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I need to create many parallel lines. Is there a tool in ArcGIS where you input the distance between the parallels and the number of them?

Thank you.

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2 Answers

up vote 6 down vote

You can create parallel lines very easily using Create Fishnet (Data Management) in ArcGIS. In the attached fishnet screenshot, I specified one row and 50 columns in order to create a grid of 50 parallel lines over a study area.

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Edit: To rotate the fishnet grid to any direction you want, select all of the lines and use the rotate feature on the editor toolbar. Also, simply delete the top and bottom lines if they interfere with your analysis.

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This will work well, assuming the parallels don't have to run diagonally. – GeoKevin Jan 12 at 19:04
@GeoKevin Thanks, post edited to address comments. – Aaron Jan 12 at 19:18
I should also note that you can specify the origin to create a diagonal grid outside of the editor. – Aaron Jan 12 at 19:49
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Good point @Aaron, I didn't think about rotate feature. This gets my vote as the best way to create many parallels at once. – GeoKevin Jan 12 at 21:25
up vote 3 down vote

The copy parallel command is avalable on the edit pulldown.
copyparallel command
the Command allows to set 1 or both sides to offset.
command ui

However the instructions below are what I would probably do (if I wasn't able to use autocad map).

the easiest way I can think of to do this (without porgramming or autocad).

  1. start edit session.
  2. create the first line.
  3. use the create feature tool.
  4. switch to the trace tool.
  5. hit o button (this brings up trace options).
    trace options
  6. set the offset to +n or -n for direction (check the trace selected features button).
  7. trace, double click and repeat.

Autocad has the offset command (which does exactly as you asked).
Someone will most likely post a python script which will do it.

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