Labeling and Annotation

Presentation Overview

• What is text and how do I use it in ArcGIS?

• An improved experience for working with text• Key areas of labeling• Key areas of annotation

• Exercise• Questions

What’s the difference?

Using Text in ArcGIS

A

Geodatabase

A

ESRI Label Engines

Maplex Label Engine

Standard Label Engine

GeodatabaseAnnotationEditing Tools

Convert toAnnotation

LabelMaps

AnnotateMaps

Hardcopy Maps

Digital Maps

Adding Labels to Your Map

The goal of any map is to communicate information in the clearest possible fashion. Adding labels is one way to accomplish this task, but simply placing labels anywhere on a map doesn't necessarily help people understand the information presented. For example, it may not be obvious which feature a label belongs to, labels for different features may overlap, and, in some situations, labels for some features may even be omitted.

ArcMap provides multiple ways to control how and where labels display in relation to point, line, and polygon features. In this topic, you will learn advanced methods for modifying label properties and for creating and placing dynamic labels.

Dynamic Labels

• which features in the layer are labeled• the field, or fields, in the attribute

table that will be used for labeling• font settings such as size, color, and

style• placement of labels relative to the

features• the scale at which labels will be visible

are based on an attribute and display using ArcMap's default settings. If you want to change the appearance, placement, or visibility of the labels, you need to change the layer's label properties, which determine how the labels draw. Label properties you can set include:

Labeling a Feature

• Label features one at a time• Label features that don’t exist in

the database• Data view

The Dreaded Highway Symbol

The Dreaded Highway Symbol

The Dreaded Highway Symbol

Auto Labeling

• Features are labeled automatically based upon a user defined field

Label Toolbar

Open label class

management dialogs

Manage

visibility of

labels in map

Quality placement for Maplex for ArcGIS

• Central location for labeling needs• Moved labeling-related dialogs to

toolbar• Label weight• Feature weight

Label Manager

• Central location for label classes• Easy access to common parameters

Positioning labels

• Points• Relative position to

feature• Preference priority

• Lines• Position relative to

line• Follow curve of line• Orient to page or line

• Polygons• Best position

Label Priority

ArcMap uses label priority ranking to determine the order in which labels will be placed on the map. Labels with a higher priority will generally be placed first. Labels with lower priority that conflict with higher priority labels may be placed at alternate positions or dropped from the map.

Label & Feature Weights

Setting label weights and feature weights establishes a ranking system for labels when there is a conflict with other labels or features on the map. The general rule with weights is that a feature cannot be overlapped by a label with an equal or lower weight.

Map Scale

Set a scale range for labels so that they don't display until the map scale reaches a larger scale.

1:100,000,000

1:20,000,000

Reference Scale

By default, as you zoom in and out on a map, the size of labels does not change. The point size is maintained as you zoom so that labels appear to be the same size relative to your screen. If you want the label text to scale with the map, you can set a reference scale.

Setting a reference scale fixes the size of the labels relative to the other features in the map at a specific scale. When you set a reference scale, the labels will remain at their current size in map units. After you set the reference scale, the text appears larger when you zoom in and smaller as you zoom out.

Set the Reference Scale

The reference scale is a property of the data frame, so labels for all layers are set to the same reference scale.

Label Classes

• Every layer starts with a single label class named "Default", which is symbolized with default symbology. New label classes can be added to the layer. You select the features that you want to group together in each label class by building a Structured Query Language (SQL) expression.

Label Classes - Creating

NOTE: If you convert layers with multiple label classes, each label class becomes an annotation class in the annotation feature class.

The Maplex Extension

Maplex for ArcGIS is an automated high-quality cartographic text placement and labeling extension for ArcGIS Desktop. Maplex for ArcGIS greatly reduces map production time and enhances cartographic quality.

