labeling newly digitized areas

[Susan Huse]

Hi Gregg, 
I agree with Bill Baker's response.  That is what I do to find the 
node in question, particularly one a large or complicated polygon.
Once you have found the node, you need to fix it, obviously.  If you
have imported the file from another format, the problem may not be so
obvious.  If a line isn't snapped, that is easy.

When importing from Arc, particularly NWI files, one problem that comes up
when the node point and the next point of a line have the same
coordinates.  This wreaks havoc with the topology.  You can often find
these using the Toolbox - Show Node Lines.  Choose a node and click
through the attached lines.  If v.digit steps through them in a
counter-clockwise direction, things are good.  If v.digit steps thorugh
them in a clockwise direction, or (if there are more than 3 lines) in an
non-consistent order, you have a problem. 

Another way to randomly hack through a mystery problem is to cut out the 
node and replace it.  To do this break all lines but one just before that 
node.  Remopve the tiny segments and then snap these lines to the node.  
Break the last line, remove teh segment and snap to the node.

Three other things to remember: you can't have extraneous area edges within
an area.  These can be hidden if they have line labels over them.  Files
in from Arc can have several of these hiding about.  

There always needs to be a node at every intersection. 

And second, double lines or degenerate lines will also cause hidden 
problems.  These also show up with the show node lines.  If a line 
highlights twice in a row, it is double.  If there is a gap between 
highlighted lines, there is a degenerate line attached to the node.
You can cut it out by removing all lines within a selected window.
("R" in Edit?).  Make teh window small over the node and it will only 
remove lines completely within your window - only degenerate lines.

Good luck!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 Susan Huse         /\       http://www.regis.berkeley.edu/sue
              /\   /  \  /\      
 REGIS       /  \ /    \/  \ /\    sue at regis.berkeley.edu
          /\/    \      \   /  \ /\ 
 University of California  /    /  \ (510) 643-6307
   Berkeley        \      /         \ 
       /            \                \ 
      /                               \