Exercise 2: Working with the Create tab

Available with Production Mapping license.

Complexity:

Beginner

Data Requirement:

ArcGIS.com

Goal:

Create different types of features and a custom template with the Feature Manager.

There are many ways to create features using the Feature Manager. They include using a standard template and slightly modifying attributes. You can also change attributes on an existing template and save the changes as a new template that can be used to create a new feature. Features can also be created based on existing features by using existing attributes as a template. You can also use composite templates to create several features at once that are spatially related to each other.

In this exercise, you are going to create new features using all the methods described above. Throughout the different parts of the exercise, you are going to create a new feature from a template, as well as update various attributes and create templates from those modified attributes. You are also going to create a composite template to understand how they work.

Note:

Before completing any part of this exercise, you will need to complete Exercise 1 of this tutorial to ensure that the correct production properties and metadata favorite are set.

Exercise 2a: Creating new features

In this part of the exercise, you are going to use a feature template to create a new feature. You will create features by overriding the default attributes of a template. This exercise shows you how certain default attributes can be modified when you create a feature, then return to their default values once the feature has been created.

You are also introduced to the Manage Features window and the Feature Attributes window.

1. On the main menu, click Bookmarks > Sea World.
2. Click the Create tab on the Manage Features window.
3. Click the Amusement Park point template.

   This sets up the editing environment so you can create new point features in the Amusement Park subtype of the Buildings layer. The Create Attributes window will display the attributes of the template.

   

4. In the Create Attributes window, ensure that the Mandatory group is expanded.

   When the product library is set, you can use field configurations to manage how the attributes are displayed in the Create Attributes window. The product library you set in Exercise 1 contains four groups for the Amusement Park subtype. The Mandatory group contains the attributes that must be populated. The Optional group contains attributes that can be populated. The System and Metadata groups contain attributes that will be automatically populated. You may notice that all the attributes in the Mandatory group are bold and the attributes in the Metadata and System groups are grayed out. The field configuration also allows you to choose how the attributes are displayed in the Create Attributes window.

5. Click inside the box for the nam field value, which is currently <NULL>.
6. Type Sea World.

   

7. Click Apply.

   The attributes of the template are validated. A message appears if the attributes are not appropriate. The attribute has been set and will be used when creating new features.

8. Click the Point tool at the bottom of the Manage Features window.

   This sets the Point tool as the active construction tool.

9. Using the imagery, click in the map to place a point directly over Sea World.

   Since you are creating points, clicking in the map once adds the feature.

   
10. Click the Update tab on the Manage Features window.

    The newly created point is still selected so you can see the attributes of the point in the Update Attributes window. Notice that the nam field is set to Sea World. The feature has been created with the attribute you set.

    Note:

    Since the feature-level metadata favorite was defined in Exercise 1, the creation_date, operator, and originating_source values within the Metadata group are populated according to the values in the favorite.

11. Click the Create tab on the Manage Features window.
12. Click the Amusement Park point template.

    Notice that the attributes of the template display <Null> for the nam field. This is because the template is not updated when you apply the value. Next, you will learn how to save your changes as a new template.

Exercise 2b: Creating a new template

In this part of the exercise, you are going to create a new template by modifying an existing template, then create a new feature with the new template. You can create a new template by modifying an existing template's attributes and saving it as a new template. Once the template is created, it appears in the template list and can be used to create features.

You are also going to see how validation works within Feature Manager. First, you will set an invalid attribute combination and receive an error. Errors prevent you from saving the attribute combination as a new template. You will then change more attributes and receive a warning. Warnings provide information about potential problems but do not prevent you from using the attribute combination.

1. Click the Create tab on the Manage Features window.
2. Click the 3, Hard/Paved template listed under the RoadL layer.

   

   The Create Attributes window displays the attributes of the template.

3. In the Create Attributes window, enter the following values for the attributes in the Optional group:
   • loc = 8 - On Ground Surface
   • wd1 = 75

   

4. Click Apply.

   The attributes of the template are validated. Notice that a message appears telling you that the nam attribute must be populated.

   

5. Click OK to close the message.
6. Click the cell next to nam and type UNK.

   

7. Click Apply.

   The attributes of the template are validated again. This time a warning message appears asking you to populate the nam value if it is known. Since you are creating a template rather than a feature, the name is not known; however, because this is a warning rather than an error the values are applied.

   

8. Click OK to close the message.
9. Click Save Template.

   This allows you to either save these attributes as the attributes of the current template, 3, Hard/Paved, or to save the attributes as a new template.

10. Type On Ground Surface in the Name text box.
11. Type 3-lane paved road on ground surface in the Description text box.

    

12. Click OK.

    The On Ground Surface template appears in the Manage Features window under the RoadL layer.

    

13. Click the On Ground Surface line template.
14. Click the Line tool at the bottom of the Manage Features window.
15. Using the imagery, click in the map to sketch the missing section of highway to the left of Sea World.

    

    Tip:

    If the sketch you are creating tries to snap to features you do not want to snap to, hold the SPACE bar down as you click the vertices. Then release the SPACE bar when you reach the end of the sketch to snap to the end of the existing road.

16. Finish the sketch.
17. Click the Update tab on the Manage Features window.

    The newly created road is still selected, so you can see the attributes of the line on the Update Attributes window. Notice that the feature has been created with the attributes you set.

Exercise 2c: Creating new features from existing features

In this part of the exercise, you will create new features with the attributes of an existing feature. This exercise will show how the Update and Create tabs in the Manage Feature window can work together.

