Converting graphics into features

You can convert graphics you draw on your map into shapefiles or geodatabase feature classes. The Convert Graphics To Features command, which is available from the Drawing menu on the Draw toolbar or by right-clicking a data frame in the table of contents, supports all the graphic types you can draw with the tools in the graphics palette on the Draw toolbar, including circles, curved lines, and freehand lines. You can also convert graphic text into annotation feature classes.

1. Make sure you are in data view.
2. In the table of contents, right-click the data frame containing the graphics you want to convert to features and click Convert Graphics To Features.

You can also click the Drawing menu on the Draw toolbar and click Convert Graphics To Features.

3. Click the Convert drop-down arrow and click the type of graphic to convert.
4. By default, only the selected graphics will be converted. Uncheck Selected graphics only if you want to convert all graphics.
5. If you are converting text to annotation, specify a reference scale and choose whether to include any point, line, or polygon graphics in the output annotation feature class.

   The reference scale will default to the current scale of your map.

6. Click the option for the output coordinate system you want to use.
7. Click the Browse button and navigate to a location to save the exported data.
8. Type the name for the output data source.
9. Click the Save as type drop-down arrow and choose the output type. The output can be either a shapefile or a geodatabase feature class (annotation can only be stored in a geodatabase).
10. Click Save.
11. If you want the graphics to be deleted once you've converted them to features, check Automatically delete graphics after conversion.
12. Click OK.

Tip:

The coordinate system for the data frame's annotation groups is specified on the Annotation Groups tab of the Data Frame Properties dialog box. It defaults to the coordinate system being used for the data frame, but changing the coordinate system for the annotation groups can be useful if you want to project the graphics differently from the feature layers—for example, to draw a line that adheres to the direction characteristic of a particular projection.