ArcGIS Desktop Editing Basics - Feature Templates

[@armgeo6246]

can we edit single color (symbology) in single arcmap layer? it seems in symbology automatically change the entire object color based on their attribute content, is it possible to do a single object color change with blank atribute row? as we simply can do so in vector drawing software (illustrator, corel, autocad, or gis mapinfo)

[@eGISAssociates]

The simple answer is no. ArcGIS does not visualize data the same way as other applications such as AutoCAD or Illustrator do. You can either have all the features in a layer look the same, which is referred to as single symbol or base the symbology on an attribute value, called Unique Values. In your case you could create a field called something likes symbology and apply a value for each feature that you could then create specific symbology for all features with that value. There are also more advanced methods using multiple fields or even expressions.

[@armgeo6246]

@@eGISAssociates alright now I understand the concept... Thank you, I'm new to arcmap, I've been a mapinfo user for many years.. Do you have any tutorial to cover differences basic gis processing using Qgis?

[@eGISAssociates]

@@armgeo6246 Happy I could help. I do not have a video on basic GIS processing using QGIS. I primarily stick with Esri.

[@martinsonsmart1325]

Hello, I am working on some Polygon Data in Arcmap and I am trying to generate about 20 or more feature templates for each Feature Class in the Geodatabase. All my feature classes are in one Feature Dataset and subsequently in a mother Geodatabase. I am able to create feature templates for each one and once i drag the Feature Class into my working area I see all of its associated feature templates in the 'Create Features' pane. However once, i remove the particular feature class from Table of Contents and drag it back later on into the Working area from Catalog, all my generated feature templates vanish. Even when i restart the arcmap, i return to see all my created feature templates disappear. Please help me out.

[@eGISAssociates]

Feature Templates for a layer are a lot like symbology. Once you remove the layer from a map, all those settings disappear. The way around that is to create a Layer File (.lyr file extension). Once you have your layer completely configured including symbology, labeling, definition query, feature templates and so on, create a layer file for that layer. You can do that by simply right-clicking on the layer in the Table of Contents and then selecting Create Layer File. Next time you need to add that layer to the same or another map, simply drag the layer file in to the map or select it when you use the Add Data button instead of going to the geodatabase feature class or shapefile. When you use the layer file the new layer will come in automatically configured with all of its settings.

[@martinsonsmart1325]

Thank you. I tried to convert the feature class into a layer file.I removed the layer file from the map and dragged it back into the map and settings (feature templates) were unchanged. However after I decided to export that layer file into a feature class again, the settings vanished. I will subsequently publish my map as a service. Can I still publish the feature layer file (.lyr) and see my feature with its associated templates just as I'd have seen it in if it was a feature class?

[@eGISAssociates]

@@martinsonsmart1325 I am not sure you fully understand what a layer, feature class or layer file are exactly. You cannot export a layer file. All a layer file does is store the settings for a specific layer which in turn references a specific feature class which can be stored in a geodatabase, shapefile, or other format. So when you export a layer from a map, it creates a completely new feature class which is no longer associated with the original one. So because the first layer file you created is associated with a specific layer which is linked to the old feature class it will not work. What you might be able to do is change the source for the original layer so it points to the new feature class you created. You can do that under the layer properties and the source tab.

[@eGISAssociates]

You might also find this video helpful - kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5abiot8nKqkkJo

[@martinsonsmart1325]

Thank you so much