STANDARD TOOLBAR

The Standard Toolbar in ArcMap is the place to find all your Windows-based buttons
such as Save, Open, Print, Undo/Redo.

New

Closes (prompts to save) the current MXD and launches a new, blank version.

Open

Opens a window to find and launch a saved MXD.

Note: This does NOT add data to the current map session. That is accomplished with
“Add Data”

Save

Saves the current MXD. Launches a window to designate a name and a place if the
MXD had not been saved previously. Simply overwrites for all subsequent saves.

Print

Prints the current view, either what is seen in the current extent of Data View or the
layout if in Layout View.

1
 Cut

Cuts the currently selected feature.

In an edit session in Data View, this will cut the feature (which can then be copied or
pasted in another layer).
In Layout View, this will cut the map element.

Copy

Copies a selected feature.

In an edit session in Data View, this will copy a selected feature.
In Layout View, this will copy a selected map element.

Paste

Pastes a selected feature.

In an edit session in Data View, this will paste a selected feature which has been cut
or copied from one layer to another. For example, if you digitized a building in a
forest layer, instead of re-digitizing it, the feature can be cut and pasted from the
incorrect and into the correct layer.

Delete

Deletes the currently selected item.

In an edit session in Data View, this will delete a selected feature. This accomplishes
the same thing as the delete feature in an attribute table, but is not limited to only
that specific layer. Works well when used with Interactive Selection.
In Layout View, this will delete a selected map element.

2
 Undo

Undoes whatever action was just taken.

Note: Will not work in an edit session if the edits had already been saved.
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Z

Redo

Redoes the last action taken.

Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl + Y

Add Data

Opens the ‘Add Data’ Dialog box for adding data of all types to ArcMap

3
le-click to open

ADD BASEMAP
Opens the dialog box to add one of twelve basemaps from ArcGIS Online.

4
 ADD DATA FROM ARCGIS ONLINE
Opens a dialog box to search for free and paid data (marked with ArcGIS Online
Subscription Required) saved on ESRI’s servers.

 Click the Add button to add the layer to your MXD

When you add the data to your computer, it’s saving it in a temporary location.
You should first export the data (selected if you only need a portion) before
completing any editing or geoprocessing/analysis.

5
 Map Scale

Shows and sets the scale for the active data frame. Scales can be typed into the box
(you can skip the “1:”) and set with the enter key or the dropdown can be used to
select a pre-set scale level (or set a custom level)

Editor Toolbar

The editor toolbar button toggles the Editor toolbar on and off.
Note: You can also toggle the toolbar with the Customize menu --> Toolbars and
clicking the ‘Editor’ name.

Table of Contents

Toggles the Table of Contents on and off. If the Table of Contents was closed, use
this button to get it back.

Catalog Window

Toggles the Catalog window on and off. If the Catalog window was closed, use this
button to get it back.

Search Window

Toggles the Search window on and off. If the Search window was closed, use this
button to get it back.

6
 ArcToolbox

Toggles the ArcToolbox window on and off. If the ArcToolbox was closed, use this
button to get it back.

Python Window

Opens the Python window to enter and run commands.

Model Builder

Opens the Model Builder window to build, edit, save, and run models.

TOOLS TOOLBAR
The ‘Tools Toolbar’ is one of the four common toolbars in ArcGIS. This toolbar includes
things like zoom, pan, select by shape, and measure.

Zoom In/Zoom Out

The Zoom In and Zoom Out tools allow you to draw a box on the map with the tool
active and zoom into or out from a portion of the map. For example, if you wanted to
zoom to just the State of Colorado, select the Zoom In tool and draw a box around
the state’s boundary.

7
 Pan

The Pan tool is used to move the data around within the same extent (zoom level).
Once you’ve zoomed in or out from the data, the pan tool will allow you to look at it.
Panning can also be accomplished by:
1.Pressing and holding the center mouse button, and
2. Using the Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down keys on the keyboard

Identify

8
 The identify button will open the identify button will open the “Identify” dialog box
displaying the attributes of the feature clicked on. Use this tool to interactively find out
information of features on your map.

Select Features

An interactive arrow which allows you to select features by clicking on the map
instead of using the attribute table. Use the shift click to select multiple values when
in Create a New Selection mode Used in conjunction with the Interactive Selection
Method in the Selection Menu

9
The Interactive Selection tool has five
tools to use with your data.

1. Select by Rectangle This tool is used as

both the “single feature” tool, that is to
say, the tool used to single click and
select one feature, as well as it’s ability
to draw a rectangle and select all the
features inside it.
2. Select by Polygon This tool is used by
drawing a polygon (thee or more clicks
anywhere that connect the dots and close
the shape) and selecting all the features that fall within or along it’s
boundaries.
3. Select by Lasso This tool selects features when a shape is drawn by holding
the left mouse button and dragging a shape around. When the lasso is closed,
all the features inside or intersecting the boundary of the lasso are selected.
4. Select by Circle This tool will select any feature that falls inside or along the
boundary of a drawn circle
5. Select by Line This tool will select any feature intersecting a line drawn by
clicking two or more times, after the tool connects the dots

1- Select by Rectangle

10
2- Select by Polygon

11
3- Select by Lasso

12
4- Select by Circle

13
5- Select by Line

14
 Clear Selected

Clears all selected features in all layers. If there are no selected features anywhere in the
map, this option will be grayed out.
Note: If you’d like to clear the selection from only one layer, use the clear selected button
found either in the attribute table’s Table Action Buttons or in the View by Selected Table
of Contents view.

