Create polygon features

In the Create Features pane, feature templates for polygon layers include construction tools for creating single-part and multipart polygon features. Additional tools for creating specific segment geometry such as arcs or curves appear on the construction toolbar.

Tool settings include the ability to override default attribute values and automatic clipping of overlapping polygons. If the source feature class is z-aware, vertices are assigned z-values based on the current elevation input mode settings for 3D features.

Polygon

The Polygon tool creates polygons with multiple segments. Right-click to specify distance and direction values, override snapping agents, or apply geometric constraints.

1. If the current map does not contain a polygon 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 polygon 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. On the Edit tab, choose your snapping preferences, and show the Create Features pane.
   1. In the Snapping group, click the Snapping drop-down menu and enable your snapping preferences.
   2. In the Features group, click Create .
3. In the Create Features pane, click a polygon feature template, and click the Polygon construction tool .
4. To change the current tool settings, click the Active template button and click the corresponding tab.

   

   Attributes	Type values in the attribute fields to override the source default values.
   Polygon	Check Clip overlapping polygons to automatically clip overlapping polygons.

   • To reconfigure the template and save the settings, click Active Template Options , and click Properties .
5. Create the polygon feature by clicking and moving the pointer.
   • To create curvilinear segments, click the tool on the construction toolbar.

     

   • To type a direction or a distance value, right-click the map and click the command.
   • To modify a sketched vertex, right-click the vertex and click the command.
   • To modify a sketched segment, right-click the segment and click the command.
   • To finish the current sketch as part of a multipart feature and sketch another part, right-click and click Finish Part .
6. To finish the feature, right-click and click Finish , or press the F2 key.

Regular polygon

The Regular Polygon tool creates equilateral polygons at a specified center point and a specified radial circumscribed distance. The number of segments is a property of the tool.

1. If the current map does not contain a polygon 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 polygon 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. On the Edit tab, choose your snapping preferences, and show the Create Features pane.
   1. In the Snapping group, click the Snapping drop-down menu and enable your snapping preferences.
   2. In the Features group, click Create .
3. In the Create Features pane, click a polygon feature template, and click Regular Polygon .
4. To change the current tool settings, click the Active template button and click the corresponding tab.

   Attributes	Type values in the attribute fields to override the source default values.
   Regular Polygon	In the Sides box, specify the number of sides of the polygon. Check Clip overlapping polygons to automatically clip overlapping polygons.

   • To reconfigure the template and save the settings, click Active Template Options , and click Properties .
5. Create the polygon.
   1. Click the map to create the center point.
   2. Move the pointer to specify the size and rotation angle.

      To type the direction and distance, right-click the map.

6. Press Esc to exit the tool and hide the construction toolbar.

Freehand

The Freehand tool creates a free-form polygon with the pointer. When you finish the sketch, all segments are converted to Bézier curves.

1. If the current map does not contain a polygon 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 polygon 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. On the Edit tab, in the Features group, click Create .
3. In the Create Features pane, click a polygon feature template, and click Freehand .

   If snapping is turned on, it is temporarily disabled until you finish the feature.

4. To change the current tool settings, click the Active template button and click the corresponding tab.

   Attributes	Type values in the attribute fields to override the source default values.
   Freehand .	Check Clip overlapping polygons to automatically clip overlapping polygons.

   • To reconfigure the template and save the settings, click Active Template Options , and click Properties .
5. Click the map, drag the pointer, and create the feature.
6. To finish the feature, click the map.

   Finish runs automatically and segments are converted to Bézier curves.

Note:

Polygon feature classes contain the vector geometry of a feature and its descriptive attributes. When you create new polygon features, consider the following:

• Polygon features are fully enclosed areas bound by straight line segments, circular arcs, elliptical arcs, and Bézier curves created between vertices. You can create objects that have closed planar regions. Examples include lakes, vegetation boundaries, and building footprints.
• Multipart polygon features are used to store one or more polygons as a single polygon feature with one set of attributes. For example, you can create a series of noncontiguous island polygons and store them as one island feature. You can create single part and multipart features on the same layer.