Connect TIN nodes

Available with 3D Analyst license.

The Connect Nodes tool on the TIN Editor interactively connects two nodes with a breakline.

The breakline obtains its start and end heights from the TIN nodes. The Connect Nodes interactive tool is useful when you want to override the existing triangulation and enforce a linear feature on the surface. The benefit of using the Connect Nodes tool is that the enforcement as a breakline ensures that subsequent edits in the nearby vicinity do not undo the change.

When connecting two nodes with a breakline, it is helpful to have the current breaklines and nodes drawn. Select the TIN in the Contents pane and click the TIN Layer tab set. Then, click the Symbology button to open the Symbology pane. In the Symbology pane, click the edges button . Check the Draw using check box and click Edge Type from the drop-down list to turn on the breaklines. In the Symbology pane, click the points button . Check the Draw using check box, and click Simple from the drop-down list to turn on the nodes.

To connect two nodes, follow the steps outlined below.

1. In the Contents pane, select the TIN layer you want to edit.
2. Click the Data tab from the TIN Layer tab set.
3. Click the TIN Editor button .
4. Click the Connect Nodes button .

   The Connect TIN Nodes dialog box appears.

   

5. From the Connect TIN Nodes dialog box, choose either Hard or Soft as the edge type.

   Hard and soft qualifiers for line and polygon feature types are used to indicate whether a distinct break in slope occurs on the surface at their location. A hard line is a distinct break in slope, while a soft line is represented on the surface as a more gradual change in slope.

6. To connect two nodes, click the first node to select it.

   The pointer's position displays as a highlighted point snapping to the closest node. A graphic line displays and snaps to the closest valid node relative to the pointer's current position. This helps visually ensure that the connection is what you want before you click a second time.

7. Move the pointer to the target node and click the second node to select it. .

   A breakline will be drawn to connect the two nodes

8. Click the Save button to save the edits to the current TIN being edited or click the Discard button to discard all unsaved edits. To create a copy of the TIN with the current edits applied, click the Save As New TIN button .

   Once the TIN has been saved, all edits become permanent and cannot be undone.

9. Click the Close TIN Editor button to close the TIN Editor when edits are completed.