ArcGIS Geodatabase Topology Rules ®

Topology in ESRI® ArcGIS® allows you to model spatial relationships How to read
between feature classes in a feature dataset. Topology rules allow you to
define those relationships between features in a single feature class or these diagrams: Topology rule name : Must not have dangles Must not have pseudonodes
The end of a line must
subtype or between two feature classes or subtypes. Topology rules allow touch any part of one The end of a line
you to define the spatial relationships that meet the needs of your data Description and other line or any part cannot touch the end of
Description and
example of a valid of itself within a only one other line
model. Topology errors are violations of the rules that you can easily example of a case of Point errors are

Line

Line
The topology rule occurs within a case of the feature class or within a feature class or
the specified topology created at the end Point errors are
find and manage using the editing tools found in ArcMap .
TM
single feature class or subtype. specified topology subtype. subtype. The end of a
of a line that does 25
rule where errors exist created where the
rule. line can touch any part of
and will be returned. not touch at least end of a line
itself.
For each example, the one other line touches the end of
error shape is shown in or itself.
:
40 only one other line.
bright red.
Description of a real-world Use this rule when you want lines in a feature class or A street network has line segments that Use this rule to clean up data with inappropriately For hydrologic analysis, segments of a river
The topology rule occurs between
two different feature classes or Generalized description of when to use this rule. application of the specified subtype to connect to one another. connect. If segments end for dead-end roads or
subdivided lines. system might be constrained to only have
subtypes. topology rule. cul-de-sacs, you could choose to set as nodes at endpoints or junctions.
exceptions during an edit session.

Must not overlap Must not have gaps Must not overlap Must not self overlap
Polygons must not Lines must not overlap
Polygon

Polygon
Lines must not overlap
overlap within a Polygons must not any part of another themselves within a
feature class or have a void between line within a feature
Line errors are created feature class or subtype.
them within a

Line

Line

Line
subtype. from the outlines of void class or subtype. Lines Lines can touch,
Polygons can be feature class can touch,
areas in a single polygon intersect, and overlap 285

disconnected or subtype. intersect, and

or between polygons. lines in another feature
or touch at a point or overlap themselves. Line errors are Line errors are
Polygon errors are Polygon boundaries that class or subtype.
touch along created where created where
created from areas are not coincident with
an edge. lines overlap. lines overlap
where polygons other polygon
overlap. boundaries are errors. themselves. 25

Use this rule to make sure that no polygon overlaps another A voting district map cannot Use this rule when all of your polygons should form Soil polygons cannot include gaps Use this rule with lines that should never occupy the same Lot lines cannot overlap Use this rule with lines whose segments should never occupy For transportation analysis, street and
have any overlaps in its coverage. a continuous surface with no voids or gaps. or form voids—they must form a one another. highway segments of the same feature
polygon in the same feature class or subtype. continuous fabric.
space with other lines. the same space as another segment on the same line. should not overlap themselves.

Contains point : Boundary must be covered by : Must not intersect Must not self intersect
Polygon boundaries Lines must not cross Lines must not cross
Polygon

Polygon
Each polygon of the
Polygon errors are in one feature class or or overlap any part or overlap themselves
first feature class or
created from the subtype must be Line errors are of another line within within a feature class
subtype must contain

Line

Line
polygons that do not covered by the lines created where the same feature or subtype. Lines can Line errors are
within its boundaries
contain at least one of another feature polygon class or subtype. Line errors are touch themselves and created where lines
at least one
point of the second point. A point on class or subtype. boundaries are created where lines touch, intersect, and overlap themselves,
feature class or the boundary of a not covered by a overlap, and overlap other lines. and point errors are
subtype. polygon is not line of another point errors are created where lines
contained in that feature class or created where cross themselves.
polygon. subtype. lines cross.
Use this rule to make sure that all polygons have at least one Parcels must contain at Use this rule when polygon boundaries should be coincident Major road lines form part of Use this rule with lines whose segments should never cross or Lot lines cannot intersect or overlap, Use this rule when you only want lines to touch at their ends Contour lines cannot intersect
point within their boundaries. Overlapping polygons can share a least one address point. with another line feature class or subtype. outlines for census blocks. but the endpoint of one feature can themselves.
occupy the same space with other lines. touch the interior of another feature.
without intersecting or overlapping themselves.
point in that overlapping area.

