1 November 2010

Creating and Editing Shapefiles in ArcMap 10 CREATING Creating a New Shapefile (Points, Polylines, and Polygons)

1. Open ArcCatalog 2. Highlight the folder that will contain your new shapefile. 3. Right-click on the folder and select New > Shapefile. 4. The Create New Shapefile dialog box opens.

a. Name the shapefile and select the feature type (Point, Poly, or Polygon) from the drop-down menu. b. Set the Spatial Reference (Projection/Datum) by clicking the Edit button. This opens the Spatial

Reference Properties dialog box. Below are two methods to set the spatial reference. 1. Choose Select > Projected Coordinate Systems > UTM folder > NAD1927 > NAD

1927 UTM Zone 11N.prj > click the Add button > click OK in the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box > click OK in the Create New Shapefile dialog box.

OR

2. Choose Import > navigate to your folder that contains data with the coordinate system already defined (preferably the DEM) > click on the dataset > click the Add button > click OK in the Spatial Reference Properties dialog box > click OK in the Create New Shapefile dialog box.

ADDING THE NEW SHAPEFILE TO THE ARCMAP PROJECT

1. Open your ArcMap project. 2. Add the new (empty) shapefile to your project by:

1. File > Add Data OR

2. Click-on the Add Data icon on the Standard Toolbar in ArcMap.

OR

3. Drag the file from Catalog to the Table of Contents of your ArcMap project

EDITING

STARTING, SAVING, AND STOPPING THE EDITING SESSION

1. Open the Editor Toolbar from Customize > Toolbars > Editor. 2. From the Editor drop-down menu select Start Editing. This opens the Start Editing dialog box. 3. Select the shapefile that you will be editing > Click OK to close the dialog box. 4. Save your edits during the edit session by selecting Save Edits from the drop-down menu on the editor

toolbar. 5. Stop the editing session by selecting Stop Editing from the drop-down menu on the editor toolbar. The Save

edits dialog box opens. Select Yes, No, or Cancel.

Note: It’s best to edit one shapefile at a time and remember to save your edits often.

2 November 2010

CREATE FEATURES DIALOG

The Create Features dialog box opens as a docked window on the left-hand side of the ArcMap project when you start editing. If the file that you wish to edit is not listed in the arranged templates you may need to create a new template. Click on the Organize Templates button. In the Organize Feature Templates dialog select the Layer you are editing, the left-hand side will list the templates for that layer. If it says “There are no templates to show.” Click on New Template, check the layers that you want to create templates for and click Finish. Close the Organize Feature Templates dialog. You can now proceed with editing your shape files.

EDITING POINT SHAPEFILES

Create a new point 1. Select the point layer in the Create Features dialog 2. Choose the Point Construction Tools 3. Click once to enter a point on your map.

Edit a point 1. Select the point layer in the Create Features dialog 2. Choose the Edit Tool (Arrow) on the Editor Toolbar. 3. Click on the point to modify. The point is now highlighted. 4. Hit the delete key to delete the point 5. Drag the point to a new location

Move a point to an X,Y location 1. Select the point layer in the Create Features dialog 2. Double-click the point you want to move. 3. Right-click on the point and select Move To… 4. Type the new coordinates in the dialog box. 5. Click anywhere on the map to complete move.

EDITING POLYLINE SHAPEFILES Create a new line

1. Select the Line layer in the Create Features dialog 2. Choose the Line Construction Tools 3. Click once to start the Line; click once to add each vertex; double-click to finish the line or right-click and

Finish Sketch.

Edit a line 1. Select the Line layer in the Create Features dialog 2. Choose the Edit Tool (Arrow) on the Editor Toolbar. 3. Double-click on the line to modify. The line is now highlighted with the vertices shown. 4. Hit the delete key to delete the line.

3 November 2010

5. Click and drag a vertex to a new location to move a vertex. 6. Right-click on the line to add a vertex. 7. Mouse-over and right-click on a vertex to delete the vertex. 8. Click somewhere on the map (not on the line) to deselect the line

Flip a polyline 1. Select the Line layer in the Create Features dialog 2. Choose the Edit Tool (Arrow) on the Editor Toolbar. 3. Click on the line to modify. The line is now highlighted with the vertices shown. 4. Right-click on the line and select Flip. 5. Click somewhere on the map (not on the line) to deselect the line.

EDITING POLYGON SHAPEFILES Create a new polygon

1. Single Polygon a. Select the polygon layer in the Create Features dialog b. Choose the Polygon Construction Tools c. Click once to start the polygon; click once to add each vertex; double-click to finish the polygon or

right-click and Finish Sketch.

2. Auto-Complete Polygons – When using the Auto-Complete Polygon tool, ArcMap automatically uses the shapes of the surrounding polygons in that layer to create the geometry for the new polygon.

a. Select the polygon layer in the Create Features dialog b. Choose the Auto Complete Polygon Construction Tools c. Click inside or on the boundary of the existing polygon to start the new polygon; click once to add

each vertex; double-click inside or on the boundary of an existing polygon to finish the polygon.

3. Clipped polygon (donut) a. Select the polygon layer in the Create Features dialog b. Choose the Polygon Construction Tools c. Click once to start the polygon; click once to add each vertex; double-click to finish the polygon or

right-click and Finish Sketch. d. Sketch another polygon inside the polygon you just created. The inside polygon should now be

highlighted. a. Editor Tool drop-down menu > Clip. The Clip dialog box opens > Choose discard the area that

intersects > Hit the delete key. The inside polygon should now be removed.

4. Polygon within a polygon a. Select the polygon layer in the Create Features dialog b. Choose the Polygon Construction Tools c. Click once to start the polygon; click once to add each vertex; double-click to finish the polygon or

right-click and Finish Sketch. d. Sketch another polygon inside the polygon you just created. The inside polygon should now be

highlighted. a. Editor Tool drop-down menu > Clip. The Clip dialog box opens > Choose Select Discard the area

that intersects. The two polygons are now two separate polygons.

4 November 2010

DEFINE PROJECTION Define the Projection

1. Click on the red toolbox button to start ArcToolbox 2. Data Management Tools > Projections and Transformations 3. Define Projection

a. Input Data: Drag the file from the TOC to this box, select from menu, or select via the browse button b. Coordinate System;

i. Either import the projection from one of our other shapefiles that you know has the same projection OR

ii. Select it from the list (Projected Coordinate System > UTM > NAD 1927 > NAD 1927 Zone 11N)

c. OK 4. Now you can input this file to any project and the spatial reference will be set correctly 5. Confirm the data is in the correct spot, if not there probably is an offset due to incorrect projection settings OR

1. Right-click the file in Catalog > Properties 2. Select the XY Coordinate System > Select

a. Either import the projection from another shapefile that you know has the same projection OR

b. Select it from the list c. OK