ERROR

Coverage is not a valid Cover, Grid, Tin or Stack

Last Published: April 25, 2020

Error Message

Selecting the input coverage when running the Define Projection Wizard(coverages, grids, TINs) in ArcToolbox returns the error:

"<In_Coverage> is not a valid Cover, Grid, Tin, or Stack"

Cause

The coverage is missing the TIC and BND files.

Solution or Workaround

Create TIC and BND files for a coverage called PNTCOV.

  1. Use the DESCRIBE command in ArcInfo Workstation to determine if the input coverage is single or double precision. The first line of the information returned by DESCRIBE will show the keyword SINGLE or DOUBLE.

    Code:
    Arc: describe pntcov
    Description of SINGLE precision coverage pntcov

  2. Define new TIC and BND files for the coverage based on the precision of the coverage.

    Single precision:

    Arc: INFO

    ENTER USER NAME>ARC

    ENTER COMMAND >DEFINE PNTCOV.TIC

    ITEM NAME>IDTIC,4,5,B
    ITEM NAME>XTIC,4,12,F,3
    ITEM NAME>YTIC,4,12,F,3
    ITEM NAME>

    ENTER COMMAND >ITEMS

    1 IDTIC 4 5 B -
    5 XTIC 4 12 F 3
    9 YTIC 4 12 F 3

    ENTER COMMAND >DEFINE PNTCOV.BND

    ITEM NAME>XMIN,4,12,F,3
    ITEM NAME>YMIN,4,12,F,3
    ITEM NAME>XMAX,4,12,F,3
    ITEM NAME>YMAX,4,12,F,3
    ITEM NAME>

    ENTER COMMAND >ITEMS

    1 XMIN 4 12 F 3
    5 YMIN 4 12 F 3
    9 XMAX 4 12 F 3
    13 YMAX 4 12 F 3

    ENTER COMMAND >Q STOP



    OR

    Double precision:

    Arc: INFO

    ENTER USER NAME>ARC

    ENTER COMMAND >DEFINE PNTCOV.TIC

    ITEM NAME>IDTIC,4,5,B
    ITEM NAME>XTIC,8,18,F,5
    ITEM NAME>YTIC,8,18,F,5
    ITEM NAME>

    ENTER COMMAND >ITEMS

    1 IDTIC 4 5 B -
    5 XTIC 8 18 F 5
    13 YTIC 8 18 F 5

    ENTER COMMAND >DEFINE PNTCOV.BND

    ITEM NAME>XMIN,8,18,F,5
    ITEM NAME>YMIN,8,18,F,5
    ITEM NAME>XMAX,8,18,F,5
    ITEM NAME>YMAX,8,18,F,5
    ITEM NAME>

    ENTER COMMAND >ITEMS

    1 XMIN 8 18 F 5
    9 YMIN 8 18 F 5
    17 XMAX 8 18 F 5
    25 YMAX 8 18 F 5

    ENTER COMMAND >Q STOP

  3. Use the EXTERNAL command to external the PNTCOV.TIC and PNTCOV.BND files to the appropriate files in the PNTCOV folder.

    Code:
    Usage: EXTERNAL <geo_dataset>
    Arc: external pntcov

  4. Use the Define Projection Wizard(coverages, grids, TINs) to define a projection for the coverage.

Article ID:000005657

Software:
  • ArcMap 8 x
  • ArcMap 9 x

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