Go to Previous/Next Extent

These buttons will step through the last and next extents. If you zoom out, then pan from
Colorado to Florida, the zoom in on Miami, the Last Extent button will return to the view of
Florida, then with another click to Colorado, then with a third click, the United States. The
Next Extent button will step forward through that sequence. Thise buttons are similar to the
“back” and “next” buttons in a web browser.

Select Elements

The Select Elements tool is used to select items other than features for editing.
This can also be considered the “nothing” tool, which will release most other tools from being
active.
In Layout View, the Select Elements tool will select the different elements.

Fixed Zoom In/Fixed Zoom Out

15
Fixed Zoom In and Fixed Zoom Out will step-zoom the map in or our at pre-defined intervals.

Full Extent

The full extent button will zoom your map to the default or defined largest extent of all layers
in the map (by default) or the level defined in the extent used by the full extent
command section under the Data Frame tab in the Data Frame Properties.
Note: The full extent button is a ‘single click button’ and does the action immediately. It does
not open a tool which changes your cursor so you can interact with the map.

Measure

The measure tool is used to measure areas and distances on your map.
• Segment is between clicks
• Length is the total of all clicks

Go to XY

16
 Used to jump to a specific point on the map.

Supported coordinate forms (Units, above - found under the drop down arrow):

 Decimal degrees
 Degrees Minutes Seconds
 Degrees Decimals Degrees
 MGRS
 U.S. National Grid
 UTM

Once a coordinate pair is defined, the tool allows you to:

 Pan to (centers the point at the current extent)

 Zoom to (zooms to the point at the smallest extent possible)
 Flash point (map doesn’t move, but point ‘flashes’ and two laser lines zoom across
the screen to mark the point)
 Add point (adds a graphical representation of the point. This point is not saved
anywhere but in your MXD as a graphic)
 Add labeled point (same as ‘Add point’ but adds a label)
 Add Callout (adds a callout graphic with the coordinates labeled inside)
 Use the ‘Recent’ list (found between the callout and units buttons) to scroll through
other coordinates you’ve typed in within this MXD ONLY

EDITING AND THE EDITOR TOOLBAR

17
Editing is the ability to create and change vector and tabular (table) data within ArcMap.
Data does not always exist or may not always correct, and the only way to make or fix it
is with editing.

Editor Menu

Start Editing Begins an editing session. Once in an editing session, modifications to

existing can be made. (Even with digitizing new data, it is still a modification to existing
data since you created a new feature class before editing, then plan to populate
it with editing.

Stop Editing Stops the editing session.

 Stopping editing does not automatically

save edits, but should provide you with a
prompt to save or discard your edits.
 Tools which are locked during editing will
become available when editing is stopped.

Save Edits Note: Unlike some software, ArcGIS

‘undo’ will only go back to the last save not the
beginning of the software session.

Merge... i.e. The State of Hawaii. All the islands

are part of the state, but as a single part feature, each individual island will be a record in
the attribute table. Merging them into a multipart feature will ‘light up’ all the islands when
the record ‘Hawaii’ is selected in the attribute table.

Snapping ►

Opens the Snapping toolbar. The Snapping toolbar controls to what (Point, Edge, Vertex,
End) your cursor will snap when editing.

18
 Edit Tool

Used to select the feature you want to edit Any selectable feature is available to
select. When two or more features are selected when clicking, a selection drop
down will appear for you to choose one.Not choosing selects the top most
layer

19
 Straight Segment

Used to create lines. Each click puts down one vertex, then connects a straight line to the
next vertex clicked.

Vertices will continue to be placed until you finish your sketch

F2

Right click and ‘Finish Sketch’

Double-click

End Point Arc Segment

The ‘end point arc segment’ tool creates a curve between the two end vertices laid down.

1. Click where the curve should start

2. Click where the curve should end
o The tool automatically starts curving
between the two points as you move your
mouse around
3. To end sketch: Double click; right-click
ose “End Sketch”; press F2

20
 Segment Creation Tools

A variety of line creation tools are available to digitize higher quality data.
Note: The tool visible next to the black dropdown arrow many vary as it shows the last tool from the
mini-menu which was used.

Trace Tool

The Trace tool will run along any existing feature, creating a portion of polyline
or polygon which is exactly coincident with the traced feature.

Right Angle

The Right-Angle tool will digitize a right angle when three vertices are placed
on the map.

Midpoint

The Midpoint tool automatically places an additional vertex at the midpoint

between two intentionally placed vertices.

Bezier Curve Segment

The Bezier Curve Segment tool creates smooth curves utilizing “handles” that

21
help establish the degree of the curve.

22
 Edit Vertices

Edit Vertices is a tool that allows you to move or delete one or more existing vertices, as well as
add new vertices to the feature. For example, if you have a road that is in the correct place, but
the previous technician represented a pretty steep curve with just a few vertices, you can add a

few more then move them into place to create the best line representation possible.

Reshape Feature Tool

Reshape Feature allows you to select a single feature and change a portion of it, for example, if
you have a river that shows it is flowing right through a building and you can see in the imagery
it actually flows to the south of that building, you can select that river and use the Reshape
Feature tool to draw along the actual path to get people out of “harms way”.

23
24
 Continue Feature Tool

The continue feature allows the user to continue a feature which has been completed as though
they were still editing

Cut Polygon Tool

Split Tool

Rotate Tool

Attributes Window

Opens the attribute window to allow a user to enter the attributes for the currently selected/being
edited feature

25
 Sketch Properties

Once in ‘Edit Vertices’ mode, the sketch properties window can be opened with the ‘Sketch
Properties’ button. You can mark off multiple vertices to delete whole parts of your feature class
at once. See screenshot for more details Sketch Properties

Create Features Window

Toggles the ‘Create Features’ window on and off.

Use this button if you’ve X’d your window closed and it will not automatically appear when you
begin an edit session.

26