Modify Features tool reference

The Modify Features pane Modify Features 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.

NameDescription

Align Edge 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 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 Edit 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 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 Move To

Moves features to a new coordinate location or by an offset distance you specify with x,y and z values.

Rotate Rotate

Rotates features about an anchor point.

Scale Scale

Resizes features about an anchor point.

Transform 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.

Alignment tools

Attributes

The attribute tools modify existing feature attribute values.

NameDescription

Sequential Numbering 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 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.

Attribute tools

COGO

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

NameDescription

Traverse Traverse

Creates a sequence of two-point parcel boundary lines that are defined by entering a set of dimensions.

Update COGO Update Attributes

Updates the direction and distance attributes of a COGO-enabled line feature to match the selected feature geometry.

Cul-de-sac 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 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.

COGO tools

Construct

The construct tools create new features from existing features.

NameDescription

Array 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

Construct tools

Divide

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

NameDescription

Clip 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 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 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 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 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 Split

Divides a line or a polygon feature into two or more features using a sketched line or a selection of features as input.

Divide tools

Reshape

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

NameDescription

Continue Feature Continue Feature

Resumes editing a polyline, polygon, or multipart feature.

Extend or Trim 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 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 Generalize Polyline

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 Texture Multipatch

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 Split at 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 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 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 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 Edit 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.

Reshape tools

Routes

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

NameDescription

Make Route 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 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 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.

Attribute tools

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.

NameDescription

Error Inspector Error Inspector

Shows a table viewer that allows you to find, sort, and fix geodatabase topology errors.

Validate All Validate Extent

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 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 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.

Validate tools

Related topics