1. If necessary, on the main menu, click Bookmarks > Sea World.
2. If necessary, click the Production Start Editing button on the Production Editing toolbar.
3. Select the road that appears below Sea World.

   

4. In the Manage Features window, click the Update tab.

   The selected road appears on the Update tab, and the attributes of the road appear in the Update Attributes window.

5. Right-click in the Update tab and click Use as Template.

   The Create tab automatically appears in the Manage Features window. A template is selected and the attributes that appear in the Create Attributes window should match the attributes of the selected feature.

6. Click the Line tool at the bottom of the Manage Features window.

   This sets the Line tool as the active construction tool.

7. Using the imagery, click in the map to sketch the missing section of highway below Sea World. Connect the selected portion of the road to the overpass.

   

8. When you finish the sketch, click the Update tab on the Manage Features window.

   The newly created road is still selected, so you will see the attributes of the road on the Update Attributes window. Notice that the feature has been created with the same attributes as the feature you have selected.

Exercise 2d: Creating composite templates

A composite template allows you to create multiple features with one edit sketch. You are going to learn how to create a composite template. Then you are going to use a photograph to create features using the composite template. In this part of the exercise, you are going to be creating a road and a bridge feature.

1. If necessary, click the Production Start Editing button on the Production Editing toolbar.
2. Click the Create tab on the Manage Features window.
3. Click the Create Composites tool at the top of the Manage Features window.

   The Create Composite Template dialog box appears. This allows you to configure the properties for a composite template.

4. Type Road with Bridge in the Name text box.

   

5. Click the button next to Display Symbol.

   The Symbol Selector dialog box appears, allowing you to choose the symbol that is going to appear next to the composite template in the Create Features window.

6. Click the Search text box at the top of the Symbol Selector dialog box and type Road with Bridge.
7. Ensure the All Styles option is selected.
8. Click the Search button .
9. Click the Road with Bridge symbol.

   

10. Click OK.
11. In the template list on the Create Composite Template dialog box, check the boxes next to the BridgeOverpassViaductLine and Elevated Road templates.
12. Click the Default Tool drop-down arrow and choose Coincident Lines.

    

13. Click OK.

    The composite template is created and appears at the bottom of the template list on the Create tab.

14. Click the Road with Bridge template on the Create tab.
15. Using the imagery, click in the map to sketch the missing section of bridge and highway that crosses the river below Sea World. Connect the sketch to the existing portions of road.

    

16. When you finish the sketch, click the Update tab on the Manage Features window.

    The newly created features are selected. On the Update tab, you can see that features have been created in both the BridgeL and RoadL feature classes. These features have the attributes from the BridgeOverPassViaductLine and Elevated Road templates that were used to create the composite template. Both of these features have the same geometry as the sketch in the map.

    

Exercise 2e: Creating table records

In this section of the exercise, you will create a new record in a stand-alone table. This exercise shows that validation also occurs when you add a record to a table.

1. If necessary, click the Production Start Editing button on the Production Editing toolbar.
2. Click the Create tab on the Manage Features window.
3. Click the BuildingOwners template listed under the Table layer.

   The Create Attributes window displays the default attributes of the table.

4. In the Create Attributes window, enter the following values:
   • OwnerID = 12345
   • OwnerName = <your first name> (for example, John)

   

5. Click Apply.

   A message appears indicating that you need to enter both a first and a last name for the OwnerName field.

   

6. Click OK to close the message.
7. Type your first and last name in the OwnerName text box (for example, John Doe).

   

8. Click Apply.

   The attributes in the attribute grid return to the default attributes, indicating that a record has been created in the BuildingOwners table.

9. In the Table Of Contents window, click the List by Source button .
10. Right-click BuildingOwners and click Open.

    You should see a record in the table with OwnerID = 12345 and your name as the owner name.

Exercise 2f: Loading templates from a view

Templates can be stored in a view, which is a set of map settings that includes layers, spatial reference, and scale. This allows you to load the templates that are relevant for your task and override the current map content. In this section of the exercise, you are going to create a view based on the templates in the tutorial and apply the view to a blank map document.

1. If necessary, click the Production Start Editing button on the Production Editing toolbar.
2. Click the Create tab on the Manage Features window.
3. Right-click the Create tab and click Select Views Workspace.

   The View Properties dialog box appears.

4. Verify that Product Library is listed for the Views Table Location property.

   

5. Click OK.
6. Right-click the Create tab and click New View.

   The New View dialog box appears.

7. Type Feature Manager in the Name text box.
8. Type Tutorial Templates in the Description text box.

   

9. Click OK.

   The Feature Manager view is saved in the product library. It contains all the templates that are in the current edit session.

10. Save the edits from the current exercise and stop the edit session.
11. Click the New button on the Standard toolbar to open a blank map document.

    When prompted save the changes to the Feature Manager map document.

12. Add the RoadL and BridgeL layers to the map.
13. Click the Production Start Editing button on the Production Editing toolbar.
14. Right-click the Create tab, point to Load Templates From View, and click Feature Manager.

    The default road templates appear, along with the two new templates you created—Elevated Road and On Ground Surface—and the composite template.

In this exercise, you have learned how to work with templates to create features and have also created some new templates. One way to create a template is to save a set of attributes as a template. You can also create a composite template to create coincident features that are colocated, such as a bridge and road feature. You have also learned how to create a record in a stand-alone table using the Feature Manager and how to create and apply a view. In Exercise 3: Working with the Update tab, you can learn how to manage existing features using the Feature Manager.