Documentation | Help File | COGO-360 | Points | Legend

The COGO-360 tab within the Selected panel presents the coordinates of all vertices of a selected line or polygon shape in COGO-360 (bearing and distance) representation (like the calls defining a property parcel boundary found in many land deed records in the eastern portion of the United States). The locations of the vertices forming the shape are presented in terms of bearing (direction) and distance, except for vertex No 0. Because vertex No 0 anchors the location of the entire shape, its location is presented as standard x,y coordinate values, with the x coordinate value in the Bearing column and the y coordinate value in the Distance column.

The COGO-360 tab presents the vertices of a shape
in terms of bearing and distance values.

Absolute. This setting for the Bearing values means that the direction to each vertex from the preceding vertex is relative to North, and unrelated to the bearing values for the preceding vertices. This setting for the Distance values means the distance value for each vertex represents the cumulative total distance of all line segments between vertex No 0 and that vertex. If, for example, the distance value for vertex No 2 is 200 units and the distance from vertex No 0 to vertex No 1 is 120 units, the distance value for vertex No 2 must be 80 units.

Relational. This setting for the Bearing values means that the bearing value for each vertex is cumulative to the bearing values of all preceding vertices. For example, if the bearing value for vertex No 1 is 90 degrees and the bearing value for vertex No 2 is 30 degrees, the direction of the line segment from vertex No 1 to vertex No 2, relative to North, is actually 90 + 30 = 120 degrees (and 30 degrees only relative to the line segment from vertex No 0 to vertex No 1). This setting for the Distance values means that the distance value for each vertex represents, simply, the distance of that vertex from the preceding vertex.

To open the COGO tab

• Select a line or polygon shape in the map area using the Edit shape tool (also available under menu Shape/Edit shape). Then, in the Selected panel, open the COGO tab.

To draw (plot) a property boundary line using bearing and distance calls

• Select in the Legend panel the layer in which the line will be drawn. If necessary, open an existing layer using menu Layer/Add or a new layer using menu Layer/New.
• Near the top of the COGO tab, select the absolute setting for the Bearing column and the relational setting for the Distance column.
• In the COGO tab, enter the x coordinate value (in the Bearing column) and the y coordinate value (in the Distance column) for the first vertex - vertex No 0 - of the line that is to be drawn. Click on the OK button near the bottom of the COGO tab. The point for vertex No 0 will appear in the map area. (Alternatively, use the Edit shape tool with the line drawing tool to create vertex No 0 at the correct location on the map using the mouse cursor.)
• For vertex No 1, enter the bearing (direction) for the position of vertex No 1 relative to vertex No 0 in the Bearing column. Then enter the distance from vertex No 0 to vertex No 1 in the Distance column. Click on the OK button near the bottom of the COGO tab. The point for vertex No 1 will appear in the map area, with a line segment from vertex No 0 to vertex No 1.
• Repeat the previous step for vertex No 2, then for vertex No 3, and so on until the parcel boundary is completely drawn.
• Click on the Edit shape tool icon to save the line shape.

• The distance units in the COGO tab are the distance units of in the coordinate system of the layer on which the line is being drawn. If entering, for example, distances in feet, draw the line in a layer with a projected coordinate system with distance units in feet.

To move a line or polygon using COGO

• Select the shape using the Edit shape tool icon (also available under menu Shape/Edit shape) and, in the Selected panel, open the COGO tab.
• Within the COGO tab, edit the x,y coordinate values for vertex No 0 to reflect the new location for this vertex. Click on OK to make visible the pending change.
• Again click the on Edit shape tool to save the change (move the shape to the new location).

Because in COGO mode the locations of all vertices composing the line are dependent on the location of the first vertex (number 0), moving that single vertex moves the entire line.

To rotate a line or polygon using COGO

• Select the shape using the Edit shape tool (also available under menu Shape/Edit shape) and, in the Selected panel, open the COGO tab.

• Within the COGO tab, set the absolute/relational setting for the Bearing column to relational.
• Within the COGO tab, edit the bearing for vertex No 1 (which is the bearing of the first line segment from vertex No 0 to vertex No 1), to a new bearing that will correctly rotate the shape as desired. Then click on the OK button near the bottom of the COGO panel. The pending change will appear in the map area.
• Again click the on Edit shape tool to save the change (rotate the shape).

Because in COGO bearing relational mode the locations of all vertices - other than vertex No 0 - are dependent on the bearing of the first line segment from vertex No 0 to vertex No 1, editing the bearing value for vertex No 1 rotates (pivots) the entire shape around the vertex No 0.

• To rotate a line, polygon, or multi-point shape, consider using the Editor RotateShape script. This script provides for rotating a line, polygon, or multi-point shape around  its centroid position or around any one of the vertices that compose the shape.