, and it will adhere to the snapping environment as well. In addition, you can press the S key on the keyboard and it will produce an auxiliary anchor can be moved by dragging too.

Press the Attributes button to open the Attributes dialog. Use this tool to edit any attribute data for selected records.

Custom Tools
We added five custom tools to the Tax Parcel Editing toolbar. The tools use the config file to adjust the edit task and target automatically.

Retire Selected Parcels
While doing research for this project we found that some editors just need a quick way to make a copy of the state of a few parcels before they are edited. Use this tool to do just that.

1. Select one or more parcels and then click the Retire Selected Parcels button.

2. Fill out the boxes in the form and then click OK.

3. View the new history parcels by turning on the Tax Parcel History layer.

Combine Parcels
This tool combines selected parcels using the core Merge tool and updates the symbology for the old boundary using a custom script.

1. Select two or more parcels and click the button.

2. Once the core Merge tool pops up, select the parcel that will retain the attributes and click OK.

3. The old parcel boundary will now be a cartographic history line.

Split Parcel
This tool splits a selected parcel using the core Cut Polygon task. By default the sketch tool becomes the active tool, but any sketch tool can be used for the split, including the Traverse tool located on the COGO toolbar.

1. Select one parcel and click the button.

2. Start digitizing the sketch for the split line using any sketch tool.

3. Finish the sketch by double clicking or pressing the F2 key on the keyboard.

Zipper Tool
This tool snaps features to an edit sketch when they are within a tolerance you specify. The Zipper Parameters dialog lets you specify which layers contain the features to be moved and the search distance or tolerance within which features must fall to snap to your sketch. The Zipper tool is very powerful because it allows you to update boundaries and maintain coincidence for layers that don't necessarily participate in a topology, such as zoning layers. If you have a feature with very accurate coordinates surrounded by features that are not as accurate, the less accurate features can be snapped to the more accurate feature by activating the Zipper tool and then using Trace tool to sketch the more accurate feature boundary.

1. Click the button.

2. Start digitizing the sketch. By default the Trace tool is active, but any sketch tool can be used.

3. Finish the sketch by double clicking or pressing the F2 key on the keyboard.

4. A window will appear which will allow you to set the tolerance and select the layers whose features should move. Click OK to finish the process.

Snake PIN Tool
Creates parcel identification numbers by incrementally counting from a starting point defined by a digitized sketch. The PIN value parameters are defined in the form that appears after finishing the sketch.

1. Click the button.

2. Start digitizing the sketch. By default the Sketch tool (pencil) is active, but any sketch tool can be used (i.e. End Point Arc).

3. Finish the sketch by double clicking or pressing the F2 key on the keyboard.

4. A window will appear which will allow you to set parameters. Some of these parameters are set automatically from the config file. Click Apply to finish the process.

5. [Optional] The form remembers the last sketch. If you make a mistake you can change the parameters in the form (except the target layer) and click Apply again. If the Target Layer is changed then a new sketch must be completed before the Apply button is enabled again.

6. [Optional]This version of the Snake tool has the capability for prefixes. However, as PIN values are incremented they could exceed the string length of the original value. Therefore, you can use the Parse Prefixes option. This will extrapolate the new value by dropping a character from the prefix when the incremented value exceeds the original string length (i.e. single digit to a double digit). In the graphic shown below with parse prefixes turned on, the first parcel label will have the value 1901352001. On the 10^th parcel labeled by the tool, our value will be a double-digit (10), so our prefix will be parsed giving us a label of 1901352010. Without parsing, the label would be 19013520010.

Dynamic Values

Have you ever wanted to automatically populate some attribute data whenever a feature is created? Well, now you have that capability. The Tax Parcel Dynamic Values extension was ported from the Water Utilities Editing template. This extension uses a table named DYNAMICVALUE in the geodatabase to store some parameters (the table name can be changed in the config file). When the parcel editing extension is turned on it will listen for any new features. When a new feature is created the extension will consult the DYNAMICVALUE table for any calculations or expressions to use for populating fields.

The Table Name column represents the layer where the attribute edits will take place. If all layers should have a specific edit then you can use an asterisk (*) for the layer name instead. The Field Name column represents the field name where the attribute edit will be stored. The Value Method column stores the type of action to perform. The Value Info column stores optional values/expressions. You can trigger the edits for newly created features or when changes are made.

There are six types of methods that can be performed:

a. TIMESTAMP - This method will get the system time/date and put it into the specified field (must be a Date field).

b. LAST_VALUE - This method is useful for repetitive feature creation. It will populate the field with the last value entered for that field. This method is limited to new features only.

c. FIELD - This will copy the value from an existing field (Value Info) in the Table Name layer and paste it into the specified field (Field Name) if it doesn't already have a value.

d. CURRENT_USER - This will grab the windows system user and put it into the specified field. With this you can have a record of who made changes to individual parcels.

e. EXPRESSION - This method will calculate a value based on an expression (e.g. calculate acreage). Hint: Copy an expression from the Field Calculator dialog. This method is limited to new features only.

f. INTERSECTING_FEATURE - This will copy the field value of an intersecting feature from a specified layer (e.g. grab info from the zoning layer). This method requires special formatting for the Value Info column. The source layer and the target field must both be in the column. Separate them with the Pipe character (e.g. sourceLayerName|sourceFieldName).

