Use the Viewer | Find Information | Use the Identify Tools

Use the Identify Tools

The Identify Tools are really another way to search for information in the layers of the map. Instead of typing a word and clicking search, you define an area on the map by drawing a shape. The application then finds all the information about the layers and features in that area and lists them in the Results List. On the Getting Around tab of the Toolbar, there is one identify tool - the Point Identify tool. On the Analysis tab of the Toolbar, the Point Identify tool is also available along with several more tools for identifying the area you want to search. You can exclude layers from the Identify process and also add an additional buffered area around the area you define.

When you use an Identify Tool, it searches multiple layers at the same time:

The results of the identify process are displayed in the Results List in the same way that Search results are displayed. As the application finds features, it begins displaying the results in the Results List immediately. The results are grouped by layer.

To identify features by drawing on the map:

  1. To ensure that the layers you want to search are included in the identify process, click Map Layers on the Toolbar.
  2. If any of the layers you want to include in the search are in gray text, click on that layer and then click Zoom To Visible Scale.
  3. Find the identify tools.

    An example of Identify tools grouped on a toolbar

  4. To define an area to identify, do any of the following:

Exclude layers from the Identify process

To exclude layers from the Identify process:

  1. On the toolbar, click the Results for drop-down list.

  2. To exclude a single layer, click the check box in front of the layer so that it is no longer selected.

    Layer excluded from the identify process

  3. To exclude most of the layers, click Select None, and then select the one or two layers you want to include.

Add a buffer around an identify area

You can add a buffer - a measured area - around any identify area that you draw. You specify the distance from the edge of your area to add as a buffer before you draw on the map.

To add a buffer around an identify drawing:

  1. On the toolbar, click theBuffered Identify checkbox.

    Buffered Identify selected

  2. Select any of the Identify tools and draw over the area you want to identify.

    The Buffer Options dialog box opens.

  3. Do any of the following:

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