The Network Identify tool

The Network Identify tool , which is on the Network Analyst toolbar, can be used in ArcMap to inspect network elements and attributes of a network dataset layer in the map display. When the tool is active and you click on a network element, the Network Identify dialog box opens.

The Network Identify dialog box is made up of three panels: the top left panel is the element list, the panel on the right is the attributes list, and the bottom left panel is the connected elements list.

The Network Identify dialog box is composed of three panels:

• The top left panel contains the elements list. This list is grouped by element type—junctions, edges, and turns. Each element in the elements list is represented by the elementID and the source feature class to which it belongs.
• The right-side panel displays the attributes list for the element selected in the elements list. For edges, two sets of attributes (one for each direction) are displayed—the name of the attribute, the value along the digitized direction for an edge, and the value against the digitized direction for an edge. For junction elements, the values are reported in the second column. Also, the source name of the element is displayed in the second column at the top of the list.
• The bottom left panel displays the connected elements list for the element selected in the elements list. For a selected edge element, the connected elements list displays the two junctions connected by it and the adjacent edge elements it connects via the two junctions previously mentioned.

The following subsections describe tasks you can perform with the Network Identify tool.

Identifying network elements in the map display

Steps:

1. Add a network dataset to ArcMap if you don't already have a network dataset layer available in the table of contents.

   Learn more about adding network dataset layers to ArcMap

2. Make sure the network dataset layer is checked in the table of contents.

   If the network dataset layer is not visible, you won't be able to access the tool.

3. If the Network Analyst toolbar is not already present, click Customize > Toolbars > Network Analyst.

   The Network Analyst toolbar is added to ArcMap.

4. Click the Network Identify tool on the Network Analyst toolbar.
5. Click a network element in the map display.

   The Network Identify dialog box opens with information related to the element you clicked.

Identifying network elements in the elements list

When more than one network element is within a search tolerance of where you click on the map using the Network Identify tool, the Network Identify dialog box displays information about the nearest element and lists all the other elements within the search tolerance.

The following steps show how to identify the other elements that were discovered by the Network Identify tool.

Steps:

1. Identify a network element in ArcMap using the Network Identify tool .

   Clicking with the Network Identify tool on or near an element opens the Network Identify dialog box. In this example, four edges are listed in the top left panel of the dialog box, since they were within the search tolerance of the tool.

2. Expand the element type group, such as Junctions or Edges, that you want to inspect.
3. Click an element in the group.

   The element flashes on the map. If the selected element is an edge element, the digitized direction is displayed with an arrow when the element flashes.

   When the element is selected in the top left panel of the Network Identify dialog box, its attributes and connected elements will be displayed on the other panels of the dialog box.

Identifying connected network elements

You can identify an element that is connected to the currently-identified element by following the next set of steps.

Steps:

1. Identify a network element in ArcMap using the Network Identify tool .

   The Network Identify dialog box opens.

The lower left side panel of the Network Identify dialog box lists elements that are connected to the selected element in the upper right side panel.
2. Click an element on the lower left panel.

   When the connected element is selected, it will flash on the map. In addition, the attributes list on the right side of the dialog box displays the attributes of the selected, connected element.

Tip:

By double-clicking a connected element on the Network Identify dialog box, it is added to the elements list.

Viewing the elements connected to a network element

Steps:

1. Identify a network element in ArcMap using the Network Identify tool .

   The Network Identify dialog box opens.

2. In the connected elements list (lower left side panel), click Junctions to flash all junctions on the map or click Adjacent Edges to flash all adjacent edges.

Zooming to a network element

Steps:

1. Identify a network element in ArcMap using the Network Identify tool .

   The Network Identify dialog box opens.

2. Right-click a network element in either the elements list (upper left panel) or the connected elements list (bottom left panel) and click Zoom To.

   The map display zooms to the network element.

Adding a connected element to the elements list

You can inspect and temporarily add network elements to the elements list. This is useful, for example, if you want to trace a path along a network using the Network Identify tool.

Steps:

1. Identify a network element in ArcMap using the Network Identify tool .

   The Network Identify dialog box opens.

2. Click an element in the elements list to flash it on the map and verify that you have chosen the correct element.

   If you don't see any elements in the elements list, double-click Junctions or Adjacent Edges to expose any hidden elements.

3. Double-click an element to add it to the elements list.

Removing a network element from the element list

Steps:

1. Identify a network element in ArcMap using the Network Identify tool .

   The Network Identify dialog box opens.

2. Expand the element type group, such as Junctions or Edges.
3. In the list of elements, right-click an element and click Remove.

   In the following example, edge 2820 is removed from the element list:

The selected element is removed from the Network Identify dialog box. The actual network element, with all its attributes, is not affected.