Creating New Vector Datasets
This tutorial walks through the process of creating a new vector dataset from scratch within ArcGIS Pro, using the Creature Feature Class tool.
Included in this tutorial:
Accessing the Create Feature Class tool
Create Feature Class parameters
New Vector Datasets (example results)
Software version in examples: ArcGIS Pro 3.5.0
Credits: Sally Kaye & L. Meisterlin (2026)
Related Tutorials
Accessing the Create Feature Class tool
accessing Create Feature Class from the Catalog Pane
In the Catalog Pane, click to open the Databases dropdown. Right-click the project geodatabase to view options for new datasets to add to the geodatabase. To create a new vector dataset in this tutorial, we will click Feature Class to open the Create Feature Class dialogue box.
Alternatively, you can right-click on a different geodatabase or a folder to create a new feature class in a different location. Note that feature classes stored in folders can be saved as shapefiles.
Create Feature Class parameters
parameters in the Create Feature Class dialogue box
The Create Feature Class tool’s parameters allow you to specify the geometry, attribute fields, and other information of the vector layer you will create. All options can be viewed across six pages. These pages include:
Define:
Name and Alias: Here you can set a name and alias (the name visible in the contents pane) for your new feature class. In our example we name our layer “test_points” with the alias “Test Points.”
Feature Class Type: Using the dropdown arrow, select the geometry type for the new feature class. These options include Polygon, Line, Point, and more.
You can select whether the dataset will include M and Z values.
Choose whether to add the new dataset to the current map (this is the default option). If unchecked, the dataset will only be added to the selected geodatabase.
Fields: Add fields of specified data types to the new feature class. Fields can also be added to an existing attribute table later.
Spatial Reference: From this page, you can select the coordinate reference system for the new feature class, shown in the box under Current XY. By default, the tool will use the map CRS, but you can also select a new CRS using the dropdown menus or search bar.
TIP: If you are creating this new layer for digitizing at local and regional scales, it is recommended to use a projected coordinate system for improved precision and consistency.
The last three pages include information about how the dataset is recorded and stored, and the default parameters are generally sufficient. These include:
Tolerance
Resolution
Storage Configuration
To add the new feature class, click Finish at the bottom of the dialogue box. Your empty feature class should now appear in the Contents pane if you did not deselect this option on the Define page.
New Vector Datasets (example results)
The resulting datasets will appear “empty” because they do not include any features (yet). As a result, you will see the new layers in your layer’s panel but they contain no features that would appear in your Map.
The images below depict three newly created shapefile layers, listed by alias in the Contents Pane with their respective geometry icons and by name in the Catalog Pane under the project geodatabase.
viewing new vector datasets in the Contents pane
viewing new vector datasets in the project geodatabase