Maplex for ArcGIS

• Better polygon placement styles• Straight• Boundary

• Improved user experience for stacking labels• Justification controlled by user

• New dialog to set up label abbreviations

• Reduce font size to place more labels

Stacking Text With Maplex

• Dynamic stacking• Automatic stacking

• Space, hyphen, comma

• Automatic justification• Left, right, center

• Controlled stacking• User-defined characters• Forced stacking• Controlled justification

Stacking text without Maplex

• How do you stack text from two fields in ArcGIS?• [Field1] + [Field2]

• Use Visual Basic code in expression.• vbnewline (like using the Enter

key)• [Field1] & vbnewline & [Field2]• Returns:

– Field1– Field2

Stacking labels without Maplex for ArcGIS

• How do you stack text in one field?• MyField = “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde”

• Visual Basic code in expression

TopHalf = Left (MyField, (InStr (1, MyField, “&”)))

BottomHalf = Right (MyField, ((Len (MyField)) – (InStr (1, MyField, “&”)))

TopHalf + vbnewline + BottomHalf

Stacking labels with Maplex for ArcGIS

• No Visual Basic code in expression• Complete control

Add new

character

Control the line break

Control the justification

Abbreviations without Maplex for ArcGIS

• How do you abbreviate text?• PolyVinyl Chloride = PVC• Ductile Iron = DI

• Use Visual Basic code in expression• Select Case statement

• Select Case [Material]– Case “PolyVinyl Chloride”

» FindLabel = “PVC”– Case “Ductile Iron”

» FindLabel = “DI”

• End Select

Abbreviations with Maplex for ArcGIS

• No Visual Basic code in expression• Simple user interface• Stored in file or in database

Add keyword

s

Add abbreviation string

Maplex Placement Properties

Maplex Placement Properties

POINTS

Maplex Placement Properties

LINES

Maplex Placement Properties

POLYGONS

Additional Maplex Placement Properties

• Reduce font size to place more labels• Steps down one

interval and tries to place the label again

Interval used to

reach smallest font size

Smallest font

size allowed

Maplex Cost

What would you be willing to pay for this time saving, cost effective, magical tool?

MAPLEXMAPLEX

MAPLEXMAPLEX

MAPLEX

$2499.99? $999.99?

3 Easy Payments of $199.99?

$150.00!Bargain Price of

Converting Labels to Annotation

• create unique text symbology to identify a specific feature

• position the annotation exactly where you want it

• place informational text, not associated with a feature, on your map

• include graphics• edit an individual piece of annotation text

or its symbology• share annotation data without necessarily

sharing a map document

After investing time to create labels, why would you want to move on to annotation? Unlike dynamic labels, with annotation you can:

Converting Labels to Annotation

Feature-Linked Annotation

Annotation that is stored in the geodatabase with links to features through a geodatabase relationship

class. Feature-linked annotation reflects the current state of features in the

geodatabase: it is automatically updated when features are moved,

edited, or deleted.

This feature is available only with an ArcEditor or ArcInfo

License

Map Document Annotation

• Visibility of layers is controlled on a layer-by-layer basis in the ArcMap Table of Contents. Visibility of map document annotation is controlled by annotation groups in the properties for the data frame.

Editing Annotation

You can modify annotation stored with the map document right where you see it, without starting an edit session. Any edits you make to this type of annotation apply only to the ArcMap document (.MXD) in which you made the changes.

When you modify geodatabase annotation attributes, you must make those changes in an edit session. You edit a geodatabase annotation feature class just as you edit the feature class of a geometric feature.

Managing Annotation

• Expose annotation properties as individual feature attributes• Supports queries against text

symbol information• Allows for bulk updates to symbol

properties

Editing Annotation - Overview

• Tightly integrated with feature editing environment

• Centralized location for finding tools to edit annotation

• Improved experience when working with unplaced annotation

• Support editing of multiword annotation

• Better leader line support

New Tools for Editing Annotation

• Better tools for constructing new annotation features

• New Annotation toolbar

One-click editing tools

Determine type of text

construction

Enter text for next

construction

Use predefined text symbol

Unplacedannotationmanager

Unplaced Annotation

Unplacedannotationmanager

Adding Annotation

Enter text for next

construction

Hold the cursor over the feature you want to label and press the “W” key on the keyboard and the text will be automatically filled in with the pre-determined label field.

Editing Annotation

Adding Annotation Classes

• Additional classes can be added to an annotation feature class to better organize your data

• From ArcCatalog right-click on the annotation feature and click on “Properties”

South Reefs

Editing Annotation Classes

Annotation classes are edited exactly like all other

annotation.

Thank You For Your Attention