Auto Complete Freehand Construction Tool

A construction tool for auto completing polygons with a freehand sketch Template by sean_jones Last Modified: 2011 9 13

Desktop Application

(1 rating, 468 downloads) Sign in to rate this item. FacebookTwitter Description The Auto Complete Freehand construction tool allows you to append new polygons to the borders of existing polygons by drawing a line that follows the movement of your pointer. You can use it to create a continuous fabric of polygons without digitizing the border twice or introducing overlaps or gaps between polygons.

The Auto Complete Polygon tool that is included with ArcGIS 10 also creates adjoining polygons, but the segments are created by placing vertices in a sketch. However, sometimes the polygons you want to create may be more free-form or have curves that do not need to be precisely drawn. For example, when you are digitizing a layer of land cover, you might draw lakes or forested areas with the Auto Complete Freehand tool from this download so you can easily digitize the curved shapes. To install this tool: 1. Download and extract the .msi file from the .zip file. 2. Double-click the .msi file to begin the installation and follow the instructions in the wizard.

You will need administrator privileges to complete the installation, as the customization is a COM .dll. To uninstall this tool: 1. Double-click the .msi file to run the uninstall wizard or remove it by using the programs list in your operating system.

To use this tool: 1. Click a polygon feature template in the Create Features window. 2. Click the Auto Complete Freehand tool on the Create Features window. 3. Starting from the boundary of an existing polygon in the same layer, digitize the shape of the new polygon that will share a boundary with the existing polygon. 4. Click once where you want to start the line. You do not need to hold down the mouse button as you are creating the new polygon's shape. The new polygon's boundary follows the movements of your pointer and must cross or touch the existing polygon edge at least two times for the new polygon to be created. 5. Click to finish drawing the freehand shape and create the feature. The freehand drawing line is automatically smoothed into Bzier curves, although the existing segments that are now shared with the new feature are not smoothed.

Access and Use Constraints Properties Tags Construction Tool Credits Size Extent Esri Editing Team 185 KB