MERGE adjacent polygons in ArcEdit and control the attributes of the new feature

Summary

The ArcEdit MERGE command can be used in two different ways to combine adjacent coverage polygons into one new polygon and specify the attributes for the new feature.

Procedure

• Method 1
  Merge two polygons and maintain the attributes from the polygon that is selected last.
  
  1) In ArcEdit, specify the edit coverage, edit feature and draw environment.
  
  

  Code:
  Arc: arcedit
  Arcedit: display 9999
  Arcedit: edit states polygon
  Arcedit: drawenvironment polygon
  Arcedit: draw

  
  
  2) Issue the MERGE command with no features selected.
  
  

  Code:
  Arcedit: merge

  
  
  3) When prompted, select the two adjacent polygons. The new polygon will have the attributes of the second polygon selected.
  
  

  Code:
  Select the polygon to be merged
  Polygon 65 User-ID: 22 Symbol: 14
  Select the polygon to merge into
  Polygon 64 User-ID: 24 Symbol: 14
  Merged 2 polygon(s) into 1

  
  
  In this example, Nevada was merged with California.
  
  

  Code:
  Arcedit: list
              136
  AREA                       =           71.42214
  PERIMETER                  =           43.45821
  STATES#                    =     0
  STATES-ID                  =    24
  STATENAME                  = California

  
  
• Method 2
  Merge two or more polygons and specify the input polygon attributes which will be mainatined.
  
  1) In ArcEdit, specify the edit coverage, edit feature and draw environment.
  
  

  Code:
  Arc: arcedit
  Arcedit: edit states polygon
  Arcedit: drawenvironment polygon
  Arcedit: draw

  
  
  2) Select the polygon which you want to merge with other features but want to maintain the attributes for in the new feature.
  
  

  Code:
  Arcedit: select
  Point to the feature to select
  Enter point
  Polygon 35 User-ID: 1 Symbol: 14
  1 element(s) now selected
  Arcedit: list
               35
  AREA                       =           20.67119
  PERIMETER                  =           32.48690
  STATES#                    =    35
  STATES-ID                  =     1
  STATENAME                  = Washington

  
  
  3) Issue the NEW command to store the selected features attributes into memory.
  
  

  Code:
  Arcedit: new

  
  
  4) Select the adjacent polygons to be merged into one feature. In this example, Oregon, Washington and California will be merged.
  
  

  Code:
  Arcedit: select many
   1 = Select     3 = Who        9 = Quit
  Polygon 64 User-ID: 24 Symbol: 14
   1 = Select     3 = Who        9 = Quit
  Polygon 46 User-ID: 11 Symbol: 14
   1 = Select     3 = Who        9 = Quit
  Polygon 35 User-ID: 1 Symbol: 14
   1 = Select     3 = Who        9 = Quit
  3 element(s) now selected
  Arcedit: list
               35
  AREA                       =           20.67119
  PERIMETER                  =           32.48690
  STATES#                    =    35
  STATES-ID                  =     1
  STATENAME                  = Washington
               46
  AREA                       =           28.18703
  PERIMETER                  =           24.78668
  STATES#                    =    46
  STATES-ID                  =    11
  STATENAME                  = Oregon
               64
  AREA                       =           41.45291
  PERIMETER                  =           39.23602
  STATES#                    =    64
  STATES-ID                  =    24
  STATENAME                  = California

  
  
  5) Use MERGE with the SELECT option to merge the selected polygons. The new feature will have the attributes stored in memory from the NEW command.
  
  

  Code:
  Arcedit: merge select
  Merged 3 polygon(s) into 1
  Arcedit: list
              136
  AREA                       =           90.31113
  PERIMETER                  =           74.11569
  STATES#                    =     0
  STATES-ID                  =     1
  STATENAME                  = Washington