How do I get the Rotate Tool to function in ArcMap?

Question

I'm using ArcGIS 10.6 Advanced, and have both 3D Analyst and Spatial Analyst extensions.  The feature class is a set of contiguous polygons created from a raster bathymetric data set consisting of 5394 polygons.  These polygons are going to be used to create a clip feature class.  However, I need to rotate this feature class by about 5° so when I perform the clip the resulting features will be more horizontal when used with the current orthophoto.

The problem I'm having is getting the Rotate tool to activate, and then rotate the feature class...it's grayed out.  I have been doing this in the data view (as opposed to the layout view).  The anchor point shows up when I edit the feature class and all of the polygons are selected, but there's just no tool available to rotate.  One should be able to rotate a feature class, correct?

I have tried searching for others online with the same problem, but all of the solutions I have found so far just talk about using the Rotate tool.

Am I missing something?  Is there something else I need to turn on to make this happen?  I'm wondering if I perhaps neglected to activate something else.  I was under the impression this was a relatively simple exercise.

Thanks.

Mark_Hotz · Answer

Dan:

Thanks for your response (and links)...most appreciated and most helpful.  The only ESRI reference I found online that refers to rotating a feature class was this one:

Rotating a feature—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop

I certainly could not get it to work.  Had that worked I would have been finished a lot earlier today.  However, a workaround that I found was the Convert Features To Graphics function: Converting features into graphics—Help | ArcGIS Desktop, and then I was able to rotate the graphic.  Thankfully, there is also a Convert Graphics to Features function: Converting graphics into features—Help | ArcGIS Desktop so I was able to get it back into a feature after it was rotated.   You don't want to know how long it took me to find that workaround LOL....and I still don't know if this is how it should really be done.  This project was priority too so I ended up working late to get this ready for the big meeting.

Thanks again...I will be sure to read up on those links you sent as I have to stay on top of this.

DanPatterson_Retired · Answer

Rotate... the word appears in many places yet you don't specify which one (screen grab perhaps)

You can rotate rasters http://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/tool-reference/data-management/rotate.htm

There is one here .... http://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/help/editing/modify-features-tool-reference.htm

Shortcut keys  .... http://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/help/editing/keyboard-shortcuts-for-editing.htm

But nothing that rotates a whole featureclass as a standalone tool.

You aren't referring to the conflation tools are you? http://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/tool-reference/editing/rubbersheet-features.htm

All the tools above are available in ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro