HOW TO

Export geodatabase annotation to an ArcInfo coverage with a valid extent

Last Published: April 25, 2020

Summary

Instructions provided describe how to export a geodatabase annotation feature class to coverage annotation.

Procedure

The invalid extent for the annotation coverage occurs because annotation is not a 'real' feature, has no topology, and when exported to a coverage, ArcInfo does not have a way to determine the coordinate extent of the annotation feature class. The result is the unusable extent of the annotation coverage.

There are two ways of exporting the annotations:

  • Option 1:

    Export both the annotation and a 'real' feature class, containing point, line or polygon features, from the database into the same coverage with the annotation. The 'real' features provide a proper extent for the output coverage.

    Note:
    It may be necessary to start an ArcEdit session, and modify the $SIZE pseudoitem for the coverage annotation, if the coverage annotation output is too large, and does not display properly in ArcMap.

  • Option 2:

    1. Add the annotation feature class from the geodatabase to a new, empty ArcMap session.
    2. Open Layer Properties > Source tab, and copy the coordinates for the extent of the annotation feature class.
    3. In ArcInfo Workstation, use the GENERATE > Polygon command to generate a polygon coverage which has the same extent as the annotation features, copied above in ArcMap.
    4. BUILD the new polygon coverage at the Arc: prompt.
    5. Use COPYFEATURES to copy the annotation feature class from the annotation coverage into the polygon coverage.
    6. At the Arc: prompt, issue the REBOX command.
    7. Use PROJECTDEFINE to define the projection for the polygon coverage, which now has polygon and annotation features.
    8. At the Arc: prompt, BUILD the coverage for polygons and the annotation feature class.

    Note:
    Again, it may be necessary to start an ArcEdit session, and modify the $SIZE pseudoitem for the coverage annotation, if the coverage annotation output is too large, and does not display properly in ArcMap.

Article ID:000007863

Software:
  • Legacy Products
  • ArcMap

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