ArcGIS Business Analyst Online

On-Demand Reports and Maps for Informed Decisions

Draw Polygon

Draw Polygon allows you to draw a polygon around your area of interest. You can also narrow your location by adjusting the map view. Once the polygon is drawn, you can save the site and get reports. When working, the Prev and Next buttons guide you through the workflow. The step that you are on appears and the number of steps is provided along with an indication of what can be done.

Before you begin drawing the polygon, you can zoom into an area for a more accurate polygon drawing.

You can enter the address or intersection in the Narrow location text box and click Go. This provides you with a more specific location.

1. Click the Select Location tab and click Draw Polygon.

The Draw Polygon pane appears.


2. Click the Draw Polygon button to begin drawing.
3. Place the cursor over the map and click on the location of the first point to start drawing.
4. Move the cursor to the next point and click.

A point or angle of the polygon is created.

5. Continue until you have created the polygon.

Note: Three points are required to create a polygon.

While drawing, Clear Last becomes active. Click Clear Last to clear the last point of the polygon.

6. Click on the first point to stop drawing.

To edit the polygon

Once you have drawn a polygon, you can make edits.

1. In the Draw Polygon pane, click Edit.
2. The points of the polygon become active, which allows you to make edits. Drag the points to edit the polygon.
3. When the edits are complete, click Stop Edit.
4. Click Next to get reports, save this site, or create a new site. You can access reports, save the site, or create a new site for comparison.

The Draw Polygon step 2 of 2 pane appears.

To get reports

This provides you with reports for the polygon you have created.

In the Draw Polygon pane, click Get Reports.

This activates the Get Reports tab.

To add another site

This allows you to add another site.

In the Draw Polygon pane, click Add another site.

This brings you back to the Draw Polygon pane where you can draw another polygon.

To save a site

This allows you to save the site you have created. You can select the folder where you want to save the location, change the site name, or create a new folder in which to save the site.

1. In the Find Location pane in step 3 of 3, click Save Site.

The Save Site dialog box appears.


2. For Site name, enter a name for your site.
3. You now have the option to Save in an existing folder by selecting one from the Save in drop-down menu.
4. Or, you can click the Create New Folder icon to save to a new folder.

If you are working with more than one site in a single logon session, you can choose to save multiple sites in Same Folder and Different Folders.

Saving to the same folder

1. To save multiple sites to the same folder, click the Same Folder radio button.
2. Check the check box next to each of the sites that you want to save.
3. Using the Save in drop-down menu, select the folder.
4. To create a new folder, click the folder with the plus sign to create a new folder and name it in the Save in drop-down menu.
5. Use the folder with the red arrow to move up one folder level.

Note: This becomes enabled when a subfolder is selected in the Save in drop-down menu.

6. Click Save.

Saving to different folders

If you are saving multiple sites, you can save the sites in different folders.

1. To save multiple sites to a different folder, click the Different Folders radio button.
2. Check the check box next to the sites that you want to save.
3. Using the Save in drop-down list to the right of the Site name, select the folder.
4. To create a new folder, click the folder with the plus sign to create a new folder and name it in the Save in drop-down menu.
5. Use the folder with the red arrow to move up one folder level.

Note: This becomes enabled when a subfolder is selected in the Save in drop-down menu.

6. Continue this process until you have selected folders for each of the sites.
7. Click Save.