Must be covered by feature class of : Must be covered by : Must not intersect or touch interior Must be single part
The polygons in Polygons in one Lines can only
Polygon

Polygon

Polygon errors are Lines within a feature

the first feature class feature class or subtype Polygon errors are touch at their ends
created from the Line errors are class or subtype
or subtype must be must be covered by a created from and must not overlap
created where must only have

Line

Line
covered by the uncovered areas of each other within a 9 9
single polygon polygons from the one part.
10
polygons of the the polygons in feature class or lines overlap, and 9
from another first feature class or Multipart line 25
second feature the first feature subtype. Lines can point errors are
feature class or subtype that are not errors are created
class or subtype. class or subtype. touch, intersect, and created where 8
subtype. covered by a single where lines have
overlap themselves. lines cross
polygon from the 8 more than one
or touch. 40
second feature class or part.
subtype.
States are covered by Use this rule when you want one set of polygons to be Counties must be covered Use this rule when you only want lines to touch at their ends Lot lines cannot intersect or overlap
Use this rule when you want lines to be composed A highway system is made up of individual
Use this rule when each polygon in one feature class or subtype should counties. by states. and must connect to one another only features where any one feature is not
be covered by all the polygons of another feature class or subtype. covered by some part of another single polygon and not intersect or overlap. of a single series of connected segments.
at the endpoint of each line feature. made up of more than one part.
in another feature class or subtype.

Must not overlap with : Must cover each other : Must not overlap with : Must be covered by feature class of :
Lines in one Lines in one
Polygon

Polygon

Polygons of the first All polygons in the

feature class or first feature class and all feature class or Line errors are feature class or Line errors are
subtype must not polygons in the second Polygon errors are subtype must not created where lines subtype must be created on the

Line

Line
overlap polygons Polygon errors are feature class must created where any overlap any part of from two feature covered by lines in lines in the first
of the second created where cover each other. part of a polygon another line in classes or subtypes another feature feature class that
feature class polygons from - FC1 Must be covered by is not covered by another feature overlap. class or subtype. are not covered by
or subtype. the two feature feature class of FC2. one or more class or subtype. 80 lines in the second
20
classes or - FC2 Must be covered by polygons in the feature class.
subtypes feature class of FC1. other feature class
overlap. or subtype.
Use this rule when polygons from one feature class or subtype Lakes and land parcels Use this rule for lines that should never occupy the same Highways can cross and come close Use this rule when you have multiple groups of lines describing Lines that make up bus routes
from two different feature
Use this rule when you want the polygons from two feature classes or Vegetation and soils must
to rivers, but road segments cannot must be on top of lines in a road
should not overlap polygons of another feature class or subtype. cover each other. space with lines in another feature class or subtype. the same geography.
classes must not overlap. subtypes to cover the same area. overlap river segments. network.

:
Line or Polygon

Area boundary must be covered

by boundary of Must be larger than cluster tolerance Endpoint must be covered by : Must be covered by boundary of :
The boundaries of Cluster tolerance is the The ends of lines Lines in one
Polygon

polygons in one minimum distance Cluster Tolerance in one feature class feature class or
Line errors are between vertices Any polygon or line or subtype must be subtype must be
feature class or
feature that would
Line

Line
subtype must be created where polygon of features. covered by points covered by the
boundaries in the first collapse when in another feature boundaries of
covered by the Line errors are
feature class or subtype Vertices that fall within validating the class or subtype. Point errors are polygons in another
boundaries of created on lines
are not covered by the the cluster tolerance are Cluster Tolerance topology is an error. created at the feature class or
polygons in another that are not
feature class or boundaries of polygons defined as coincident and ends of lines that subtype. covered by the
subtype. in another feature class are snapped together. are not covered boundaries of
or subtype. by a point. polygons.
Use this rule when the boundaries of polygons in one feature Subdivision boundaries are This rule is applied to all line and polygon feature classes that Soil polygons must be larger Use this rule when you want to model the ends of lines in one Endpoints of secondary electric Use this rule when you want to model lines that are Polylines used for displaying block
class or subtype should align with the boundaries of polygons coincident with parcel boundaries, participate in the topology. than the cluster tolerance. lines must be capped by either a and lot boundaries must be covered
feature class or subtype that are coincident with point coincident with the boundaries of polygons.
in another feature class or subtype. but do not cover all parcels. transformer or meter. by parcel boundaries.
features in another feature class.

Must be properly inside polygons : Must be covered by boundary of : Must be covered by endpoint of : Point must be covered by line :
Points in one Points in one Points in one
Points in one feature class or feature class or feature class or
Point

Point

feature class or subtype must touch subtype must be subtype must be

Point

Point
subtype must be boundaries of covered by the covered by lines in
inside polygons of polygons from ends of lines in another feature class
another feature Point errors are Point errors are
another feature Point errors are another feature or subtype.
class or subtype. created where points created on the Point errors are
class or subtype. created where the class or subtype.
do not touch the points that are not created on the
points are outside or
boundaries of covered by the points that are not
touch the boundary
polygons. ends of lines. covered by lines.
of the polygons.
Use this rule when you want points to align with the Utility service points might Use this rule when you want to model points that are Street intersections must be Use this rule when you want to model points that are Monitoring stations must fall
Use this rule when you want points to be completely within State capitals must be required to be on the covered by the endpoints of street along streams.
the boundaries of polygons. be inside each state. boundaries of polygons. boundary of a parcel.
coincident with the ends of lines. centerlines.
coincident with lines.

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