Cut a hole in a polygon feature

This topic contains three methods you can use to cut a hole in a polygon feature. The result is a multipart polygon feature with a component part representing a hole. These tools are available in the Modify Features pane.

Continue sketching the feature

The Continue Feature tool resumes constructing a feature and allows you to draw a hole part with tools on the construction toolbar.

To continue constructing a feature and draw a hole, complete the following steps:

1. Add your data and configure settings for editing.

   Confirm that the feature layer you are editing is editable, the coordinate system assigned to the active map is suitable for the type of edits you're performing, and snapping is configured to help you work efficiently and accurately.

2. On the ribbon, click the Edit tab. Click Modify in the Features group.

   Tip:

   To open the Modify Features pane and run the tool in a single step, click the Tools gallery drop-down arrow on the ribbon Edit tab and click Continue Feature tool in the Reshape section.

   The Modify Features pane appears.

3. Click the Continue Feature tool .

   To find the tool, expand Reshape, or type Cont in the Search text box.

   The Select tool automatically runs.

4. Select the polygon feature to which you are adding a hole.

   If you select more than one feature, right-click the feature in the pane's selection tree view and click Only Select This . To remove a feature from the selection, right-click it and click Unselect .

5. Sketch the part representing the hole inside the boundary of the selected polygon feature.
6. Right-click and click Finish or press the F2 key.
7. On the ribbon, click the Edit tab and click Save in the Manage Edits group.

Split the feature and delete the hole

The Split tool allows you to draw a closed shape representing a hole with tools on the construction toolbar and use it to split a feature. To show the resulting hole, move or delete the hole feature.

To cut a hole in a feature by splitting it with a nested closed shape, complete the following steps:

1. Add your data and configure settings for editing.

   Confirm that the feature layer you are editing is editable, the coordinate system assigned to the active map is suitable for the type of edits you're performing, and snapping is configured to help you work efficiently and accurately.

   Note:

   Confirm that Snap to sketch is enabled so you can snap to unfinished features. This allows you to snap to the first vertex of the cutting line when you sketch the shape representing the hole.

2. On the ribbon, click the Edit tab. Click Modify in the Features group.

   Tip:

   To open the Modify Features pane and run the tool in a single step, click the Tools gallery drop-down arrow on the ribbon Edit tab and click Split in the Divide section.

   Running this tool from the Tools gallery uses the tool method and settings last used since the application was opened. If the tool is run for the first time, the default tool method is used. Tool settings such as allowing the tool to run without a selection are saved with the project.

   The Modify Features pane appears.

3. Click Split .

   To find the tool, expand Divide, or type Split in the Search text box.

   The Select tool automatically runs.

4. Click the Interactive tab.
5. Uncheck the Allow splitting without a selection check box.
6. Select the polygon feature to which you are cutting a hole.

   If you select more than one feature, right-click the feature in the pane's selection tree view and click Only Select This . To remove a feature from the selection, right-click it and click Unselect .

7. Sketch the shape representing the hole inside the polygon feature boundary and snap the last segment to the first vertex to close the shape.
8. Click Finish , or press the F2 key.

   The polygon feature is split with the new geometry as a nested feature.

9. On the ribbon, click the Edit tab. Click the Select tool in the Selection group and select the nested feature representing the hole.
10. Press the Delete key or click Delete on the ribbon Edit tab in the Features group.

    Alternatively, right-click the map and click Delete or press Ctrl+D.

11. If the Delete warning dialog box appears, click Yes.
12. On the ribbon, click the Edit tab. Click Save in the Manage Edits group.

Clip the feature with another feature

The Clip tool allows you to clip a target feature with an overlapping feature representing a hole. To remove the area representing the hole, choose the Discard (Remainder) setting . The input feature is not deleted.

To cut a hole in a feature by clipping it with an overlapping feature, complete the following steps:

1. Add your data and configure settings for editing.

   Confirm that the feature layer you are editing is editable, the coordinate system assigned to the active map is suitable for the type of edits you're performing, and snapping is configured to help you work efficiently and accurately.

   Note:

   Confirm that map topology is turned off. This allows you to move the input feature away from the target feature and show the hole.

2. On the ribbon, click the Edit tab. In the Features group, click Modify .

   The Modify Features pane appears.

3. Click the Clip tool .

   To find the tool, expand Divide, or type Clip in the Search text box.

4. Uncheck the Clip all editable features check box.

   The Input Features and Target Features tabs appear in the pane.

5. Click the Input Features tab and select the overlapping feature representing the hole using the following steps:
   1. Click Select one or more points, lines, or polygons in the pane, and select the feature.

      To filter the selected feature in the pane tree view, right-click the feature and click Only Select This .

      The Selection Chip icon appears near the pointer.

   2. Click the Selection Chip drop-down arrow and choose the nested feature representing the hole.

   Note:

   If the Selection Chip icon does not appear near the pointer, enable the selection chip application setting.

6. Click the Target Features tab and select the feature to be clipped using the following steps:
   1. Click Select one or more points, lines, or polygons in the pane, and select the feature.

      To filter the selected feature in the pane tree view, right-click the feature and click Only Select This .

   2. Click the Selection Chip drop-down arrow that appears near the pointer and choose the nested feature representing the hole.

Tip:

Click Select Target Features to automatically select all features crossing the input feature on all editable layers.



7. Click the Buffer Distance box, and type a buffer distance of zero (0) if the input feature is a polygon feature.

   Type a buffer distance greater than zero (0) if the input feature is a line feature.

8. Choose Discard (Remainder) .
9. Click Clip.

   The clipped area defined by the input feature is removed from the target feature. The input feature is not deleted and is the current selection.

10. Click the Move tool in the Modify Features pane and drag the input feature away from the hole.

    Alternatively, delete the input feature, or turn off visibility for the input feature layer.