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Creating Feature Datasets (vector data). ESRM 250/CFR 520 Autumn 2009 Phil Hurvitz. Overview. Unioning polygons Merging polygons Intersecting polygons Clipping polygons Adding attributes Undoing edits Saving edits. Digitizing Creating vector data sets Converting to feature class
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Creating Feature Datasets(vector data) ESRM 250/CFR 520Autumn 2009 Phil Hurvitz 2
Overview • Unioning polygons • Merging polygons • Intersecting polygons • Clipping polygons • Adding attributes • Undoing edits • Saving edits • Digitizing • Creating vector data sets • Converting to feature class • Creating new datasets • Snapping • Altering the shape of lines and polygons • Splitting features
tedious & detail-oriented work Digitizing • most common “legacy” method of getting data into a GIS
y = 10 operatorclicks on or traces features x = 5 Digitizing tablet • How the digitizing tablet works coordinates are placed in database
Creating vector data sets • ArcGIS supports creation & editing of vector data sets (shapefile & geodatabase = “feature class”) • Point • Line • Polygon • Data sets are completely editable • Coordinate data • Attribute data
CAD data Converting to feature class • Any supported vector data set can be converted to feature class
Converting to feature class • Any supported vector data set can be converted to feature class shapefile or gdb feature class
Converting to feature class • Selected sets are converted
select feature type Creating new datasets • New datasets can be created from scratch in ArcCatalog • decide in advance what feature type to represent the data
Creating new datasets • New datasets can be created from scratch in ArcCatalog • specify coordinate system
Creating new datasets: “heads-up” digitizing • Done completely on computer (no digitizing tablet), hence the term “heads-up”
Creating new datasets • Create a road layer using a photo background
Creating new datasets • New features can be created from tracing existing selected features
Snapping • Snapping controls: • how features align during creation/editing • connections of lines (node placement) • completion of polygons • avoid overshoots/undershoots • avoid slivers or gaps
Snapping • Snapping behavior controlled by the Snapping Environment dialog
Snapping options • Interactive snapping options • Snap to an existing vertex • Snap to an existing line segment or polygon edge • Snap to an intersection of two or more lines • Snap to an existing line endpoint • Snapping can be layer-to-layer
Snapping • Helps avoid these errors J. Lawler
Altering the shape of lines and polygons • Topological editing: shared edges are all affected by edits
Altering the shape of lines and polygons • Non-topological editing: only a single feature is edited
Splitting (cutting) polygons • Polygons are split by a user-defined line
Splitting lines • Lines are split at a specified location
Splitting features • Geodatabase splitting policies • Attributes are handled by policies • Duplicate: values in new records are copied from the parent record • Geometry property (e.g., area, perimeter, length) automatically handled • Geometry ratio • based on geometry (e.g., percent of area)
image from ESRI Splitting features • Attribute splitting (for geodatabase feature classes) is handled by policies
Merging polygons select multiple polygons from the same layer original polygons are merged into a single new polygon
Merging polygons • Attributes are handled by rules in the same way as splitting image from ESRI
Merging polygons • Merging polygons: an example J. Lawler
Unioning polygons • Similar to merge, but can combine features from > 1 layer
Intersecting polygons like mathematical intersection spatial area as the "set" for intersection a new polygon from common areas
Clipping polygons Option 1: discard the intersection
Clipping polygons Option 2: keep only the intersection
Clipping: an example J. Lawler
Clipping: an example J. Lawler
Clipping: an example • Landscape metrics calculated from clipped frog home range % forest 73 % ag 12 Ag dist 20 F-patch.s 60 A-patch.s 6 J. Lawler
Adding attributes • Attributes need to be defined for new datasets • Fields are added; define • field name • data type • width • decimal precision
Adding attributes • Adding & defining fields: note field names & data types
Adding attributes • After fields are added, attributes can be updated
Undoing edits • Edits can be undone in reverse order • Edits can be undone up to the previous save (or creation) • Once a dataset’s changes are saved, edits cannot be undone • It can be good to have a backup of the data created before an editing session
Saving edits • Save EARLY and OFTEN • You are prompted to save edits when: • Dataset is closed for editing • Another dataset is opened for editing • Document is saved or closed • ArcGIS is closed