How to Convert a Poly Shapefile to Line Shapefile

ArcGIS is a geographic information system, or GIS, developed by Esri. According to the Esri website "GIS technology leverages geographic insight to address social, economic, business, and environmental concerns at local, regional, national, and global scales." ArcGIS is used in industries such as mining, town planning and environmental science to provide a comprehensive overview of an area and establish its viability. XTools Pro is an add-on to the ArcGIS software that will allow you to convert the poly shapefiles native to the ArcGIS software to line shapefiles.

Instructions

1. • 1

     Download, install and run XTools Pro.

   • 2

     Open ArcGIS. Click on "File," and then click "Open." Navigate to your poly shapefile, highlight it with your mouse, and click "Open."

   • 3

     Press the "XTools Pro" button in the left hand corner of the "Arc Toolbox" menu, and select "Convert Polygons to Polylines."

   • 4

     Choose a name and location for your new line shapefile, and click on "Save."