Calculate Geometry

Purpose

The tool calculates perimeter and area values (including hectares and acres) for polygon layers and length for polyline layers.

After calculation corresponding fields are added to the attribute table of the selected layer and populated with calculated values. If such fields already exist in the attribute table, their values can be recalculated and rewritten to the table.  

Description

Only polyline and polygon feature layers can be measured with this tool, point layers are not available for processing.

The "Calculate Geometry" tool allows:

• Choosing an input polygon or polyline layer

• Changing and editing output coordinate system

• Specifying attributes to be calculated: length for polylines, perimeter, area, acres, hectares for polygons

• Naming new attribute fields

Note:

There is an option to calculate area in US Survey acres (see XTools Pro Options).

Usage

1. Select the "Calculate Geometry" tool the XTools Pro Feature tools.

2. Select input features for calculating geometry parameters.

3. Select the applicable parameters to be calculated.

4. Select the following options:

   Output spatial reference

   Output units

   Measurement type

5. Press Run.

Depending on the selected layer corresponding geometry parameters are available:

• For polylines Length parameter is available

• For polygons Perimeter and Area are available

• For polygons in a projected coordinate system there are Acres and Hectares parameters additionally available

For linear parameters calculating not only Planar but also Geodesic length is supported (if a geographic coordinates system used).

Working with coordinate systems

Output coordinate system for the selected input layer can be changed and edited by the standard ArcGIS means. Please note that this does not re-project or change coordinate system for the input dataset, output coordinate system and units are used only for calculating length, area and perimeter values.

Input units can be specified for unknown coordinate systems only. The drop-down lists for input and output units are activated if units can be changed for selected input and output coordinate systems.

Notes:

• If output geographic coordinate system selected and Geodesic measurement type used, only meters (kilometers, feet, miles, yards and etc) are available as output units.

• Please make sure to save edits after calculating geometry and adding new fields to the attribute table.