How do I make a whole feature show in the legend and not just a line symbol

[EllenWildig]

I've been asked to produce a figure which contains a feature converted to a shapefile from a CAD drawing. The feature has converted to multiple polylines as expected, however, the figure request has specified that the legend should show the shape of an entire feature, (they're many identical things) and not simply a line. Would anybody be able to tell me how I might be able to do this?

Thanks

[DanPatterson_Retired]

About creating new symbols—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop

Creating line symbols—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop

might be a place to start, but do you have an example?

[EllenWildig]

Unfortunately not one that I can share due to the nature of the request. It's a piece of infrastructure of which there are several identical features in the extent of the map. I'll take a look at the links you added. Thanks

[FC_Basson]

I don't think it is possible from the standard legend item symbology options.  You could...

1) create a graphic from a screenshot or export which you can use in the legend as a patch, but you will have to manually edit the legend.

2) Use the legend patch tool: How To: Create a custom area or line legend patch shape

3) Bit unconventional, but if you need to show a series of different features, you can set up data driven pages for the features in an additional small data frame about the same size as the legend patch and dynamic text for the feature value for the legend label.

[XanderBakker]

The alternative would to  Converting features into graphics—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop , and use those graphics to (manually) build the legend, but that could mean a lot of work.