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Overview

The Vector Data tab contains the following six modules:

  • Selection: Locate and filter the features that need to be edited.
  • Clipboard: Copy and paste features and attributes across layers or documents.
  • Topology: Check and maintain spatial relationships and rules between features.
  • Snapping: Align edits precisely to the geometric parts of existing features.
  • Create: Draw and generate new point, line, and polygon features.
  • Tools: Provide advanced editing functions such as Split, Merge, and Buffer.

Selection Module​

Selection is the first step in vector editing. iXGIS provides three efficient selection methods to help you quickly identify target features:

  • Select by graphics: Select features directly on the map with shapes such as rectangles and polygons.
  • Select by attributes: Use a visual SQL builder to filter precisely by attribute field values.
  • Select by location: Filter across layers based on spatial relationships such as intersect, contain, or within a distance.

For detailed steps, see Feature Selection.

Clipboard Module​

This module supports copying, cutting, and pasting features in a layer.

Select the features to copy or cut in the current layer, click Copy or Cut, and then click Paste. After pasting, you can view the copied feature information in the attribute panel. The pasted feature is created as a new feature with its own ID.

Topology​

Topological editing maintains spatial consistency when you modify features. When enabled, iXGIS automatically handles features with shared edges or intersections to help prevent holes or overlaps.

  • Maintain integrity: Modify related features together so that geometric relationships remain logically correct.
  • Topology settings: Customize topology tolerance to balance calculation precision and performance.

For detailed steps, see the topology section in Vector Feature Editing.

Snapping​

Snapping makes the pointer automatically attach to key locations on existing features, such as endpoints, vertices, and edges, when you draw or edit features. It is a core tool for maintaining map production accuracy.

  • Snapping types: Supports modes such as endpoint snapping and edge snapping.
  • Improve efficiency: Helps avoid common mapping errors such as sliver points, dangling lines, and boundary gaps.

For detailed steps, see the snapping section in Drawing Vector Features.

Feature Drawing​

This section provides a capability overview. For detailed steps, see Drawing Vector Features.

Feature drawing is used to add point, line, and polygon features to a target vector layer. A typical workflow is: select a target layer > select a drawing type > draw interactively on the map > finish and save the feature.

  • Point features: Supports methods such as point, line endpoint, and multipoint.
  • Line features: Supports methods such as polyline, right-angle line, radial line, freehand line, curve, and trace line.
  • Polygon features: Supports methods such as polygon, rectangle, square, circle, ellipse, right-angle polygon, freehand polygon, and trace polygon.
  • Advanced drawing: Supports constraints such as Absolute XY, Relative XY, Direction and distance, fixed angle, fixed length, deflection, perpendicular, parallel, and finish part.
  • Accuracy assurance: Use Snapping and Topology settings together to reduce geometry issues such as dangling points and gaps.

Feature Editing​

This section provides a capability overview. For detailed steps, see Vector Feature Editing.

Feature editing is used to adjust the geometry of existing features, optimize feature structure, and maintain spatial relationships. Common entry points are Topology, Snapping, and Tools on the Vector tab.

  • Alignment: Tools such as Align Features, Move To, and Rotate/Scale handle positional relationships between features.
  • Reshaping: Tools such as Vertex Editing, Reshape, Replace Geometry, Continue Feature, Extend, Trim, Fillet, Generalize, and Line Intersection optimize geometry shapes.
  • Splitting: Tools such as Split, Clip, Split, Interactive Split, Split by Features, and Divide reconstruct feature structures by rule.
  • Construction: Tools such as Create Points Along Lines, Merge, Buffer, Parallel Copy, Construct Polygons, Offset, Perpendicular Copy, Mirror, and Construct Geodetic Features generate new feature results.
  • Editing recommendation: Before formal editing, confirm the target layer and coordinate reference system. Enable Topology and Snapping when needed, and check geometry integrity and attribute consistency after editing.