Change the edit sketch symbols

Summary

The edit sketch is used in ArcMap when sketching new features or editing existing ones. By default, the edit sketch is a green line with green vertices. The appearance of the sketch may need to be changed to make it easier to see, such as when tracing features over a dark raster image. This article provides Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code to change the symbols used in the edit sketch.

Procedure

1. Start ArcMap.
2. Open the Visual Basic Editor.
   
   
   In ArcMap, select Tools > Macros > Visual Basic Editor.
   
   
3. In the Project Explorer window, expand Project, expand ArcMap Objects. Right-click ThisDocument, and click View Code.
   
   
   

   Note:
   To store the code in all the map documents, open the Normal.mxt ThisDocument code module instead.

   
   
4. Copy and paste the following code into the code module:
   
   

   Code:
   Private Sub ChangeSketchSymbol()
   
     'Get a reference to the Editor extension
     Dim pEditor As IEditor
     Dim pID As New UID
     pID = "esriEditor.Editor"
     Set pEditor = Application.FindExtensionByCLSID(pID)
     Dim pEditProperties As IEditProperties
     Set pEditProperties = pEditor
       
    'Declare and set up the sketch line symbol
     Dim pLineSym As ILineSymbol
     Dim pLineColor As IRgbColor
     Set pLineSym = pEditProperties.SketchSymbol
     
     'Set up the sketch line color. The default is Red=0, Green=128, Blue=0.
     Set pLineColor = New RgbColor
     pLineColor.RGB = RGB(0, 128, 0)   'Enter new RGB values to change the sketch line color
       
     'Set up the sketch line symbol properties
     Set pLineSym = New SimpleLineSymbol
     With pLineSym
       .Color = pLineColor
       .Width = 1   'Enter a new value to change the sketch line width
     End With
   
     Set pEditProperties.SketchSymbol = pLineSym
          
     'Declare and set up the sketch vertex symbol
     Dim pVertexSym As ISimpleMarkerSymbol
     Dim pVertexColor As IRgbColor
      
     'Set up the sketch vertex color. The default is Red=0, Green=128, Blue=0.
     Set pVertexColor = New RgbColor
     pVertexColor.RGB = RGB(0, 128, 0)   'Enter new RGB values to change the sketch vertex color
     
     'Set up the sketch vertex symbol properties
     Set pVertexSym = New SimpleMarkerSymbol
     With pVertexSym
       .Color = pVertexColor
       .Style = esriSMSSquare   'Enter a new style to change the sketch vertex shape. 
       .size = 4   'Enter a new value to change the sketch vertex size
     End With
       
     Set pEditProperties.SketchVertexSymbol = pVertexSym
   
   End Sub

   
   
5. Run the code.
   
   
   A. Click Tools > Macros > Macros to display the Macros dialog box.
   B. Select a macro and click Run.
   
   
6. By editing the code, the sketch line color and width, the sketch vertex color, style (shape), and size can be changed. The code comments provide instructions on which values to update. For example, to set a different color for the sketch line, enter the color's RGB values; setting pLineColor.RGB = RGB(255, 0, 0) makes the sketch line bright red. If any modifications are made, run the code again. Close the Visual Basic Editor when done.
7. To return the sketch symbols to their defaults, run the original code from this article again.