Edit feature vertices

The Edit Vertices tool Edit Vertices moves, adds, and deletes the vertices and segments that comprise a polyline or polygon feature. Adding a z-aware vertex preserves the angular pitch of a segment and assigns an interpolated z-value. This tool is available in the Modify Features pane.

The geometry properties table allows you to edit vertex x- and y-values, and z-values and m-values when they exist. To change the display units, click the coordinate display arrow at the bottom of a map or scene view.

To edit topological vertices, turn on map topology.

Edit vertices with the pointer

To move a vertex by dragging it, or to add or delete multiple vertices by clicking, click the corresponding tools on the edit vertices toolbar.

  1. On the Edit tab, turn off topology, choose your snapping preferences, and show the Modify Features pane.
    1. In the Manage Edits group, click the topology arrow and choose No Topology No Topology.
    2. In the Snapping group, click the Snapping drop-down menu List By Snapping and enable your snapping preferences.

      To temporarily turn snapping off while you edit a feature, press and hold the spacebar.

    3. In the Features group, click Modify Modify Features.
  2. Expand Reshape and click Vertices Edit Vertices.
  3. In the pane, click Select Active Select, and select a polyline or polygon feature.
    • To refine the selection, right-click a feature in the tree view, and click Unselect Clear Selected or Only Select This List By Selection.
      Context menu
  4. To move a vertex, click and drag it.
    • To select and drag multiple vertices in unison, press Ctrl+Shift and click each vertex.
    • To select and drag coincident vertices. click Select By Lasso Select By Lasso or another selection tool on the vertices toolbar and select the vertices.

    Lasso Select By Lasso

    Click, drag, and click the pointer again to create the segments of the selection boundary.

    Rectangle Edit Vertex Rectangle

    Click to create the first corner, drag, and click to create the opposite corner of the rectangular selection boundary.

    Circle Edit Vertex Circle

    Click to create the center point, drag, and click to create the circular selection boundary.

  5. To add, or delete a vertex, click the corresponding tool on the edit vertices toolbar.

    Vertices toolbar

    Add Add Vertex

    Adds a vertex with each click.

    Delete Delete Vertex

    Deletes the clicked vertex.

    Stretch Proportionately Stretch Proportionately

    Preserves the general shape of the selected feature by scaling segments proportionately when you move a vertex. This setting is turned off by default.

  6. To finish the feature, click Finish Finish, or press the F2 key.

Move or trim vertices

To move a vertex by a specified value or to trim vertices, right-click the vertex and click the corresponding command.

  1. On the Edit tab, turn off topology, choose your snapping preferences, and show the Modify Features pane.
    1. In the Manage Edits group, click the topology arrow and choose No Topology No Topology.
    2. In the Snapping group, click the Snapping drop-down menu List By Snapping and enable your snapping preferences.

      To temporarily turn snapping off while you edit a feature, press and hold the spacebar.

    3. In the Features group, click Modify Modify Features.
  2. Expand Reshape and click Vertices Edit Vertices.
  3. In the pane, click Select Active Select, and select a polyline or polygon feature.
    • To refine the selection, right-click a feature in the tree view, and click Unselect Clear Selected or Only Select This List By Selection.
      Context menu
  4. Hover over the vertex until the vertex pointer appears.
  5. Right-click the vertex, and click one of the following commands:

    Add Vertex Add

    Adds a vertex with the same x-, y-, z-, and m-values as the right-clicked vertex.

    Delete Vertex Close

    Deletes the right-clicked vertex.

    Move Delta XYZ

    Moves the right-clicked vertex by the specified x,y,z distances.

    Move To Absolute XYZ

    Moves the right-clicked vertex to the specified x,y,z location.

    Reverse Direction Reverse Direction

    Changes the direction of a line feature. The first vertex becomes the last vertex.

    Note:
    This tool is available only with polyline features. If a COGO direction exists, it is reversed by adding 180 degrees to the attribute value.

    Trim Before Trim Beginning To Vertex

    Deletes all vertices in a sketch from the start vertex to the right-clicked vertex.

    Trim After Trim End To Vertex

    Deletes all vertices in a sketch from the right-clicked vertex to the end vertex.

  6. To finish the feature, click Finish Finish, or press the F2 key.

Edit vertices in the pane

To add a vertex to the midpoint of a segment, or to a segment of a component part feature, right-click the vertex row in the geometry properties table in the tool pane.

  1. On the Edit tab, turn off map topology, choose your snapping preferences, and show the Modify Features pane.
    1. In the Manage Edits group, click the topology arrow and choose No Topology No Topology.
    2. In the Snapping group, click the Snapping drop-down menu List By Snapping and enable your snapping preferences.

      To temporarily turn snapping off while you edit a feature, press and hold the spacebar.

    3. In the Features group, click Modify Modify Features.
  2. Expand Reshape and click Vertices Edit Vertices.
  3. In the pane, click Select Active Select, and select a polyline or polygon feature.
    • To refine the selection, right-click a feature in the tree view, and click Unselect Clear Selected or Only Select This List By Selection.
      Context menu
  4. In the pane, in the geometry properties table, click a row for one of the vertices that defines the segment on which you want to add a vertex.
    • To change the display units in the table, click the coordinate display arrow at the bottom of the current map.
    Edit Vertices
  5. Right-click the row and click the corresponding command.

    Insert Before

    Adds a vertex to the midpoint of the segment before the selected vertex.

    Insert After

    Adds a vertex to the midpoint of the segment after the selected vertex.

    Part

    Edits vertices for the selected part.

    • Select All—Selects all vertices comprising the part feature.
    • Delete—Delete the part feature of which the vertices is a member.

    Delete

    Delete the selected vertex.

  6. To finish the feature, right-click and click Finish Finish, or press the F2 key.

Keyboard shortcuts

Edit vertices

Keyboard shortcutActionComment

T+hover

Show vertices within the snapping tolerance.

Flash a square at vertices that are within the current snapping tolerance of the pointer.

Ctrl+Shift+Click

Select multiple vertices.

Drag multiple segments in unison between the selected vertices.

A+click

Add a vertex Add Vertex.

Create a vertex where you click a segment.

D+click

Delete a vertex Delete Vertex.

Delete the clicked vertex.

H+drag

Edit the elevation.

Move a z-enabled vertex vertically and preserve its x,y coordinates. Hover over a control handle until the pointer becomes a vertex and drag the vertex. This shortcut is available in 3D scenes.

Ctrl+drag

Move a Bézier curve.

Move a Bézier curve and preserve its shape. Hover over a curve until the pointer becomes a segment, and drag the curve.

Ctrl+drag

Move a Bézier handle.

Move a Bézier control handle that can't otherwise be selected when it is coincident with another vertex. Hover over a control handle until the pointer becomes a vertex and drag the handle.

Ctrl+H

Move the z-value to the pointer.

Move the z-value for the selected vertex to the elevation of the pointer. The x- and y-values are preserved.

This is available only when stereoscopic mode is enabled.

Ctrl+G

Move the pointer z-value.

Move the pointer z-value to the elevation of the selected vertex.

This is available only when stereoscopic mode is enabled.

Keyboard shortcuts for the Edit Vertices tool

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