Creating features using raster snapping and the editing feature construction tools

You can use the Create Features window construction tools and Editor toolbar sketch construction methods tool to generate features to trace rasters and create features. This process relies on appropriate raster snapping settings to ensure that you create features along the centerlines of the raster linear elements.

In addition to snapping to centerlines, you can snap to intersections, corners, ends, and solids. Using the Line or Polygon construction tools, you can control where vertices are created by clicking at desired locations. To ensure accurate tracing, you should increase the number of vertices for curved raster linear elements.

It is recommended that you start creating polygon features at intersections when possible. Since intersections have the highest trace priority, this ensures that the start and end points share the same coordinates.

Tip:

Enable the Show SnapTips option to display to which raster snap property your cursor is snapped. Click the Editor menu, point to Snapping, and click Options to change those settings.

Steps:

1. These steps can be used to create lines or polygons:
   • To create lines, click a line feature template in the Create Features window.
   • To create polygons, click a polygon feature template in the Create Features window.
2. Snap to a location in the raster layer.
3. Click to start creating a sketch or a point feature.
4. Click at locations where you want to create sketch vertices or additional point features.
5. When you reach the final destination, for line or polygon features, press F2 to finish the sketch.