ArcMap Editor Toolbar

Primary tabs

Editing and the Editor Toolbar

Editing is the ability to create and change vector and tabular (table) data withing ArcMap. Data does not always exist or may not always correct, and the only way to make or fix it is with editing.

Editor Menu

Start Editing Begins an editing session. Once in an editing session, modifications to existing can be made. (Even with digitizing new data, it is still a modification to existing data since you created a new feature class before editing, then plan to populate it with editing. 

Stop Editing Stops the editing session. 

  • Stopping editing does not automatically save edits, but should provide you with a prompt to save or discard your edits.
  • Tools which are locked during editing will become available when editing is stopped.

Save Edits Note: Unlike some software, ArcGIS ‘undo’ will only go back to the last savenot the beginning of the software session. 

Merge... i.e. The State of Hawaii. All the islands are part of the state, but as a single part feature, each individual island will be a record in the attribute table. Merging them into a multipart feature will ‘light up’ all the islands when the record ‘Hawaii’ is selected in the attribute table. ArcGIS Help Article  

Snapping ►   Opens the Snapping toolbar. The Snapping toolbar controls to what (Point, Edge, Vertex, End) your cursor will snap when editing.

Edit Tool

  1. Used to select the feature you want to edit
  2. Any selectable feature is available to select. 
  3. When two or more features are selected when clicking, a selection drop down    will appear for you to choose one. 
  4. Not choosing selects the top most layer

Straight Segment

Used to create lines. Each click puts down one vertex, then connects a straight line to the next vertex clicked. 

Vertices will continue to be placed until you finish your sketch
  1. F2
  2. Right click and ‘Finish Sketch’
  3. Double-click

End Point Arc Segment

The ‘end point arc segment’ tool creates a curve between the two end vertices laid down.
  1. Click where the curve should start
  2. Click where the curve should end
    • The tool automatically starts curving between the two points as you move your mouse around
  3. To end sketch: Double click; right-click and choose “End Sketch”; press F2

Segment Creation Tools

A variety of line creation tools are available to digitize higher quality data.
Note: The tool visible next to the black dropdown arrow many vary as it shows the last tool from the mini-menu which was used.
LinecreationtoolsTrace Tool The Trace tool  Trace Tool  will run along any existing feature, creating a portion of polyline or polygon which is exactly coincident with the traced feature. 

Right Angle The Right Angle tool  Right Angle Tool  will digitize a right angle when three vertices are placed on the map. 

Midpoint The Midpoint    tool automatically places an additional vertex at the midpoint between two intentionally placed vertices. 

Bezier Curve Segment The Bezier Curve Segment tool   creates smooth curves utilizing “handles” that help establish the degree of the curve.

Edit Vertices

Editor Toolbar Edit Vertices

Edit Vertices is a tool that allows you to move or delete one or more existing vertices, as well as add new vertices to the feature. For example, if you have a road that is in the correct place, but the previous technician represented a pretty steep curve with just a few vertices, you can add a few more then move them into place to create the best line representation possible. 

Reshape Feature Tool

Editor Toolbar Reshape

Reshape Feature allows you to select a single feature and change a portion of it, for example, if you have a river that shows it is flowing right through a building and you can see in the imagery it actually flows to the south of that building, you can select that river and use the Reshape Feature tool to draw along the actual path to get people out of “harms way”.

Continue Feature Tool

Editor Toolbar Continue Feature

Cut Polygon Tool

Editor Toolbar Split Polygon

Split Tool

Editor Toolbar Split Tool

Rotate Tool

Editor Toolbar Rotate Tool

Attributes Window

Editor Toolbar Attributes

Sketch Properties

Editor Toolbar Sketch Properties
Once in ‘Edit Vertices’ mode, the sketch properties window can be opened with the ‘Sketch Properties’ button. You can mark off multiple vertices to delete whole parts of your feature class at once. See screenshot for more details Sketch Properties Sketchproperties

Create Features Window

Editor Toolbar Create Features Window
Toggles the ‘Create Features’ window on and off.

Use this button if you’ve X’d your window closed and it will not automatically appear when you begin an edit session.