Some Common but Rarely Taught ArcMap Operations

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I want to...

          export selected features to a new shapefile

check location/source of data layers

save relative path names

export a map as an image

create a new shapefile and digitize new features

Export selected features to a new shapefile:

  1. Select features you wish to export (if you select none, all features in that layer will be exported). For instance, if you had a layer in your map showing all U.S. states, but you wanted to create a new layer with only New England, you would use the select feature button select feature button to select the six New England states.
  2. Right click on the layer name in the Table of Contents and choose Data>Export Data. In our example, you would right click on the word "states" in the Table of Contents.
  3. In the Export Data dialog, give your layer an appropriate name, such as "New_Eng_States," and save it in an appropriate place.

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Check location/source of data layers:

Remember: An ArcMap document (mxd) does not store spatial or attribute data. It stores path names to your GIS data layers. A path name is the "address" of a file or folder on your computer, and includes the drive, folders, subfolders, and the file name.

To check the location of all data layers in a map, click on the Source tab at the bottom of the Table of Contents. The layers are listed under their paths and folder names.

To check the location/source of a specific layer, right click that layer in the Table of Contents and choose Properties. Click on the Source tab.

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Save relative path names:

  1. In ArcMap, choose File> Document Properties> Data Source Options. In the Data Source Options window, choose Store relative path names. Click OK.
  2. Save your map in your project folder.
  3. Now you can move the map by moving the entire project folder.

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Export a map as an image:

  1. Click File>Export Map
  2. In the Export Map dialog, give your image a name and location, choose the appropriate image type, and set the resolution of your image.
  3. For most applications, images should be 300dpi. For the web, your image should be 96 or 72 dpi.
  4. Set other options, as needed, and click Save

To create a new shapefile and digitize new features:

1. Open ArcCatalog.

2. Navigate to the folder in which you want to create the new point, line, or polygon shapefile.

3. In the selected folder, choose the Contents tab. Right click inside the folder and choose New>Shapefile. Give your new shapefile a name, choose the appropriate feature type (i.e. point, line or polygon), and click Edit to choose a coordinate system. Click OK.

4. Open ArcMap and add your basemap. Add your new EMPTY shapefile to your mapadd data button.

5. Be sure you have your Editor toolbar. If you don't see it, right click in the toolbar area and choose Editor. The toolbar will appear. If desired, move the toolbar to a convenient location.

6. To begin making new features, choose Editor>Start Editing. In the Start Editing menu, be sure to choose the appropriate folder, then click Start Editing. Click Editor again and choose snapping. Be sure that you are set to snap to Vertex of the XY data layer. Turning on snapping will ensure that the corners of new lines and polygons will fall exactly on the XY point locations. If you want the lines or polygons in your new layer to connect, turn on snapping for the new shapefile, as well.edit settings

 

 

 

edit options

7. Choose Editor>Options and under the General tab, set your snapping tolerance to 25 pixels. This will ensure that when your arrow is within 25 pixels of an XY vertex, the arrow will jump to that vertex. When you click, a new vertex will be added to your shapefile in that location.

8. Make sure your new shapefile is showing in the Target window, choose the Sketch Tool, and make sure your Task is set to Create New Feature.

edit tools

 

9. Now you are ready to begin creating new features. Click once in each location--in order--where a new vertex is desired. You will see the line or polygon take shape as you click. Double click the last vertex to complete the feature. Choose Editor>Save Edits. Repeat as needed to add more features to your new shapefile.

10. You may edit the attribute table of the new shapefile by adding fields and entering data (see ArcMap Help for more information on editing tables).

11. When you are finished editing your shapefile, choose Editor> Stop Editing

 

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