To turn the extension on/off click the Toggle Dynamic Values button or go to the Editor > Options dialog and toggle it from there. You can also turn off the extension by default by modifying the config file.

So, I hope you find this information helpful. Feel free to post comments or send the ArcGIS Land Records team an email (ArcGISTeamLandRecords@esri.com). And let us know if these tools helped you to become the "hero" in your organization.

The ArcGIS Land Records Team

Submit Your Templates!

jenn775 — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:57:00 GMT

The Resource Center is designed with collaboration in mind. We know that many of you have created tools and applications that are quite worthy of sharing. We are encouraging our users and business partners to submit templates to the Land Records template gallery.

Keep in mind there are 5 items that a template must have and all of these items must be in your template zipfile:

1. An instruction document with information on how to install and configure the template, including what software is required.

2. Any MXD or MXDs necessary - the mxds are critically important to show everyone your cartography, geoprocessing tools, etc.

3. Any custom code that you wish to provide.

4. Sample Data - a populated geodatabase with data that ESRI can share with your template. This is so everyone can understand how your template works with sample data. If you can't share your own data you can use the sample data we've provided with the Tax Parcel Viewer, Editing or Value Analysis Dashboard templates for your template.

5. A blank geodatabase - this is an empty geodatabase with the same schema as your sample geodatabase.

Here is an example of the folder structure your template should follow:

A few ground rules for submitting templates - we will review each template to ensure that the proper items are in them and they function as advertised. We won't accept any templates that have trial software applications or extensions in them.

So anyone ready to share your good work?

If you have any questions about how to create your own template and post it email us at ArcGISTeamLandRecords@ESRI.com

The ArcGIS Land Records Team

GIS for Land Records at the ESRI User Conference

jenn775 — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:05:00 GMT

If you are attending the ESRI User Conference next week, be sure to check out the many sessions with a Land Records focus. Here is a link to the special industry fliers to help you out: http://www.esri.com/events/uc/agenda/industry_agendas.html

Visit the online agenda and search on land records to see a list of events that may be of particular interest to you. Events include the Cadastral/Land Records Special Interest Group which will feature a speaker focused on emerging land records issues.

If your focus is surveying, you can also check out the sessions listed on the Surveying and Engineering agenda available from the Industry-Specific Events page.

We hope to see you at the conference!

The ArcGIS Land Records Team

Announcing the Land Records Templates

lind5149 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:08:00 GMT

One of the highlights of the Land Records Resource Center is a set of templates built with core ESRI technology. We’ve posted three templates for the launch of the Land Records Resource Center. These templates are for maintaining tax parcel information, sharing information with the public, and analyzing the impact of property value and revenue changes in your community. We will be working on other templates relevant to assessors and the land records community, which we will post in the future. The goal of our templates is to give you real-world examples of how to deploy the ArcGIS product suite in your industry. In each template you’ll find a sample geodatabase, map documents, an application and the documentation to help you configure the template. Also, check out the videos that we’ve posted to give you an introduction to each component. We would like to thank Bloomfield Township, Michigan for allowing us to include a sample of their data in our template downloads. By using real data these examples become more compelling. We’re grateful for Bloomfield Township’s help in promoting the use of GIS for Land Records. We decided to create these templates because we wanted to pass on to our customers best practices, successful deployment patterns and share industry specific knowledge. Remember, the Land Records Resource Center is for ESRI users – so we encourage your feedback on the templates we’ve provided and ask that you post comments for each template. We’ll be using your comments as a guide for changes to our templates and for new templates we’ll develop in the future. We welcome your feedback, comments and suggestions. You can either post comments to this blog or e-mail us at ArcGISTeamLandRecords@esri.com

Thanks! The ArcGIS Land Records Team

Welcome to the Land Records Resource Center!

lind5149 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:49:00 GMT

ESRI is pleased to announce the launch of the Land Records Resource Center! We are excited to provide land records users with free downloadable templates built around ESRI’s ArcGIS software and to provide this blog to assist land records users and assessors who deploy our technology.

This blog is an important part of the resource center designed to bring you the latest information specific to land records. Our goal is to make it easier for you to use ArcGIS software in a variety of land records applications and at the same time bring you the latest news about industry events, user groups, training, and uses of GIS in the land records community.

This is a virtual space for communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. Feel free to interact and post your own tips, comments, and questions. We'll use your input to help guide us in our own efforts to better serve you.

We'll be posting information continuously, so make sure to check back here regularly. Or feel free to sign up for our RSS feed by simply clicking on the link to the right.

We hope you'll find this blog dynamic, engaging, and instructive. We appreciate the important work you do.

For those new to GIS for Land Records, check out:

http://resources.esri.com/landrecords/

http://www.esri.com/industries/cadastre/index.html