idea Support snapping to line and polygon edges (segments) in ArcGIS Field Maps Ideas

Support snapping to line and polygon edges (segments)

Debert — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:11:26 GMT

Summary:
Enable snapping to feature edges in addition to vertices to improve editing and measurement workflows.

Details:
Current snapping behavior is limited to vertices, requiring users to densify geometries to achieve acceptable accuracy. This introduces unnecessary complexity, increases maintenance, and can degrade performance. Supporting edge-based snapping would streamline workflows and reduce the need for excessive vertex creation.

Use Case:
Measuring perpendicular distance from a centerline point to a water line using the Measure Distance tool. Existing functionality only snaps to endpoints and vertices, limiting accuracy without modifying geometry.

Benefits:
-Improves editing efficiency
-Reduces geometry complexity
-Enhances measurement accuracy
-Supports cleaner, more maintainable datasets

I've logged the enhancement and hope you'll consider ENH-000168338. Cheers!

Re: Support snapping to line and polygon edges (segments)

DavidSolari — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:56:51 GMT

I'm currently managing a project involving paths and sample holes, letting users snap their sample points to the path would greatly improve the presentation of the data without running costly backend snapping updates.

Re: Support snapping to line and polygon edges (segments)

MErikReedAugusta — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 21:09:11 GMT

This looks to have glitched & double-posted.

The other copy is found here, so ESRI mods can merge the two: https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-online-ideas/support-snapping-to-line-and-polygon-edges/idi-p/1692906/jump-to/first-unread-message

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In our databases and workflows, we'd generally end up with at least a vertex—if not a full asset/segment break—at the point where those two lines intersect. But I often prefer to make that break after drawing the new line that's first going to need to snap to a line midpoint or other non-vertex edge.

I'd love to see something like this in Field Maps.

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EDIT: I see now that the two postings are in two different boards; missed that, at first. It's a little unclear to me which board is the more appropriate place for the Idea, and/or whether separate Ideas are warranted. I genuinely can't remember what the AGOL Map Viewer snapping currently allows, as I haven't used it in a while.

Re: Support snapping to line and polygon edges (segments)

Debert — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 20:37:03 GMT

Thank you both for adding your use cases to support this enhancement @DavidSolari & @MErikReedAugusta

Re: Support snapping to line and polygon edges (segments)

PierreloupDucroix — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 01:28:00 GMT

This will be very useful for locating leaks in the pipes.

In a water distribution network, most pipes do not have intermediate vertices. Therefore, it is impossible to precisely locate leaks, resulting in inaccurate data collection.