Problem: The Measure Tool is Disabled in ArcMap

Description

When accessing the Tools toolbar in ArcMap, the Measure tool is disabled.

The ArcMap toolbar displaying the disabled Measure tool icon.

Cause

This issue occurs because the map does not have known units.

The Data Frame Properties window displays the General tab with the Map parameter specified as Unknown Units in the Units section.

Solution or Workaround

Set the map unit of the data frame

Set the map unit of the data frame with a known unit such as Meters or Miles.

The Data Frame Properties window displaying the Map unit parameter in the Units section on the General tab.

Note:
The map units are determined by the data frame's coordinate system.

Specify a coordinate system

Specify a coordinate system for the data frame.

The Data Frame Properties window displaying the Coordinate System tab with a list of coordinate systems. Click Apply, and click OK to specify a coordinate system.

After the coordinate system of the data frame is specified, the map unit is also set with a known unit.

Note:
The data frame's coordinate system is usually determined by the first layer added to the map. Apply a projected coordinate system (PCS) to measure areas. Refer to ArcMap: Specifying a coordinate system for more information on changing and assigning a coordinate system.

Article ID: 000012430

Software: