Divide a polyline by a value

Divide Divide divides a selected polyline feature into multiple features comprising a single distance, multiple equal distances, varying distances, or a percentage of the total length. This tool is available in the Modify Features pane.

  • Dividing a z-enabled feature adds vertices with interpolated z-values and preserves the angular pitch of the split segments in 3D space.
  • Attribute values from the original feature are copied to the new features. Attributes constrained by attribute domains are determined by the domain split policy defined by the source geodatabase.

Specify distances

Distance Distance divides a selected polyline feature into new polylines at specified distances.

Note:

When ground to grid corrections is turned on, the width values you enter are scaled for the resulting polyline widths.

  • If the lines are COGO enabled, the distance values you enter are stored with the resulting divisions in the Distance attribute field.
  • If you choose to distribute the remaining length equally or proportionally among the divisions, ground to grid scale correction is ignored and the distribution method determines the resulting geometry lengths.
  1. On the ribbon, click the Edit tab. In the Features group, click Modify Modify Features.
  2. In the Modify Features pane, expand Divide and click Divide Divide.
  3. In the pane, click the Select tool Active Select and select a singlepart polyline feature.

    Methods for dividing the feature appear in the Method section when a single polyline feature is selected.

  4. If you select more than one feature, refine the selection in the pane to a single feature.
    • To select a single feature, double-click the feature you want to keep, or right-click it and click Only Select This List By Selection.
    • To remove a feature from a selection, right-click it and click Unselect Clear Selected.
    Context menu
  5. Check or uncheck Show Preview.

    Checked

    Preview the new polylines on-screen before modifying the feature.

    Unchecked

    Modify the feature and do not show a preview.

  6. In the Method section, click Distance Distance.

    The total length of the selected feature is reported at the bottom of the pane. Additional information about the resulting new polylines updates as you type values for each parameter.

  7. In the Direction section, choose the direction from which to measure the values and divide the feature.

    From start of line From start

    Divide the feature starting from the first point of the polyline.

    From end of line From end

    Divide the feature starting from the last point of the polyline.

  8. In the Values section, click a distance tab, click the first row, and type a distance value. The tabs and additional parameters are described in the following table.

    Single Distance Single Distance

    Divide the feature at a specified distance.

    Equal Distances Equal Distances

    Divide the feature into a specified number of new polylines containing the specified length.

    • Check Distribute remaining length equally to distribute the remaining length equally to each feature. By default, the last line feature contains the remaining length.

    Varying Distances Varying Distances

    Divide the feature into new polylines at the specified length for each new feature.

    • Click Click to add new row for each additional polyline.
    • Check Distribute remaining length proportionally to distribute the remaining length among the line features based on their length relative to the sum total of your keyed-in distances. Longer features receive a greater portion.
    Note:

    Each keyed-in length is divided by the sum total of all keyed-in lengths. The resulting ratios are used to determine how the remaining length is distributed to the corresponding geometry lengths.

  9. Click Divide.

Specify equal parts

Equal Parts Equal Parts divides a selected polyline feature into a specified number of polylines. The length of each new polyline is calculated by the tool.

  1. On the ribbon, click the Edit tab. In the Features group, click Modify Modify Features.
  2. In the Modify Features pane, expand Divide and click Divide Divide.
  3. In the pane, click the Select tool Active Select and select a singlepart polyline feature.

    Methods for dividing the feature appear in the Method section when a single polyline feature is selected.

  4. If you select more than one feature, refine the selection in the pane to a single feature.
    • To select a single feature, double-click the feature you want to keep, or right-click it and click Only Select This List By Selection.
    • To remove a feature from a selection, right-click it and click Unselect Clear Selected.
    Context menu
  5. Check or uncheck Show Preview.

    Checked

    Preview the new polylines on-screen before modifying the feature.

    Unchecked

    Modify the feature and do not show a preview.

  6. In the Method section, click Equal Parts Equal Parts.
  7. Click the Number of parts arrow and increment or decrement the number of polygons you want to create.

    Alternatively, click the box, clear the contents, and type a value.

  8. Click Divide.

Specify a percentage

Percentage Percentage divides a selected polyline feature into two polylines. The length of the first polyline equals the specified percentage of the total length. The remaining length is applied to the second feature.

  1. On the ribbon, click the Edit tab. In the Features group, click Modify Modify Features.
  2. In the Modify Features pane, expand Divide and click Divide Divide.
  3. In the pane, click the Select tool Active Select and select a singlepart polyline feature.

    Methods for dividing the feature appear in the Method section when a single polyline feature is selected.

  4. If you select more than one feature, refine the selection in the pane to a single feature.
    • To select a single feature, double-click the feature you want to keep, or right-click it and click Only Select This List By Selection.
    • To remove a feature from a selection, right-click it and click Unselect Clear Selected.
    Context menu
  5. Check or uncheck Show Preview.

    Checked

    Preview the new polylines on-screen before modifying the feature.

    Unchecked

    Modify the feature and do not show a preview.

  6. In the Method section, click Percentage Percentage.
  7. In the Direction section, choose the direction from which to measure the values and divide the feature.

    From start of line From start

    Divide the feature starting from the first point of the polyline.

    From end of line From end

    Divide the feature starting from the last point of the polyline.

  8. Click the Percentage arrow and increment or decrement the percentage of the total length of the polyline feature you want the new feature to contain.

    Alternatively, click the box, clear the contents, and type a value.

  9. Click Divide.