Create polyline features

In the Create Features pane, polyline template tools can create single part and multipart polyline features. Related tools that create curvilinear segments, 90-degree angles, or trace existing features appear on the construction toolbar at the bottom of the active view.

When the feature is z-aware, vertices are assigned z-values defined by your current elevation settings. In map views, the default z-value is zero (0). In scenes, z-values are derived from the active elevation surface when you click the scene.

To learn more, see Specify an elevation for 3D features.

For steps to create circular or square polyline features, see the following topics:

• Create circles and ellipses
• Create squares and rectangles

Tip:

While sketching geometry, to delete all vertices between the first vertex and another vertex, right-click the vertex and click Trim Before . To delete all vertices between a vertex and the last vertex, right-click the vertex and click Trim After .

Line

The Line tool creates a continuous line feature with multiple vertices. As you sketch geometry, you can click the tools on the construction toolbar and create arcs, 90-degree angles, and trace existing features.

1. If the current map does not contain a line feature layer, add it.
   1. On the View tab, click Catalog pan , and expand Databases .
   2. Expand the default database or the database containing your data.

      To create a line feature class, right-click the database, click New, and click Feature Class.

   3. Drag the feature class onto the map.

      A feature template with default settings is automatically generated for the new layer.

2. In the Features group, click Create .
3. Choose a template and type the feature attribute values.
   1. Click a line feature template.
   2. Click the active template button .
   3. Click Attributes and type the values you want to apply to the new feature.
4. Click Line .
5. Click the map to create the first vertex, or right-click and specify an x,y location.

   Tip:

   If you create only one vertex, you can click the 2-Point Line tool and continue sketching the line without losing the vertex.

6. Move the pointer and click the map to create each subsequent vertex and sketch the remaining geometry, or right-click and specify x,y,z coordinate locations or distances and directions.
   • Use the tools on the construction toolbar to create curvilinear shapes or trace existing features.

     

   • To finish the sketch as a part of a multipart feature and continue creating additional parts, right-click, click Finish Part , and create the next component line feature.

   Tip:

   Use the following methods to temporarily override your current snap settings:

   • Right-click, click Snap to Feature, and use one of the temporary snap agents.
   • Press and hold the spacebar to temporarily turn snapping off.

7. To finish the sketch and create the feature, click Finish , or press F2.

Two-Point Line

The Two-Point Line tool creates two-point single part line features. The sketch is automatically finished when you create the second vertex. You can click the arc tools on the construction toolbar and create two-point arcs.

1. If the current map does not contain a line feature layer, add it.
   1. On the View tab, click Catalog pane , and expand Databases .
   2. Expand the default database or the database containing your data.

      To create a line feature class, right-click the database, click New, and click Feature Class.

   3. Drag the feature class onto the map.

      A feature template with default settings is automatically generated for the new layer.

2. In the Features group, click Create .
3. Choose a template and type the feature attribute values.
   1. Click a line feature template.
   2. Click the active template button .
   3. Click Attributes and type the values you want to apply to the new feature.
4. Click 2-Point Line .
5. Click the map to create the first vertex, or right-click and specify an x,y location.
6. Move the pointer and click the map to create the second vertex, or right-click and the specify x,y,z coordinate location or distance and direction.

   The sketch is automatically finished and the feature is created.

Radial

The Radial tool creates a series of two-point radial lines originating from the same location. The first click establishes the origin, and subsequent clicks create the endpoints for each line and finish the current sketch.

1. If the current map does not contain a line feature layer, add it.
   1. On the View tab, click Catalog pane , and expand Databases .
   2. Expand the default database or the database containing your data.

      To create a line feature class, right-click the database, click New, and click Feature Class.

   3. Drag the feature class onto the map.

      A feature template with default settings is automatically generated for the new layer.

2. In the Features group, click Create .
3. Choose a template and type the feature attribute values.
   1. Click a line feature template.
   2. Click the active template button .
   3. Click Attributes and type the values you want to apply to the new feature.
4. Click Radial .
5. Click the map to create the first vertex, or right-click and specify an x,y location.
6. Move the pointer and click the map to create each subsequent two-point radial line or right-click and specify the x,y,z coordinate locations, or distance and directions for each end point.
7. To finish the sketch and create the radial features, click Finish , or press F2.

Freehand

The Freehand tool creates a free-form polyline feature by dragging the pointer across a map. All segments convert to Bézier curves when you finish the sketch.

1. In the Catalog pane, do one of the following to add the layer to your map:
   • Expand Databases , expand the database containing your data, and drag the feature class onto the map.
   • Right-click the default database and create a polyline feature class.

   Creating a feature class or dragging one onto a map adds the layer to the current map and creates a feature template with default settings.

2. In the Features group, click Create .
3. Choose a template and type the feature attribute values.
   1. Click a line feature template.
   2. Click the active template button .
   3. Click Attributes and type the values you want to apply to the new feature.
4. In the pane, click Freehand .
5. Click the map to create the first vertex, or right-click and specify an x,y location.
6. Move the pointer across the map to sketch the remaining geometry.

   Your current snap settings are temporarily turned off until you finish the sketch.

7. To finish the sketch and create the feature, click the map.

Note:

Polyline feature classes contain the vector geometry and descriptive attributes for the features you create.

• Polyline features consist of straight line segments, circular arcs, elliptical arcs, and Bézier curves created between vertices. You can create linear and curvilinear objects that have length but no area. Examples include water supply lines, roads, and streams.
• Multipart polyline features are used to store noncontiguous polylines as a single polyline feature with one set of attributes. For example, you can create a series of separate polylines as road segments and store them as a single roadway feature. You can create single part and multipart polyline features on the same layer.