School of GeographyFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT

Introduction to Editing

ArcGIS Editor Toolbar

• All editing functions are controlled through the toolbar

Edit Menu

Edit Tool

Sketch Tool

Task List

Target Layer

Split Tool Rotate Tool

Attribute

Dialog

Sketch

Properties

Common Editing Tasks

• Create New Data

• Create new geometry (coordinates that represent points, lines polygons)

• Update new attributes

• Edit Existing Data

• Edit and update geometry

• Edit and update attributes

Create and Edit Features

Choose

Data FrameStart Editing

Set the Target

Layer

Set Options

Snapping tolerance

sets distance at which

snapping will occur

Sticky tolerance

determines how far

an object has to move

before it does

Create New Features

• Task should be set to Create New Feature

• Most common tool: Sketch tool

• Click with your left mouse button and you create a vertex

• Double click and you end the feature

Vertex

Sketch Tool

Working with Sketches

Right clicking and moving away from a vertex

Right clicking

on last drawn vertex

Edit Attributes

• Add values or copy/cut paste them for a single or multiple selected features

Attribute

Values

Edit the Values of a Vertex

• Edit Sketch Properties dialog

• Highlight a vertex

• Can edit values directly

End the Editing Session

• Stop editing without saving changes OR

• Stop editing and save the changes made OR

• Save edits and continue making changes

Editing Lines – How to Start?

• How do I start constructing a line?

• Start with a vertex

• Absolute X,Y

• Snap to existing vertex or end

• Creating vertices based on other features

• Parallel, perpendicular, etc.

• Distance, direction, segment deflection, etc.

Editing Lines

• can extend or trim a line based on another feature

Line is extendedLine is trimmed

Creating Curves

• Use Arc, End Point Arc or Tangent tool

• Which one should you use? Need to experiment!

Arc

Tangent

Arc End Point

Creating Polygons

• Start with a vertex

• Digitise a set of vertices

• Double click on the starting vertex to end the polygon

• Digitise on a backdrop map

• Can create other vertices based on measurements (e.g. deflection and length) – then use Square and Finish function

Editing Existing Polygons

• Modify/Reshape/Cut Polygon

• Split an existing polygon into two

• Or change just a single vertex

Editing Points, Lines and Polygons

Hands-on Exercise #9