How to connect points with a polyline in ArcMap 10?

Question

I have a layer containing a few hundred points representing a survey track. The points are laid out in chronological order in the corresponding attribute table.

How can I have ArcMap 10 automatically "connect the dots" so that I essentially turn the points into a polyline representation of my survey track?

Thanks!

BTW, is there a way for me to specify a few of those points for ArcMap to IGNORE when it makes the polyline?

Answer 1

I just did a quick Google search ("join points in ESRI") and got a hit. You'll have to do the read up yourself, but at a glance. It looks to me like it will do the trick. Here ya go:

Points to lines

As for ignoring points, just make a seperate file and delete the points you want to ignore before you run the script. You'll still have them in the original file that way.

Answer 2

Almost the same answer as Dano - his post references the one on ArcScripts. It was such a popular download this tool is included in the toolbox at 10.0

Points to Line: http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//00170000003s000000.htm

And you asked about doing an ignore.... just use a selection set of the points you actually want. The tool will connect based on a field (if you choose) only your selected points.

Answer 3

DNR Garmin can be used to do this sort of task if your points are in order, simply by importing a point shapefile and resaving as a polyline (track) file. DNR Garmin link

EDIT I should add that you can import points (or waypoints) in a variety of formats and export to polylines (tracks) or polygons using this program. It is integrated for ArcMap 9.3 or less and a promise that a version for ArcMap 10 is due this spring.

Answer 4

Im working on looking at TMC's of major routes and i have the lats and longs of the starting and ending points, i know how to export txt file into shp file but when i try to do point to line from data management tool im running into an error. Could you guys please help me? and also if the answer is with that python sample coding could you please help me how to use it thank you very much

Answer 5

http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//00170000003s000000.htm

Use Points To Line (Data Management)

You can ignore points using the Line Field option, specifically using a value in one field to calculate the line. So, for the points you want, add an arbritary value, and another for ones you don't want, and then sort on that:

# Name: PointsToLine_Example2.py
# Description: Convert point features into line features
# Author: ESRI

# Import system modules
import arcpy
from arcpy import env

# Set environment settings
env.workspace = "C:/data"

# Set local variables

inFeatures = "calibration_points.shp"

outFeatures = "C:/output/output.gdb/out_lines"

lineField = "ROUTE1"

sortField = "MEASURE"

# Execute PointsToLine 
arcpy.PointsToLine_management(inFeatures, outFeatures, lineField, sortField)

That should work.