Did you try to use toolboxes? If not, I recommend you to use it. This tool convert your shape file into a coverage. You have to navigate through them as follows: ArcToolbox--Conversion Tools--To Coverage--Feature Class to Coverage. It will open an window where you have to specify feature(s) class that you want to convert.
NOTE: These tools only work with an ArcInfo license and will only be available in ArcToolbox if you have installed ArcInfo Workstation.
Furthermore, you can create a coverage using the Catalog tree. Following steps: 1)In the Catalog tree you select the folder you would like to save the coverage. 2) In the File menu select--New and then create Coverage 3) Define coordinate system 4) Define feature class and topology.
Olá pessoal. Eu uso um software brasileiro GIS SPRING desenvolvido pelo INPE, Eu não uso do Arc. GIS. Caso seja imagem TM você poderia realizar um classificação automática mais não é o seu caso