Changing the edit sketch vertex and segment symbols

You digitize a new line or polygon feature's shape by drawing an edit sketch, which is the underlying representation of the feature's geometry. As you sketch, you see a WYSIWYG preview with the actual symbology used for that template, with vertices symbolized as green and red squares.

If you are tracing features over a dark raster image, for example, you may want to change the colors so the sketch is easier to see. You can change the square boxes used to draw the vertices and the segment line connecting them. The selected vertex symbol is how a vertex appears when it is selected, such as when you draw a box around it with the Edit tool or check it in the Edit Sketch Properties window.

While the sketch is most commonly used for digitizing new features, it is also used when reshaping a feature, cutting a polygon, and so on. Changes you make to the edit sketch symbology are also reflected in those cases.

You can turn off the symbolized (WSIWYG) preview so a feature displays as a wireframe when moving it or sketching. Turning off the symbolized drawing may be useful when you are tracing over an aerial photograph or working with large outline symbols. If you turn off this setting, the sketch symbols specified on the Editing Options dialog box are used when working with edit sketches.

Steps:

1. Click the Editor menu and click Options.
2. Click the General tab.
3. If you want to turn off the symbolized preview of a feature and display only a wireframe when moving or sketching, uncheck Display symbolized feature.
4. Click the edit sketch symbol buttons and use the Symbol Selector dialog box to change the symbology used to display vertices and segments in an edit sketch.
5. Click OK.