Modify Features tool reference

The Modify Features pane contains editing tools that modify existing features. Most tools edit features using the pointer. Other tools specify parameters and modify features when you click a button. This pane is available on the ribbon Edit tab, in the Features group.

Editing tools that modify existing features are listed in the following sections:

Alignment

The alignment tools change the position or alignment of features.

Alignment tools

Name	Description
Align Edge	Closes gaps between adjacent polyline or polygon features using map topology. Vertices are added or deleted to create a coincident edge or edges with the adjacent feature.
Align Features	Closes gaps between adjacent polyline or polygon features using a traced line and a buffer tolerance. Vertices are added or deleted to create a coincident edge with the traced feature.
Annotation	Edits the text string of an annotation feature inside a selection bounding box. You can move, scale, and rotate the feature by dragging it. The context menu includes commands to add a leader, stack and unstack text, convert text to multiple or single part annotation, change baseline curvature, and follow the boundary of a polygon or polyline feature.
Move	Moves features to a new location. When you enable map topology the following tabs appear: Features mode moves finished features. Edges mode moves feature topology edges.
Move To	Moves features to a new coordinate location or by an offset distance you specify with x,y and z values.
Rotate	Rotates features about an anchor point.
Scale	Resizes features about an anchor point.
Transform	Shifts, scales, and rotates features based on the direction and distance of two or more from-to displacement links you create in the map.

Attributes

The attribute tools modify existing feature attribute values.

Attribute tools

Name	Description
Sequential Numbering	Applies an incremented attribute value in sequential order to a specified field name for each point, polyline, or polygon feature crossing a drawn line. You can specify a number format with a prefix and a suffix, and pad leading zeros.
Transfer Attributes	Copies feature attributes from selected features on a source layer to selected features on a target layer. The target and source field name mapping is defined in the Editor Settings dialog box.

COGO

The COGO tools create and modify parcel related features and attribute values.

COGO tools

Name	Description
Traverse	Creates a sequence of two-point parcel boundary lines that are defined by entering a set of dimensions.
Update COGO	Updates the direction and distance attributes of a COGO-enabled line feature to match the selected feature geometry.
Cul-de-sac	Creates cul-de-sac geometry that is aligned with a selected line feature representing the centerline of a road. You specify the street width, a radius value for the cul-de-sac, and a radius value for the two return curves.
Split Into COGO Lines	Creates two-point COGO lines and arcs from selected line features. The feature is split at each vertex. You can preserve or modify the selected features and preserve, update, or overwrite existing COGO attribute values.

Construct

The construct tools create new features from existing features.

Construct tools

Name	Description
Array	Creates multiple copies of selected 2D and 3D features and distributes them in a rectangular array specified as rows, columns and levels. You can copy point, line, polygon, and multipatch features.
Buffer	Creates polyline or polygon buffer features around selected features at a specified offset distance. The destination layer is specified by choosing a feature template. When you create buffers around two or more features, select Dissolve to merge the resulting buffers into one nonoverlapping buffer.
Copy Parallel	Creates new polyline features that are parallel or concentric to existing polyline features at a specified offset distance. You can create new features on one side or both sides of the selected features.
Construct Polygons	Creates new polygon features from polyline features for each closed boundary you select in a map. You can specify the layer on which the new polygon features are generated. Note: Not available in 3D scenes. License: Available with Standard or Advanced license.
Duplicate Vertical	Copies multipatch and z-enabled features vertically, constrained to the z-axis of your data. You specify the vertical distance you want to maintain between each duplicate feature and how many features you want to create.
Construct Geodetic	Creates spatially accurate and geodetically correct densified line and polygon features. You can create geodesic lines, loxodromes, great elliptic paths, geodesic circles, and geodesic ellipses.
Mirror	Create a mirror copy of a feature. The new feature can be flipped orthogonal to other features or the editing grid, or across a two-point line you draw on the map.
Merge	Merges a polyline or polygon feature with an existing feature. You can remove the original features or keep them and create a new feature. The selected features must exist on the same layer.
Offset	Creates features at specified distances along a line at a specified perpendicular offset from the line. You can draw or trace the construction line, or select an existing line feature. Note: This tool is intended for parcel workflows that create point and line features measured from the start of a line using station and offset measurements that are recorded on survey or engineering documents. Other possible uses of this tool include creating parking stall line features.

Divide

The divide tools split features into one or more new features.

