Specify a direction and distance

On the context menu for editing, Direction/Distance creates a vertex at a specified direction, at an angular pitch for z-enabled features, and at a distance measured from the previous vertex. This command is available when you create or resume editing a polyline or polygon feature.

Note:

When Ground to Grid is turned on, the direction values you enter are rotated and the distance values are scaled for the resulting geometry. When you create two-point COGO enabled lines, the direction and distance values you enter are stored with the feature in the Direction and Distance attribute fields, respectively.

To learn more, see Turn ground to grid on or off.

Direction and distance

Specifying a direction and distance adds a new segment to a polyline or polygon feature you're actively editing or creating. Unit options appear in the drop-down list. To remove the segment, click Undo or press Ctrl+Z.

1. On the Edit tab, in the Features group, click Create .

   The Create Features pane appears.

2. Click a polyline or polygon feature template.

   The template expands and displays feature construction tools.

3. Click Line or Polygon .
4. Create the first vertex using one of the following methods:
   • Click the map.
   • Right-click and click Absolute X,Y,Z , or press F6, type the values on the dialog box, and press Enter.
5. Press G, or right-click and click Direction/Distance .

   The Direction and Distance dialog box appears.

   

6. Type the 2D and 3D directional constraint in the format that's correct for the selected units, and press Enter.
   • Horizontal—The 2D planar direction
   • Pitch—The 3D angular pitch in the z-direction

     Note:

     This is available for z-enabled features only.

   The direction of the new segment locks to the specified horizontal direction and pitch.

7. Type the 2D planar distance in the format that's correct for the selected units and press Enter.

   The distance of the new segment locks to the specified value.

8. To remove the segment, click Undo or press Ctrl+Z.
9. To finish the feature, right-click and click Finish or press F2.

On-screen constraints

As an alternative to using a dialog box, you can turn on On-screen Constraints to add a new segment to a polyline or polygon feature you're actively editing or creating. The default direction constraint can be set to calculate your input value as a deflection angle or an absolute angle.

To learn more, see Turn On-screen constraints on or off.

1. On the Edit tab, in the Features group, click Create .

   The Create Features pane appears.

2. Click a polyline or polygon feature template.

   The template expands and displays feature construction tools.

3. Click Line or Polygon .
4. Create the first vertex using one of the following methods:
   • Click the map.
   • Right-click and click Absolute X,Y,Z , or press F6, type the values on the dialog box, and press Enter.
5. On the status bar at the bottom of the current map view, click On-screen Constraints and turn it on.

   On-screen on-screen controls appear on the map and update as you drag the pointer.

   

   Note:

   On-screen constraints use the default project units. You can change them on the Options dialog box. To learn more, see Add units of measure for editing.

6. Press the Tab key and type a direction or distance in the highlighted control, and press Enter.
7. Cycle through each control and type a value until the direction and distance are specified for the new segment.

   The new segment is added to the polyline or polygon feature you're actively editing or creating.

8. To remove the segment, click Undo or press Ctrl+Z.
9. To finish the feature, right-click and click Finish or press F2.