In order to digitize new points using a GPS unit or create customized files with shapes and lines to add to a Map Project, you must first create a Shapefile. When seen through Windows Explorer, a Shapefile is actually composed of a five separate files with .dbf, .prj, .shp, .shp.xml, and .shx file extensions. If you move or copy a Shapefile, you must move all five of the associated files in order for the Shapefile to work properly.
When seen in ArcMap, ArcCatalog, or ArcPad, Shapefiles appear as a single file with an .shp file extension.
Create a New Feature Class
Feature Classes in ArcGIS include Shapefiles, Polyline files, Polygon files, and a host of other vector file types for collecting data. If you are unusre about what kind of Feature Class you need to create for your Map Project, contact GIS Support Specialist Krista White (x3926) or Dr. Catherine Riihimaki (x3349) for assistance.
Once you've navigated to or created the Geodatabase, you can begin to create new, empty Shapfiles.
Right click on the name of the Geodatabase
Choose New → Feature Class. The New Feature Class dialog box will appear.
The Name of your new Shapefile is what ArcMap will read when it includes it in a Map Project. Names should be unique, begin with a letter, have no spaces, and be as short as possible. Names should also be descriptive - the name should reflect the kind of data you will be collecting in this particular Shapefile.
The Alias is another way to label your Shapefile. This is what will display when users are looking for your Shapefile in ArcMap and ArcCatalog. The Alias can have spaces, but should always be as close as possible to the Name so that it remains recognizable.
Type: This is where you will determine which kind of Feature Class you will be creating. Some options include
Point Features - for creating single points that represent individual objects such as manhole covers, trees, or telephone poles
Polygon Features - for creating closed shapes such as circles and squares
Polyline Features - for creating linear elements with few vertices such as street center lines and streams
Multipoint Features - for creating large point collections, such as lidar point clusters
Multipatches - for creating 3-D features such as 3-D renderings of buildings or geology