Creating Shapefiles and Digitizing

Quick Tutorial

Creating a New Shapefile

1. Open ArcCatalog and navigate to your Lab 12 folder
2. Right click and select File>New>Shapefile
3. Give your shapefile a name and select a geometry based on what type of features you are trying to draw (i.e. point, polyline or polygon).
4. Use the Edit button to select the coordinate system that you are using in your project. The coordinate system should match the other datasets you are using. Click OK.
5. You can also add and edit attribute fields by right clicking on the shapefile and selecting Properties > Fields.

Editing the Shapefile

6. Add the shapefile you created to ArcMap by dragging the file or using the Add Data Button.
7. Right click on the shapefile you want to edit and select Edit Features > Start Editing.

8. This will add an editor toolbar to your ArcMap interface (if it was not there already). It will also open a “create features” window that will allow us to edit the shapefile.
9. In the “create features” window, select your shapefile icon. A “construction tools” window will appear at the bottom of the Create Features toolbar.

10. Select the applicable type of construction took for the shpaefile you want to create.
11. You are now ready to add points, or draw Features to create your shapefile.
12. When your finished editing your shapefile on the editor toolbar, click on the word “Editor”. Select “Save Edits” from the drop down menu.
13. Once saved, select “Stop Editing” from the Editor drop down menu.
14. Adjust the symbology of the shapefile by right clicking on the shapefile in the Table of Contents and selecting Properties > Symbology.