Divide tools

Name	Description
Clip	Splits visible features that intersect a selected feature. You can choose to preserve or delete features inside or outside the clip area, or keep all features. The buffer distance defines the extent of the clipping area around the selected feature. Note: Not available in 3D scenes.
Divide	Contains methods for dividing a polyline or polygon feature into multiple features. A polygon can be divided into proportional or equal areas, or equal widths. A polyline can be divided into equal or varying distances, or a percentage of the total length.
Explode	Separates the component parts of a multipart feature into single-part features with attribute values that match the original multipart feature. You can separate all component parts at one time or separate individual parts by clicking them.
Planarize	Splits overlapping polyline features on the same layer into individual segments at each intersection and deletes any coincident line segments. License: Available with Standard or Advanced license.
Slice Multipatch	Splits a multipatch feature at a specified location using a horizontal or a vertical cutting plane. You can choose to keep the features as they are or automatically generate the resulting missing faces and create closed features. This tool is available only with Local and Global scenes.
Split	Divides a line or a polygon feature into two or more features using a sketched line or a selection of features as input.

Reshape

The reshape tools modify or replace the geometry of a feature.

Reshape tools

Name	Description
Continue Feature	Resumes editing a polyline, polygon, or multipart feature.
Extend or Trim	Extends or trims polyline features where they cross a boundary of another feature. You select the segment you want to modify and click the boundary of the other feature. Note: Not available in 3D scenes.
Fillet	Creates a circular arc that is tangent between two segments and trims or extends the two connecting segments. You can drag and size the radius dynamically or type a fixed radial distance. Note: Not available in 3D scenes.
Generalize	Contains several methods that reduce the complexity of a line or a polygon feature while retaining its basic shape. They can help you simplify features for display at smaller scales or standardize a dataset to a more uniform scale resolution. Note: Not available in 3D scenes.
Multipatch Texture	Applies a color or an image file as a texture to one or more faces of a multipatch feature. Textures are saved with the multipatch feature.
Line Intersection	splits straight and curved line features where they intersect, and extends short segments to an inferred intersection. Note: Not available in 3D scenes.
Replace Geometry	Replaces all geometry for a polyline or polygon feature with new geometry you create in the map. This workflow preserves the attribute values of the original feature.
Replace Multipatch	Replaces an existing multipatch feature in a scene with a 3D model from your file system at its insertion point. The insertion point is located at the base centroid of the model extent.
Reshape	Replaces a portion of a feature boundary with new geometry where it intersects the feature in two places. The attributes values remain unchanged. When you enable map topology the following tabs appear: Features mode edits feature geometry. Edges mode edits features constrained as topology edges and nodes.
Vertices	Edits the vertices and segments that comprise a polygon or polyline feature. When you enable map topology the following tabs appear: Features mode edits feature geometry. Edges mode edits features constrained as topology edges and nodes.

Routes

The route tools create and calibrate m-aware route features used by linear referencing systems (LRS).

Attribute tools

Name	Description
Make Route	Creates a route from selected line features. You can specify the start point, the target feature layer, the method by which m-values are obtained, and a multiplier if you need to convert units.
Calibrate Route	Recalculates route measures using two or more specified calibration points. You can calibrate whole or partial routes and interpolate the calibration points, extrapolate before or after the calibration points, or use any combination of these methods.
Merge	Shows an optional setting to preserve polyline m-aware features that intersect or share coincident paths, making it possible to create a complex route feature from two or more simple routes.

Validate

The validation tools validate and fix geodatabase topology. They appear on the Error Inspector toolbar. They are also available in the Modify Features pane when you enable a geodatabase topology rule on the Edit tab.

Validate tools

Name	Description
Error Inspector	Shows a table viewer that allows you to find, sort, and fix geodatabase topology errors.
Validate All	Identifies topology errors in the active map. Feature geometry that violates the rule or rules are identified and symbolized in the Contents pane as errors on separate topology layers. License: Available with Standard or Advanced license.
Validate Area	Drag a box around the area you want to validate. The features that fall within the bounding box are validated. License: Available with Standard or Advanced license.
Validate Extent	Identifies topology errors in the active map extent. Feature geometry that violates the rule or rules are identified and symbolized in the Contents pane as errors on separate topology layers. License: Available with Standard or Advanced license.
Fix Error	When you click a topology error in a map, a context menu appears near the pointer listing predefined fixes you can apply to the feature. License: Available with Standard or Advanced license.