Generalize shared edges

The Smooth Shared Edges tool and the Simplify Shared Edges tool generalize the edges of the input features while maintaining the topological relationship with edges shared with other features.

Smooth shared edges

The Smooth Shared Edges tool smooths the edges of the input features while modifying the Input Features and Shared Edge Features parameter values. It does not produce new output feature classes. Smoothing is applied to all input feature edges and only shared edge feature edges that share an edge with any input feature edges. Shared edge feature edges that do not share an edge with at least one input feature’s edge are not smoothed.

1. On the Analysis tab, click Tools.
2. In the Geoprocessing pane, click Toolboxes if necessary.
3. Browse to Cartography Tools > Generalization and click the Smooth Shared Edges tool.
4. Set the Input Features parameter to the lines or polygons to be smoothed.
5. Click the Smoothing Algorithm drop-down arrow and choose a smoothing algorithm.
6. If you choose the Polynomial Approximation with Exponential Kernel (PAEK) smoothing algorithm, for the Smoothing Tolerance parameter, specify the input and unit of input.

   Note:

   The Smoothing Tolerance parameter does not appear on the tool dialog box when Bezier Interpolation is chosen.

7. Optionally, for the Shared Edge Features parameter, select the line or polygon features that will be smoothed along edges with shared input features.
8. Optionally, for the Input Barrier Layers parameter, select the point, line, or polygon features that act as barriers for smoothing.

   The smoothed features will not touch or cross barrier features.

Simplify shared edges

The Simplify Shared Edges tool simplifies the edges of input features while using different simplification algorithms for different purposes.

Learn more about these algorithms

This tool modifies the Input Features and Shared Edge Features parameter values. It does not produce new output. Simplification is applied to all input feature edges and only shared edge feature edges that share an edge with any input feature edges. Features that do not share an edge with an input feature are not simplified.

1. On the Analysis tab, click Tools.
2. In the Geoprocessing pane, click Toolboxes if necessary.
3. Browse to Cartography Tools > Generalization, and click the Simplify Shared Edges tool.
4. Set the Input Features parameter to the lines or the polygons to be simplified.
5. For the Simplification Algorithm parameter, choose a simplification algorithm.
6. For the Simplification Tolerance parameter, specify the input and unit of input.
7. Optionally, for the Shared Edge Features parameter, select the line or polygon features that will be simplified along edges that are shared with input features.
8. Optionally, for the Input Barrier Layers parameter, select the point, line, or polygon features that act as barriers for simplification.

   The simplified features will not touch or cross barrier features.