Getting Started With Editing

AccuGlobe includes a robust editing toolset for working with shapefiles. You can create new shapefiles or editing existing ones.

Steps For Creating A New Shapefile

Click on the File menu and then click on Create Layer. From the File Type drop-down select Shapefile. Select the type of geometry to store in the shapefile. A shapefile can only store one type of geometry. Provide a friendly name for the layer. This is the name that will appear in the legend. Define the attribute table fields. To add a field click the Add button. For each field you must provide a name, data type, and where appropriate the size and number of decimal places. Click the Create button. The Save As dialog will be displayed. Browse to the location you wish to save the shapefile to, and provide a name for the shapefile. Click Save. The new blank shapefile will be added to the project.

Steps For Adding A New Feature To A Layer

Click on the layer in the legend so it becomes selected. On the Editing toolbar, click Start Editing. For shapefiles only one person can edit the file at a time. Also, if permissions on the shapefile prohibit read/write access you will receive an error when attempting to edit the layer. Click the Add Feature button on the Editing toolbar. Move the mouse over the map. If the layer contains point geometries, click the left mouse button to add a new point. If the layer contains line geometries, click the left mouse button to drop the starting point of the line. Move the mouse and click the mouse button again to add the next point. Repeat this process until all but the last point have been added. To add the last point double click the left mouse button. If the layer contains polygon geometries, click the left mouse button to drop the first point. Move the mouse and click the mouse button again to add the next point. Repeat this process until all but the last point have been added. To add the last point double click the left mouse button. The gap between the first and last points will automatically be connected.

Steps For Editing An Existing Feature Of A Layer

Click on the layer in the legend so it becomes selected. On the Editing toolbar, click Start Editing. For shapefiles only one person can edit the file at a time. Also, if permissions on the shapefile prohibit read/write access you will receive an error when attempting to edit the layer. Click the Select Feature For Edit button on the Editing toolbar. Move the mouse over the feature to be edited on the map. Click the left mouse button to select the feature. The feature should highlight, and grab handles appear (a point will be a single grab handle). The tool will change automatically change from the Select Feature For Edit to Move Feature on the editing toolbar. To move a part of the feature, move the mouse over a grab handle. The mouse icon will change to a crosshair when over a grab handle. Click and hold the left mouse button. Move the mouse to reposition the grab handle. Release the mouse button to complete the move operation.

Steps For Deleting An Existing Feature Of A Layer

Click on the layer in the legend so it becomes selected. On the Editing toolbar, click Start Editing. For shapefiles only one person can edit the file at a time. Also, if permissions on the shapefile prohibit read/write access you will receive an error when attempting to edit the layer. Click the Delete Feature button on the Editing toolbar. Move the mouse over the feature to be deleted on the map. Click the left mouse button to delete the feature.

Using The Undo/Redo Feature

All changes made to a layer are stored in memory, so if a mistake is made it is easy to revert back to a previous state. If a point is moved to the wrong location, click the Undo button on the editing toolbar to move it back to it's previous position. If it is then determined that the move was in fact to the correct position, rather than moving it again, click the Redo button on the editing toolbar. Multiple Undo and Redo operations can be performed.

Steps For Saving Edits To A Layer

All changes made to a layer are stored in memory. Saving the edits will write the changes back out to the file on disk.

Click Commit Edits button on the editing toolbar. To stop editing a layer without saving the changes, click the Cancel Edits button on the editing toolbar.