Configuring the z snapping environment

When you are creating features and modifying data, there are times when you want to be able to snap to the nearest vertex, edge, or endpoint to ensure that the feature's appearance or geometry is correct. Customarily, only x- and y-values are used to determine snapping behavior, but z-enabled features can also use snapping during an edit session. When a feature is snapped to an x,y position, the z-value for the position is set as the current z-value, which ensures that the newly created feature is coincident with the existing feature in all three dimensions.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap.
2. If necessary, load z-enabled data in the map.
3. On the main menu, click Customize > Toolbars > Production Editing.
4. If necessary, enable classic snapping on the Production Editing toolbar by clicking Production Editing > Use Classic Snapping.

   Note:

   To disable classic snapping, it is recommended that you click Production Editing > Use Classic Snapping on the Production Editing toolbar.

5. Click the Production Start Editing button on the Production Editing toolbar.
   Note:

   The Manage Features and Create Attributes, Update Attributes, or Metadata Attributes windows automatically appear when you start an edit session using the Production Start Editing tool.

   Tip:

   If the Create Attributes, Update Attributes, or Metadata Attributes window does not appear when you start an edit session, click the Show/Hide Attributes button on the Manage Features window.

6. On the Production Editing toolbar, click Production Editing > Snapping Window.

   The Snapping Environment window appears.

7. If necessary, dock the window in ArcMap.
8. Check the check boxes next to the layers you want to configure for snapping.

9. On the Production Editing toolbar, click Production Editing > Production Z Snapping Window.

   The Production Z Snapping window appears. The layers with options specified in the Snapping Environment window are available to choose.
10. Check the check boxes next to the layers with which you want to use snapping with z-values.
    Tip:

    You can refresh the layers available for z snapping by clicking Refresh on the Production Z Snapping window.